Pack Finley on Friday

The East Ridge Alumni and Supporters Association is sponsoring a tailgate party at Finley Stadium prior to the Pioneers/Irish playoff game on Friday.

According to Candace Visage Bell, the group’s secretary, they will begin tailgating at 5 p.m. The group is encouraging everyone to wear ORANGE in support of the undefeated East Ridge team.

The Pioneers (12-0) will face Notre Dame (9-3) at 7 p.m. East Ridge boasts the Region Player of the Year, running back Traneil Moore. Moore has rushed for more than 2,000 yards this season and scored 26 touchdowns. The Pioneers have a stingy defense that allows on average 12 points per game.

Notre Dame is led by its talented quarterback/kicker Alex Darras. Darras has thrown for more than 2,000 yards. The Irish’s running attack is not too shabby, led by Ricky Ballard who has rushed for more than 1,000 yards this season.

The school’s administration originally planned to have the game played at Raymond James Stadium/Shanks Field. However, with the home stands having been condemned early in the season there was a concern that the facility could not accommodate the 3,000 fans that are expected. Tickets can be purchased at the Finley Stadium gate for $8. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

The winner of this game will face the winner of Alcoa and Christian Academy of Knoxville on Nov. 27 in the semifinals of the state tournament. The finals are scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4 at Tennessee Tech.

About Dick Cook

Dick Cook has lived in East Ridge since the Kennedy Administration when his parents bought a house on Marietta Street. Dick graduated from ERHS in 1976 before going on to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where he studied Political Science. Dick worked for the Chattanooga Free-Press and the Chattanooga Times Free Press for 22 years. Free-Press Sports Editor Roy Exum plucked him out of production in 1989 and gave him a job as a sports reporter. Dick covered everything from prep sports to the whitewater events on the Ocoee River for the 1996 Olympics. When Chattanooga's two paper's merged, he became the Crime Reporter covering both the Chattanooga Police and Fire Departments. He was among reporters who were honored by the Associated Press for the TFP's coverage of the 2002 fog-shrouded crash on I-75 in Catoosa County, Dick and his wife, Cathy, live on Marlboro Avenue where they are seen frequently chasing around their three grandsons.