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Where Has Riverdale's Once Proud Program Gone?


warrior82dad
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I've been an avid fan and supporter of the Riverdale program since 1982. I sat in the stands most every game and I've donated my money and continue to do so long after my son has move on from the school. Im saddened to see this once proud dominate program continue to slip into mediocrity. Yes, you maybe able to blame rezoning for some things but that's only a small part of what I see. This once strong program was a breeding ground for players and year after year they would just reload. Now they have become a program that has to resort to second rate transfers to just put a team on the field. I remember when the program started at the middle school level and moved up year after year with developing players with strength and conditioning and molding them into the Warrior way and system so when it was there time they would step in and shine. Is it a fluke that Coach Rankin after leaving continues to have a dominate program in the east? I think not. What left with him was the system of the program. The dedication to development. The passion for dominance. You only have to look at the sad game on Friday night to see the lack of size, speed, talent and passion. I see no passion in Coach A anymore. He's not passionate on the sidelines and show no emotion anymore at all. The funding push is on for a new locker room to be built and I will be sending my check as this change is needed. But along with the new locker room, maybe its time to make a change at the top. Our school, Our community and our students deserve more than what there getting. Lets bring back the programs that work and have shown success in the past and maybe that will take a change....Coach Rankin Where R U?

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I've been an avid fan and supporter of the Riverdale program since 1982. I sat in the stands most every game and I've donated my money and continue to do so long after my son has move on from the school. Im saddened to see this once proud dominate program continue to slip into mediocrity. Yes, you maybe able to blame rezoning for some things but that's only a small part of what I see. This once strong program was a breeding ground for players and year after year they would just reload. Now they have become a program that has to resort to second rate transfers to just put a team on the field. I remember when the program started at the middle school level and moved up year after year with developing players with strength and conditioning and molding them into the Warrior way and system so when it was there time they would step in and shine. Is it a fluke that Coach Rankin after leaving continues to have a dominate program in the east? I think not. What left with him was the system of the program. The dedication to development. The passion for dominance. You only have to look at the sad game on Friday night to see the lack of size, speed, talent and passion. I see no passion in Coach A anymore. He's not passionate on the sidelines and show no emotion anymore at all. The funding push is on for a new locker room to be built and I will be sending my check as this change is needed. But along with the new locker room, maybe its time to make a change at the top. Our school, Our community and our students deserve more than what there getting. Lets bring back the programs that work and have shown success in the past and maybe that will take a change....Coach Rankin Where R U?

Get real man. Your beloved Rankin left because he saw the writing on the wall. As for Alcoa, playing at a low level with the talent there, I think most coaches in Tennessee could win there. In fact ,most coaches that have been at Alcoa have won a state championship. I think you could  even  be 50-50 there.

Edited by fb247
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Love Riverdale! Love Coach Rankin! Great school! Great coach! Riverdale is like it is because of zone changes and additional schools in Rutherford County unfortunately! Also I would add that the interest by players and coaches alike has gone down hill at Riverdale since Coach Rankin and staff have left. The proof is in the down slide of this program! There have been multiple reasons because of this decline not just the zone changes! I have come back for several years since I have left and it does not take a rocket scientist to see this! Just saying! GO WARRIORS!!!!

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I mean, I was a little kid living in middle Tennessee from 1991-2000 when Rankin was at Riverdale, so this is a nostalgic subject for me as well. The Warriors were always in the hunt, and they won by doing things the right way, not to mention football was an afterthought before Rankin's arrival in 1990. It makes me sad to see it slipping and becoming an afterthought again.

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Well, it's obvious that the players that were going to Riverdale are now going to Blackman and Oakland. That is readily apparent. Back in the day all of those kids were going to Riverdale, hence why they were so dominant for so long. But, Murfreesboro is such a big town so you would think their would still be enough talent to go around, so it simply can't be just the zone changes. Riverdale is still a big 6A school. The staff there just isn't up to par I would think. That school still has talent I would assume, they just aren't getting the kids to come out and get excited about Riverdale football like when Rankin was there. Not everybody is Gary Rankin, though. He is the top coach in Tennessee in wins for a reason.

