Dress Rehearsal
Mountaineers, Walker Valley stage true, preseason game tonight
Heritage works on the wing-T during spring practice in May. Photo by G.W. Meredith
By Stefan Cooper
Editor
Blount Press Row
It’s not a scrimmage.
Heritage and Walker Valley will play a full-on, regulation preseason game when the two meet tonight at Jack Renfro Stadium.
Everything, including the 7:30 kickoff, is wired to simulate a real game. They’ll turn the scoreboard on. There will be a full crew of game officials. The kicking game will be live. When it gets dark, they’ll hit the lights.
Admission is free.
A second preseason contest is scheduled for Wednesday with Clinton.
The Mountaineers open the season Aug. 30 at South-Doyle.
The reason for the departure from traditional scrimmage formats is twofold, Heritage coach Tim Hammontree said.
Some things are only revealed once a team has two or three games under its belt. Unlike last season, freshmen will be eligible for varsity play with the Mountaineers, and more than a few are expected to see playing time. The pace and tempo of a pro-style preseason contest could help ease the transition.
“There are a lot of kids that are playing for us right now that have never played in a high school football game,” Hammontree said.
Alcoa has a pair of scrimmage dates remaining, including a trip to Farragut today at 5. Bearden visits Goddard Field on Tuesday for the final tune up before next Friday’s jamboree at Maryville.
The Rebels conclude scrimmage work with a highly-anticipated trip to reigning Division II champion Ensworth at 7 this evening. The contest will take place at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, site of the BlueCross Bowl championships in December.
William Blount’s Governors conclude the scrimmage season with a visit from Seymour tonight at 5.
Tonight’s tilt is partly a matter of a longtime friendship with Walker Valley coach Glen Ryan, Hammontree said. The Mustangs will ensure the Mountaineers come away with a better picture of what remains to be done, he said.
“We’re playing them because we know they’ll do it the right way,” Hammontree said.
The game is also a good way to get the students behind the team, he said.
“I wanted to have a preseason game because I wanted our students to know football season has started and get them to come out,” Hammontree said.
About Stefan Cooper
Stefan Cooper is an award-winning sports journalist in Blount County, TN. Stefan has been writing about local sports for more than 25 years. In fact, he's writing stories today about the kids of players he used to write stories about. You'll spot him biking around town, hanging out at a coffee shop or Southland Books, or in his natural habitat: the sideline of the game.
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