Well stated HorseCollar. Granted, I played back in the day when South was our big rival and Science Hill/Tennessee High always gave us a great game and beat us on occasion. Oak Ridge was a constant on the schedule.
We had just gone 4-6 my junior year and lost most of our skill players. We were projected to go 5-5 and finish middle of the pack in the Big East. We ended up going 10-0 in the regular season and lost in the quarterfinals to eventual state winner Knox Halls. Do you know what my most vivid memories are from that year? The entire team busting their azzes in the off season weight room. Coaches expecting more out of us than we thought possible. Enjoying the camaraderie in the locker room. Calling out guys who weren't pulling their weight and praising guys who were exceeding expectations. I learned life wasn't fair and that if you work hard you will be rewarded.
Big picture - DB football taught me life lessons I still use today. And Coach Clark was a big part of it. If I had a gun in my hand on practice days,I would have shot him more times than not. Hindsight 20/20, he was preparing me for life in the real world. In the process, I got to play a little bit of football with my friends.