Henry County's best players ever?

[riverrat]

Bert Snow coached at McKenzie and starts this year with Counce in Dyersburg.

Both of the Kriesky twins are coaching at 4A and 5A schools in middle Tenn.

There must be others-----

 

 

Several of these guys have made some pretty great runs with their respective programs.

[olddevil]

Who all has played at Henry County and then gone into coaching at some point?

 

I know John Hudson, Michael Norman, James Counce III, two of the Harrison brothers and Andy Daigle. I know there are others.

 

I forgot one of the most obvious, Donnie Webb. He also should have been included with the linemen either O or D.

[secretariat73]

I'm honored to see my name even mentioned on this list. I played at HCHS more than 30 years ago. Not sure what the criteria was - maybe I was a nice guy or got the towels for everyone else in the shower, waterboys are people too! As a 5'8" receiver during the days of the wish bone offense it's amazing I ever got the ball at all. It would be fun to play during the pass happy days that football has evolved into now.

As for guys I saw or played with - the Sledd brothers, Bernie and James, were as good as you got back then. And the Minor brothers both played a little college ball with Paul being my room mate at Sewanee were he later became a DIII All American linebacker . . . I admire Claude Teague, but it's hard to think of Claude without thinking of James Knight who could do anything Claude could do.

Smartest player I ever played with or agaisnt was Bill Jelks whose father coached at Grove and kept my dad on the bench in 50s!

In my older brother's era in the early 70s at HCHS John Register was a man-among-boys, but there were a couple running backs that had jaw dropping moves and power like Pearson and Curis Dickey.

Thanks for letting me play, Coach Y - Bobby Clark AKA - too slow, too small, too dumb to know it.

[olddevil]

I'm honored to see my name even mentioned on this list. I played at HCHS more than 30 years ago. Not sure what the criteria was - maybe I was a nice guy or got the towels for everyone else in the shower, waterboys are people too! As a 5'8" receiver during the days of the wish bone offense it's amazing I ever got the ball at all. It would be fun to play during the pass happy days that football has evolved into now.

As for guys I saw or played with - the Sledd brothers, Bernie and James, were as good as you got back then. And the Minor brothers both played a little college ball with Paul being my room mate at Sewanee were he later became a DIII All American linebacker . . . I admire Claude Teague, but it's hard to think of Claude without thinking of James Knight who could do anything Claude could do.

Smartest player I ever played with or agaisnt was Bill Jelks whose father coached at Grove and kept my dad on the bench in 50s!

In my older brother's era in the early 70s at HCHS John Register was a man-among-boys, but there were a couple running backs that had jaw dropping moves and power like Pearson and Curis Dickey.

Thanks for letting me play, Coach Y - Bobby Clark AKA - too slow, too small, too dumb to know it.

 

Thanks for bringing this thread back up. It is about time to update it with the players that finished this year. I remember you well, secretariat73. Didn't you sometimes run in to practice from Henry? Coach Young was very fond of you-- I doubt that yoiu knew that. In my opinion, your toughness and gluey hands made you one of the best ever. Great to hear from you.

[olddevil]

Thanks for bringing this thread back up. It is about time to update it with the players that finished this year. I remember you well, secretariat73. Didn't you sometimes run in to practice from Henry? Coach Young was very fond of you-- I doubt that yoiu knew that. In my opinion, your toughness and gluey hands made you one of the best ever. Great to hear from you.

 

I like your additions to the list. Especially do I like the Minor boys-- Ijust didn't think of them. Both were great highschool players and went on tostellar small college careers. Their younger brother, Randall, was also a very good cornerback and should have been included. James Knight was, as you pointed out, a great runner and deserved to be included in the also group.

In my list I will have to drop Calvin McNairl to the also list and put Marsalis Teague In the #1 spot. Dominique Allen replaces Wendell Coleman as one of the two best running backs with Jason Sparks . Joey Williams And Josh Clark are added to the "also" list as Offensive linemen. Robbie Gallimore is added to the also list at linebacker.

[SEC1rules]

Brian Hall is a great addition--just didn't think of him. Any others?

I remembered Alf Caldwell very well; he was ahard knocker and head huller in the mode of Dennis Tharpe and Brian Ray French. I just wasn't sure if he was early HC or late Grove Blue Devil.

Curt Holtgrewe was a great athlete, leader, and fine person. In my opinion, he wasn't in the same class of quarterback as those listed. Perhaps I should have included him with the DB's.

 

 

I think listing him as an athlete would be good.

[CoachFB]

Don't forget Caleb Darby I believe he coaches at Rossview.

[Red Warrior]

Don't forget Caleb Darby I believe he coaches at Rossview.

 

 

Speaking of coaches, who are the top head, and assistant coaches in the history of Henry County?

[olddevil]

Speaking of coaches, who are the top head, and assistant coaches in the history of Henry County?

