ELA

True... I liked the concept of the three classes splitting into six but after experiencing it for one season I think we should seriously look at going back to the old scheme but keeping the six classes. 8 REGIONS should workout with six classes and take the top four in each class.

If you look at how all state athletic associations are funded you will find playoff games are important. Alabama has fewer schools and they have six classifications. In TN we add more new schools every year. It continues to be a numbers game.

The reason for six is because of the number of schools in the state. Each year we increase the number of schools playing football and you are limited to eight regions in each classification creating large regions. From an administrative point of view, one must be able to schedule non-district games with teams in other classifications within your area to continue rivalries and provide gates or income for the program. With fewer classes we have huge regions and it becomes problematic to solve scheduling conflicts. SIX classes are being used in smaller states like Alabama, so it is not too many for TN.

SIX CLASSES with 8 regions should work.

I understand but we will not see that happen because of the large number of schools in the state and more coming on in the next two years.

I hope enough coaches and administrators put pressure on the TSSAA to go back to the old playoff format and take the top four teams in each region. Keep the six classes we have now in D1 because of the number of schools but abandon these combined districts at the end of this season before we start scheduling for the next two years!

I hope enough coaches and administrators put pressure on the TSSAA to go back to the old playoff format and take the top four teams in each region. Keep the six classes we have now in D1 because of the number of schools but abandon these combined districts at the end of this season before we start scheduling for the next two years!

Chargers defense is solid! Westview is very good this year. Tough loss for HHS.

Humboldt looks very good on film. They have size, speed and are well coached. I have not seen the Straight-T Offense in twenty+ years so that will make for a very interesting game. In the Age of the SPREAD OFFENSE it is refreshing to see some old school ideas still have a place at the table. The first game is always interesting to say the least! Adding special teams into the mix for the first time always adds to the suspense. Football is about blocking and tackling. The team with the best fundamentals should win the game. The problem for both teams will be conditioning and heat. The forecast is for cooler weather (relatively speaking), I suspect the lack of outdoor practices these past few weeks will still play a role in the 4th quarter. We are happy to host the Humboldt Vikings in our season opener and we hope you have a safe trip. On a personal note: We all miss our RB, Darius and we wish him a speedy recovery. I hate it that your senior season ended so soon. Get well and we will see you back in school. You are a good leader and we miss your leadership in practice.

What are we teaching our players when we begin to pick and choose which rules we adhere to? The debate should not be on the heat, it should be on coaches who ignore the rules. The truth is the TSSAA has a rule with no serious punishment. The penalty for being caught is a letter of reprimand and a cancellation of all outdoor activities at the school for one week. They cannot police the member schools and most coaches know it; consequently, it is up to the local school administrations to ensure their programs are in compliance.

I have coached in Carolina, Mississippi and TN. I grew up in the heat of East Texas. I have coached teams that practiced in extreme heat, I have made the trip to the emergency room when my boys needed a drip. I understand the issues but this is not really about the heat! It is about ethics and following the rules. If a coach breaks this rule knowing the potential consequences he is being both dishonest and unethical and he puts himself, his staff and his school in jeopardy, not to mention the health of his players. This is not about being tough, it is about following the rules!

You can't scrimmage in full pads even at 104 or 100. There is a chart that we have all been issued and at 96 * we must remove equipment. Ignorance of the policy is not an option.

There is no ambiguity, 105 = NO OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES WHATSOEVER! This is the rule statewide! A county school system may lower the threshold but this is the minimum and there are coaches statewide breaking the rules everyday. They have no legal leg to stand on if they have to go before a judge in a court of law.

I understand and agree kids today do not properly acclimate themselves but none of that is the issue. The question is "What lesson are we teaching our players when we find ways to ignore the rules?" What kind of person walks onto the practice field and begins trying to think of a way to get around the rules? I know for a fact that the heat index was high throughout West TN until 6:35 PM. There is no way any team should have been outside at 2 PM today, and yet, there were teams practicing. The rule is simple, 105 = no outdoor activities... period! This rule is due to the legal consequences following the first ever manslaughter trial two years ago in Kentucky and new developments in the science. Just because it was done a certain way in the past does not make it right. Coaches use to withhold water and forced players to eat salt tablets. Obviously they were wrong too.

According to the rules meeting I attended, this is no longer a "suggested" guideline, it is NOW REQUIRED OF ALL SCHOOL SYSTEMS!

The HEAT INDEX is 108 in Jackson, TN at 2 PM. It will go up to near 110 within an hour. Unless you practice indoors, the heat index will be above the minimum until after 6 PM. All teams practicing outside at this time are probably in violation of the rules. I don't know what the violation of the rules are but I can tell you what will happen if anyone in my county does it, they will probably lose their jobs. In 2007, GCHS lost a young man to the heat in practice. Our administration has adopted the state minimum for all outdoor activities.

Any coach who is stupid enough to break the rule deserves whatever he gets. One would think the criminal trial of the head coach in KY for manslaughter as a result of a heat related death last year would get their attention.

BigBird is a PE teacher and coach in Middle TN, I'm sure he knows exactly what is going on at those schools and what the heat index was that day. I think this is his way of letting his colleagues know that what they are doing is breaking the rules. We are not getting much work in at our school but we are practicing in the gym and them coming back late in the evening to practice outside after the heat drops below the maximum. We will continue to practice at night until the heat situation changes.

I know there are several coaches across the state who are very frustrated with these rule changes and the heat wave but we have no options. I too have heard rumors from parents that some schools have been seen practicing outside when the heat index is well over the required minimum. The truth is 104 is the max heat index, not 104 degrees. With the humidity at 60% you can reach that mark with an ambient temperature at 92 degrees. Again, this is frustrating for coaches across the state but everyone is in the same boat! Outdoor practice this week should be at night.

There is no requirement for athletic trainers in TN and it is the sole responsibility of the head football coach to make the call. He is liable, not the trainer. Any team in West TN practicing outside before 7:15 PM were probably in violation of the regulations. It's frustrating as heck but we all have to practice at night until this heat wave ends.

Several youth football scenes were filmed in Franklin with the Franklin Cowboys.

Darius will be evaluated this week. We hope to have him back in a couple of weeks. The Tigers played well and should improve throughout the season with all their youth. The Franklin system is hard to defend in a conventional defensive scheme. I thought Coach Barger's Falcons looked very impressive. He has some talent on his team.

8 PM

We bumped our scrimmage to 8:30 last night, waiting for the heat index to drop below 104. I have heard some coaches are not following the rules and they do so at their on peril.

They need a football facility and we are hoping to improve ours when they bond out their stadium! lol We should drop down to AA the next full cycle.