KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — King's Academy is an extremely young football team. They only have four seniors on the roster. Moreover, head coach Jonathan Sellers is only 24-years-old and getting ready for his first full season with the Lions.
None of that matters to TKA, though. They are a close-knit group and they have full trust in their coach.
"It's crazy to me how he's so young and he's so smart, like football smart," said senior wide receiver Zack Tilley about Sellers.
Tilley and most of his teammates have known Sellers since they were in middle school. This helped the players develop a close relationship and respect for Sellers.
"This year, I think we have a lot of potential with [coach Sellers]," senior offensive lineman Bailey Rollins said.
Sellers appreciates the vote of confidence from his players, but he recognizes that it took mentoring for him to reach this step in his career.
"Honestly, I have to give a bunch of praise to Matt Lowe," Sellers said. "That guy really took me under his wing when I was 17...he allowed to do a lot of things that people my age didn't get to do."
With a full season in front of him, Sellers knows what type of football he wants the Lions to display on the field.
"I love scoring points, so hopefully we do a lot of that," Sellers said with a smile. "Then on defense, we're going to try and take the ball away as much as he can and create as many big hits as possible."
The Lions start the season at Seymour on Aug. 23.