It’s an unlikely marriage that could help one program that struggles with a lack of numbers and another small school looking to create an opportunity for some of its students.
When several students at Richard Hardy, a small independent school in South Pittsburg, expressed an interest in playing football, school administrators began looking for ways to accommodate them. But they were turned away by the three high school programs in Marion County, and the closest school willing to allow them to participate was Lookout Valley, whose football program traditionally struggles with a lack of numbers.
Lookout Valley head coach Tony Webb during the Sequatchie County Jamboree. Seven teams–Grundy County, Lookout Valley, South Pittsburg, Sequatchie County, Marion County, Whitwell, Bledsoe County–played two teams a piece during two non-consecutive quarters. The TSSAA has approved the co-op between the two schools, allowing Richard Hardy students to begin working out with the Lookout Valley football team this summer.
“Hopefully it will be a win-win situation for both sides,” said Lookout Valley football coach Tony Webb, who expects 8-10 new players with the arrangement. “You have to have depth in football, and when we finished spring practice we had 20 players and no seniors, so this could really help us.
“If you’re committed enough to drive 30 minutes every day, crossing time zones, just to practice, that tells me you’re serious about wanting to play. I’m sure it will be an adjustment for them to play football at this level, but we’re excited to have them.”