Edited by SweetScience
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Well, it's obvious that the players that were going to Riverdale are now going to Blackman and Oakland. That is readily apparent. Back in the day all of those kids were going to Riverdale, hence why they were so dominant for so long. But, Murfreesboro is such a big town so you would think their would still be enough talent to go around, so it simply can't be just the zone changes. Riverdale is still a big 6A school. The staff there just isn't up to par I would think. That school still has talent I would assume, they just aren't getting the kids to come out and get excited about Riverdale football like when Rankin was there. Not everybody is Gary Rankin, though. He is the top coach in Tennessee in wins for a reason.

Those going to Oakland is because fully half of its staff was R'dale Coaches under Rankin. Blackman and Coach Shad have FINALLY incorporated the strength program that Rankin used when his teams consistently beat Smyrna and Blackman teams.

 

I swore I was not going to get into this brawl this year but give Coach A one last shot because of his bringing in coaching staff that DOES understand PASSING. Unfortunately the one thing still lacking is an UNDERSTANDING of shut out DEFENSE! This falls directly at the feet of our DC who we ALWAYS beat when he was the HC at Blackman. Don't know if Coach A was told to put him on staff or what, but Coach A needs to FIX it.

 

BTW Mr. Nolan some of us remember when YOU stood up to being what to do in YOUR school from the Central Office of POLITICIANS when it came to sports!

 

Now who is the NEW Recruiter for R'dale that brought in the new QB from Cane Ridge? If this was the old Rankin days the screams about it would still be heard statewide!

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My personal opinion is that some of the Riverdale fans are delusional. You guys were riding a 6 game winning streak when you lost to Blackman friday. And Blackman will most likely be in the semis this year and might even win it all. So what do Riverdale fans honestly expect? To win 7AAA and win state every year? If you expect that you will be sorely disappointed if you expect that with any coach but George Quarles. The explanation for Riverdale's lack of dominance in recent years is very simple.. 7AAA is very good from top to bottom. In '10 Smyrna went to state and lost to Maryville, in '11 you guys went to the semis and lost to Maryville, in '12 siegel went to the semis and lost to maryville, and last year Blackman went to the semis and lost to... You guessed it maryville! The level of competition and parity in your league is crazy. It seems like every year a different team is top dog in 7AAA. You guys are still a good team and have winning records but you are not going to be dominant while the rest of 7AAA is so good and you guys have to face maryville if you make it out of 7AAA... It is what it is.

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My personal opinion is that some of the Riverdale fans are delusional. You guys were riding a 6 game winning streak when you lost to Blackman friday. And Blackman will most likely be in the semis this year and might even win it all. So what do Riverdale fans honestly expect? To win 7AAA and win state every year? If you expect that you will be sorely disappointed if you expect that with any coach but George Quarles. The explanation for Riverdale's lack of dominance in recent years is very simple.. 7AAA is very good from top to bottom. In '10 Smyrna went to state and lost to Maryville, in '11 you guys went to the semis and lost to Maryville, in '12 siegel went to the semis and lost to maryville, and last year Blackman went to the semis and lost to... You guessed it maryville! The level of competition and parity in your league is crazy. It seems like every year a different team is top dog in 7AAA. You guys are still a good team and have winning records but you are not going to be dominant while the rest of 7AAA is so good and you guys have to face maryville if you make it out of 7AAA... It is what it is.

If Blackman's QB plays at Riverdale the game is totally different. He is best athlete in Murfreesboro. Not a surprise to me that best team in Murfreesboro in different years has had players that went on to be good college players. Players are the difference. Smyrna won with good players. Riverdale's best years  had college players. Blackman has better players. Siegel won a couple of years,good players. Oakland ,good players. All of these schools have had good years and bad years. Riverdale used to get all the good players,now they don't.

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