​MOUNTAIN CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Johnson County is preparing for a milestone season as the Longhorns celebrate the 100th year of the football program in 2026.The Longhorns enter their second season under head coach Tyler Trusler after finishing 3-8 overall and 2-3 in region play last year. With a year of experience under Trusler, the Longhorns are leaning on a growing group of leaders as they look to take another step forward.Trusler highlighted senior wide receiver Bryson Kimble, senior running back Brayden Dickens, junior quarterback Brock Jones and junior receiver Colton Osborne as key pieces of the Johnson County offense this fall.“Our biggest strength, as a team, I think it’s been the leadership,” Trusler said. “They’ve stepped up. They have held each other accountable. They’ve took some big steps and grown closer as a team and learning to trust each other. The hard work and dedication, I think it’s been really good for team 100.”For the players, the program’s 100th season adds even more significance to the year as they look to build a team they can be proud of long after the final game.“This is Longhorn football, so we hit hard,” Kimble said. “We all want to do our best to win. So just looking back at the past, we want to focus on the future.”Senior tight end and defensive player Jamie Jones said the Longhorns are embracing an underdog mentality and believe their talent can help them surprise teams this season.“We got a lot of heart coming into the season. We got a lot of talent. We’re the underdog,” Jones said. “We set our minds to it, we get mad and we believe in ourselves, and our quarterback has got good decision-making skills, so I believe we’re in good shape.”Johnson County opens its 100th season Thursday, Aug. 20, on the road against Sullivan East.Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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