A Brief History of Central High Football

A Brief History of Central High Football

Part 4. Etter Domination (1943-1968)

In the Spring of 1943, Eugene Bonaparte Etter assumed the head coaching role with only one

assistant, James Lester Newton, as line coach. By Fall, two more coaches had been added ¨C Charles

Millsaps, who had been the football coach at East Side Junior High, and Ernest Owens, a member of

the 1931 Central football team. The 1943 season began as usual with Central flattening the local

teams, starting with a 13-0 win over Red Bank, then 47-0 over Tyner, then 68-0 over Notre Dame (at

that time the most points ever scored by a Chattanooga team). Central than traveled to Kingsport on

October 1 and dispatched Dobyns-Bennett 28-7, then returned to Frawley Field for a 19-6 triumph

over Gadsden (AL). As has plagued Central many times, a trip to Columbia, Tennessee spoiled

Central¡¯s perfect season as Columbia Military Academy (CMA )upset Central 26-19 in a rainstorm.

Returning to Frawley, Central ran over Rome (GA) 46-0. In the featured game of Chattanooga prep

football, Central lost to Baylor 12-0 on two fumbles deep in Central territory that Baylor converted

into scores. [Baylor would remain undefeated that year with nine wins and one tie]. The following

Friday Central downed a highly-ranked Birmingham Ensley 7-2. The low point came one week later in

Atlanta as Central was dominated by Tech High 34-6. Central then traveled to Erwin and stumbled to a

0-0 deadlock under dreadful field conditions. In the season finale at Engel Stadium, a crowd of 10,000

came out on a warm Thanksgiving afternoon to watch the Pounders dispatch City 28-0, to close out

Etter¡¯s first season at 8-3-1.

Etter¡¯s First

Coaching Staff

1943-44

Etter¡¯s second season began as the first one with the same coaching staff, except with a new offense ¨C

the ¡°T¡± formation. After opening wins at home against Stevenson (AL) 31-7 and Red Bank 25-0,

Central journeyed to Shelbyville for a 27-6 victory. Back at Frawley, Central strumbled to a 7-7 tie with

Dobyns-Bennett and a 19-0 struggle over Soddy-Daisy, that wasn¡¯t decided until well into the fourth

quarter with two late scores. Central¡¯s woes continued as they traveled to Gadsden (AL) and were

shut out 19-0. After a 14-0 win over CMA at home, Central then suffered two close losses away ¨C 12-7

to Knoxville Rule despite moving the ball into Rule territory several times in the fourth quarter and

13-6 at Birmingham Ensley, after leading into the third quarter. After dispatching Rome (GA) 26-6,

Central then took on Baylor (who was undefeated that year) and held to a 6-6 tie until two late Baylor

scores gave them a 19-6 win. Central then returned to the task of bashing the locals with 46-0 and 450 routs of Tyner and City, ending the 1944 season with an 8-4-1 record.

The Fall of 1945 saw one coaching change, Ernest Owens was replaced by J.M. ¡°Jake¡± Seaton. The

home opener was with Asheville (NC) High School, who had lost only two games in the previous four

years. Central swamped them 40-0. The next two games were also yawners as Central ran over Rhea

County 46-7 and Shelbyville 52-0. But on the following week at eventual state champion Kingsport,

Central fell 26-12. Back at home Central then eased by Red Bank in a hard-fought 13-0 win, then

journeyed to Columbia for a 25-7 win over CMA. In Nashville on October 19, Central defeated

Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA) 25-7, then returned home to blank Soddy-daisy 41-0. On the final

road trip, Central fell 14-12 to Birmingham Ensley. Returning home for the final three games, Central

edged Baylor 14-7 at Chamberlain Field on November 16 before what was then a record crowd for a

Chattanooga football game ¨C 9500. The final two contests resembled track meets as Central blew

away Tyner 46-0 and City by 81-6, ending the season at 10-2 and third place ranking in the state. Also

the 405 points scored that season was second only to the 432 scored by Central in 1942.

In 1946 Charles Millsaps was replaced by John Karwoski on Etter¡¯s staff. The season opener at

Asheville portended things to come as Central again threw a 26-0 shutout. Returning to Frawley Field,

Central then ran by Spring City 40-6 in a driving rain. Male High of Louisville (KY) became Central¡¯s

third victim, 26-0, reportedly one of the worst defeats in memory for the perennial Kentucky power.

But the following week at Frawley, Kingsport again proved to be a nemesis by edging Central 13-12,

owing largely to injuries suffered early in the game to Central¡¯s two leading rushers. Central then

dispatched Red Bank 44-0 on October 5 at Chamberlain Field then CMA by 32-0 in what may have

been the last game at Frawley Field on October 18. Central then journeyed to Nashville for a 27-7

pasting of MBA on October 25. Central continued domination of local high schools with a 64-0 rout of

Soddy-Daisy, before easing by Birmingham Ensley 13-6. On November 16 a downpour seemed to slow

the Central team, for after scoring on the second play of the game, Central bogged down and

ultimately succumbed to Baylor¡¯s plodding ground game and stifling defense 13-6. Two weeks after

this stinging defeat, Central unleashed its fury on a hapless City team by 58-6 before 6500 fans at

Chamberlain Field, for a 9-2 season record. Because Kingsport had slipped toward the end of the

season, Central was declared the 1946 State Champions by the Litkenhous Ratings.

