Before last Friday night the father and son combo of Mike and Michael Lunsford have always coached for the same team, but all good things must come to an end.
Last February, Mike Lunsford resigned at Hampton after seven years (66-15, seven playoff appearances) and took the Cloudland job for the second time (1989-2003, first tenure) as he led the Highlanders to a 136-40 record, a trip to the Class 1A state title game and 14 playoff appearances in 15 years.
Two weeks later, Michael Lunsford, 26, who served as his Mike’s defensive coordinator the last three seasons was named as the new Hampton head coach replacing his dad.
The Lunsfords had success together leading Hampton to an undefeated regular season and a Class 2A Semifinal trip in 2015 as the Bulldogs went 13-1 on the year.
“Its been great growing up, following my dad everywhere as he coached football,” Michael Lunsford said. “ I’ve been lucky enough to tag along with him and learn the game we both love.”
So far this season, the younger Lunsford has had the upper hand as the Bulldogs are currently 5-0 and ranked No. 7 in this Class 2A AP poll while Cloudland came into the contest with a 2-3 record as Mike Lunsford has a sort of a rebuilding project on Roan Mountain.
So last Friday at Cloudland, the Lunsfords were on opposite sidelines for the first time and Michael Lunsford’s team got the best of his dad’s squad as Bulldog senior running back Adam McClain was the star of the 42-38 win for Hampton.
McClain rushed for 200 yards and scored three touchdowns as the Bulldogs held off a Highlanders rally to win the 13th straight meeting over Cloudland.
“It’s a big win and a good quality win but it was different at first, but once the game got started it was just like any other game,” Michael Lunsford said. “We tried to make it like any other week but it was hard to do because of the rivalry involved.”
Although fathers and sons coaching together is pretty common these days, coaching against one other as the head coach of your own program is fairly uncommon but I did find two recent instances in which father took on son.
*The Crawfords (Tom and Ron)– Tom has a coaching career that has spanned over 50 years and led programs at Shelbyville (1975-87), Clarksville Northeast (1990-91) and LaVergne (1992-2001). He has been a pivotal assistant for Ron at Brentwood (2002-11, 2015-current) in his two different stints there.
Tom Crawford coached Ron at Shelbyville and both Crawfords coached together at Shelbyville in 1986 before Ron got his first head coaching job at Coffee County in 1993.
When Ron took over at Coffee County, one of the first things he saw was he would have to play his dad Tom in the regular season when Tom was the head coach at LaVergne.
The teams played in both 1993 and 1994, splitting the two meetings as Coffee County won in 1993 24-7, while Tom got revenge in 1994 as LaVergne won 7-6.
“It really sucks to play against your dad,” Ron Crawford said. “You try to keep everything low key and treat it like another game but its hard because you are going against someone on the other side that you love and really respect and you both want to do well. But in this game, there has to be a winner and a loser so that makes it hard, the best thing you can hope for is both teams play well and it’s a good, close game.”
Nowadays, the Crawfords are on the same staff as Tom is an assistant on Ron’s staff at Brentwood and together they won a Class 5A state title in Ron’s first season at Brentwood back in 2002 and they have coached together for 13 years.
The Crawfords aren’t the only father-son coaching combo to coach against each other as Benny and Lee Hammonds competed against one another in the Hammonds Bowl for six seasons (2006-12).
*The Hammonds (Benny and Lee)- Benny Hammonds like Tom Crawford is a high school football coaching lifer spending the last 45 years as the head football coach at Gatlinburg-Pittman (1972-current).
Hammonds has a 342-156-1 overall record which is the fourth most wins in TSSAA history and was inducted into the Tennessee Football Coaches Association (TNFCA) Hall of Fame in 2015.
Lee played for his dad at Gatlinburg-Pittman and spent 13 years as an assistant there (1994-2006) before getting his only head coaching job at Pigeon Forge in 2007.
