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William Blount has a very good team, but I do believe they were preseason picked # 4 in their conference by the coaches in that conference... Bearden is also an outstanding team and was picked 1st in the Big East Conference by the coaches... Last Thursday was a good game @ Blount, this Friday should be a good game in Kingsport. Roll Tribe Roll

Well put WATCHDOG...they should not be given special privileges, but some understanding and accommodations should be in order (like the opportunity to get work earlier in the week)... Roll Tribe Roll

TriCitiesSports.com will have streaming audio from the radio broadcasts of WKPT and WGOC for folks who don't make it to Maryville... D-B's kicking game was very good, the field goal were huge points; kickoff placement and coverage was outstanding...and obviously the return for the score to start the game was huge... D-B's punting game was poor...no distance, no hangtime...best punt was the quick kick (best as far as yards)...punt returns were not fumbled so that they could be recovered...1st one wasn't bad...Tn High had good punt coverage. Roll Tribe Roll

VolmanScott & WaCo, I agree that this year NET is a bit down (or at least seems so early on), but I don't think it has been a trend or necessarily will become one...the ebbs and flows of talent and the utiliztion of that talent fluctuates from year to year, thus I don't think it is a problem, merely a situation we face this year...so I will be watching for effort and improvement from individuals and teams and hope to enjoy the season from the perspective of a dad, a fan, and someone who trys to cover the games...yeah, that attitude is a bit Pollyannaish, but that is okay; realistic expectations lend themselves to much more enjoyable situations. Roll Tribe Roll

Cap1, I believe there is only one D-B alum that writes for TriCitiesSports.com...and he doesn't have any input into the polls...the owner/editor is from Iowa, the assistant editor is from South, a couple of Church Hill (Volunteer) guys write, there is a North writer (maybe Ketron or Lynn View grad), a Central writer/photographer, one from Gate City and many others...now there are a few more D-B grads that are part of the picking panel, but that is because they are media guys and invited to participate with the regular writers (just like Viking Voice, but he is not a D-B grad)...in fact, the TCS.com Pickin' Panel was won last year by a D-B grad (the one that writes for TCS.com)... Roll Tribe Roll

The Smokey Bears are the preseason # 2 pick in the Big East Conference...very well respected... 1) Bearden 2) Sevier County 3) Dobyns-Bennett 4) Science Hill 5) Jeferson County 6) Karns 7) Campbell County this is the coaches poll Roll Tribe Roll

Yeah, I understand it starts at 5:15pm and will be over at 7pm...I think the Eagles want their field back at 7pm...and Stumpy (#44 in our programs, #1 in our hearts) is a very fine young man...and I think I would recognize him anywhere... Roll Tribe Roll

Contender, Nice post, but I have a correction and a question, D-B did have a block in the back penalty that negated a long run in the Central scrimmage and #40 is actually playing dog safety, I believe, isn't he?...as Coach Bingham said in an article on tricitiessports.com, D-B's scrimmage record over the years is maybe 500 at best...winning them is fine, but the purpose is evaluation... Roll Tribe Roll

Thanks for that advice. Roll Tribe Roll

Heisman Trophy winner (when the trophy still really meant something) Roll Tribe Roll

Yes sir, that was my point. Roll Tribe Roll

You are correct Boonie, Throp signed to play basketball at Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) Roll Tribe Roll

Well said...and thanks for the advice... Roll Tribe Roll

Realize I coached Bo Burton at the boys club and know what an amazing athlete he is and a great leader, as well...very difficult to replace in all facets of what he meant to the team, such a great young man (I also coached Sensabaugh and Throp on the same team)... Yeah, I think the Vikings have a great opportunity to begin their season with a lot of incentive...getting a chance to redeem ones self at ones own home is a very advantagous way to begin a season...and with the names returning and the athletes added in, it should be a fast on quick season for the Vikings... I am just really dreading the race traffic on that Thursday night... Roll Tribe Roll

The Central vs Dobyns-Bennett scrimmage for tomorrow Friday 8/10 has changed locations to now be played in Kingsport, anyone know why? Roll Tribe Roll

I think Tennessee High will be quite good...losing Thomas was a big loss and Fleenor, but there is some experienced talent back for the Vikings...they are to not to be taken lightly by anyone... I think the secondary is talented, but D-B did have receivers with 100 plus yards receiving the last two years (Throp 100 yards in 05 and Sensebaugh 143 in 06) with both of them having solid secondary rolls each year... Tennessee High is not receiving the preseason accolades they deserve. Roll Tribe Roll

