Hawks, Rams and Senators ... Oh my!
A few new faces on the sidelines as middle school football gets underway
It’s hot. It’s August and it’s football time for area middle school teams.
Two local squads will open the 2023 season by tangling with each other at Blankenship Field in Oak Ridge.
Clinton and Robertsville will battle on the gridiron Thursday night.
Kickoff between the Hawks and Rams is slated for 6:30 p.m.
Clinton enters the showdown with Eric Woodard as its new head coach, Woodard, who coached the Hawks from 2016-17, is looking to reverse the program’s fortunes.
“Our biggest challenge is to compete, and Robertsville will be a good measuring stick for us,” said Woodard, who returns to the sideline after a one-year hiatus. “Over the last three years, Clinton has won one game.
“They’re 1-23 in the last three years, but we had a scrimmage against Horace Maynard and we had some success, and a little success is always good.
“We saw some good things,” he said. “I’m looking for us to just go out and compete. I’m not saying that we’re going to set the world on fire, but we want to compete and we want to run the football. We’ll throw the ball when we have to and when the opportunity presents itself.”
The Hawks, who went 0-8 last season, are eager to get things started.
“I told the kids that it’s time to get ready to hit a team with an ugly jersey, and if the jersey is not our color, it’s an ugly one,” said Woodard, a veteran football coach who has roamed sidelines for many years in East Tennessee. “I went to Clinton High School and I’m glad to be back at home.
“I’ve coached every year except for 2004 and last year. Last year, I was a referee and I really enjoyed that. In 2004, I did what every good husband and father would do. I took a year off when my son was born.”
Woodard has had stops at Anderson County High, with the Dragons and at Grace Christian Academy, where he coached under Randy McKamey and Rusty Bradley. He’s been coaching since 1993.
Players to watch for the Hawks include: Brendon Hayden (quarterback); Camryn McCafferty; Junior Ward (running back/defensive end); and Jett Hardy (defensive tackle).
“We have some good offensive and defensive linemen and we have good players at the skill positions,” Woodard said. “We have some good seventh graders, so I’m excited about the future. But we’re also looking to have success now.”
Meanwhile, at Robertsville, head Coach Tyler Carr begins his second year at the helm of the Rams, who went 4-4 in 2022.
He enters the new season with one lofty goal.
“We have some good teams in our league, but I fully expect us to go out there and compete for the Tennessee Valley Athletic Conference championship,” Carr said. “We have some quality depth.
“The biggest thing about middle school football, and I’m sure the Clinton coach will tell you the same thing, is that you have a ton of turnover every year.”
Players to watch for Robertsville include: King Sandoval (offensive tackle/defensive end); Caylin Chapman (offensive guard/defensive line); Isaiah Wilson (center); Braylon Payne (offensive tackle/defensive tackle); Spenser Hatmaker (offensive guard); Liam Gerber (tight end/linebacker); and Whit Renegar (a quarterback who played defensive back last season. He’ll likely see playing time on defense in 2023); Trea’ser Threat (wide receiver/defensive lineman); Trace Jackson (running back/defensive back); Josiah McClure (wide receiver/defensive back); Kyton Feagan (wide receiver); Jaiden Humphrey (linebacker); Kimani Patterson (linebacker); Kamoni Willis (defensive back) and La’Miere Porter (defensive back).
At Norris Middle School, Richie Noe begins his 18th year as the Senators’ coach. Norris hosts Lenoir City at Anderson County High on Thursday with kickoff slated for 7 p.m.
Norris won six games last season, and will again look to win a league title and make a deep run in the playoffs.
“These kids have really worked hard this summer,” Noe said. “We scrimmaged at Elizabethton and we took it to them.”
Norris will have a smaller offensive front than it has in years past.
But Noe said that his offensive line is extremely athletic.
Players to watch for the Senators include: John Gillum (quarterback); Ryan Engle (center); Casson Landon (offensive guard); Cayson Kuriger (running back); Aiden Walker (running back); Henley Bailey (running back); Wayne LaRue (wide receiver); Colton Noe (defensive back); Jackson Davis (middle linebacker) and Noah Ridenour (defensive lineman).
Also on Thursday night, Jefferson will open the season at Spring City at 6:30 p.m.
The Eagles are coached by Rodney Ellison, a veteran high school coach who has previously been at Knoxville Catholic, Powell and Oak Ridge. He was head coach for the Panthers.