The “Hammonds Bowl” was born as Gatlinburg Pittman and Pigeon Forge played all six seasons that Lee was the head coach at Pigeon Forge (2007-12). The last four seasons (2009-12) the teams were district foes both competing in district 3-AA.
Benny and Gatlinburg-Pittman got the best of Lee and Pigeon Forge five of the six meetings (Pigeon Forge won in 2011) and both father and son are glad they are back on the same team as Lee is back assisting his dad at Gatlinburg-Pittman.
“It was very interesting. Both communities love their football. Gatlinburg-Pittman such a special place to me but I had to try and convince the Pigeon Forge community it was the enemy which made it very hard to do the first two or three years,” Lee Hammonds said.
“After that it was like any other rivalry especially after all the kids I coached at Gatlinburg Pittman graduated. We were fortunate to beat them in 2011 and it was bittersweet. Pigeon Forge finished with the best season they ever had and Gatlinburg Pittman missed the playoffs. I enjoyed my time at Pigeon Forge especially the football players but I’m very happy to be “home” at GP.”
Benny agrees with Lee on the rivalry.
“We always tried to treat it no different than any other game but you were very much aware of the other sideline. We did not want the focus to be on the coaches so it would not take away from the very strong rivalry,” Benny Hammonds said. All players and coaches know each other well. All personnel are fired up for victory and bragging rights but we preferred to be very low key.”
Family members especially fathers and sons are prevalent throughout the state and here’s a list of 20 programs that have fathers and sons working together with one of them being the head coach.
The head coach is listed first.
Brentwood- Ron (son) and Tom Crawford
Clay County- Dickie (dad) and Aaron Brown
Cumberland County- Ken (son), Frank (dad) and Bob (brother) Johnson
Daniel Boone- Jeremy (son) and Jerry Jenkins
Fulton- Rob (son) and Bob Black
Gatlinburg Pittman- Benny (dad) and Lee Hammonds
Kenwood- Brian (son) and Bob Beaubien
Mt. Juliet- Trey (son) and Roger Perry
Oneida- Tony (dad), Zach (son) and Jake (son)
Polk County- Derrick (son) and Larry Davis
Riverside- Johnnie (dad) and Quinn Frost
Sale Creek- Ron (son) and Hayden Cox
Stratford- Maurice (dad) and Buck Fitzgerald
Summertown- Leslie (dad) and Allen Mote
Tellico Plains- John (dad) and Josh Mullinax
The King’s Academy- Matt (son) and Doug Lowe
Tullahoma- John (dad) and Jared Olive
Walker Valley- Glen (dad) and Craig Ryan
Westmoreland- Steve (dad) and Ryan Harris
White County- Jerry (dad), Caleb (son) and Josh (son) Lowery
Making a Statement
Four previously undefeated teams were beaten for the first time last week and the winning teams made a big statement with the win.
Mt. Juliet 39, Wilson Central 32, OT- Trey Perry had been hearing the naysayers for weeks. Wilson Central and Franklin were the class of region 3-6A and the winner of that game would decide the region champion and Perry wasn’t buying it.
Thanks to junior tailback Aidan Raines’ 232 yards rushing and three touchdowns, the Bears (4-2, 2-1 3-6A) are back in the region picture as they gave Wilson Central their first loss of the year and it is the eighth straight win for Mt. Juliet in the series as the last win for Wilson Central came in 2008.
“It’s hard to put into words how proud I am of this community, fans, staff and young men for their effort against a great Wilson Central team,” Mt. Juliet head coach Trey Perry said It was what high school football is supposed to be about, an electric atmosphere with a battle that lived up to the billing. The tough thing about our region is that we can’t dwell on it at all, as we have a huge task in front of us against an equally great Overton squad at their place this Friday.”
The win for Mt. Juliet throws the Bears in a three way tie for second place with Nashville Overton and Wilson Central in the region as they are chasing region undefeated Franklin (4-1, 2-0 in 3-6A). Mt. Juliet hosts Franklin on October 21.
