wtnoff

Vengeance is mine sayeth...Henry Co., Liberty, Hardin Co., Brighton, JNS, and Munford. JCM (as the famous line from the ""Godfather"says...Sleeps with the fishes".

Dead in the water might not have been the right term. Going under for the "third time" is more accurate...GLUB, GLUB!!!

Anyone that's read a newspaper in the past 4 years knows about Thompson!!The MCS banned him for taking moneyorders from the Univ. of KY. for bringing players to a KY. camp. Needless to say this only scratches the surface with him. I think he is well remembered for his behavior on the football field in many instances. (This all was around the time of the Lang/Means saga involving the sale of the kid to the Univ. of Ala.). As for Deberry, who knows! He was banned from coaching for using illegal players and having them compete using other names. He had charges brought against him when he coached at Hamilton for assault, and also sexual battery against a student. (My understanding is the allegations could not be proved.) BUT the Commercial Appeal and also one of the TV stations in Memphis reported that another student filed a complaint against him for the same thing, sexual battery. (Hmmm...Coincidence?) I think the thing that I find so appaling, is the fact that we have so many coaches that work awfully hard and try and do the right thing and represent their profession and their schools in exemplary fashion. I have the opportunity week in and week out in seeing so many of these men work with young people and I see they way the conduct themselves. I find it hard to believe that anyone with any sense would allow these two individuals to work in the school system again, particularaly whey they say they pride themselves on sayiig we try and provide positive role models to our students and athletes. Shows you where the priorities are in the Memphis City Schools.

Best of Luck!!!!

NO! NO! NO! It is the Phoenix that rises from the ashes...Not the JCM Cougar!

Volunteer General..I for one am surprised at the above comment. Not a soul was complaining when your coach was winning district titles and playoff games. I don't know all the ins and outs of your situation, however, his leadership evidently was good enough at one time to get the job done! I do know this for a fact however, that the number and quality of the athletes at JCM this year was one of the poorest I;ve seen in a long time ANYWHERE! So, I'm not sure Bryant, Lombardi, or anyone could have done much with that bunch. As for the coach, he's coming from Ridgeway!! (No..not Thompson) but the assistant. What he can do remains to be BUT the talent is not there. Prepare for the cellar!!!

Damage control all you want for readers of this thread. The facts speak for themselves!! There are only 24 varsity players working out now in one of the largest (population wise) schools in the 3 A classification. There are only 9 that will be sophs next year that moved up from the freshman team. Where did the other 26 or so go, or why did they choose not to play any longer. (My math says that my previous statement was correct. You lost about 75 % of your freshman team.) Another question to you then is "Where did all the 8th graders that finished at the 4 middle schools go? If only a few went elsewhere, then why are they not participating on the 9th grade level? Either way, You're losing the young players and this is the lifeline of the program. Right now that place is on the morphine drip. As far as knowing about OC sports, I can tell you that I had an extensive conversation with the latest person to discuss the position. (33 years experience-Head coach well over 20 years, one of the top winning percentages in the state, a state championship and state runnerup, too many coach of the year awards to mention, etc....) Don't think with the financial package I understand he was offered, he didn't check that place out from top to bottom!! Your problems are many and complex. (Intefering parents, low numbers, apathy in the community, and a huge problem in the lower grade (9th grade participation). The record up there speaks for itself. And one last point...When the best applicant you have out of the 25+ or so that was mentioned has never had any head coaching experience, what does that tell you about the quality of the applicants. And with the lack of quality applicatns, what does that tell you about the situation at Obion?

Your situation reminds me a lot of the scene in the movie "We are Marshall" where the President of the University is marking off name after name of possible candidates who have expressed their "non interest" in the position. I feel for Robert Powell...He has the unenviable job of trying to sell an almost impossible job to a solid head coach. Let's look realistically at the problems facing OC. 1. While you have 4 middle schools, have you ever figured out why only about 25% of the eighth graders choose OC? Let me help you...First the black athletes are going to go to Union City. The better white athletes are going to find a way to get into Martin Westview, who already has an established program and the remainder are going to go to South Fulton. Thus you end up losing about 75% of the eighth graders that should be going to OC. (I'm only talking about the young football middle schoolers here). These numbers are FACTS! Look at the number of players you have working out at this time that represent the entire varsity..24 !!! This is the sum total of the 10th, 11th and 12th graders. Of the 35 Freshman that were on the 9th grade team, only 9 chose to move up and play as sophs on the varsity. This represents a loss of almost 75% of the Freshmen team. How can you expect any results with numbers like this and a district as difficult as the one in which you compete? Also.. Wasn't it a class act for the guy that left to go to D'burg to schedule as tough a non-league schedule as possible! What a great idea in signing Lone Oak KY. ! NOW..Let's look at how the community has demonstrated how they "welcome" a new coach into the community. (Let's go by his house and see him and his family and let it be known THAT, since you are an outsider, you aren't welcome here!!). Man, doesn't that make successful coaches that happen to live in other counties want to pack up and move to the friendly confines of Troy. How do you expect to ever attract anyone? No, Mr. Powell has an extremely difficult job in front of him, but I can tell you this.. Powell is a man of integrity, a man that possesses a tremendous work ethic, a man of vision, and a person that doesn't find compromise as an easy way out of a situation. Too bad that some of the people that supposedly support the program there don't have his character traits. No..Don't look for anyone worth a nickle to be your coach. IT WOULD BE EASIER TO TURN A BATTLESHIP AROUND IN A BATHTUB THAN TURN THIS PROGRAM AROUND!!

