Football: A Week to be Remembered!

By Terry Futrell

For coaches, players, and fans alike, it seemed that the 2020 high school football season would never arrive. With the number of COVID-19 cases increasing daily, there was much uncertainty about whether the season would even take place. The uncertainty was perhaps most telling on Coalfield and Wartburg as they were scheduled to open the season in a major cross-county rivalry game.

For ten years in a row, tiny Coalfield with an enrollment of 163 had beaten goliath Wartburg with an enrollment of 397. But many thought this year would be different. Both teams had lost several key players from the past season due to graduation and were having to go through a significant rebuilding process. Many believed that the Wartburg Bulldogs would once again be competitive against the Yellow Jackets from Coalfield.

The coaches on each team had concerns. Coach Kevin Human of Wartburg had lost several key offensive players, including three wide receivers. Accordingly, he planned to implement a new running attack, hoping to take advantage of perceived team strengths. Returning quarterback Tyler Davis, together with backs Ethan Stedham and Chris Flowers, would provide an experienced foundation for the Bulldogs attack.

With only two returning linemen, Coalfield Defensive Coordinator Jared Henry was faced with the challenge of rebuilding Coalfield’s historically strong defense. Coalfield also lost its starting quarterback and key wide receivers. But Coalfield had three prime candidates to start at quarterback – Landon Lowe, who missed the previous season due to injury, Cole Hines, and Zach Armstrong. Hines and Armstrong gained only a little experience in 2019. All three are young and their ability to lead the team was an unknown. The Jackets would most surely rely more on a running attack this year.

Preseason scrimmages were forbidden by TSSAA, and there were only a couple of weeks of full-contact practice. With no scrimmages, there was no video to share for use in game preparation. New team starters with limited experience had to be quickly molded into unified teams without the opportunity to even practice against a comparable level of competition.

As both teams went through pregame warmups Friday evening, clouds filled the sky and thunder could be heard in the distance. It almost certainly would rain – how would that affect the game? Coach Kevin Human expressed hope that his team was ready. In a conversation with Jared Henry early Saturday, he indicated that he was more nervous before that game than in any of the past ten years. There were many unknowns, and uncertainty and nervous optimism filled the air.

Finally, kickoff and the 2020 season was underway. It took only a few minutes for doubts and uncertainty to disappear. Led by Hines, the Yellow Jackets offense overwhelmed the Bulldog defense, scoring 30 points in the first quarter. The Coalfield defense shut down Wartburg’s running attack, limiting the Bulldogs to only five yards rushing in 14 attempts for the entire game. Surprisingly, it was the passing attack that worked best for Wartburg, having nine receptions for 137 yards in the game. If there is one word that best describes Coalfield, it would be “balance.” The Yellow Jackets racked up 197 yards rushing and 183 yards passing in the game. The performance by the Yellow Jackets was one of the best overall team efforts that we have witnessed in years – no dependence on superstars, just a highly functioning team working together as one.

A level of calm assurance must have swept over the Coalfield coaching staff after witnessing the performance of their team against the Bulldogs. The Jackets have two weeks to prepare for their next game against Harriman. Wartburg Coach Kevin Human and his staff are faced with the challenge of eliminating critical mistakes and building team unity in only one week before they also face Harriman.

Elsewhere in Morgan County, both Oakdale and Sunbright turned in stellar performances as both teams overwhelmed their opponents and gained well-deserved victories. Oakdale built a 21-0 lead in the first 10 minutes of their contest with Pickett County and earned a 41-16 victory at home. The Sunbright Tigers traveled to Red Boiling Springs in Middle Tennessee and returned home with a 41-6 victory. The combo of Colton Nitzschke and John Wayne Freels led the Tigers with a combined 155 yards passing and 118 yards rushing.