krichunaka

Dr., I know that the teenager you're addressing is indeed, a player; and a very good one. And in two sports. /thumb[1].gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":thumb:" border="0" alt="thumb[1].gif" /> In fact, she had an outstanding performance at the UT Speed Camp last week. In other words, you're way outta bounds here.

That there were meetings, to me at least, is a good thing. And sure, those meetings were, for the most part, in group form, as most meetings are. Last season's team met with the Principal during September. They weren't pleased with his handling of the situation, but nonetheless, all of them chose to continue playing. The under-graduates met with him again this spring. After this most-recent meeting, some of those returning players - as individuals - chose not to return. Some of them have chosen to play; others might later opt to play. And some will not play. This proves that these decisions have been made on an individual basis, and thus, for you to assert the group label is assumptive at best, and at least for now, either premature, simply wrong, or both.

Daniel Boone, Unaka, Claiborne County, and any number of other schools have had, or are presently experiencing Coaching/Personnel dilemmas. Each is unique, and each individual is left to decide for herself. The Daniel Boone players I've met were at peace with their decisions. That's good enough for me. Several of the Unaka players and their parents have made it very clear, to the Principal, to the Superintendent, and others that, Yes, they'd love to play. That, on principle, they've chosen not to participate, under the circumstances, doesn't make them leaders or followers, nor should they be categorized. Perhaps such judgements should be with-held, at least until after each and all of them have made the decision to return. Or not. All of them will have given ample thought and prayer throughout the process.

Surely, Screen, surely you're not gonna pick a fight with a sixteen-year-old ...on Father's Day? /dry.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

I didn't know. I'm very sorry. God Bless the Burem family.

I agree that the kids were/are hurt the most. These players - to include last season's seniors; the players who chose not to return this season; and the current sacrificial lambs - caught the brutal brunt of a several-seasons-long political struggle, originally ignited by a few disgruntled parents, and manipulated by local politicians and other interested participants. No particular person appears to have played the leading role, but several people were determined to change course, with blatant disregard for present/future success. So, no, they didn't - none of them - bring it on themselves. And it's disingenuous of those who have suggested that Coach Chambers led a lynch mob or otherwise attempted to undermine the authority of the current staff, whereas, more likely, the botched handling of the situation in late-summer, left the team in disarray. It's late (even for me). I'll follow up soon. Nice to see you back; and by the way, great job of remaining silent with the Happy Valley - Elizabethton situation.

"Now if in fact what has been said about Chambers is true, than [sic] he should have been removed, but again if not than [sic] he should have been able to stay." - - Quoting "trustyworthy" _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ The second quote is very indicting, coming from someone who claims not to know; and, coupled with your previous post, above, is contradictory at best. You also initiated the "lynch mob" claim, only to later defer to me; and this suggests that you see me as part of said - lynch mob. For the record, I attended four home games: Cosby, Happy Valley, University High and Mitchell. I sat with several different people at different times, and most always joined Coach Chambers and others during the boys' games where we would often make after-game dinner plans. So, it would seem prudent to, if you know nothing, to say nothing, rather than make such profound statements that at least imply that, Coach Chambers "should" have been removed, based on what you heard. So, it's either misleading, or simply tacky, for you to claim to have heard things that should have brought about his termination, only to step back and expect others to fill in the blanks for you. And, as pointed out earlier, some of the previous coaches were in attendance at most of the games I attended; that, and the fact that Coach Parkey was at most, if not all of Unaka's games - home and away - during the Chambers era is proof-positive that there's a double-standard when discussing who should, or should not attend a basketball game. It's also only fair to point out that Coach Chambers personally encouraged each of the new freshmen to play basketball... for Coach Wright.

Considering the very limited information released to the press, your "what has been said" reference is troubling. If I recall correctly, the local paper stated that the Superintendent told Coach Chambers only that they had decided to go in another direction. The resulting five-win season suggest to many that scant thought was given to exactly which direction they had in mind. And without attempting to comment for the parents involved, it seems fair-enough to suggest that they have legitimate concerns about how their children have been treated. Of deeper concern, the early-summer roster of approximately a dozen has reportedly continued to dwindle to an alarming degree. ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ I disagree with your assessment that the talent level had fallen considerably. Granted, the senior class of Julie Roberson, Renee Ensor, Danielle Ensor (they're not sisters), Coty Townsend (Danielle's aunt), and Jessica Osborne, Kelly Allen, and Lacey Gouge was tremendous {thirty-one consecutive victories; number one in-state for a few weeks}; but the Lady Rangers still made it to sub-state two of the next three seasons, and in fact, twice defeated Hampton the year that Kelly Oliver coached the Lady Bulldogs to Murfreesboro. And, just before the bubble burst last summer, Unaka, with Taylor Byars, but before the return of Rachel Lowe, played outstanding basketball, and won nine of their last ten games. So yes, there were several very good players throughout the Kenneth Chambers era.

