boneal52

Luck...too easy of a word to use. Nobody knows what it really means. That is because luck is nonexistent. Either you make plays or you dont. Either you have the vertical leap, the hand-eye coordination, and the concentration to bring down a hail mary or intercept one, or you don't. It is that simple. Joe Bell caught the winning touchdown in that game because he is an awesome football player. Big time players make big time plays. The kids from Brentwood had their shot at bringing that same ball down, but they didn't. End of story, no luck invovled. When asked about his secret, Barry Bonds said, "Talent. My talent is different. You can't teach that. You don't have it. There's no secret. I'm good." And he's got a point. He makes plays because he can. He's better than everyone else. Brentwood Academy has a trophy case full of state titles because over the past thirty years, they've been better than everyone else. They have had good players, who made plays. This year, Franklin has good players that are making good plays. Nobody calls it luck when Lincoln County blasts somebody out of the water by 50 points. Why is that? Why is it only called luck when its a tight contest? It takes the same talent for Joe Bell to make that catch as it did for him to return kicks for touchdowns in early season blowouts. Luck doesn't exist.

My take.....I've seen Brentwood Academy and Franklin both this year. Franklin is better. That's why I put them first.

mmm.....Cougars. Well, Centennial has alot of guys healing that sat out last week against Kenwood so hopefully they'll be at full strength by this Friday. It looks like two teams that played almost dead even last fall are both much improved, with Dickson County being the greater improvement. I guess we'll see how much come Friday.

1. Franklin 2. Brentwood Academy 3. Brentwood 4. BGA 5. Centennial 6. Page 7. Ravenwood 8. Fairview

Lamarcus Coker - Antioch Josh Gregory - Lincoln County Michael Edmiston - Lincoln County Also, doesn't have the touches to win it, but Joe Bell of Franklin High is one of the best I've seen in a while.

Wow................................................. Easily the best football game I've ever seen. Franklin absolutely refused to lose and wouldn't be stopped by mistakes, bad calls, or even the state champs. And I must give credit to Brentwood, they looked much better than I've seen earlier in the year, and really played like champs. But its all Franklin tonight. Incredible guts and grit in this one. Matt Solima had a rough night, but when it came down to it, he was gold. That's what being a QB is about. He didn't get rattled and didn't give up. On the other coin, Thomas Welch looked oustanding, throwing crisp passes all over the field. But Solima was the king tonight. He wouldn't give up. Unbelievable.

FHSRebel27....I have a problem with your breakdown, but don't worry. You'll like it. The running game assesments you made were innaccurate. Brentwood's running game is stout, I aggree, but the personnel matchups will favor the Rebels. Brentwood's backs are big, strong kids that aren't going to outrun you to the corner and break it. Van Horne and Fugate will pound you, not burn you. I dont think that is going to work with Franklin. They wont have enough room to get any steam going because of the team speed of the Rebs. Too many hits in too small of an area to get moving. When Franklin runs, they may again have an advantage. I think the Rebel rushing game is underrated. And the Brentwood run defense is not what it was last year. Cover up Van Horne and run it right at them. They're well coached with angles, so running outside isn't a great idea, but to run it right at them and smack them in the mouth is your best bet. I'd say Brentwood's run defense is better then their run offense, but is still beatable.

ELA, I think that if Independence gets the majority of the kids from Herritage, then they'll be fine. They've got a pretty darn good middle school program going, with some big ole boys out there.

Thanks for the clarification, cowboys. I guess I do see your point in a way. I think truly coming into their own and being established within the region will come when they knock off one of the neighborhood rivals. At the same time, all three schools respect each other and take the game very seriously, so that would allude to them not feeling like they're that much better than one another. I suppose its how you view it.

Just something about those Warriors. Riverdale, 17-13

So what is the definition of "belonging" with the big boys, Brentwood and Franklin? Well, we belong to the same region. Does that count? We belong on the same field at least once a year with them. cowboys, tell me what you mean by asking if they really belong? And I dont think Coach Gregory meant any offense by calling those programs second or third tier. Its just a matter of statement. Two of those programs aren't even in the same classification as Centennial, so that could be a way to see it. And Warren County is just plain bad. I was at Centennial when we were awful, and we beat the dog ____ out of WC. There's no shame in admitting the truth. If someone had told me my senior year in high school that we were a third tier program, I'd have said they're right. Page has a good program, but its just tough to expect a win against a team with 1000 more students to pick from. And Page is 3-2 against Centennial, you're right. But Coach Gregory is 2-1 against them and on the up. So I'm curious about your stance on it. Is it just Coach Gregory's comments that you don't care for or do you really think that CHS isn't what people believe them to be? I'm not on here calling you names and saying this and that, you are completely entitled to your opinion and are free to express it. I guess I just haven't grasped the gist of this thread yet. Help me out, please.

Here's one.....the first Franklin vs. Brentwood game I ever saw. It was probably around 1994 or so. Give or take a couple years. I remember my neighbor Dieon "Prime Time" Sanders was a FB and LB for the Rebs and there was a big DE that they called Doone Buggy. Greg Flye was the QB (I think?) that year and was tossing it everywhere, with alot of them going to Tory Lane. Franklin won a close game that year and I remember leaving the game not being able to wait till I was old enough to be a Rebel......who'd have thought?

