FHSrebel27

Yes, west coast of Florida, baby! Would much rather be in Middle Tennessee!

HA! Not so much I couldn't watch... just more that we had been up there together the week before and lost. Anyways, I believe after that game someone told me that on upcoming Friday nights to stay the Hades away from them!

While I agree with you to an extent (especially your comments on the 2004 BCB), I will disagree that a pass-oriented offense can't get you far. Everyone in Franklin is acting like it's a big change with what Clayton is bringing in, but it's really not. We had GREAT success throwing the ball and winning ballgames in 2003, and 2002 for that matter. As long as you can play defense, to me it really doesn't matter what offense you run.

Germantown semifinals in 2003... why change? First off, it is quite difficult to throw in cold temps such as what were in Franklin that night. Second off, I seem to recall a play early in the 2nd half, going for the jugular, a pass into a 30 MPH breeze that gets pushed down by that gentle breeze into the hands of a Germantown defender. I didn't want to see another pass into the wind that night. They did start to throw the ball again in the 4th with the wind behind their backs. I also recall a touchdown pass that was dropped. So no, they didn't just abbandon the pass for the sake of abbandoning the pass. Oh, and maybe some credit should be given to Germantown, too. Just a hunch. The BlueCross Bowl (NOT the Clinic Bowl) is a different story. Riverdale's defense stopped people ALL season... pass-oriented teams, run-oriented teams - didn't matter. It doesn't make sense to me to try something new when you're going up against the best. Do what you do best, and do it perfectly. Even then, it may or may not work. Mikrut, no doubt, will be a great QB this year and probably put up Solima-esque numbers. However, last year that wasn't his role. Why put the junior QB under that kind of pressure in the state championship? Nothing was going to work against Riverdale anyways I don't believe, so it's really a moot point. There's a reason Franklin went from 5-6 to three amazing seasons. Tim Johnson had a lot to do with that. Bringing Coach Nowell back on board had a lot to do with that. In my opinion, the talent wasn't much different from seasons past. So they didn't get us a state championship - big deal. They set a precedent. No doubt Coach Clayton will build upon that. But to criticize Coach Nowell for what you feel were his transgressions in TWO games out of three great seasons... well, that's just silly to me.

And someone comes right along and shows exactly what I was talking about. Someone posts their opinion and it is wrong because he was "smoking rich boy crack." What is always more fun is when people say stuff like that and don't even know what they are talking about! 2003 5A State Champions - Germantown 2004 5A State Champions - Riverdale That's right - Riverdale has not won state the past two years. Riverdale's status is unquestioned. Region 4-5A is not as strong top to bottom, though. Since 2002, Franklin is 3-1 against Region 4-5A with the lone loss to Riverdale in the BCB last year. Brentwood since 2002 is 4-1 against Region 4-5A losing to Smyrna last year, but in 2002 defeated Riverdale for the state championship. Dickson County has gone 1-2 against Riverdale, but the one was AT Riverdale in 2003. Ravenwood is 1-1 with a loss in their first season of varsity play. Region 6 has the upper hand 9-5 as best I can tell since 2002 (if someone can show otherwise, please do... I may have missed a game here or there). Region 6 has had a team (not the same) in the BCB 2 of the 3 years... Region 4 has only had Riverdale. Two of the past three seasons, the quarterfinals pitted a Region 6 team vs a Region 6 team. Region 4 has only had one team participate in the quarterfinals the past two years (Riverdale) while Riverdale played Blackman in 2002. So it appears to me that the FACTS point to Region 6 being better top-to-bottom than Region 4 who is quite top heavy with Riverdale on top.

I'm going to butt into this once perfectly good thread about Independence and defend Page. However, I hope to do some in a classy way. A fellow Williamson County school has been attacked and frankly I don't like it. Coach Palmer was a great guy during his time at Franklin High School. He ran the program well and was looked up to by everyone in the school and community. I have no doubt that it is the same way at Page. This reminds of how people in Metro act about us in basketball (or Region 5 Sumner County teams in football). We're from Franklin so therefore there's something bad about us. Why? There's no reasoning behind it, but to them every coach/player/trainer/fan is horrible Williamson County trash. I had some great friends who went to Page High School. They were nothing but great people. For you to classify them (which you did) as anything but really ticks me off. You don't know them, but you come on here and call them classless. That's not fair at all to them or anyone else at Page High School. We do it right in Williamson County. Maybe that's why people don't like us.

