Friday’s 19-0 season-opening road loss to the Heritage Mountaineers wasn’t the way anyone associated with the 2008 Seymour football program envisioned the Eagles beginning the year.

Any momentum the Eagles had gathered on the same field a week earlier after capping an up-and-down off-season with an encouraging showing in the annual Sevier/Blount Jamboree against four-time defending Class 4A State Champion Maryville was quickly reversed to the side of the home team thanks to a stagnant SHS offensive that contributed to four of five SHS turnovers.

All three of the Mountaineers’ touchdown drives came on short fields created by inopportune Eagles’ turnovers.

Heritage opened the night’s scoring with a seven-yard touchdown pass with 9:33 remaining in the first quarter. The Mountaineer’s three play, 10-yard, 68 second scoring drive followed a mishandled Seymour punt.

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