Former Vol assistants combine for 105 points in season opener

Heritage High School (Maryville, Tennessee) defeated Clinton High School (Clinton, Tennessee), 63-42, Friday at Jack Renfro Stadium.

The game at Heritage featured two former Tennessee football assistants as head coaches.

Joe Osovet (Heritage) and Jake Dawson (Clinton) were on opposing sidelines. Both were assistant coaches under Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt.

Osovet is in his fifth season with the Mountaineers, while Dawson kicked off his second season with the Dragons.

Osovet served as tight ends coach for the Vols in 2020. He also served as Tennessee’s director of player development (2018) and director of football programming (2019) under Pruitt.

Dawson worked with Osovet at Tennessee as a defensive undergraduate assistant and was an assistant coach at Heritage.

On Friday, Heritage quarterback Walker Wheeler completed 12-of-14 passing attempts for 228 yards and five touchdowns. He also totaled 119 rushing yards on 13 attempts. Bubba Patterson totaled 175 rushing yards and two touchdowns on four attempts for Heritage.

Troy Ervin was Heritage’s leading receiver (130 yards). He also recorded five receptions and three touchdowns.

Clinton quarterback Mason Eckerson completed 18-of-29 passing attempts for 305 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He led the Dragons in rushing yards (103) and also recorded three rushing touchdowns on 17 attempts.

<1 / 15

<2 / 15

<3 / 15

<4 / 15

<5 / 15

<6 / 15

<7 / 15

<8 / 15

<9 / 15

<10 / 15

<11 / 15

<12 / 15

<13 / 15

<14 / 15

<15 / 15

Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).