Best players EVER to come from your Team.

[Red Rebels]

The Pearl-Cohn teams of the mid-to-late '90's (in particular 1997) were awesome. John Henderson & Santonio Beard were both IMPACT players in the SEC. They went 6 straight weeks from Week 9-14 (Semifinals) to where they surrendered a total of 0 POINTS.

That was a very good team!

[JSCOTT]

The Pearl-Cohn teams of the mid-to-late '90's (in particular 1997) were awesome. John Henderson & Santonio Beard were both IMPACT players in the SEC. They went 6 straight weeks from Week 9-14 (Semifinals) to where they surrendered a total of 0 POINTS.

Springfield was able to score 7 in week nine. Lead 7-6 with a minute left in the game.

[TennesseeDud]

Springfield , Cotton Crom 1948-50 Played for Bear Bryant at Kentucky ,James Thaxton Springfield's only All American , Ricky Chatman 74-77 W.K.U RECORD HOLDER for K.O. AND PUNT returns for T.D.'s at one time in the state ,Termaine Turner 95-98 All State two years started for Ole Miss three years at tailback.

I played for B.G,A. during the mid-seventies. In 1975 , we knocked off the defending AAA state champions ( Father Ryan ) in route to an 8-1 record. We were poised to play Maplewood in the Clinic Bowl at Vanderbilt Stadium provided we defeated Springfield in our regular season finale. Springfield was led by running backs Ricky Chatman and Kimmie Gunn. They physically whipped our tails all night , leaving us on the short-end of a 15-0 defeat. Chatman and Gunn punished us ; they were the toughest running backs I ever played against.

[SweetScience]

I played for B.G,A. during the mid-seventies. In 1975 , we knocked off the defending AAA state champions ( Father Ryan ) in route to an 8-1 record. We were poised to play Maplewood in the Clinic Bowl at Vanderbilt Stadium provided we defeated Springfield in our regular season finale. Springfield was led by running backs Ricky Chatman and Kimmie Gunn. They physically whipped our tails all night , leaving us on the short-end of a 15-0 defeat. Chatman and Gunn punished us ; they were the toughest running backs I ever played against.

how did you become an OR fan if you didnt go there dud?

[LEON]

I played for B.G,A. during the mid-seventies. In 1975 , we knocked off the defending AAA state champions ( Father Ryan ) in route to an 8-1 record. We were poised to play Maplewood in the Clinic Bowl at Vanderbilt Stadium provided we defeated Springfield in our regular season finale. Springfield was led by running backs Ricky Chatman and Kimmie Gunn. They physically whipped our tails all night , leaving us on the short-end of a 15-0 defeat. Chatman and Gunn punished us ; they were the toughest running backs I ever played against.

Those were two great backs for Springfield and at that time they were only sophmores,they were coached by the late Jimbo Pearson who died the following spring of a heart attack. I was at that game. I remember it well,Rob Fesmire was the QB for BGA and a very good one. Chatman and Gunn were very special players and Pearson was an outstanding coach before his untimely death,I would have liked to have seen them finish their careers under Pearson ,which could have been special.Other great players for SHS were Jimbo and Jerry Pearson and their teamate Larry Mayhew, who signed with Vandy before dying in car accident in the spring of 1958.Some other greats Bee Atchley,James and Larry Matthews,George Glover,Hugh Carroll,Charles Nixon during the Boyce Smith era.

[TennesseeDud]

how did you become an OR fan if you didnt go there dud?

SweetScience , my daughter is a cheerleader for the Wildcats. She's my pride and joy! I've watched these young men grow up through Boys' Club football and then Jefferson Middle School...I pull for them like they were my own! By the way , the football season I was referring to (1975) , Oak Ridge won the state championship by defeating the same Mapllewood team we(B.G.A.) would have played ; maybe it was a blessing Springfield knocked us off , LOL.

[SweetScience]

SweetScience , my daughter is a cheerleader for the Wildcats. She's my pride and joy! I've watched these young men grow up through Boys' Club football and then Jefferson Middle School...I pull for them like they were my own! By the way , the football season I was referring to (1975) , Oak Ridge won the state championship by defeating the same Mapllewood team we(B.G.A.) would have played ; maybe it was a blessing Springfield knocked us off , LOL.

Oh yeah, one of the great OR teams of the 70's, coached by the great Emory Hale. That team finished ranked 10th nationally.

[TennesseeDud]

Those were two great backs for Springfield and at that time they were only sophmores,they were coached by the late Jimbo Pearson who died the following spring of a heart attack. I was at that game. I remember it well,Rob Fesmire was the QB for BGA and a very good one. Chatman and Gunn were very special players and Pearson was an outstanding coach before his untimely death,I would have liked to have seen them finish their careers under Pearson ,which could have been special.Other great players for SHS were Jimbo and Jerry Pearson and their teamate Larry Mayhew, who signed with Vandy before dying in car accident in the spring of 1958.Some other greats Bee Atchley,James and Larry Matthews,George Glover,Hugh Carroll,Charles Nixon during the Boyce Smith era.

Rob Fesmire was thrust into the starting quarterback position during the fall of 1973 (his FRESHMAN year). He took a beating that year,the BGA Wildcats posting a 2-8 record. They steadily improved each succeeding year , and Fesmire was masterful at running the veer offense. He got a football scholarship to Mississippi State University , and he garnered All-SEC honors as a defensive safety his senior year. Fesmire currently resides in Nashville where he is a practicing dentist.

[alt1958]

From Bradley Central, let me throw in few of names of note:

 

Bob Johnson, played center at Bradley, Tennessee, and the first pick of the Cincinatti Bengals.

 

Steve Sloan, QB who went on the play at Alabama and later coached.

 

Tim Long another lineman, who played for Minnisota for a few years.

 

Dale Jones, outside LB, at Bradley and Tennessee and now coaching at Appy State.

 

Chris White, QB at Bradley, but made a name for himself at Tennessee playing Safety in '85.

 

Kenny Hooper, FB who played at Ole Miss, and is still one of the most powerful runners I have seen in HS.

[alt1958]

1987-1989

Cleveland High School

Running Back

Chris Parks

...his stats say enough...

 

Ok add Keith and Kevin Cobb, Dante Hickey, and Quincey Prigmore, playing for Cleveland during the 3 year championship run.

 

Stefan Scotten was a fine player as well who was on the Georgia Tech National Championship team.

Edited July 15, 2011 by alt1958

[coopdawg]

A few names from Jefferson County:

Todd Collins

Brent Collins

Tim Sorrells - quarterback in the mid to late 70's, played and now coaches at Furman

Avery Huff - played at UT

George Quarles (or his brother Taylor) - quarterback of championship team, was knocked out for a second then got up and led the team to a come from behind victory.