rackjackback34

I would like to talk about MBA's future basketball program. They are not known for basketball, but their future looks amazingly bright. The eighth grade placed 2nd in HVAC last year, and 0 boys from that team will start. Here will be the varisty starting line-up in 3 years.

PG-Austin Key-Blackwell (nationally ranked 9 point guard) 6'2 160

PG-Jhamall Wright 5'10 160

F-Aaron Simonis 5'11 170

PF -Transfer from Independence (don't know name) 6'7 210

C-Elliot Watts (nationally ranked 7 post) 6'8 215

All these boys are freshamn right now....they have room to grow. Wow. Watch out D II

Just got a little excited when you mentioned them as the best "D" in the nation.

Yeah they are defenetly not. Way to young in the secondary. Although they may have one of the best D-lines in the south. You don't find many good programs with a kid who has started since 8th grade!

BA has one of the best defenses in the nation? 4 losses? Why would you subject yourself to this? Are you serious? Who are you? Do you know anything about sports? I'm sorry you are probably an intelligent human being but don't subject people to statements with zero validity! Best defense in the nation? You just posted this on 11/16/08! Wow! Give the individual award to Jefferson! Brunetti wants the Gold Ball!

I mean't to write state. And in ba's losses it wasn't there defenses fault, it was their stuggling offense. Even in the Prattville game ba's D stood their ground. Even though i do not think Prattiville is as good as the hype, they are still a "national powerhouse".

I don't really agree that Jefferson is more talented, I think they are both about the same. Brunetti is the better passer in my opinion. We played Brunetti and Jefferson this year and I think Brunetti is the better player and more key to his team's offensive success especially after what he did last Friday night.

More key to his teams succes? You must be kidding. Jefferson is the team. Orleans holes are opened up because of him. Im taking nothing away from Darkwa but he is so good beacause of Jefferson. BA might have one of the best defenses in the nation and Jefferson took over the game and almost beat them by himself. It was amazing. BA knew every play he would run and still couldn't stop him. Brunetti has talent all over the field while Jefferson has Darkwa. It will not be right if Jefferson does not win.

The guy must be superman to have torn his MCL so badly that he was on crutches the next day, yet he continued to play up through the very last play of the game without so much as a limp.

Pretty much. Good news though, surgery will not be required. He will a porportion of baseketball though i presume. Congrats to MUS. Please beat BA!!!

If #23 was Lassing, then he did play the entire game...I heard his name over the PA a number of times all throughout the game. One MBA player did have to be helped off the field, but it was late in the game and I believe I saw him come back a few plays later.

 

And I can substantiate the rain rumor. Just ask any MUS player...it doesn't rain on MUS, thanks to the "Bobbydome".

He tore it early, but played with it.

Based on results, Brunetti and Brown should win. They have taken their teams to the finals.

I think it should go to Jefferson for backs. Johnson for lineman. Jefferson is so good its to the point of it being ridiculous. I've seen him play and Brunetti and Jefferson is more talented in my opinion.

Lassing has a torn MCL. Saw him today in crutches and a brace. Im not sure if he has to get surgery or not.

Lassing has a torn MCL. Saw him today in crutches and a brace. Im not sure if he has to get surgery or not.

actually he is not 19... he is either 16 or 17. but i promise you he will be playing for MUS next year

Oh sorry must be just a rumor.

Brunetti must tansfer to a public school to be eligible to play highschool football because he turns 19 over the summer. It didn't help MBA that their best LB #23 tore his MCL the 3rd play of the game. He is also the starting fullback. I doubt MBA will be as good next year but they have a shot.

Well rackjack, if Bullard is not that dominant and McHaney only has a few catches, why were they nominated? No other dominat lineman?

I don't know. In my opinion Bullard has been better this year than Mchaney. I think Neterville from EHS should be on there. He's pretty good and plays with alot of heart.

