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TSSAA reclassification


BruinBabe
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Here is what I am thinking after having watched every state title match and almost all the top teams in all classes this past season....combined with the K2 and Alliance rosters for this travel season.

 

Knoxville was better than Nashville and Memphis last year...overall. But the senior class in Knoxville was much more talented than their junior class. This is reflected in the K2 teams. Most if not all the really talented juniors are playing on one of the two 18s teams. Essentially a 181a and 181b. But there are only seven of them. Their sole 17 team seems to be more developmental. The K2 161s are loaded. Of those juniors/ rising seniors playing in the 18s, two are Webb girls, two Hardin Valley, one Heritage, one AC, and one Berean Christian. The 161s have three Farragut girls and a smattering of players spread out across a lot of schools. I didn't look at the 15s but I am sure they are talented too like the 16s. Point being, there isn't going to be as much senior talent next year as in the past. The school that looks to take the biggest hit is Farragut followed by Maryville. Catholic is in trouble regardless of where they have to play. Cieslek and Gardner were the entire team. They're gone.

 

Memphis is not completely dead. Briarcrest and St.Georges will be forces next year. I don't know much about their club scene except that Metro and the Memphis Juniors seem to split the talent. Houston does have some players but outside of that the public schools are DOA come post season.

 

Nashville has a very strong group of high school juniors. The rising senior class is talented and tall but doesn't have the depth of the junior or sophomore class for that matter. In terms of club, what is interesting is that Alliance has a 6' plus setter on each of their ones teams from 15s thru 18s. The talent is spread out among the Wilco schools but some of the neighboring counties are getting girls on top teams. Not just Siegal girls either. Brentwood is well represented of course. So is Ravenwood. And so is Page.

 

Here's how I see next season going based on the returning talent:

 

AAA: Brentwood over Hardin Valley

  -keep an eye on Heritage

AA: Signal Mountain over Hume Fogg

  - keep an eye on Camden Central

A: South Greene over everyone else

 

D2AA: Briarcrest over Brentwood Academy

   keep an eye on Baylor. But losing GG is huge

D2A: Webb over St. George's

 

I was at the K2 Elite Invitational this past weekend and watched K2 and Alliance play each other in the 13 and 14 y/o bracket.  The 14's dominated 25-11, 25-19.  The 13's won the championship game against K2 25-17, 25-20.  These were the only two teams Alliance sent and they both won Championships.  Based off these two early season games, Alliance has put some space between them and K2 in regards to talent in these two age groups (rising freshman and 8th graders).  I would say 80+% of these girls are Williamson county with Brentwood having the majority represented.

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I was at the K2 Elite Invitational this past weekend and watched K2 and Alliance play each other in the 13 and 14 y/o bracket.  The 14's dominated 25-11, 25-19.  The 13's won the championship game against K2 25-17, 25-20.  These were the only two teams Alliance sent and they both won Championships.  Based off these two early season games, Alliance has put some space between them and K2 in regards to talent in these two age groups (rising freshman and 8th graders).  I would say 80+% of these girls are Williamson county with Brentwood having the majority represented.

Those were two nice feathers in the cap. The 15s age group at Alliance is crazy talented as well. Seven of the ten girls on that 14s team will be moving on to Williamson County HS's next year. Two will be at Brentwood. Brentwood has one payer on the 151s and one player on the 152s. The talent in middle TN is starting to spread out.

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I too saw the 13-14 teams play.  The 14 are a solid group and I think you are right, all but a couple are from Wilco--maybe one of the OH and a Libero. Alliance beat A4 south in the final.  I was surprised how poor the K2 14 team looked--I think they just had a bad match.  Their setter is very, very good however.  The older K2 teams appear better that Alliance IMO.  that 16 team is crazy (I think they are 16).  The 15's alliance team is more spread out.  Their setting is very good on that team too. The talent level in this tournament has improved so much.  There are some really good clubs present.  K2 does a great job. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I saw my old friends Paul Brock and Dail Cantrell this weekend at the Club tourney here in Chattanooga! My granddaughter plays. It is nice seeing these people who I knew for so long. Paul is retired from GPS but Dail is still going strong at Anderson County. His daughter's team beat my granddaughters team in the semi finals. He told me all of his daughters team were 6th and 7th graders from the SAME middle school! Anderson County is going to be loaded for the next few years!

