West TN football

Big orange, there are lots of coaches out there that if they were allowed to bring in a good staff could change lots of programs, Hickman is just not a county that will allow that if history cycles. It is great that you believe in this guy of yours, but please get off his jock, it sounds like you would

Word around town is that the Trinity coach is moving south to take Chester county job.

What are the biggest issues in Hickman county for their football struggles?

change is always difficult and being a former defensive coordinator, one would think he would want a running football team, Over here in Henry County, i remember playing Brighton one year when they were 7-0 and thought they were for real, we were up 54-0 at half agianst this guys defense. He would be well advised to run the ball. IMHO

any word on where they are with the hiring process, has the job been posted, has the old coach been released?

I was wondering what was happening at HC, my neighbor's kid is on the team and he said that Coach Counce is rarely around. He talked like he was in the weight room 90 minutes each day and might see the head coach once a week. Seems strange to me. I also heard that another former Patriot was coming home to coach with his old coach.

yeah the problems started with a blocking foul called on dyer and the basket was good but none of the refs saw the ball go through the basket, they discussed it, came to the scoreres table and the dyer county coach told the refs that the ball did not go in the basket, very poorly officiated and I do not know how to take a coach that will blatantly be dishonest especially in front of young men, dyer county has an outstanding basketball team, why be dishonest in that situation, this is what spurred the coach from soldan into the technicals. poor example of officiating and the coach from dyer county should never get on any of his players for being dishonest as he has set that example for them.

congrats to the lions and coach belew. not only was the fumble an awful call, the kid that lateraled the ball to number 57 had his knee on the ground before he lateraled it.

Have they posted that job yet?

well he is a village idiot, he can not help himself

IT would make more sense to close this thread down and allow the most rescent, 2010 postseason remain open, JMO, Mckenzie fans, how is Hunter Lowe doing over there? He was disgruntled in Henry County so he moved over there, good kid, good athlete, just did not understand that as a sophmore that there are juniors and seniors ahead of him. He was probably the third corner over here and would have played some reciever but he thought he was a quarterback. Henry County has been graduating between 22-35 seniors each year and this years junior class is huge, Marsalis Teague did not even start offense his sophmore year, but did start defense, Lowe thought that was a slap in the face. I do wish him luck, he is a fun player to watch.

Classy, I do not grasp your thought process, I have degraded no child, I just said that the rest of SPringfields season will be a cake walk, that is complimenting the SPringfield team by saying that I think they are better than there future regular season competition. Now was is classy to say that the other teams are not good, probably not, but it is not a lack of class. If I was say DISHONEST and said that any one of the teams on SPringfields remaining schedule could win the state title, I guess that would be more classy yet DISHONEST. You kev are as sensitive as my 12 year old daughter.

Could be but not likely, Hardin county has always beat the teams that are bad like this year Chester County 2-3 Munford 1-4 Lexington 2-3 Westwood 2-4 McNairy 1-4 Hardin Ccounty can not win a playoff game after going 8-2, 7-3, 9-1, they simply lose to good teams, they are really well coached but do not have the players to win against good coached more athletic teams.

It is a reoccuring theme at Springfield games, The Jackets lose and the coaches blame everyone else. The Patriots got blamed for playing a fair game awithin the rules. They assumed that they would have won had they gotten the ball back, my guess is that they would have turned it over again, I am not sure how many possessions that the Jackets had but they turned it over on 6 possesions and scored on 2, not sure how many times they punted. Just looking at those numbers, they were 3 times more likely to turn it over than score the game tying touchdown. Their coaches were classless after that game as I witnessed them beign very hesitant to shake HC coaches hands, and I also noticed after the comments about Clarksville players not praying with the Springfield players as it was somehting negative, that the only people not involved with the post game prayer after the HC springfield game was the Springfield coaches, they were standing over to the side just showing their poor sportsmenship mouthing about how they would see us in the playoffs. This theme will end and SPringfield will recover as they play no one else that is even descent this year.

It good to exploit that rule, however, why did they get the delay of game, that is what made them have to punt, the Patriots could have continued to false start and run the clock out. People have talked about balance, this team is not even 1 pass per 10 plays, I do not think they have to be balanced to win but they probably had 9-9 passes and 3 of which were right before half, all three were incomplete. I was not impressed at all with the offense of the Patriots last night. The defense gave the offense the ball over and over in great field position and 3 times in the first half and the Patriots were down at the half with a 3-0 turnover difference. In the second half they capitalized on the turnovers. I am willing to bet that that was the most penalized Patriot team in the last decade. Wow, we may not have but it seemed like we had over a hundred yards of penalties. It was every bit as sloppy as suggested but a win and that is what counts.

