MARYVILLE, Tenn. — High school football returned to East Tennessee Friday night, the season started with a warning about substance abuse and opioid abuse.
Maryville High School and Heritage High Schools started their seasons with a matchup against each other. The neighboring schools took the chance to make the matchup about more than the rivalry between them. For more than five years, Maryville High School has been home to "drug-free" football games, aimed at raising awareness about substance abuse and overdose prevention.
A Blount County mom has helped organize the game since 2014 when she lost her football player son, Dane McCoy, to an overdose. During the game on Friday, two football players also received $1,000 scholarships for their leadership and good standing morals.
"Our student population is not immune, either. There is substance misuse in every high school in every county across the country. We want to be able to better educate students and caregivers on what that might look like," said Chris Less with Be Aware Blount.
During the game, the teams also honored an alumnus for her recovery journey. The graduate marked 10 years sober recently.
Be Aware Blount is a prevention and wellness coalition. It has a list of resources on its website for people seeking a life in recovery. Anyone struggling with addiction can also reach out to the Tennessee REDLINE at 1-800-889-9789.