The Daily Times

Officials took William Blount players off the field for what appears to be the wrong reason Thursday night in a loss at Bearden.

Brandon Tipton was called off the field before the Govs’ first offensive play and quarterback Tim Green was removed a play later because of what TSSAA officials working the Thursday game deemed a uniform violation.

WB coach David Gregory said he was told an exposed logo on his team’s shoulder pad was the reason for the violation.

At issue was a TSSAA rule that doesn’t allow any part of the shoulder pad to be exposed outside of the jersey, but that wasn’t what was explained to Gregory at the time of the penalty.

It wasn’t the explanation given when the TSSAA office got in contact with the official who made the call, either.

“Basically, the official lied to TSSAA,” Gregory told The Daily Times Wednesday. “He told TSSAA that he kept telling us to cover the pad up.

“I told (the TSSAA), ‘No, he didn’t, he told us to cover the logo, (he) never said anything about the pad.’ ”

It was the same shoulder pads — made by sports equipment manufacturer Riddell Sports, Inc. — and the same white away jerseys that the Govs’ had worn a week earlier at Knox. Central.

“The rule is, that the pads have to be covered by a jersey,” Gregory said. “I understand the rule, but that’s not the way he explained it to us.

“He was telling us we had to put a piece of tape over that logo.”

Gregory said they tried to tape over the logos but the tape wouldn’t stick. Other players got trainers to remove the pad — which hangs down on the players’ sleeve — on the sideline.

“When (the) TSSAA official called him, he told him that he told us to cover the pad,” Gregory said. “And I just told (the TSSAA official), ‘No, he’s lying to you.’”

Both Tipton and Green were allowed to re-enter the game on William Blount’s opening drive.

Gregory was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct, a 15-yard penalty, during the drive after coming off the sideline and on to the field to argue the penalty.

Gregory said he wasn’t sure how they were going to cover the pad, but removing the piece of safety equipment wouldn’t be an option for his players when they travel to take on Jefferson County tonight.

“I’m not taking (the pad) off,” Gregory said. “I’ll figure out some way to cover it, but we’re not taking them off.”

The players who did remove the pad during the game at Bearden ended up with bruised arms, Gregory said.

“Friday morning Lane Bloom, (Vinnie) Hasenstaub, Tim Green, they had that pad and had to take them off, and their shoulders we’re so bruised — I’m not taking them off of them.

“I’ll figure something out. If I have to paint it white or something.”

Regardless of the pad situation, the trip to Jefferson County won’t be an easy one.

The Patriots blanked Heritage 40-0 in Week 0. They beat Tennessee High 35-17 in their home opener the following week before falling to Sevier County — the team that downed WB 45-28 in Week 0 — on Friday in a heartbreaking 23-22 IMAC loss.

“We went and watched them play Sevier County Friday night and they looked pretty good,” Gregory said.

Quarterback Malik Styles and running back Dearies Jones make for a hard-to-stop run combination in the Jefferson County backfield.

“They did things different (Friday),” Gregory said. “They’ve been in the I (formation) most of the year. At Sevier County, they spread it and let those two (Styles and Jones) run wild.

“They gave Sevier County fits.”