I don't know the process, but I expect that Coach Aubrey would have the bigger role in determining whether or not she play Softball, and only then would Coach Holly have a say. Of course, Ali and Coach Holly could petition Coach Aubrey for her release, pending the conclusion of Basketball season. The primary considerations are injury risk season over-lap, as I'm pretty sure the Softball team is off and running before Basketball season ends. For my part, I'd love to see Ali participate in both sports. She and former teammate, Alicia Engle, would fortify the Milligan outfield, which last season listed only three players.

Regardless of whether we think Coach Chambers was treated fairly - - - I don't think he was - - whether we think Coach Wright was the right person for the job - - time will tell - - it's more than a little unreasonable to suggest that the parents should just take a hike. They are the primary supporters. Their children are the ones most at risk of physical, emotional/psychological damage. So, anyone who promotes the idea that parents should be only fully-supportive, regardless of how the program is managed, is at best, naive, if not a little calloused. And with due respect, 17, many of those who are most vehement against parental involvement... are coaches. In other words, if there was ever a time wherein parental involvement was/is justifiable, the Unaka case certainly is. This isn't to suggest that parents should be coaching from the bleachers, that they should send in the plays and schemes. And, nearly all of us who have coached at any level, are familiar with the typical "playing time" complaints. Nor is this primarily about Xs and Os. This situation is about much more than that. These particular parents - we're speaking here of the parents of the 2008-09 team - are tremendous. They merely wanted their offspring to be given the best-possible opportunity for success, regardless of the won-loss record. In that regard, they were short-changed. Their complaints were justified. Players like Danielle Jones, Natalie Johnson, Taylor Byars, Chesnie Cox, Tayler Nidiffer, and Kayla Wilson didn't just casually opt out. All of them love the game much more than that. They felt, and clearly expressed, to those of authority, that the program's change of direction was unjust, from a moral and tactical perspective. After the disastrous season, they felt very strongly a correction should be made. I have no idea how this will play out. It certainly doesn't look good. But the continuing downfall of a tradition-rich Ladies Basketball program - Unaka - is not the fault of the players who recently quit. It's not the fault of the three 2009 graduates. And most specifically, it isn't the fault of their wonderful parents.

...And, so now the question is: Will Wes Holly try to get Rich Aubrey to split time for the Great, Small Forward/Center Fielder/Power Hitter? /dry.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=" When asked about her three-run homer, Ali Gardner told Jim Crawford that (paraphrasing) "She must've missed, cause it was right over the plate ...and I jacked it." Pretty much sums it up. A great moment in tradition-rich Unicoi County High School sports history.

AWESOME! And, Great Job by Jim Crawford and Doug Fritz! Bob Presser and Lisa Baxter, the UCHS assistant coaches! And the great, after-game interviews with the seniors. What a Great event. Congratulations Lady Blue Devils!

Great job Lady Blue Devils. Congratulations! Gutsy, bottom-of-the-sixth, intentional walk call by Unicoi County head Coach Grady Lingerfelt, to put runners on first and second. A close foul ball almost tied it up. Doug Fritz said it was about an inch foul. Marvelous pitching performance by Kara Woods. And WOW! She's only a Sophomore! Goodpasture might just make it back for at least one, perhaps two more games, starting tomorrow night. Elizabethton coach, Ken Hardin predicted victory for Unicoi County. Nice call, Coach Hardin.

