BarcaFan

ESPN Rise as of 3/21/11 Tennessee: 1. Hendersonville (1-0-0), 2. Bearden (0-0-0), 3. Brentwood (1-0-1), 4. Battle Ground Academy (1-0-1), 5. Farragut (0-0-0), 6. Christian Brothers (2-0-0), 7. Centennial (0-0-1). Fab 50 9 - Hendersonville 19 - Bearden 30 - Brentwood 31 - Battle Ground Academy 37 - Farragut 38 - Christian Brothers

Most of the guys play for TUSC 93 out of H'ville but a couple were playing for Brentwood. Bryce Childres is the only signee I am aware of. I understand he is going to Memphis. I have not heard about their State MVP Keeper Zach Gutzman but he should play in college. I'm also not sure if Whit Gray wants to play football or soccer. I watched them play Portland the other night and saw great improvement in a lot of the seniors who did not play varsity as juniors. I would call them late bloomers but very capable to give the Commandos a lot of depth. I also noticed Ryan Bristol was not showing up on the IU roster but have not heard anything about the circumstances of that.

Hendersonville's "Field of Dreams" is a great soccer environment although it like most of the park that it sets in was devastated by the floods in May. It requires more work but the facility was top notch and I expect it will be again. The pitch is usually in perfect shape and large dimensions with professional bench seating and professional goals with drop nets. They also have very nice bleachers and announcers box. They need a new scoreboard, better PA, and better concessions area but the pitch is hard to beat at any level and it is in a great setting surrounded by woods and a creek.

Brentwood should be back in the saddle. They had a great team this year that fell a little short. They will lose Nick Desalvatore who was limited this year due to injury but I saw many underclassmen contributing this year and would expect a renewed team ready to go at it next year.

State was a blast! I watched CCS and Boyd-Buchannan have to finish it in Shots from the Mark and saw Hendersonville High take out a Centennial team with no quit in them. The HHS/CHS was an interesting match-up of very contrasting styles. To re-cap: HHS scores early in the game on a beautiful cross that gets finished nicely on the back post. Centennial takes advantage of HHS basking in the glow of the first goal and Tyson immediatly launches a rocket from outside the 18 that hits nothing but net. After that it is alot of possession by HHS and counter by Centennial. Ends 1-1 in regulation. HHS scores 3 additional goals in OT all because of nice passing that end up in goals to the back post. HHS then makes sure all their seniors get in the game in the final OT. Final goal is scored by Centennial with time expiring. A beautiful game for HHS fans in less than favorable conditions. The conditions did not matter when all was said and done. The ref gave HHS maybe 5 yellow cards and two reds but they handled that adversity and kept their composure.

This game deserved it's billing as one of the top match ups in the state. Undefeated Clarksville came out like a house on fire and lit the scoreboard early in the match with a beautiful shot from near the 18. After that goal Hendersonville woke up. It was the only match I had witnessed against Hendersonville all year where they were on their own defensive third for the first 10 minutes of the game without so much as even clearing a ball out to the opponents defensive third. Once the Clarksville score came Hendersonville got down to business and really started controlling the game. Several opportunities to score in the first half but inadequate pace or poor timing kept their side of the board at nil. In the second half it was more of the same. Only HHS put a goal in and then scored another with about 10 or 11 minutes left to play to go ahead. Their small right wing Shreve was really creating opportunities and the scores came off his throw into the box to be finished by Childres and Shreve's dribble penetration that resulted in a deflected shot allowing the corner kick that Gray finished after a skirmish around the 12 yard line. As the clock ticked away Clarksville got a breakaway opportunity to the right side that had the keeper, Gutzman start for the ball only to realize he would get beat in the attempt. As he back peddled, the winger laced a shot toward the back post that Gutzman snatched out of the air like he had mantis arms with fly paper hands. A dramatic finish to a well played game by both teams but a deserved victory by Hendersonville.

Hendersonville over Clarksville 2 -1 in regulation.

This is really a tough game to call. Clarksville has scored 89 goals and allowed 12 all season and with a record of 17-0-2 their only foibles were against a good LaVergne team early in the season and a Blackman team where the real Clarksville didn't show up. That being said their best opponent all year will be Hendersonville. Clarksville has something over Hendersonville in that they get home field advantage and Hendersonville lost to Clarksville the last time they played on their homefield. Also Hendersonville needs to be aware that Clarksville has a striker/midfielder who may be the fastest and most opportunity minded shooter they have faced all year. Hendersonville lost a heartbreaker to Station Camp in a second golden goal period to have to travel to Clarksville and got a little banged up near the end of the game. If Hendersonville doesn't come in with their chin up and a chip on their shoulder this game will be over before it starts. Toss up....I can't make a pick.....so sue me.

Hendersonville - 4 Beech - 0

Great game! Station Camp did just enough to probably be the regular season champs in the district. The only conclusion that would have allowed that for them was a win or a tie if they don't stumble going forward. Hendersonville has to be asking themselves with all the possession and control of the game what do they have to do to finish balls and to capitalize on set plays. They have to get the strikers and wings in more of an attacking mindset. The wings seem to be doing a great job of getting serves into playable situations but the strength of the finishes is too much around the goal and not in the goal.

