BLOUNTVILLE — Tri-Cities Christian is the new kid on the block in the local football world, but there are a few familiar faces leading the charge.
Jeremy Bosken is the man at the helm and helping build a program from the ground up. The Eagles will begin an eight-man gridiron squad this fall and hope to transition to the 11-man game once the new $84 million campus is completed off the Tri-Cities Crossing exit on Interstate 81.
“This group is young and inexperienced, but the attitude and effort is probably one of the best I’ve ever been around,” Bosken said. “Their willingness to come to practice, work hard and the coachibility is one of my favorite teams ever.”
HOW THE GAME DIFFERS
The eight-man game is not all that different from the one that most folks are used to.
One of the most noticeable differences is the loss of two offensive tackles and a skill position player. Teams also have the option to narrow the field to only 40 yards wide as opposed to the normal 53⅓ on a standard field.
“It takes a little while to see the game differently, but football is football,” Bosken said. “It’s the same blocking and tackling rules and the same equipment. The schemes are very similar, but there’s just three less players.”
The Eagles have a roster of 16 players but are sizable up front. Bosken said most of the teams in the league that TCA plays are more apt to throw the pigskin, but his squad is predicated on the running game.
“We thought we were going to have an abundance of skilled kids come out, but we’ve had some good-sized kids come out,” Bosken said. “They’re young, strong and athletic and most of them are basketball kids. We’re going to be running it a little bit more and mix in the passing. We’ll do whatever fits our strengths, but the run has been good to us so far.”
EXCITEMENT ON THE HORIZON
The Eagles’ first game of the season is Saturday against the Tennessee Heat.
It will be the only game on campus for TCA this season. The rest of its home games will take place at Lakeway Christian Academy in White Pine.
“We don’t have too many local schools that we’re playing at all,” Bosken said. “The conference that we’re in is the SEEC (Southeastern Extreme Conference) and there’s only 15 teams in the state of Tennessee. I got us in because I kept annoying people all summer to let us in a conference so that these kids have something to play for.”
Bosken says it’s a unique opportunity for the community to come out and get a look of what eight-man football is all about. Kickoff from behind the school is set for 1 p.m., and it will be broadcast.
“James Shannon, who does a live eight-man extreme national broadcast, will be here on Saturday,” Bosken said. “The game will be on YouTube for anybody that wants to watch and see what it looks like.”
There’s six more games on the slate for TCA, but not many are local. The eight-man game is relatively new to the state of Tennessee.
“Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to build some programs, but never one from the ground up,” Bosken said. “This is truly the grassroots of football and the passion of kids wanting to play on Friday nights. They have no bad habits because they have no habits right now.”
LONE SENIOR
Quarterback Micah Turner is the lone senior on the squad for the Eagles. He’s a transfer from Sullivan Central that came soon after the consolidation of the Sullivan County schools into West Ridge.
Turner is the son of a youth pastor, so coming to a religion-based private school seemed like a natural fit. Getting the opportunity to play football again is an added bonus.
“It’s amazing that I get to come out here and play football again,” Turner said. “I played my freshman and sophomore year at Sullivan Central as a wide receiver. It’s a little different, but having some receiver experience and feel what the routes are like from the other side is helpful.”
Teenagers sometimes don’t have their career paths completely set out yet. Turner already has chosen his calling and it will be something that he’s familiar with — following in the footsteps of his dad to become a pastor.
“I felt called to preach last summer when I went to a youth conference with my church,” Turner said. “It is truly eye-opening to feel that calling to ministry. God truly opens your eyes and works in your heart. When I came to (Tri-Cities Christian), I really didn’t know what to expect, but God has truly been so good to me, and I knew that this was the place for me.”