rabidwildcatfan

There are two things that upset me the most about the present coaching situation. First, the current coach (and his wife) openly criticized Coach Gaddis while he was here. This showed a complete lack of loyalty if it meant advancing his own career. Second, there never was a real interview process to determine the best candidate. Rather, the coach had "paid his dues" and deserved the job for that reason alone. This is the typical case of someone rising to a level above their capabilities. Coach Lussier was a very good defensive coordinator, but his personality does not make a good coach. As to the racial issue brought up, I don't think any of the coaches are blatant racists. However, the communication difficulties are probably greater with minority or single parent homes. Hopefully, this will be the last year we have to worry about these issues.

Coach Prudden does not coach AAU. Someone needs to check their hacts. Coach Burkey coaches, but he has not been with the varsity program for two years.

First of all, each team will be hoping to play "their" best. Second, it is a joke that this is now a rivalry game! When I was in school, I think the combined score was Oak Ridge 200+ Anderson County 7 (which was a fumble returned for a touchdown). For Oak Ridge to have to worry about a hard fought game shows how far downhill the program has gone.

All you Clinton fans are great at crying over nothing! Why would any talented girl want to play for CHS? :confused: You have never and will never beat Oak Ridge! Clinton has never done anything of note in girl's basketball. By the way, didn't you have a girl from Oak Ridge (does the name Bible ring a bell) play at Clinton a couple of years ago? Oak Ridge certainly didn't cry over losing her. Of course, if she had been very good, she would have stayed put!

ohreally, First, I would like to commend you for being intelligent enough to spell all the words in your post. I also appreciate the fact that you help others do this. Second, I agree that there is a problem with the coaching staff at Oak Ridge. However, I do believe there is a deeper problem in many of these children's homes and other places. Having talked with Stanton Stevens last night, he made an excellent point. The kids in Oak Ridge are out of touch before they reach the high school. Coach Stevens indicated that someone needs to reach out to these kids earlier, and I believe he is absolutely right. A change at the top would not completely alleviate the situation, but it would be a good start.

jedave30, If Oak Ridge truly has only one talented player as you say, do you think a change of formation will change everything? No team wins it all in 5-A with only one talented player. Teams knew what Oak Ridge was going to run when Oak Ridge ran the I-formation, they just couldn't often stop it. The talent level at Oak Ridge has dropped off. I believe there are athletes in the community, but these kids aren't playing football. Am I a big fan of the coach? No, but it is not his sole responsibility to make sure kids are eligible and/or stay out of trouble. The parents and previous coaches of many of these kids have coddled them. The kids were able to get by on athletic ability alone when they were younger and have never learned any type of work ethic. I do think a change in coaches would help, but it is not the only answer.

I'm glad you brought up other posts, because the truth is that winning causes jealousy. On the football board, Maryville is chastised. On this board, it's Oak Ridge and Shelbyville. Other schools also have transfers (both in and out), but the schools don't consistently win. Therefore, there is no talk of recruiting. Check the boy's basketball board and the same Clinton fan that started this post is excited over players coming from Oak Ridge to Clinton. Did Clinton recruit? No! These mental giants will just find it easier to be eligible there! [Edited by rabidwildcatfan on 8-22-02 10:37A]

Be serious! If you have a daughter in the Oak Ridge area and you are hoping that she will play college basketball, Oak Ridge is the most visible place for her to play. Oak Ridge does not have to recruit, because parents will send their daughters there anyway. By the way, are you from Clinton? If so, how many former Oak Ridge kids are playing football and boy's basketball for Clinton this year? The transfers go both ways. Deal with it!

To which post are you referring? :confused:

I don't completely understand your post. You want to be unpredictable, but end by saying put Booker in the I-formation and give him the ball 20+ times. These two don't exactly mesh. :confused: I think Oak Ridge looked better this past Friday. Part of it was the competition, but part is also the coaches' willingness to play some of the younger players that are talented. This should eventually lead to the most talented players being on the field. I am not fond of the Wing-T either. But it is worth noting that Concord De LaSalle has the national record for winning streaks while running the Wing-T. Cleveland also won several championships with it under Benny Monroe. The problem is not the formation in and of itself. The problem is that Oak Ridge is forcing its players into a system rather than molding the system around the players' talents.

mrsoddydaisy, I assume you are talking about the Oak Ridge-Soddy Daisy game from last year?! It was a very good game for the right to go to the playoffs, but I would not rank it as one of the best for personal reasons. For me, for a game to be one of the best it has to have a lot of significance (i.e. state championship, playoff game, etc.). Although this was for a playoff berth, neither team had a shot at winning the state title. Therefore, it comes up a little short for me. However, I would like to congratulate Soddy-Daisy for their effort in winning the game. My favorite games are still Oak Ridge v. Central in 1991 and Cleveland v. Brentwood for the State Championship (don't remember the year, but I think the score was 28-26).

