2017 Best Teams In The State (All Classes)

[pepvol]

1 hour ago, Spartan4Life said:

Here's what doesn't make any sense. If the D2 schools are so over hyped and not very good than why did the PUBLIC's kick them out into their own divisions? We D2 schools would love to play in the same classifications as everyone else. It would make scheduling easier and instantly create some great rivalries. Yes you would see privates win more often than you might like but at least everyone would play everyone.  

Knoxville Catholic was a top 10 team this year and easily won 5A...easily. Had Knoxville Catholic been in D2-AAA they would have not come even close to winning a gold ball. That's a fact. BA went to Knoxville and absolutely embarrassed them and all their D1 commits on their home field. 50-14 is called an entirely different level. Catholic was very very good. But BA was great and has been the past three years. Hints why very few teams in Tennessee will schedule them.  

You guys are right we will never actually know but please tell me how you can look at BA and Maryville and come up with Maryville being the better team? 

Common Opponents

Catholic at Maryville (49-42 Win for Maryville at home in the last minute of the game)

Brentwood Academy at Catholic (50-14 Win for the visiting Eagles who had one of their easiest wins of the year)  

Edge: BA

Scheduling 

Maryville goes 14-1 with their lone loss to Oakland being avenged in the State Semifinals. Oakland is a very fine program themselves and a top 4 team in the state. So a really good win. The next best win on Maryville's schedule was 5A State Champ Catholic followed by Alcoa Farragut and Fulton.  

BA goes undefeated while beating Texas Powerhouse Bishop Dunne, mercy ruling two good 5A schools Knoxville Catholic and Hillsboro. And then running through really good Ensworth, MBA, McCallie, MUS, Baylor, etc.

While Maryville deserves credit for scheduling the best East Tenn had to offer this year and beating all of them, none of those schools compare to a top Texas program. You'd have a tough time arguing that Alcoa, Farragut and Fulton would be considered tougher games than Ensworth, MBA and McCallie.    

According to MX Preps BA had the toughest schedule in the State this year followed by MBA, McCallie and then Maryville. 

Edge: BA

Athletes

BA is full of D1 Power 5 Talent. Multiple 4 and 3 Star Guys. While Maryville has some D1 talent themselves most of those guys are getting non power five offers/FCS offers. 

Edge: BA

Final Analysis

Maryville is very very good. The best in D1 and probably the second best team in the state. No doubt every year Maryville is a top 5 team (all classifications) and has one of the greatest traditions in the State and the Country. However, this year BA was just on another level. The proof is in the common opponent, strength of schedule, and caliber of athletes. Maryville would not get blown out because they are Maryville but I don't see how any could argue in the state of Tennessee that their is a school that could or would have beat BA this year. I would love to see the argument made if that is the case. 

Once again I like Maryville and once again I am not a BA fan. It's just obvious this year more than most of who the best team is the state was. Just ask the folks at Knoxville Catholic.  

Lol , ya sure you’re just as much an East Tn fan as you are a DII !! Where did I say you were a BA fan ? Just like last year and the year before , you , a Webb fan , has latched onto the best DII teams so you can spout your DII superiority. I could care less if you think BA would beat Maryville... it’s only when you have to say how “ easy “ it would be . I just find it very ironic that every year you can’t wait to tell the DI teams how inferior they are to the DII team that wins , and how YOUR TEAM... that has about the same amount of students as BA , MBA & Ensworth , plays against teams with much less  students , instead of the big boys ... 

 

[chainsaw2]

Pep is correct- Webb should be playing with the big boys and would be but for their coach on the BOC of the TSSAA.  Pure shenanigans to use a Booger term.

[baylorbigdog1976]

4 hours ago, kwc said:

You just keep doubting L. Your assumption that L's enrollement size is directly corolated to what coach Locastro has assembled as a team is your biggest error. One has nothing to do with the other. I understand the erroneous thinking though. It's understandable. L has plenty of D1 players from linemen to skill position. Kinda like Ensworth was back in the day, except, they play in a smaller classification. 

