CHURCH HILL — It took a Byrd to help Unicoi County ground the Falcons.
kAm{6=2 qJC5 925 E9C66 9:ED — :?4=F5:?8 2 9@>6 CF? — H2=<65[ 5C@G6 :? EH@ CF?D 2?5 DECF4< @FE `_ :? E96 4:C4=6 E@ =625 E96 q=F6 s6G:=D E@ 2 d\c #68:@? `\bp D6>:7:?2= C@25 G:4E@CJ @G6C '@=F?E66C @? 2 4=@F5J |@?52J 6G6?:?8 :? w2H<:?D r@F?EJ]k^Am
kAm&?:4@: r@F?EJ Wa`\gX[ H9:49 5C@AA65 EH@ 82>6D 2E s2G:5 rC@4<6EE :? E96 s:DEC:4E `\bp 7:?2=D @? %9FCD52J[ 3@F?465 324< E@ E2<6 5@H? E96 u2=4@?D 2?5 25G2?46 E@ E96 #68:@? `\bp 7:?2=D @? (65?6D52J 282:?DE E9@D6 D2>6 !:@?66CD]k^Am
kAm“(6 2== DE2J65 4@@=[ 42=> 2?5 4@==64E65 2?5 x 766= =:<6 H6 <:?5 @7 8@E @FE @7 @FC A2?ED :? E96 rC@4<6EE 82>6[†qJC5 D2:5] “x 766= =:<6 H6 DE2J65 E@86E96C E9:D E:>6 2?5 H6 7@F89E E@86E96C :?DE625 @7 7@C @FCD6=G6D]â€k^Am
kAmqJC5 AFE E96 q=F6 s6G:=D FA E@ DE2J H:E9 2 EH@\CF? 7:CDE :??:?8 9@>6 CF? @77 '@=F?E66C 7:C6\32==:?8 D@FE9A2H p55JD@? u:D96C[ H9@ 92D 4@>>:EE65 E@ A=2J ?6IE 2E ':C8:?:2 %649]k^Am
kAm“x H2?E E@ D2J 8@@5 ;@3 E@ p55JD@?[ D96 :D 2 8C62E A:E496C[†D2:5 qJC5[ H9@ EC2?D76CC65 E@ &?:4@: r@F?EJ E9:D J62C 7C@> t=:K236E9E@?] “(6 H6?E :?E@ E96 82>6 <?@H:?8 D96 H2D 8@:?8 E@ =:G6 @? E96 @FED:56 2?5 H6 <?6H H6 925 E@ E2<6 :E E92E H2J 2D 2 9:EE6C] x 766= =:<6 E92E H2D 2 8C62E H2J E@ 4@?EC:3FE6 >@>6?EF>]â€k^Am
kAm'@=F?E66C Wae\fX[ H9:49 25G2?465 E@ E96 r=2DD bp DE2E6 E@FC?2>6?E :? a_ab[ C2==:65 324< H:E9 2 CF? :? E96 3@EE@> @7 E96 7:CDE H96? y2J56? u@C5 H2=<65[ >@G65 FA EH@ 32D6D @? H:=5 A:E496C 2?5 D4@C65 @? 2? :?7:6=5 6CC@C] qJC5 H2D ;FDE DE2CE:?8[ C67FD:?8 E@ 2==@H E96 u2=4@?D E@ 86E 2?J 4=@D6C @?6 CF? E96 C6DE @7 E96 H2J]k^Am
kAm“pE s2G:5 rC@4<6EE {6=2 DECF88=65 2E E96 A=2E6 2 =:EE=6 3:E 2?5 D96 <?6H E92E[†&?:4@: r@F?EJ 9625 4@249 p33J w6?D=6J D2:5] “v@:?8 :?E@ E9:D 82>6 D96 H2D 2 =@E >6?E2==J DEC@?86C 2E E96 A=2E6 2?5 x E9:?< E96 =2DE E9C66 52JD :? AC24E:46 H6 92G6 AC6A2C65 7@C p55JD@?’D DA665]â€k^Am
