lordofthescreens

My mistake. It was a Freshman game, not JV.

Comp, did not mean to imply anything too negative. Was just trying to goad you and Skunk a little into sharing more about the DB-SS series ending. You have done a great job with this thread keeping interest in NET HS Football alive during the off season. Now, hopefully, the interest with be self sustaining with the start of spring practice.

You and Comp seem to know alot on this issue. I see no reason to not get the info out on this board. As in all controversial decisions, complete awareness of different points of view will only help understanding. Also, unless one of you are the alias for Graham or Stacy, please do not overestimate your knowledge or relative importance. So, again, please share. That said, my understanding is that there were many issues. While there was alot of talk last year, the decision was not made until well after the season. By the way, do not hang this on the AD's only; a decision like this is not done without the agreement of the head football coach and principals. My take on the key issues follows. Recent imbalance of wins/losses in the series. While '05 should have been a South win and '02 was very competitive, most of the past 10 years were D-B blowouts. Desire by D-B to upgrade their out of conference schedule. Beating Eliz, SS and THS by big scores every year did not appear to help D-B with their playoff problems. This was a particularly touchy subject in the Model City last November; just ask anyone who was at lunch at Ming Garden on that infamous Sunday late last year. Suffice it to say, Graham Clark had significant pressure after last year's playoff debacle to upgrade his schedule. Concern by current SS Coaching staff to minimize injuries incurred in the D-B game and not threaten the conference schedule. SS has had many injuries in this game over recent years (due to being overmatched); a recent example was the loss of their top running back for the season last year. Poor treatment by D-B of visitors in general and by the D-B AD of SS fans in last year's ticket sales. It may surprise those in Kingsport who have donated to the fieldhouse to learn that all visiting teams consider J. Fred Johnson to be the worst football venue in East Tennessee. The visiting stands are, by far, the worst in the region. This is due, I suppose, to the need for J. Fred to be a multi-use stadium (D-B baseball, Fun Fest, etc.). SS, on the other hand, has the best overall football facility in the Region. The visitor's arrangement, in particular, is outstanding. On the second point, the new D-B AD created ill will with his treatment of SS requests for tickets to last year's game. While that may appear to be trivial, this issue really stuck in some people's craw (not just fans, but SSHS and Sullivan County "officials".) When you open a Pandora's box, you get Pandora. Changes in any High School schedule in an off reclassification year requires cooperation between schools. Many schools, particularly on the SS side, chose not to play ball and to use this potential schedule change to push their own agenda. Happy Valley wanted out at all costs, Boone wanted in due to some schedule changes on their end, D-B had to upgrade, the new Science Hill coach needed a big opening statement, the new Central coach didn't care, THS needed some relief in mid-season, and Betsy needed some early season help. SS attempted to replace the D-B gate with a big following from a premier Southwest Virginia program but was unsuccessful. As far as D-B was concerned, William Blount needed an early season game against a good opponent, fears no one, and thinks D-B is soft. D-B has really done nothing else to upgrade their schedule for 2007 but will probably lose at least 2 regular season games. Whether this translates into more post-season success remains to be seen. In the IMAC, THS was the big loser in the current scheduling scheme - back to back against D-B and SS in mid-season. THS was intent on two things - getting D-B in a window where he could really prepare (THS humiliated D-B's freshmen and JV last year and thinks they are poised to regain Tri Cities supremacy over the next few years) and ending this SS championship run (which most people in Bristol attribute not to the Rebels but to the depleted state the Vikings are in after getting pounded by D-B the previous week). Elizabethton also want to move SS or THS to late in the season. They have had a real "murder's row" in their August and early September schedule. This is a two year issue; schedules will undergo major changes in '09 when the next regularly scheduled reclassification analysis takes place. Those are my thoughts. I welcome others. I am glad Spring practice starts soon!

My understanding is that there is a bit of a drop off in talent at D-B from '06. Of course, that would be understandable as that was the most talented team in recent D-B history and probably their best chance to win a state title in the near past and future. I also have heard from f'ball parents that there were several kids who unexpectly quit over the off season and spring. It sounded to me like it was more than the normal attrition. There are some genuine concerns (and pressure) that this year's seniors might be the first class in a long time to not win the Big East. Now this all could be sandbagging by the Tribe faithful on the way to a "normal" 9-1 regular season. And you are still champs and the big dog in the neighborhood until someone beats you. That said, I say 8-2 regular season and second round playoff exit.

