1. September 28, 2015 www.knoxfocus.com PAGE C3
Jimmy Fowler
has had the per-
fect attitude for this
football season at
South-Doyle High
School, a season
that could see the
Cherokees finish
0-10 after going
10-0 in 2014.
Fowler was a junior last fall
when the going was good. As
a senior he has maintained
a positive mindset in a much
different kind of year and still
sees plenty to gain from it.
I certainly came away
impressed with the young
man after interviewing him
following South-Doyle’s 30-7
loss to Halls on Sept. 18.
“Whether you win every
gameorloseeverygame,the
goal is to be as good as we
can be and see how much
better we can be at the end
of the season than we were
at the beginning,”
said Fowler, a 6-3,
220-pound defen-
sive end and offen-
sive right tackle.
Fowler has only
two home games
remaining in his
high school career
– a battle against West this
coming Friday night and a
Thursday night TV game
against Farragut on Oct. 22.
Seeing the West Rebels
is sure to stir some memo-
ries of last season for Fowler
as it was West which ended
South-Doyle’s playoff run in
the Class 5A state quarter-
finals, handing the Chero-
kees their only loss after 12
straight wins.
Whatamemorableseason
that was.
“I’d have to say my best
memory of last year was
beating Sevier County to win
the IMAC championship and
go 10-0,” recalled Fowler
with a smile.
Clark Duncan, South-
Doyle head coach, met with
seniors about providing lead-
ership for this year’s youth-
ful team, which has included
a dozen sophomores and a
freshman playing regularly.
Fourseniorshaveemerged
as leaders – Fowler, Braden
Anderson, Keegan Nichols
and John Doster – accord-
ing to Duncan.
Filling this role wasn’t easy
at first, said Fowler, because
none of the seniors were
really used to being lead-
ers.
“Everyone did their jobs
so well in the past, we didn’t
have to have one or two guys
getting everybody going,”
said Fowler. “We never had
to have that before. Now
we’re starting to get the hang
of it.”
South-Doyle’s top play-
ers last season were expe-
rienced and self-motivated.
Guys like Brody Rollins, Joc
Bruce, Malik Lundy, Shoan
Labeoux, Harley Wheeler,
Mason McNutt and others.
Fowler said he thinks he’ll
be able to look back on this
season too with pride in a
different way.
“I do,” he said. “It might
not show (record-wise) but
all of us have grown so much
from a maturity standpoint,
and that’s team members
from all the classes. I think
that’s one of the biggest
things all of us are going to
get out of this year – really
growing to become better
men and walking through
the fire with our heads held
high.”
Fowler admitted that last
season he could foresee a
young, inexperienced team
on the horizon for South-
Doyle.
“It was in the back of my
mind the whole time, but I
was just trying to focus on
my junior year because I
knew it was going to be one
of the best years of my life
… I was looking forward to
this year and I’m still look-
ing forward to the rest of the
season.”
Fowler was a team captain
each game the first half of
this season and that’s not
likely to change.
“Jimmy has great leader-
ship skills and work ethic,”
said Coach Duncan. “He
works hard in the off season
and in the weight room. He
comes to work in the class-
room and is a leader in the
hallways. He’s the ultimate
student-athlete that exem-
plifies what you want in your
athletes.
“Jimmy is just well-round-
ed and has great family sup-
port. He’s just a great young
man.”
Fowler entered the 2015
season as an all-state candi-
date. He said he is undecid-
ed about playing football in
college but has spoken with
a gentleman from VMI and
recently received a text mes-
sage from the defensive line
coach at Maryville College
and plans to go to one of the
Scots’ games.
For now, his focus is on fin-
ishing this season at South-
Doyle and helping the Cher-
okees be the best they can
be. Like the captain said,
that’s one goal that hasn’t
changed.
By Steve
Williams
As Cherokees’ season turns South, Fowler remains positive
By Ken Lay
Fawad Khan is a self-proclaimed
football junkie and he’s hoping to
find a big-time job in the game he
loves.
“I tell people that I’m a football
junkie and the joke is that if you
need to find me on Sunday, then
all you have to do is look for me on
my couch because I’m with my dad
watching the Broncos play,” said
Khan, who returned to his alma
mater to serve as a coaching and
football operations intern at Far-
ragut High School.
Khan, 36, became a football fan
in1986whenJohnElway’smiracle
drive netted Denver a win against
the Cleveland Browns and an AFC
Championship.
“I was in Denver and that was
the first game I ever saw and that
made me a life-long Broncos fan,”
he said.
Asachild,Khanmovedfrequently
due to his father’s job as an electri-
cal engineer. His family settled in
Farragut in 1986.
He played football for the Admi-
ralsasafreshmanin1994butper-
sonalreasonsforcedhimtogiveup
the game.
“I quit playing for personal and
family reasons and I decided if I
couldn’t play football, then I didn’t
want to be around it,” he said. “I
wish I hadn’t done that.”
When Khan was a high school
sophomore in 1995, Eddie Court-
neybecameFarragut’sheadcoach
andthestudentforgedafriendship
with his teacher.
“I used to sit and talk football
with Coach Courtney,” Khan said.
“Hebecameheadcoachduringmy
sophomore year and I spent hours
talking football with him.”
After high school, Khan attend-
edEastTennesseeStateUniversity
and earned a degree in Business
Administration. Football, howev-
er, had to be put on hold because
ETSU suspended its program sev-
eral years before Khan arrived in
Johnson City.
The Buccaneers reinstated their
football program this season.
Khan now works at Staples and
specializes in computers.
But football kept calling Khan,
who is now married.
He’s now a Master’s Program
student in the University of Ten-
nessee’s Sports Management
program. He’ll finish his studies in
May and eventually hopes to land
a job in the NFL as a quality con-
trol coach.
He made several attempts to
work for the Volunteers. That, how-
ever, didn’t work out.
“I’mprettysurethattheyallknow
me by name at UT,” he said. “I went
throughthecoachingdirectoryand
Icalledeverybodywhohadaphone
number and e-mailed everybody
who had an e-mail address.
“But it just wasn’t meant to be.”
He might not have gotten the
opportunitywithoneofcollegefoot-
ball’s storied program but his dedi-
cation and perseverance landed
him an internship at Farragut,
where he’s resided for nearly three
decades.
He began working for Courtney
and the Admirals during spring
football and received his intern-
ship opportunity when the 2015
season began.
And he’s learning about all areas
ofthegame.Hebreaksdowngame
film and handles media relations
for the Admirals, who have a per-
fect 5-0 record.
“Coach Courtney is making sure
that I learn everything I can about
the game and he wants to make
surethatIgeteverythingIcanfrom
my experience,” Khan said. “He’s a
great guy.”
Khan said that his wife is sup-
portive as he chases his dream to
work in pro football.
“She wants me to enjoy my job,”
he said.
Khan has now begun to go down
thatroadandifheachieveshisgoal
of working in the NFL, he will fondly
look back at his days as an intern
at Farragut.
“I’m grateful for this opportunity
and if this all works out, I’ll be eter-
nally grateful,” he said. “If you can
get a job as a quality control coach,
the sky’s the limit.”
He also has a life away from
football and his family is his prior-
ity away from the game.
“I love spending time with my
family: my niece; my nephew; my
wife; my mom; my dad and my
whole family.”
He’s also a movie buff.
Khan chasing his dream at Farragut
By SteveWilliams
Confidence is growing
within the Halls High football
program.
The Red Devils have
bounced back from a 0-3
start to win their last two
games and an open date
last week should have them
rested and ready for a rival-
ry game this week against
Gibbs.
Both teams come into the
Region 2-5A contest with 1-1
records. Gibbs is 3-3 over-
all.
“I expect it to be hyped
because last year we came
outalittlebitshortathome,”
said Halls sophomore run-
ning back Cooper Cook after
the Red Devils’ 30-7 win at
South-Doyle on Sept. 18.
“We’rebringingthembackto
our place this year. I think we
can get a big win out of it.”
As for Halls’ goal for the
remainder of the season,
teammate Matthew Runge-
Gold, a junior wide receiver
and safey, responded with
one word: “Playoffs.”
Halls Coach J.D. Overton,
a 2001 Gibbs graduate, said
via e-mail last week, “the
GibbsandHallsrivalryisvery
important to both communi-
ties in all sports.
“Regarding football, Gibbs
has been on top each time
since the rivalry has been
renewed.
“Keys to the game for us
will be to take care of the
football on offense, and get
the ball back on defense.
Turnover margin will likely
determine the outcome of
the game.”
Overton was most
impressed with his team
playing a “complete game
in all three phases” against
South-Doyle.
Mark Charulaff, who spe-
cializes in kickoffs for the
Red Devils, contributed to
the complete game.
“Markwasputtingthekick-
offswherewewantedthem,”
said Coach Overton. “He has
done an excellent job all year
with his placement. His con-
tributiontothegamewassig-
nificant enough to win one of
our team player of the week
awards.
“Our other player of the
week award went to Hunter
Huff for his play defensive-
ly.”
WEEK7:KingsportDobyns-
Bennett plays at undefeated
and top-ranked Maryville
in Thursday’s TV game on
MyVLT.
Friday attractions will
includeJohnsonCityScience
Hill at Hardin Valley Acade-
my, Carter at Fulton, Camp-
bell County at Farragut and
Morristown East at Morris-
town West.
MOVING UP: Austin-East
(4-1) was ranked No. 10 in
thestateinlastweek’sAsso-
ciated Press Class 2A poll.
The Roadrunners had an
open date last week and will
have a Region 2-2A assign-
ment this week at Oliver
Springs.
“We accomplished getting
healthy and working on fun-
damentals of football. The
bye week timed up pretty
good for us by also allowing
us to refocus mentally,” said
Coach Jeff Phillips.
“Allregiongamesaretough
and this week against Oliver
Springs won’t be any differ-
ent.Wemustcomeoutready
toplayontheroadandexcite
at a high level.”
MOORE HONORED: Dave
Moore, former Oak Ridge
High football and base-
ball standout who went on
to have a highly success-
ful career as a high school
football coach, was recently
inducted into the Oak Ridge
Sports Hall of Fame.
Mooreisa1972OakRidge
High graduate and played
football at UT-Chattanooga.
Moore started the Care-
acter Star Athlete program
in this area and it now is a
national program.
HallstohostrivalGibbsinpivotalRegion2-5Agame