wildlymild

all i have to say is that i have the utmost respect and admiration for all the rutherford county teams (esp. blackman and riverdale). however, i can understand where many of the blackman fans/players are coming from. most people don't understand the hurt most of these guys felt after losing to riverdale this past year. while the warriors were crowing to the papers about how they "wanted it more," our boys were huddled on one end of the field listening to coach alsup say, "we weren't supposed to get this far." it was devastating to everyone. there was a lot of heart and a lot of work put into blackman's program, and i know a lot of the family felt like it went to waste when we lost. many of us seniors, not just the players, cried our eyes out. most of us came from riverdale, but there were a few from the other schools as well. blackman has something i don't believe riverdale has: appreciation for the game. many of riverdale's fans are so jaded. (by the way riverdale, you proved my point beautifully with your line about the blue cross bowl.) the warriors are used to winning and are sore losers when they don't. when blackman walked off the field after the game in november, they shook hands and took the loss like men. i'd like to say riverdale would have acted the same, but i'm not 100% sure that would be the case. i'll admit it, riverdale has proven the blaze fans/players wrong time and time again, but the day WILL come when riverdale is proven wrong. football dynasties don't last forever. blackman has a lot to prove to the other teams in the region. i don't understand why they have so much trouble doing so. they were region 4-5A runner-up this past year and have not finished with more than 4 losses since they began competing in class 5A football. (yes, i realize that it's only been 3 years, but that's more than many young teams can say!) not to mention they were in the top 10 in the state... now, with all that said: GO WARRIORS, PATS, DAWGS, RINES, (insert siegel's mascot here), and most of all BLAZE!!!!!!!! [Edited by wildlymild on 3-17-03 7:47P]

on offense, kenny meredith at tailback and ryan eckman at wide receiver. on defense, greg miles. jonte' haggins will also be very stong as a cornerback. i would say marcus malone, but i think he'll be at siegel next year. all these guys have gotten play this past year and should be well-suited in their positions again next year. this is not to say the list doesn't go on. blackman will have an extremely talented team next year, despite the siegel adjustments that have to be made.

the momentum is gaining! good luck against columbia guys. =)

way to go guys!

wesvols, thanks for the info, i am well-informed as to the university's honors program. =) i wish i had applied to UT sooner because now i'm afraid i won't get in. "procrastinators of the world UNITE...tomorrow!" i am not trying to say that UT does not offer a more challenging curriculum. it IS possible. unfortuantely, UT's only extends to those who are able to make it into the honors program. it's all about presentation i guess. the tour guide in k'ville didn't seem too excited to be there. not surprising, she HATED football!

i am an avid vol fan. i've bled orange since i was a baby and love everything about TN's athletic programs. however, i commend redd for making the decision to go to UVa. i also applied there, but i'm still waiting on an acceptance letter. =) VA is extremely competitive in academics and this year, has been ranked the #2 best public college in the nation, second only to UC-Berkley. the campus is BEAUTIFUL, and the staff really make their students feel welcome. when i visited, everyone was really proud of what they were accomplishing. they were the first to admit they're not the greatest at football; however, their basketball team has been growing increasingly more talented each year. in contrast, when i visited UT, the tour guide talked more about the social scene than the actual resources the school has. bottom line, i believe UVa is a more well-rounded school. i love tennessee and would be proud to call it my alma mater, but attending UVa wouldn't be too bad either. congratulations redd for making a great decision!

region4fan, when your father works for BLACKMAN it is only fitting he attend BLACKMAN schools. there are many athletes, not just locke who are attending schools they are not zoned for due to their parents' jobs. as for locke coming on as a freshman, i think it's highly unlikely. he'll have his 3 years on varsity for sure, but i don't see alsup making special arrangements for any freshman players.

plunkett, even if it was travis, why would he say who he was on an ANONYMOUS message board, hmm?

i know everyone is talking about kids LEAVING smyrna, but what about the kids COMING IN? i know of at least two: one a RB from riverdale and the other a former RB from blackman. either way, i predict major competition between smyrna and riverdale next year. these two schools will be the only two not dealing with major transition. it will be a building year for both blackman and oakland. blackman because they are losing a lot of talent they have relied on the past 2 years and oakland because, obviously, siegel is opening. blackman will be losing kids to sigel as well, but not as many as oakland. siegel will have a lot of trouble keeping up with the whirlwind around them, but i think with the right COACHing, they'll do fine for a first year team.

my daddy is from tullahoma and my mom is from lynchburg. it's pretty popular in that area for some reason. i'm not from the 931 area, but i've been drinking the stuff since i was born. it just tastes better the further south you go. not to mention it's HIGHLY addictive. j/k! i think it's a regional thing.