Credibility comes from accuracy and a lack of exaggerations...and I do appreciate the compliment, but "the greatest" is another of your exaggerations...a preseason ranking comes from tradition...as I have previously stated, many of the ranking are attempts to sell papers or obtain subscribers to a service and the teams many times are simply placed in polls strictly by reputation...D-B's tradition and reputation is one of winning 12 of 14 Big East Conference Championships, thus the "media" expectations are that they will be in the mix again...I have also stated many times this year I think Bearden should be the team to beat in the conference...with D-B, Sevier County, Science Hill, and Jefferson County battling for the other 3 playoff spots...and can't say much about Karns because they have a new coach with a new sysytem and new attitude and new players, so realistically I can't project what they are going to be, but on reputation I have them 6th in the conference... as WaCo has put forth his correct rankings every week, the other "polls" in the state are no more or no less accurate than his...I just enjoy the games, the competition between high school athletes attempting every Friday night to be great... Roll Tribe Roll

Good luck to you all as well...now you do realize that your "going soft" statement may be blown up to poster size and framed by many of the D-B faithful...ha,ha...should be a good year for a few area teams... Roll Tribe Roll

Good post...I will add that many D-B fans start every year with visions of grandeur, as is the case with most school's fans (example: Science Hill fans think every year they are going to get D-B in football and VolmanScott I didn't use South as the example because I laughed so hard at your Eisenhower line...that was a good one, thanks) and with the preseason polls the "media" establishes the Indians as a contender every year...two points with that - 1) there are more voting members of the AP in northeast Tennessee than in any other part of the state...2) D-B is a potential contender every year and has proven that with the wins earned and with the playoff record, as well...as I asked in post # 38 on this thread, who besides Riverdale has done in just the past 10 years what the Indians have done?...but it is not a championship, so they are labeled chokers...I don't have a post anywhere on this site even inferring that "this is the year" and there are other realistic fans that support the Tribe without bombastically declaring victory...last year should have gone longer, but never expected a state title...South could say the same thing last year - should have gone longer...but they didn't choke... again, I appreciate your post and reasoning, thanks Roll Tribe Roll

In post # 42 on this thread you said that "some of the early losses were not always choking", which would be in English calling someone a choker, but I didn't make that a point of any of my responses...you were talking about "early exits" and my point was the semi-finals do not constitute an early exit...and you still haven't answered the question asked yesterday "which of the 5A schools in Knoxville and east of Knoxville don't play smaller schools?...how many of those other 5A schools go 10-0?... Roll Tribe Roll

The punt at Riverdale was in the semi-finals, thus was not an early exit...there were three 1st round losses in 10 years, those would be early exits...semi-finals (also 3 times in 10 years) would not...which of the 5A schools in Knoxville and east of Knoxville don't play smaller schools? Roll Tribe Roll

With all due respect, preseason polls are about selling newspapers...uh, South and the "Hill" play each other to start the season, how many more papers might the Press sell with a bit more hype to the game and then an "upset" by the "Hill''...I see well thought out marketing plans coming into play...which is fine, it is a for-profit business...Hoople sells papers for the Times-News, too...it is fun stuff...should be a great season... Roll Tribe Roll

Oak Ridge had eight starters go down with season ending injuries last year, most glaring was the season ender to QB Conner Gulmire (who was rated as a top 3 QB in the state going into the season and he was picked off at least two times in the D-B game)...so healthy, would they have been a top 5 team?...it was thought so before the season and up until the D-B game...and they were still expected to win their conference, but they lost lost too many key people to overcome...and a 21-0 advantage in the first quarter could have made a difference in the playoff game and that is what it should have been (according to the videotape, but referees don't use videotape and they made a couple of mistakes; which did potentially have an impact on the outcome of the game)...and unfortunately it did come down to the final series from the four (but, what a great play executed to get to the 4, especially being it was done by an overrated team)... But here's another kicker to your credibility, Clark wasn't starting at center on Friday when he was hurt, Casey Halsey started against Halls...if you are so close to the program, you should read your depth chart... it is awful Will is hurt and not foremost for the team, but for him (he is a great kid)... Roll Tribe Roll

In the past 10 years, D-B's playoff exits have consisted of: 3 first round losses, 1 second round loss, 3 quarter final losses, and 3 semi final losses...besides Riverdale, find another 5A school to match that level of choking... Roll Tribe Roll

PowerPlus, Good luck to you all as well...except for that date you posted...but I will wish everyone good health on that day... Roll Tribe Roll