If you're saying he had to have smoked something to say Ravenwood will win 10 or 11 this games, I'd say you're wrong. The Raptors have a very good shot at doing that. They have progressed along just about as good as any new school can. They've also caught Region 6-5A in somewhat of a down year with Franklin probably being the only team to really compete for the region title with them. Of course, you could have been saying he had to have smoked something to say that MBA will win the Super 8 title, to which I say it's MBA. Come on.

Okay, wow, we're going to go back two years? You want to go back two years? Down at the half in the first round vs Hunters Lane like 24-7, something crazy like that. Throwing the ball wasn't working at all. Major adjustment at halftime, come out running and what do you know, they ran all the way to the semis. So don't act like Nowell went into a game without a backup plan because Danny Nowell simply wouldn't be unprepared like that. Honestly, even if they had opened it up (though I certainly didn't see it as a lack of confidence in Mikrut by not opening it up), Riverdale would have defended it valliantly, no doubt. Danny Nowell was not shell-shocked. Danny Nowell was not shell-shocked two years ago against G'town either. A couple big plays go the other way and that game was different. But, seems to me that I shouldn't put much stock into whatever you say since the Rebels couldn't have possibly made the Clinic Bowl two years in a row in quite a while. LOD, it most definitely could have been worse than 14-0. However, it wasn't. (If only we could have done better on third downs, it may have not even been that ) USC-OU in the Orange Bowl, that's ugly quick (and I'm a Sooners fan...). BUT! On to this season! GO REBS!

14-0 at the half isn't ugly quick, but I digress. They used it the week prior against Germantown with great success, so were they wrong to use it against Riverdale? No. I'll never question anything that Danny Nowell decided to do on offense.

Murphy Fair or BigDogDaddy? You should believe BigDogDaddy. In fact, all you have to do is go to the Williamson AM's section of tennessean.com and you'll see that big D Nowell "retired" and went down to Giles County. I, too, think that Coach Johnson and Coach Nowell will do good things in Giles County.

Very little chance. The Preds have a self-imposed cap that they're likely going to be a bit over once they get all their RFAs signed. I'll take Kariya any day of the week over Lindross though... that's just me. Solomon, you should try to get into the sport. If you get hooked, it'll never let ya go!

I wasn't worried before today mainly because I know our front office is smart. I knew 1) our core returns and they got us to the playoffs when last we saw hockey 2) they'd find some offense for us somewhere and 3) even if we didn't sign a big name this season, we'd be in much better shape than some other clubs for next year's FA frenzy which could be even bigger than this year. Now, it still looks like both could (or in point two, has) happen! If Kariya adds the offensive strike capibility we've needed like he very well should, a long run into the playoffs is certainly possible. That in turn gives us more money which will let the front office open it up a bit more next summer and we'll land another big name if we need it. This is a G-R-E-A-T time to be a Nashville Predator fan! Y'all better hop on the badwagon before it heads on out to a big ole parade on Broadway! GO PREDS!

Geesh, you think it's hard for you in Knoxville... try being in Florida (Go Gators! unless, of course, UF is playing a certain team and it's coming down to a FG in the closing seconds by a certain player). Wish I had something to report, but maybe BDD will be around sometime to let us in on what's going on in Franktown.

The Super Seven and that other team from Memphis or somewhere like that... (yes, not original I guess) The Nasty Nine Minus One The Electirc Eight The Non-Egyptian Eight The We're-Ecstatic-Because-We-Have-Eight-Teams Eight Okay, I quit. Good job, Wes.

Henry County... a couple years ago, my dad and I were up there for the FHS-HCHS game, and we were like the first Franklin folks there. I guess they could tell we were Franklin folk because the principle or someone in the admin came up to us as we were waking in the parking lot and asked if we had eaten yet 'cause they had some burgers on the grill if we wanted some. We politely declined and then were given a friendly "Well, welcome to Paris! Enjoy the game!" Very good folks up there.