Marion County 19, Boyd Buchanan 0- Two weeks removed from losing to hated county rival South Pittsburg, Marion County was trying to get revenge for a region loss to Boyd Buchanan last season.
Mission accomplished for the Warriors as their defense shut down the Boyd Buchanan offense holding them to just 182 total yards and senior Hunter McClain rushed for 156 yards and scored twice in the win.
The Warriors (5-1, 3-0 in 3-2A) gained 383 yards on offense and are the only undefeated teams in region 3-2A
“It was a quality district win over a very good football team. At this point of the season every district win is invaluable,” Marion County Head Coach Joey Mathis said.
“They were well coached and disciplined in what they do. I felt like our kids matched their intensity and played very hard. Defense did a great job of execution and each player doing their job and getting 11 hats to the football. Offensively we were able to put together some drives and finish them with points.”
Stratford 28, Marshall County 21- It was a big statement win for the Spartans in a battle of unbeaten teams. Memphis commitment T.J. Carter again was the offensive focal point for Stratford as he rushed for 174 yards and scored three of the Spartans four touchdowns in the win.
The most impressive thing in the win for Stratford was their defense held a very potent Marshall County offense scoreless in the second half.
Battle of Undefeated Teams
This week sees region games across the board and four region contests feature a clash of undefeated teams and below is a closer look and what you need to know if you are heading to the game.
Happy Valley (5-0, 2-0) at Hampton (5-0, 2-0)
Head Coaches- Happy Valley- Jason Jarrett (11-5 in two years at Happy Valley); Hampton- Michael Lunsford (5-0 in first year at Hampton)
Offensive Coordinator- Happy Valley- Jason Jarrett; Hampton- Michael Lunsford
Defensive Coordinator- Happy Valley- Greg Hyder; Hampton- Jake Jenkins
Offense- Happy Valley- Multiple; Hampton- Multiple I
Defense- Happy Valley- Multiple; Hampton- 4-3
Region- 1-2A
AP Rankings- Happy Valley- No. 9 in 2A; Hampton- No. 7 in 2A
Scoring Averages- Happy Valley- 54.8/4.8; Hampton- 51.6/21.4
Returning Starters- Happy Valley- 6/8; Hampton- 6/5
Players To Watch- Happy Valley- Austin Hicks (LB/RB, Sr.), Sage Haun (QB, Sr.), Seth Chesser (OL/DL, Sr.), Dylan Townsend (LB/RB, Sr.), Dylan Street (RB/WR/DB, Sr.), Landon Morefield (OL/DL, Jr.), Brayden Sams (WR/QB/DB, Jr.), Dustun Sams (RB/DE, Sr.), Sam Blevins (LB/WR, Sr.)
Hampton- Adam McClain (RB/LB, Sr.), Clay Fletcher (OL, Sr.), Austin Boling (OL, Sr.), Dakota Sanchez (FB/LB, Sr.), CJ Wilson (OL/DL, Jr.), Jason Russell (QB, Jr.), Dakota Crumley
Coalfield (6-0, 3-0) at Harriman (5-0, 3-0)
Head Coaches- Coalfield-Keith Henry (121-56 overall, 71-34 in nine years years at Coalfield); Harriman- Travis Tapp (106-147 overall, 70-80 in 14 years at Harriman)
Offensive Coordinator- Coalfield- Jason Wilson; Harriman- Travis Tapp
Defensive Coordinator- Coalfield- Jared Henry; Harriman- Derrick Stewart
Offense- Coalfield- Spread; Harriman- Wing T
Defense- Coalfield- 4-4; Harriman- 4-4
Region- 1-1A
AP Rankings- Coalfield- No. 7 in 1A; Harriman- Not ranked in 1A
Scoring Averages- Coalfield- 48.0/11.0; Harriman-43.4/9.8
Returning Starters- Coalfield- 4/4; Harriman-6/6
Players To Watch- Coalfield- Parker McKinney (QB, Jr.), Tyler Keathley (WR/DB, Jr.), Jacob Coker (DL, Jr.), Jake Kilby (OL/DL, Jr.), Dean Daugherty (DL, Sr.), Drake Miklas (RB/LB, Jr.), Ethan Basler (RB, Sr.), Gabe Lowe (DL, Sr.), Andrew Moore (DB, Sr.), Jonny Carroll (OL/DL, Soph.), Michael Lowe (WR/DB, Jr.), Austin Lowe (WR/S, Sr., Transfer from Oakdale)
Harriman- Joe Pace (QB/S, Sr.), Hunter Clark (OL/DL, Sr.), T.J. Phipps (RB/LB, Sr.), Hayden Bingham (TE/LB, Sr.), Hunter Davis (OL/DL, Sr.)
