There’s a new “freshman” in town for Anderson County football (WATE)

Posted Date: 11/06/2023

CLINTON, Tenn. (WATE) — There’s been a very important teammate for Anderson County over the last few years, but the Mavs family is now one retriever bigger.

Ella, a “fifth year senior” has been a crowd favorite for years, retrieving the kickoff tee on the Mavs’ turf, all the way to the state championship.

“It’s a very unique experience not just for the community but for our student-athletes as well and everybody loves it,” said Lance Freeman, Ella’s owner.

But now a “freshman” has come into the mix for the Freeman tee retrieving family – Lady May.

“I got her at, she was actually right at eight weeks old when we got her and I got her knowing going into it that the lifespan of a lab is only so long and Ella will be nine in January and I know that we’re short lived on her being able to continue to do this,” said Freeman. 

Ella is a pro, and Lady May has the privilege of learning from the best.

“I’m a firm believer that dogs learn from older dogs that know what they’re doing, so know when I send Ella out, I let May run with her so it’s just muscle memory and consistency over time equals long-term results hopefully,” Freeman said.

There’s a lot of potential for the young pup to follow in the footsteps of her big sister, but for now, she’ll watch from the sideline, “It’s gonna be Ella’s show until it’s not,” said Freeman.