Stephen has covered sports in the tri-state area for the Times Free Press for more than 25 years and was named Sports Editor in February of 2015 after 10 years as assistant sports editor.It was early August, still days away from kicking off the prep football season, and against better judgment I decided it would be fun to go out on a limb and make a few risky predictions in our preview section.
As we near the end of another memorable season, it’s only fair to look back and see just how off base some of those picks turned out to be. It turns out, much like the season went for most of our area teams, there were some wins and a few forgettable picks.
I said we’d have as many as five teams from the area play in state-title games, but only one would bring back a championship. Marion County is the only area Tennessee program to actually reach the finals, but Dalton could make it two with a win in tonight’s Georgia semifinals.
Marion County’s Alex Kirkendoll (17) roams the sidelines. The Marion County Warriors visited the South Pittsburg Pirates in TSSAA football action on September 2, 2016. While I did pick Marion to face Trezevant in a rematch in the Class 2A championship game – which turned out to be the matchup – I’ll admit I overestimated our area talent. Baylor and South Pittsburg, teams I picked to play for TSSAA championships, fell one step shy, while two other teams I expected to reach title games – Calhoun and Rhea County – also fell short in the postseason.
I picked Bradley Central quarterback Cole Copeland to win the 6A Mr. Football award and said Marion linebacker Alex Kirkendoll would lead the area in tackles and contend for the 2A Mr. Football award. A shoulder injury cost Copeland the final three games of the regular season, ending any hope the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga commitment had of winning the state’s top individual award. Meanwhile, Kirkendoll was again a tackling machine, and thanks to three stout defensive linemen occupying blockers, he ranked among the area’s tackle leaders, also adding the Mr. Football hardware to his list of accomplishments.
Another pick that was hamstrung by injury was calling for Cleveland to lead the area in scoring plays of 20-plus yards. Since all four members of last spring’s state-qualifying 4×100 relay team were offensive starters, that pick seemed like a lock. And it certainly got off to a good start when the Blue Raiders turned their first three games into track meets with big play after big play. But then the injuries began to mount and Cleveland’s offense was never the same.
A complete misfire was picking Chattanooga Christian to surpass last year’s program-best season of eight wins. With 65 percent of the roster being freshmen or sophomores, the Chargers simply were overmatched all too often. With so many returning starters, however, I’m betting CCS coach Mark Mariakis will get things fixed for next year.
The referee tosses the coin in front of the two team’s captains. The Jackson County Blue Devils visited the Meigs County Tigers in the first round of the TSSAA playoff on November 4, 2016.Picks that wound up closer to being on target included Meigs County to be the area’s breakout team. Led by 23 seniors the Tigers did in fact finish 10-2, their best season since 2000. Also, having seen the results of his previous work, I said first-year Whitwell coach Tracy Malone would guide the program to the 1A quarterfinals for the first time in 25 years. The Tigers finished second in their region and led fourth-ranked Columbia Academy late before losing by seven and falling one step shy of the quarterfinals.
After Central went winless last season and made a coaching change, I bought in to first-year head coach Cortney Braswell enough to say he would have the Purple Pounders contending for a playoff berth. Turns out, Central not only contended but actually qualified for the 4A playoffs, and I’m even more convinced now that Braswell will have the program playing for bigger stakes soon.
Polk County came into the season with the state’s longest active losing streak – 21 straight – but I believe in coach Derrick Davis enough to say the Wildcats would snap that skid and collect several wins. Polk wasted no time in ending the streak, winning its first two games, and one more later in the year. It’s not where the program is accustomed to being under Davis, who averaged eight wins during the 13-year run before the losing streak began, but those wins should do wonders for the confidence of returning players.
Believing in new offensive coordinator Drew Akins, who’s the next good, young head coach in waiting, I said Red Bank’s offense – which scored more than 20 points just once in 2015 – would average at least three touchdowns per game. The Lions did show that vast improvement, averaging 23 points to win the region and reach the second round of the 3A playoffs.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis