Memory Lane: 1976 Maryville Rebels (40-year anniversary)

[AlcoaBasketball]

1976 Maryville Rebels

 

Class AA State Champions (12-1)

 

Head Coach:

TED WILSON

 

TSWA 1st team All-State:

DANNY SPRADLIN (back)

 

Underclassmen who later made All-State

MACK CASTEEL (lineman)

DAVID REED (back)

 

Maybe you longtime Rebel fans can name some more...

 

W 19-14 Knox. Rule

W 35-0 Middlesboro (KY)

W 21-16 Cumberland Co.

W 21-7 ALCOA 😒

W 21-0 Kingston

W 21-10 Everett

W 21-9 Church Hill

L 0-21 Loudon ('74 and '75 champs)

W 35-6 McMinn Central

W 31-14 Harriman

 

Playoffs

W 16-6 Knox. Rule

W 17-14 Cleveland

W 27-0 Brentwood Academy

[STARSNBARS]

1976 Maryville Rebels

 

Class AA State Champions (12-1)

 

Head Coach:

TED WILSON

 

TSWA 1st team All-State:

DANNY SPRADLIN (back)

 

Underclassmen who later made All-State

MACK CASTEEL (lineman)

DAVID REED (back)

 

Maybe you longtime Rebel fans can name some more...

 

W 19-14 Knox. Rule

W 35-0 Middlesboro (KY)

W 21-16 Cumberland Co.

W 21-7 ALCOA

W 21-0 Kingston

W 21-10 Everett

W 21-9 Church Hill

L 0-21 Loudon ('74 and '75 champs)

W 35-6 McMinn Central

W 31-14 Harriman

 

Playoffs

W 16-6 Knox. Rule

W 17-14 Cleveland

W 27-0 Brentwood Academy

Mike Casteel, Ricky Maples, Mike Phillips, William Nelson, Ricky Loope.........

Edited June 12, 2016 by STARSNBARS

[StarRaider]

Field goal fakers.

[AlcoaBasketball]

Mike Casteel, Ricky Maples, Mike Phillips, William Nelson, Ricky Loope.........

You go to all the games that year, Stars?

[BarneySox2007]

That was the year we were blessed to get a transfer William Nelson who had blazing speed that made the difference in a couple of tight games. William is no longer with us anymore but was a great friend. His younger brother Mike who was a good player also had a son that played for Maryville last year, Roman Nelson. Mike Phillips was a great running option QB That should have started his junior year in my book or we would have won it in 1975 also. Rickey Maples making a decision to go to Maryville instead of Everett may have saved a close game or two also that year. The biggest thing to ever remember about that team is that the offensive line averaged just less than 160 pounds across it and took on Brentywood Academy and beat the crap out of them which averaged 250 per man and had three players from that team go on to SEC schools and start. That was the year Alcoa had almost everyone back from the year before and was supposed to beat us that year but didn't. Danny Spradlin was a man playing against boys. He is the best player I have ever seen in a Maryville Uniform and nothing close. I was very lucky to have played on the team the year before and remember seeing some of the best coaches in America come through trying to recruit him and that includes Bear Bryant. There were teams that played Maryville that year with the intention of trying to start a fight with him hoping he would take the bate and get thrown out also.Keith McCord was tough as nails also and could take anything you threw at him along with Tim Arnold. Ricky Loope was a good running back as well as a DB that went to Carson Newman to play football. 

[STARSNBARS]

That was the year we were blessed to get a transfer William Nelson who had blazing speed that made the difference in a couple of tight games. William is no longer with us anymore but was a great friend. His younger brother Mike who was a good player also had a son that played for Maryville last year, Roman Nelson. Mike Phillips was a great running option QB That should have started his junior year in my book or we would have won it in 1975 also. Rickey Maples making a decision to go to Maryville instead of Everett may have saved a close game or two also that year. The biggest thing to ever remember about that team is that the offensive line averaged just less than 160 pounds across it and took on Brentywood Academy and beat the crap out of them which averaged 250 per man and had three players from that team go on to SEC schools and start. That was the year Alcoa had almost everyone back from the year before and was supposed to beat us that year but didn't. Danny Spradlin was a man playing against boys. He is the best player I have ever seen in a Maryville Uniform and nothing close. I was very lucky to have played on the team the year before and remember seeing some of the best coaches in America come through trying to recruit him and that includes Bear Bryant. There were teams that played Maryville that year with the intention of trying to start a fight with him hoping he would take the bate and get thrown out also.Keith McCord was tough as nails also and could take anything you threw at him along with Tim Arnold. Ricky Loope was a good running back as well as a DB that went to Carson Newman to play football. 

Barn iz rite.....littull fellers upfrunt and Danny wuz a fizzycull freek....

[AlcoaBasketball]

That was the year we were blessed to get a transfer William Nelson who had blazing speed that made the difference in a couple of tight games. William is no longer with us anymore but was a great friend. His younger brother Mike who was a good player also had a son that played for Maryville last year, Roman Nelson. Mike Phillips was a great running option QB That should have started his junior year in my book or we would have won it in 1975 also. Rickey Maples making a decision to go to Maryville instead of Everett may have saved a close game or two also that year. The biggest thing to ever remember about that team is that the offensive line averaged just less than 160 pounds across it and took on Brentywood Academy and beat the crap out of them which averaged 250 per man and had three players from that team go on to SEC schools and start. That was the year Alcoa had almost everyone back from the year before and was supposed to beat us that year but didn't. Danny Spradlin was a man playing against boys. He is the best player I have ever seen in a Maryville Uniform and nothing close. I was very lucky to have played on the team the year before and remember seeing some of the best coaches in America come through trying to recruit him and that includes Bear Bryant. There were teams that played Maryville that year with the intention of trying to start a fight with him hoping he would take the bate and get thrown out also.Keith McCord was tough as nails also and could take anything you threw at him along with Tim Arnold. Ricky Loope was a good running back as well as a DB that went to Carson Newman to play football.

Sounds like y'all had a lot of dads and uncles to current/recent Maryville players on that team.

[BarneySox2007]

A few but back in those day's most of the guys that I played football with moved out of town to other parts of the country so I never knew much about them since other than catching up with them on facebook here lately. It was just to hard to find a job in Blount County so many of the kids I went to school with moved off. 

[AlcoaBasketball]

A few but back in those day's most of the guys that I played football with moved out of town to other parts of the country so I never knew much about them since other than catching up with them on facebook here lately. It was just to hard to find a job in Blount County so many of the kids I went to school with moved off.

Blount County sure has grown since then. Lot of people staying now.

[SdotBears]

Plenty of jobs in sevier co. And gooder built houses

[BarneySox2007]

Plenty of jobs in sevier co. And gooder built houses

Plenty of traffic too in Sevier County. I don't know those back roads up there you know.

[REBELRON]

My favorite State Title team ever. All 3 of my brothers were on that team.