BurroBall

Thanks, but that should go without saying. I was just impressed by David Lipscomb's skill guys, ESPECIALLY Zach Rogers. Oh, DL's skill guys CAN play with MBA's, HHS's and BA's. They just proved they could yesterday. Granted, I agree that HHS, MBA, and BA would likely beat DL in the regular season, but you gotta give DL credit for what they earned. I wasn't implying that DL necessarily had a better overall team. They won a very competitive 7 on 7 tournament by outplaying the other teams. They earned a bid to play in Hoover's national tournament. It is what it is; no more, no less. Every coach that was there including DL's and HHS's (the last two winners) will tell you that.

The fact that they won the 3A state championship last year and won the VU 7 on 7 Tournament speaks volumes for their program overall. They beat Hillsboro on the last play (after Hillsboro had beaten them earlier in the day in a tight one), Springdale Har-Ber (Arkansas) who probably had the best QB of anyone there, and MBA. Impressive!

I had heard about how good and fast he was, but today was the first time I had actually seen him play. He can play with the very best of the best in my opinion.

1. Zach Rogers is better than his older brother Austin and I hope he follows Austin to UTK. 2. Zach Rogers is very similar to WR Tyler Maples formerly of Maryville (currently at UTK): Big, Strong, Smart, FAST!!!

Don't worry there. We plan to prove you wrong in a few months and again in the potential playoff game. Until then, keep up the confidence. Just don't be surprised if the Burros take care of business and leave Maplewood behind in Nashville while we head back to Murfreesboro for the 5th time in 8 years. Ya'll think Maplewood has unfinished business with Maryville in the State Championship.....LOL...Hillsboro has "just a bit" more I would say. Maryville will be tough (that should go without saying), but if anyone can knock them off it will be Hillsboro.

Now, Now, don't have that attitude please. Hillsboro needs good competition even if we don't win it again this year. We need to go against the best teams available. I am looking forward to a great tournament and hopefully the Burros will repeat as tournament champions.

Hillsboro QB Greg Young grew up a ton today. Hillsboro (and Young), after being up and down in the morning games, played their best ball of the day in the afternoon in route to beating Franklin 28-0 in the championship game. Corey Jordan was a beast today. Eric Gordon was Eric Gordon: Phenomonal playmaker. If Greg Young continues to mature like he began to do today, leads the team through adversity, and takes responsibility instead of making excuses for miscues, the Burros will be in VERY good shape this upcoming year on offense. I regretfully can't share much about how too many other teams performed as I was watching Hillsboro the whole day.

That is what I like to hear. See ya'll in a couple of months at our place. Hopefully, this time we will come ready to defend our home turf.

I agree Hillsboro has no right to make jokes about Maplewood because they lost to Maryville in the State Championship game. Hillsboro football has written the book on how to lose to Maryville in the State Championship game. Wouldn't you agree? I mean losing 3 times to the same team is pretty frustrating. I also agree that Maplewood should be proud of their accomplishment last year of beating Hillsboro in the quarterfinals and making the State Championship game. I just think that this Maplewood will definitely play Maryville again for the 4A State Championship this year talk is a little premature when the season hasn't gotten underway yet. Likewise, saying Hillsboro will undoubtedly being playing Maryville in the finals is also premature. It is just a little more unpredictable than that I would say after last year when Hillsboro beat Maplewood at Maplewood and won the region only to commit 8 turnovers and get beat at home by Maplewood in the quarterfinals. However, I will say this much: Whoever wins the likely playoff matchup between Hillsboro and Maplewood this year will be my prediction to make it to the 4A State Championship again. May the best team win! GO BURROS!

I am going to assume that you base this statement on the belief that Hillsboro will get beat by Maplewood in the playoffs.

Good grief! I was trying to give Maplewood their just due and I get told I am making excuses. The HHS boys came in to the quarterfinals last year against Maplewood with a horrible attitude. They had already beaten Maplewood at Maplewood earlier in the season. Therefore, they came in thinking that basically all they had to do was just show up in order to win merely "because they were Hillsboro". Maplewood came in hungry and took advantage. It was as simple as that. I am not making excuses. I am just explaining that Maplewood shouldn't come in to this season against Hillsboro with the same attitude Hillsboro had last year in the quarterfinals against Maplewood. I promise that the Burros learned from that mistake last year and won't be expecting Maplewood to lie down for them simply "because they are Hillsboro".

I don't think I have read/heard truer words with regards to TSSAA football in the last 8 years.

Don't misunderstand me now because Maryville fans have every right to be supremely confident in their team's coach George Quarles. However, if George Quarles thought like the above, Hillsboro would have won the state championship against Maryville in both 2001 and 2002 without much of a problem. George Quarles always makes sure his boys don't take anything or anybody for granted. They can't afford to because they don't always have more talent or more athletes than their opponents. That is why they haven't lost since Hillsboro won the state championship in 2003. They listen to their coach and their coach doesn't allow them to think that all they have to do in order to win is just show up. He knows if his team isn't giving their best every game they could get beat. For this reason, among others, George Quarles is a very respectable coach. Alcoa, Hillsboro, MBA, BA, and probably Smyrna can all hang with Maryville. One of those might even beat Maryville. All of those teams are very well coached and have pretty good talent. Any given day......

I'll be there. Without a doubt. I ain't missing this one in the saturday night, SEC stadium, big-time college football atmosphere. I just hope my Burros bring their "A" game. If they do, I am confident they will win this one.

I would agree that an MBA-Maryville matchup would be a tight game. However, I will say right now that Daniel McGugin would likely get outcoached by George Quarles and that would be the difference I think in this matchup. MBA would likely have some better talent overall, but the coaching advantage, in my opinion, definitely goes to Maryville. Granted, Daniel McGugin did just pull an undefeated state championship season in his first year at MBA, beating the likes of BA and HHS along the way. That definitely has to count for a lot.

Maplewood has that taste of the state championship game against Maryville, gets beat, and wants revenge. Gee, I have heard and seen that somewhere before. Ask Maryville about playing Hillsboro multiple times in the State Championship game. 2001 was a nailbiter. Then in 02, Hillsboro was 10 times better on paper than Maryville and lead 21-3 at halftime. Then, George Quarles opened up his entire playbook and made Ron Aydelott look like a novice and Maryville proves yet again that they don't have to have more talent when they have kids who are coachable and a coach who can coach as good as anybody I've seen. Maplewood, congrats on being 4A state runner-up last year and giving a better show against Maryville than I expected. Moving on to this year, Hillsboro will be a big obstacle for Maplewood yet again. Also, as an aside, I wouldn't expect Hillsboro to have 8 turnovers again. I think they learned their lesson pretty well last year. It will be bitter sweet that Hillsboro won't being playing Maplewood every year after this coming season (at least for the next five years). I have enjoyed the rivalry. Good luck this season, but not too much. /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />