Matt, Jake, Wesley and Johnny Stone wear state championship rings at South Pittsburg High School.COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - For one South Pittsburg family, state football championships are passed down like a family heirloom.
Johnny Stone was on South Pittsburg's 1969 team that won the first state championship under the TSSAA playoff format. His oldest son Wesley was an offensive lineman on the next team to claim a 1A title for the program in 1994, and younger son Matt was a linebacker on the Pirates' 1999 championship squad.
Wesley's oldest son Jake is the the Pirates' junior quarterback, having claimed one championship ring last year and having the chance to add another today when South Pittsburg plays second-ranked Wayne County in Tennessee Tech's stadium at 1 p.m. EST.
Wesley Stone is an assistant coach and worked on the title-winning staffs in 2007 and 2010.
"It's amazing when you think how much that family has been a part of our tradition," Pirates coach Vic Grider said. "It's very special for them because they all take so much pride in our program. That family lives South Pittsburg football, and we haven't won a championship without one of them either playing or coaching with us."
Although Jake has a championship ring from last season, he admits winning another this year would be more meaningful. He missed most of last season with a torn knee ligament but has been a two-way starter this year.
While the Pirates are predominantly a running team, with more than 4,200 rushing yards, Stone brings balance, having passed for more than 1,400 yards with 15 touchdowns in addition to being their third-leading rusher. He is the third quarterback to lead the Pirates to a state championship game in as many years but the first junior to do so.
While coaches wanted to limit his defensive duties, injuries forced him to start at safety, and he not only leads the team in interceptions but is the fifth-leading tackler. Last week he made six of the first seven tackles and later added an interception that set up the Pirates' score that put the game away.
"I don't really worry about stats. I just want to win," Stone said. "We've got a lot of guys around me that can make plays, and I'm just glad to be healthy and feeling like I'm helping this year.
"Last year made me feel like I wasn't even a part of the team. I got to dress out for the championship, but I knew I couldn't play. But all I thought about while I was rehabbing my knee - my drive - was to get us back to the championship game."
Stone was a backup quarterback and starting safety until tearing the ACL in his left knee in the third game of 2010. He was back one month sooner than surgeons said he would be, in time to start at shortstop the entire baseball season and help that team earn a trip to the state tournament.
"The doctors told us he could cut about a month off his rehab if he was willing to start as soon as we got home from the hospital," said his father. "They told us most people don't want to do that because it's too painful, so they prefer to lay around with their leg propped up for a few weeks and then get started. But I remember Jake had tears in his eyes working his leg out right away because he wanted to get back as soon as possible."
That toughness resurfaced at halftime of last week's semifinal at Gordonsville. After getting sacked from the blindside by the Tigers' 6-3, 240-pound Mr. Football finalist defensive tackle Tyler Coen in the second quarter, Stone suffered a mild concussion and briefly was confused about whom he was playing. But he shook off the cobwebs at halftime to throw a TD pass, intercept a pass on defense and lead the team to two other scores to advance.
"I've heard so much from my family about being on the field and winning one, I want to win one and know I earned it," Jake said. "But regardless of what happens, I'm glad the pressure is off of me to win one like the rest of my family. Now that pressure is on my three younger brothers to keep it going."