Oh my... what a TOUGH question. Brentwood Acadmey vs Northeast in 9whatever... well, WesVols would know better than me now. I can see it like it was yesterday, just forget who all was invovled. It was an untimed down at the end of the half because of a penalty by the defense. The score ended up being 7-3 that night. Franklin at Gallatin 2002 Secound Round- Joe Bell let's a punt roll in front of him for a second... picks it up... bobbles it... gets a good grip on it... and off to the races! Storming 70-80 yards for the TD - the first of three quick TDs that put FHS up 21-0. It was amazing. Frankin at Brentwood 2003 Regular Season- The call as was heard on CSS that night: "Another blitz. Solima steps up, is gonna throw it to the endzone. Looks for Bell and it is gonna be... TOUCHDOWN! AND THE DEFENDING CHAMPS HAVE GONE DOWN AT HOME!" What is not mentioned there is that Franklin was down 6... Solima had just been sacked by Ian Van Horn and this was going to be the last play of the game. Also, the PAT was missed so the defending champs hadn't gone down at home just yet. A David Campbell FG in OT would seal the deal though. And one that I didn't see but I'm sure will live forever in FHS lore... Franklin at Centennial 2004 Regular Season- With the Cougars leading and looking to run out the clock and pick up a first down in the 4th, BIG Tim Leach "rumbles all the way in for 6" and gives the Rebs the lead and thus the victory. Yes, the big defensive lineman taking it home 80 yards! Man, there's plenty more I could think of... but this will do I guess.

Best of luck to you, ELA! It has been great talking football and other things over the years. You will have great success in North Carolina, no doubt.

And here's how they'll pick: 1 Pittsburgh 2 Anaheim 3 Carolina 4 Minnesota 5 Montreal 6 Columbus 7 Chicago 8 Atlanta 9 Ottawa 10 Vancouver 11 Los Angeles 12 San Jose 13 Buffalo 14 Washington 15 NY Islanders 16 NY Rangers 17 Phoenix 18 Nashville 19 Detroit 20 Philadelphia 21 Toronto 22 Boston 23 New Jersey 24 St Louis 25 Edmonton 26 Calgary 27 Colorado 28 Dallas 29 Florida 30 Tampa Bay Getting Crosby will be good for the Penguins. 18th pick for us isn't too bad. The draft apparently is pretty deep. I've gotta head to work, but there's a couple names I'll toss around later as possible draftees I'd like.

Yes, from the DNJ in Murfreesboro, here is the probable 2005-2006 schedule. I have noted a couple of possible mistakes. The Washington game and the Florida game are likely away games. What I heard was that each team plays 10 games vs the opposite conference. For us, that's the Eastern Conference. We are to play 5 home games vs one division of the EC and 5 away games vs another divsion of the EC. As all the other Southeast Div. games are away and we had 43 home games on this schedule, I'm assuming those two (also SE teams) should be away games (which is good for me... the Preds in Tampa and Florida!). October 5 San Jose October 8 Anaheim October 12 at Colorado October 13 at Phoenix October 15 Saint Louis October 17 at Saint Louis October 20 Saint Louis October 22 San Jose October 25 Chicago October 27 at Detroit October 29 Edmonton November 1 at Anaheim November 2 at San Jose November 5 at Los Angeles November 8 Edmonton November 10 Dallas November 12 Saint Louis November 15 Los Angeles November 16 at Columbus November 19 at Minnesota November 21 at Detroit November 23 at Columbus November 24 Los Angeles November 26 Dallas November 29 Calgary December 1 Minnesota December 3 Philadelphia December 7 Washington (at Washington?) December 8 New York Rangers December 10 at Tampa Bay December 13 Florida (at Florida?) December 15 Chicago December 17 Columbus December 20 Colorado December 21 at Chicago December 23 at Columbus December 27 at Calgary December 28 at Vancouver December 30 at Edmonton January 1 Anaheim January 3 at Colorado January 4 at Saint Louis January 7 Detroit January 8 at Chicago January 10 New York Islanders January 11 at Atlanta January 13 at Carolina January 15 Pittsburgh January 19 New Jersey January 21 Columbus January 23 Detroit January 26 at Minnesota February 1 at Dallas February 2 Colorado February 4 Chicago February 6 at Dallas February 8 at Detroit February 9 Detroit February 11 Columbus March 1 at Chicago March 2 Vancouver March 5 at Edmonton March 7 at Calgary March 9 at Vancouver March 11 at San Jose March 14 Vancouver March 16 Phoenix March 18 Calgary March 20 Saint Louis March 21 at Detroit March 24 at Anaheim March 25 at Los Angeles March 28 at Phoenix April 1 at Saint Louis April 3 Columbus April 5 at Chicago April 6 at Saint Louis April 8 Chicago April 10 at Columbus April 13 Minnesota April 15 Phoenix April 18 Detroit

