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One reason is probably because Bearden is already on the schedule. I doubt that they would want Farragut and Bearden at the same time, but Catholic or Webb would be options. I think the same question could be asked of Sevier County though. Why play Halls? At least SC won their title in the last decade. Plus, they've won at least 5 games a year since 1997. I think it's a good series. Besides, it could be worse; I'm a Powell fan, and I've never understood why the Panthers continue to play Campbell County and Karns, 2 teams that combined have only one winning record between them since the major reclassification period in 1993.

This is a game where Halls has to find a way to keep their heads up. My biggest concern for Halls, going into the Maryville game, was how the Devils would respond to the inevitable uppercut that Maryville dealt them in the 4th quarter. They didn't respond well at all (in part because of the injury to Turner), so the key to this game has to be their ability to start fast with a clean slate. If Sevier County does some damage early, I worry that Halls will not respond well. These first 3 games for Halls are definitely no gimme and they set the tone for the entire season. The Devils do not want to be 0-2 going into the Central game. My prediction: SC - 24 Halls - 21

A lot of Powell fans worried about this game last year, but the Panthers came out on top 35-0. Campbell County downed Union County last week, but do they have enough defensively to slow down Kier Houston? The opener is always a key game, but the Panthers could start the season 3-0 (like last year), setting up that ever-important game against Maryville. Let's take it one game at a time - Will Powell have trouble in their opener this week?

Everything went south for Halls after their missed field goal in the 3rd. Maryville absolutely wore them out after that, scoring touchdowns on 3 straight drives to make it 28-7. Maryville definitely looks more vulnerable this year, as opposed to other Maryville teams, but they played a very clean 2nd half, and they made some nice adjustments at halftime. Turner's injury definitely didn't help Halls, although the Devils were already down 21-7 in the middle of the 4th when he was unable to return at QB. Hopefully his injury isn't too serious. The turning point of the game had to be the tipped pass that set Maryville up inside the 5 while leading 14-7 (Turner was also injured on that play).

On a side note, Powell and Maryville met again in the playoffs that year, and the Rebels shut out the Panthers 27-0.

There is no doubt that Maryville could lose on any given Friday night. However, I'm reminded of the upset that Powell almost pulled off against Maryville in the 2004 playoffs (Maryville held on to win 21-16), and what fans were saying before the 2005 regular season matchup. Powell was coming off of a huge road win against McCallie (led by current Vol BJ Coleman), and a lot of fans thought that Powell was the better team that year. Even I thought they had a great shot to beat Maryville, but the Rebels simply flexed their muscles and throttled the Panthers, 47-19. To me, Friday's scenario seems a lot like the Powell-Maryville preview back in 2005. I don't think Halls will get drilled like that, but I think that Maryville will continue to remind everyone that they are still Maryville.

I have to agree. Also, let's not forget, this isn't week 2 or 3 or 10 - this is week 0! Neither of these teams have played an actual game this year, so Halls has to have their own set of question marks coming into this game. Halls has to play better than great to win this game. It is a very tall order to ask any team to play a near flawless game this early in the season, especially in week 0. That's why I just don't see the Red Devils pulling the upset. In a game like this, execution is a big factor, and I think you have to give that edge to Maryville this early in the season. GQ has proved that year after year, even when it looked like the Rebels were due for a rebuilding season. Just look at their last 7 season openers. The Rebels have won by 3 touchdowns or more in each of those 7 games (4 of those wins came against Alcoa).

You hit the nail on the head, "win or lose I hope Halls doesn't get too high or too low afterward." The way a lot of people are talking, I would be concerned about a big letdown for Halls, especially if they don't win this game. The team seemed to handle last year's narrow miss well, but I think the biggest fear for a Halls fan has to be the possibility of getting torched. This is week 0, so I think it is much more important for those guys to bounce back in week 1, even if Halls stuns Maryville tomorrow night. My prediction: Maryville quiets the nay-sayers once again, 31-14.

I too was at each of those Powell-Webb games, and it did help that it was the season opener each time, as far as the gate was concerned. However, Powell fans will fill up their entire stadium, especially in the first half of the season, regardless of who they play. Webb didn't bring that many fans to either of those games at Powell, especially in comparison to other non-region opponents like Karns, Campbell County, and Anderson County. I always thought that was a great series, even though Powell lost all 4 games, but I do understand why the series has ended, for the time being. Playing 4 years in a row is quite a bit for a non-region/non-traditional game, but I'm sure that the allure of higher ticket sales encouraged Powell to add larger schools to their non-region schedule. Oh, and the MSU kid you speak of is Jared McGaha.

Of course you can win a game like that, IF you can have that kind of success. However, when was the last time a team had that kind of one-dimensional success against Maryville? It just doesn't happen. That's why they haven't lost in what seems like ages. GQ is no fool, if Halls can't pass the ball, I'd say it's pretty likely that he'll put 9 or 10 guys in the box. You at least have to get a team like that off-kilter somehow.

The new rezoning plan isn't going to help them very much either. Powell lost a lot of students west of Emory Road (although they did gain some Central students in return), but I expect that change will hurt their football depth in the future. That part of the Powell-Karns area is growing a great deal, so that will definitely hurt the program.

