Cactus Jack

Now I hear GQ is going to Austin Peay as a coordinator. Carson Newman hired a pretty impressive sounding guy from the US Naval Academy and no changes at DB according to friends up there.

If that is so it will wreck a good football team every time. I know Coach Rosser well and I know how good he was. I didn't know Craney, but I saw Central slide under him.

I heard that same thing from a pretty good source. GQ is sitting on a $400K buyout from ETSU but remaining in Johnson CIty. DB and GQ would be a good match and has precedence with Ted Wilson going from Maryville to DB years ago. It would be a perfect storm, he would make the Indians a 6A contender again for sure. Of course Christian is still the head coach right now. I wish he would go to Carson Newman though, but apparently that has been confirmed as not happening. Anybody have any idea what CN is doing, I hate it for Coach Clowney, hes a great guy, but the Eagles haven't been good in several years.

Tough deal for Craney, following the great teams Bryson Rosser had there, I suspect he lost some good players to the recruiting schools in Knoxville. Central can win, but they have to keep their kids at home and go get a few too.

DB seems to be a little down athletically, they have size up front, the QB is OK but their skill isn't there on offense or defense. I watched the Science Hill game on stream and the Hilltoppers won because they had a few more athletes who could make plays. I too, wonder if DB is getting all they could out of the hallways there. Don't see those Sensabaugh type guys they used to always have. Next year, same schedule, just flipped as to home and away. We will see,

I was told unless a school complained loud and long about "recruiting." or kids not playing at the school within their zone (Knoxville) that the TSSAA would not do anything as they don't have the resources to check rosters and addresses and proof of residence and all that stuff. Note the rapid rise of Bearden for example.

After watching West dismantle Powell, I’ve got to go with the Rebels. Walker Valley at 11-2 is a good team, but I think West probably has too many athletes. West 28-10

While OR did lose a bunch of good skill players, they will return some good ones too, and the lines may be better, and they have a seasoned quarterback returning too, which is a big plus. I look for them to be pretty good late in the season next year. This is year two of the odd schedule, this time starting with two really tough road games at Jefferson County and Powell. Then a bye week, followed by 5 straight home games and then close out with a road game at Bearden, followed by Lenoir City and Campbell County, I think they can again win the region with the big game being Clinton at home and Lenior City being a tough out at their place.

He was plenty bothered by the loss, but his first comment to me was, "We will bounce back!!"

Good luck Mavs on your trip to the land of the frozen Green Devils at the legendary Burley Stadium, which used to have an elevated end zone in one corner where there was a big rock, but now its gone. AC is really come on and played good ball here at playoff time, and I think it will continue with the Mavs getting a close win. 28-24

I think both Maryville and Oak Ridge will be OK. Both have bright young coaches and they both realize the importance of developing younger players. there will be years they are not as good as others, and it will be hard for them to beat the recruiting schools since both have high tuitions to deal with. Maryville had some key injuries if I read it right and that hurt, OR had a really good senior class, but some of them were a lot better than previous years thanks to Coach Rang and staff bringing out a higher level of play in them. Both teams have younger quarterbacks returning, so that is a good foundation for the offenses.

Should be one good game, West squeaked by in the regular season game. Tough beating a good team twice like OR found out last Friday. The winner might face the red hot Dragons, should they get by Walker Valley at Ron Brown Stadium this coming Friday. I think Powell gets the win this time in a close one 21-20

Clinton, a home game at Ron Brown against a good 10-2 Walker Valley team, with a close loss to Bradley Central (#1 in 6A) in and to East Hamilton, a team with some good athletes like Clinton. It will again take a effort like Clinton turned in Friday night to beat Walker Valley.