All things being equal ... next year, barring any unforseen season ending injury to the Gatorade GOAT, L three peats. Next Year when Whitehaven invades east Memphis for the return game ... it will be a war, once again.

Pretty nice psycho analysis you got going. Doesn't change the fact that not everybody is in agreement. So, now i'm being passive aggressive. OK, so be it all wise one!

 

... again ...

 

We're not woooooooooorthy! as we bow to Mt. Olympus praying that we don't get struck down by mighty Zeus himself. Such blasphemy is intolerable.Let me correct myself.

 

All hail the omnipotent BA! ... All Hail D2!

 

That should supplicate the all mighty ones.

I’m just saying - 

i have always given d1 credit and think the top teams could complete with d2 and vice versa but sometimes things get a little carried away on here

i am a big fan of community football . It’s been fun at times watching ba but I grew up in a large middle class family ( my father was a mechanic and I am grateful for all he taught me about work and life ) so for me the greatest experience is when a community gets behind high school kids.

my high school won the state championship again in another state for the 6th  time. They have won 5 this decade in a very tough state for football. My senior year we won their first.

We have had many players go on to college and some to the nfl from a town of less than 15000. I was at the game - it was packed and I saw all the past players there — most of which I played with at the game.

i can’t say I feel that way when I go to a ba game even though they Would mercy rule my old HS team before half. I enjoy watching a team so talented as ba was this year but i Know that talent , coaching and the nature of the privates in general can create some ill will among some people on here.

seeing 6000 fans from my little town come out to support that team was exciting.  Trust me - I get it and was just as excited to watch my high school win and catch up with everyone from my little town as I was watching ba beat mba for the 3rd time in a row. It was just different 

i don’t put down teams or kids - even though at times I think people on here are a little dillisional with their biases. I support all the kids coaches , divisions and parents who only want the best for their children- regardless of where they go to school. We are different but in many ways the same - much more alike than not.

i like to jawbone with you kwc and I know you enjoy the same but just know even though we may not always agree I pull for all kids on this level - those of us who have played the game know how hard it is at times and how much work goes into a season. It passes too quickly as does life 

until next year my friend 

 

 

 

Edited December 13, 2017 by baylorbigdog1976

[kwc]

9 minutes ago, baylorbigdog1976 said:

I’m just saying - 

i have always given d1 credit and think the top teams could complete with d2 and vice versa but sometimes things get a little carried away in here

i am a big fan of community football . It’s been fun at times watching ba but I grew up in a large middle class family ( my father was a mechanic and I am grateful for all he taught me about work and life ) so for me the greatest experience is when a community gets behind high school kids.

my high school won the state championship again in another state for the 6th  time. They have won 5 this decade in a very tough state for football. My senior year we won their first.

We have had many players go on to college and some to the nfl from a town of less than 15000. I was at the game - it was packed and I saw all the past players there — most of which I played with at the game.

i can’t say I feel that way when I go to a ba game even though they Would mercy rule my old HS team before half. I enjoy watching a team so talented as ba was this year but i Know that talent , coaching and the nature of the privates in general can create some ill will among some people on here.

seeing 6000 fans from my little town come out to support that team was exciting.  Trust me - I get it and was just as excited to watch my high school win and catch up with everyone from my little town as I was watching ba beat mba for the 3rd time in a row. It was just different 

 

 

 

No ill will here. I understand, just like all of the D2'ers on here understand  why the seperation occured.

I don't know anybody with Maryville or Oakland for that matter. However, I bet both would welcome a home and home with BA or MBA or even both. It would be logical because they are in close proximity of each other. It doesn't happen, for one reason or another. Something always gets in the way. It's a shame really.

Oh well.

Edited December 13, 2017 by kwc

[Spartan4Life]

2 hours ago, pepvol said:

Lol , ya sure you’re just as much an East Tn fan as you are a DII !! Where did I say you were a BA fan ? Just like last year and the year before , you , a Webb fan , has latched onto the best DII teams so you can spout your DII superiority. I could care less if you think BA would beat Maryville... it’s only when you have to say how “ easy “ it would be . I just find it very ironic that every year you can’t wait to tell the DI teams how inferior they are to the DII team that wins , and how YOUR TEAM... that has about the same amount of students as BA , MBA & Ensworth , plays against teams with much less  students , instead of the big boys ... 