Warrior, I agree totally, this team may end up being a great team, but the Liberty game has been the only game that any adversity was faced and the Patriots faltered. You mentioned the Patriot team being down last year to Liberty and coming back to win as well as the Northeast game, It seems as if beating folks that just are not very good by a lot is suppose to displayexcellence in discipline, If that is the case then Gaddis coached teams were very disciplined as in 2009 the Patriots put the running clock on 10 straight opponents, including a 9-1. As great as Counce is, he has lost to two teams in the first round of the play offs in the last few years that had a 2-8 record. One year he was 10-0 in the regular season and lost to a 2-8 Sheffield in the first round. Counce has inherited a strong team and so far I have been impressed with the improvements but then again Henry County is suppose to win this district and it would be a disgrace if they did not as it is bad. Kenwood awful, Northwest awful, West Creek awful, Rossview not good, Northeast talented but not good,Clarksville not good, Springfield, talented but just a contender, Dickson maybe better than the past few years but still not the Dickson of old. Henry County is the best program in the district and there is not a close second and this is due to the numbers and work that Gaddis and his staff built,and Counce is a good enough coach to keep it going, I think his son is a heck of a coach too. Some will say I am bashing counce, that is not the case, I am comparing just like the old boy who compared discipline was.

more discipline than last years team? I am not sure how you guys look at discipline, I heard the discipline word used a lot from Counce supporters when he was hired, I heard guys talking about the lack of it with Gaddis. I am not clear as what you guys mean. Gaddis coached teams were very disciplined on and off the field so no need to go there, I heard of some activity this summer that seems to have gone unpunished by the new discipline guru. I am sure that Counce makes players pay for mistakes but apparently not by cutting playing time. I am sure Gaddis did the same thing. I saw the libery game and I am pretty sure that I never saw a Gaddis team so undisciplined in taking care of the football.

ok, I never suggested three yards and a cloud of dust, I never said anything about the Pats throwing less than the past, I mentioned pounding the ball, which I meant as straight ahead running with a more traditional alignment. The spread has been more lateral with bigger seams to run in style for the Patriots. And for the ole boy that got defensive about what Dickson did to the lions of columbia, I have no clue, what I was saying is they have really struggled the last few years in stopping Henry county's spread. As for the number of passes thrown the first two games, most were thrown in the final 4 minutes of the Liberty game when the Pats were down and time was running out. I do not disike the new style I just made an observation that we had somewhat pulled away fromthe Dickson county club over the past two or three years, and now it may turn into a one possession game.

you guys have got to be kidding me, Kenwood although improved are still a long way from being good, they won 0ne game last year and may win 3-4 this year but by no measure is that considered good. Northwest is not as good, Clarksville is not as good, Northeast is not as good, although I expect them to improve rapidly. Rossview is still a middle of the road team, West Creek is probably mcuh improved but they had one way to go and that was to get better, still not a contender, I look for Springfield to be one of the tougher challenges for the Patriots this year, on the road but the jackets taking two thumpings last season by us probably doubt their ability to beat us. That Leaves Dickson and they will be the only challenge from here on out. I am not sure on them yet, they are improved but I am not sure how much, Our new slow down pound the ball style may prove to be all it takes to bring them back to our level. Dickson has shown real trouble stopping the spread and it looks like we are going to line up and pound the ball. I also hear that one of our starting O linemen hung up his cleats yesterday? Which one and Why?

It is good to be back, High School football is here, Game Week. I have been drawn to Henry County Football over the Gaddis era. I am hopeful that Patriot football will continue to be exciting to watch. I Have made many trips from the Jackson area to watch. I went to the Jamboree the other night and after pondering the many controversies on the other thread, I would like to believe that whoever called the pass play with 1 minute remaining and a first down with a 7 point lead was just working on the passing game, but I can not. A new coach coming into a program use to winning would not want to lose even a jamboree, I doubt James Conce called the play or even knew it was called. A new coach coming into a system needs players to buy into what they are selling. Losing even a Jamboree game to a single a opponent does not help sell his product. It was obvious to me that the new era of Henry County football will be a lot of ball control offense and good defense. Throwing the ball in that situation does not even come close to fitting that style. Good luck to the Patriots, may the preseason have gotten the young men ready for the real battles and knocked the rust off of the coaching staff, so they do not cost their players another win. It is the coaches job to put their players in the best postition to be successful, that was not the case on Friday night. I would say that with all the constructive criticism I am sure the coaches gave and will continue to give, that coach Counce also let the players know that the coaches were just as responsible for the loss.

