We invited members of both the Cherokee and Volunteer high school football staffs to give fans a chance to get to know them a little better by taking part in our Coach's Corner segment. Here are the responses from Cherokee.
Tyler Hensley
Sports you coach: Football
Year you started on staff: 2021
Hometown: Church Hill
Education/background: Volunteer High School 2006, played four years of football. ETSU 2013.
Favorite sports memory: Beating Volunteer in 2022
Coach(es) who inspire(d) you: Tim Battaglia
Greatest piece of advice you ever got as a student-athlete: Never quit what you started!
Best thing about coaching: Investing in the next generation of leaders
Hardest thing about coaching: Time away from family
Three characteristics of a successful student-athlete: Commitment, work ethic, grit!
The thing you hope players most remember about you: Being someone they can always talk to
Hobbies/interests: Serving with my church family, deer/turkey hunting, coaching softball
Family cheering you on: Amanda, Gavin, Gracie, Gabi, Mom and Dad
Matt Seals
Sports you coach: Football at CHS, athletic director at RMS
Year you started on staff: 2024
Hometown: Rogersville
Education/background: Cherokee High School/ Emory & Henry University
Favorite sports memory: As a player, playing my last game at E&H; as a coach, my first game as head coach at RMS
Coach(es) who inspire(d) you: Mike Sivert
Greatest piece of advice you ever got as a student-athlete: Want to be great. Strive to be great.
Best thing about coaching: Inspire young men to be great men to their family, community, and friends
Hardest thing about coaching: Being away from my family
Three characteristics of a successful student-athlete: Determination, belief, and Integrity
The thing you hope players remember about you: A Coach that cared for them and always wanted what's best for them
Hobbies/interests: Kicking Football when I have time
Family cheering you on: Kasey Seals (wife), Marty & Winnie Seals (parents), Chris Seals and Sami Morris (brother and his girlfriend)
Darrell Fain
Sports you coach: Football
Year you started on staff: 2022
Hometown: Rogersville
Education/background: B.S. from ETSU/master’s from LMU
Favorite sports memory: Football
Coach(es) who inspire(d) you: Josh Hensley
Greatest piece of advice you ever got as a student-athlete: Play like it’s your last play
Best thing about coaching: Seeing the boys grow into men
Hardest thing about coaching: Long hours for very little pay
Three characteristics of a successful student-athlete: Accountability, physical ability and mental toughness
The thing you hope players remember about you: I cared more about them than the scoreboard
Hobbies/interests: Family
Family cheering you on: My children
Reed Fletcher
Sports you coach: Football
Year you started on staff: 2024
Hometown: Murrieta, California
Education/background: H.S at Vista Murrieta, college at Carson-Newman
Favorite sports memory: Going to the Pop Warner Super Bowl in middle school
Coach(es) who inspire(d) you: Jon Gruden
Greatest piece of advice you ever got as a student-athlete: Be consistent in everything you do
Best thing about coaching: When a player implements something they were taught
Hardest thing about coaching: Each player is motivated differently, and it takes time to figure out each one
Three characteristics of a successful student-athlete: 1, they love football. 2, they can be constructively criticized. 3, they’re confident.
The thing you hope players remember about you: I hope they think of me as someone who made football fun for them.
Hobbies/interests: I enjoy grilling, traveling (especially to eat) and relaxing with family
Family cheering you on: My wife, Sarah; siblings, Rachel, Raelyn and Randi; and grandparents, Dean and Helen Murphy
Mylan Brewer
Sports you coach: Football, basketball
Year you started on staff: 2021
Hometown: Mooresburg
Education/background: Cherokee High School Class of 2016, bachelor's in communications and sports management from Emory & Henry College and a master’s in teaching from Tusculum University (2022). I played wide receiver at Cherokee from 2012-2015. I also ran track up until my junior year (2012-2014). I also played WR at E&H from 2016-17.
Favorite sports memory: In 2015, we were 3-0 and Sullivan South came into Big Red Valley with a really good football team. Some of the students actually snuck into the fence the night before and hung a Sullivan South flag on our flagpole in front of the field house. We went on beating them 17-14. I had the go-ahead touchdown with three minutes left to put the Chiefs ahead 17-14. I finished with 5 catches, 120 yards and 2 TDs. It was just an unbelievable atmosphere that night to improve to 4-0! MOBUCK IS ALIVE!
Coach(es) who inspire(d) you: Coach (Mike) Sivert taught me not only the x's and o's of football, but also the characteristics of being a real man. I truly love and appreciate Coach Sivert for what he means to me and this football team.
Greatest piece of advice you ever got as a student-athlete: Every day you need to be a mirror guy and not a window guy, not only on the football field but in life as well. A window guy points out the window and places the blame for their problems on everyone else. A mirror guy looks into the mirror and self reflects on what he can do better as an individual and tries to better himself each day.
Best thing about coaching: Getting to see all of the effort and countless hours that they have put in come alive on the field. Also, seeing former players in town and just reminiscing of those Friday night lights.
Hardest thing about coaching: I would say one of the hardest things is seeing a season come to an end after all the effort they put in.