 

I misspoke when i said easily. I really meant solidly. As in 10-14 points. A war for a while but eventually BA would establish itself as the better team. So forgive the easily (not what I meant). 

If Webb still played in the division with the top large D2 schools you'd have a point. Those schools have nothing to do with making Webb look better or worse because we don't play them. So saying that I pick a D2 school to latch onto in some effort to make Webb appear better makes no sense. If Webb was in the same classification I would get your accusation and it would probably have some wings...but it doesn't. BA is just that good. I spend every Friday night in the fall watching schools of all classifications play and I am telling you BA is that good. Has nothing to do with bias it's just true. 

Let's be factually correct... Webb has nowhere near the amount of students MBA does. MBA is an all boys school with more boys in the school then Webb has total students. So that is incorrect. BA and Ensworth are  around the same size. If you want to paint everything with a broad brush and say Webb should be in the larger division along with several other D2 schools because of size...fine.

However the truth of the matter is when it comes to privates schools the number of students in the school has a lot less to do with how good a program is or can be than in the publics. Hints why little ole BA with the fewest students in DII-AAA wins state every year against schools triple their size. Its all about the schools philosophy. If a private schools says we want to be really good at football and sets out do so they will be. Regardless of the population of the school. They may have only 100 boys in the school but if they want to be good at football most of the boys are exceptional hand picked athletes coached by some of the best coach the state has to offer with the best resources.

BA and Ensworth fielded at least 30 more players than Webb and concentrate on being ultra competitive at the highest level. Webb's philosophy has not been as all in as these schools and thus Webb along with 95% of the state is not on that level. BA and Ensworth choose to play up because they are THAT good and do the things to be THAT good.. They could play in any classification in the state and win. Your'e comparing apples to oranges. Now if Webb's administration decided they wanted to be the BA of the East it wouldn't take long to establish that. But that is not the current goal.

But for now Webb is playing teams that are on the exact same level as them IMO. In fact Webb isn't even on the level of where Lausanne seems to be headed. Notre Dame, CPA, CCS, David Lipscomb are all schools with either more students than Webb or just as or more committed to football. It's different on the private side of things. Numbers mean far less when you can offer financial aid and thus have access to any student-athlete. 

 

[BreadTruck28]

13 minutes ago, Spartan4Life said:

I misspoke when i said easily. I really meant solidly. As in 10-14 points. A war for a while but eventually BA would establish itself as the better team. So forgive the easily (not what I meant). 

If Webb still played in the division with the top large D2 schools you'd have a point. Those schools have nothing to do with making Webb look better or worse because we don't play them. So saying that I pick a D2 school to latch onto in some effort to make Webb appear better makes no sense. If Webb was in the same classification I would get your accusation and it would probably have some wings...but it doesn't. BA is just that good. I spend every Friday night in the fall watching schools of all classifications play and I am telling you BA is that good. Has nothing to do with bias it's just true. 

Let's be factually correct... Webb has nowhere near the amount of students MBA does. MBA is an all boys school with more boys in the school then Webb has total students. So that is incorrect. BA and Ensworth are  around the same size. If you want to paint everything with a broad brush and say Webb should be in the larger division along with several other D2 schools because of size...fine.

However the truth of the matter is when it comes to privates schools the number of students in the school has a lot less to do with how good a program is or can be than in the publics. Hints why little ole BA with the fewest students in DII-AAA wins state every year against schools triple their size. Its all about the schools philosophy. If a private schools says we want to be really good at football and sets out do so they will be. Regardless of the population of the school. They may have only 100 boys in the school but if they want to be good at football most of the boys are exceptional hand picked athletes coached by some of the best coach the state has to offer with the best resources.