99alltheway, not just riverdale and oakland got stadiums. blackman also had one built and eagleville's is under construction. hulon watson finally decided that it was only fair that ALL rutherford county schools got a stadium instead of just lavergne and smyrna. i just wish he felt that way about swimming pools! as for mtsu, i don't know what you're talking about. i find it hard to believe that they would reject having band competitions and the blue cross bowl held there just because they moved up in division. i'm sure they bring in a significant amount of revenue for the school.

i've heard coach watson from blackman and coach britton from riverdale.

99ALLTHEWAY, there has been no buzz as to alsup transferring. i don't think he is, or else we would be hearing a lot more about it. i think watson wants to go to siegel, but i think the head coaching job depends on whether (oakland's) nolan gets the principal's position, etc. it's all up in the air right now. anyway, as of now, i don't think alsup is leaving.

everyone, please keep in mind that a majority of the people who post for blackman don't play for the team. most of us are just blaze fanatics who have some sort of ties to the team. however, a few choose to make fools of themselves by taunting the some of the best teams in the state. johnnyc, thank you for your insightful posts throughout the season. you represent the team very well with your comments. i'm sure they appreciate it. blaze 206, i'm sorry you got dogged on, but you should know better than to say "nah nah nah nah" on a message board that a lot of different teams read. riverdale deserves respect. look at the record books.

correction to my previous post: maupin, bowen, rico, gilliam, and redding from blackman.

blaze206, get over it. it's a game. our season ended about 3 weeks ago. and everyone else, don't listen to the people who have no clue. i can't believe you all actually fall for some of that stuff. people like him are just trying to make you mad, and i think you know it. and i blackman doesn't whine. i don't think you heard one complaint after the riverdale game. no "woulda coulda shoulda." so give us a break please. just because we have some fans who are very DISRESPECTFUL (blaze 206), it doesn't mean we whine. and blackman never said they would whoop up on riverdale in the playoffs. the team went in knowing the game would go either way, and if they won, it would be by the seam of their pants. it's very easy to get caught up in all the hostility like some of these blaze fans do. just ignore them and theur petty little comments. you know who earns the right to talk trash and who doesn't. [Edited by wildlymild on 12-12-02 6:21A]

from blackman, i've heard derek bowen and michael maupin on offense and wes martin and will redding on D. not sure about anyone else...

competition is always fierce, but it can become even more so when athletes are given the opportunity to choose where they will play. overall, i agree with the gentleman's article. there are too many divisions. however, it has become necessary. the reason many division II teams (private schools) have been "banished" is for the sole reason that they are able to recruit while public schools are not. public schools might not have the proper funding, interest, or even enough athletes eligible to play a sport. there's a reason the TSSAA spends time reviewing these kinds of proposals: when it comes down to it, it's all about playing a fair game.

Espanol: Saberlo es quererlo amigos. Siempre recuerda eso. Buena suerte a todos equipos del futbol americano en los campeonatos del estado este fin de semana. Y...Vaya Riverdale! -Una ventiladora de la escuela secundaria Blackman y region cuatro cinco A. (For the record, a translator will butcher this message!) [Edited by wildlymild on 12-4-02 7:11P]

thanks zombie, i just gotta stick up for my friends. i'd do the same for you guys if i was still there. good luck next saturday. 4-5A all the way!!

and no ONE begs for respect over at BHS!!!!!!

hey afzombie00, let's be realistic here. when your team had an off week this year, a handful of them came to the BHS game and supported us. et al, not very many. i'm happy your team has advanced so far this year, but please keep in mind that not everyone on your team would be rooting for BHS or OHS if they beat you all. as i'm sure you know, riverdale is used to winning and winning big. they HATE losing. be nice to brat, we're still recovering from last week.

hey Brat, simmer down. what's in the past is in the past. don't get all loco on dey culos. looove ya

what do you mean? there's only one 4-5a team still in...

i'd like to see brentwood over riverdale, but i have a feeling it will be germantown over riverdale...