Munford

Melrose will be about the same as in the past..Super Solid Defensively and adequate offensively. I look for them to be a little better from an offensive standpoint. Fairley is like a snowball rolling downhill. They are picking up more and more athletes from Whitehaven. Whitehave has year in and year out the most and the best athletes in Shelby County...Yet in all their years of playing football, they have not one time advanced past the quarter-finals. (Very seldom have they even reached the quarters). Some easy pickin's there! Fairley is also picking up a few from Mitchell. Look for the recent violence at Mitchell to result in a possible loss of some of their players. Coach Sloacum is maturing and growing as a coach and has gotten some decent help. (This is a rarity in the Memphis City Schools). Fairley will continue to improve. The rest of their region is the pits! Once powerful East has become somewhere between mediocre and poor. Raleigh-Egypt and Northside continue to be everyone's homecoming. Interesting point here about the new Memphis Northside coach, Gary Deberry...He has been banned "for life " from coaching in the MCS and has had TWO (2) aggravated sexual battery charges filed against him. YET...Like Tim Thompson at Ridgeway, somehow, someway, somebody is allowing him to coach!! As I said in the earlier post...IT'S DISGUSTING!!!

No question about it!!! You can banish the crook out of the city but you can't banish the crook out of the coach. Now Thompson returns!! (Welcomed back with open arms by the city AD et al.) Simply amazing!! Yes, Thompson will be all over the city particularly in the middle schools. For a quick fix, look for him to have any number of athletes "moving" so they will have the opportunity to play for the self proclaimed "Grand Poobah" of coaching. Ridgeway's Middle School has a trillion young athletes that serve as a great feeder.Thompson will concentrate on the Mitchells, Melroses, W. Stations etc. to bring the greatest assortment of talent in the city to Ridgeway. Look for them to begin to return to the dominance they once enjoyed under Cooley. He's still arrogant, he's still crude, He's still a crook....He's still Tim Thompson!!! IT'S STILL DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, come on...it's way too early to start! I'm just happy that we've got football in the air (albeit spring ball.) We will work several Spring games in April and May and I'm looking forward to that. CBHS always follows this format along with Houston and it's surprising that the competetion, even though it's early, is usually very good. Now, looking back at your district. Henry rules the region! As I stated earlier, Massey may be leaving Northside. If he stays and they pick up where they left off at the end of last year they will be extrememly hard to beat. They showed against Henry they are capable, even though Henry may have considered the game over. They played very well against Melrose, falling by only l td. Understand they were inside the 10 yard line 5 times and could not get it in. If NS has to find a new coach, I'm under the opinion that they fall to #4 in the region. (Takes time to get used to new systems, etc). I don't think anyone can dispute the fact that coaches at Hardin Co. do a super job. Year in and year out, they seem to always put a competetive team on the field, regardless of their talent level. One other thing about that bunch is they play "hard" EVERY time out. That's a credit to the staff down there. Liberty is a ticking time bomb. With the advantages they have (being a magnet school and being able to draw from everywhere) it is only a matter of time until a they are able to put together a solid group of athletes (including numbers) that will challenge every week. (Cutting into the stranglehold that basketball has on that school will help also!). Brighton and Munford both lost most of their starters, both offensively and defensively. They will be counting on a number of young people (sophs) to have to contribute. Their Freshman team won only l game last year, so that factor along with the number of SRs that have graduated in the last two years, are the reasons for my picking Munford in the sixth spot. (Just makes sense to me). It's early, but that's the way your region stacks up to me. In Memphis, Melrose will again continue to sit at the top of the region and Fairley will be the only challenge to end their dominance in the league. Look for W. Station to fall off the mountain top and begin a slow downward spiral back to mediocrity. Major Wright leaving for B'Crest will experience life in the fast lane and will have to take the kind of whippings he did early at W.Station, before he will make a difference. CBHS is without both a QB and premier RB (After the defection of the kid to Olive Branch, Miss.) Whitehaven should be solid but the BEST of the BEST will be in Millington. They are simply loaded and look to build on their 13-1 season of 07. Whoops, didn't mean to run on. Just like talking, thinking, etc. about football and have enjoyed the last several days being able to read about it on here.

