Rhea County Eagles

Golden Eagle quarterback Daniel Dotson (14) calls the signals.  The Rhea County Golden Eagles visited the East Hamilton Hurricanes Friday night in TSSAA football action.
Golden Eagle quarterback Daniel Dotson (14) calls the signals. The Rhea County Golden Eagles visited the East Hamilton Hurricanes Friday night in TSSAA football action.
photo \sdhs#\

Pedal to the metal

It would, Daniel Dotson said, be nice to play football in college, but Rhea County's senior quarterback hasn't bothered with the handful of emails and letters he has received from college recruiters.

"I probably won't worry about it till after the season," he said.

There are other things to which he must attend, from football to studying, working cows on the family farm, washing dishes at his mother's Dayton Coffee Shop or manhandling boxes and crates on the loading dock of Robinson Manfacturing.

More Info

RHEA COUNTY EAGLESRegion 4-5AEagle Stadium/Bill Horton Field, 885 Eagle Lane, Evensville, TN 37332Driver’s seat: Mark Pemberton (23-4 in third year here and 126-101-1 overall)Road tested: 5 starters return offensively and defensively

More Info

Pump the brakes: FB Jacob York consistently got yards when there didn’t appear to be any, often behind two-way lineman C.J. Shelton and TE/DL C.J. Shelton.

More Info

Route ’15: The Eagles were within 13 seconds of the state-title matchup, rebounding from a 28-0 deficit in the semifinals only to have the game slip away. They’ve moved back to a Chattanooga-area region that includes numerous old-time foes, including Cleveland and Ooltewah.

More Info

Taking the wheel: Pemberton has vowed to find additional ways to get the ball into the hands of WR Noel Patterson, although the Eagles’ offense is a run-oriented wing-T. Cody Bice, who will be in the defensive backfield with Patterson, should provide much of the team’s rushing behind the likes of two-way lineman Jonathon Shoemake.

More Info

Cruise control: The Eagles had no trouble scoring points a year ago; a key ingredient in addition to Patterson and Bice this year will be the play of returning QB Daniel Dotson.

More Info

Backseat driver: An opposing coach said, “They do what Pemberton has always done and they do it well — a lot of precision offensively — but their defense caused us all kinds of problems last year.”

More Info

Rearview2014 game resultsAug. 29;at Coffee County;won, 42-6Sep. 5;at White County; won, 41-7Sep. 12;Walker Valley;won, 41-7Sep. 19;at Cumberland County;won, 48-0Sep. 26;at Red Bank;won, 54-7Oct. 3;Cookeville;won, 28-27Oct. 10;Soddy-Daisy;won, 47-37Oct. 17;Warren County;won, 46-3Oct. 24;at East Hamilton;won, 42-14Oct. 31;Stone Memorial;won, 21-7Nov. 7;Tullahoma;won, 52-14 (first-round playoffs)Nov. 14;Ooltewah;won, 47-14 (second-round playoffs)Nov. 21;Oak Ridge;won, 35-21 (quarterfinals)Nov. 28;Knoxville West;lost, 35-28 (semifinals)13-1, 6-0 in District 6-AAA

More Info

On the horizon2015 schedule (all times 7:30)Aug. 20;BaylorAug. 28;at McMinn CentralSep. 4;White CountySep. 11;ClintonSep. 18;at OoltewahSep. 25;at Cathedral High (Indianapolis)Oct. 9;ClevelandOct. 16;Soddy-DaisyOct. 23;at Walker ValleyOct. 30;at McMinn CountyRegion 4-5A games in bold

Football and academics - he carries a 4.2 grade point average and already has scored a 26 on the ACT - are first and foremost, pushing aside even the love of fishing and the occasional round of golf.

Dotson, the younger brother of Austin Dotson, another Rhea quarterback, feels there is unfinished business.

The Eagles' unbeaten string ran out a win shy of the Class 5A championship game in 2014, and it stayed with him and his teammates.

"We were down 28-0 at halftime, and we were still expecting to win and then (Knoxville West) scored with 13 seconds left," he recalled. "It was devastating."

The memory spurs him and his teammates every day.

"It gives a lot more motivation. You never know when that little extra in the weight room or on the practice field could push you over the top," he said.

It is a perfect reflection of the mindset that prevails inside the newly painted Rhea County fieldhouse.

Capsule by Ward Gossett; contact at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or follow on Twitter: @wardgossett.

Upcoming Events