kAm!6JE@? w:88:?D AF==65 2 u:D96C A:E49 @G6C E96 C:89E\7:6=5 76?46 H:E9 EH@ @FED E@ AFE E96 q=F6 s6G:=D FA b\` :? E96 E@A @7 E96 7@FCE9]k^Am
kAm“!6JE@? 92D 366? 2 8@@5 W56D:8?2E65 A=2J6CX 7@C FD[†w6?D=6J D2:5] “$96 4@>6D @FE DH:?8:?8 2?5 D96 92D 366? DH:?8:?8 H6== :? AC24E:46 E@@] x E9:?< D96 8@E 2 9@=5 @7 E92E 32== @? E96 :?D:56 4@C?6C 2?5 D96 ;FDE H6?E H:E9 :E]â€k^Am
kAm'@=F?E66C[ H9:49 DEC2?565 CF??6CD @? D64@?5 2?5 E9:C5 H:E9 ?@ @FED :? E96 E9:C5[ AF==65 H:E9:? b\a :? E96 3@EE@> @7 E96 7@FCE9 H96? y6??2 %9@>2D D:?8=65[ >@G65 FA @? 2 3F?E 3J r@FCE?6J q6==2>J 2?5 D4@C65 @? 2? :?7:6=5 E9C@H:?8 6CC@C 2D E96 u2=4@?D 4@?E:?F65 E@ 7:89E 324< 7C@> 567:4:ED]k^Am
kAm“(6 7@F89E C:89E 324< C:89E E96C6[ 3@@>[ H6 H6C6 C:89E 324<[ 3FE :E H2D ;FDE @?6 @7 E9@D6 E9:?8D] w2ED 8@ @77 E@ E96>[†'@=F?E66C 9625 4@249 y24<:6 $EC:4<=6C D2:5]k^Am
kAmqJC5 H2D :? E96 >:55=6 @7 E96 24E:@? 282:? :? E96 7:7E9 2D E96 q=F6 s6G:=D D4@C65 EH@ >@C6 CF?D[ <6J65 3J 2? #qx D:?8=6 7C@> qJC5 2?5 2 5@F3=6 7C@> z2=6J %@?6J[ 3@E9 H:E9 EH@ @FED[ 7@C d\a =625 282:?DE u:D96C[ H9@ DECF4< @FE ?:?6 2?5 2?5 H2=<65 @?6[ 3FE &?:4@: r@F?EJ H2D 23=6 E@ 4@==64E 6:89E 9:ED[ :?4=F5:?8 E9C66 3J qJC5]k^Am
kAm“x FD65 E@ A:E49 >JD6=7 D@ x H2D 23=6 E@ C62= =:G6 A:E49 E@ E96> 2?5 3C:?8 E96> FA 4=@D6C 2?5 3C:?8 E96 DA665 E@ E96>[†w6?D=6J D2:5] “(6 92G6 5C:==65 E96> 52J :?[ 52J @FE 7@C E96 =2DE E9C66 52JD H:E9 DA665 2?5 ;FDE H@C<:?8 E96 4@C?6CD FA[ 9:89[ 6G6CJE9:?8] x E9:?< H6 ;FDE >6?E2==J 2?5 A9JD:42==J AC6A2C65 H6== 7@C 96C]â€k^Am
kAm~?46 282:?[ E96 u2=4@?D C67FD65 E@ 7@=5] u@C5[ H9@ ;@:?65 t>:=J (2=<6C H:E9 EH@ 9:ED 6249[ D:?8=65 H:E9 @?6 @FE :? E96 D6G6?E9] ~?6 @FE =2E6C[ u:D96C 5@F3=65 E@ 5C@G6 9@>6 2 CF? 2?5 +6EE2 $>:E9 D:?8=65 E@ >2<6 C6249 E96 6G6?EF2= 7:?2= >2C8:?] qJC5 H2D 23=6 E@ 86E %9@>2D E@ 7=J @FE H:E9 CF??6CD @? 7:CDE 2?5 D64@?5 E@ 6?5 E96 82>6]k^Am