Gotta love a rivalry where even the announcers get involved. When was the last Franklin win, by the way? Was it the 2000(?) game when Gizmo Murray romped for 180 yards in a win?

I say one player can make the difference between two mediocre or subpar teams...but this is a game between two of the top squads in the state. Players are expected to step up when called upon.

Chris Wooden.

CPA is hot.

A thought that just popped in my head...BHS would be well advised to go to McCurdy (spell?) this week. There is no way that Welch will be able to avoid a rush that Franklin's D will bring. Too much speed versus not enouch footwork equals alot of sacks and punishment. I suppose that's if they put it in the air much.

Gotta be Franklin and Brentwood.

When Solima was pressured in the Centennial game, he did an excellent job escaping or getting rid of the ball. There are two specific plays that sting in my mind where he should've been dropped for a big loss but mananged to wriggle out or side step the rush and make something happen.

Well now that the big game is over, its time to return to my usual self.....the one that admires and respects the Franklin High program and pulls for them every week but one. Despite that small bias, its easy in my eyes. Franklin is the best team I've seen this year. Probably the fastest team I've seen in 6-8 years. Not just on the skill positions, but everywhere. The lineman run well, getting downfield on offense and in the backfield on defense. The defense flies to the ball, with great speed and aggression. This isn't just track speed either. Its game speed. They close on the ball and cover kicks and pressure passers with great speed and intensity. Its not even really an ability that they have so much as its an attitude. They simply play fast. Solima isn't a god at the QB position. He's not going to leave as the best Rebel QB ever (I'll save that one for Greg Flye). But he's smart and tough, and that's what you love to have in a QB. Dont get me wrong, he's got a nice arm and decent touch and ability. But he's got moxy. He doesn't get rattled and he doesn't make too many bad choices with the ball. Doesn't force things that aren't there, and wont lose any games for you. I like the way he plays. The offensive line is underrated I think. I hadn't heard much about them this year, but they're good. Quiet, but good. They could stand to be a touch more physical,(and it could just be the scheme they run) but are quick and smart. Good hand placement and feet. They have decent size to boot. Well coached also. The backs are as good as they have to be. They are probably viewed as a secondary threat in the gameplan, but must be accounted for because they're fast enough to burn you. Not going to bull up the gut for 30 carries a game from either of these kids, but together, will make an effective combo. And because of their quickness, they have to be accounted for in the passing game as well. I can just see it now...when the clutch play is needed and a game is on the line the D will gang up on Bell and Nichols and Murray...leaving a gorgeous screen pass open to Waters or Hammond. And the recievers...well, I dont need to say anything about these guys. Wow. They're good. Fast, rangy, athleteic, soft hands and smart. And that goes for all three of them. Bell and Nichols have gotten alot of the ink this season, but dont forget that Kevyn Murray was the second leading reciever in the Midstate last year, and can beat you just as quick. They're the spark in a very explosive offensive unit. I think I pretty well described the defense at the top....fast. They fly around and get to the ball and like to hit once they're there. Overshadowed by the offense, but fast improving and very solid. Special teams...........you know. Franklin wins. I dont know by how much or in what manner. But Franklin wins.

gogators2004, I'll go ahead and warn you. That last post made no sense and Chip is far from a moron...as he can probably show you from the grammatical destruction of your post. Reread what he posted...think about it...

Curtis Steele, a sophomore RB/DB from Centennial.

I love the bickering of polls. So and so beat such and such but this and that is ahead of yadda yadda. Makes life on the boards fun. Here's my poll... Brentwood is the undefeated and defending 5A champs. They're easily in first place. Franklin stands with one loss by five points AT Lincoln County, who just may be the best team in the state. They go second. Brentwood Academy has one loss to a tough Christian Brothers squad, but has been mentally weak with fumbling and turnovers, so I put them a notch behind the Rebs. BGA has two losses against state powers and three fairly impressive victories. A nice middle of the road team with Centennial who has three losses to state powers and two nice victories, but via head to head win, the Wildcats get the easy nod. Page basically gets screwed because they are an oustanding team, playing very well early in the year. But they just dont do it against the level of competition that the rest of the county sees every week. Fairview also plays in the lower brackets but has faired will and even stepped up to play 4A Hillwood. Enough to place them ahead of Ravenwood who is struggling to find an identity in one of the toughest 5A regions in the state.

I doubt CHS will be throwing it much. Some play action here and there and enough to keep the secondary honest, but no airing it out. I'd guess at 15 passes, tops.

To faninthestand and BigDogDaddy..... I wasn't really comparing their line to Lincoln County's, since I haven't seen Lincoln County's. I dont think for a second that we're any better because I haven't seen them. I have no doubt that the Falcon line is tough which is why I was saying its too early to tell. But on that same note, the Cougar line has been tough. They're well coached and I sure hope they give the same effort in the Battle of Franklin that they have so far this year. They're the meal ticket for a win. Also, my post earlier wasn't to discredit the backs. They run hard and make plays, but the core of any great running team is the line.