Taking a look through the record books
Who is the leading rusher in Warren County football history? I?m willing to wager, that unless you are very old school, your answer will be wrong.
If you said Jeff Womack, as almost all Warren County football purists would respond, you were incorrect. I thought the same thing until I began looking up the old state records in anticipation of the kickoff of Pioneer football next Friday in Cleveland.
I was not surprised to see Jeff Womack, who was the Pioneer offense (Womack right, Womack left, Womack up the middle) from 1979-81 still among tops in career rushing yards, ranked sixth in state history with 6,450. After all, he is still first in single season rushing attempts with 441 (that?s more than 41 rushes per game seeing the Pioneers only played nine games in his senior season) and first in career attempts with 1,183. He is second in consecutive 100-yard games with 18. He is also tied for tops in rushes in a single game with 56 back in 1981 against Oakland, tied with another former Pioneer, Richard Locke, who was also an ironman back in 1976 when he did the same against Franklin County
With that said, the all-time leading rusher in Warren County history didn?t even play for the Pioneers, nor did many people still alive even see him play. As a matter of fact, Warren County Senior High wouldn?t even come into being until nearly 50 years after he graduated.
Warren County?s all-time stud running back, Clyde ?Dixie? Roberts played for the Central Bulldogs from 1925-28, amassing records which still stand today.
Roberts remains, nearly a century later, fourth leading career rusher in state history amassing 6,730 yards and scoring 85 career touchdowns which is sixth all time. He remains third in single season touchdowns with 41 back in 1928.
Along with those records, he also helped the Bulldogs capture the state title in 1928 in a win against Carthage. Roberts would later go on to play for Vanderbilt, where, like Womack half a century later at Memphis State, would re-write the record books at their respective universities.
Along with Warren County?s claim to fame, which is pretty extensive in the state football record books, there were other records which caught my eye.
For instance, Eddie Byrge of Huntsville scored 11 touchdowns in one game against Sunbright back in 1968.
Bud Christy had five interceptions for Sequatchie County in one game against Silverdale last season, with the interesting part of that being the Pioneers would go on to beat them here the month after he set the record.
Dobyns Bennett, Brentwood Academy and Maryville are tied for most state championships with nine.
Jeff Hall of Franklin County holds the honor of hitting the longest field goal in state history ? twice ? kicking 62-yarders in 1991 against Oak Ridge and 1992 against Brentwood.
Yes, a female has scored in high school football. Heather Darrow, kicker for Notre Dame, kicked an extra point against East Ridge in 1986. Just 12 years later, Jessica Schultz broke the plane, so to speak, scoring a touchdown for Jelico on a 4-yard run.
For those wondering, Troy Fleming of Battle Ground Academy holds the all-time state career and single season rushing yard honors with 3,008 in one season and 9,442 in his career from 1995-98.