boorelly

This goes to show the mindset of "a" Lavergne fan. He wants to get a coach back who is known for making the playoffs versus a coach who has been to the big dance twice and won it once. Stevens will do well there if supported. He is a hard worker and will try to put his team in the best position to win. Do you think Lavergne's Oline could play power football in that region? Maybe by spreading it it gives them the opportunity to play to the stregnth of the team. I can remember the Oak Ridge fans begging for Stevens to go. Now they see it may be the talent and not the coach? Question- When coach Thomas was coaching was the district the same?

Who do you think stood out at the combine. I heard they had kids from Memphis and Nashville there. I seen I think players from Chatt Howard at McDonald.

AE named new coach today. Robert Gillard last years Defensive Coordinator and close friend of Grahams. Talk in Oak Ridge is Graham got him to Knoxville by telling him he was only going to coach 1 or 2 more years and no more and it would be a perfect situation there. Thisis Gillard's second head coaching stint. He was the head coach at Sheffield High in Memphis. From what I understand after coaching in Memphis he is built for AE. He's been through it before. Tillman is staying too. Don't know if Gillard is keeping anyother coaches. Just know he coached Al Wilson and Daniel Brooks.

I don't know if AE community would want a white coach or not. But AE, Brainerd, and Howard are the only opportunities for a minority coach to get a job in East Tennessee. Not saying that it is fair or right but until the hiring pot has more variety I doubt the powers that be would not let that happen without seriously looking at a minority first. AE has had white coaches, but are those coaches willing to live in the neighborhood with their players, attend their churches and community functions, be able to deal with the social cues in that environment. Like I said AE football is bigger than just on the field. That what i have to give Graham credit for. He made it bigger than the field.

I don't know who your son was but sound like he spent a lot of time with Bragg. I just learned Bragg class was for students who needed to recover a class because they flunked. I really didn't get a chance to know Bragg. Met him at a combine. He seems to be a good dude. Graham thinks highly of him. Graham did not leave for money. He had a time frame to move on. He told his coaches that this upcoming year would be his last year at Austin East but this this opportunity came up. I know he wanted Gillard there to takeover for him after he left. He felt like Gillard's experience with the environment would make him a perfect fit. Gillard was head coach at Sheffield in Memphis. He coached at several colleges and was D coordinator at Memphis Ridgeway in 2002 when they won the state. He was offered the JCM job in 2008 but too much mess in Jackson so he resigned the position and coached in Mississippi. Graham commented on Gillard knowing a lot of college coaches and the ability to get kids at the next level. Graham felt Tillman is ready to be a head coach also. He had been there with Stevens and Graham the whole time. He also said Bragg would be a good candidate. I told him about what I heard about Bragg being hot headed and Graham laughed and said, with that freshmen team they can make a lot of people hot headed. Graham doesn't think Bragg would leave the opportunity hehas to come to AE. He said Bragg can continue to improve his craft without the pressure to win now. It is better when the pressure to win is from yourself because you don't have a short timetable. AE can burn out a young coach if he lets it.

Kids want Coach Gillard or Tillman. They want to keep it the same as possible. Not just for football but Graham had it like a family there. They want it to stay in the family. Coach Bragg left the family and a lot of the kids said he wants to come back because of the talent but how long would he stay here. He just got to new school why would he leave. I don't know him just heard Graham comment on him. And I know they stay in touch with each other. Graham thought highly of Bragg and proud he is where he is. One of the coaches questions if Bragg could handle the fans without losing it. He said Bragg had a temper. Graham has been used to the pressure. That is something else a new coach has to consider. Eastside is very demanding without giving anything back. That is one reason why I think Stanton left. I pleaded with Graham not to take it too. They are just so negative there. Wouldn't doubt that was a factor in his leave also. But wouldn't it be great if Rankin could take it. But I don't think he would do as well. He likes to have total control and on the eastside it is just not going to happen.

I hear former Austin East coach Kwayu Graham is interested in that job. He has family that attended that school. He is also good friends with Laron Jennings who foundation works with kids in the Chattanooga area.

Does anyone know if Graham is still at AE? I hear he has already left to NC. When is AE going out for spring or did they cancel until new coach. I hear they were going to scrimmage Oak Ridge.

Austin East is not typical job. There are a lot that goes into coaching there. This year team has a bunch returning but what about 2 years down the road. There a lot of things not just on the football field that is needed there. That is why Graham was so important there for the last 10 years. If you ask the kids at that school and in that community he was very important to all of them not just football players. I know him personally and know of the committment and passion he had for all those kids over there. Even when Stevens, who I'm cool with too, was there it was Graham that was the face of the program in the community. If you think back to 2002 a lot of kids in the community started going to other schools. Graham was able to close the borders the last couple of years and keep the players. The new coach must be a staple in the community. I think new meat could be helpful, a fresh start always is but it has to be someone who is willing to spend some time there. Because from what I hear the teachers there have to work longer hours and more days. So you have to want to be there for more than football.

I hear the same thing. I hear Gillard and Tillman (another Oak Ridger) are applying. They have a lot returning and I know the kids are hoping for someone in house.

