Michael Bosco, Dakota Crews and Dylan Morgan each had their opportunities to view the Maryville football program from the opposite sideline.

What stood out to each of them was the standard of excellence that translated way the Rebels played, but what they all learned once they joined the staff was all that goes into that product on the field. 

“I had an idea of what was expected,” Crews said. “Everybody wants to win, but it was more than that. Everything you do has to be excellent, and I think every school holds a standard of excellence, but it’s not quite like this. It’s different. There is almost like an aura around it. It’s pretty cool to be a part of.” 

“The one thing that kind of shocked me was that nobody here talks about championships or anything like that,” Morgan added. “It’s just about doing things the right way and having everything kind of take care of itself.” 

Bosco, Crews and Morgan are the three newest coaches on staff, with Bosco and Crews at the tail end of their second seasons and Morgan wrapping up his first. 

Each of them came to Maryville with an understanding of the expectation that is discussed from the outside looking in, but neither of them truly understood the efficiency with which everything gets done to create such a well-oiled machine. 

“Part of that is doing it so long and being so good at it,” Morgan said. “Other coaches across the state practice and game plan for hours and hours and hours, but they get so much done in such a short period of time. I think that is because of continuity.” 

“I’ve been on the opposite sideline, so when I got up here, I knew that fundamentally they were always so good,” Crews added. “They were always going to do the right thing. They were never going to hurt themselves. They were never going to put themselves in a position where they lost the game. They were always going to force their opponent to raise their level until eventually you slipped because you couldn’t hold that same standard. Everything we do is down to the inch. 

“This is my second year here and I’m still getting immersed in it. I’m with coach (Jeremy) Russell and coach (Kenny) Cobble, and they do stuff that I’ve seen people do at coaching clinics, but the way that we drill it, I bet our kids could go to those clinics and teach it better than other coaches. It’s just amazing how everything is held to that standard. It doesn’t matter if you’re stretching, practicing or in a walkthrough.” 

The other surprise was the welcoming nature of the program. 

Often times, a new coach can struggle to fit in at first because of well-established friendships, but there is no better descriptor of the Rebels than family, and one becomes a part of it as soon as they sign on. 

The coaching staff has weekly dinners together and often hangs out at one another’s house. It is an environment that Bosco, Crews and Morgan each said is different than any other place they have coached at. 

“You could always tell on film whenever you played against them how prepared they were, but you don’t realize how much fun and camaraderie that is in that coaching staff,” Bosco said. “I think I was worried about being a guy that wasn’t a Maryville grad and had only been in the area for about four years, but they have been amazing. It is a great bunch of guys to be around with how hard they work and how much they care about the kids here.” 

Overall, the experience has been one that neither of the newest additions to the coaching staff would trade for an opportunity elsewhere. 

Being on the Maryville sideline is like home. 

“To be able to coach our guys and still feel like I’m a part of something bigger than me, that’s all I’ve ever wanted,” Bosco said. “I think being here is everything I hoped for. It’s an amazing place, an amazing community, and then you have the buy-in, the guys and the kids. It’s perfect.” 

“It’s pretty cool because most of these guys here have been either head coaches or coordinators at other places — or at least could be — but nobody has an ego,” Crews added. “Everybody checks it at the door because we all have the same goal: we all want the Maryville Rebels to be the best. This is the best group of men that I could ever ask to be around.”

At any given time, a film session between Maryville coaches can evolve into a conversation about a scheme that was effective in a random game five years ago. 

It is those moments of ingenuity that help separate Maryville from other staffs across the state, and they are made possible because there have been minimal changes in the coaches’ office over a long period of time. 

Of all the factors that make Maryville special — tradition, talent and community to name a few — one that is often understated is staff continuity and the impact it has on the program. 

“It’s interesting when you try to describe to somebody that there are no egos and everybody understands their role,” said Mike White, Maryville’s longest-tenured assistant at 25 years. “There are very few disagreements, and when there are disagreements, they’re not about cultural things or how we do things. The only disagreements we have are probably scheme-wise or personnel-wise, and those things are handled the right way. 

“I just think that the advantage we have is once you get something moving in the direction that we’ve been moving, really the only thing you do year in and year out is small tweaks to make it that much better, the expectations are already set. What we’re trying to do Xs and Os-wise, what we’re trying to do with our younger players about teaching them responsibility and accountability, it’s not something that is being revamped every two years, three years or five years, and I think that does give us an advantage.” 

The most notable coaching changes in the last decade have been the transition of George Quarles to Derek Hunt at the helm and the retirement of former offensive line coach David Ellis. Outside of that, there has been no turnover, just additions to the family. 

It is a testament to the culture the program has created that assistant coaches with ample opportunities to go lead programs of their own are ultimately content to stay. 

“I’ve enjoyed Maryville too much to be anywhere else,” offensive coordinator Adam Hendricks said. 

“It’s a question of why you would ever leave this when it continues to be so good,” White said. 

“I cannot imagine that all of us haven’t been approached by somebody at some point because of the connections we have at different schools,” outside linebackers coach Jeremy Russell added. “It’s one of those things where it gives you a moment of pause where you think, ‘Is this something I need to consider,’ and after a lot of prayer, each and every time I’ve been in that situation, I’ve said the clear answer is Maryville.  

“What they are able to offer my family, what they are able to offer my children in school as well as the players, it’s not matched anywhere.” 

Family plays a large part in those decisions. 

White considered another opportunity earlier in his career, but his sons Chase — now a wide receivers coach at Maryville — and Will told him they did not want to leave, making the decision to stay or go an easy one. 

Co-defensive coordinator Kenny Cobble’s son, Eli, graduated last year while his other son, Casey, currently plays quarterback for the Rebels. 

Several other coaches have children in the Maryville City Schools system, which is rated the No. 1 school district in Tennessee according to Niche.com. 

