All Shannon Sprawls wants is a reasonable chance, one Tyner coach Wayne Turner has given to the running back and linebacker.
Yet providence has taken a hand in the junior's development. As an eighth-grader, Sprawls was struck by a car and suffered a broken foot. Then three games into his freshman year, he tore the ACL in his left knee.
"He didn't even collide with anybody," Turner recalled. "He was going down to cover a punt - just planted to make a cut - and it tore."
The fickle finger wasn't through. In his sophomore season, again Game 3, Sprawls again suffered an injury.
"He was breaking down to make a tackle, and it's the same story but the other knee - torn ACL," Turner related.
It was enough to try any athlete's resolve, but Sprawls also has had to contend with getting in and out of Turner's doghouse. Most recently he missed a couple of weeks while attending an extended family reunion. The running back was left at home with the junior varsity while the varsity went on the road for a scrimmage.
"If the kid would settle in, he could play in Division I for anybody," the coach said. "He's a specimen (6-foot-1, 200). He has speed and agility. He's still having to learn about being a leader and a complete football player, but he could make us a whole lot better defensively."
As for his doghouse, Turner said Sprawls eventually would get out, and Sprawls appeared to be getting a handle on the needs of the team and the need to be more mature.
"I really want to help the team win a state title. I want to stay healthy and I really want to go to college," the honor roll student said.
"I have to make sure I'm here and that I'm a leader on the field. I can't be a team leader if I'm not here," he said. "I can't afford to miss practice, and I need to listen more carefully to what the coaches have to tell me."
And he has to stay healthy.
- Ward Gossett
Head coach: Wayne Turner (170-83 in 23 years here; 201-105 overall)
Last year: 5-7; lost to Upperman in second round of 3A playoffs
Returning starters (O/D/K): 6/7/1
2014 Schedule
(all games at 7:30 Eastern)
Aug. 29 - Signal Mountain
Sept. 5 - Hixson
Sept. 12 - at Ooltewah
Sept. 19 - at Knoxville Catholic
Sept. 26 - at Soddy-Daisy
Oct. 3 - Central
Oct. 10 - at Howard
Oct. 17 - Brainerd
Oct. 24 - East Ridge
Oct. 31 - at Red Bank
- District 6-AA game
Control panel: FB/LB Jaylen Grimes (5-7, 175, Sr.) is a second-year starter. "He's a tough kid, benches 300," Turner said. RB/DE Jason Patrick (5-10, 160, Jr.) also is a two-year starter, while RB/LB Brandon Patrick (5-11, 190, Jr.) is a three-year starter. "Those are the ones that are capable of being positive leaders. They lead very well by example; I just want them to be a little more vocal," Turner said.
New producers: The coach is high on RB/DB Keion Webb (5-9, 150, Fr.). "He has done a good job of picking things up and he's a hard worker," Turner said. The Rams were relatively young last year except at running back and quarterback, but Emmanuel Moss (6-0, 180, Jr.) will step up from the junior varsity to take over at QB. "He's had some experience with the offense, and I think he'll run well with it," Turner said. WR/DB Anthony Jones (5-10, 160, Jr.) is a second-generation Ram.
Items of interest: Anthony Jones is actually Anthony Jones III, and longtime Tyner football fans will remember his dad well. He played on Tyner's 1997 state championship team and then started at Vanderbilt as a wide receiver.
Turner is the dean of head football coaches in the Chattanooga area, and the Rams earned his 201st victory in their first-round playoff game last year. He began his career as an assistant coach to Angelo "Nubby" Napolitano at Kirkman, and some remember Turner as a two-way all-state lineman who later played at Southern Mississippi. He served as Kirkman's head coach for three years before moving to Tyner in 1991.
In the way of tradition and stability, Tyner has made the playoffs for 20 straight seasons. The streak includes runs to the quarterfinals in 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2005 and state-finals trips in 1996 and 1997.