I hate to tell you, but you can't be one-dimensional if you want to beat Maryville. You are going to need a lot more than hard-nosed running in this game. Just ask Powell fans. I remember exactly what a lot of fans were saying about Powell's chances against Maryville both in 2004 and 2005. The Panthers had solid teams both years (Bruhin brothers, Lee Smith, Baron Huber, Cody Watts), Maryville was supposedly 'down,' but the Rebels wouldn't have any of it (neither game was close, with the exception of the 2004 playoff game). For Halls, this seems very reminiscent to those two Powell-Maryville match-ups. I don't know how anyone can pick against the Rebels, until they actually lose. I think it's safe to say that you can never definitively say that Maryville is down, and although Halls will be more experienced and an improved team (plus, it is the season opener), I think it's obvious that there is still a big gap between #1 and #2 in region 3. With all of these people talking about an upset, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Maryville won by 2 or 3 touchdowns. Keep in mind, Maryville hasn't struggled in an opener since they lost to Alcoa in the 2000 opener, 14-7. Maryville should have a pretty good memory of last year's game, so I don't expect an upset. I'd love to see a great game though!

Matt Lowe implemented the 2-platoon system for two reasons, and I fully commend him for it - A) put more athletes on the field every Friday night, and /cool.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="B)" border="0" alt="cool.gif" /> keep his players fresh for 4 full quarters, not 3! I agree that it is a very difficult system to use, especially when you don't have 22 "great" starters, but I think this is a system that will particularly help the program in the future. It will encourage more athletes to come to Powell, since more players will see the field. But most importantly, these guys won't run out of gas by the end of the 3rd quarter. Over the last ten years (before Coach Lowe was hired), I witnessed numerous games where the Panthers had more talent on the field, but were gassed by the end of the 3rd quarter. The Bruhin brothers suffered greatly on Friday's nights because they were not used in a 2-platoon system.

1st Quarter: CAK vs. Powell 2nd: Karns vs. Webb 3rd: West vs. Austin-East Halftime Activities -- 50-yard dash (linemen and backs), quarterback throw, punt distance, and kick-off distance 4th: Farragut vs. South-Doyle 5th: Catholic vs. Bearden

Wow, that was painful to read... On a serious note though, I agree, this is Clinton's year to make a playoff run. The talent pool is spread out a lot like last year (with the obvious exception being Maryville), so I expect Clinton to nab a playoff spot. However, I think a lot of it depends on the performance of 3 key teams - Powell, Central, and West. Along with Clinton, those are the 3 other teams that are going to be the biggest wild cards in the region this season. I also don't believe that Halls is a lock for #2 in the region, like many people think. A Halls win against Maryville would obviously change my opinion, but I don't expect that game to be as close as many believe. It's still way too early to make any kind of prediction, but Clinton could realistically finish anywhere from 2nd to 6th in the region this year.

I agree. Webb is one of the best coached teams in Knox County. I went to all 4 of those Powell-Webb games, and even though Webb was outmatched talent-wise in all 4 of those games, the Spartans won all of them (3 of them were by a TD or less). As a Panther fan, it was frustrating to watch Powell lose those games, but you have to hand it to Webb, their execution was and still is head and shoulders above most teams in Knox County, especially for a team running the wishbone.

I haven't heard a lot of chatter about the Panthers this summer, but I'd love to hear from others out there, especially those that are "in the know" and close to the program. HTV and jlancaster, what is your impression of the team at this point, and what can fans expect out of Powell this season? I know that Kier Houston is going to have another sterling season, especially now that he is the centerpiece of that team. Does he have enough talent surrounding him in order to make another playoff run?

I agree with you on both, but especially on the kickoff rule.

Clinton is definitely a wild card this year, especially considering the talent they have. They will be a scary team to play early on, because no one knows what to expect from them. My big question is, can they get over the hump this season and get back to the playoffs?

I agree, I think Halls has a lot of experience and returns a lot of talent, but I don't think I would rank them ahead of Fulton, Catholic, Bearden, or Farragut. A lot of people are saying they have a shot to beat Maryville this year, but like I've told a lot of people already, don't put the cart before the horse. It's been quite a few years (probably 11 or 12) since Halls has been tops in the county, so until I see it actually happen, I'd like to think that they're somewhere in the top 5 this year.

My main point is that Halls hasn't proved anything yet. Until Halls actually steps up and does what everyone else says they are "supposed" to, I'm going to assume that they will be a playoff contender, but not the region favorite. Maryville is still tops in this region, and I don't see any reason why Halls will knock them off. Let's not forget, Powell had multiple opportunities to do the same a couple of times in the past 5 or 6 years, and they never could figure out how to beat them, as talented as Powell was. That's how good Maryville was and still is. I think Halls has a good team with a lot of experience, but there is a lot more talent in this region (unlike last year), and that will effect the number of wins Halls ends up with.

Kier Houston is going to have a great year at Powell, but he has to have one or 2 other playmakers step up as the season progresses. They got off to a great start last year, and that will be the key again this year. If they can get off to a 3-0 start again, they will be in the hunt. I'm ready to see them in action, because outside of Kier, I'm not sure what other playmakers they have. I agree, Halls has to score some points; considering the type of offense they run, I don't expect to see too many more points scored. They will be much more experienced, but I don't think they are going to stun anyone, especially Maryville (like a lot of people think). They aren't that good. There is still a big gap between Maryville and everyone else in this region. West lost a ton of star power, but they still have a team that can get to the playoffs. I'm not 100% aware of the mess going on at Central, but you are right, there is a lot going on there (politically, etc), and I wonder how that will carry over to the football aspect. They have handled these problems pretty well in the past, but from what I've heard, this stuff is pretty major. Clinton and South Doyle both have some key puzzle pieces in place, but I have yet to see them take that final step toward the playoffs. Last year, they both had a shot with Powell struggling down the stretch, but I'm still not sold that either team can make that final playoff spot yet. Neither team is going to sneak up on anyone this year, unlike last season. Bring on Week 0!

1) Maryville 2) Knox Central 3) Knox Halls 4) Knox West

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