Despite giving up two scores to none in the spring’s scrimmage at Lenoir City on May 13, Tommy Bunch knew he was in a good spot.
In his first look at his new team against someone else, Bunch and his staff were happy with what they saw. Several younger players stepped into roles on offense and defense while the returning veterans handled their new responsibilities.
kAm“x =62C?65 23@FE D@>6 DA64:7:4 A=2J6CD E92E x 925 H@?56C65 :7 E96J 4@F=5 96=A FD @C ?@E] %92E BF6DE:@? H2D 2?DH6C65[” qF?49 D2:5[ “(6 92G6 D@>6 J@F?86C 8FJD E92E 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 23=6 E@ DE6A :?E@ >2;@C C@=6D 2?5 2=D@ 36 D@>6 C@=6 A=2J6CD 7@C FD]”k^Am
kAmq@E9 E62>D 925 EH@ `_\A=2J 5C:G6D H:E9 E96:C DE2CE6CD @? E96 7:6=5 367@C6 2 `_\A=2J 5C:G6 H:E9 E96 D64@?5 DEC:?8]k^Am
kAm“~FC <:5D 4@>A6E65 92C5 2D 2 E62>] (6 42>6 @FE 7C@> E96 DE2CE 2?5 A=2J65 G6CJ 288C6DD:G6 5676?D6] ~776?D:G6=J[ x 76=E H6 925 DF446DD 5@:?8 H92E H6 H2?E65 E@ 5@[” qF?49 D2:5] “x H:D9 H6 925 DFDE2:?65 E92E 2 =:EE=6 36EE6C[ @FC D64@?5 5C:G6 6DA64:2==J]”k^Am
kAmr@>A6E:E:@?D 29625 @7 E96 D4C:>>286 D2H a_ >:?FE6D @7 f\@?\f H@C< 2?5 3@2C5 2?5 A2DD 5C:==D 7@C E96 =:?6>6?]k^Am
kAm“(6 C62==J 8@E 27E6C :E :? E96 3@2C5 5C:== A2CE @7 E96 D4C:>>286] (6 C62==J D9@H65 @FE :? E92E 2DA64E[” qF?49 25565]k^Am
kAm%96 (:=542ED =@@<65 E@ 6DE23=:D9 2 A@H6C CF? 82>6 369:?5 C:D:?8 D6?:@C qC2J56? (6DE7:6=5] (6DE7:6=5 9:E 2 =@?8 @7 ad H9:=6 4@?D:DE6?E=J 92G:?8 A=FD\EH@[ \E9C66 2?5 \7@FC\J2C5 82:?D]k^Am
kAm“(6 C62==J H2?E65 E@ D9@H H92E H6 H2?E @FC :56?E:EJ E@ 36 2?5 H6 H2?E @FC :56?E:EJ E@ 36 2 E62> E92E :D 8@:?8 E@ CF? E96 7@@E32==[” qF?49 D2:5] “qC2J56? (6DE7:6=5 8:G6D FD E92E @AA@CEF?:EJ]”k^Am
kAm(9:=6 =2DE J62C’D DE2CE6C[ }@=2? s24FD[ :D H:E9 E96 32D632== E62>[ xD2:29 $E:=6D 92D E2<6? E96 C6AD 2E BF2CE6C324< E9:D DAC:?8 2?5 C2? C625 @AE:@?D :? E96 D4C:>>286]k^Am
kAm“xD2:29 5:5 2 72?E2DE:4 ;@3 @7 7:==:?8 E92E C@=6 :? E96 DAC:?8 2?5 96 8@E 2 =@E 36EE6C] w6 :D D@>63@5J E92E 42? 36 :? E96C6 2?5 86E C6AD 2?5 J@FC E62> :D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 72== @77[” qF?49 D2:5] “w6 E9C6H E96 32== H6== =2DE ?:89E] p?5 96 :D 2 <:5 H6 6IA64E E@ 86E D@>6 3:8\E:>6 C646:G6C C6AD 2?5 5676?D:G6 C6AD :? E96 D64@?52CJ 4@>6 E9:D 72==]”k^Am
kAm%J u:E49 2?5 r@5: y2>6D 2=D@ C646:G65 E@F496D @FE @7 E96 324<7:6=5]k^Am
kAm“Wu:E49X :D 2 A=2J6C E92E 92D 2 8C62E >@E@C] x E9:?< 96 :D DE2CE:?8 E@ D66 E9:?8D 2 =@E 36EE6C[” qF?49 25565] “p== @7 E96 8FJD H9@ E@F4965 E96 32== C2? E96 32== 92C5 2?5 76== 7@CH2C5]”k^Am
kAmx? E96 A2DD 82>6[ C:D:?8 D@A9@>@C6 2?5 32D<6E32== DE2?5@FE wF?E6C s277C@? H2D 962G:=J :?G@=G65 :? E96 A2DD:?8 82>6]k^Am
kAm“w6 :D 8@:?8 E@ 36 23=6 E@ 8:G6 FD 2? 6IA=@D:G6 H62A@? :? E96 @776?D:G6 82>6 2?5 A6C:>6E6C 82>6[” qF?49 D2:5]k^Am
kAm$H66EH2E6C 2=D@ H@C<65 E96 32== E@ +2JG:6? v2CJ @? BF:4< D=2?ED]k^Am
