The history. The wins. The great players and the myriad
of trophies signifying football success for 74 fall evenings.
Newly hired head football coach Chad Grabowski is
ready to lead the charge into the 75th season of Red Bank football and to help “Restore
the Roar” in this tradition-rich high school football community.
From the program’s first coach in George Edwards in
1940 to 55 wins under Bill Edwards (1954-62) and the first bowl victory (1959)
to hall of famer Tom Weathers and the 15-0 state champs in 2000, coach
Grabowski wants to build on the grand Blue and White gridiron tradition.
“I want to bring back winning football to the Red
Bank program with a goal of getting to the playoffs sooner rather than later and
eventually play for another state championship,” said coach Grabowski at Tuesday
night’s Red Bank Football Booster Club meeting.
First Game: The Chad Grabowski Era opens on the road
on Aug. 22 at Boyd-Buchanan …
Home Schedule: Two of Red Bank’s oldest rivals –
Soddy Daisy (Aug. 29) and Rhea County (Sept. 26) – will play the Lions at Red
Bank Community Stadium along with East Ridge, Hixson and Tyner.
“I am humbled to be here and am excited to be part
of a community that has high expectations for its football program.”
The 37-year-old Grabowski was 33-20 in five years at
Mount Dora (Fla.) High School with two trips to the playoffs, but was looking
for a new challenge when Red Bank came calling.
“I had taken Mount Dora about as far as I could and
am excited to be here at Red Bank with such great community interest and
support.”
The program's 10th coach, Coach Grabowski is focused on helping prepare his
student-athletes for Friday Night Lites.
But he also will work to make sure those same
teenagers can not only successfully block and tackle, but also hit the books in
preparation for attending college.
“My wife and I have a son in middle school and a
daughter in the first grade and we feel it is important not only to be the football
coach, but be part of the community in other ways.”
“Restore The Roar” – Red Bank Math department chair
Deb Weiss borrowed a page from Penn State football for this year’s theme … she
was a graduate student in Happy Valley in late 1970s and attended many Nittany
Lions home games …
“ “Restore The Roar” is not only about football or any
other sport, but wanting to increase morale among the faculty, staff and
students in all aspects of campus life here at Red Bank High School,” said Mrs.
Weiss.
Red Bank Football – 74 Years – 9 Coaches
Coach - W-L Record … Years
George Edwards – 3-6-1 … 1940
George McCoy – 21-16-1 … 1941-43, 1946
Marion Perkins – 35-42-5 … 1944-45, 1947-53
Bill Edwards – 55-37 … 1954-62
Ray Bussard – 19-23-2 … 1963-66
Frank Cofer – 39-18-5 … 1967-72
Tom Weathers – 230-89-0 … 1973-2001
Tim Daniels – 77-40-0 … 2002-2011
E.K. Slaughter – 7-13-0 … 2012-13
74 Seasons – 486-285-18 …. 789 games
Best Season: 2000 – 15-0, state champions
10+ Win Seasons (11): 1978 (11-2), 1984 (10-2), 1988 (10-1), 1990 (10-1),
1994 (10-2), 1997 (10-2), 2000 (15-0), 2005 (10-2), 2006 (12-1), 2007 (12-1),
2009 (12-1)
Chad Grabowski Era
First Game - Aug. 22, 2014 …. Red Bank at
Boyd-Buchanan ….
Chad Grabowski File
Age: 37
High School: Tavares HS (Fla.)
College: Valdosta (Ga.) State
Prior to Red Bank: Mount Dora HS (Fla). 5 years; 33-20
and two playoff appearances
Family: Wife – Amber, whom he met at Valdosta State
Children (4): Cierra (17), Bryson (10), Peyton (5),
Kaeden (3)
Little Known Facts: his dad’s third cousin is Jim
Grabowski, former U. of Illinois All-American running back in the 1960s who also
played for the Green Bay Packers on two Super Bowl championship teams
Coach Grabowski has also been chased by an Alaskan
Moose while salmon fishing in the Great Northwest.
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net