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  • 2 months later...

Brentwood will win its 5th in a row. Nobody close in AAA. I am surprised that Harden Valley got mentioned. I don't think they will even make the State Tournament. I have never heard of Heritage. Brentwood will beat another Nashville team in the finals.

 

Anderson County will win AA. The last two AA seasons had CAK and Catholic out of Knoxville win. Anderson was in AAA. I know the Webb coaches who run K2. AC returns 7 seniors from an injury prone team. I think they beat Fogg in the finals. When AC was in AA they were Page's main rival for the state title every year. We loved them moving up. Now we move up, they move down. People trash Anderson on here, but you do not want to play them in a tournament games, especially now that they formed their own club.

 

Greene wins A, no question.

 

I'm sticking with Baylor. Webb is my question mark, More privates mean they actually have to win a game to make state, I think they repeat.

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Brentwood will win its 5th in a row. Nobody close in AAA. I am surprised that Harden Valley got mentioned. I don't think they will even make the State Tournament. I have never heard of Heritage. Brentwood will beat another Nashville team in the finals.

 

Anderson County will win AA. The last two AA seasons had CAK and Catholic out of Knoxville win. Anderson was in AAA. I know the Webb coaches who run K2. AC returns 7 seniors from an injury prone team. I think they beat Fogg in the finals. When AC was in AA they were Page's main rival for the state title every year. We loved them moving up. Now we move up, they move down. People trash Anderson on here, but you do not want to play them in a tournament games, especially now that they formed their own club.

 

Greene wins A, no question.

 

I'm sticking with Baylor. Webb is my question mark, More privates mean they actually have to win a game to make state, I think they repeat.

I will be surprised if Hardin Valley does not make it to State. They have 2 of the 7 juniors/ rising seniors I mentioned in my previous post who are playing up on one of the two K2 18 power teams. One of those two is their setter who is committed to Texas Tech. Their third place finish in state last year should help them with confidence this time around.

 

Heritage is led by a rising junior setter who is committed to Tennessee. Her parents coach the school team as well the K2 121s. Heritage also has one of those 7 juniors/ rising seniors playing up in the K2 18s.

And you might be right that Brentwood plays another Nashville team for the AAA title. I can think of 2-3 that are very deep and very talented.

 

I'm taking a wait and see on AC. While they have one of those 7 juniors playing up with the K2 18s and a K2 17s player, I don't know that the others playing for ACE are getting the level of competition needed to win at State. The core group of girls at Signal Mtn are playing much tougher competition in club. I'm kinda holding back a bit on Hume Fogg. I don't know that they have a setter ready to take over.

 

Baylor will be interesting. Their entire team is a club by themselves...with only a 17s team mind you. They have one Sig Mtn player, but the rest are next years Baylor team. From what I've seen, they haven't really been succeeding as much as I would've expected.

 

As a quick aside, I read recently that Ravenwood, Franklin, and Centennial are getting new head coaches next year. Should make 11AAA even more interesting.

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I don't think Brentwood or Webb can be beaten.

 

As to the other Knoxville teams I agree that they will make state. Knoxville is not as strong this year. Heritage has no chance to get out of district.

 

I am on the Anderson County train. They may be the best team in East TN. I am a club mom, but I also appreciate strong high school coaches and programs. Their middle school feeder was sectional, middle school state champs, last year, will repeat next year. They have 7 seniors, and they are refocused and hungry. I agree about HATING to play them. They are loud and uber aggressive but also fun to watch. SJ, who is your team and I can see if they have AC scheduled and we can watch!

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I don't think Brentwood or Webb can be beaten.

 

As to the other Knoxville teams I agree that they will make state. Knoxville is not as strong this year. Heritage has no chance to get out of district.

 

I am on the Anderson County train. They may be the best team in East TN. I am a club mom, but I also appreciate strong high school coaches and programs. Their middle school feeder was sectional, middle school state champs, last year, will repeat next year. They have 7 seniors, and they are refocused and hungry. I agree about HATING to play them. They are loud and uber aggressive but also fun to watch. SJ, who is your team and I can see if they have AC scheduled and we can watch!

