BY BRIAN T. SMITH
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. – The journey started before the season began.
Caleb Leuzinger needed a new school. And he needed a new football team.
Leuzinger had watched his former team, Mountain Empire Baptist, play big and win championships on the field but slowly shrink in numbers on the sidelines.
Leuzinger estimated MEB’s roster had dwindled to 14-16 players by the end of his junior season. Granted, Mountain Empire Baptist played old-school eight-man football. But a roster that small was pushing hard on the boundaries of sanity.
“It seemed like everything was shutting down at Mountain Empire,” said Leuzinger, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound senior quarterback/defensive end. “The program was shutting down and the kids were leaving, so we didn’t have enough people to form a football team.”
So Leuzinger made a decision and took a chance.
While other seniors were preparing to revel in their final year of high school football and enjoy the comfort and acclaim it normally brings, Leuzinger decided to start over.
Soon, he transferred to Tri-Cities Christian, a small, non-denominational, college preparatory evangelical school.
Leuzinger admitted he didn’t know what to expect when he first joined TCC, a program in only its second year of existence. He feared the transition would be rough, and he was unsure of the level of talent he would be surrounded with.
But Leuzinger was joined and aided in the transfer by his father, Bill, and former MEB coach Scott Allgood.
And Leuzinger soon found a new home in the quiet, rural hills of Blountville.
“I think it’s pretty amazing,” Leuzinger said. “When I transferred here, I was hoping for a good season. But after seeing how hard these guys worked, it’s just … it’s been amazing.”
Amazing says it best.
Buoyed by the addition of Leuzinger and two former Mountain Empire Baptist coaches, Tri-Cities Christian quickly turned an 0-2 start into a 7-1 run.
And tonight, TCC (7-3) will take on Lighthouse Christian at 7 p.m. at Gene Malcolm Stadium in the Tennessee Athletic Association of Christian Schools state championship game.
“Everyone [has stepped up] big time,” Tri-Cities Christian coach Frank Reed said. “The kids just geared it up. … Those coaches helped me big time to get the guys’ minds right.”
While TCC has played as one, Leuzinger has carried the torch.
He plans to play college ball at either the University of Virginia’s College at Wise or Emory & Henry.
And he’s now one win away from claiming a state championship.
“Everybody’s giving their all, everyday,” Leuzinger said. “That’s why we’re where we’re at right now. Because everybody’s just giving all they got, every practice.
“It’s amazing. I take a lot of pride in it. But all glory goes to God.”
btsmith@bristolnews.com|(276) 645-2569
If you go
Who: Lighthouse Christian vs. Tri-Cities Christian
What: TAACS state championship game
When: 7 p.m., tonight
Where: Gene Malcolm Stadium in Bristol, Va.
YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW2Kasf6S2c
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSJ-ueZQha0
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