WeFlyHigh

Word on the street is that the infamous Coach Rector has left the Ravenwood Raptors football program high and dry in search of greener pastures as a "graduate assistant" at WKU. This happens on the eve of a season where Rector's Raptors were going to be the odds-on favorite in middle Tennessee. Coach Rector breaks ties a prominent powerhouse to go become a "GA" at a local lower tier college program? I am not sure about everybody else, but this sounds funny to me. I am pretty sure that there are a few pieces missing to this puzzle. Does anyone have any more information about this sudden happening? Also...Who steps up and fills Coach Rector's shoes? Who is willing to brave the mine-field that is RHS Athletics?

Word on the street is that the infamous Coach Rector has left the Ravenwood Raptors football program high and dry in search of greener pastures as a "graduate assistant" at WKU. This happens on the eve of a season where Rector's Raptors were going to be the odds-on favorite in middle Tennessee. Coach Rector breaks ties a prominent powerhouse to go become a "GA" at a local lower tier college program? I am not sure about everybody else, but this sounds funny to me. I am pretty sure that there are a few pieces missing to this puzzle. Does anyone have any more information about this sudden happening? Also...Who steps up and fills Coach Rector's shoes? Who is willing to brave the mine-field that is RHS Athletics?

"Down year"- a down year may be defined as 5-wins (maybe you beat at least one rival). Ravenwood was "down" last year they were 4-6 but they beat Franklin. but a 3-win season is a down right catastrophe, and a few "red-flags" should be thrown up in people's mind's eye. "Rebuilding Phase"- Usually means you are slowly improving. Rebuilding means that you have targeted your weaknesses, and are making strides to fix them. IHS has not shown any improvement if anything IHS has digressed. The IHS team that played BA was a better team than the team that played Dickson Co. That is not improvement, therefor that is not rebuilding "Building for the Future"- Means that the coaches and players at IHS need to let go of the past. If IHS ever wants to return to the State Championship game, then they need to forget about the last one they went to. Instead of celebrating/ framing pictures of past accomplishments...pointing to the sky after the beat FHS for the first time in honor of T.J.... Walking out hand-in-hand against Smyrna last year at the State Championship. Those moments are long and gone, and the Coaches & players need to focus on creating new memories and Milestones.

Somebody needs to name this thread "IHS's QB controversies", because anyone who posts on here is talking about the QB position. I did not mention Heckman or Smith once. Heckman is a good QB, he has performed under pressure before. He picked Franklin's Defense apart last year in the playoffs (that defense was loaded with studs throughout the secondary & linebacking corps). The only difference between his success this year and this year, is the fact that he was not surrounded by the same group of players. apparently no one stepped up to fill the gaps. I GOT IT!!! Pettigrew, Consiglio, Baugh, and the other 13 starters are no longer around...But I am sorry if I do not see how that results in a 4-win difference. I am sorry If I think that Independence High School Football (and its countless supporters) should believe that there is never a reason for them to lose to Dickson Co, Columbia Central, and Clarksville NE. I could care less about the Smith vs Heckman argument. Thank God that after this Friday we will never hear about this issue again.

"SwamiSays" says "You made what was already going to be a difficult season much harder and probably cost the team a win or two." No, lets get something straight. Talk does not and will not effect what happens on the field, there is no way at all possible that a few comments about worries concerning the state of our IHS eagles would cost a few wins. does anyone want to know what costs wins??? Calling a reverse inside your own 10 ten in a close game against Centennial cost us a win. It is clear/ apparent to me that IHS in playing in a league way above their head (and it will only get worse next year....look at the classifications [only 2 teams go to the playoffs]). IHS will be surrounded by incredible talent (John Overton & Hillsboro), but more than that IHS will be surrounded by out-standing coaching staffs (Rector at Ravenwood, Webb at Franklin, Crawford at Brentwood). IHS is a goldfish in a swimming tank full of sharks. I am so sick of hearing how this year was destined to be "down year" for IHS. I am so tired of hearing about how there was no talent & ability to create a manageable team from. Ravenwood & Brentwood are perennial play-off contenders, with minimal talent. Rector & Crawford create possibilities & mold players through their system. Every year Coach Webb at Franklin gives birth to a defense that shuts-teams-out, without amazing gifted players. The moral of the story is, These coaches create successful high school football teams year-in-year-out. Let me use an analogy, Take the Great White Shark for instance. His mouth is full of razor sharp teeth, but the great white shark will also lose/ break hundreds of these teeth every year. Does the Great White Shark stop being a fearsome predator after he looses a few teeth? Does the great white shark go through a "down-year"? The answer is NO. Because the jaw of the great white shark works like a conveyor-belt with endless rows of new teeth. The jaw of the great whit shark is constantly creating new razor sharp teeth. Basically the jaw never stops creating teeth, wven when the shark is going to the state-championship. when an old-razor-sharp-tooth falls out (or graduates) the jaw can slide a new-razor-sharp-tooth into place immediately. Therefor, the great white shark can be a constant threat in his region. I would ask this question, "what was Eubanks and his Staff doing during the "cinderella season" last year?" because this season proved that they were not creating new razor-sharp players to move into the empty positions left from last year's Senior class. Due to their shortcomings the countless kids that play for the Independence Eagles have had to suffer a "down year", instead of being considered a constant-threat/ fearsome-predator throughout their region.