For those who might be new to this, Coachh17 is truly a man of integrity; someone who has always been able to take, as well as dish out. With that in mind, it's still only fair to note that he kinda/sorta... bleeds ORANGE! So, when he names an entire roster of nineteen, and even includes high praise for a couple enemy players... yet overlooks one of our area's best, then something is definitely amiss. ***Off the record, plans are in the works to handcuff him and drag him kicking and screaming into Snavely Gymnasium for at least one complete game next season. But again, that's on the hush hush.*** For my part, I wouldn't wish what the Lady Rangers, and especially the three seniors - Kayleigh Elsea, Rachel Lowe, and of course, Kayla Winters - endured this season... on my most-hated rivals. So yes, this is about much more than one player being left off an All-Star thread. So, to approach this in another way, if we make this a team-building format, draft-type selection process, where we put all of them on the court before a team of unbiased experts (where ALL the players are given near-equal sightings)... then you can bet the light bill that Kayla Winters, due to her length, athleticism, handle, toughness, shot-blocking ability, etc., would rate at the very top. It's going a little too far, to suggest otherwise, based on her team's won-loss record. And like Mikki and B. J., Kayla can play more positions, to greater effect, than any of the other Seven players. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ And, of course, the Unaka coaching saga continues. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ By the way, I really liked your choice, Vader, for best Sixth Player. In fact, I was pretty sure Chelsea Bowling would start for the Lady Cyclones this season, but as I recall she suffered multiple season-threatening injuries. She's a very cool player. And a few others who really became big players off the bench: Summer Hughes of Cloudland - Very good freshman season. Brittany Reece, also of Cloudland - Could be one of our area's best next season. Tayler Nidiffer of Unaka - As athletic as any returning player. Chesnie Cox of Unaka - Actually won a starting position; another high-potential player. Kamra Fritz - Elizabethton - Also more of a starter: Played a huge role for the Lady Cyclones at crunch time. Maci Lewis - Bombs Away! Kayla Wilson - Improved greatly in late-season. And others... Plus, of course, a group of Hampton players, Stout, Dugger, the other Dugger, Mollie McQueen (I'm probably missing at least one)... played like starters. Which played no small part in getting the Lady Bulldogs to Murfreesboro. And another personal note: We don't get to see nearly as many games as we'd like, however, the trip to Cherryville, North Carolina, is one of my fondest memories of this season! It's also when (I think) the Lady Bulldogs proved to themselves that they could win, anywhere... even with one of their best players injured. A very impressive tournament effort! (The fact that I made a wrong turn, and turned the expected two-hundred-mile round-trip into a near-four-hundred-mile marathon... only added to the fun). Later! Kim

Many will agree with your last sentence. However, whether she was sent out to screen, pick and roll, go one-on-one... regardless, Kayla Winters was one of the Seven's very best players. This season. ________________________________________ ________________________________________ Coachh17, you actually made another good case with your "about-equal" players, while predictably, listing Six Lady Cyclones! And, of course, not one Lady Ranger. No doubt, a mere oversight. /dry.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=" And, which "McKinney?" I know two who had terrific seasons.

Thanks, 17, for mentioning Mabe. Most often a team's won-loss record has very little to do with the best individual players. April Wilson also comes to mind. And, to put it nicely, there are not five players in all the Seven, better than Unaka's Kayla Winters. In fact, she is at least as good as any of those already mentioned. None of them, or anyone we saw throughout this season, and in fact, throughout her four year career, could consistently guard her. Her numbers back this up. Just sayin' __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ And Kayleigh Elsea. And Jordi Miller. How many games did those two bombers save?

1) Hampton 1) Elizabethton 3) Cloudland 4) Unicoi County 5) Happy Valley 6) Johnson County 7) Unaka For numerous reasons, primarily illness, going to Murfreesboro was out of the question. For that, I'm personally sorry. The idea was to see ALL the Seven teams, in as many matchups as possible, and though we didn't see all the Big Games, we still managed to see every team in early, middle, and late-season. Enough to distinguish the good, middle, and not so good. Our first season with this poll ended in a Tie. That season, the Lady Cyclones were tremendous, and made it to Murfreesboro, where they lost to the eventual state champs in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, the Lady Rangers' thirty-one game winning streak was just as impressive. However, they lost to Cloudland, just as South Greene lost to Elizabethton this season - in the Regional Title Game - and didn't recover in time to win, on the road, in Sub-State. This season there are two primary considerations: 1) Elizabethton swept Hampton. 2) Hampton won in Murfreesboro. As to "2" it's no small accomplishment, getting to the State Tournament. And for "1"? To say that the Lady Bulldogs closed the gap, from being crushed in Elizabethton, to losing a game that they actually should've won in Hampton, is reason enough (for me) to call them about even now. We can consider several other, entire-season factors: Unicoi County swept Hampton. Elizabethton swept Unicoi County (three games). Elizabethton swept Hampton or... Elizabethton and Hampton split with Happy Valley. *Or, Tennessee swept Florida, however, Florida won the National Title. /dry.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=" So, was Hampton's winning in the Quarter-Finals simply the luck of the draw? It would not only be unfair to penalize the Lady Bulldogs... for actually winning in Murfreesboro, but to do so, is (to me) an insult to a very good Cornersville team. Anyhow, this Tri-County Seven weekly, is all about dialogue. There's no single authority here. This is not, nor was it ever... about me. I've merely put it out there. What do you think? _________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ ALL STARS Who is the best player? On each team? In the entire Seven? Who are the best Five Players? Who is the MOP? The MVP? Who are the best five... Position Players? Who is the best Sixth Woman? Most Improved? Coach of the Year? Assistant Coach of the Year? Should I go first? /dry.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

