Month: May 2019

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — Though this week’s game will be the 16th meeting ever between Tusculum College and Mars Hill College on the gridiron, this year’s game will mean more than just another battle of the Mountain Border War. Saturday’s contest will be the first time the Pioneers and the Lions will be playing against each other as South Atlantic Conference brethren.

As in many classic rivalries, more than just bragging rights will be at stake. To the winner of this week’s game and future gridiron meetings goes “The Rock.” At the conference football meetings in July, Tusculum sports information director Dom Donnelly and Mars Hill SID Rick Baker came up with the idea after a discussion with sports writer Joe Byrd at the Greeneville Sun to create a traveling trophy concept between the two schools.

Donnelly and Baker met at the North Carolina-Tennessee state line and selected the 10-pound piece of granite from the mountain-side along the border. There is still debate between the two SID’s upon which side “The Rock” originated.

The trophy will be awarded to the winner of this week’s South Atlantic Conference game at Meares Stadium in Mars Hill, N.C. for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff. Beginning next year, TC and Mars Hill are scheduled to meet in the final regular season contest for each school.

“The Rock” rivalry joins other heated games in South Atlantic Conference lore. One of the most noteworthy is the “Bronze Derby”, played for annually by Presbyterian College and Newberry College. Newberry also plays annually for the Bishop’s Trophy against Lenoir-Rhyne College.

Hey Now!!!!!! Greene County Football, despite valiant efforts, took an ” O-Fer” this past Friday. Despite the shutout all schools seemed to have some breakthroughs…….Greeneville realized how difficult it is to win without Alex Brice plus, giving the ball to their opposition in the Red Zone. South Greene probably figured that if they had a healthy team and were playing at Rebel Hill, that Cloudland would have had their “egoes” stroked with a good ‘ol, smash mouth, that’s what you get for embarrassing one of our Greene County School’s type beating. Chuckey-Doak found that Michael Gillespie is going to run over everybody in the conference, he’s only a sophmore. North Greene found they DO have an offense without Joeseph Ormsbee. AND….WEST GREENE socored on the road for the first time this year.

Not bad, but this week brings even more tests for our Greene County Teams. Our G-103 game of the week features Chuckey-Doak at North Greene. The Tundra was primed for a North Greene upset two years ago, that kept the Black Knights out of the playoffs, but this year…..a much colder outcome awaits The Huskies. Joseph Ormsbee will be held out of this weeks contest, due to doctors orders, and even though the Huskies put 27 points against Johnson County, North Greene will have to puts even more points on the board to overpower a high potent Black Knight offense. Chuckey-Doak’s, Michael Gillespie, was masterful against Happy Valley and nearly beat the Warriors himself. Gillespie is a talented runner and the Husky Defense will be “gang-tackling” and chasing after him all game, while North Greene’s Shane Miller has the same run-ability, look for him to gain big yards through the air. If the Huskies can keep moving the ball and score, and If the Black Knights offense stumbles (as it did two years ago)…..look for a Tundra upset, but those are big IF”S. This one will be decided on the field, and I’ll know the outcome when this huge rivalry is over. Air time Friday is 7pm with kickoff at 7:30.

Elsewhere in the County, the South Greene Rebels will host Johnson County for Homecoming at Rebel Hill. The Rebels played 47 minutes and 46 seconds of shutout football against the state’s number four team, Cloudland. But in those 14 seconds, Cloudland scored twice to take the conference lead. If South Greene gets another chance to play Cloudland, look for the Rebels to have the LAST LAUGH! But to Friday’s game……..please, despite Johnson County’s size, South Greene is finally getting healthy, so the Longhorns had better bring some of that Roan Mountain Magic that Cloudland used last week, but even if they do, the winds at Rebel Hill will quickly blow it away and the man-hood out of the Longhorns. Lea Anne Jaynes returns to relinquish her Homecoming Crown and watch her beloved Rebels “bulldog” the Longhorns 33-7. The Rebel defense is STOUT!!! THE WEST GREENE BUFFALOES scored their first points of the season on the road against Hampton and now welcome Unaka to The Range. Unaka has been a strong opponent for all Watauga Conference foes this season and look for more of the same this Friday. Momentum from last Friday carries over for the Buffs and they win a squeaker in a possibe quagmire at the “hard as a rock – Range”. The Mud-Bowl is won as Dearinger continues to grow as a Quarterback…..12-8.

Our featured game on 1450 WSMG welcomes the Greene Devils back to Burley Stadium and also welcomes long-time rival Jefferson County. Is it just me, or does Greeneville battle a long-time rival every week……..so you tell me, What do YOU Think That Means………Coach Zellar is finding out, the Greene Devils have to stop these Unsportsmanlike Penalties, THAT is how you create Rivals! Anyway, Greeneville for the past few years have been able to back up their “I’m a lumber-jack” type attitude with “W’s”, but not the case this year. Injuries and unlucky plays have spelled the doom in their three losses. Jefferson County is coming off a big victory against William Blount last week, while the Greene Devils went reeling to their second straight loss to Morristown West. The road wary Greene Devils had better not let bus-lag catch up to them, but it might be a good idea for the team to Bus Over To Burley (since they are used to those brown and green seats). Jefferson County hasn’t had one of their stellar, strong years, but then again neither have the Greene Devils. Honestly, it won’t matter in this one, the Patriots will show “the-reds-of-their-eyes” one too many times for Aaron Christian as he throws for three scores and adds another on the ground. Greeneville entertains the Burley faithful with a 41-21 win.