Few area high school football programs can match the success of Boyd-Buchanan and Red Bank. The Buccaneers have qualified for the playoffs 13 straight years and have reached four state finals in the last nine years, and Red Bank’s Lions have compiled a 60-14 overall record the last six seasons and won the state championship in the largest classification at the beginning of this decade.
While one big graduating class can sometimes take with it enough talent to cripple a program for several years, programs such as the Bucs and Lions continue to experience success.
“Our kids know they’re playing for tradition,” Bucs coach Grant Reynolds said. “We’ve had success in the past, and they know they’re representing everyone who has played here and what has been established. That’s a good kind of pressure.
“Our whole school climate is a family atmosphere, so when our kids see former players come back to watch games, they want to do well and carry on that tradition.”
Despite returning only three offensive and two defensive starters from last year’s Class 2A state runner-up team, Boyd-Buchanan (6-3) survived a brutal nondistrict schedule that included playoff teams Red Bank, Howard, Marion County and South Pittsburg to win its third straight league title and will host Unaka (6-4) in Friday’s first round.