“It’s a great school and it’s a great community,” Cobble said. “Meghan and I got a chance to watch our two boys grow up here. The guys that you work with here, I couldn’t think of a better group of men to be mentors to my boys than our coaching staff. They’re in it for the right reasons, and they love our boys and love our kids.  

“It’s important here, and that’s a huge thing that sometimes can be overlooked at places. Obviously, football is important in the South, football is important in Tennessee, but when you come here, it matters. It matters to our kids, it matters to their parents, it matters to the people who graduated from here and it matters to the people who work here.” 

It is also the unbreakable relationships that have developed in the coaches' office. 

There are countless inside jokes and weekly dinners. After last week’s emotional victory over Alcoa, the staff celebrated at Waffle House. 

And the bonds are not confined to just football. 

A fire destroyed one assistant’s kitchen over the summer, and within 15 minutes every member on staff arrived in the middle of the night to help clean up after the fire department left. 

“It’s about football, it’s about young men, but at the end of the day, we as coaches have to take care of each other,” Russell said. “We all did it without anyone ever asking to do it. It was automatic.” 

Whether Maryville goes 15-0 and claims another state championship or suffers multiple regular-season losses while finding its way as it has the past two seasons, that will never change. 

It is a major reason why the Rebels are positioned as the best program in the state. 

“It’s not going to win us games, but it puts us way ahead of the curve each and every year that we come into the fall more and more prepared because we have the same mindset,” Russell said. “We’re all pulling and moving in the same direction. We know what to expect. We know how things are going to run, when we are going to do certain things throughout the offseason, during the summer, throughout the fall and the preseason. 

“There are a lot of details that when we cover them, it takes 15 minutes, whereas folks who are getting together for the first time and trying to adjust, who knows how long they have to spend on those smaller details that we’ve just written down and review every year.”

Matthew Covert knew it was now or never.

Alcoa already possessed a 21-14 lead and had picked up two quick first downs as it attempted to make it a two-score game.

On the verge of Maryville territory, Alcoa senior quarterback Cody Pagach dropped back and attempted to hit junior tight end Eli Owens over the middle for what would have been a deflating gain. Instead, Covert stepped in front of the pass and took off racing down the Alcoa sideline.

Covert’s first interception of the season set up a game-tying 16-yard touchdown run from junior running back Price Davis with five minutes, eight seconds remaining, and Covert was not done there.

Pagach made amends for his mistake on Alcoa’s ensuing possession, finding Owens over the middle, but senior linebacker Calob Reaves punched the ball loose. Covert raced to the fumble and out-wrestled an Alcoa receiver for possession.

Moments later, sophomore kicker Hudson Jamerson drilled a 27-yard field goal that gave the Rebels a 24-21 victory in the 95th Battle of Pistol Creek — a result that would not have been possible without a herculean defensive effort from Covert.

“It’s been amazing,” Covert said. “A lot of people have been praising me — coaches, teachers, students and even my teammates on the field. It means a lot because I put everything I had into that game to go win it, so it’s nice for people to see that and say something about it.”

Covert finished with 16 tackles, a a forced fumble and the critical interception and fumble recovery to continue an upward trend as Maryville’s most impactful defender.

He currently leads the Rebels with 85 total tackles, 37 of which have come in the past three games.

“I think his attention to detail is huge,” Maryville linebackers coach Kenny Cobble said “He’s a great listener. He doesn’t have a whole lot to say all the time, but he’s always listening. I think the routine of being out there and the comfort level of being out there, you never know how a game like that is going to impact a kid because it is a big stage and sometimes that’s too much for kids, but for him, it’s almost like you can see the game slowing down for him. He’s flying around everywhere, but everything else from his perspective is slowing down, and because of that he’s making huge plays everywhere.”

Covert’s emergence has been critical to the Rebels maintaining a stout defense after losing all but one starter from last season’s team, including Peyton Cooper, who set the program single-season record with 157 total tackles.

“The thing about Matt, and you could kind of see it as a freshman, is he’s able to ply multiple linebacker positions,” Cobble said. “We don’t have guys who can do that often. Each year, you knew he was eventually going to breakthrough, but he had to wait behind some really, really good guys to get his chance.”

A performance like Friday’s officially puts Covert on the map, and the praise that has come with it has been abundant.

And yet, Covert is not relishing in the moment. He showed up to practice on Monday having already shifted his focus to closing out the regular season on the highest note possible when Maryville hosts Farragut at 7 p.m. Friday inside Shields Stadium.

“One thing you can count on from Matt Covert is he’s going to be consistent,” Cobble said. “He walked in just like he does every day and went and sat in his seat to get ready for film. As big as a game as it was and as well as he played, when we’re back to Monday, he’s reset and he’s back ready to go. That’s really telling about who he is.”

“It’s amazing to get credit for what you did, but that’s last week,” Covert added. “We have to focus on Farragut.”

There is an unmatched energy that surrounds The Battle of Pistol Creek each year, but the excitement of the state’s biggest rivalry seemingly reached its apex in 2001.

Maryville and Alcoa opened that season against one another after winning state championships in their respective classification the year prior, marking the first time both programs faced each other as defending state champions since 1979.

Brandon Waters, then a junior at Maryville, remembers all the pregame pageantry, from the 125-car caravan that rolled from Maryville High School to Goddard Field to the rowdy Rebel student section that occupied more than half the visitor section.

The 56-14 victory that kickstarted a perfect 15-0 campaign was memorable as well.

“Everybody was super excited to be at that game, to play in that game,” Waters said. “Two defending state champions. It was awesome. I’ll never forget that. What a great night it was, especially for the Rebels.”

The 2005 meeting between the two most decorated programs in the state was expected to go in the opposite direction with the Tornadoes being the overwhelming favorite.

Derek Hunt, a junior at the time, made his first career start and orchestrated a touchdown drive on the opening possession. Then-head coach George Quarles elected to attempt an onside kick and the Rebels recovered, giving the ball back to Hunt, who led Maryville back to the end zone for an early 14-0 lead.