Agreed that Brunetti makes mistakes, but the kid is a gamechanger both throwing and running. Whether or not MBA can contain the read option is the key to the game. Tilman and McBride are track guys and its tough to stop all of them. Although it was game 1, Melrose's speed allowed them to bottle them up and force mistakes. If they had a kicker they would have won. I've watched the Big Red a couple of times and they don't appear to have enough speed at LB to stay with MUS. MBA clearly has more size, but MUS has the speed. I think the Big Red gets beat by Taylor Reed over the top for the gamewinner late - Owls 24 MBA 20

Speed at LB? Fitx Lassing runs around a 4.6 and Jaques runs about a 4.8. Bars at DE runs close to a 4.7 too. Fitz and Jauques are also 200+ pounds. Thats some speed and size.

I was also expecting him to be on the list, and I am not sure why he isn't a finalist. All i can figure is that either McHaney is having a huge season, or Bullard is not as dominant as he was last year.

I think neither. Bullard is not that domninant this season and McHaney only has a few catches.

That article is not 100% true. MBA had 14 National Merit Scholars this year. I have no idea about how many Enworth have and if 5 is correct I do no know. I received the annual MBA alumni perticipation magazine, and it had 14 men in their that received the prestigous honor.

Will let you know before Friday--still debating.

 

Ford did not play in the 2nd half. Looked like an ankle.

It was ankle and he got an MRI Saturday but i don't no the news.

Thanks 3Clouds. Your hard work is appreciated. Do you stand by your decison of MUS of MBA? The boys on West End are playing some good football. Does anyone know the status on Reggie Ford?

Thought these were nice compliments since McCallie has faced Ensworth, BA, and MBA this season

 

Ensworth gets up to speed

 

Tigers get rematch with BA next week

 

By Jeff Lockridge

THE TENNESSEAN

 

There was nail-biting in the Ensworth bleachers. Inside the locker room, Tiger players were irritated and anxious.

 

Then halftime ended, and all those first-round upset fears vanished.

 

Ensworth reached the end zone on its first four possessions of the second half and won its first home playoff game in school history 34-17 over McCallie on Friday in a Division II-AA quarterfinal.

 

Junior tailback Orleans Darkwa rushed for 252 yards and four touchdowns and senior quarterback Tavarres Jefferson ran for 163 yards and one score, helping Ensworth erase a 10-6 halftime deficit.

 

"We weren't executing well in the first half," Darkwa said. "We knew we had to come back out and ram it down their throat.

 

"Once we got that first touchdown (in the second half), everybody relaxed. But we had to get in there and do the same thing again."

 

Ensworth (11-0) hosts Brentwood Academy (7-4) in a state semifinal Friday.

 

BA routed Ensworth in the same round last year, 42-13.

 

McCallie (6-5) took Ensworth to double-overtime during the regular season before falling 37-36. This time a tiring defense and missed opportunities prevented the Blue Tornado from keeping it close.

 

"They looked like they knew what we were doing there at the end," McCallie defensive lineman R.J. Enderle said. "Early on we were reading their guards and I don't think they were ready for that. Then in the second half they started doing misdirection with their guards, and that screwed us all up.

 

"(Jefferson) is the best athlete in the league by far, and their offensive line was the best we've faced all season."

 

Ensworth needed three plays to score once it received the second-half kickoff. Darkwa broke a 52-yard run up the middle to make it 12-10.

 

McCallie had a chance to answer but was stopped on fourth-and-inches at the Ensworth 29 after quarterback Keenon Rush fumbled while pulling the handoff back from Joey Skogen.

 

The Tigers kept the momentum going with a seven-play, 71-yard drive, capped by a 22-yard run from Darkwa. Jefferson's two-point run made it 20-10.

 

"The difference was we tightened up," Ensworth lineman Will Netterville said. "We made a lot of mistakes, and we corrected a lot of those at halftime."

 

Jefferson's option pitch to Darkwa at the last possible moment produced a 37-yard score to put Ensworth up 27-10.

 

When Rush's fourth-down pass for John Burkus was broken up early in the fourth quarter, it was all but over.

 

"I don't think we had great energy when we started the game," Ensworth Coach Ricky Bowers said. "But we had good bounce-back."

