How East Nashville football is using a lack of resources as motivation for 2022 season
East Nashville isn't practicing on its own campus on the first day of practice in pads.
New sod is being laid down in the stadium, preventing any activity from being held there. And there's no nearby practice field or baseball field on campus for the Eagles.
A few miles away, last season's Class 3A runners-up are warming up on a soccer field tucked behind Nashville Classical Charter School.
It's a situation that East Nashville coach Jamaal Stewart isn't happy about. It's also one that he's not going to complain about as he tries to prepare his team for another run to the Class 3A championship.
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"Our kids work hard and you feel like they deserve certain things like a practice field on campus," Stewart said. "We have to go across town every day and go to different locations to accommodate our needs and I feel like we shouldn't have to do that. Hopefully, East Nashville is one of the schools going under new renovations in the next couple of years and hopefully we can get something built like Hillsboro has.
"It's frustrating but we preach adversity and the kids don't let it get to them. The kids just want to practice but it's hard sometimes when you have to deal with all of this."
While they may not have the facilities or benefits other schools have, Stewart has told his team members that a target has been painted on their backs as they enter the new season.
East Nashville made history last season, going 11-5 and making it to the Class 3A championship for the first time in school history. The Eagles closed out the season with a 45-14 loss to eight-time defending champion Alcoa but Stewart hoped that his group used that experience as more of a learning opportunity than just another loss.
The Eagles graduated eight established seniors from that group, including 1,000-yard rusher Amarion Ford and their defensive leader in linebacker Jerry Campbell.
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This year's group features 16, including quarterback Zac Beard and leading receiver Frank Gordon. While many of those players had some role in the Eagles' run to the championship game last year, Stewart has repeatedly reminded them that this is a new year and nothing is given.
"Right now it's really about getting the kids to buy in," Stewart said. "It's a new year so it's not going to be a walk in the park. We had a lot of seniors last year that really led us so we need for guys to step up and it's made them hungrier."
Whether it's being down to Alcoa in the championship game or having the lack of resources their opponents have, Stewart's mentality of having to deal with that sort of adversity has begun to sink into his players.
Gordon mentioned that it is frustrating having to travel just to practice and work out but that it just adds fuel to his desire in trying to get back to the Class 3A championship in five months.
"We're always having to adjust no matter what the occasion is but we know we need to keep just working hard," Gordon said. "We're not going to complain whether it's being down to Alcoa or being forced to be away from our home field. That's just what our mentality has to be."
Reach Joe Spears at jspears2@gannett.com or 731-343-4923. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @joe_spears7.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: East Nashville football focused despite lack of practice accommodation