Congratulations, Lady Bulldogs. Now, GO LADY CYCLONES! /thumb[1].gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":thumb:" border="0" alt="thumb[1].gif" />

Oliver Springs nailed six threes in the first half; three of those by Kayla Christopher. And when it rains it pours: Oz, who banked in that long three? Ouch! Kelsey Hall was very steady. Without her, it's difficult to see how Oliver Springs wins the game. Would've loved to see the ball launched in Jordi Miller's direction on the game's last possession; however, four-point-nine is just that - - Four-Point-Nine. Almost impossible to go full-court against what (I think) was a two-two-one zone press), find the open player, and get a good shot off. So many close calls, hits and misses. The Lady Cats ran a beatiful, under-the-basket curl, but the open layup was missed as regulation expired. And the pressure continued to build. In the first overtime, Lady Cats trailed by one, missed, then fouled Shellie McKinney, who hit two free-throws, giving Cloudland a three-point lead at :12. The Lady Cats answered. They needed, and got, a near-thirty footer, at 4.0 seconds, by Christopher, to force the second overtime. A couple crucial turnovers down the stretch, but still the Lady Highlanders had their chances. However, ultimately, Kayla Christopher hit a few huge shots, whereas, if she misses... Cloudland wins, plain and simple. It was like that.

After watching the Lady Cyclones lose the last two home Sub-State games, we opted to hit the road this year and were rewarded with one of the guttiest-ever performances... by both teams. Cloudland's loss to Oliver Springs was classic stuff. The Lady Highlanders were so close, fought back after being down by nine - 22-13 (Cloudland scored three, second quarter points) - at the half. The Lady Cats hit six Threes in the first half; four in the second quarter. This one belongs in the best-ever category. And, obviously, so does the Gibbs-at-Elizabethton thriller. Congratulations to Elizabethton. Looks like the Fritz sisters have this wonderful knack for hitting Big shots in Huge games. /thumb[1].gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":thumb:" border="0" alt="thumb[1].gif" />

Coachh17 will float back to earth sometime around midnight to provide details, but essentially: South Greene inbounded with single-digits remaining... took a quick shot... Elizabethton rebounds, heads the other way; Powell hits Pietrowski in stride, in the paint for the winning shot. Do I have that right? Edited per Coachh17 - - Bowling to Pietrowski.

South Greene had the ball with eight seconds remaining. Elizabethton gets ball, scores at buzzer! More later...

In short answer - - no. However, in the event you're not aware (and I could be, and often am wrong, but), to the best of my understanding, if Cloudland wins the Region, then both the Lady Highlanders and Lady Bulldogs will have to travel for Sub-State. So, if anything, I venture that there's slightly more incentive for Hampton to win. Nor did I say, imply, or post... that they had no chance to win the District Tournament. I did say, and I still maintain, that the preferrable route (for the Region)... was as the #2 seed. And it was. I don't know if "everyone" was worried about the Lady Huskies, however, I certainly would have been, and I suspect that Coach Tolley was plenty-nuff concerned, especially considering the closeness of three of the four games they played. To me at least, North Greene was a very tough matchup for either team.

So, who will the Lady Highlanders be pulling for to win Region Two-A? If you have to travel, regardless, it's just a few miles up the Ridge to Wartburg... from Oliver Springs. Where would they rather go? And, if the Lady Highlanders win Region One-A, then both Carter County teams will have to travel for Sub-State. So, is there more incentive for Hampton? Just askin'

If Len Dugger is as good as I think he is; if the Lady Cyclones have molded into the Team I think they have - - and they proved themselves very capable in the District Tornament - - if the reinvigorated Chelsea Bowling can continue to contribute as in recent games... then, I really like Elizabethton's chances. But that's just me.