The Rebels, who own a 64-26-3 record in the rivalry, went on to win, 41-21, setting the table for yet another unbeaten campaign that ended with a state championship.

“Randall Cobb was a sophomore, Joei Fiegler was their quarterback, Duck Lindsey was their running back,” Hunt said. “They were loaded, but we went over to Alcoa and played really well. It’s a pretty special memory.”

It is those moments along with tradition and proximity — the schools are separated by a mere four miles — that make it a top-tier rivalry.

The two programs have combined for 38 state championships with Alcoa (21) and Maryville (17) ranking first and second in TSSAA history, respectively. The players tasked with upholding that standard often mingle with one another on a daily basis only to leave it all on the field when they meet on the gridiron.

“We all grow and around one another in the community,” said Ryan Tallent, who played running back at Maryville from 2003-06. “You want to win even when you’re playing your friends. You may hang out with them off the football field, but when you meet on the football field, it a little different. There is a pause in relationships.

“You may have one final thing to say on the Saturday after your previous game, but after that you get focused on winning with your brothers. And then after that game is over, you may have to give it a night and let emotions fizzle and then you can get back to being buddies again.”

Tallent, Waters and Hunt all reside on the sidelines now, serving as the defensive backs coach, offensive line coach and head coach, respectively.

Waters and Hunt admit that the rivalry felt a bit different as a player simply because of the limited opportunities that come with suiting up, but all three shared the same overall thought.

“The excitement of it has never really gone away,” Tallent said.

The Battle of Pistol Creek has typically been an early-season matchup that provided each team a measuring stick before the meat of their region schedule, but the rivalry moving to Week 10 this season gives it a playoff-like atmosphere that adds to the allure of the spectacle.

“I was telling our guys the other day that this is unique because we were hit by some pretty bad injuries early on, but we feel like if we can win Friday, we can carry some momentum into the playoffs and get this thing rolling a bit,” Waters said. “It feels like a playoff atmosphere, but it’s greater, and I think our guys need to relish the opportunity to play in this game.”

By Troy Provost-Heron

Carson Jones reflected on his freshman year at Maryville and tried to envision a world in which he was named the starting quarterback back then, but the thought of it seemed almost absurd.

“I can’t imagine it at all, to be honest,” Jones said. “The guys around me were so good when I was a freshman, and I don’t think mentally I would have been ready. We could have won a few games here and there, but Maryville has always been dominant because they have a good guy back there under center.” 

The idea of his younger brother, Will, starting as a freshman, on the other hand, did not seem as far-fetched. 

Carson has watched Will utilize his dynamic combination of mobility and arm talent to excel on every field he has ever stepped on, from flag football to his illustrious middle school career. If anybody could uphold Maryville’s proud tradition of quarterback play as a freshman, it was Will. 

The scenario turned to reality last week when Will started against Hardin Valley. 

Carson makes a point to watch as many Maryville games as he can, but when he got the news, the Rebels’ meeting with the Hawks became appointment television. He settled in from his residence at Furman University as Will not only made history — becoming the first ever freshman to start at quarterback for the Rebels — but thrived in the moment. 

Will completed 12 of his 15 passes for 240 yards and four touchdowns — all in the first half — to lead the Rebels to a 48-7 victory over the Hawks. 

“One of the biggest things I told him last week is that he had nothing to lose,” Carson said. “He’s a freshman, and no one has really gotten the opportunity he’s getting. All he’s heard is about me and how good I was in high school, but I just told him to be himself. He’s already a really good player — better than I was as a freshman — so he just needed to go out there and ball and do his thing.” 

The comparison of Carson and Will started long before Will began attending Maryville Junior High School. 

Carson entered the conversation as one of the best quarterbacks in program history after a two-year stint in which he displayed remarkable efficiency, completing 310 of his 404 pass attempts (76.7%) for 4,176 yards and 50 touchdowns while only throwing two interceptions. 

Will may have a similar career when it is all said and done, but his focus is always on the day at hand. That includes utilizing a resource no other Maryville signal caller has had access to: an older brother who understands what it means to be under center at Maryville. 

“Over the summer, we were working together on some of the stuff in the offense and anything that I could improve,” Will said. “I know there is always something I can get better at, and him knowing those things can help me improve and be the best player I can be.” 

The two worked on deep-ball accuracy, and the practice paid off when he delivered a near-perfect ball to junior wide receiver Britton Barrett between two HVA defenders for a 35-yard touchdown late in the first quarter. 

Carson also emphasized the importance of trusting your playmakers, something he did so often with the likes of Noah Vaughn, Markel Fortenberry and DJ Burks. Will seemingly took it to heart, tossing a screen to Barrett before watching him weave through the defense for a 45-yard score in the second quarter. 

“He has so many weapons around him like Price Davis, Britton Barrett and Eli Elkins that you just have to get the ball in their hands and they’ll make you look good,” Carson said. “He’s smaller right now because he’s a freshman, so he doesn’t need to take all these big hits. He just needs to get the ball out of his hands and let those guys make plays.” 

Carson quoted a post on X (formerly Twitter) of Will’s stats and added, “Just the beginning.” 

Will’s second career start comes tonight against Bearden at 7 p.m. inside Shields Stadium. With Furman currently in fall break, Carson will be in attendance instead of watching on a screen, cheering on the little brother he believes is capable of doing anything he puts his mind to. 

“He can accomplish whatever he wants,” Carson said. “I always tell him that when I look at my film as a freshman, it’s nothing compared to what he was even as an eighth-grade football player because of how fast he is and his ability to make plays on the ground as well as being such a good passer. 

“I think he has so much more confidence than I did at that stage in my life as a freshman. It looked like he wasn’t nervous at all going into that game on Friday, and I think that’s why he played so well.” 

By Troy Provost-Heron

The responsibilities assigned to the coaches that comprise the Maryville staff almost fill an entire three-column sheet of paper.

