medman

I saw on the TV that the game with Cookeville will go on. Obviously, this will take a back seat to what has happened. I have not heard if the school will be in session or not on Friday.

Just to let everyone know, there has been a school shooting at Central this morning. At this time, the school is under lockdown. It appears to have been one student shooting another in the cafeteria. The school is going to cancel classes for the rest of the day and possibly on Friday. The status of the game with Cookeville (which is so unimportant at this time) is in doubt. Please be in thought and prayer for the young man shot and for the school in general.

I believe that Central will take this one. The D really played well against Maryville. The Rebs scored 2 td's and a field goal. Having Bridges and W McMillian back in the secondary has really helped. I think SD could find it hard to score in this one. On O, Central has to value the ball more. Way, way, way too many turnovers the last couple of games. I think Wilson could have a nice nite running and recieving the ball. The Cats need to get the ball more to Styles. He is a talent. My guess on the final score: 35-14 Central

Squad--what do you know about White's Creek? Style of play? Personnel? Any tidbits would be good. Good luck to the Cavs the rest of the way. We'll see you next year in Cville.

I think there is some truth to what ZCAR said about local opponents. Central usually plays a team or two from outside this area. Personally, I think that is good, and I wish more teams from here did that. Fulton and Alcoa have also done this recently. I remember a few years ago, Halls and Brentwood had a series. It really gives you a chance to see other programs and ways of doing things. It also gives some media exposure outside of Kville. The Division II schools, or course, have had to do this for years. It does hurt the gate reciepts a bit unless you would get two big state or out of state teams together. The deal up in Ky was a two year arraingement for their bowl game they hold at the beginning of each season. I believe MO West and MO East are in it the next two years. From what I could gather, the invited teams to those games were guaranteed a pretty good chunk of change for playing. As far as this game goes, again, Central should be a big favorite to win.

don't really know much about them. They have had some pretty good teams in the past, but they have not won in a while and haven't scored many points this season. Central should be a big favorite in this one, but that is a long bus ride over to Nashville. Hope they go early and get plenty of time to get loose. Let's hope there are not any injuries. Central will need everyone healthy when they play some team from Blount Co.

In watching that game last nite, I was very impressed with the size of the O lineman that LC has. They are huge!! I think that LC really lacks playmakers on both sides of the ball. In running the spread formation, there has to be the ability to throw the ball. LC has no threat in that area. After the 1st couple of series by LC, Central just stacked the line and dared them to throw. On defense, it seemed like everytime a Central runner cut back and ran against the grain, the LC defenders could not adjust. The LC backers and dbacks are not the biggest kids and often the Central runners just ran thru the tackles. I guess that is a positioning and technique problem. On the Central side, they looked good, but it was also hard to get a gauge on them because LC was not much competition. They still had 4 or 5 major penalties (mostly holding) that they need to fix. Central only threw 8-10 times and they did OK. 1 TD pass. They didn't really have to throw last nite. Wilson looked good and there were no injuries. They should get Howard back next week. They are about as healthy as they can be right now. Good luck to LC the rest of the way. Keep your heads up.

Jacksonville State in AL is recruiting McMillian. I am hearing that Wilson won't play again this Friday. This kid seems to get nothing but tough breaks. When healthy, he is as good as any back in E TN. In the meantime, the sophs Mills and Troutman are getting a lot of valuable experience. Joel really likes these kids. It will only make Central better down the road.

from an outsiders perspective, I think West will take this game due to their offense. West is not the best defensive team in the region, and I think Halls will get some points on them, somewhere around 24-28 points. I just think the speed West has in the backfield and the passing game they have will be too much for Halls. I can see West with 42 points in this one. The best chance for Halls is if they can have some long, time consuming drives to limit the number of times West gets the ball. If West gets up by 14-17 points, and Halls has to open up the offense, I think West will win easily. Good luck to both.

I think Central will take this one rather easily. If Jamie Wilson is over the ankle injury, he could have a huge game. If he is not healed, I still think Central will win this one with their superior athletes. The Cats have had a week off to heal and rest, and they really needed it. I like Central in this one by 28.