Strong first post KVM. I like it. Well, there are a lot of good vibes about AC so I am looking forward to watching them play. Time for some of the old guard to rise back up again. Our teams won't see each other in the regular season but maybe at a preseason play day or weekend tourney. And yes, I'm being intentionally coy about my team. B)

Edited by SummaryJudgment
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I am not coy! My daughter is a current club coach and former AC alum and college coach and player!

 

I think Harden Valley may be the best Knoxville team this year, AC is obviously not in Knoxville. AC beat them last season but I though HV looked strong. Farragut loses a lot, and Parker was a special player. The Hames sisters are strong and mom is a great coach. Heritage does not impress me, AC beat them last year with two starters out. Brentwood at last years state tourney looked amazing!

 

As a retired grandma, I go to a lot of volleyball, high school and club, and have been around since the mid. 1990s. I can't figure out why people disrespect AC so much?

 

We are a rural, poor school. It is an hour for our kids to drive to the nearest club and 95% couldn't afford it anyway. Since 1993, my first year, AC has been to 15 state tournaments, 10 final fours, 5 finals and won a state tourney, and I bet they have had 10 club players in the schools history. Since opening in 82 they have produced over 70 All State players and sent over 50 girls to college on a full scholarship, including 30 division 1 schools.

 

8 years ago they got bumped to AAA but still made 7 regional tournaments. Farragut got hot during this time, but no other Knoxville team, HV, Bearden, CAK, Catholic, Maryville or Webb has winning records against AC and that includes Farragut.

 

Their coaches realized that with the explosion of club participation they had to adapt to stay competitive. Their kids will never be financially or geographically able to play at K2 so they brought K2 type training to AC. Three years ago they focused on 10-14 year olds and now dominate at that age level. Their 14 team finished second in gold at the Atlanta qualifier last weekend. They will freshman next year. There 13s are better and they have 50 girls playing in the 5th grade. They hired ex college players, and coaches, all alum, to work with the young girls at zero cost.

 

I respect AC. Don't write them off. Or do. It just puts that chip back on their shoulder!

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I am not coy! My daughter is a current club coach and former AC alum and college coach and player!

 

I think Harden Valley may be the best Knoxville team this year, AC is obviously not in Knoxville. AC beat them last season but I though HV looked strong. Farragut loses a lot, and Parker was a special player. The Hames sisters are strong and mom is a great coach. Heritage does not impress me, AC beat them last year with two starters out. Brentwood at last years state tourney looked amazing!

 

As a retired grandma, I go to a lot of volleyball, high school and club, and have been around since the mid. 1990s. I can't figure out why people disrespect AC so much?

 

We are a rural, poor school. It is an hour for our kids to drive to the nearest club and 95% couldn't afford it anyway. Since 1993, my first year, AC has been to 15 state tournaments, 10 final fours, 5 finals and won a state tourney, and I bet they have had 10 club players in the schools history. Since opening in 82 they have produced over 70 All State players and sent over 50 girls to college on a full scholarship, including 30 division 1 schools.

 

8 years ago they got bumped to AAA but still made 7 regional tournaments. Farragut got hot during this time, but no other Knoxville team, HV, Bearden, CAK, Catholic, Maryville or Webb has winning records against AC and that includes Farragut.

 

Their coaches realized that with the explosion of club participation they had to adapt to stay competitive. Their kids will never be financially or geographically able to play at K2 so they brought K2 type training to AC. Three years ago they focused on 10-14 year olds and now dominate at that age level. Their 14 team finished second in gold at the Atlanta qualifier last weekend. They will freshman next year. There 13s are better and they have 50 girls playing in the 5th grade. They hired ex college players, and coaches, all alum, to work with the young girls at zero cost.

 

I respect AC. Don't write them off. Or do. It just puts that chip back on their shoulder!

Oh I won't write them off! And AA is wide open with the re-districting coupled with Sullivan South and Dyersburg graduating the players that made their teams so strong. I look forward to watching AC play.

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