CLEVELAND, Tenn. — McMinn County football coach Bo Cagle hears the chatter.
He knows sometimes people feel as though his teams can’t win big games, despite plenty of success as he begins his 19th season in charge of the program.
But the Cherokees’ stunning 21-17 victory at old rival Bradley Central on Friday night in the opener for both teams felt big, and his excitement seemed to suggest it was, too.
“It’s always fun, and you can see me get a little excited on the sideline,” Cagle said. “I don’t get as excited in a lot of games, but that one I will. It’s a big one to win; it’s a big one to beat Bradley. We’ve got guys that compete and play hard. Do we do things right all the time? No, but I’ll take my kids playing 100% all the time like that.”
Friday night was about the defense keeping the Cherokees in it during the first half and allowing their offense to finally connect on a couple of big plays in the second half, helping them overcome a 10-0 halftime deficit.