Three characteristics of a successful student-athlete: 1. Committed, 2. Disciplined, 3. Resilient
The thing you hope players most remember about you: I hope the players know that I love them and invested in them because I want them to be a great man, husband and father. But most of all, I hope they know that God loves them, and He always needs to be No. 1 in our lives.
Hobbies/interests: Attending church and worshipping my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I enjoy working out. I own a pressure washing business. Spending time with family and friends.
Family cheering you on: My mom and dad, three siblings, two brothers-in-law, eight nieces and nephews, and my girlfriend
Jacob Watson
Sports you coach: Football, basketball
Year you started on staff: Spring 2022
Hometown: Rogersville
Education/background: Attended Cherokee High School from 2010-2014. Played four years of football, basketball and baseball. Graduated with a bachelor’s in business marketing from Tusculum University and obtained a master’s in teaching from Tusculum
Favorite sports memory: Probably beating Morristown West on Senior Homecoming. Got down 14-0 in the first five minutes of the game and came back and won. It was first win vs. Mo. West since 2003. Or beating Jefferson County on Senior Night for second time in school history.
Coach(es) who inspire(d) you: Mike Sivert and Jeremy Parrott have had a great influence on shaping me as a man. Coach (Josh) Hensley and Coach (Trey) Fields have extended that going into coaching displaying a great balance in competitiveness but also teaching life skills and focusing on creating great men to send out into our communities.
Greatest piece of advice you ever got as a student-athlete: Coach Parrott used to set an hourglass out before games or an important practice to help us put into perspective that nothing lasts forever, so you better make your time count and do everything you can to succeed in that given time.
Best thing about coaching: I love seeing kids develop new skills and mentalities not only in sports but also in life growing into men. It's like having 90 little brothers that depend on you for guidance and someone to set an example on being a good man. I try to be that for our athletes.
Hardest thing about coaching: Seeing them graduate and the time you get with them, like the hourglass metaphor, is gone as they move on to adulthood.
Three characteristics of a successful student-athlete: 1. Accountability, 2. Work Ethic, 3. Maturity (being able to be coached and responding in a positive way)
The thing you hope players most remember about you: As a coach who loved them and know I would do anything in my power to better them as an individual. Also, that once they walk that stage, they can still call me anytime and I will be there for them. Chief for LIFE!
Hobbies/interests: Golf, spending time with my wife and 8-month-old daughter.
Family cheering you on: My parents, Sherry and Allen, never missed a game in Big Red Valley, and they are still avid supporters of the Chiefs as I have transitioned from player to coach. My wife, Brooke, has done an amazing job supporting me and being there for me at every event.
Gareath Weston
Sports you coach: Football
Year you started on staff: 2024
Hometown: Mars Hill, North Carolina
Education/background: I studied and played football at Mars Hill University. After college, I played on a couple of semi-pro teams and also played for the USA Semi-Pro All-Star Team.
Favorite sports memories: As a player, when I won my first championship ring with the USA Semi-Pro All-Star Team. As a coach, it was when I coached against my high school with the rival team.
Coach(es) who inspire(d) you: My high school offensive line coach, Kevin Yontz
Greatest piece of advice you ever got as a student-athlete: No matter how hard things are at times, it’s never a good time to give up.
Best thing about coaching: Watching the student-athletes go from children to being successful and respectful grown men.
Hardest thing about coaching: Senior Night
Three characteristics of a successful student-athlete: To be respectful, to be fearless and to have faith in the coaches and their teammates
The thing you hope players most remember about you: That, at the end of the day, no matter how much I may fuss at them, that I love them as my children. Also, that I will have their backs the rest of their lives.
Hobbies/interests: I love anything to do with NASCAR.
Family cheering you on: Donna, Averi, Louis and Ayanna Weston
Matt Myers
Sports you coach: Football, baseball
Year you started on staff: 2024
Hometown: Elizabethton
Education/background: Degrees, History BA Literature BA from ETSU, ME from Milligan University, educational specialist from Lincoln Memorial University, AP Licensure from William and Mary. I was a four-year player and three-year letterman at Elizabethton.
Favorite sports memory: My father taking me to my first Tennessee vs Vanderbilt football game at the age of 7.
Coach who inspires/inspired you: Robert Neyland
Greatest piece of advice you ever got as a student athlete: Trust your teammates.
Best thing about coaching: Working with coaches and teachers who are passionate about a unified effort to help young people succeed in academic and athletic endeavors.
Hardest thing about coaching: Saying goodbye to seniors.
Three characteristics of a successful student athlete: Discipline, determination and a disdain for not being successful.
The thing that you hope players remember about you: That if they ever have a situation they cannot handle in life, need to pray or talk, they can reach out to me and lean on me.
Hobbies/interests: Studying history, film, wide variety of music, collecting comics, weightlifting, travel.
Family cheering you on: Momma (Brenda), Dad (Richard), Uncle (Lanny), Cousin (Whitney and her husband Landon and their children Ivey, Sophia, Scarlet and JoJo). I also consider close friends family. Olivia (beagle) and Bowie (cat).
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