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RUTLEDGE – Rarely do high school athletes have the opportunity to play at the collegiate level and even more rare is when they get to play collegiately with their secondary school teammates but that is exactly the case for four members of the Grainger Grizzlies football team.

Bryson Bennett, Reid Byrd, Hayden Carroll and Tucker Gillette all signed to play with the Carson-Newman Eagles last week and Grizzlies’ head coach Michael Manis, himself a former Eagle player, couldn’t be more happy about it. “This is a pretty cool situation for us to have a group of guys who have the opportunity to play at the next level and they are all getting to stick together by going to the same place. It’s a good situation for all four of them.”

“Of course, I’m a little partial to Carson-Newman myself,” Manis joked of his players signing with his alma mater. “It’s a great situation for them because they are going to a great school. Culturally, it’s one of the best schools around as they want to change kids’ lives and I’m excited they are going to get a chance to see that first hand.”

Bennett was the Grizzly quarterback this past season and threw for 1,049 yards and eight touchdowns and added six rushing scores. The senior signal-caller said moving on with three of his teammates to the next level is very special. “Three of us have played together ever since rec league so we have a great chemistry. That makes it easier going into college because starting college can be pretty nerve-racking in itself and playing football, it’s even more. So when you have three of your best friends there, it really helps.”

Gillette saw action on both sides of the ball in 2023. After establishing himself as a dominating force on defense as a junior, he added offensive skills to his repertoire as a senior. He led the Grizzlies’ rushing attack with 913 yards and 10 touchdowns and was also the team leader on defense as he finished the season with 40.5 tackles, 31 of which were solo, 4.5 tackles for loss and six pass breakups. “Going to college is one thing but having other friends going with you is a blessing. For all of us to go the same place is just awesome,” Gillette said. “The Christian atmosphere is evident and they really feel like they are a team when you go there with the way the coaches and players talked.”

Carroll was the anchor on both the offensive as well as defensive lines last season. He was third on the team in tackles with 35 and led the team in assists with 26 to go along with his three tackles for loss and two sacks. “It’s crazy since you would have never thought that would happen,” Carroll said of playing with a trio of high school teammates at the college level. “It’s a true blessing from God but I couldn’t imagine it being any different now. Having grown up with these guys since I was four years old, this is going to be a great experience.”

Offensive linemen are rarely in the limelight but that’s where games are won and Byrd was vital to the success the Grizzlies had as they finished the 2023 season 6-5 and advanced to the playoffs. Byrd echoed his teammates’ sentiment about how great it is to be able to play collegiately with three people he is so familiar with. “It’s a blessing even though we don’t know what’s next or what is going to happen when we get there but for all of us to play together for so long and to be able to play together as the next level is great. We will have each other’s backs and be able to take care of each other.”

Manis said the foursome were a delight to coach and have a great deal of potential to excel in Jefferson City. “These guys never missed a workout, never missed a practice and they have been crucial to our last two seasons from both an offensive and defensive perspective. They are hard workers, gritty guys and the biggest thing is they are selfless. They are the kind of kids to do something, they will do it with no questions asked. I am really looking forward to seeing what they can do down the road.”