A great football season is just a couple of months away. I say this every year and I’m always right.
It’s way too early to predict, but the Riverdale-Blackman match up sure looks interesting, and there are many great games on the schedule. Each one has many stories other than the final score.
One reason this coming season is enticing is that we have many new opponents; at least eight of whom are brand new to us and many we haven’t played in years.
Blackman plays Pearl Cohn, Signal Mountain and Bradley Central. The Blaze have six home games.
La Vergne has six home games and plays Christian Academy of Knoxville (CAK).
Oakland takes on a powerful Arlington team from the Memphis suburbs.
Riverdale, with six home games, plays Brighton, Maplewood and St. Xavier of Louisville.
The St. Xavier game will be at PaPa Johns Stadium and a huge crowd is expected.
Siegel will play East Tennessee state power Ooltewah. Since the rezoning took place in Chattanooga a few years ago, the Owls have been good.
Smyrna with four homegames, will challenge tough Olive Branch, Miss.
I don’t recall Rutherford County ever playing a Mississippi team. But I could be wrong.
If the Dogs go there in 2012, it’s 240 miles (one way), so pack a lunch.
Eagleville has added Westmoreland, Collinwood and Copper Basin, which is more than 200 miles away on the banks of the Ocoee River.
MTCS has added Cosby to the schedule. Cosby is around 215 miles east in the Cherokee National Park.
Evidently the price of gasoline is going down this fall.
The scheduled dates could change but at present there is only one Thursday game, Oct. 13, which pits Riverdale against Blackman, and only RHS versus Kentucky powerhouse St. Xavier is on a Saturday, Aug. 27.
There are 14 new opponents listed above and all but three are home games. Besides Riverdale’s game in a Football Classic in Kentucky, MTCS may have already left for Cosby: ditto for Eagleville at Copper Basin.
Of the 80 games scheduled, 56 are in Rutherford County and 24 are away. Only Oakland plays during Fall Break and then takes an interesting open date the week before the Riverdale game.
Complete schedule.
Also on the subject of football, Riverdale, under the leadership of Austin Maxwell, will hold its second Hall of Fame banquet Thursday, June 23 at the Stones River Country Club.
I’m proud to be a member of the selection committee that added the following 13 deserving new members for induction.
• Carl Buckner – Riverdale’s first principal, hired Phil Watts, was a supporter of everything red and gold.
• Brian Davis - multi talented quarterback, Mr. Football.
• Gerald Griffin – perhaps Riverdale’s best all-round athlete ever, scored Riverdale’s first touchdown in a championship game in 1993.
• Mark Lawrence – an excellent quarterback and leader by example – took Riverdale to its first bowl victory ever, beating Dupont in the 1976 Mid-State Bowl.
• Eric Locke – this terrific quarterback/linebacker was a two-time Mr. Football winner and a State Champion.
• Gaston Miller – speedy tailback, Mr. Football.
• Antron Peebles – a rock in the line, strong tackler, a State Champion.
• Gary Rankin – Coached Riverdale to four State Titles, nine championship games with three unbeaten teams and 194 wins.
• Kenny Roper – Riverdale’s first 1,000-yard rusher, tough as nails.
• Anthony Rowell – outstanding linebacker and tackler, many post season honors.
• Mike Rowland – terrific receiver and fine basketball player as well.
• Mike Shea – did everything well on both sides of the ball.
• Curt Watkins – an excellent and speedy sure handed receiver.
This is my last column for a couple of months, but follow the sports and all the news in the Murfreesboro Post all summer long.
Many thanks to sponsors, Potts Car Care, Fann’s Heating and Air, Brandon Burks of First Bank, Jeff Mullins’ Jewelry, Celeste Middleton of State Farm, Agee’s Sporting Goods and Jennings and Ayers.
See you in mid-August.
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