If there is a transfer from Oak Ridge, she was not in Oak Ridge's top eight players from last year. Therefore, OS may be better off without the distraction.

I don't really have a dog in this race, because I am an Oak Ridge fan. However, Maryville did not appear to play dirty in their scrimmage against Oak Ridge. When one team is very aggressive and the other is not, people will get hurt and cry foul. Maryville is an aggressive and intense team that plays to win. Some of the posts on here cry about people getting hit when they aren't looking. Give me a break! Many of the best hits come when someone does not see it coming! That's why you are always taught to keep your head up. The real truth is this: Fans of any other team would gladly trade places with Maryville fans, cheering for a two-time state champion with a good shot of three-peating!

She does have basketball experience, but I am not sure how much. This should give OS flexibility to play different defenses and offenses. If she is as athletic as advertised, I would not be shocked to see her contesting the inbounds pass on the press. This would give the quicker players a better chance to get in the passing lanes. Also, on offense she may be able to step out on the floor. However, if nothing else, she should be able to rebound. I also heard through the grapevine that you can expect to see Coach Summitt at some of the games this year. Wonder who she'll be watching?

I have not heard about the transfer from Oak Ridge, but have heard some things about the foreign exchange student. Apparently, she is tall (over 6') and athletic (plays handball). As far as basketball skills, I have not heard anything. I think she is a junior and is only staying one year. If you watched Oliver Springs last year, you know that they could use some size and athleticism in the post. Especially with the loss of Morgan.

You are being a hypocrite SirPettus. In all your other posts, you defend Coach Lussier (or Lussiar as you like to spell it). You consistently whine and complain that people should let him coach. Now, you are the one questioning his decisions. :confused:

Sir Pettus where did you see the film? PS The player who should be the starting QB is now playing in Alabama for......yes you know... Coach Gaddis Although for the first time ever I will agree with you Cody is the best QB left. The player in Alabama is a head case, along with his father! He should have never been on the team, much less starting. He cursed coaches and teammates and had no discipline. By the way, I don't think he is starting at quarterback in Alabama, either.

When Campbell County has a good team, their gym is very loud. I guess it comes from not having anything else to do up there.

SirPettus, Are you claiming to be smart? Check your grammar! :confused: However, I believe the player in question is more of a problem than he is worth. Also, I would bet even money that he is never eligible to play at Clinton.

SirPettus, Please spell the coach's name correctly. Also, for you, as an Oak Ridge fan, to be this excited over beating South-Doyle in a scrimmage shows how quick you are to grasp at straws. Has South-Doyle ever won anything in football? This Friday will be the first real test for Oak Ridge. As always, I hope the 'Cats do well.

I agree with Coach Lussier's decision on this one. This appears to be getting overblown on this thread. I also want to thank Matt King for providing some insight into the situation. As always, I am proud of our players and will root for them to win every game. This is true even though I don't believe strongly in many of the actions taken by the coach and administration. In the end, I would be very happy to be proven wrong. Go Wildcats!

On a previous post you indicated that you are in college. Have you taken any English classes? If so, please go back and correct your spelling and grammar on your previous posts. Then the posts might read as if someone intelligent is supporting Lussier (which I don't think anyone believes). Your senior year was the beginning of the end in Oak Ridge. After so much tough talk about discipline, Lussier went to the administration before the regular season game against Kingsport D-B to request that a certain freshman not be suspended for skipping class until the following week (Campbell County game). You guys went to D-B, played your hearts out, and won against a team with more talent. However, much more was lost than won. The freshman only had to miss the first half of the Campbell County game and learned that exceptions to the rules would be made for him. All of Lussier's talk about implementing stricter rules than Gaddis went out the window for a non-region, regular season game. Things have been cycling downward since that time.

Oak Ridge lost one post player and should be able to replace her with a freshman that is bigger and more athletic. Additionally, Oak Ridge has the good fortune of having most of its players compete for top-notch AAU teams during the summer. Although I doubt another undefeated regular season will follow, it is likely that this team will be better come tournament time.