IMHO, they are the second best team at the current time and most likely to be second at the end of the season. They may not be in second place in the conference standings at the moment.

Best effort by Viking Basketball in recent memory. Central is a good team and the Hess kid is a solid prospect. I now rank the Vikings as the clear # 2 to SHHS. What in the world is the problem at D-B and with Morgan? How do you lose to a 3 - 8 South team which is a shadow of what they were a year ago? Is the absence of Sensibaugh that big of a problem?

Cap1 has a point in that D-B has historically taken maximum advantage of the old "six quarters" rule for certain players to participate in both JV and Varsity games. The fact that THS and Central have not and do not do this perhaps speaks more to coaching philosophy than anything. One downside of this which I would not like if I were the parent of a D-B JV or a number 7 or 8 varsity basketball player is the obvious reduction in playing opportunities which might occur. I am curious. This approach by Morgan is obvious to the rest of the Conference. No names, but what do the D-B fans, players, and, most interestingly, the parents, have to say on this?

I am not sure why Coach T closed this topic but I wanted to weigh in a little bit on the specific Curt Phillips issue and then pose a broader one for folks to consider. I was reading my papers this week in Knoxville and following all the energy on the topic related to Curt Phillips at Sullivan South and his rumored departure to Kingsport D-B. I attempted to post a reply and was surprised to see this topic closed. In any event, I would like to offer the following points. Bo Burton vs Curt Phillips I am not sure Curt would have started at D-B this year, last year, or next year. For those who assume he would have started over Burton, please remember that Burton's father is a major long term D-B assistant coach. Also, growing up and paying your dues in the system is important. It is actually very difficult for a transfer to come in and unseat a starter and maintain team chemistry. Truth is, Graham Clark and D-B did not really need Curt. Their state title run was over when the Sensibaugh kid hurt his ankle at the end of the William Blount playoff game. By the way, both Burton and Phillips made Coaches All State in their respective classifications. Duran Ferguson vs Burton vs Phillips Duran was not nearly the prospect in football that either of these two guys are. Duran's lack of discipline, work ethic, and his late season fade in performance seriously hurt D-B's playoff chances that year and really dropped his stock in recruiting. He was not a serious football prospect at the end of the season. I am not sure how much of that was his peformance or his preference. NET Recruiting I was recently amazed to see an article in the Knoxville paper touting the signing of a Knox Powell lineman to a football scholarship to Michigan State. Also the article indicated that in recent years Knox Powell had signed 5 kids to D-I scholarships while going 20-15. I am not knocking Knox Powell but it is really strange that we cannot produce similar results in NET. I think this is because coaches in NET do not have connections, do not work hard to get their kids recruited, and do not try to go outside of their easy contacts at Maryville College, Emory & Henry, UVA-Wise, Tusculum, Carson-Newman, etc. It is a shame and I think that several D-I prospects are left on the table in NET every year because the coaches are unwilling or unable to make the contacts. I would like to hear people's thoughts on this.

It will be very difficult to find coaching positions and teaching positions for all those assistants. I assume you are talking about the staff at Munford.

I think another driving force for the move away from Junior High was the mandated move to public school kindergarden. This effectively put a 13th grade in the public schools and forced a restructuring of facilities.

Reply to the question on CHMS not fielding a 7th grade team. I think compusatman's comments on the history were essentially correct. I also think it has something to do with the old Middle School County and City Leagues. In the County League, no one was expected to field a 7th grade team; the "Service Club League" (Optimist, Ruritan, etc) had 6th and 7th grade teams. In the City Middle School League, schools were expected to field a 7th and an 8th grade team. Colonial Heights has recently (this past season) moved to the City League. They will be under pressure to field both 7th and 8th grade teams. This will probably hurt their Optimist 7th grade team. That is a cost of moving up in classification. BTW, does anyone have any insight on why they moved up? Was it dictated by TMSAA or was it their choice? Just curious.

