Gridiron32

Actually, East was combined with Austin to form Austin-East. Austin was Knoxville's black high school. And South was combined with Young High School to form South-Young and then South-Young was combined with Doyle to form South-Doyle. Gibbs Started in 1928 and played through 1932. The program was restarted in 1949-1953 and 1957-1958. In 1969 the program was started once again with current Carson-Newman coach Ken Sparks as the head coach

I totally agree with most of the post, but have a couple that I believe were excellent high school players. Ivan Roper-Fulton, Had the making of an excellent college player, just an overall great athlete in football and basketball. Whatever happened to him. I thought he started out at Carson-Newman but had some off the field trouble. Willie Lundy-Alcoa, Speed is all that needs to be said. One of the fastest high school players I've ever seen. FB Mack- Gatlinburg-Pittman, Intelligent player with good physical tools, went to Furman and played a couple of years. Leon Kirkland-Knox Central, Incredible running back in the late 80's in string of really good Central running backs.

Anyone know of what the news is? What's going on?

First off, I don't even know why I waste my time typing and reading these post because most of you have not one clue about Gibbs. Second, until any of you have either Superintendent of Knox County Schools or Principal of Gibbs High School as your title, I don't believe that your opinion even matters. Next, it must feel good to have all the answers to all the ills of the world as most of you do and being the first to cast the intitial stone. This site used to be very good when people discussed x's and o's, games, and prep sports instead of digressing into the rumor mill and slanderous attacking of coaches, players, teams, and other site members that it has become. Too bad I already spent my $12, wish I could get it back and spend it on something worthwhile. But I will tell you this, I will support the Gibbs Eagles, Randy Carroll and his staff and players for the rest of my life. I love prep sports because it is the last level of athletics where players play because they love it and coaches coach because thay love it. The same issuses that are affecting college and pro sports is trickling down into high school athletics and IT IS A SHAME. Because it is about more than that. But very few people on this site realize or acknowledge that. I feel sorry for coaches today, because they are subjected to such experts that have an armchair knowledge of the game and what is involved. Talk about the ultimate monday morning quarterback. I sure as heck don't see anyone stepping up to the plate. It is easy to sit back and spout off on this board about how much you know, and what you would do, or what should be done. I bet not one of you so-called experts that are attacking Randy Carroll could stand the heat for one year. But then you don't have too because you're sitting on the sideline watching. In fact, most of you aren't even on the field. And what is the worst part is when people comment on a situation when they have no knowledge of the situation. To heck with it, I could go on and on, but what would be to point??? You can have it because it has become a drain on my time. It used to be fun to visit this site but it is no more. It's sad because I really liked the information that could be found and the news about other regions of the state. Most of you have it all figured out anyway. We should all be so lucky!!

That's the problem, alot of kids today have this notion that someone owes them something. What an excuse!! I would have played football for anyone!!!!!! I loved the game and no one was going to stop me from playing no matter what, I didn't want to work, I didn't want to buy a car, I didn't want to specialize in one sport. I wanted to put on my #32 and play every Friday night. I played for a coach in college that I couldn't stand, but I played because I love football and that man no matter what he said was never going to run me off!! I just find that unless there is a major, and I mean major conflict, would quitting be the response that I would suggest for my child. Anyway, I do have a response that I'm going to post later that I think many programs can relate to.

Strawplains I don't know why he left!?!? and I don't care. I just really tired of people slamming high school coaches on this board. Sometimes if people realized that there is more to the high school football experience and hopefully each player takes with him more than just winning and losing. These coaches coach for the love of the game and love of working with young football players. If you want to slam a coach, slam a college or pro coach that makes an obscene amount of money, not a high school coach that probably does more in a football season than most people do in a year. I have more respect for any high school coach than any pro or college coach because he or she has to put up with people constantly criticizing their every move when I'm sure that most of these so called fans would not have the intestinal fortitude to complete even one year on the job.

I'm sorry Strawplains, but we all can't be the powerhouse that Carter is!!!!!!!!!

Just wondering which 2 state champions would you like to see play in a game?

Please post all region teams here, I'm interested to see the various teams from across the state if at all possible. Any post season honor list would be great if you have one. Thanks

splainshornet First, I think you need to worry about Carter!!! I do believe that the last time Gibbs and Carter met, we won, 19-0. Second, There goes Seinfeld with his same old argument. It's amazing how you take it upon yourself to speak for the whole community. Get over it. Blah Blah Blah Blah. Coach Carroll isn't going anywhere unless he decides to or until the administration wants him to and neither is going to happen at this point in time.

Check out the Tennessee Football Coaches Association web site and they should be up soon, they voted at the clinic this week. http://www.tnfca.org/

If he was out, I'd be one of the first to know it.

Although I am an avid Gibbs fan, former player and alumni, I live in the Tri Cities and have had to opportunity to become a Dobyns-Bennett fan. If you haven't seen a game at DB, you should at least once. I saw both DB/Oak Ridge games and both were excellent games. I saw my friend, Coach Carroll wade through some adversity this season. I saw region 2-AAA make it's case for being one of the toughest regions in the state. And countless other great events. It was a great season and look forward to next year.

