Playing with/against Vols

[buckfama]

Just seen this after I posted. I'm sure I've been on the diamond against you at some point. Loved playing in the Strawberry festival. Nice to sit on the tailgate with a cold drink and watch the parade go by. Just hated the drive back after a long day of drinking, I mean playing.

That was the only year I played at that tournament. After 3 or 4 games I was surprised anyone could hit or field the ball. Lol. There was plenty of refreshments in the coolers. The guys I played with had been together for years.. they were pretty good. Had a fee guys that had time in the minor leagues. They could play. If I'm not mistaken Benji hit one out the game we played them.

 

[VolBalla2014]

When I played tight end in middle school, Eric Gordon knocked my lights out on a post route. Like I don't remember the rest of the game and had trouble breathing for the next day. This is when he was maybe 14. I only know it was him because I went to the same high school as him where he ran the school and had madden level stats. Like every time he touched the ball, he scored. Sucks he had to play during the Dooley years. He could have been great if he had a supportive and consistent staff.


Additionally, my friend who played basketball at Moorhead St and was easily the best big man in our district got absolutely posterized by Scotty Hopson. Like I felt humiliated for him. It's funny how even the players who don't pan out were still once the best players everywhere they went before taking the step to college athletics

 

[The Dog]

I played baseball with Todd Kelly Jr. We won the championship that year. TK was one of like 3 people to hit a home run that year as well.

My son played against TKjr and Trooper Taylor's son in a BB tournament at Northwest middle. My son's team lost and TKjr was good but Trooper's son was the man on their team.

Btw, Bruce Pearl's youngest(not the one that played at UT) and Christian Lundy(sportswriter Gary's son) was also in the tournament, on the same team. It was right after UT had beat Kevin Durant and Texas. Pearl was mobbed and he rode the refs like it was a Tennessee game. I sat right behind Pearl and he was relentless on the refs. Pearl was cool, tho, but his wife was snobbish. I see why he divorced her and married that super hot, young, blond chick. Major upgrade in looks and from what I could tell, attitude

 

[flatiron]

For football purposes, was 4A classification for most of time before dropping to 3A. Bad timing for deep state runs since Haywood County and Melrose had some great teams during that era (Haywood had Corey Moore and Tyrone Hines, who was just before my time) and Melrose had 6-7 SEC caliber players.

I played against Melrose my senior year in the Clinic Bowl during the same time frame you're talking about. I played defensive end and had to line up against Mondre Dickerson. He was probably the largest high school player I ever encountered (besides the Payne kid they had at DE, he was like 6-7 or something as a senior).

 

[flatiron]

I played baseball against Kevin Mays from Kingston.

I also played in a rec league (basketball) in the mid 90's and Fred Jenkins was on the other team.

Kevin was amazing (and part of some very talented Kingston teams). Legend around Kingston is that he had over 160 tackles his senior year playing on the interior defensive line.

 

[bigslk]

I went to Central, so back in 77/78/79 played against Bates, York, and another from Farragut. Also played against Mike Cofer from Rule. John Williams from Fulton, Daryl Smith and John Bruin from Powell were soph when I was a Senior. There's probably more, just can't think of them now. All went to UT.
The hardest hit that I received in a ballgame was by Mike Cofer
Played softball against Reggie White in a charity tournament at Gibbs in the early/mid 90s.