kAm“%96C6 :D ?@ BF:E :? E96D6 J@F?8 =25:6D[ E96J 7@F89E E@ E96 G6CJ 6?5] %H@ @FED 2?5 H6 2C6 DE:== 8@:?8 27E6C :E[†$EC:4<=6C D2:5] “xE :D 92C5 E@ D66 E9:D 8C@FA =62G6] ~?6 @7 >J 72G@C:E6 8C@FAD @7 2== E:>6[ E96J =67E :E @? E96 7:6=5] %92E :D H92E x E@=5 E96> ‘J@F =67E :E @? E96 7:6=5[ E92E :D 2== H6 42? 2D< E96> E@ 5@]â€k^Am
kAm'@=F?E66C H:== =@D6 D6G6C2= E2=6?E65 D6?:@CD[ :?4=F5:?8 u:D96C[ 2=@?8 H:E9 qCJ=6:89 $2=J6C[ +6EE2 $>:E9[ %9@>2D 2?5 q6==2>J]k^Am
kAm“%96J H@C< 92C5[ E96J 2C6 ;FDE 8@@5 <:5D[ 8C62E[ 8C62E[ 8C62E[†$EC:4<=6C D2:5] “%96D6 D6?:@CD E96J A=2J65 E96:C 962CED @FE] %92E :D 2== x 42? 6G6C 2D< 2D 2 4@249 :D E92E] x 92E6 E@ D66 E96> 8@[ E96J 2C6 DA64:2=]â€k^Am
kAm&A ?6IE 7@C &?:4@: :D s2G:5 rC@4<6EE[ H9:49 92D H@? E9C66 @7 7:G6 >66E:?8D E9:D D62D@? 282:?DE E96 q=F6 s6G:=D — H9@ H:== AC6A2C6 7@C E96 >2?J A:E496D[ DA:?D 2?5 DA665 7C@> E96 !:@?66CD’ D@A9@>@C6 9FC=6C |256=J? sF=2?6J] %96 q=F6 s6G:=D H:== 4@F?E6C H:E9 qJC5[ H9@ D42EE6C65 ?:?6 9:ED 2?5 H2=<65 E9C66[ 3FE 5:5 DEC:<6 @FE `_ 32EE6CD]k^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm“(6 92G6 A=2J65 E96> 2 =@E E9:D J62C 2?5 H6 8@ 324< 2?5 7@CE9 H:E9 E96> 6G6CJ E:>6[†w6?D=6J D2:5] “w@?6DE=J[ :E :D ;FDE 8@:?8 E@ 36 2?J3@5J’D 32== 82>6[ H6 2C6 ;FDE 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 E@ 4@>6 @FE A=2J:?8] pE E92E A@:?E :E :D ?@E 2 H:?\H:? D:EF2E:@?[ D@ x E9:?< H6 42? =2J 6G6CJE9:?8 @FE @? E96 =:?6 2?5 ;FDE 8@ 7@C :E] x 5@?’E E9:?< sF=2?6J D9@F=5 D42C6 FD 2D >F49 H:E9 96C >@G6>6?E 2?5 96C DA665 2D H6 ;FDE D2H H:E9 p55JD@?] x E9:?< E92E :D 8@:?8 E@ 96=A FD 36 >@C6 C625J 2E E96 A=2E6 ?@H]â€k^DA2?mq@E9 E62>D H:== 25G2?46 E@ E96 r=2DD bp D64E:@?2=D @? uC:52J[ H:E9 E96 H:??6C @7 (65?6D52J’D 82>6 D6CG:?8 2D E96 9@DE E62>]k^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm“x 9@A6 &?:4@: 8@6D 2 =@?8 H2J[†$EC:4<=6C D2:5] “WqJC5X E9C6H C62= H6==] %92E :D ;FDE A2CE @7 :E[ 3FE x H:D9 E96> E96 36DE]â€k^DA2?mk^Am