Hendersonville - 6 Clarksville NE - 1 Clarksville NE lone goal came on a PK in the box with most of the HHS reserves in the game pretty early on in the second half. NE has some work to do. Hendersonville was not as impressive as the outcome though NE had very few opportunities to score.

That is fantastic. I heard Matt will be joining Holland and Jonathan at Trevecca.

I agree with pretty much all that has been posted. I do want to stress that running up the score is a no no between two teams that are not on the same level. However, I have seen very hotly contested games that ended up with lopsided scores which is sometimes the nature of the game. 6 or 7 to 0 or 1 where the team in the lead was not clearly dominant anywhere except on the scoreboard. Maybe they were better finishers or maybe the other team was all around the goal but not in, or even that the goalie was simply outstanding. I have also seen the flip side where the coach has put his reserves in only for them to score as well. In some areas the disparity is so great that your JV team might beat my varsity team handily. I have also seen games where the coach of the losing team said to the other coach not to let up. If you do they won't understand how hard they have to work. So don't give them a false sense of accomplishment. In essence though harsh I think Bear Bryant was right. The difference is the word "INTENT". I have never met a coach with the Cobra Kai philosophy from the Karate Kid that you haven't won until you have humiliated your opponent. I'm not saying they are not out there, only that I haven't met them. I think parents take a stronger view of a big loss than the kids in most instances and ultimately how the kids view it is what matters most and the mark of a good coach. Good coaching is not just about winning but also about learning and teaching.

Thanks. X-rays came back negative for break or fracture, but our Doc said that 30% of those don't show. So, we are going for further tests. Fortunately, we have a talented younger keeper who will step in and do well. It's just been one of those seasons. When 3 of your players have been to the hospital for soccer related injuries, it is rough. BigG here's a prayer that they don't find anything more severe with the tests and that your keeper as well as your other injured players heal with gusto ready to take you guys on another state run. Best of luck it was fun to watch your guys play during the tournament.

Thanks for the heads up on finding their schedule. With Webb Bell Buckle, MLK, Farragut, Independence, and Hume-Fogg left in their schedule wins may be hard to come by. I also noticed BA and BGA as two mid range opponents that aren't a given. Good luck boys! A victory over Farragut would be great! I have to commend the team for not ducking the competition. After all is said and done they will have had one of the most difficult schedules in the state. If nothing else it should prepare them for life and soccer after high school. Which boys have indicated a desire to play soccer at the college level and where will they be attending if they have already made decisions?

What is Mid Tenn Fire's record this year? Do they have a team web-site? I would like to see their upcoming schedule.

Big oversight! Ravenwood beat a great Father Ryan team 3-0 and tied Knox Catholic 1-1. KC though not extremely talented or speedy plays a great team game of soccer and most of the players are very composed with the ball at their feet (Luke Mishu would certainly be valuable. Hope he comes back this year). Ravenwood has one of the strongest midfields I have seen this year and Will Linder is a fabulous player.

I'm not sure where it is coming from but Franklin has developed a lot of firepower this year. I would like to hear more about their team and what has turned things around.

This was a very nice game to watch as a Gallatin fan but I felt very sorry for McMinn County. They lost two players in the Hendersonville game the previous night to a broken leg and a separated shoulder(neither intentional, just both players challenging hard). Hopefully they can regroup and get back to level they would like to be playing at.

The best keepers I have seen personally this year were from: Bearden, Hendersonville, and Knox Catholic

Quietly Station Camp is putting together a nice season. Good offensive output and giving up very little on the defensive end. Nice job guys!

I love the Bearden tourney! I got to watch the CAK-Gallatin game and the Maryville-Hville game. I thought Gallatin played very well but got caught on their heels very quickly at the start of the 2nd half. I think CAK scored twice in about 30 seconds. The first score was really a great solo effort and a beautiful shot from outside the 18. Maryville played better than their result. They appear to be a very strong and fast team and certainly had some good opportunities. Hendersonville did capitalize on their opportunities and played a bend but don't break defense. Maryville scored very quickly in the match and had some great posession probably 60/40 but Hendersonville took advantage of their 40.

Hendersonville 2 - 0 over Centennial, really a great matchup in on again off again downpours. Centennial tested the Hendersonville Keeper (Gutzman) all night but he made many sick saves and stopped a PK in the process. Ryan Bristol looked equally strong in goal but gave up a squeaker between the legs and lost out on a finish after multiple rebounds. I would expect both teams to be strong in their districts from the level of play on the field.

Scrimmages matter. The score doesn't. It is nice to see what you have against someone other than yourself but from a coaching standpoint it is basically a competetive practice. I have never seen a player think that the final score in a scrimmage didn't matter. The cocky competetiveness always shows up. Beware to the team that has the higher score in a scrimmage because the team with the lower score usually learns more from the experience.

I understand that Clarksville is only losing 4 seniors and they were quite strong this year. I would probably pick them as the 6th or 7th best team in the state this past season over teams like Cleveland, LaVergne, and Kingsbury. Other than that I like your list. I notice no west Tennessee teams represented in this list. Chime in out West as to who is going to have a breakout season or which powerhouse is going to be back in the driver seat.