BA and Ensworth fielded at least 30 more players than Webb and concentrate on being ultra competitive at the highest level. Webb's philosophy has not been as all in as these schools and thus Webb along with 95% of the state is not on that level. BA and Ensworth choose to play up because they are THAT good and do the things to be THAT good.. They could play in any classification in the state and win. Your'e comparing apples to oranges. Now if Webb's administration decided they wanted to be the BA of the East it wouldn't take long to establish that. But that is not the current goal.

But for now Webb is playing teams that are on the exact same level as them IMO. In fact Webb isn't even on the level of where Lausanne seems to be headed. Notre Dame, CPA, CCS, David Lipscomb are all schools with either more students than Webb or just as or more committed to football. It's different on the private side of things. Numbers mean far less when you can offer financial aid and thus have access to any student-athlete. 

 

I agree, enrollment means nothing in D2, the size of the financial aid budget means a lot more and would be a better way to classify IMO. 

But, I’d then want CPA to play up because it’s my guess we have one of the smallest in D2. There might be some others that are in the same boat that just came to D2 this year. Do I want that to change?  No, I pay for multiple children and do not want to see those tuitions to increase dramatically so that we can join the arms race in D2.  I want to see CPA give Lausanne a good game next year if we are fortunate enough to play them in the playoffs with the same players we had this year, last year, the previous year, etc. minus those that graduated.  Although, if we could use those that graduated we might stand a better chance

 

[STARSNBARS]

Eye weal jist haiv two give my finenull anallesis two.....And eye'll go wif tha nummburrs thait tha fare and unbyeassed compootur ov Mr. Sunny More shows.......

 

http://sonnymoorepowerratings.com/h-s-foot.htm

Edited December 13, 2017 by STARSNBARS

[Spartan4Life]

15 minutes ago, STARSNBARS said:

Eye weal jist haiv two give my finenull anallesis two.....And eye'll go wif tha nummburrs thait tha fare and unbyeassed compootur ov Mr. Sunny More shows.......

 

http://sonnymoorepowerratings.com/h-s-foot.htm

Oh you mean the same ranking that has Webb 50+ teams behind a team they beat by 21 points. Yea Sonny's ranking are pretty good. Try a more reliable source. 

http://www.unapproved website.com/rankings/football/1/state/tennessee.htm

Edited December 13, 2017 by Spartan4Life

[SweetScience]

Nice to see some folks mentioning my beloved Wildcats with some of the best the state had to offer in 2017. Personally, I'm biased obviously, but I would rank us ahead of Beech. I know you are putting in overall record, SOS and the like, but I think by the end of the year we were a better team. I've asked a few Catholic fans and they said the same. Anyway, thanks for the props fella's!

[RamTough41]

46 minutes ago, Spartan4Life said:

Oh you mean the same ranking that has Webb 50+ teams behind a team they beat by 21 points. Yea Sonny's ranking are pretty good. Try a more reliable source. 

http://www.unapproved website.com/rankings/football/1/state/tennessee.htm

 It's a great thing that the end of season polls actually come out at the end of the season. Yes we did lose to Webb after 3 good quarters and 1 extremely bad one. You didn't take into account how we got exponentially better thru out the year. Last 4-5 games almost identical scores even setting starters early in games. Let's look at ND game. You lost by 17 points. We played State runner up also TWICE and lost by a total of 11 points in 2 games. 8 in one and 3 the other. Don't dismiss us based on only your game against us. If we played you later in season or playoffs, we win hands down. We played 3 teams who played in Cookeville, one twice. One State Champion we delivered their only loss. 

[Spartan4Life]

3 hours ago, RamTough41 said:

 It's a great thing that the end of season polls actually come out at the end of the season. Yes we did lose to Webb after 3 good quarters and 1 extremely bad one. You didn't take into account how we got exponentially better thru out the year. Last 4-5 games almost identical scores even setting starters early in games. Let's look at ND game. You lost by 17 points. We played State runner up also TWICE and lost by a total of 11 points in 2 games. 8 in one and 3 the other. Don't dismiss us based on only your game against us. If we played you later in season or playoffs, we win hands down. We played 3 teams who played in Cookeville, one twice. One State Champion we delivered their only loss. 