Fulton, Congrats from another Region 2-AAA team!!!

msmoker, I loved watching the Warriors and my brother play on that field. No it wasn't great, but to see my brother, who I worshiped play was worth all of it.

Because I'm a fan of Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs. Just really enjoy watching them in the premiere league. I also like Newcastle and Alan Shearer. But my favorite player is Roberto Carlos of the Brazillian National Team and Real Madrid.

I believe that Graham Clark is a fair coach from what I've read and heard about him, but has there been other problems with this kid? Believe me I clashed several times with my high school coach but we always worked through it and he has become one of my most cherished friends. I hate to see it because it was probably over something that could have been averted. Anyway, I wish both teams good luck tonight.

Thanks for the update. It's amazing that I live in Johnson City and didn't see anything in the JC Press about this. One question, is this a first incident or is this the culmination of several problems. It just seems to be extreme to be dismissed over an argument or disagreement. If anyone is within 100 miles of Kingsport, you should be at this game tonight!!

Just wondering what happened to Lamon Williams, read the News Sentinel article and was wondering what happened to DB's star receiver. DB & OR will still play a great game, but it must have been serious to have been dismissed from the team. Any factual details, no speculation please. Hope to see a huge crowd there tonight.

Check out this thread Playoff Thread Same type thread

No, this would allow, under the present system, a region that has more teams in it the opportunity to send more teams than a region that has only 5 or 6 teams. For example in 3A, Howard, is 1-8 and in the playoffs opposed to Livingston Academy who is 7-3 and not in the playoffs. What sense does this make??? And schools are not going to pad their schedules!!!! Because that is a 2 way street. No coach is going to load up on weaker teams because most coaches of those weaker teams aren't going to subject their teams to that. I know several head coaches and most say that one of the headaches of coaching football is scheduling, because you have to find teams open when you are. My argument is that some regions send teams that should not be in the playoffs when other regions have very deserving teams that get left out.

What I'm saying is that if a team can't win at least 6 of their games overall, then no, they shouldn't be in the playoffs. There will always be regions that are weaker or stronger than the next, but too many teams are getting into the playoffs. I've said all along that the system as we know it today should be amended as follows 9-10 team regions get 4 playoff spots 7-8 team regions get 3 playoff spots 5-6 team regions get 1 playoff spot or some combination in which you get the top 32 teams in each class. But to designate 4 spots for each region when some regions have double the number of teams is crazy. I'm sure that the 5th place teams in some of the larger regions are much better teams than the 3rd and 4th teams in some smaller regions.

yellowdog, Thats what I'm saying, the system needs to be changed so that those teams aren't rewarded with a playoff berth.

I suppose I didn't make myself clear, sorry, (and I'm just talking about Division 1) I believe that you have valid points, but across the board, I think that the CPA situation is isolated. And it is about size of regions. I just don't believe that the majority of schools that finish .500 should be awarded a playoff spot. I liked the system when only the top 2 teams in a district went to the playoffs. That's the way the system was when I played. You knew you were going to see quality football once it got to the post season. Now there are like 315 or so high scools that play football in Division I and 160 make the playoffs!!!!!! To me that is ridiculous!! Average teams are rewarded for average seasons. 5-5 is like tying and the TSSAA doesn't allow a tie as the outcome of a game. You either win or lose, so why do we accept teams in the playoffs that do no better than tie for the outcome of their season? Also, what i was trying to say is that to have 26% of playoff qualifiers with 5-5 records and 11% of the total teams have losing records isn't good for our playoff system.

I've read the Virginia handbook and I don't like their plan any more than I like the current TN system. I know the TSSAA wanted to change, but my main argument eith the current system is that you have some regions with 5 or 6 teams and then you have regions with 9 or 10 teams. Is it fair that a team with a losing record be rewarded with a playoff berth and you have other teams with a winning record go to a bowl game, at best. I like Florida's system where they have a uneven number of teams in regions as TN does but they award playoff spots like the NCAA basketball tourney, automatic berths and at-large berths. For example, and this taken directly from www.fhsaa.org website Class 6A (69 schools; student population: 2626-5387) REGION 1 (19 schools; District 1 champion, District 2, 3 and 4 champions and runners-up, and one at-large qualifier advance) District 1 (2 schools) Mandarin (Jacksonville) – X Sandalwood (Jacksonville) District 2 (5 schools) DeLand Lake Brantley (Altamonte Springs) Lake Mary Oviedo Seminole (Sanford) – X District 3 (6 schools) Apopka Dr. Phillips (Orlando) Edgewater (Orlando) – X Evans (Orlando) Olympia (Orlando) West Orange (Winter Garden) District 4 (6 schools) Boone (Orlando) – X Colonial (Orlando) Cypress Creek (Orlando) Gateway (Kissimmee) University (Orlando) Winter Park This is only one region from that state, but all the regions are made up like this. district champions and then runners-up and at large berths in some manner. North Carolina started that splitting of classes before playoff time a couple of years ago and I don't care to much for that either. I don't think that is a good system. Either change it bak to something similiar to the 3class system or leave it as is but amend the playoff qualifications. It's very unfair that certain regions send inferior teams to the playoffs while good teams are penalized for playing in a large conference.