No one was questioning the coaching at Brighton. They do a very commendable job. I only meant to say , "what will the team be like without that outstanding running back they had that graduated". Who will take his place? Will the new linemen be a good fit...etc.

What an understatement as far as Henry is concerned. They are by far and away the most talented team in the region and with their tandem of Allen and Teagues in the backfield, may be one of the state's best. I look for them to make a huge noise in the playoffs! As for Munford, they will be in a for certain rebuilding mode. ( I find it humorous though that you felt compelled to mention recruiting in the same breath as Munford). I don't recall them having any recruits that Henry or anyone else screamed about last year though, and they still were able to finish 2nd. Northside may or may not have Coach Massey back. I understand he applied for the Jonesboro, Ar. job and has privately expressed his intention of leaving Northside. Whether or not he does will play a huge role in their finish in the region. JCM is dead in the water....Period!!!! Liberty will have athletes, and Hardin will continue to be one of the better coached teams in the league. Brighton will have athletes but the question will again be, what will they do with them. Here goes the early pick ...1. Henry Co. 2. Jackson Northside if Massey is back 3. Hardin Co. 4.Northside is Massey is gone...otherwise Liberty moves into the #4 spot 5. Brighton misses out on the playoffs for the second straight year 6. Munford 7. JCM goes winless in the region as Liberty passes them by It's early though, but isn't it fun to think about!!!!

Yanker...I love your zest, zeal, and love for you beloved JCM!!! If wishing and hoping would make it so, JCM will survive this "crisis" that they now face. (Kind of like a television viewer watching Peter Pan, closing their eyes real tight and saying "I believe..I believe." in an effort to bring Tinkerbell back from death's door) Tinkerbell made it! Maybe JCM will too!

Yanker...Hate to rain on your parade,but JCM is in for some long difficult days ahead!! You need to hope and pray that you move down in classification, because the end is here for your program if it remains in the 4A ranks! JCM could not survive in the 3A class either so the only hope is for a plummet to the 2A Division. Honestly, what a shame for a storied old program! Facts are Facts! Oh, by the way, hope you and your father are both doing well.

Going to have a difficult time to find someone of substance to go into this mess! Too many negatives !!!!

what jobs are open and which ones appear to be the best?

I am simply amazed!!! It is hard for me to believe that the MCS will bring this guy back. I am reminded of his actions at the State Championship game, his vulgarity on the Time Warner Game of the Week, his taking money from Universities,etc. and I have to question exactly what the MCS feel the role of athletics is and should be with regard to student-athletes. I always thought it was to teach the principles of hard work, sacrifice, dealing with adversity, goal setting, ect. In other words I thought developing character and integrity through sports was the goal for our young men through high school athletics and to do this, it takes someone that already possessess these traits. Thompson doesn't have them, nor will he ever! Let the self proclaimed Doo-Wa-Diddy of football do his thing. How sad!!!

You almost have to think that the coach there is safe. He was fired and then the principal was pressured into saying"It did not happen" because he had been forced to rescend his decision by the parents that complained and went to the board of education. You have to think this guy is nuts after his last decision about changing coaches. (It got him sued along with the district). I'm going to be interested in seeing how that plays out too. As for the present coach, if he has any sense whatsoever, he will be looking. The principal has already let him know of his feeling for him.

Good one now open....Major Wright at White Station (Memphis City) is leaving and accepting the head job at Briarcrest Christian School!!!!

My understanding is he is retiring.

JCM is open as is Jackson Southside

I was one of two on standby last week at Millington. Unbelievable destruction of a fine W. Station football team in every department!!! I'm out of work for the season now and have been delegated to "fan" status. I'll be at the Millington-Independence game this Friday, but have plans to be in Murfreesboro for the "Grand Finale." I'm looking for Mitchell to be there in the 3A game, Henry vs Maryville in the 4A Final and Millington in the 5A Final. Mitchell has probably the finest athletes this year collectively in Memphis, I think Henry got a huge break in the other semi with Hillsboro turning the ball over 6 times and Henry grabbing a fumble in mid-air to win. (You've got to have some luck along the way if you are to continue week after week!) And finally, I don't think anyone will be able to touch Millington now. Hopefully the Pats are having a good week of practice. I know they will be prepared and "home field" is a definite plus. Only advice I could give would be to make darn sure you "DON'T LOOK AHEAD AT THIS POINT AND DON'T EVEN DREAM ABOUT A FINAL APPEARANCE UNTIL IT'S A REALITY! ALL EFFORTS TOTALLY ON MAPLEWOOD PERIOD! Again, best of luck and play hard!!!