kAm$H66EH2E6C =@@<65 2E 5:776C6?E ?2>6D @? E96 @776?D:G6 =:?6[ :?4=F5:?8 pJ56? $E6772 2?5 C:D:?8 D6?:@C {F42D $E2>6J]k^Am
kAm“{F42D C62==J 5:5 2 8@@5 ;@3] xE H2D 8@@5 E@ D66 9:> 4@>A6E:?8 H:E9 D@>6@?6 6=D6 H9@ :D 2 3:8 <:5 2E 4@>A6E:?8 2E 2 9:89 =6G6=[” qF?49 D2:5]k^Am
kAm$E2>6J A2?42<65 {6?@:C r:EJ’D DE2?5@FE :? E96 AC6\D4C:>>286 5C:==D]k^Am
kAm$E6772 4@>A6E65 @? 3@E9 D:56D @7 E96 =:?6[ DE2?5:?8 @FE 2E ?@D6 8F2C5]k^Am
kAm“w6 :D 2 3:8 <:5 2?5 96 A=2J65 288C6DD:G6=J] w6 A6?6EC2E65 E96 =:?6 @7 D4C:>>286 2?5 925 2 C62==J 8@@5 =:<6[” qF?49 D2:5]k^Am
kAm$:?46 E96 E62> 3682? H@C<:?8 @? pAC:= ac[ $H66EH2E6C’D DE277 92D 7@4FD65 @? 8@:?8 E@ E96 7@@E32== — E92E H2D @? 5:DA=2J |@?52J]k^Am
kAm“%96 >2:? A@:?E @7 6>A92D:D :D CF? E@ E96 7@@E32==] (6 >2J >6DD FA 2 82A C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ[ 3FE H6 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 5@ :E 7F== DA665[” qF?49 D2:5] “x H2D C62==J A=62D65 H:E9 9@H H6 A=2J65 5676?D:G6=J] ~FC 5676?D6 A=2J65 8@@5 7C@> DE2CE E@ 7:?:D9 — 8@@5 2DD:8?>6?E 7@@E32== 2?5 C6=6?E=6DD AFCDF:E E@H2C5D E96 32==]”k^Am
kAm%96 (:=542ED 7@C465 E9C66 7F>3=6D[ C64@G6C:?8 EH@]k^Am
kAm“xE H2D 8@@5 E@ D66 >@DE @7 E96> 86E E96:C 7:CDE =:G6 9:89 D49@@= 24E:@?] %96J 8C6H FA 2 =@E 2?5 E92E 6IA6C:6?46 :D 8@:?8 E@ A2J 5:G:56?5D 7@C FD 2D H6 8@ :?E@ E96 DF>>6C 2?5 E96 72==[” qF?49 25565]k^Am
kAmu:E49 42AA65 @77 2 DEC@?8 DAC:?8 2E @FED:56 =:?6324<6C H:E9 9:D A6C7@C>2?46] y2>6D E2==:65 2 ?F>36C @7 D:8?:7:42?E C6AD @? 5676?D6]k^Am
kAm{2?5@? |FCA9J H2D A9JD:42= 2=@?8D:56 D6?:@CD $:=2D qC@H? 2?5 (6DE7:6=5 2D :?D:56 =:?6324<6CD] {2?56? v6?ECJ 2?5 $E6772 EFC?65 9625D @? E96 =:?6]k^Am
kAmv2CJ 5:5 H6== 2E 4@C?6C H9:=6 $E:=6D 2?5 s@>:?:4 *@6>2?D 4@>A6E65 DEC@?8=J 2D D276E:6D]k^Am
kAm“w6 :D 2 <:5 E92E =:<6D E@ 9:E J@F 2?5 :7 J@F =:<6 E@ 9:E H6 H:== 7:?5 2 A=246 @? E96 7:6=5[” qF?49 D2:5]k^Am
kAm$H66EH2E6C H:== E2<6 2 4@FA=6 @7 H66<D 367@C6 C64@?G6?:?8 27E6C {23@C s2J H:E9 2 8FE\4964< DEJ=6 52J AFE @? 3J E96 }2E:@?2= vF2C5]k^Am
kAm“%92E :D 8@:?8 E@ 36 @FC >2:? 7@4FD 7C@> E96 DE2CE @7 E96 DF>>6C H@C<@FED F?E:= 5625 A6C:@5D] (6 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 86E :? D92A6 2?5 H6 2C6 8@:?8 E@ =62C? E@ A=2J E@86E96C 2D 2 E62>[” qF?49 D2:5] “x 5@?’E 42C6 H92E H6 2C6 CF??:?8 @? @776?D6 @C 5676?D6[ :7 H6 2C6 ?@E 2 E62> 2?5 2 3C@E96C9@@5 H6 2C6 ?@E 8@:?8 E@ H:? 7@@E32== 82>6D]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 >256 8C62E DEC:56D E@H2C5D 86EE:?8 E92E C:89E D:?46 >:5\y2?F2CJ] (96? H6 86E 324< 7C@> 5625 A6C:@5[ H6 H:== =@@< 2E E96 )D 2?5 ~D]”k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 E96 DF>>6C[ 2 7C6D9>2? 4=2DD @7 2C@F?5 b_ A=2J6CD H:== 3@@DE E96 C@DE6C E@ ?62C f_ ?2>6D]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.