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MAYBE IT WASN'T THE FOOTBALL equivalent of an epiphany, but it was close.

In 2004, after having the dominant eighth-grade team (i.e. Senior Midgets) in Knoxville for years, Knoxville Falcons coach Josh Jones realized it was time to expand his squad's borders.

"We got the idea to go out of state, both early and at the back end of the season," said Jones, who also serves on the Falcons' board of directors. "We've traveled to states like Alabama and Florida. We do it for the competition so our kids can best be prepared for the high school level.

"It doesn't make sense to win every game 35-6. We try to get kids to compete at a high level. Every single year we've had at least one kid start on the varsity (at Fulton High School) as a ninth grader. We equate that to being exposed to the better teams in the southeast."

Making the varsity at Fulton High at any age is a significant accomplishment, considering the school has won three of the last five Tennessee 3A titles and has made 14 consecutive playoff appearances.

In recent years, the Senior Midgets won the 2005 and 2007 Metro Atlanta Classic and were the runners-up in 2006; won the 2006 River City Classic in Louisville and were the runners-up in 2007; and won the 2007 South Chattanooga Turkey Bowl.

But there's more to the Falcons than the Senior Midgets.

Ironically, the organization was formed in 1951, the same year Fulton High was opened.

"We’re based in north Knoxville," said Jones, also the event director for both the Battle in Rocky Top Youth Football Classic and the National Youth Football Kickoff Classic (which last year encompassed 219 teams from 19 states). "It was important for the kids in our area to have a program because they had to drive all the way across the city to play football."

Besides the Senior Midgets, who field the oldest players, the Falcons also include Junior Midgets (12-year-olds), Pee Wees (11s), Minor Pee Wees (10s), Grass Cutters (9s), Grass Hoppers (8s), Junior Hoppers (7s) and a Flag Football league for youngsters ages four through six.

Approximately 300 kids were enrolled in the program last season (including about 60 in the Flag league).

Tackle teams (Junior Hoppers and above) have on average four to six coaches, while Flag teams have two coaches per team.

"The board makes decisions on head coaches and feels if we have good quality head coaches they can hire their assistants," Jones said. "Our board stresses to head and assistant coaches to attend the University of Tennessee Football Clinic in the summer and the youth football camp run by the high school."

One reason why the high school has been so successful as a result of having the Falcons as a feeder program is they're mirror images of each other.

"We mirror the high school in that we run the same drills," Jones said. "We use the same terminology because we want to get them ready to play for Fulton High School."

As successful as the Falcons have been, much of what's happened wouldn't have transpired without the help of the local business community.

"I equate our success to a community-wide effort," Jones said. "We get a lot of financial support, but we're not a wealthy area by any means. Business owners, community leaders and Fulton High School - our top-level board members - and the president, vice president and commissioner (Larry Cox, who's been the commissioner since 1991) work around the clock. And we have quality coaches."

Steve Diggs, who coaches the Minor Pee Wees, exemplifies what Jones refers to as a "quality coach."

"Steve is the executive director of the largest inner-city youth ministry program and has a great name and is very popular," Jones said. "All the kids go to his program. He attracted 50 10-year-old kids last year and we had to split it up into an A and B team."

Over the years the Falcons have developed youngsters, who according to Jones, have gone on to become doctors, lawyers, politicians and even NFL players.

Two notable alumni are Ron Widby (Cowboys) and D.D. Lewis (Seahawks, Broncos). Even the Knoxville mayor, Bill Haslam, came up through the program.

"I really feel we're the marquee organization for the whole city (the population of Knoxville is approximately 500,000)," added Jones, "and we have the marquee eighth-grade program. We've won a number of city titles (the city has 25 teams) and we're well-respected in the community."

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Story courtesy of Red Line Editorial, Inc.