Midway football has long been known for their hard hitters. Many times I have heard players and coaches from other teams say that Midway may be a small school, they may be low on talent some years, but you can bet they’ll be ready to play and they will knock your butt off.
The 1982-83 Green Wave team was a prime example of what I mean. Keith Adcox was probably the meanest, hardest hitting 135 lb nose guard to ever hunt in the Emerald Forest. Tyler Moore, Eric Moore. Burke Authur, Wesley Colyer, and Fred Lane were all head hunters. Jeff Brummitt, who played left guard, had moved to Midway from Kingston after beating some poor kid over the head with a football helmet and knowing Jeff like I do I’m sure the kid deserved it. But these are the types of kids I’m talking about. Kids who left football practice and went straight to a tobacco patch or a hayfield and worked till dark. Now these were rough kids but they were good football players. Players like Randy Humphrey, Midway’s star running back who rushed for 1500 yards, was named to the All East Tn team and named Roane County Offensive Player of the year. QB Johnny Plemons could do it all from passing to running the option. Johnny was one of the best QB’s to play for the Green in my time. The other running back was Junior Galyon. Jr’s lead blocking was a big reason for Humphrey’s success and a good ball carrier himself. I played center and Eric Moore and Jeff Brummitt played guards. Eric had been an excellent running back until a horse kicked him in the leg resulting in a serious break. The leg healed but left Eric with a limp and he could no longer play in the backfield. Tyler Moore and Fred Lane played tackles. Burke Authur, who would later play 4 years as punter for UTC, played tight end. Bryan Ogle, Tony Dawson, Chad Huff switched in and out at WR. Most of these players also played defense along with Keith Adcox, Troy Barnett, and Steve Mckeethan.
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In the 82-83 season the Green Waves had accomplished a lot. Only Alcoa and Sweetwater, both district opponents, would defeat the Waves but Midway was riding big wins over Meigs Co, State Champions Knox Webb, Greenback, and Tellico. The Green would travel to Bledsoe County late in the season for what would be a non-district game. The year before, the Green Wave had defeated Bledsoe Co 7-6 at Midway. Bledsoe County had been ranked in the top 10 in the state before the loss that year and was seeking to avenge that loss on the 82-83 Green Waves.
This is really where this story begins. Have you ever heard of going to a fight and a football game breaking out? That is what happened in Bledsoe County that night. This game was definitely the roughest and dirtiest game I ever played in. Late hits, spit in your face, kicking, no play was over just because the whistle had blown. Three seconds after the whistle you might be hit blindsided or punched. Player’s hands were stomped through out the first half. The Waves tried to play smart, let Bledsoe players beat themselves with personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. But the flags didn’t come against Bledsoe. The flags only seemed to be falling on the Green Waves; many at the worst possible times. Penalties erased one touchdown and another flag wiped out a first and goal at the 5 yard line. To say that the Green team was frustrated when heading to the locker room at half time would have been a huge understatement. The Waves were nursing a slim 6-0 lead and many were banged, bruised, and bloody. The “play smart” method was not working, something had to change.
The second half started off where the first half had ended. Midway kicked off to Bledsoe and the ball went into the end zone for a touchback. With the whistle blown and the Midway players slowing down from the sprint down field, one Midway player was knocked for a flip by a blind side hit. No flag was thrown. Coach Branson was on the field immediately to no avail, except to be penalized himself for unsportsmanlike conduct.
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Back Row. #67 Jeff Brummitt, #70 Tyler Moore, and #1 Bryan Ogle.
2nd Row #12 Johnny Plemons, #52 Eric Moore.
1st Row #22 Jr. Galyon, #5 Randy Humpherys, #50 Barry Narramore, #76 Fred Lane
This is when the Midway players changed. Out went the “play smart” method in came S.O.R. football. The very next play Midway received another unsportsmanlike conduct when punches where exchanged. The Roane Co. News reported that both teams’ fans were very vocal at this point. I would have said that the Midway fence walkers were enraged by the treatment the Green was receiving. The fence walkers wanted blood and blood is what they would get. The Waves defense stopped the Bledsoe offense cold. The Green defense was everywhere with bone jarring hits every play. Midway received the ball after a punt but scoring points was not a concern. The Offensive line, no longer concerned with blocking, was just looking to kill somebody. The S.O.R. boys pounded the Bledsoe players. During the 3rd quarter the Midway players delivered their revenge for the long first half in violent fashion. Three times the Ambulance entered the field to remove Bledsoe players for trips to the hospital. Two more left in cars when the ambulance was not available. Not until late in the 3rd quarter did the Green Waves settle down and drive the ball down field for the score. Twelve seconds later after a hard hit on a Bledsoe runner, linebacker Tyler Moore scooped the ball and ran 35 yards into the end zone for the clinching score. With the SOR boys pride in tack and the fence walkers satisfied the game ended uneventful. All was well with the Green Nation. Another victory was secured for one of the great Midway teams.
After the game one of the Green Wave players went to the local hospital for a minor injury. A Midway parent was sitting in the waiting room when several Bledsoe coaches entered the Hospital to check on their players. One coach stated to another coach, “That was a rough game.” The other coach replied, “Man, them was the meanest Sum Bitches I ever saw.”
Story submitted by Barry Narramore