I said that "history repeats Itself" and now let me explain why & how. FHS is a long-standing team, IHS is on their first play-off run. According to previous posts, "everyone wants to beat FHS", But someone else made the comment of "Franklin is searching for respect as one of region 6's elite teams", obviously FHS cannot get their statements in order. Franklin has been to this movie before, Back in 05' Franklin was facing a young-upstart program in Ravenwood. Franklin walked into the game with the same claim to fame "better athletes= better team=win", But at the end of the night Franklin was sent home to watch the remainder of the play-offs from their living-room, couches. Im sure I can expect the same Franklin apologists to explain away mistakes (Im sure the On-side kick was just another example of Franklin "running-out-of-time") And once again FHS is playing the young, Independance eagles. Franklin walked into IHS last year boasting the same great defense & running game, and walked out with their tail between their "camo'" legs. IHS has the ability to line up head-to-head and crush Franklin on both sides of the line. Independance will run the ball directly at the heart of FHS's defense. And Im sure Franklin fans/ player/ alumni/ coaches will have nightmares of TC Jennings being re-incarnated in a young Heckman. Franklin will be a perfect example of "pride before the fall" as every Rebel is sent home with thoughts of "maybe next year" FRANKLIN REBELS- 14 IDEPENDANCE EAGLES- 16 ....History repeats itself

The only response that ANY Franklin representative can give me is nothing more than excuses. Reasons why you lost to Mcallie, Excuses for losing to Ravenwood, More explainations for why you lost to Brentwood. What any self-respecting Franklin supporter, or any self-respecting Football fan needs to understand is....Good teams Find ways to win, not ways to lose a game in the fourth quarter. That is what seperates decent teams from out-standing teams. Yes, I know those are "individual plays" but they are also "single plays" that lost football games (when it mattered) And In reply to the "Casey Dikes Fanclub" (or maybe its just his Dad) Casey Dikes is "The Best Athlete in Williamson Co"??? Pettigrew is a Workhorse-Back on offense, and also plays a threatening Defensive Tackle. (every play, all game) And Pettigrew has been a difference-maker. and on to the issue of Graham Nichols "stats", Let me remind those of you that are under the false realization that he is a solid-QB. Solid QB's dont throw Interceptions inside their own Ten-yard-line. (which effectively lost the game against Ravenwood) Im hearing that this is going to be a Defensive-match, well It is hard to win Defensive (low scoring) games when your placekicker repeatedly misses Extra points, and the occasional, crutial Field-goal. Just remember that Good teams find a way to WIN games, not lose them (and create excuses afterwards)

OK, lets start this off plain and simple, there in no need to quote straight stats. Because the truth of the matter can be delivered in straight facts. Franklin's record speaks for itself, they have not beaten a decent team yet. The Rebels have repeatedly failed to "step up to the plate" in any big/ rival game (Ravenwood, Brentwood, Mcallie, Hillsboro). The entire "rebel nation" needs to realize that EVERYONE beat teams like; Centennial, Columbia, Clarksville NE, and Mcgavok. We have heard numerous times about "Franklin's Superior Athletes", So let me ask every Franklin Rebel Fan, Coach, and player this... If you obviously posessed such a higher class of players, then explain to me how you were beaten by teams such as; Ravenwood & Brentwood...If they were clearly below you in rank? The constant statement about speed/ ability/ talent is an absolute joke. Nichols (QB): Franklin has never been able to place a game solidly on his shoulders (and depend on a win) This was very clear late in the Ravenwood game, when Franklin needed Nichols to deliver, and he fell massively short of success. Maybe this is due to a total lack of recievers, (but didnt Franklin have D-1 reciever last year?...Oh, but he was a non-factor as well). So naturally Franklin had to develop a crutch to walk on, and this "crutch" became an over-estimated Running Game. Franklin's RB's (Lee, Steele, and Sellers) only "show-up" when it is a little league game. face it Franklin, Steele (or anybody else) has not been able to carry Franklin to a Noticeable victory (without Fumbling in Over-Time). Franklin's O-Line will suffer the same fate as every other team has, as Pettigrew and Consiglio swarm the back-field. Once again, Franklin boasts an Overrated O-Line that has only played exceptional against similarly over-estimated Defensive Lines (examples; Hunter's Lane, Overton, and Dickson County) And now on to the "Vaunted Webb Defence"...Everyone needs to realize that this Franklin Defense in a shadow of its former self. For lack of a better summary Franklin's defense is an injured-rag-tag-lucky-defense. The D-line is almost not even worth the mention (Heckman should have all night to throw) The Defensive line was destroyed by Pettigrew last time Franklin came to IHS, and Im sure this year will prove no different. Franklin will get steam-rolled by our Running back duo, and will everntually shut-down and quit (just like Antioch & Gallatin before them) Franklin has a non-exsistant Line-backing core. I had heard that Casey Dikes was supposed to be the successor to Josh Frohawk? Casey Dikes was a catastrophe as a RB, and his only big play this year was a "non-play" (punt return against Brentwood). Someone needs to tell Casey that he should Go ahead and get ready for Baseball season. The Franklin secondary....the Franklin Secondary??? Benny Anderson & Justin Hampton have not given Franklin a single decisive Defensive play all year. In Fact both players cost Franklin a game each. Benny A. (CB) allowed a Ravenwood Reciever to stand un-attended in the end zone, and beat Franklin once again. Justin H. (SS) was fooled in overtime against Brentwood costing Franklin High School another game. The proof is there, you dont need to worry yourself about stats, just focus on Facts. Franklin has not beaten a "cross-town rival" in the state playoffs in recent history. They say, "history repeats Itself" but you Franklin Rebels just wont learn.