By Angela Dennis
The Central High School Bobcats got a taste of sweet hometown pride as their Golden Football gleamed in the city lights down Gay Street during the WIVK Knoxville Christmas Parade last Friday. Thousands of citizens and fans lined the streets and got to savor in the hometown victory. This was the first public event the team attended since their defeat of Henry County in the Blue Cross Bowl: 5A State Championship Game played at Tennessee Tech’s Tucker Stadium in Cookeville on December 2.
Quarterback Dakota Fawver threw for 106-yards and a touchdown pass leading his team to the win. They finally sealed the deal after coming up short in 2016 in the 4A championship, then falling to Catholic High School in the 5A Semifinals in 2017.
Head Coach Bryson Rosser has been with Central High School for almost 5-years. During this time he has led the Bobcats to 5 straight playoff appearances with a 34-18 overall record and is 15-9 in region play. Rosser was voted Knoxville’s High School Coach of the Year and is also a finalist for the Titans High School Coach of the Year Award. The winner will receive a $2000 grant for their football program as well as an all-expense paid trip to the 2019 Pro Bowl in Orlando, FL.
Rosser is a native of Hackensack, New Jersey with ties to East Tennessee. He was the Offensive Coordinator at both Oak Ridge High School and Hillsboro High School in Nashville serving under Coach Scott Blade. Rosser’s tenure at Hillsboro earned him a 4A State Championship victory over Maryville.
As a player, Rosser was a member of two New Jersey State Championship teams and was a 4-year starting quarterback at the historically black Tennessee State University.
Coach Rosser is the first coach in the 112-year history of Central High School to earn the Bobcats a State Championship. Congratulations to Coach Rosser, staff, and the Central High School football team – It’s Bobcat Nation!