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Article published Dec 5, 2008 Maryville boasts real McCoys for title game
By John Brice Daily Times Correspondent
Their playing styles are as contrasting as their frames; one measures about 5-feet-8-inches and 175 pounds; the other crests the growth chart at 6-2, tipping the scales at nearly 270 pounds.
Yet the last name -- McCoy -- is the same for brothers and Maryville teammates Cody and Dane McCoy.
"They're about as opposite in every way as you can think of," said MHS coach George Quarles. "One's big, one's little. One's quick, one's not as quick. They're just opposites. Cody is very driven, he's as they say, ship-shape. Dane's a little bit more laidback. Cody, you never wonder about his best effort. Both have been very productive. I'm glad they're on our team."
Cody, the hyperactive, spark-plug linebacker, and Dane, the powerful defensive tackle, both will appear on the Rebels' starting defense Saturday against Hillsboro when Maryville seeks an unprecedented fifth-consecutive Class 4A state championship. Kickoff at MTSU's Floyd Stadium is 4:30 p.m. Eastern.
"It is kind of a neat experience to have him as a starter too this year, playing on the same side of the ball," said Cody, a senior for the undefeated and top-ranked Rebels. "I didn't really expect that. It's been a good experience being able to play behind him, congratulate each other after plays. That's something not too many people get to experience."
With names such as Clement, Harris, Maples and Smith, among others, fixtures in the Rebels' annals, the McCoys are hardly the first set of Maryville sibling teammates who extend this family affair to their home, where their father, Dan, oftentimes joins film sessions.
"It really is all we talk about, especially during football season," said Dane, a junior on a Maryville defensive line that has grown steadily under Larry Walker's tutelage. "Even when we eat dinner, all we talk about is the game coming up and what they (the opponent) look like."
Adds Cody, "Usually, most of our gatherings are watching film or talking about our upcoming opponent. My dad likes to join in with us. Sit down, watch the film and talk about it."
Dad is a former United States Air Force Thunderbird, though his career with the premier flight demonstration squadron was cut short by a horrific accident. Still, the determination the elder McCoy showed in battling back from injuries sustained in the crash -- doctors told him he would never walk again -- are evident in the demeanor Cody deploys on the field.
The hyperkinetic linebacker did, after all, chase down a Knox Central ballcarrier from about 15 yards away earlier this season sans helmet to assist on the tackle.
"Doctors told him he was never supposed to walk again and with one day of therapy after he got out of the body cast, he was walking again," said Cody, who will follow his father's military footsteps at either the Air Force Academy, Naval Academy or The Citadel next year. "I guess he doesn't really talk about it too much, but it is motivating to realize how determined he was to walk again, and he didn't let something like that get him down. It's something we take for granted, I guess."
Dane takes nothing for granted about his brother's senior season or their dwindling time as teammates. Since the McCoy family moved here from Fairfield Glade when Cody was 6 and Dane 5, they have seen the Maryville program ascend to preeminent status in the state and garner considerable regional acclaim. The Rebels have won 74 consecutive games, and Dane longs for one more triumph.
"This is probably a once-in-a-lifetime thing," Dane said. "Last year I didn't start, and next year he'll be gone. It's pretty neat.
"I'm pretty motivated because he's worked extra hard this year and I've never seen him play this hard in football as he has this senior year. I want to make sure he goes out with a win."
Cody, briefly, allows himself to think of how he wishes Saturday's contest will unfold against Hillsboro."The main thing I've thought about it is him coming up and hugging me and saying I'm going to miss playing with you," Cody said.