I am quite surprised by the energy of this thread, particularly considering that no one from Region 1 4-A will be advancing past the second round of the playoffs again next year. The stories in the NET area will be the dominance of both the Morristown programs, renewals at Central and Greeneville, and the domino buzz created by coaching changes. At this time, my MLC picks for next year are: THS (motivated, see below) Johnson County (talented & get South at home, but can they replace Atwood?) South (the easy pick for 1st, but ...) Central (with the right coach) East (could be fourth if the Central story does not play out) Unicoi (a little uneasy; why wasn't Cooper voted Coach of the Year by his peers?) Elizabethton (a real mess until they fix their internal issues) North (hard nosed effort but the pipeline is thin) I say "at this time", because if Pless is fired at Elizabethton and Rider from Volunteer is hired (as is strongly rumored) then the Cyclones could be much better. Also, Central may pick from within the staff which would assure continued disaster and East could lose Ralph Nelson to SHHS. Who knows? That is what makes these boards so much fun. Now, some more detailed comments on South and THS. As the off season and spring practice progresses, I hope to update my analysis with details from other teams. Next year the easy pick will be South. While certainly a playoff team, the truth is that South will have significant challenges in replacing and/or developing alot of skill people, linemen, and linebackers. Phillips will, of course, return and be an All Conference (at least) QB and Divison 1 prospect. South does not have a lot of sophomores and juniors returning. They will likely have a much younger team than at any time in the past 4 years. Perhaps a running attack (besides Phillips keeping the ball) will emerge. After all, for all the talk on this board about upcoming RBs at South, there is not a proven returning back as there have been in some recent previous years, e.g., Robinette, Hudgins, Sandidge, McMillin. A lot of people will have to step up at OL, DL, LB, WR, DB, and RB. This can and does happen at good "programs". We will see next year if South has one. If South can three peat then Stacy Carter will have certainly earned a third Coach of the Year award. Do not underestimate the intensity with which Stubbs at THS will approach this season, particularly his confrontation with his recent arch-rival, South. South, under Stacy Carter, has been a thorn in his side for three years. Don't forget, South was a muffed punt away from the biggest upset in the playoffs in 2004 against one of the best Viking teams in recent memory. In 2005, South was a better team but needed to, and did, get over the hump of victory against the Vikings. In 2006, South was not as good but outplayed and outcoached the Vikings. In fact, this may have been a tipping point in the MLC; South now may feel like they have the "MoJo" when these two teams play. A good part of the motivation for THS's good late season performance was the chance at a "second shot" at the Rebels. Motivation is not the only thing in the Viking's favor. The talent pipeline also looks good; THS freshmen dominated D-B frosh in a late season game.

Good catch. My mistake. I meant Science Hill (SHHS), not Central. Thanks.

It is amazing we are still talking about this but that is a credit to the importance of D-B football to the identity of the region. That's right, the whole region roots for and against the Indians. Ask Central, Gate City, South, etc. what their greatest memories are - they are their few wins against D-B. (Don't bother asking THS, they have real State and National Championships). In recent years, we all hoped (and/or hoped against that- ?) the Indians could run the table. The truth is they are not going to be able to. Their best chance was several years ago when they lost in the mud to Gerald Riggs and Chattanooga Red Bank (now routinely eliminated in the 4-A playoffs by Maryville). This year was the best chance they were going to have for the foreseeable future. The various causes for the W-B defeat have been debated at length on this thread and in Kingsport for almost a month and I do not have anything to add. The simple fact is that 5-A and 4-A football in NET is not good enough to win a state title. That doesn't make it any less important during the season for those who play it and support it in some way. HS Football is still a great part of our local culture. I suggest we all focus our energy this weekend rooting for Hampton in 1-A.

An interesting series of posts and perhaps we need to start a new thread on the return of ETSU football. I do not think Stubbs will leave THS for SHHS. Wampler probably has already applied along with most other county HS coaches in the area. My understanding of the current handicapping for the SHHS "horse race" is: Nelson (East - coming hard on the inside track) Outside the Region Pick (second and fading - money & "switching costs" are a problem) Carter (South - gaining in the backstretch) Rider (Volunteer - a long shot) My understanding from the Committee for ETSU football was that they were proposing an outdoor stadium at Tri Cities Airport. To me, this was a losing proposition and one reason I did not really think their effort was serious. If, on the other hand, they have a chance at an on-campus outdoor stadium I think it would be a very good possibility.

Without a lot of inside information, I would rank next year's FRC football standings as: MW ME G'ville Vol Boone Cher Crockett CC

Someone who I think would be a good candidate for this job is an assistant at South - Hunter Jordan. He is a great offensive mind and great motivator.

