Science Hill High School

Charlie Fleming

Charlie Fleming 1935

Plowboy Farmer's first two football teams combined for a 10-9-2 record at Science Hill during the 1930-31 seasons. Then he got to ride a Charlie horse.

Flashing speed that would him win three state track championships in the spring of 1935, Fleming rushed for 38 touchdowns and caught two others during three varsity seasons (1932-34). Farmer's teams were 27-1-2 during Fleming's varsity years.

As a sophomore, Fleming scored the Hilltoppers' TD in an 8-6 win against Knox Central. He scored the only TD in a 6-0 defeat of Knox Central -- after a 51-yard interception return to the 5-yard-line by Bill McCarren -- during his junior season.

"Knox Central was tough, big brutes," said Fleming, who recently turned 93 and lives in Bluff City. "I don't know how I got there, but I got across the goal line. And that was it, the only score the whole game. You forget a lot of the games when you're 93 years old, but I'll never forget that one."

Fleming returned a punt for one TD and ran 20 yards for another in a 19-6 defeat of Dobyns-Bennett his junior season and scored first in a 13-0 defeat of Chattanooga City his senior season. He always seemed to be at his best against the better opponents, scoring four TDs against

Elizabethton and four against Tennessee High his senior season. "I ran 70 yards against Tennessee High for a touchdown," he said. "I scored a few touchdowns against Elizabethton over in Elizabethton when we really beat 'em good. They were pretty good then. Mule Brown was their coach."

Fleming said excelling for Farmer was gratifying. "Coach Farmer wasn't hot-headed or hot-tempered or anything of that nature," Fleming said. "He led us; instead of making us do this or that, he led us."

He led Fleming into going out for track, and Fleming responded by winning state titles in the 100-yard dash and both hurdles events. Scholarship offers piled up.

"I decided to go to Tennessee," Fleming said. "I stayed there for a little while and I didn't like anything about it.  Fleming transferred to East Tennessee State.

"Eugene MacMurray was the coach then -- the finest fellow that ever lived," Fleming said. "I was a tailback, called the signals most of the time. I was All-Smoky Mountain Conference."

Fleming began a 32-year coaching career in Bluff City in 1947. He coached baseball, track and, most notably, basketball. I enjoyed coaching an awful lot."

Time doesn't diminish the pride and affection Fleming experienced at Science Hill more than 70 years ago. He said news of his election into the Science Hill Hall of Fame triggered a broad smile.