It isn’t often that Walker Valley has played the role of the established football program — the target to be aimed for — but that’s the case with Friday’s matchup at East Hamilton.
The Mustangs’ new lofty status is a testament to the work put in by head coach Drew Akins and his staff, who have built them into legitimate contenders for not only the Region 4-5A title but also a deep run in the state playoffs.
Meanwhile, East Hamilton, which won or shared the past two league titles in the Chattanooga area’s TSSAA Class 4A region, is looking to contend in its first season since moving up in classification.
“We’re the ones with something to prove, because ever since moving up, there have been questions about whether we can compete against the 5A teams,” Hurricanes first-year coach Aaron Nance said.
Walker Valley (6-1, 3-0) and McMinn County (5-2, 3-0) currently stand atop Region 4-5A, but East Hamilton (5-2, 2-1) is close behind, while Rhea County (3-4, 1-2), which began the season 3-1, has lost its last two region games.