let me get this right, by hodge being payed high compliments is grounds to have problems with, this coming from anything being said about his favorite applicant as having stones thrown at him? No one sayed that Hodge was the major reason for the offensive success, they said he was a major part of it or one may say a critical part of it. It could be said that Counce was a great head coach, but since he has never won a state title as one, then you would probably have a problem with that kind of compliment for the man. Hodge was a major asset to the coaching staff, he was one of 4-5 voices on that offensive staff, and he was a great fit for that offensive staff. Now, I have just jused the wrod great and major to compliment the man and I can understand why you have a problem with it, you think me complimenting Hodge is an insult or a rock heaving at Counce. That is where you are wrong. Were you ever around that coaching staff? I will make a prediction, this coaching staff will not be near as tight as the last one, not neccesarily needed for success, but it does help. I think Hodge was offered a job wiht Counce, not sure. Make no mistake, Counce is the man, and he has the responsibility to put coaches where he sees fit, He picked Snow to be his OC, before talking with any coaches on the current staff, that probably was not wise on the basis of Counce knew him being the reason, I know lots of people, it does not mean that they are all better at everything than the people I do not know. I have watched practice 3-4 times and I have not been near as impressed as every one else and that is taking into consideration that everything and everyone is knew. It looks like cattle being rushed through the slaughter house to me. I am entitled to that opinion.

In Henry County, the Patriots have hired a new coach and word is Burt Snow will be joining him. Any talk going on in Tiptonville?

Is James Counce the new coach of Henry County High School? I keep hearing the job is his but apparently it is not official yet. When is it to be official? Is Jr. coming with him? What is going on in Paris? This seems like a strange hire to me, I have heard there is a connection between the director and Counce, but hasn't he retired two times already? Does it not seem like this is a somewhat bad situation. Sure he is a good coach but it is one thing for Gaddis to resign and have to hire someone else but to hire someone who obviously may coach one, two or three years and retire again, then some of these young men may have 3 head coaches in 3 or 4 years. History tells me, that is what causes problems in programs. If this is a young team as I have heard, why not hire someone who will see them through?

That is a pretty good list, I would dispute the number one on your list for the thoughts of I can not see him taking the job and staying very long, he has retired two times in the last five years, That is barely enough time for players to learn terminology and the system and then we would be here again, and the players having to learn a new system. Ward, Coady, Morris, Comer and Hudson would all be good hires in my opinion, Is there anyone else on the current staff qualified? I would think that there are some as qualified as Jr.

What is a proven coach? One that has been successful as a head coach? One that has proven that he is a good coach to his colleagues? One that has proven he cares more about the program than himself? I have seen coaches that have won and been very successful, and then lost and been somewhat unsuccessful, are they proven, did they change or did variables change? Players, assistant coaches, administration. Proven coaches may have just had the recipe right when they were proen, how do they do in different circumstances is always an uncertainty. Joe Gaddis and James Counce, two proven coaches who were given their first head coaching job and allowed them to prove. Kevin Ward, given a chance by Camden has proved himself to be a fine coach. It has always bothered me when people talk about what a coach has done, I am a Bill Parcels fan and he proved himself to be a great coach, but did he really duplicate that in New England, maybe, New York Jets, I dont think so, Dallas, nothing spectacular. I admire the job that coach Gaddis did at Henry county, and one needs to understand that there were many variables to that success, his enthusiasm, his knowledge, his treatment of players and coaches, and the fact that Henry County dropped in classification. I think that there are 2-3 coaches on the staff that would be very qualified and capable of leading the Patriots to further success. Are they proven, that is the quetion, proven at what? There is John Hudson who has a pretty good pedigree and knows the game well who I think would make an excellent head football coach. He is a natural leader, when he speaks, people listen. I have a feeling that he is not proven in "your book" because he has no head coaching experience. Now that I have vented about the so called "proven coach" i will say this, I hope that whoever does the hiring will look at the intentions of the applicants, what their motivation is for wanting the job, rather just on the wins and losses that a coach has or has not aquired.