TheBigRedDog

MBA did play Ryan in '95 and '96, however, it was only for a half as part of a jamboree at MBA. I think we beat them 7-0 one year and tied 0-0 the other year. Also, Ryan was 5A in '93 and '94 and chose to drop down to 4A starting in '95. I remember the disapointment we had not being able to play our biggest rival in a real game anymore. I remember people giving Ryan a lot of flack for dropping down too. Ryan's drop to 4A and the games with BA that you mention were the beginning of the decline of this rivalry. Having said all that, I still get fired up for Ryan week and hope that the Big Red will take it to the Irish. P.S. - KWoodroof, glad to see that some people still remember that 2OT game.

28 - 0 BA. 4 minutes left in the game.

Questionable call on the kickoff following Ryan's go ahead score. Jefferson was halfway in the end zone when he caught the ball. He then returned the ball inside the Ryan 10 yard line and scored on the next play. I bet Ryan is wishing they had just kicked it short. Game effort by the Irish. Some big hitting going on in this one by both teams. I was impressed by Ryan's defense and passing game. Darkwa's injury was obviously a huge factor in keeping this one close, though. Congratulations to Ensworth.

West re-did the bleachers a few years ago, but there is no press box and no visitor's bleachers. The bleachers that are there are not very big either. That field also looks pretty crammed in there - not much room out of bounds. I've heard stories of some legendary games on that field back in the day. Has Ryan played there recently? I know they were playing some games at Overton and Bellevue Middle a few years back.

I wouldn't worry about SAS. They are not even playing a TSSAA football schedule this year. Perhaps with the addition of more teams to D-II A, they will. I see this as a good move for all of the schools involved. Although, travel may still be a bit of an issue for football. I am surprised that a few more Nashville area schools, most notably CPA, Lipscomb, and Goodpasure, didn't make the move. I see a league with FRA, Davidson Academy, Zion Christian, DCA, USJ, JCS, St. George's, FACS, Harding Academy, SBEC, etc being very competitive.

First of all, hats off to both teams for a great game. Congratulations to Ensworth on the win. To me, this game was the story of two players: Darkwa and Jefferson. This is not to discredit the other players as they played very well too, but, you take those two away from Ensworth and MBA wins this game handily. Granted EHS' Offensive line played very well and both teams had injury issues, but the EHS backfield was unstoppable. I can't remember ever seeing a duo like that at this level. Let me say this: I respect Ensworth School very much. Many of my friends and family members are Ensworth alumni and supporters. It is a great school with high standards. They are clearly doing some great things there. I would love to have my children attend Ensworth someday. Having said that, those of you who think that Coach Bowers did not go out and get some athletes are being naive. I think if people are truly honest with themselves, they see will see that. From the minute he got to Ensworth, he realized that he had an opportunity to build a program his way with freedom that he would never have at MBA. I played for Ricky Bowers. In my opinion, he is the best coach in the state. I am also very in tune with what goes on in the MBA and Ensworth communities. At Ensworth, he has much greater influence over admissions than he ever did at MBA. The presence of David Whitfield at EHS is no coincidence either. Again, let me congratulate Ensworth. Those kids played are well coached and play extremely hard. I would expect nothing less from a Bowers coached team. P.S. - Who was the kid on the Ensworth sideline in street clothes and a #74 jersey? He was huge!

Even with all that land out there?

Where is the best place to park at EHS? Looking forward to it. Roll Red!

That's disappointing. Why have they not added sufficient seating?

Has Ensworth added stands on the visitors' side?

Good game last night. The first I've been able to see in person this year. I completely agree with the comments regarding the officiating. It was comical how inept that crew was. The head official was calling games when I was in school in the mid 90's and was doing the same stuff then. If I were MBA's staff, I would demand that that guy never be allowed to officiate again. He is terrible. McGuigan was in his ear, even following the crew off of the field last night to give them a piece of his mind. I was very impressed by Ravenwood last night. They are indeed a scrappy bunch. Not a lot of size, but well coached and hard-nosed. That tailback was a slippery one. MBA better get ready for more of that come next week at Ensworth. The Ravenwood QB was impressive, as well. MBA should have had three or four sacks and he was able to slip free. MBA has some work to do. They need to start by eliminating the penalties. The drops were also disheartening. This game would have not been as close if not for three big drops. Defensively, the Big Red needs to do a better job of wrapping up. A lot of missed tackles last night. Depth is also a concern. The defense was on the field too long and looked worn out on that last big drive by Ravenwood. Hats off to the guys who were in there playing their tails off, though. In spite of the officiating and mistakes, MBA did what it took to beat a good football team. I liked the balance I saw from MBA on offense. The coaches made some nice adjustments at halftime that allowed the Big Red to exploit the Ravenwood defense. I can't ever remember a team putting eleven on the line like that, daring us to throw the ball. Like the paper said, the slant was there all night. The MBA defense played very hard. Not a ton of speed there, but, as usual, well disciplined and in the right spots to make plays. Brad Bars was all over the field. I'm really impressed by that kid. Bubis is also a beast. Special teams played really well. The punts were long and the pooch kicks did a good job of keeping the ball out of Ravenwood's skilled returners. All in all, a great atmosphere last night for high school football. Looking forward to another next week at Ensworth. Roll Red!

MBA has had that kind of deal since I was in school in the mid '90's. First with Reebok, then Nike, and now Under Armour. Don't most schools have some sort of arrangement like this now?

Is this due to the presence of the new Signal Mountain High School?

What is the significance of the "Nike contract" with Maryville? MBA was wearing Nike uniforms four or five years ago (although, now they are Under Armour). Does Maryville get some sort of added financial benefit by wearing Nike?

Anyone know approximately how many people were at the game? What was the breakdown... MBA fans vs. Moeller fans vs. neutral fans?

Great job Big Red! Big win for MBA and the state of Tennessee. Sounds like a fairly dominating performance, especially in the second half. MBA defense came up big again. Roll Red!

So if this game is on the DirectTV sports package, then it IS available in Nashville. Am I correct? If so, I may be heading to a sports bar to watch it.

I imagine that Coach McGuigan wouldn't be too thrilled to know that you are posting on these boards. I'm sure the English department wouldn't find your post acceptable either. Let your play on the field do the talking. Good luck against Moeller.

That's over twice as big as MBA. Memphis Christian Brothers is nearly that big, though, I believe.

Does anyone know how many kids go to Moeller?

Thoughts on this one? Over on the Ohio board, the Moeller folks seem pretty confident. Hopefully, the Big Red can go up there and get the win. Roll Red!

“We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.”

I was watching the UVA-Maryland game today on ESPN2 and noticed that former MBA player, Ryan Burns is not on the UVA roster. Does anyone know if he is still at UVA?

Will he be coaching defense? If so, that is interesting considering he never played defense in high school or college to my knowledge. I'm sure he is more than capable, though. We'd love to have him back on The Hill. As for the Moeller game, I've got to give Daniel and MBA a lot of credit for scheduling this game. Considering all of the graduating seniors from the '07 state title team, Moeller will be a tall task. Looking forward to a great game. Roll Red!

I couldn't agree more. I love how some people are so quick to start the "MBA is in trouble" talk. To be sure, Coach Elliot is a loss for the school, but MBA will be fine. I really don't see how anyone can comment negatively after the season that Daniel's team just had.