Most of the duties are those expected of high school football coaches — overseeing a position group, cutting film, creating a game plan and fixing equipment — but there are dozens that are often overlooked and unseen. 

Here is a glimpse into five of the unheralded responsibilities that various assistant coaches complete throughout the season: 

The welcoming party 

Joe Robinette never takes the simple walk from the locker room to midfield for the coin toss for granted. 

“It’s an honor to be a captain, and I take it as an honor as well to be the one who walks them to midfield,” Robinette said. “I see it as a formal representation of Maryville High School football and the coaching staff. Publicly, they’ve asked me to go there and manage these four boys and present them to the officials, the visiting team and our team as the people we validate.” 

The wide receivers coach took over the responsibility of escorting Maryville’s four captains to the field from former offensive line coach David Ellis when he retired after the latter retired. 

The opportunity to succeed one of the most revered coaches in program history plays a sizeable role in the pride Robinette feels as he walks through the gate situated behind the northeast end zone of Shields Stadium. 

“I think it’s an honor to follow in the footsteps of David Ellis,” Robinette said. “I always thought of him as a great father figure, and I always thought it was always great for those boys to get to go out under his tutelage and fill his validation of them being leaders of the team. 

“A lot of the role is just sticking around long enough to earn that role, but when follow somebody like David Ellis, who is so highly regarded as a person for a reason, there is obviously the right kind of pressure to continue that because he is somebody I would want to be like if I wasn’t a coach with him or a friend of his.” 

Robinette also reminds the captains of the choices Maryville wants to make after the coin toss. 

If the Rebels win the toss, they always opt to receive the opening kickoff. Should their opponent win the toss and choose to defer to the second half, the Rebels will also choose to receive the opening kickoff. In the case of an opponent choosing to receive the opening kickoff, the captains are told which direction the coaching staff wants to defend first, which is often dictated by the sun. 

Ultimately, it all boils down to a simple statement. 

“We tell them to never say kick,” Robinette laughed. 

Push toward the next level 

Each time a Rebel attends one of Maryville’s three annual signing days to cement their commitment to play at the next level, Kenny Cobble can say he played a small part in the creation of that moment. 

The linebackers coach is responsible for creating college recruiting profiles and ensuring that they are delivered to collegiate coaches that have interest in players. 

“I don’t even know that I would call it work because we’re always so excited to promote them,” Cobble said. “Each year you get to add a layer because they’ve either gotten some interest from some colleges or maybe their GPA and ACT has improved and they’re in better academic standing. It’s kind of neat to watch them evolve from their sophomore year to their senior year.” 

The recruiting profiles include everything a collegiate coach needs to know about a prospect: where they stand academically, the schools that have already expressed interest in them and their contact information. 

“We’re trying to give the college coaches who come through here information that allows them to get to our kids as quickly as possible,” Cobble said. 

Ultimately, the job culminates in a gathering inside of James C. Campbell Gymnasium to watch a player ink their name on a National Letter of Intent and the opportunity to live out a lifelong dream. 

“It’s fun to see a kid who has had this dream their whole life and watch them get to a realistic point where they find a place where they can fit and have a chance to go do what they want to do,” Cobble said. “Then to see their families come out and celebrate their day in the sun, it’s so exciting for them. That’s the best part.” 

In the pocket 

The Maryville coaching staff boasts several former quarterbacks — most notably head coach Derek Hunt and quarterbacks coach Nick Myers — but it is Chase White, who played wide receiver at Maryville from 2012-15, that leads the scout team offense. 

“I think part of being the scout team QB is you actually didn’t play quarterback in high school,” White said. “I think that’s a requirement. Those guys have had their time, so this is my chance to bask in the glory a little bit.” 

It is a job White takes very seriously, donning a pair of cleats for when he is out there delivering mediocre passes. He celebrates when the offense is able to best the defense and wears a bit of disappointment on his face when he misses a throw. 

“I love it because it’s one of the roles that I’m really able to own,” Chase White said. “I get to have fun with all the guys and sometimes, in a fun way, we like to run our mouths a little bit. It’s a way to compete and stay active. It’s a lot of fun.” 

White has served in the role since 2019 but admits that a half-decade of experience has not made him a better quarterback. Still, he trots out there every day and gives the Rebels the best look possible. 

“I can definitely feel my body going every year, so I’m definitely getting worse, but I think my command in the huddle has gotten better,” White said. 

Eye in the sky 

Jason Hicks’ practice attire includes a backpack and a remote control. 

Hicks co-coaches the offensive line with Brandon Waters, but he is also in charge of flying the drone that films practice every day. At face value, it sounds like a daunting work balance, but in actuality, the self-sustaining nature of the drone Maryville uses does not detract from his attention on the field. 

“Once we get it up there and in the right spot, it kind of just hovers and all I have to do is press the start and stop record button,” Hicks said. “It doesn’t really affect how I coach. I’ve kind of gotten used to it now.” 

Hicks admits that the most difficult part of navigating both responsibilities is when he helps run scout team defense periods, but Myers is available to man the drone when necessary. 

The drone only takes priority when its batteries need to be changed, piloting it to the ground for a quick pit stop before putting it back in the air. It is in that moment that the drone is at its most dangerous given the speed of its propellers, but Hicks ensures that every measure has been made to keep everybody safe. 

“There are various modes that you can fly it on, and we always keep it in the mode where all the sensors are turned on,” Hicks said. “It’s almost impossible for it to run into anything because once it gets close to a person or an object, it kind of senses it and avoids them, but it can be dangerous if you’re not paying attention to what you’re doing.” 

The drone is piloted by former Maryville softball coach Nick Payne during games to provide the Rebels an all-22 look during games. 

The task, as simple as it is, has played a pivotal role for Maryville, giving them the best possible way to review the film and make adjustments. 