After the dismal performance against D-B I was not that surprised that Science Hill chose to "exit" their coach rather unceremoniously. The strongest local candidates are Ralph Nelson from East, Colobro from Gate City, and Carter from South. Broader searches and more money might land someone from outside NET or from the NAIA or Division III college ranks. Such a move is very difficult to pull off. Another good choice would be Rider from Volunteer. IMHO he is waiting to be offered the job at Elizabethton after the future forced departure of Pless. All in all, this is the most buzz in the Region from a coaching turnover perspective in recent memory. There are two announced "premium" openings - Science Hill & Greeneville; one unannounced "premium" opening - Elizabethton; and one mid-grade opening with an easier upside than any of the others - Central. After all, at Central if you can go .500 and compete for the 4th playoff seed in the MLC you will be a hero. Such performance has gotten the previous coaches in the other three situations "exited".

If the game is played on a "fast field" at Burke-Tarr rather than at Burke-Toney, then I think M-E will win. Let me say at the outset, however, that I am not knowledgeable of the all the differences between the Burke's, Toney's, Tarr's, MoWest's, and MoEast's. I am knowledgeable in what I have seen in tape, scrimmages, and live performances. My upset special prediction is: M-E 28 M-W 21 I also predict a great football game with two deserving teams which will make NET proud.

As I posted a week ago with no takers, my money is on the new SHHS coach being Ralph Nelson. A second strong local candidate is Colobro from Gate City. A "national search" is appealing but difficult. TSSAA rules greatly restrict what school and community booster clubs can do. As you have seen at DB, THS, and Sullivan South, the funding pool comes from salary, stipends, and "coach's shows".

I normally read threads like this and just watch everyone self immolate. In this case, I feel compelled to offer MHO on several issues. Players Posting (particularly right after a game) Not wise. And if they do they need to be prepared to take the heat and not pout up. The Rest of the MLC Hoping the pouting returning Viking players do transer to VHS or Powell Valley. Recent Team Comparisons Emotionally draining and a waste of time. Example - my sophomore RB would have been a whole lot better than the current senior RB. How can you ever really make that comparison? Each Season is a Treasure Each Team has its own personality. Each senior class has its own personality. The Viking seniors and team had an outstanding season. In fact, I think this may be Coach Stubb's best coaching job at THS. IMHO the Viking players overachieved this year. Regain Sanity and Calibration Please do not mention any recent Viking team, DB team, etc, in the same breath as the Viking teams of the early '70's. Lest we forget, a sophomore based team finished 2nd in the state, a junior based team finished first, and a senior laden team finished first in the state and the nation. Just my thoughts.

Now to finish. In my lineup no one gets more than one spot. Offense WR - Ringley, SS WR - Prudhomme, JC TE - Rice, UC QB - Smith, Eliz RB/QB - Thomas, THS RB - Todt, SE OL - Cooke, SN OL - Crowder, SC OL - Bishop, Eliz OL - Fogleman, THS OL - Dykes, SS Defense DE - Pearson, SS DE - Collier, SS DT - Humphry, JC DT - Winchell, SC LB - Wingfield, SS LB - Fleenor, THS LB - King, SN DB - Hyder, Eliz DB - Acton, SN DB - Sandidge, SS DB - Ollis, UC Overall a good year for the MLC. Some great storylines - repeat champions in SS, JC continuing their resurgence, UC in the playoffs, Stubbs doing a great job of adapting to the O talent at THS, mid-season coaching change at SC, SN improved, and much drama in Elizabethton. Congratulations to all the players, coaches, and fans. Just think, only 6 months until the start of Spring Practice.

My initial thoughts on top honors. O and D lineups to follow. Player of the Year: Atwood, JC Coach of the Year: Cooper, UC Offensive Player of the Year: Phillips, SS Defensive Player of the Year: Bible, THS Athlete of the Year: J. Kitzmiller, SS

Rumor has it that the following changes are imminent: Rider from Volunteer to replace Pless at Elizabethton Nelson from East to Johnson City Any confirmation on this?

C-Man, pretty good analysis. I really think the main factor in this was emotional preparation prior to the game. The previous two big playoff wins made SSHS a bit complacent while MEHS used that as a motivator. Also, MEHS did a very good job (from what I am told) of defensive schemes to avoid long pass plays. Of course, no one could count on the two interceptions which led to TD's. Based on what I know and have heard, I think ME is playing much better than MW and will win by at least a TD next week. Upset Special!