I hear the Austin East Head Coach Kwayu Graham is going with him. His son slipped out they may be moving but didn't know where. Don't know if this is true yet because he is out of town. He did not answer my call. I think it would be stupid of him to leave Austin East, they return everyone for the next two years. This year their offense was all underclassmen and only replacing 4 defensive players. They were mostly sophomores. I hope he stays at Austin East and reap the benefits of the work he has out in. I do know the only job he would give his head coaching job up for is to coach with Joe Gaddis. I do know that he was going to go to Paris a couple of years ago but an accident kept him here. I hope he stays at AE, that school needs him. But if coach Gaddis does get him he will get a good one. Great teacher of the game of football and life. Good luck to coach Gaddis.

I don't have a dog in the fight but can we say "Emerald Youth Program". I have relatives that will tell you that. We all know itbut if Fulton wasn't winning they wouldn't go. Graham said it best on the radio last year. "If Mexico had great industry, wealth, and prosperity there would be no border cotrol. To close your borders you have to win". That is the attitude he took at AE. He invested intheir little league program and isnow starting to keep his kids and get a few.

Why do think that? Were they discipline at Hillsboro or athletic as heck. Because I hear the latter. I guess winning brings about discipline. Was Joe Gaddis program discipline when he coached at Oak Ridge? Someone told me to ask that. Both questions I am not implying nothing. I am just debating with my buddy from Nashville and I just want to get some thought. I hear Oak Rige is having organized QB and WR throwing with the coaches. I don't know if that is legal or not. Once again I hear this. I don't really care because I hear everybody does it. But my buddy tells me. I think his son plays for Hunters lane and he is just jealous. Get back on top Cats. Cardinal and Grey is back to stay!!!!! Please beat Clinton. Stanton you my boy and all but darn you have to beat Clinton and Beat Farragut. Maybe you can go and help Graham out at AE, you did give him a shot. Lol

You want me to start naming some major arrest at Alcoa. Alcoa has a great program. Remember Ae did something to Catholic that Alcoa could not do with Maryville. Beat them when it counted. AE scrimmaged Alcoa a couple of years ago and I did not see a domination. I seen AE score the first two series an then when they subbed Alcoa hit summers on 3 bombs to score again. I bet you don't remember that. Also I watched AE come to Maryville in 2005 and tied them in a srimmage. Also the next year I watched AE go to Oak Ridge and tie MHS 2 to 2 in a 4 way. Jaren troutman threw two bombs. Anthony Anderson and several DB's did not even scrimmage that day. You all are going to be surprised about how good AE is. IF THEY ARE able to keep that freshmen class together (I hear Graham is cleaning house..no more Marshall incidents) you will definitely see. I always give Graham credit for taking in Brian Summers and handling his recruitment. Ask Brian what he thinks about AE and discipline at AE. Even a preacher child can make the wrong choices. Should we blame God our creator for the wrong choices we make. If not then don't blame the pogram. Image is what the media makes it. By the way go to Knox County schools web site and see which schools has the highest incidence report (stealing, insubordination, skipping, fighting, violent crime, and drugs) in Knox County. You will not find AE in the bottom three. But the media makes it major. " The gun incidence, the student told a teacher they had a gun on them for protection after school and the teacher told the principal. Also there was a shooting at AE. Well there was gunshot 2 blocks down on magnolia and a parent of an Ae students called it in. When the police asked where are you at she told them I am taking my daughter to school at AE. the report on news said "shooting at AE". I would love to see this game. But when I see a team in region 2 AAA that didn't make the playoffs beat the number 2 team in Alcoa's region, I have questions about how overly dominant they are. They are great program on a great run. Blount ocunty honestly ought of get credit for their programs. From the litlle league to high school. That county has set the bar high.

AE and Alcoa will be a great match up. AE does well against teams that are conventional. I formation with down hill running. The difference between AE and other teams you play is they can matchup on the outside defensively and load the box on you a lot like Fulton. Offensively you have to account for several players. One thing people don't talk about with Ae but is true (I heard a coach at Catholic say this) they have better special teams than in years past. They don't get returns on them but their great at blocking kicks and returning kicks. Their not as bad coached as a lot would tend to believe. Remember their head coach is a friend of mineso I 'm a little bias but if you ask coaches around they will tell you they do a goods job. They are now getting football saavy kids. Before they just had athletes that played football. Many of them not playing til high school. Ths is something a lot of people don't know about AE. It will be an adjustment for Alcoa more so than AE. They played as tough as a schedule as anyone. What I mean by this is Catholic is big, physical, well coached, and FAST. Anderson County is the same, Fulton well they can fly and difficult to figure out. AE coach believes in playing games early to get a pace for the playoffs. They are used to playing in big games. Besides the Maryville game how many games does Alcoa play with capacity crowds. I am asking because I don't know. AE plays at least 4 every year. So they are used to that atmosphere. Oh by the way back to discipline Brandon Warrren, Summers (who graduated from AE), what is Duck doing now. AE football team average ACT is 19.6. Go to the school and ask the guidance department. I didn't know this myself.