“When we first started doing it, it was like anything else, it was new and everybody was a little bit skeptical, but once the coaches and players started seeing the drone view, it was like they didn’t want to watch anything else,” Hicks said. “It’s huge on Friday nights now that we have SkyCoach and can see the in-game footage because you can see every angle. There is no way to hide anything. It makes us so much better and we’re able to coach more.” 

My brother’s keeper 

Of all the duties doled out among the staff, none are more comical than defensive backs coach Nick White being responsible for cleaning his brother Mike White’s desk. 

Mike serves as the H-backs coach, the freshman team’s head coach and the equipment manager, the last of which provides an excuse for his disorganized workspace. It is just not a suitable justification for Nick. 

“His stuff spills over onto my desk, and he knows that I’m highly OCD, so he just doesn’t worry about it,” Nick said. “He says its everybody else’s fault because they put the stuff on his desk when stuff is turned on, but that’s not true because half the stuff on his desk is stuff he leaves on there.” 

Nick says he has cleaned weeks-old cups filled with Chick-Fil-A tea and mildewed towels. It gets to the point where Mike has to regularly find a new paper holder for practice because he cannot find the one he used the previous day. 

Nick knows there is no end in site either. Coaching responsibilities often change, but this is one he is stuck with until he decides to hang it up. 

“There is no way (he’ll ever stop),” Nick White said. “I’ve already done it twice this year, and you can’t even tell.”

By Troy Provost-Heron 

The 2019 Maryville football team was one of the best in program history, boasting a roster that included 15 future Division-I college football players. 

Drew Crowder was not one of them, but he was just as integral — if not more — to the Rebels’ last state championship, logging six interceptions over the final eight games of the season, including two in a state semifinal victory over Oakland and one versus Ravenwood in Cookeville. 

None of that seemed possible when Crowder almost left the program a year earlier. 

“Drew is the epitome of what perseverance looks like,” Maryville coach Derek Hunt said. “He definitely had sometimes in his career where he was ready to be done. He tried to quit a couple of times, and when a kid comes and says he doesn’t want to play football anymore, my biggest thing is to make sure they have something else to go to. We’ve had some kids quit playing football because they have to go work and support their families. That’s super unfortunate, but it is a reality. 

“For Drew, he was one of those kids that really needed to be on the football field. We were able to keep him out there, and in the middle of his junior year, something clicked on a Monday night in a JV game toward the end of the season. He kind of hung around and helped a little bit, but then his senior year he took off. He was one of our best players on defense by the middle of the season. It is just so much fun to coach kids like that because when you see them now, their lives are completely changed.” 

Crowder was the embodiment of what Hunt calls a “Maryville guy”: a player who commits to the program through thick and thin, bides his time and finds himself in a starting role his senior season. 

The reasons for the wait can be as simple as physically maturing during their adolescence or as complex as life stabilizing after a traumatic event. Regardless, the unexpected yet significant impacts those players make have become a cornerstone of the program. 

“We’re dealing with kids at a time where they are changing the most in their life,” Hunt said. “It is a constant reminder that I give to our staff that we cannot put kids in boxes because you never know when somebody is going to blossom. We have starters on our team right now that fit that very mold.” 

Senior offensive lineman Owen Steffes is a quintessential “Maryville guy,” going from a freshman who could not lift the bar to one of the Rebels’ best in the trenches this season. 

That transformation started with a conversation between Hunt and Steffes after the latter missed a few summer workouts before his sophomore season. Hunt informed Steffes that if he continued to shirk responsibility, it would be hard for him to make an impact. 

Steffes took the conversation to heart and bought in shortly after. 

“I realized it would be a lot better to watch the game from the field and not the sideline,” Steffes said. “I never really considered (being a starter). I just tried to look one day ahead and see what I could do better that day.” 

“We don’t write anybody off, but he was as close to being written off in terms of him ever being able to help us,” Hunt addeds. “It took one conversation, that’s the beauty of it. He didn’t miss another workout. He played JV his entire sophomore year and just got better. He wasn’t starting, but he got better. By his junior year, I started to think he may have a chance, and then he grew and the next thing you know, he’s one of our best guys.” 

Royal Curtis, who starts at corner after spending his first three years playing running back, and Hunter Olivet, a linebacker who ranks second on the team in total tackles (29), also fit the bill — as do several others. 

The wait can be difficult at times, especially given all the hard work that goes into eventually cracking the rotation, but to most, the opportunity to play makes it worth it. 

“Sometimes you just want to quit, but in the end, it doesn’t matter what you do,” Olivet said. “If you start or you don’t, you’re still doing it for the team. It’s fun to win on Friday nights, and no matter what, you’re contributing to that.” 

Precedent helps as well. 

Each year a new “Maryville guy” emerges almost out of nowhere and etches his name into the history of the program, showcasing what is possible through continued commitment and work ethic.

“They can see the results of the guys before them,” Hunt said. “It’s something I’m not shy about. We talk about it. They have seen the proven results of guys like Drew Crowder who have continued to work hard, and then when their time comes, they shine. 

“It’s not 100% by any means. There are only 11 spots on the field at one point, and so if there are 14 guys doing it, somebody is going to be left out, but if they continue to persevere, they’re never going to regret the hard work they put in and they’re going to have memories that last a lifetime with their brothers on this football team.”

By Troy Provost-Heron

Sustained success in high school football is not possible without locker rooms that collectively buying into a program.

Maryville has had exactly that — a stream of players that have pride in the jersey they put on every Friday night and the expectation that is associated with it.

Here is a glimpse at what buying in means and the impact it can have from the perspective of three different Rebels:

The Senior

At any given time, senior center Logan McGlamery may pull up a clip of former Maryville and current Liberty offensive lineman Cal Grubbs and review it.

McGlamery waited three years for the opportunity to start for the Rebels, and he intends to make the most of his lone season in the trenches. Part of that is learning from a predecessor who was one of the best in program history.

“It definitely helped me having the type of player I had in front of me,” McGlamery said. “I’ll still go back and watch film on him from last year and try to get some moves from him. It’s important to do that because we’ve had so many great senior leaders before us that showed us how to handle things.”

