Early Alcoa High School Athletics

Early Alcoa High School Athletics. . Alcoa High School began participating in athletics, as the Red Tornadoes, in the fall of 1924. The gymnasium was added in 1927. Alcoa High School played its home basketball games there until 1954., Captions (clockwise from top left)
. The 1925 Red Tornado football team is pictured on the athletic field at Springbrook School and in offensive formation. L-R, front row, Tommy Enis, Henry Settles, Bill Linginfelter, Harold Beightol, Charles Beightol, Cyril Brown, and George Buchanan; second row, Coach Pillard, Bill Brown, Pat Burns, W. B. Emert, Lynn Miller, Don Bates, Ralph Teffeteller, Frank Hayes, and V. F. Goddard, superintendent of schools. In the background are homes along Dalton Street, adjacent to the field. , . Above: Herman Thompson was Blount County's first basketball player named to the All-State team. He later captained the University of Tennessee Volunteers where he became among the school's top scorers. He was named to the Tennessee All-Century team in 2009. , . Left: Springbrook Gymnasium at the time of its dedication in December 1927. , . Right: The 1924-1925 Red Tornado basketball team. This photograph may be the oldest picture of an Alcoa High School sports team. Most of the players are unidentified. In the back row, Bill Linginfelter is second from left, and Don Bates is third from left. Coach Salter is standing on the right.