Hodum and Marley add another chapter to their friendship
HENDERSON, Tenn. – In this battle of mentor against mentee, the teacher is still dishing out lessons. “The student is definitely behind the pupil,” laughed Chester County head football coach Michael Hodum. This isn’t the first time Hodum is returning to his old stomping grounds in different colors to face his former varsity coach. “He’s a lot smarter than me; I can’t keep up with stuff like that. I can’t even remember what day it is,” said USJ head coach Mickey Marley. Marley and Hodum have coached against each other for more than a decade. Each matchup brings the best out of both. “I enjoy coaching against his teams because they’re well coached and they get after it just the way he did as a player,” said Marley. Coach Hodum, who went on to play football at MTSU for four years, still uses the same lessons he learned as a Bruin. “The main things coach Marley taught me were discipline and hard work,” explained Hodum. “The kids he got over there do the same thing. He’s always done a great job of having his kids play so hard.” Head coaches aren’t the only ones that share a close bond. The same goes for both starting quarterbacks. “Growing up we played Dixie youth together and travel league baseball. Our families are both close,” said USJ junior Easton about his friendship with Chester County’s Bo Morris. Morris says it’s about having a good time and playing good competition when him and Underwood compete. “I say cutting up more than thrash talking. We’re a bunch of nuts,” said Morris. Highlights and the final score of the game can be seen on 5th Quarter. Live coverage from the game begins at five on Friday.