Grubbs was a central figure in Maryville’s late season turnaround a year ago following a streak-snapping loss to Cleveland on Sept. 30, 2022.

McGlamery showed similar leadership on the sidelines during Maryville’s 21-13 loss to Bradley Central last week, vocally encouraging his teammates during a first half in which everything seemingly went wrong.

He has also emphasized leading by example, recognizing that whomever intends to fill his cleats is watching him like he observed Grubbs.

“It’s just being there day in and day out,” McGlamery said. “Coach Hunt talks about it all the time, but there is no one that is out here with us as much as we are every single day. It’s in the weight room, it’s on the field, it’s in the film room.

“It’s a commitment that you have to be committed to. It’s as simple as that.”

Maryville has needed every ounce of commitment given the number of injuries it has faced through the first three weeks of the season — senior running back Gage LaDue, senior offensive tackle Blake Heckmann and junior quarterback Casey Cobble headlining the list.

To the Rebels’ credit, they have answered the call, just as McGlamery did when tasked with replacing Grubbs.

“You really just have to listen to (the coaches),” McGlamery said. “A lot of the times, there are kids who think that just because they’re not playing, just because they’re not in at that moment that it’s over for them and they’re never going to touch the field.

“We’ve seen it a bunch this year because there are so many people who have gone down, and it’s always the next man up. That’s when you realize that you have to buy in and be prepared for whenever your number gets called.”

The Transfer

Graham Coulter typically has a more reserved personality, but the junior quarterback knew that would not get him anywhere after transferring from Alcoa to Maryville in the offseason.

Coulter made it a priority to quickly build relationships with his coaches and teammates, understanding the impact it would have in his ability to grasp a new system.

“I’m not really the guy to be outgoing because I’m more introverted, but it helps to get outside of your comfort zone,” Coulter said. “When I first came, I was really able to create friendships with my teammates and help each other in the offseason while working toward our goal of winning a lot of games this fall.

“With the coaches, it’s really about wanting to do more and really digging deep and making sure that what they ask is what you’re doing.”

The development of those relationships helped Coulter while battling with junior Casey Cobble for the starting quarterback position. They became even more important once Coulter was elevated to QB1 following Cobble’s injury.

“The friendships create good chemistry, and when you have chemistry with those guys, you can really build something,” Coulter said. “Even if you mess up or screw up a play, you can say, ‘Hey, we got it. Move on. We got the next one.’ Whether it’s me missing a read or throwing a bad ball, a lineman missing an assignment or a receiver dropping a ball, we can all get behind each other. And when you’re doing well, that chemistry helps gain momentum.”

Coulter is far from the only Rebel who values a rapport within the locker room.

Maryville’s tight-knit bond played an integral part in a second-half comeback that fell just short against the Bears, and it is why the Rebels feel primed for a bounce-back performance versus Knoxville West at 7 p.m. tonight.

“When you have teammates who buy in, it gives you confidence,” Coulter said. “We can do something special with this team, no matter what adversity we face — and we’ve faced a lot already. It helps to know everybody is willing to do anything they can to win.”

The Freshman

Will Jones knows his time is coming, but until then, the freshman quarterback is just trying to absorb as much information as possible.

“Whenever I’m not in (at practice), I’m looking at coach Hunt call signs and trying to learn as much as I can as fast as possible so that I’m ready whenever my name is called,” Jones said.

Jones has quality mentors at practice in Hunt and assistant coaches Adam Hendricks and Nick Myers, who have continued Maryville’s storied history of developing quarterbacks at an elite level.

He also had one at home as the younger brother of current Furman signal caller Carson Jones, and he attempts to utilize that relationship with one of the greatest quarterbacks in program history as often as he can.

“He just tries to make sure that I’m more prepared than he was,” Jones said. “It’s going to be hard to be better than he was, but that’s my goal. I just try to do the little things right every day, and that’ll make me the best that I can be.”

Will Jones, who has taken snaps as Coulter’s backup in practice, is only one snap away from beginning his own story as Maryville’s quarterback.

He is working tirelessly to be ready should the Rebels face even more adversity under center, but he is equally concerned with Maryville continuing to grow as a team.

“For the guys beside me, I just want them to do well,” Jones said. “All of those state championships, we want to end that streak of not adding one (for the past three years).”

Nolan White knows Maryville’s region championship streak spans at least two decades, but he could not recite the exact number. 

That should not come as a surprise — even if the senior defensive back is the son of 16-year assistant Nick White. The standard at Maryville is one of championships — both region and state — and yet neither is a stated expectation. 

The program’s unprecedented streak of 22 consecutive region championships is never discussed unless a certain former journalist brings them up. The focus is always on the next task at hand. 

“At Maryville, taking it game-by-game is a huge thing to us,” Nolan White said. “It’s kind of a way of life. As a freshman, I came in and was like, ‘We’ve won all these things. I guess we’re going to do it again,’ and then we did it and do it again. It’s just a repetitive thing.” 

A dedication to taking things one day at a time may be the foundation for Maryville’s championship pedigree, but the work ethic that is exhibited throughout that process created the edifice that nearly every other program across the state envies. 

“Our kids work so hard, and I know there are a lot of teams across the state that feel that way, and they are probably right, but I feel like our work ethic from January into the offseason all the way through the end of the football season,” Maryville coach Derek Hunt said. “They give great effort consistently, day in and day out, and that’s why we’re able to play well even when we may not be the most talented team on the field, which is a lot of the time. We can execute and give ourselves a chance to win because our kids work really hard.” 

Leadership plays an integral part in maintaining that work ethic over the course of two decades. 

Senior tight end Eli Elkins remembers watching Lou Burchfield work his way back from a pair of ACL tears in his right knee to become a TSWA All-State defensive lineman in 2020. White had a similar role model in Drew Crowder, who nearly quit before his senior season — one in which he garnered his own All-State nod in 2019. 

