1977 Team Page

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1977 Coaches (Click Image for Larger Pic)

1977 Seniors (Click Image for Larger Pic)

1977 Team (Click Image for Larger Pic)

1977 Team (Click Image for Larger Pic)

1977 Team (Click Image for Larger Pic)

1977 Team (Click Image for Larger Pic)

Row 1(L-R): Jeff Brasel(95), Lowell Watts (75), Ken Klyce (87), Jeff Cunningham (30), Jones (88), Keith Gibson (85), Darrell Payne (18), Danny Pair (21), John Evans (60)

Row 2(L-R): David Cooley (42), Cecil Hickey (64), Phil Roberts (15), Mike Brown (73), Willard Mead (78), Ricky Kirk (79), Tibby Snipes (52), Jimmy Bachelor (31), Randy Wicks (34), Steve Watson (97), Travis Collier (Mgr), Coach Mike Collier

Row 3(L-R): Mike Sanders (5), Darrell Warner (80), Clayton Neal (55), Billy Springs (40), Jim Mead (92), George Treadway (25), Mark Pemberton (7), Tracy Bledsoe (65), Jack Martin (82), Wayne Brasel (2), Mark Clem (67), Jeff Cobb (27), Randy Crabtree (22)

Row 4:(L-R): Coach Clarence Holloway, Coach CW Pemberton, Jeff Russell (76), Leroy Chatman (35), Dennis Collett (57), Anthony Chatman (44), Tim Layton (77), David Devaney (70), Gary McCullough (12), Lee Arnold Wilkerson (10), Allen Marine (90), Darrell Brasel (50), Eric Cates (41), N/A (68)

The Story of the 1977 Season
Fresh off of going 13-0 and winning the Class A State Championship the previous year, the Rockwood Tigers entered unchartered territory in 1977 as they were bumped up to AA in classification. The Tigers opened up the season at AAA power Bearden at Bearden. It was a hard fought game the Bearden won by a final score of 3-0.

Most of the team had never had a practice after a loss so Monday was feared by most of the players. After watching the film, a position change was made offensively with one of our tackles moving to center and the center moving to tackle. Next up was Harriman at Harriman. Coach Collier had us do pregame at Rockwood. We boarded the bus about 7:10 and headed to Harriman. We exited the bus, ran down to the field and flipped the coin and proceeded to thrash the Devils 33-6. The Tigers lead 14-0 at halftime but scored 3 touchdowns in the 2nd half for an easy victory. Harriman's only score came on an 80yard KO return in the 3rd quarter. For the game, Rockwood had 265 total yards while holding Harriman to 31. The Tigers offense stayed in high gear averaging 29.7 points per game over the next 6 games leading up to a much anticipated matchup with the Kingston Yellow Jackets.

The Tigers and the Jackets had not met since 1972 and memories were still fresh after Kingston had crushed the Tigers 71-0 in 1968. Many of those players were offering encouragement for us to beat them by a worse score. We didn't think that would be possible but at halftime the scoreboard read Rockwood 42 Kingston 0 at Civitan Field. Coach Collier called off the dogs and we settled for a 42-13 beat down of Kingston. We finished out the season by shutting out Knox. Webb 45-0. We entered the playoffs ranked #6 and opened with a tough McMinn Central team lead by "Stormin" Norman Jordan. We also shut them and Jordan out 21-0 at Rockwood.

Up next was Clint Satterfield and Trousdale County. They too were handled easily and were also shut out 29-0. That set up a semi-final matchup with the powerful Maryville Rebels at Maryville. The Tiger threatened early in the game but had a pass picked off in the end zone on a controversial play where it appeared that Kevin McCuiston and a Maryville player had simultaneously possessed the ball but it was ruled an interception. We moved onto the 4th quarter with the game still scoreless. The Tigers had not given up a point in 15 straight quarters. Just when you thought we would be headed to OT, back up QB Ronnie Irwin busted free on a keeper for a 67 yard touchdown to give the Rebels the 7-0 lead. The Tigers marched back down field but turned it over on downs and lost 7-0. Maryville went on to lose the State championship to Milan the next week.

The Tigers finished the year 11-2 losing their first and last games of the year. Defensively we had 5 shutouts for the year giving up only 70 points all year long.