Middle School Football

The Johnson County Middle School football kicked off the season with an encouraging start, but a rugged has since provided rough sledding. "We started the year good at the jamboree looking strong against Hampton and Happy Valley," said third-year Johnson County head coach Lucas Phillips. "Neither one could really stop us." The Longhorns opened the season with Cloudland, Unicoi County and Sullivan East. "Cloudland and Unicoi got us early on," Phillips said. "We took a double-overtime loss to East, 28-26, but we get to play them again at home. So, we're looking to get them back. We end the year with them, and then Hampton and Happy Valley are also at home." The Longhorns' offense is led by seventh grader Luke Dorman and eighth-grade running backs Ayzik Landeros and Mariano Espinoza. "We have a lot of raw guys who have either never played before or haven't played since early on in youth league," Phillips said. "Mariano and Ayzik also play linebacker on defense." Randy Potter is lineman that has caught Johnson County High School head coach Tyler Trusler's eye. Potter and Mason Tolliver – both forces up front – have missed time due to injuries. "We get Mason Tolliver and Randy Potter back from injury this week," Phillips said. "Both are key factors on the O-line. … Eduardo Vargas is a seventh grader who's impressed me." Johnson County will host Unicoi County on Thursday. Sullivan East will visit on Sept. 10, and the Longhorns will host Hampton on Sept. 17. "So, we're looking to bounce back," Phillips said, "and finish strong against some teams we know we can compete with."