There probably is not a single player in the locker room who does not have an alum who sparked their drive to be the best version of themselves. 

“Growing up, when you watched all the past classes and the group of guys that took Maryville over the edge to win state, you looked up to them and wanted to try and be them,” Elkins said. “That’s what has kind of fueled me to be the best I can.” 

Maryville (2-0) will face one of the stiffest tests it has encountered during its run of region dominance when it lines up against Bradley Central (2-0) at 7 p.m. tonight inside Bear Stadium. 

The Bears are viewed as one of three teams in Region 2-6A, along with Bearden and Farragut, who have the ability to end the streak. The Rebels are excited for the challenge of enduring a region that is arguably as strong as it has ever been, but that does not mean they are treating the journey any different than their 63-14 victory over Heritage to open the season or last week’s 52-6 win against Knoxville Central. 

“It’s very cliché to say that we take it one game at a time, but that’s how it has been at Maryville for so long, and I think that’s an underlying secret to our past success,” Hunt said. “We have guys who have bought into that and a coaching staff that never overlooks an opponent no matter how good or bad they may be. I just remember with coach (George) Quarles, we never had days off. It didn’t matter who we were playing, and that’s kind of just carried over.” 

Hunt often refers to a successful season as one where the Rebels maximize their potential. 

The ideology may be found in the opening pages of the coach speak handbook, but in this instance, it is an actual gospel, and the only way to abide by it is to approach every day the same as the one before. 

“The reason I don’t talk about the streak is I enjoy coaching,” Hunt said. “It’s not a means to an end for me. If we win a region championship, that’s awesome, but if we don’t, we’re still going to have fun and enjoy what we’re doing.”

By Troy Provost-Heron

Casey Cobble scrambled out of the pocket and attempted to pick up a few yards with his legs in the of middle Maryville’s first practice with full pads during fall camp. 

Gage LaDue ranged over to make the tackle but eased up once he got to the junior signal caller, drawing a comment from Maryville linebackers coach Kenny Cobble. 

“I was like, ‘What are you doing? You need to hit him,’” Kenny said with a laugh. 

That was the extent of Kenny’s input on Maryville’s quarterback competition, even though his son was a part of it. He could have inquired about Casey’s standing at any point, but he purposefully stayed out of it. This was Casey’s journey, and if he wanted to be the starting signal caller, he had to do it on his own merit. 

“I think it goes back to what (my wife) Meghan and I believe as parents,” Kenny said. “He has to find his own way. We’re going to support him, but we don’t want to pave that way for him. If it’s something you want, you have to go out and try and work for it and do the extra things on your own. He’s in a situation where he’s competing, and that’s great because he is going to have to work every day and show up every day. I think in the long run, regardless of how this all plays out, those steps he has had to take and the challenges he has had to face are only going to make him better moving forward. 

“Football is such a small, small piece of his life. It’s a fun piece, and it’s a piece that is very important to him now — and will be important to him down the road — but it is a small blip on the radar compared to what he is going to face as an adult. We hope that facing challenges now will prepare him to do that later.” 

Casey faced his first challenge as a Maryville quarterback last season. 

He was the perceived heir apparent to former Maryville quarterback Carson Jones, but the transfer of Matthew Clemmer from William Blount changed the dynamic of the Rebels’ quarterback room, pushing Casey from starter to backup. 

A year later, Casey finally got his opportunity, drawing the start in the Rebels’ 63-14 victory over Heritage on Aug. 18 at Jack Renfro Stadium. He completed all eight of his passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns — both of which went to senior tight end Eli Elkins.  

“It was awesome,” the junior quarterback said. “I’ve watched all the guys before me here, and they’ve all been super cool dudes. To have a chance to do what they did, it was a great experience.” 

The start was not a given, and it will not be for the foreseeable future. 

Casey competed with fellow junior Graham Coulter throughout the offseason, and the two alternated possessions in the season opener. Casey and Coulter will continue to split first-team reps when Maryville hosts Knoxville Central at 7 p.m. tonight inside Shields Stadium. 

It is uncertain if Maryville will name an outright starter at any point or use a two-quarterback system throughout the season. 

Regardless, it is a situation where some coaches would advocate for their own child over another. In an instance where one of their parents was not a coach, the family may look to transfer to a school with guaranteed playing time. 

Kenny never pushed an agenda in regard to Casey, and the other option was never on the table given the Cobble household’s ties to the program, but there was also an understanding that this is the Maryville way. 

“I know here at Maryville, it’s our intention to develop the kids we have here and do the best we can with them,” Kenny said. “We see all the time here where the kid waits his turn and then as a senior, he winds up having a phenomenal year and writes his own story here. I think that is important to our staff here, and I think for Meghan and I it goes back to letting them learn how to face challenges. 

“How do we change (the trend of transferring when something does not go your way as a society)? I don’t know because it seems like it is here to stay. It’s happening at the highest levels and working its way down. Everybody wants success right now. The thing is we kind of live in a highlight society. Everybody sees the highlight reels that show up on SportsCenter, but sometimes I think people lose sight of all the stuff that goes on behind the scenes that nobody sees to get to that highlight moment.” 

Casey will have plenty of opportunities to create highlights of his own this season, and it will be because of all the long hours he — and so many others on this revamped squad — put in to be on the field.  

“It just means a lot that we all earned it,” Casey said. “That was something that was very important to all of us. I’m so excited because we’ve worked throughout the offseason just trying to get to where we’re at now. It’s going to be a lot of fun.” 

By Troy Provost-Heron 

Blake Heckmann sees the same six words on his bedroom ceiling every day. 

“Be better than you were yesterday.” 

The notecard those words are written on has served as motivation for the senior offensive lineman ever since Maryville’s season-ending loss to Oakland in the Class 6A state semifinals a year ago — and the ebbs and flows of the season that transpired beforehand — in the months leading up to Friday’s season opener against Heritage at 7 p.m. inside Jack Renfro Stadium. 

