Heritage High School opened the season with a 63-42 win over Clinton High School on Friday night at Jack Renfro Stadium, and the matchup came with a familiar coaching twist.
On opposite sidelines were two former Tennessee football assistants: Heritage head coach Joe Osovet and Clinton head coach Jake Dawson. Both worked under Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt, giving the game an extra layer of familiarity even before kickoff.
Osovet is now in his fifth season guiding the Mountaineers. Dawson began his second season with the Dragons.
Their paths crossed in Knoxville as well, where Osovet served as Tennessee’s tight ends coach in 2020 after previously holding roles as director of player development in 2018 and director of football programming in 2019. Dawson worked with Osovet at Tennessee as a defensive undergraduate assistant and later served as an assistant coach at Heritage.
The game itself turned into a big night for Heritage quarterback Walker Wheeler. He completed 12 of 14 passes for 228 yards and five touchdowns, while also adding 119 rushing yards on 13 carries. Bubba Patterson gave the Mountaineers another powerful punch on the ground, piling up 175 rushing yards and two scores on just four attempts.
Troy Ervin was Wheeler’s top target, finishing with five catches for 130 yards and three touchdowns.
Clinton had its own standout performance in quarterback Mason Eckerson, who threw for 305 yards on 18-of-29 passing with two touchdowns and one interception. He also led the Dragons on the ground with 103 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries.
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