With the Warriors hosting Volunteer on August 17, the 2018 football season is closely approaching, and Happy Valley has its sights set on conquering the Mountain Empire Conference.
After taking runner-up behind Sullivan North in the Mountain Empire Conference in 2017, the Happy Valley Warriors are expecting an even playing field in 2018 Region 1-AA football. The Warriors will start out conference play on Aug. 31 as they make the short trip over to Hampton. Happy Valley will host conference foe Cosby on Sept. 14, before finishing league action in October as they travel to Sullivan North on Oct. 12 before hosting South Greene on Oct. 26.
“We are pretty evenly matched across the board,” said Happy Valley head coach Jason Jarrett. “I truly believe the 2018 season is going to be competitive. I think Hampton and South Greene is going to better than they were last year. And I don’t see a drop off from Sullivan North, who were the conference champions last year.”
Happy Valley’s showdown with the Bulldogs comes early in the season, giving both teams little time to prepare for a key conference matchup.
“At the first of the year, everybody is still trying to work out the kinks,” said Jarrett. “In the conference, you draw numbers, and whatever number you get, that is where you fall and play. Ideally, with it being a rival game and a conference game, you would want it later in the season.”
“We will just have to work even harder to get prepared for that,” added Jarrett.
Non-conference action will feature the same teams as last season with the Warriors taking on Volunteer (Aug. 17 at home), Unicoi (Sept. 7 at home), Cloudland (Sept. 21, away), Grace-Christian-Knoxville (Sept. 28, away), Johnson County (Oct. 5, away), and West Greene (Oct. 19, away).
On the evening of Aug. 4, Happy Valley will host its annual Meet the Warriors Night during which all of Happy Valley’s youth club and middle school players and cheerleaders will be recognized along with the 2018 Happy Valley High School football team and cheerleaders. There will be inflatables and food.
“It is like a big community pep rally to recognize all of these kids that work hard all the from youth club to high school,” said Jarrett.

2018 Happy Valley Football Schedule
August
17— VOLUNTEER
31—at Hampton*
September
7—UNICOI COUNTY
14—COSBY*
21—at Cloudland
28—at Grace Christian
October
5—at Johnson County
12—at Sullivan North*
19—West Greene
26—SOUTH GREENE*