IT WAS A HISTORY-MAKING SEASON FOR ROANE COUNTY FOOTBALL IN 2022...THE RAIDERS ENJOYED PERFECTION GOING 10-AND-0 FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER...MANY REWARDS FOLLOWED, INCLUDING A LOT OF RAIDER MAROON BEING A PART OF THIS YEAR'S WCHS-TV/FOX 11 NORTH-SOUTH ALL-STAR FOOTBALL CLASSIC...
It was a history-making season for Roane County football in 2022. The Raiders enjoyed perfection going 10-0 for the first-time ever. Many rewards followed, including a lot of Raider Maroon being a part of this year's WCHS-TV/FOX 11 North-South All-Star Football Classic.
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In 1998, Paul Burdette was a North player. Now he finds himself as the Bears head coach 25 years later. Three standouts from last year's undefeated team - Colton Paxton, Christian Jarvis and Skyler Delk - are with him in Institute for a week of training camp.
"It's a great opportunity to be here, especially with two other teammates and our head coach and assistant coach being up here. It's pretty awesome," said Paxton.
Paxton has learned plenty about the Classic from former Raider stars.
"Great week to be here. Great memories. Great friends. Great opportunity really."
This week presents Paxton a chance to be at his future home as a West Virginia State Yellow Jacket.
"I'm excited. I've been down here for a little bit. I'm excited to see what a week to week holds."
"It's amazing. I've watched other guys past generations play up here. I've had a lot of role models come through and I've always wanted to be here. It's good to finally get here and accomplish what I wanted to do."
Jarvis is proud to represent Roane football one last time.
"It's very hometown based. Surrounded by football that place is. It's very comfortable just to be in that type of uniform. it's very easy."
"It's obviously an honor to be out here. I've got a lot of friends from before. A lot of upperclassmen that would come to these games, talk about how amazing it was, the experience just the whole week. How amazing it was to have a different level of competition," Delk said.
Delk will join Paxton as a future player at State. He says it's great to close out this chapter of his high school life with Paul Burdette.
"Coach Burdette, he's kind of like another dad almost," Delk said. "He cares about us inside and outside of football. He's always texting us, checking up on us, even though technically we're not a part of the team anymore. He cares about us. We're always a part of that Raider family."
Another member of the the Raider family includes Matthew Peery, a North assistant.
"To have those guys here and to experience this with me as a head coach is very special."