Mavericks, Dragons, Wildcats set to kick off 2024 campaigns
The long wait for high school football fans is nearly over, as all three area teams kick off their 2024 seasons this week.
Anderson County will be the first local squad to take the field.
The Mavericks will host Powell on Thursday night. They enter the season looking for an eighth-consecutive region championship, having not lost a league game in seven years.
The Mavericks, who went 8-5 and reached the Class 4A state quarterfinals in 2023, won eight of their last 10 games.
Anderson County boasts one of the most talent-packed rosters in East Tennessee.
While the Mavs have some experienced players, they have talented transfers joining the team after success at other schools.
The Powell-Anderson County game is the first Rivalry Thursday matchup of the season. The contest will be regionally televised, with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. on WATE.
Clinton will be on the road Friday night as the Dragons travel south to Cleveland.
It’s a new era in Clinton as Jason Hamock has been named interim head coach. The Dragons have only one returning starter on offense and three on defense.
Oak Ridge will also be on the road to open the new season, traveling to Dandridge to face the Jefferson County Patriots, who are coached by former Tennessee Vol Spencer Riley.
This will be Derek Rang’s second season as the Wildcats’ head coach. He guided Oak Ridge to a 9-3 overall record and a perfect run through Region 3-5A, where they were region champions last season.
Quarterback Blaine Stansberry returns for his junior season, but the Wildcats must replace some significant star power on offense. this year.