Region 4-5A // Eagle Stadium, 885 Eagle Lane, Evensville, TN 37332
At the helm
Mark Pemberton
(42-10 in four years here; 205-78 overall)
Heroes assemble!
The Eagles return 5 off., 6 def. starters.
Super powers
There are more than 100 players at most practices, but it isn't a problem because Pemberton has 12 assistants, including QB coach Murphy Ownbey, father of defensive coordinator Taylor Ownbey, and special teams coordinator Craig Moser.
Possible kryptonite
While there is depth, there is the matter of making sure newcomers are ready to go for the Aug. 18 opener vs. longtime rival Cleveland. Pemberton has embraced two-platoon football, and curtailing two-way starters may mean less experienced starters in the early going.
Spidey sense tingling
The Eagles expect to be competitive in a five-team region and have hopes of hosting at least one postseason game. The offense remains a wing-T and a smashmouth style will still be obvious, but it's probable the Eagles will use more WRs and less TE play. Junior QB Zach Pemberton (5-11, 170), the coach's son, is expected to have more freedom this season, especially in the passing game.
Here I come to save the day!
RB Christian Simon (5-8, 160) will be an impact player after rushing for 978 yards a year ago behind Cody Bice and Mason Stephenson, last year's 1,000-yard rushers.
Up, up and away!
In Coach Pemberton's four years in Evensville, the Eagles have averaged better than 10 victories per year with a winning percentage of .808. They've won at least one playoff game in each of those years, including semifinal trips in 2014 and 2015, and there's no reason to expect a drop-off in 2017.
They were looking for at least one more starting WB to join A.J. Velasco (5-7, 180). But there are four OL who started at one time or another in 2016.
"We've got guys plugged in there and in the defensive secondary, and we're waiting to see if they can do the job," Coach Pemberton said. "Depth is always a concern. We are platooning this year, which is something I've never done, but I like it because it helps build depth. The first year you do it is always tough, but there are dividends. Obviously you want to have two deep, where you have guys you can count on, and I don't know if we're quite there yet."
The team's scoring punch will depend on Zach Pemberton and Simon.
"If Simon stays healthy, he'll have a great year, and hopefully Zach will have a good year," the coach said. "Zach will be more involved. Last year (his first to start), Zach was a handoff guy. This year he'll be more of a run-pass guy, and we didn't use wide receivers much last year; it was mostly two tight ends, but we feel like we have some receivers that can help us."
There is a strong work ethic within the team, an attitude Coach Pemberton fostered from his first day on campus.
"These kids show up and work. Some teams we play have better athletes overall, but sometimes you can overcome that with hard-working, team-oriented kids," he said.
2016 Results
Aug. 19 Baylor 0-35
Aug. 26 McMinn Central won, 60-7
Sep. 2 White County won, 58-13
Sep. 9 Clinton won, 59-14
Sep. 16 Ooltewah won, 28-6
Sep. 23 Indianapolis Cathedral lost, 40-16
Oct. 7 Cleveland won, 35-28
Oct. 14 Soddy-Daisy won, 37-7
Oct. 21 Walker Valley won, 35-34
Oct. 28 McMinn County won, 30-6
Nov. 4 Lenoir City won, 45-7 (first round)
Nov. 11 Farragut lost, 33-30 (second round)
9-3, 6-0 Region 4-5A
2017 Schedule
(All times 7:30 Eastern)
Aug. 18 Cleveland
Aug. 25 Blackman
Sep. 1 at Walker Valley
Sep. 8 McMinn County
Sep. 15 Lenoir City
Sep. 22 at Bradley Central
Sep. 28 at Knox Catholic
Oct. 6 at Ravenwood, 8
Oct. 13 Soddy-Daisy
Oct. 27 at Cane Ridge, 8