Several things: First I thought Clinton played well, maybe the best game they could possibly have played. No turnovers lost, only 15 yards in penalties, better execution on offense, using skill players well, better tackling and defense, especially against the run. Only thing, the kicking game remains weak and that could get them in the next round. On the Oak Ridge side, I thought on defense, pass defense was still not good and that had shown up for a couple of weeks, let receivers get behind them for two touchdowns, not good. On offense, I thought OR should have run the ball more, especially when in short yardage and even use more draws and screens. Quarterback didn't seem to be as accurate as he normally is, he did have some pressure and the two blindside hits that caused fumbles may have rattled him some. I thought the game turned the first play of the second half where the quarterback had the ball slapped away and recoverd by Clinton. Although the Dragons did not score on that series, thanks to a great stand by the Wildcat defense, it left OR on its own end of the field most of the second half and another fumble and some short punts kept them there. I think finally the defense tired and Clinton was able to convert short fields to scores and the win. OR kicking, normally good, seemed a little off tonight, punts not as long and shanked one and the field goal at the end, which was within range wasn't close. So as General Neyland used to say, "the team that makes the fewest mistakes wins" and it was that way on Friday night. I did not think the refs were a factor and they pretty much let them play. Season over for OR, they have a lot of good senoirs to replace for next season, some good players coming back, For Clinton, a home game at Ron Brown against a 10-2 Walker Valley team, with a close loss to Bradley Central (#1 in 6A) in and to East Hamilton, a team with some good athletes like Clinton. It will again take a effort like Clinton turned in Friday night to beat Walker Valley.

Is this game at Dolly's House? If so, could be a tough night for the Panthers, but I still think they have the talent to pull out a win up there.

Clinton appears to have found themselves as that was a pretty big win over the big and chunky Cherokees at Athens. I do understand the Kees lost their best linebacker/running back but Clinton followed the script on how to beat the Kees. They got and early lead and built on it, Kees are not a catch up team and that was it. Kees could not throw the ball and if they can't pound the rock and control clock with a lead, they lose. Oak Ridge will really need to be on their best game next Friday night and probably need to outscore them in an offensive game to win. Should be a good one.

I saw them against Science Hill and they seem to be very vanilla and a little shy on skill players. Kind of a plodding slow offense that gets behind the sticks easy,

East Hamilton had some good drives and the running backs and quarterback were very good at getting enough yardage to pick up first downs and use a lot of clock in the first half, but on the other side of the ball they couldn't stop Dozier as he gashed them and couldn't defend the long ball over the top. Wildcats able to get some stops on defense in the second half and pull away. I don't know how many seniors EH has, but if a lot of these guys come back, they could be the favorite in that Region next season, Just heard McMinn County went down in flames to Clinton as the Dragons speed was too much for the Kees. Nice win for the Dragons! SO its OR vs Clinton at Blankenship next Friday night.

Sounds like the DB offense didn't show. Bearden seemed in control all the way. I bet they will be nipping at Christian's heels up on Broad Street next week.

Big win for the Dragons, I understand from McMinn radio a couple of their better players that go both ways were out or went out during the game, but it sounds like Clinton followed the recipe to take out the Cherokees, score early and get them behind and force them out of that ball control offense. Dragons stopped a Cherokee drive holding them to a field goal right at the start of the second half and that was it for the Cherokees. Tough beating a team twice so Clinton may have the emotional edge coming in to OR on Friday night.

Good win for the little fellers tonight. I heard they got their good running back for this game. Sounds like they rebounded well from the loss to the Bluebellies. I saw where in 5A and 6A upper ET teams went 0-5. Bradley is really playing well, Maryville will have to be on the top of their game.

You might be right, could be some heredity and geneaology discussed between the two teams, can't afford to get tossed now, could be fatal the following week

Jeff is playing pretty good football right now and the Blue Raiders have been a little up and down, I'll take the Patriots at Dumplin Valley to rekindle the glory days of the late 80s. Jeff 28-21.

I watched Science Hill defeat DB and AC this season, they have some good athletes and good speed, I think they put Maryville out but it will be close at Kermit Tipton Stadium/Steve Spurrier Field. 21-14 Hilltoppers...

I haven't seen Tennessee High, but I suspect the Vikings are no match for the Panthers up front, so Powell will advance to Round 2 by a score of 38-7.