Although personnel groupings may have changed left and right for Red Bank throughout this football season, a hard-nosed defense has remained a mainstay for the Region 3-4A champions.
The Lions (8-3), who host Region 4 runner-up Macon County (10-1) in the second round of the TSSAA playoffs at 7 p.m. Friday at Tom Weathers Field, have held 70 of 99 opponents over the past eight seasons to two scores or less.
Red Bank’s defense has been led on each level this year by seniors — Kobe Smith on the line, Malik Rizer at linebacker and Brayden Howard at safety — and catching the Lions off guard has been extremely difficult to do of late.
Last week’s 30-0 first-round win over DeKalb County was the fourth shutout of the season for the Lions, whose defense has not allowed a point in five of the past six games. Outside of the team’s losses to Bradley Central, Cleveland and Rhea County, opponents have scored just 19 points against Red Bank’s defense in 2023.
“Defensive coordinator Ted Lockerby and our staff have done an absolutely fantastic job of maintaining the tradition of we are going to play great defense,” said Ted Gatewood, who is in his second season as head coach at his high school alma mater. “That is the key and objective. But our kids are passionate about it.