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McMinn County poised to challenge yet again

By: Ward Gossett
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Joseph Kimpson

ATHENS, Tenn. — Life was good at McMinn County last year until the final Friday night of the high school football regular season.

“We lost to the wrong team,” McMinn County coach Bo Cagle recalled. “If we beat Ooltewah and lose to Farragut, we would have been in the playoffs.”

As it was, the Cherokees, who defeated Farragut and lost to Ooltewah, had a 7-3 record but were left out of the playoffs by virtue of their head-to-head loss to the Owls. Ooltewah eased past McMinn into fourth place behind region champion Farragut, William Blount and Oak Ridge.

“The 2007 season was a learning experience for our staff and our players, and we should be better prepared this year,” said Cagle, who is entering his second season as the Cherokees’ head coach. “Our team, coaching staff and the community understand the expectations of this team.”

The expectation is a postseason advance, but the coach acknowledged that the Cherokees’ chances are hard to assess.

“It’s a toss-up, but in this region it’s a toss-up every year,” Cagle said. “We didn’t have a bad game last year against anybody, and (this year’s winner) could be any one of five teams. I believe we’re stronger and faster this year, but we are also inexperienced in places.”

While the Cherokees are depending on Cy Ables to replace Devon Johnson at quarterback, Cagle said the offensive line was the brightest spot early in preseason camp. Running back Delano Ellison and receivers Josh Simpson, Tevin McDermott and Travis Smith are skill players returning, and Stephen Stansell lends stability to the kicking game.

The defensive line returned intact and includes ends Joseph Kimpson and Phillip Wilburn and tackle Donavan Starr. It is Kimpson who has been turning heads.

“He’s ready for a breakout year, and he is one of our top college prospects because of his size (6-foot-3, 236 pounds) and speed (4.7 in the 40),” Cagle said.

Kimpson has the bloodlines. His brother is William Bailey, who was a star running back at McMinn County, and his uncle is former University of Tennessee standout Shazzon Bradley, whom many consider the best ever to wear the Cherokees’ black and gold.

“I never got to see him play, but I’ve heard stories about him, mostly about the way he hit people,” Kimpson said.

Kimpson, a second-year starter, is trying to emulate that image and has improved dramatically, wrapping an extra 30 pounds on a still-slim body since last fall.

“I only play one way,” he said. “I played running back until I got on the varsity. I tried to talk the coaches into letting me run the ball, but they won’t.”

So he will use his effective bull rush to try to keep pressure on opposing quarterbacks while keeping running backs hemmed inside.

“I love to bull-rush, but I’m working on other techniques,” he said. “I remember running into a big lineman from Oak Ridge last year, and I couldn’t bull-rush him because he was big and strong and had good feet. I guess I’ll have to try a rip technique, because Coach doesn’t like us to spin, and he doesn’t like the swim technique because it leaves us exposed.”

Kimpson knows he won’t be on his own.

“We have some really good players like Simpson,” he said. “Delano’s a good player and Cy has been working really hard. He has stepped it up. Then there’s Tevin and Donovan. We’ll be pretty good.

“Which is better? The defense, of course. I play defense,” he said with a smile.

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