Media Day 2021

Anderson County High took part in KFOA’s event last week

July 21, 2021 by Ken Leinart

You could argue that anticipation for the coming 2021 high school football season started once the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association’s “dead period” ended in mid-July.

Teams started training, holding camps, look at finalizing rosters.

Mid-July in East Tennessee may start the anticipation, but events like Friday’s Knoxville Football Officials Association’s media day at Three Ridges Golf Course sharpen that anticipation.

It’s here.

High School football is really here.

Expectations for the 2021 season are high, especially after the 2020 season was so … Strange?

“Last year was definitely different,” Anderson County High School Maverick lineman Sully Sexton said Friday morning. “We had to stand so spread out and the band wasn’t in the stands and the crowds were limited. … It had a different feel.”

Sexton, a senior, and seniors Zach Shannon and Garrison Terry represented Anderson County — along with Head Coach Davey Gillum — at Friday’s media day.

There is one constant with Anderson County High School athletes — they love being Mavs (or Lady Mavs) and they are polite.

Try getting one of them to give a little bit of bulletin board material, say something bad about an opponent, or even hint (just a tiny hint) that an opponent may be a pushover.

Don’t hold your breath. You’ll regret it.

On not playing Clinton this season:

Garrison Terry: “It’s a shame. It’s a good tradition.”

On not having the band (in the stands) last season:

Sully Sexton: “It turned out pretty good because they (the band) were in the end zone and we could see them celebrate with us, so that was a good thing.”

On the 2021 schedule and playing teams they haven’t seen before (Science Hill and Rhea County in particular):

Zach Shannon: “I think it’ll be fun to see what kind of teams they have.”

Garrison Terry: “We scrimmaged Rhea County a couple of years ago. I think we won, but it was preseason.”

On the 2020 season:

Garrison Terry: “We lost three games — Powell, South-Doyle, and Greeneville (in the playoffs) — by a total of five points. I scored the last touchdown against Greeneville and there was about two minutes to go and I thought, ‘We have this,’ and then they came back.

“That stung.”

Other than the new opponents, the game they look forward to the most is the same.

Sully Sexton: “No doubt, Powell.”

Zach Shannon: “Powell. They have a good team and that will be a great test.”

Garrison Terry: “Powell. First game of the season and everybody is going to show up to see the first game of the season.”

The Mavs lost the 2020 contest on the last play of the game.

Anderson County will get tested early and often. Powell, then Science Hill (all three agreed the Hilltoppers usually have a good team and they haven’t seen them), and Fulton.

Sully Sexton: “The Fulton game is going to be big. It’s our second home game, but it’s our first region game.”

The middle of the season will tell the tale: At South Doyle and at Elizabethton.

“Good teams.”

Seriously. All three summed up those two contests as, “They’ll be good games.”

After opening with a gauntlet of traditional powerhouses, the Mavs will face Carter, Gibbs, Bearden and Scott to finish out the season.

Can Carter present problems?

All three said “yes.”

Gibbs?

Sully Sexton: “I don’t know much about them, but that’s going to be a hard game.”

Non-region Bearden is another question mark, but all three agreed traditionally Bearden is a solid team. Playing on the road doesn’t help.

Scott?

Again, the three said they don’t know enough about the Highlanders to give an opinion, but it’s a region game and that gives it importance.

“All the games are important,” Sexton said.

Yes, it’s preseason — early preseason — but don’t look for anything besides the usual Maverick respect for the game and their opponents.

There’s no swagger, no cockiness. Not at a “media day.”

But there is focus.

The Mavs will answer all questions on Friday nights (and one Thursday night — Carter will be a “Rivalry Thursday” broadcast).

There will be fans in the stands, the band and cheerleaders will be in position to help give that “Mav experience,” and ACHS will have the “Greatest Show on Turf” walk in.

In 2021, there will be high school football.