 

IF's. I could IF all day long with you. The bottom line is Webb and Grace played head to head and Webb won by 21 points. The bottom line is Grace has never beat Webb and until they do or even come with two scores I won't predict victory for the Rams. 

Even in your mind if Grace would have somehow won the rematch, that makes Webb 50 teams worse than a team they beat by 21? Really? Okay.  

The ND game was a direct result of two blocked punts for TD's. That was the difference in the game. Webb cut it to one score late but it was just too much to overcome and not Webb's night. It happens. ND was better than night and ND has the better year, no doubt.  

You want to compare scores to a common opponent but want to neglect the head to head matchup. You also are failing in your assessment to realize that sometimes matchups make for closer games. Grace matches up with ND a little better than Webb did this year, especially with their passing attack. Just because you matched up better and were able to keep the games close doesn't mean you'd magically beat Webb. Webb got better as the season went on as well. The CPA was just a bad bad night. I'll tell you this, if the Kane kid from CPA doesn't get hurt I think the CPA ND game goes much differently. The single wing doesn't work quite so effectively and ND doesn't have a great passing game. Take out one of the best linebackers in the state and suddenly its a little easier to run that offense. 

Congratulations to Grace on a good season. You scheduled tougher than normal and beat normally superior CAK. Typically Grace doesn't play schools like they did this year. However Greenback, Alcoa, and King's Academy as non regions games are quite as tough as Ensworth, McCallie, and the out of State team we played. Ensworth and McCallie would beat Greenback and Kings by 50. Alcoa would have had a tough time beating either team but would have made it competitive. 

Grace is coming. And had their best team probably ever this year. Let's not jump the gun quite yet. Rusty Bradley is still 1-8 against Meske and Grace still hasn't come within two scores of Webb. In fact this is the first year Grace even scored. 

Regardless, I will ask my original question again. Webb ranked 50 teams lower than a team they beat by 21? Really? Sonny's ranking are garbage and the reason why human minds work better than computers. 

[BreadTruck28]

2 hours ago, Spartan4Life said:

 

IF's. I could IF all day long with you. The bottom line is Webb and Grace played head to head and Webb won by 21 points. The bottom line is Grace has never beat Webb and until they do or even come with two scores I won't predict victory for the Rams. 

Even in your mind if Grace would have somehow won the rematch, that makes Webb 50 teams worse than a team they beat by 21? Really? Okay.  

The ND game was a direct result of two blocked punts for TD's. That was the difference in the game. Webb cut it to one score late but it was just too much to overcome and not Webb's night. It happens. ND was better than night and ND has the better year, no doubt.  

You want to compare scores to a common opponent but want to neglect the head to head matchup. You also are failing in your assessment to realize that sometimes matchups make for closer games. Grace matches up with ND a little better than Webb did this year, especially with their passing attack. Just because you matched up better and were able to keep the games close doesn't mean you'd magically beat Webb. Webb got better as the season went on as well. The CPA was just a bad bad night. I'll tell you this, if the Kane kid from CPA doesn't get hurt I think the CPA ND game goes much differently. The single wing doesn't work quite so effectively and ND doesn't have a great passing game. Take out one of the best linebackers in the state and suddenly its a little easier to run that offense. 

Congratulations to Grace on a good season. You scheduled tougher than normal and beat normally superior CAK. Typically Grace doesn't play schools like they did this year. However Greenback, Alcoa, and King's Academy as non regions games are quite as tough as Ensworth, McCallie, and the out of State team we played. Ensworth and McCallie would beat Greenback and Kings by 50. Alcoa would have had a tough time beating either team but would have made it competitive. 

Grace is coming. And had their best team probably ever this year. Let's not jump the gun quite yet. Rusty Bradley is still 1-8 against Meske and Grace still hasn't come within two scores of Webb. In fact this is the first year Grace even scored. 

Regardless, I will ask my original question again. Webb ranked 50 teams lower than a team they beat by 21? Really? Sonny's ranking are garbage and the reason why human minds work better than computers. 

Just as a FYI, the mx preps listing is computer based also. Their top 25 in the nation is a human poll though.  I don’t know of a good statewide human poll. The one the Tennessean put out was bad...