Concord Christian School football preview
But he also had more than a few questions of his own for the school’s administration.
“When I interviewed for the job, I had about 20 questions, and they had a good answer for all of them,” said Matthews, who served as co-head coach at Knoxville Catholic High in 2023, sharing head coaching duties with Philip Shadowens, a few years after leading the Irish to state championships in 2015 and 2017 as the program’s lone boss from 2013 through 2021.
“We’ve talked about building a champion, and I’m excited and I’m embracing the challenge,” he added.
Matthews certainly faces a challenge with the Lions, who are fielding a varsity football team for the first time in six years.
The Lions last attempted to play varsity football in 2018 — but they didn’t play a game. Low roster numbers meant forfeiting the lone game on their schedule.
Concord first fielded a varsity squad in 2015 when it went 0-9 playing a Region 1-1A schedule in Division I of the TSSAA. Lack of players plagued the Lions as they completed a full varsity schedule in 2016 and 2017. They’ve never won a varsity game in 30 tries.
Better numbers, better outlook; schedule
Things may be a bit easier for CCS this time around, as its football team will be independent and not subject to the rigors of a full TSSAA varsity schedule this season. The Lions will play five varsity games and five junior varsity contests — having already won its opener Monday, Aug. 19, against the CAK junior varsity (see story above).
Concord Christian is expected to become a fully competing varsity program in 2025.
The team also has a bit more depth in 2024, as they opened summer workouts with 37 players. The future looks even brighter, as the middle school team opened the preseason with 50 players, according to Matthews, a former college and NFL quarterback who played for Tennessee before transferring to Memphis State, where he broke many of the school’s passing records.
“We have good kids and they’re all working hard,” Matthews said. “We have a lot of young kids, and some of them haven’t even gone to high school yet.”
The Lions open their 2024 campaign with four junior varsity games.
“We have 10 games on our schedule, and five of those will be varsity games,” Matthews said.
Other junior varsity tilts for the Lions are hosting Lakeway Christian at CCS Monday, Aug. 26 (all home games starting at 5:30 p.m.), before traveling to Cocke County for a Labor Day battle (10 a.m. start) Monday, Sept. 2. The Lions will host Sequoyah Monday, Sept. 9.
Concord Christian will play its first varsity game — all five on Fridays — at East Tennessee State when CCS battles Providence Academy Sept. 20. The Lions will host a homecoming varsity game against Hayesville (North Carolina) Sept. 27.
On Oct. 11, the Lions will play a varsity game at Copper Basin. CCS will have another varsity tilt against Tri-Cities Christian on the road Friday, Oct. 18.
Concord will play its varsity finale Oct. 25 in Chattanooga against Grace Baptist. The Lions will then host Grace Christian Academy JV Monday, Oct. 28.
Matthews said he is no stranger to building a program. When he came to East Tennessee to take the KCHS job, he noted the situation had similarities.
“They were really struggling when I got there,” Matthews recalled.
“Here, we have guys who are young, but they’re working hard,” the coach added. “You have good days and bad days. It’s a three-steps-up, one-step back process, but that’s what happens when you’re starting a program and you have a bunch of young guys.”
The Lions did have success in 7-on-7 against some of the area’s bigger schools in July.
“In 7-on-7, we beat Heritage and we tied Morristown East, and those are (Class) 5A and 6A schools,” Matthews said.
Key players
Key players, the coach said, include Deklan Meisner (freshman, quarterback); Lyric Jackson (freshman, running back/outside linebacker); Oakley Helton (freshman, linebacker/running back); Travis Cozart (senior, running back/linebacker); Dawson Williford (senior, wide receiver/defensive back); Rece Burleson (freshman, offensive lineman/defensive lineman); Reece Franklin (sophomore, linebacker) and Daybrian Owen (freshman, wide receiver/defensive back).