 

All of the patriot coaches are friends of mine and I would prefer not to rate them.Instead I will offer a thumbnail sketch of each and their staffs.Using the same rules as earlier outlined for the alltime greats I will exclude the present staff as their story is incomplete.

1. Jim Cullivan---- Had the unenviable task of starting the HCHS program at a time when talent was not in abundant supply. He was a former head coach at Murray State and a Paris native. He was a great speaker and had more hilarious one liners than anyone I have ever known.

 

2. Bill Hudson---Former professional player and Paris native. He knew the game as well as anyone and his players played hard but the numbers and talent were not good.Luke Welch was one of his two assistants and was a good coach with Huntingdon Mustang lineage if I remember correctly.

 

3. Gerald Young--Hard working innovative coach. Brought the Wishbone offense to Paris. Got the program on good footing: he had several bowl wins and his 1978 Patriots were one of the best ever

His staff included Bill Bona( who went on to be assistant at Milan for years and enjoyed much success there), Sput Garnett (one of the best motivationest coaches I have ever known) , and James Counce who in later tears made Quite a name for himself'

 

4.James Counce--Enjoyed long running success. His 1985 team was un defeated only to lose in round two to a good White's Creek team and his 1992 team lost in the Semi final round to eventual state champ Gallatin. The 1993 Patriots were district champs bot lost after a bye week to JCM and their star, Al Wilson. His outstanding staff included present superintendent of schools Rick Kriesky( offensive line coach ), Lawrence Hurst (longtime assistant since at Martin Westview ), Don Cody (longtime successful head coach at Martin), Chuck Adams( later assistant and head coach at Camden,asst. at Bruceton and Huntingdon) , and Jeff Morris (Assistant then head coach at Milan)

 

 

 

It's late and I will try to finish this another time.

 

GO BIG RED

[secretariat73]

There was another player to come back to coach briefly at HCHS. David McCutheon was one of the early HCHS grads around 71 or 72. After playing at UTM he came back as an assitant football coach and coached the baseball team. After knowing him for years as "Dave" while playing with my brother in football and American Legion baseball, it was difficult to call him Coach McC - stubborn guy let me hit in the head with the football because he wouldn't answer to "Dave" . . . "ok, when you wake up I'll call you Coach."

 

You know too much if you know about me running from Henry to Paris more than a few times. The best one was on Christmas break when I ran to HCHS wearing a garbage bag under sweats to make weight that day for a match in Paducah - wrestlers are nuts! Coach Bona's favorite quote was Jim Brown saying that when football season was over that he had to get in shape to wrestle.

[SEC1rules]

This was one of my favorites. A handful of old teammates were on the initial list. I’d like to see olddevil revisit it. My knowledge only goes back to mid 80s but I was a young kid then. 

Edited February 4, 2020 by SEC1rules

[SEC1rules]

On 7/10/2008 at 5:01 PM, olddevil said:

Slow time here for HC fans so I'm offering my opinion. It will be interesting to see what others think. Present players are excluded:their story is not yet complete.My apologies to those left out---my memory is not what it once was.

OFFENCE:

QB- Calvin McNairl ---Also Steve Summers, Woody Winchester, Kyle Butler

RB--Wendell Coleman& Jason Sparks---AlsoJerry Pearson, Carl Lester Pearson,Derrick Allen, Matt Harrison

Larry Kendall

FB---Derrick Long---Also Bonnie Ray & Claude Teague

TE---Chris Hudgins --AlsoTommy Crane, Nick Howard,Andrew Norman

Center---Jeremy Lemonds---AlsoAndy Patterson, Gatlin Primrose

OL---John Hudson' Richard Kinley, James Counce Jr.,Deneal Johnson--- Also Steve Pierce, Michael Norman,Regg

ie Thompson, Delvin Pearson, Randall Cox, Ryan Hudson

WR--- Maurice Lowery & Rob Markham--- Also Lance Smith, Bobby Clark

K--- Brandon Bruce--- Also John David Olive

Athlete--- John Register

 

DEFENSE:

DE---P.J. Jesse & William Henry--- Also Larry Davis;Corey Teague. Matt Scott

Linemen---Mike Pinson, Tory Sanders, Terrel Sanders, Lamar Theus---Also Bonnie Ray, Danny Allen, Stanley

Ballard,Trevor Bennet, Dwight Sanford,Danny Blakemore, Charlie Rose

LB---Quincey Boyd, Jerry Travis, Brian Ray French--- Also Scott Owens, Dennis Tharpe, Darren Thweat

Dock McDonald, Justin Isreal

CB---Barry Glisson & Jeff Perry--- AlsoMalcolm Tharpe, David Hicks

S----Sedrick Crawford & Larry Kendall---- Also Rusty Culley, Mike Hosford, Terry Kendall

Returner---Josh Booth---Also Ricky Teague, Larry Kendall, Lance Smith

Punter--- Walt Petty-- Also Mark Nichols, Rob Nichols

Original list.