HISTORY WITH HAYES: Tennessee High still impressing

Seymour High School head football coach Jim Moore realized what most every other football coach in Northeast Tennessee already knows when he watched film of Tennessee High earlier this week.

“There’s no real weak spots,” Moore said. “They’re just a solid, very good football team.”

Solid. Strong. Superb. Those are just some of the adjectives used to be describe the unbeaten Vikings, who host Seymour tonight in the first round of the TSSAA Class 5A playoffs.

Many Bristolians are predicting that THS is poised to make a deep run into the playoffs and you can’t really blame them. The Vikings have an offense that has put up video-game like statistics – 42.4
points per game, almost 400 yards of total offense per contest and a balanced attack that has seen 13 different players score TDs.

Don’t forget an aggressive defense that mixes speed and strength.

Meanwhile, Seymour has pieced together a success story of its own. After years of competing at the Class 3A level, the Eagles were bumped up two classifications.

The 4-6 record is not overly impressive, but the Eagles have competed in every game they’ve played.

“I told them [Wednesday], I’ve never been around a group of kids that have fought like they have,” Moore said. “They have responded and just fought their hearts out.”

Now, for a look at historical high school moments that occurred this week in history:

Nov. 6, 1959
Whitey Pullen and Joe Garrett each scored two touchdowns for Tennessee High in a 34-0 win over Virginia High. … Abingdon collected a 20-6 victory over Chilhowie as Charles Smith, Donnie Wise and Leslie Burke each scored touchdowns. … Despite two touchdowns from Jimmy Ray Carter, Wise suffered a 19-14 setback to Jonesville.

Nov. 7, 1969
Ronnie Justice gained 234 yards on 26 carries and scored three touchdowns, leading Sullivan Central to a 26-8 win over Sullivan East. Gary Kidd also scored for Central, while Steve Warden fired a 32-yard TD pass to Kent Musselman for East’s lone score. … Behind Dennis Hill’s 169 rushing yards and two touchdowns, Patrick Henry posted a 32-22 victory over Wytheville. … Pennington pounded Norton, 42-0, thanks to four touchdowns from Larry Mosley.

Nov. 2, 1979
Sterling Ellison scored three touchdowns, helping Abingdon clinch the Southwest District title with a 35-0 beatdown of Patrick Henry. … Honaker’s Greg Stevens recorded three interceptions in a 13-7 win over Castlewood. … Five different players scored touchdowns for Chilhowie in a 40-28 victory over Lebanon. Mike Sturgill, Mike Blevins, Greg Belcher, Robert St. John and Darryl Shazier all reached the end zone for the Warriors, with Blevins scoring twice. … Todd Heldreth rushed for two scores and threw a TD pass to Jackson Richardson in Richlands’ 31-28 victory over Gate City.

Nov. 3, 1989
Brady Yeary rushed for 131 yards and two TDs and Lee High clinched the Highlands District title with a 35-0 victory over John Battle. … Touchdown runs from Charles Price and Myron Austin clinched Abingdon’s 12-6 win over Marion. … Todd Lee rushed for 167 yards and two scores to highlight Virginia High’s 28-12 win over Tazewell.

Nov. 1, 1991
Behind three touchdowns from Thad Charter, Tennessee High topped Volunteer, 38-6. … Aaron Black rushed for 295 yards and four touchdowns as George Wythe collected a 43-15 triumph over Northwood. … Lee Wright tossed two touchdown passes to Kevin Yarber, highlighting Patrick Henry’s 26-12 win over Holston.