FORMER RICHLANDS STANDOUT HAS NO REGRETS
To Andrea Horn who reproduced this article for the UNOFFICIAL BLUE TORNADO FOOTBALL HOMEPAGE, Thank you!!!
Following is a reprint of an article by TIM HAYES
in the Bristol Herald Courier on Nov. 23, 2003
JOHNSON CITY: Michael Mabe faced a tough decision last May. The East
Tennessee State University junior was pleased with his choice on Saturday
afternoon.
Mabe, a former standout at Richlands High School, played on special teams
and was in on two tackles in East Tennessee State's thrilling 16-13 win
over The Citadel on Saturday afternoon, the final game in the history of
ETSU's
football program.
While some players left Johnson City in May when they found out that ETSU
football would no longer be a commodity after this season, Mabe stayed.
He was all smiles after Saturday's victory. "At first we weren't even sure
we were going to have a program this season," Mabe said. "But once we
figured it out, everybody was looking to
go other places. But a lot of others wanted to stay and finish it off.
Leaving came to everybody's mind, but I'm very glad I came back."
Mabe, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound defensive back, tackled The Citadel's Scooter
Johnson in the second quarter while on the punt team, while he also
assisted on a tackle in the second quarter on a kickoff.
Former Lee High standouts Jimmy Martin and Brandon Calton, along with
Mabe, led the Southwest Virginia contingent in ETSU's final game.
"As a team, we didn't really talk about this being the last game, but
everybody else did," Mabe said. "It was always in the papers and on the
news. Team-wise we just talked about winning it for the seniors. They
have been in it four or five years and we wanted to help them win their
final
game."
With a crowd of 5,911 in the Memorial Center on Saturday, ETSU used a
22-yard field goal from Johnson City native Jonathan Godfrey to win the
game. "It was nice to have the crowd behind us," Mabe said. "We were
driving
the ball and I looked up and saw time was running out and started to get a
little nervous. Jonathan was pretty calm."
Mabe, one of 47 underclassmen on the Buccaneers' roster, now faces another
decision- where he will continue his football career.
"It's like coming out of high school again," Mabe said. "A lot of coaches
have been coming by and calling and mailing letters. I'm looking to go
play
somewhere else, I just don't know where yet."
Mabe was just enjoying the thrill of victory on Saturday afternoon.
"Record-wise it was a rough season for us," Mabe said. "To win our last
two games was great. It was special."
