Science Hill High School

Tommy Sholes

Tommy Sholes 1968

Tommy Sholes was going to transfer from Elizabethton to University High, but his brother Dillard convinced their father to let him go to Science Hill. The decision was well received by Hilltoppers.

Sholes was second-team All-State after passing for 13 touchdowns and running for five others his senior season in '67. At the time, the 13 TDs were second to Steve Spurrier's 16 (1962) on the single-season list.

Sholes finished with 18 career TD passes, which was also second to Spurrier (20) at the time, and rushed for seven scores.

After Sholes led Science Hill to a 37-13 defeat of No. 7 Oak Ridge at Memorial Stadium in 1966 on 15-of-17 passing, Wildcats coach Jack Armstrong told the Johnson City Press-Chronicle, "We've never seen passing like that."

Sholes’ quarterback coach, Emory Hale, remembers Sholes’ performance against Oak Ridge like it was Friday night.

“He missed two passes,” Hale said. “Tommy put on a show.”

Science Hill went 18-2 during his seasons as starter (1966-67), which were Kermit Tipton's final season and Snake Evans' first. The Hilltoppers outscored opponents 484-139 during those 20 games.

"Tommy liked to throw the football," Tipton said, "and he could throw it very well."

One of Sholes’ offensive lineman, Larry Butler, said Sholes had a good mix of talent and intangibles.

"Tommy was class personified," Butler said. "He was in charge -- calm, cool and collected. He epitomized the word leadership."

Hale said he coached an All-State quarterback at Oak Ridge, Doug Martin, who was similar to Sholes. (Martin is the coach at Kent State.)

“They just both knew football,” Hale said. “They were like coaches on the field.” Sholes, who signed with Vanderbilt, has been an OB/GYN in Gainesville, Ga., the past 21 years.

“The only coaching I’ve done is with women in labor,” he says. Science Hill’s coaching staff was second to none, according to Sholes, even if it did insist on the slap drill. Players would pair up at halftime and smack each other in the face if they were behind.

“It was our secret weapon,” Sholes said. “I think we were behind at halftime two times in three years. Really, we had some staff up there.

Kermit Tipton, then he leaves, and Coach (Snake) Evans and Coach (Keith) Lyle took over my senior year and didn’t miss a beat.”

Sholes’ favorite victory was beating Dobyns-Bennett 26-13 in the last game of his career. D-B wouldn’t play Science Hill the previous four years.

He prefers remembering teammates, players like Sammy Stuart, Lou Holly, John Bolden, Jimmy Henry, Jim Baxter, Edwin Yeiser, Jimmy Lawson, Bobby Sanders and Mike Cannon. The friendships were dear to a transplant.

Sholes had to redshirt as a sophomore because his family didn’t move for the transfer, but fondly recalls long days concluding with assistant Cot Presnell driving him to the bus station so he could ride to Elizabethton on “the suburban bus,” which he said made regular commutes around the Tri-Cities.