Yes, it's quite an exciting time, isn't it? Glad at least a few people are excited...

TSN's Top 30 Prospects What do we really need? The needs the Preds have, I'd rather see be filled through free agency. This is obviously a real possibility at first glance, but Poile and Co... I don't know if they'll do anything too drastic. If there's a 1st line center out there we can get, I think we most definitely should. You know I love Legwand, but he's still not better than 2nd line to me. I just really don't see this draft being all that important for us unless we get the first ball. Not in the short term at least... of course, with the way our orginization is, every draft is important! And that's definitely a good thing...

Get ready boys, it's almost time! Ever since December 4th (for some, longer for most) of last year, eyes across the state have been focused on this date. While teams have no doubt been preparing since the Monday after their last Friday night game, it really gets going on August 1st. The pads come on. The hitting starts. Each teams starts anew with no record to worry about whatsoever. You worry only about getting yourself into position to forth and reach your goals for the upcoming season. For some teams, that goal may be to record their school's first ever varsity victory or to reach the playoffs for the first time. For others, that goal may be to get farther than they did last year in the playoffs, maybe even Murfreesboro. And of course, for those 10 teams that made it there last year, they want to get back and repeart or do what they didn't last season. Whatever the case may be, the work and prepartion will be admirable. It surely will not go unnoticed. Thousands across the state will gather every Friday night for 16 weeks to watch the fruits of their labor take shape on the field of glory. To everyone - from the players to the student trainers, from the coaches to their wives and families, from the administration of schools to the students who support their classmates, from the parents of players to the entire communties who come together for their Friday night heroes - have a wonderful 2005 season! Most surely, the calm continueth not long without a storm! Oh, and GO REBELS! thumb

The kid is definitely very good. Whoever gets him will benefit for sure. I just don't like the idea of rewarding one of the teams responsible for what we just came through (pending ratification). But again, I guess it's a necessary evil. Not knowing where we are going to pick is killing me! I was reading about TSN's Top 30 prospects while trying to figure out who would be good for us, but had to keep on reminding myself we very well could be picking 2nd or 22nd or somewhere beyond or in between.

A necessary evil, I reckon. The thing I have against him going to the Rangers is the simple fact that they can't do anything with the talent they have bought, so what makes anyone think they can do something with talent given to then? If Crosby doesn't make it to the playoffs ("well, the Rangers wouldn't make the playoffs normally, so let's give 'em a chance by expanding to 20?") and have an impact, what's the point??? It's tough to market a great player on a sucky team.

Hopefully my posting about the upcoming draft won't jinx the ratification process... The draft lottery is coming up on the 21st and acording to the fine folks at TSN, here's the lottery formula: Each team begins with three balls. For every playoff appearance in the last three years or No. 1 overall pick over the last four years, a team loses one ball. But each team will still be guaranteed to have one ball in the lottery. The first round will go with teams picking 1 through 30, with the 30th team picking 31st and the draft order 'snaking' back and forth in a seven round draft. Teams with 3 balls: Buffalo, Columbus, New York Rangers (shocker...), and Pittsburgh Teams with 2 balls: Anaheim, Atlanta, Calgary, Carolina, Chicago, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Nashville, and Phoenix Teams with 1 ball: Boston, Colorado, Dallas, Detriot,