“I know that I have probably thought about that game every single day,” Heckmann said. “Every day, I just think, ‘How can I improve,’ and ‘What could we have done better?’ 

“You hate to come that close to a chip and lose that big of a game.” 

The message also summarizes the lesson Maryville coach Derek Hunt wants current and future Rebels to take away from the campaign. 

Maryville’s loss to Oakland capped an uncharacteristic season in which a program known for dominance had to hang its hat on resilience. 

The Rebels suffered losses to rival Alcoa and Knoxville West, the eventual Class 3A and Class 5A state champions, respectively, and watched its 144-game region win streak snapped by Cleveland. The three regular-season losses marked the most for the program since 2000. 

When presented with an opportunity to mail it in, the Rebels chose to persevere en route to their 22nd consecutive state semifinal appearance. In the four games leading up to their meeting with Oakland, the Rebels scored 40.8 points per game and won by an average margin of 31.5, resembling the state-championship contender most expected before the season. 

That alone was enough for Maryville coach Derek Hunt, who presided over a teary-eyed huddle after the season ended inside Ray Hughes Stadium. In his postgame speech, there was no disappointment, just pride in what the Rebels accomplished through the journey. 

“When you’re in the thick of it with those guys every day at practice and you get to the end of the year where you know you’re only going to play one or two more games, at that point, it’s easier to kind of step back and understand how far you’ve come,” Hunt said. “We had so many moving parts (last season), and we never really hit our stride until Week 10 or 11. When we got into the playoffs, we were playing such good football, and it was really satisfying to realize that, as coaches, we took a bunch of 16- and 17-year-olds who were not playing good as a team and got back to the state semifinals.  

“I’m super proud of our coaches and our kids, and we’re always going to stay positive at Maryville because that’s what these kids need. They don’t need any more negativity when it comes to football practice because they have enough of it in society today.” 

There was certainly enough negativity to go around last season as subsects of a community that became accustomed to unprecedented success struggled to cope with unfamiliar results. 

Hunt recalls multiple instances when he was told Maryville would not survive long in the postseason. Players were not immune from the remarks either, but a swath of positivity and support from the coaching staff and within the locker room allowed the Rebels to stick together and receive life lessons far more valuable than any number of wins. 

“In football, you’re going to win and lose games,” senior running back Gage LaDue said. “If you were guaranteed every game, there would be no fun in that. Unfortunately, we took those losses, and everybody was down about that, but the coaches brought us up with positive energy. 

“Heading into this year, it hasn’t been, ‘You guys aren’t good enough to win football games.’ It’s been, ‘Come on, let’s keep getting better and better each day.’” 

“We may go 15-0, break all these records, win a state championship and be the best team in the state, but we tell these guys all the time, ‘Don’t let Maryville football be the biggest accomplishment in their life’ because the good Lord has so much more in store for them,” Hunt added. 

The Rebels feel as though last season’s hardships made one of the best programs in the state even better. That may lead to a resurgent season, but even if it does, it will not be more important than the perspective they provided. 

Maryville just wants football to be the conduit for its players to be better than they were yesterday. 

“Football is a phenomenal teacher of life,” Hunt said. “Everybody is going to face adversity in their life, and everybody has to learn how to be a great teammate. Last year was tough emotionally, but you go through it and get stronger on the back end. I hope our guys learned a lot about life. We tried to use the wins, the losses and the improvements as teaching moments at practice every week because you hope to put out a really nice product for our society and community.” 

• Refrain from actions or speech that will likely cause a disruption to the event.
• The throwing of any objects or projectiles onto the field or in the stands is strictly prohibited.
• No one under the age of 12 is allowed into a venue without being accompanied by an adult.

• Alcohol, tobacco and tobacco products, illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia
• Pets
• Artificial noisemakers, megaphones, or amplified sound
• Flags,  banners, signs considered offensive by staff or spectators
• Poles, sticks, or wires supporting flags, banners, etc.
• Laser pointers
• Portable heaters containing fuel. ie. propane heaters

Service animals are trained to do work or perform a task for persons with disabilities. Comfort and /or emotional support animals are not recognized by the ADA as being service animals. 

Be aware that due to tight seating arrangements and means of egress issues for large numbers of fans, Maryville High School reserves the right to relocate patrons with service animals to the closest accessible seating area. 

We strongly urge patrons who plan to bring a service animal to a Maryville High football Field event to contact Maryville High school at 865-982-1132 as soon as possible for potential seat relocating purposes.

HOURS ALLOWED

Anyone wanting to tailgate may do so no earlier than three (3) hours before the scheduled kickoff time.

All tailgating must be concluded and the area cleaned up no later than kickoff.  TAILGATING IS NOT ALLOWED AFTER KICKOFF HAS OCCURRED.

WHERE TO GO

Our largest and main parking lot for football games is "C" lot. This parking lot is located at the corner of Lawrence Avenue and South Cedar Street. Students and fans of Maryville City Schools are asked to tailgate on the East side of the parking lot in the median area closest to Melrose Street.  The visiting team or visiting fans are requested to tailgate on the west side of the lot in the grassy area closest to South Cedar Street. Since parking is a premium around the campus of Maryville High School, tailgating is not allowed in any empty parking space.  Tailgating is allowed in the area immediately around your vehicle or in one the areas mentioned above.

In the event you have purchased a reserved parking space for the season, tailgating is allowed in the area immediately around your vehicle.  At no time should any drive, parking aisle, or entrance be blocked to vehicular traffic.

Prohibited Items

• Charcoal Grill
• Deep Fryer
• Propane Cylinder larger than 20 LBS.
• Any Open Flame
• Amplified Sound or Any Excessively Loud Music
• Any Alcohol, Drugs or Drug Paraphernalia
• Glass Containers
• Tobacco Products (including e-cigarettes, vape pens)
• Pets unless they are a Service Animal
• Drone or any Unmanned Aircraft System