Football Practice Begins for the 1970 Season

The big day came for the football team on August 5. This was the first day of practice (Close to You by The Carpenters was the number one song).  Led by a small but dedicated senior class, the team showed up for 5 days of one-a-days in helmets and shorts at Harmon Field. The small but dedicated group of seniors was joined the first day by only 18 others to make up the varsity and JV teams.

From 1 Tryon

The team welcomed Tryon legend, Duke Fisher, into the coaching ranks (Joining Neal, Pearson, and Tennant). Duke had played freshman basketball at the University of North Carolina and later coached Kevin Garnett in basketball at Mauldin High School.

Also new this year were playbooks. Not that I can remember actually using them - it still was a first.

The team loaded up and went to three-a-day camp outside of Charleston. Arriving late on Sunday, we started with a practice in shorts, then up before daylight for another 90 minute practice in shorts, breakfast, skills practice from 9:30 am until lunch, and a scrimmage practice from 5 pm until dark and supper. We also had free time after lunch to go to the artisan filled pool or to the beach by team bus.

The camp was famous for mosquitoes and cold sulfur water. Located right on the inter-coastal waterway, near Mount Pleasant, SC, I doubt it exists today. Meals were provided for the team from donated food which was prepared by parents enjoying their "vacation".

I believe Coach Neal's favorite drill was, "Head-on-tackling". As freshmen, he had gotten so mad  we were not doing it correctly, that he demonstrated (without pads) on fellow classmate Mike Burns, breaking some ribs. But as seniors, he stopped the drill early, worried that someone would get hurt because of the drill intensity.

Camp broke after a Saturday morning scrimmage and lunch and everyone headed back to Tryon - a lot battered and uncertain what the season would bring.