Watertown (6-0, 3-0) at Forrest (6-0, 3-0)
Head Coaches- Watertown- Gavin Webster (72-52 in 11 years at Watertown); Forrest- Brent Johns (6-0 in first year at Forrest)
Offensive Coordinator-Watertown- Gavin Webster; Forrest-Brent Johns
Defensive Coordinator- Watertown- Josh Hackett; Forrest- Eli Stephenson
Offense-Watertown-Spread; Forrest- Wing T
Defense- Watertown- 4-2-5; Forrest- 3-4
Region- 4-2A
AP Rankings- Watertown- No. 3 in 2A; Forrest- No. 5 in 2A
Scoring Averages- Watertown- 47.5/14.7; Forrest-26.8/5.5
Returning Starters- Watertown- 7/5; Forrest- 5/5
Players To Watch- Watertown- Seth Price (QB, Sr.), Vonte Bates (WR/DB, Sr.), Brady Swann (WR/LB, Sr.), Rusty Staats (OL/DL, Sr., Air Force commitment), Jesse Cooper (OL/DL, Sr.), Bryson Watts (OL/DL, Sr.), Jay Tubbs (OL/DE, Sr.), Josh Deel (LB, Sr.), Dalton Tarpley (LB, Sr.)
Forrest- Slayton Wild (LB/RB, Sr.), Jacob Jones (RB/FS, Sr.), Billy Clanton (LB/TE, Sr.), Anthony Kritz (DB, Sr.), Layton Bennett (QB, Jr.), Josh Meglis (QB, Soph.), Nathan Trout (OL/DL, Jr.)
Raleigh Egypt (6-0, 3-0) at Bolivar Central (5-0, 3-0)
Head Coaches- Raleigh Egypt- Major Wright (106-73 overall, 17-11 in three years at Raleigh Egypt); Bolivar- Woodrow Lowe (14-12 in three years at Bolivar)
Offensive Coordinator- Raleigh Egypt- Major Wright; Bolivar- Rashard Smith and Shawn O’Neil
Defensive Coordinator- Raleigh Egypt- Demetrius Leach;
Bolivar- Bo Hazelwood
Offense- Raleigh Egypt- Pro; Bolivar- Multiple
Defense- Raleigh Egypt- 3-3 Stack; Bolivar- Multiple
Region- 8-3A
AP Rankings- Raleigh Egypt- Unranked in 3A; Bolivar- No. 7 in 3A
Scoring Averages- Raleigh Egypt- 31.7/12.5; Bolivar- 44.4/19.6
Returning Starters- Raleigh Egypt- 4/8; Bolivar- 7/6
Players To Watch- Raleigh Egypt- Dashawn Boyland (RB, Jr.), Mario Claxton (OL, Sr.), Kalyn Grandberry (RB/LB, Jr.), Caleb Gates (QB, Jr.)
Bolivar- Dreke Lewis (RB, Sr.), Cornelius Polk (WR, Sr.), Trey Lowe, (QB, Jr.), Kamarious Armour (LB, Sr.), Red McGowen (LB, Sr.)
Contact Donovan at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at Examine_Stew
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