One family moved dinner from Alabama; other splits up for grandfather's 90th birthday
By CAROL STUART
Brentwood Home Page
Christ Presbyterian Academy football players will be practicing on Thanksgiving Day, which is a good thing even if it means a big change in holiday plans. One family moved the feast from Birmingham to Brentwood; another had to split up to celebrate a grandfather's 90th birthday in Ohio.
The Lions are playing in just their third state semifinal game in school history, with a trip to traditional West Tennessee powerhouse Milan at 7 p.m. Friday for a spot in the Dec. 2 Class 3A final in Cookeville, Tenn.
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The family of senior Winston Williams (10) moved its Thanksgiving feast to Brentwood from Birmingham since CPA practices Thursday and plays in Friday's semifinals. (Photos by Dr. Phillip Kemp)
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“We’re going to try to practice in the morning Wednesday and Thursday, where people can go spend time with their families,” said Coach Ingle Martin, a former Green Bay Packer backup quarterback. “I think the latest they will be here is noon, and Thursday we’ll try to get done by 10:30.
"We want them to still be able to enjoy it. A lot of guys who play football know it’s really an honor to play this time of year.”
Mary Williams, mom of leading rusher and top tackler Winston Williams, said Coach Martin told them about 6-8 weeks ago if CPA made it this far they would be practicing on Thanksgiving Day. The family first moved the meal from lunch to evening and made it fluid as a possible Brentwood event -- finalizing the location about 3 weeks ago.
"They have worked so hard to get to this point," said Williams, a Brentwood resident. ". . . Early on, when Coach Martin first sent out the email, a couple of moms said 'practice on Thanksgiving?' I said it's a privilege for the boys to get to practice since it means they're still playing.
"It's such a huge deal because it's been so long since we've been this far."
The guest list of over 20, many having to drive to Tennessee now, grew after the Williamses learned another senior Patrick Eytchison, brother Lucas and his dad Brian -- who are sort of "homeless" for the holiday.
Patrick's maternal grandfather in Toledo, Ohio, recently turned 90 years old, and the family had planned a combined Thanksgiving and 90th birthday celebration this weekend. Patrick's oldest sibling Emily, a Brentwood High grad and sophomore at Baylor University, was already flying to Ohio from Waco, Texas, while Patrick's mom Amy and youngest Aubrey, 9, left on the drive up this afternoon.
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Lineman Patrick Eytchison (53), his father and brother are having Thanksgiving with the Williamses, while his mom and sisters go to his grandfather's 90th celebration in Ohio.
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In Tennessee, it's a boys football weekend for Patrick, a CPA senior noseguard-offensive lineman; Lucas, a BHS freshman; and their father.
"This is the only good enough reason to not go to celebrate my father-in-law's 90th birthday," Brian Eytchison said. "I wish I were up there. . . . It would be been nice if we all could be together."
And Mom is missing out on Patrick's senior state semifinal football game.
"We've been given all of the cowbells and the horns and the camera and the video," dad Brian said. "There's a spirit bus driving up to the game on Friday, and Lucas and I are on that spirit bus. We'll go up there and do what we can to represent the family."
Mary Williams said three women will be busy cooking the big meal to serve after Thursday's Thanksgiving practice, and another senior player may also be invited due to family plans. "Those are big appetites," she said.
Winston Williams, one of CPA's key players who has attended the school since kindergarten, said he doesn't mind the switch in plans from traveling to Alabama.
"Everyone else is coming to Nashville now and then going to the game," he said. "I’m excited I'm going to be home for Thanksgiving, being able to practice and seeing my friends."
Martin, who started his collegiate career at Florida under Coach Steve Spurrier, recalls getting to play in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs (formerly I-AA) after he transferred and starred at Furman.
“Coach (Bobby) Lamb would have some of the quarterbacks and seniors over, and he and his wife would cook a Thanksgiving meal and some of the coaches would be there too,” Martin said
“So often you’re sitting in front of the TV eating Thanksgiving and watching the college or pros play football . . . It’s a neat thing to have memories of practicing and playing Thanksgiving Day.”
The CPA team will leave about 1 p.m. Friday on two charter buses headed down I-40 and stop in Jackson, Tenn., for a pre-game meal before driving about a half-four north to Milan.
“Obviously they are a school that has won and won very frequently. They have a very steep tradition,” Martin said. “They’ve got a really good, good coaching staff.
“It’s clear to everybody why they get to the semifinals – I think this is their fourth straight year. They’re a good team, they’ve got good players.”
The CPA coach said someone who once won at Milan half-jokingly told of a story of the sheriff coming into the locker room and suggesting the visiting team not stop to eat on the way home until Jackson. The bottom line: Football is important in Milan.
“The thing we’ll have to do is not forget who we are, play our schemes, do our jobs and not worry about the opponent,” the Lions coach said. “Obviously, the biggest thing is taking care of the football and playing good defense.”
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No shave for playoffs
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CPA Coach Ingle Martin and defensive coordinator Kevin Smith have been growing a beard both for a playoff run and under the November no-shave movement at the school and nationally to raise awareness for cancers that affect men.
Smith grew out his playoff beard when he coached at Knoxville Catholic during its state championship season in 2008.
“I’ve been able to have the excuse not to shave and my wife can’t get upset about it since it’s no-shave November and a playoff beard,” Martin said. “Both Smith and I have committed to not shaving as long as we’re still playing.”
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Milan runs a 4-3 defense with a lot of cover-two, and also operates a pro-style offense. “Smash-mouth football is what they call what they play in West Tennessee. They want to control the clock,” Martin said.
CPA has a base 3-4 defense with cover-two but like Milan runs a pro-style offense. “We want to control the clock and have an efficient passing game,” Martin noted.
This will be the first meeting of the schools. Christ Presbyterian has previously been in the state semifinals only twice – and went on to win the championship both years (2000, 2002).
"For me personally it’s just exciting because we've never made it past the first round the three years I’ve been in high school," Winston Williams said. "To finally to make it to the semifinals my senior year, it’s really exciting. I don’t want to say it's satisfying because we haven’t won it yet."
Martin said he wasn’t surprised at all at how the team responded last Friday in the Class 3A home quarterfinal win against Pearl-Cohn.
“Our kids have been playing hard all year,” the first-year CPA head coach said. “Playing with great effort and great attitude – those are two things they can control and two things that allow you to play good football. You’re going to have mistakes, you’re going to have tough plays against you, but it’s how you respond. Our kids never blinked.”
Martin said he thinks this will be a Thanksgiving the players can long remember after their high school days are over.
He still credits this year’s senior players a lot, with “just the way they’ve led and kind of risen up to take this program kind of back to where it was for so long.”
“We’re the third team in school history to make it this far, and a lot of the credit goes to these seniors,” Martin said. “They’ve done everything our coaching staff has asked since we’ve gotten here. Hopefully, the journey will last another two weeks."
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