Im going with BA. Not only has Ensworth not faced a line like BA's, but they havn't faced a run game like it either. Ensworth will not have as many big plays because of BA's speed. I think BA will come to win and they will. BA's D is only week in the seconday, and Ensworth can't pass. I think an injusry free MBA d line would ahve been a good test for Ensworth, but they didn't get that.

Should be even in kicking-Fletcher consistently puts kicks into the end zone, and has a couple of 50+ field goals. Lassing is a very good punter.

Lassing doesn't punt much anymore. All the kicking duties are to Fletcher now. He is not yet as good as Lassing though, but more consistant.

Finalists for Back: Jefferson (EHS) maybe the best overall athlete in the state and is electrifying on the field. He is truly a threat to score at anytime and can play multiple positions

 

Brunetti (MUS) a big, fast, athletic leader who has really developed into a premier quarterback this season. He can run very well and his passing has really improved this season.

 

Wise (MBA) talk about a complete 180 from last year. Wise has learned to manage a game and throw the ball very well in addition to his mobility. Orleans would be on the list except for his injury

 

Finalists for Lineman: Johnson (MBA) a brutal force at tackle for the Big Red this season. Also plays some defense, being looked at by many top schools, a great finisher with a nasty side.

 

Bullard (BA) massive and athletic. BA is definitely more efficient when they run behind this road paver.

 

Bubis (MBA) this one might shock some, but watching this kid this year he is a true playmaker at the NOSE TACKLE position. He has a nose for the football and a serious nasty streak that I havent seen in a while.

 

Kicker: Fletcher (MBA) this is a no brainer. This kid will be playing on saturdays for sure! kickoffs into the endzone and a good field goal percentage to go with some long ones... this kid is special and he is only a Junior!

Good predictions. I don't think Bullard will win it. He doesn't seem as nasty as some of the other lineman. Fletcher will obviously. I think the best player in DII has to be Tavaress though. He is a sick athelete. 2 stars in football 3 in basketball on Rivals. He looks like an autistic kid when he throws it but its accurate and hes got a great arm. He blows my mind. He reads the defense so well. Orleans is good, but he wouldn't have haalf as many yards without that QB.

Back- Tavarres Jefferson (EHS)

Lineman- Alex Bullard (BA)

Kicker- Andrew Fltcher (MBA)

Fine..YOU WIN.

Back-Spencer Wise MBA- Best QB in d-II. Great arm and can run. Good numbers. Knows how to win games.

Lineman-Scott Bubis MBA- Absolute animal who fills gap and is near impossible to block with one man.

Kicker-Andrew Fletcher MBA- Well duh....Best kicker in state. Hands Down.

Did MBA have any new injuries Friday night?

Nope everybody is good to go. MBA by 21 is my prediction. When they play like they are their the best team in the state.

It will be very interesting to see how well a team stops the EHS run that has played it before. Although everyone new that Orleans, the O-line, and Tuh-var-reeus can play, I think they still caught them off guard. Im going to give the edge to McCallie because i think the run game will be stopped to an extent. EHS defense it decent but they didn't seem to stop McCallie's offense last time, and I doubt they will since it is more complicated than Ensworth's. Just like BA vs MBA in state last year, I think it will come down to who can play better D. BA buckled down in the redzone and stopped a 40 point blowout last year. Can McCallie do the same?

Right now MBA could beat any team in the state. But I still beleive BA is the most dangerous. Noone should count Hillsboro out of 4a.

Ensworth will fall to BA. Brentwood Academy is the most dangerous team in the state. When they put their minds to it, they can beat anyone in the state. MBA vs MUS will be a great game. Ill pick MBA since MUS hasn't played the teams MBA has. Plus MBA is really starting to click, better than they were against Moeller (who beat St. X, St. X beat prattville). I think MBA will win it all. Ensworth is a great team, but the MBA game was a fluke. If they played again MBA would beat them although they would probly give up about 200 rushing yards still. The move of DE Fitz Lassing to will LB, and Brad Bars to De has been key. Watch MBA to win back to back.