1946 - Won 9, Lost 2

STATE

TSSAA CHAMPIONS

26

Asheville (NC)

0

40

Spring City

6

26

Louisville Male

(KY)

0

12

Kingsport

13

44

Red Bank

0

32

CMA

0

27

MBA

7

64

Soddy-Daisy

0

13

Birmingham

Ensley (AL)

6

6

Baylor

13

58

City

6

348

TOTAL POINTS

51

1946 State Champions

In 1947, one more coaching change took place that would orchestrate the Golden Age of Central

football through the 50s and into the early 60s, when Coach Stanley T. Farmer replaced John

Karwowski as line coach. Coaches Etter, Newton, Farmer and Seaton would stay together for well

over a decade, during which five state championships would be won. But the first three years did not

quite portend things to come, for Central seemed to be stuck in neutral, handling local teams with

ease, but battling the upstate and out-of-state powers on even terms, for unremarkable records of 65-1 and 6-6-1 in 1947 and 1948 and a 7-3 season for 1949:

1947 (6-5-1)

Central

Central

14

Central

Central

Central

Central

Central

12

Central

0

Central

Central

Central

Central

28 Lafayette (GA) 6

21 Tyner 0

19

0

13

7

0

1948 (6-6-1)

1949 (7-3)

Central 39 Lafayette (GA) 19

Central 20 Tyner 0

Knox Young 7

Central 6 Knox Young 21

Kingsport 26

Central 0 Kingsport 20

Red Bank 2

Central 20 Red Bank 13

Knox City 27

Central 13 Knox City 27

Louisville Male (KY) 13 Central 7 Miami (FL) 28

Central 46 Tyner 7

Central 7 Knoxville Young

Central 2 Kingsport 20

Central 6 Red Bank 0

Central 51 Oak Ridge 13

Central 18 Miami (FL) 19

Central 40 Rossville (GA)

14 Bradley County 6

Central 7 Bradley County 14

Central 14 Bradley County

0

0

0

41

Central

Central

Central

Central

Central

Central 14 Baylor 7

Central 41 City 6

Birmingham Ensley 0

Baylor 19

Oak Ridge 6

City 6

7 Notre Dame 7

13 Louisville Manual 32

37 Bridgeport (AL) 7

44 Oak Ridge 21

25 City 9

In 1950 Central began a remarkable five-year run of 46 wins, 6 losses and 3 ties against mostly out-of

state football powers and the usual Tennessee big boys, winnowing out the local rivalries that had

become too lopsided to continue. Coincidentally, Principal since 1921 and longtime football fan Stacy

Nelson retired in 1950 and was succeeded by another athletic Principal, W. Hobart Millsaps, former

basketball star at Soddy-Daisy and Central faculty member since 1940. For the 1950-51 seasons

Gordon Atchley coached backs and ends in addition to Etter, Newton, Seaton and Farmer.

W. Hobart Millsaps, Principal at Old

Central 1950-1968

The 1950 team ran over Tyner 33-0 then probably lost the state championship via a 19-12 loss to

Knoxville Young at Knoxville. After this loss Central began a string of eight victories over Atlanta

O¡¯Keefe 27-0, Kingsport 53-0, Red Bank 20-0, Atlanta Hoke Smith 32-8, Bradley County 32-6, New

Orleans St. Aloysius 27-7 and City 51-12, the only blemish being a 7-7 tie with national power Miami

(FL) Senior High. However the season ended with a stunning 21-6 loss to Mid-South Champion Baylor

for a 9-2-1 season.

1951 was the closest to a perfect season Central had come since 1927, with 10 convincing wins and a

14-12 loss to Miami Senior High. Central¡¯s victims, in order, were Fayetteville 20-0, Knoxville Young

25-0, Atlanta O¡¯Keefe 13-7, Kingsport 32-13, Red Bank 30-0, Tyner 48-7, Bradley County 27-7, New

Orleans St. Aloysius 33-7, Louisville (KY) Manual 14-0, and Baylor 26-7. Central was declared State

Champions in all polls by a substantial margin.

1951 - Won 10, Lost 1

STATE

TSSAA CHAMPIONS

20

Fayetteville

0

25

Knoxville Young

0

13

Atlanta O¡¯Keefe

(GA)

7

32

Kingsport

13

30

Red Bank

0

12

Miami (FL)

14

48

Tyner

7

27

Bradley County

7

33

NO St Aloysius

(LA)

7

14

Louisville Manual

0

(KY)

26

Baylor

280

TOTAL POINTS

7

62

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