Wlaf1450VERY TOP PHOTO: La Follette Owl Kaden Suttles knocks through a free throw in Tuesday’s LES-JES game.
Jacksboro cheerleaders cheer on their Eagles Tuesday night at the Owls nest.
LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – Flashback more than 50-years. Carl Rutherford and Jimmy Pierce starred in basketball for the La Follette High Owls in the 1960s. Rutherford set the school single-game scoring mark while Pierce established the single-game rebounding record. Both records were later broken by Owl Gary Gray in the early 1970s.
Grandchildren of Jim Pierce, LHS Class of 1967 (L), and Carl Rutherford, LHS Class of 1963 (R), played in last night’s Jacksboro at La Follette Elementary School basketball game.
Fast forward to 2019. The basketball playing tradition for the Rutherford and Pierce families lives on in their grandchildren. Tuesday night on the La Follette Elementary School gym floor, the late Rutherford’s granddaughter, Zoriana, and Pierce’s grandson, Braydon Graham, played in the Jacksboro-La Follette rivalry.
Lady Owl Kayleigh Albright launches a free throw line jumper.
Cheerleaders for La Follette cheer on their Owls.
However, last night’s game had a different twist. Both grandchildren play for the Jacksboro Eagles rather than their grandfathers La Follette Owls.
Zoriana Rutherford (#3) in bounds against Owl Alejandra Fernandez (#2).
Braydon Graham (#44) swished two second-half points for the Jacksboro Eagles.
Pierce was in attendance Tuesday evening. Rutherford’s daughter, Emily, said, “He (her father, Carl) would definitely be proud.”
And about the games. Jacksboro claimed large-margin wins over La Follette in each teams second games of the young season. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 10/02/2019-6AM)