SPORTS

Cooler temps helping summer practice

Brandon Shields

It’s not a big secret temperatures have been down this month compared to July in West Tennessee most years.

Most people in the area have enjoyed the lower temperatures, but not many have enjoyed them more than high school football coaches.

“If it will stay like this all through August, I’ll be doing good,” said University School of Jackson head coach Mickey Marley.

Marley and the rest of the coaches have had one less thing to think about this summer as temperatures have not come close to the 105-degree heat index at which TSSAA mandates outdoor activities must cease until temperatures drop.

“I don’t think it’s even come close to 105 has it?” said Liberty head coach Steve Hookfin.

TSSAA rules mandate coaches must make sure the heat index doesn’t go above 105 before all activities outside stop to go inside, and the conditions inside must be air conditioned.

Take a number

Trinity Christian Academy junior running back Andrew Goldsmith wore the No. 3 last season. He won’t this year. For a preseason media photo shoot last weekend, Goldsmith wore the No. 1 Lions jersey.

The last player at TCA to wear No. 1 now plays at the University of Alabama – 2010 All-West Tennessee Player of the Year Jabriel Washington.

“I’m pretty good friends with Jabriel, so I called him up and asked him,” Goldsmith said. “He was OK with it.”

The No. 1 jersey hadn’t been retired, and Lions head coach Blake Butler said he’s not sure if any jersey will be retired.

“We’re not a big school with a lot of number choices in our fieldhouse,” Butler said. “If we do anything like that, we might do like the University of Memphis does and retire a player’s jersey.

“The number can still be worn, but the actual jersey that player wore is retired.”

Loyal coaches

Out of the 32 football teams in The Sun’s coverage area, 25 coaches are still at the first place they began their head coaching career.

A 26th coach, Riverside’s Jeff Robertson, started as a head coach with the Panthers but has been to Liberty and back.

Five of those coaches have been with their school for more than a decade: Mickey Marley at USJ (25 seasons as of 2013), Don Coady at Westview (23), Jeff Morris at Milan (18), Wade Comer at McKenzie (14) and Noah Lampkins at Gleason (11).

Brandon Shields, 425-9751