What do you think? Should Jacks and La F merge middle school sports?

Vote in the WLAF-Jake Miller Sports poll right now and/or call us Thu., at 6pm, 423.562.1450

By Matthew Moore

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- Jake Miller, host of Jake Miller Sports Talk on WLAF, is asking you to share your opinion on what would be a potentially major shift in middle school athletics for Jacksboro and La Follette Middle Schools with a merger of the sports programs.

The poll is below.

While LaFollette and Jacksboro Middle Schools currently combine their baseball players into a single team, other sports like football and basketball maintain a traditional rivalry. This week on Jake Miller Sports Talk, Miller is exploring the idea of merging these schools into one unified athletic program for all middle school sports.

Miller states that a primary benefit of such a merger would be the early development of chemistry among athletes, allowing them to play together starting in the sixth grade. This would ensure that by the time they reach high school, they are already familiar with each other’s playing styles and such. However, a unified program would likely bring an end to competing against local teams like Lake City (Rocky Top), Norris and Horace Maynard. Instead, the Eagle-Owl (Cougar) team would advance and face larger programs such as Gibbs, Halls or Sevier County.

The potential change also raises practical and traditional concerns for the community to consider. Miller questions what would happen to long-standing traditions like the Egg Bowl trophy and where a unified team would hold their practices and games. Miller plans to share his own perspective on the matter during the upcoming episode of Jake Miller Sports Talk this Thursday at 6pm over WLAF.

Share your thoughts by calling-in during the June 25 show at 423.562.1450.

Jake Miller Sports Talk is brought to you by Diesel Works, Slick’s Barber Shop, Martin & Effler Heating & Air, and Charley’s Pizza. You can watch and listen live over any of the 10 WLAF media platforms, WLAF TV-1089 on Comcast-Xfinity, 1450wlaf.com, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch or listen over WLAF-AM 1450, FM 100.9 and Amazon Alexa. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 6/22/2026 – 6AM)