This was a big win for the Bobcats. They really needed some positives to happen after the last couple of games. It was that much bigger that they won this one without Jamie Wilson. It is easy to see that sophs Troutman and Mills are going to be good players. The injury bug continues to bite as Releford and Howard both got hurt. Howard will be back, according to Joel, in 2-3 weeks. Releford is out for the year. It was also important for the Cats to get Wyl Mac back. He made a difference in this game. I disagree that these are not playoff caliber teams. This game was huge in terms of region standings. Halls may be less secure at this point, but Powell, while impressive in their wins, has not really played a good team, yet. I don't think either Halls or Central can take anything for granted, though. Both teams can take some positives from this. I thought Waggoner and Kitts were very good last nite. Hughes and Leonard played well. Halls ran some nice wheel route type plays in the 4th quarter. Central's dbacks looked better in this game. When Adam Bridges comes back in a couple of games, they will get that much better. I really hope that Central can get more healthy when they play Powell and West later in the year. Having Wilson at full strength would really give the Cats a lot of playmakers. Good luck to Halls the rest of the way.

I think the game with Sevier Co will be a close, but I look for the Red Devils to win it. It's also my understanding, as Zcar said, that SC is maybe a little down as compared to last year. I believe they lost several playmakers. Halls can't have turnovers with the style of game they play. If Halls can throw some things at them that they did not do in last years game, they have a good chance to come away with a W.

Gotta agree with what everyone has said so far. These are high school kids who play because they want to. These are not college kids getting their education paid for or the pros who are getting paid big bucks. These type of things should be handled in house. If a reporter wants to mention the fact that a certain player did not play in a game and it effected the outcome, I really don't see an issue with that. But they need to handle these things sensitively. A hs kid does not deserve to see his picture splashed in the paper with a big type headline saying he did something bad. Just my two cents.

I think it is interesting when teams from different parts of the state play each other. I don't know how much it means as to what area of the state is better, but these teams do get to see something that maybe they haven't and that only helps them in the playoffs. I feel pretty good about Central's chances in this one. I think it will be a very competitive game. Cookeville will be seeing better athletes than they are probably used to playing against. TB Jamie Wilson is one of the best in E TN. I still think Central will win this one by 14.

4walls--when you are on 640, you will get off at the Broadway exit. This exit has 2 traffic lites. You go thru the 1st one (Old Broadway), to the 2nd lite which is Broadway. You will turn left (north). You will go about a mile. On the right you will see a new bank called Bank East. This is Essary Rd. (there is a lite there). Turn right onto Essary and the school's stadium is on the left about a 1/3 of a mile down. You can't miss it. As far as parking goes, if you get there early, you may be able to park along the street which is a bit closer. If you have to park in the school lot, it can be a bit of a hike. Also remember that there is an hour time difference between Cookeville and Knoxville. Come early, be safe and have fun.

I know that Joslin is a very good coach, but Central's coach, Joel Helton, has been the coach for 20+ years and is one of the most successful and respected coaches in the state. As far as special teams, Central has solid kickers. The return specialists for the Bobcats are outstanding. These teams have never played each other, and really don't have opponents in common, so I think it is hard to say that one has a better coach, special teams, etc. I guess we'll find out Friday nite.

It looks like one of our injured receivers will be back for the game. Our starting safety/WR is still questionable. Given this, I feel better about the game. For you Cavs fans, come early and grab some dinner at Litton's Market. It is just up the street from Central and they have the best burgers and deserts in the Knoxville area. Come early because it is usually packed. Be safe driving.

Zcar-- what a tough break for the Devils. If Julian really was going to open the offense some, I could see him putting Kelly in a 1 back set with the D spread out and really doing some damage with his hard nosed style of running. Hope this young man will be alright.

1st off, Cookeville is a 3 time defending 5A region champ and they are favored to probably win it again this year. Coach Joslin is a very good coach. His teams play a hard, tough style of ball. The QB they have is a pretty good passer and they will throw maybe more than they have in the past. They usually have a big, physical team, but they may have lost some of those kids to graduation. I think Central will surprise them with the speed and aggresive style that the Cats play on D. I would feel more confident if Central had everyone healthy, but it is more important to have those players ready for the region games. If Central can run the ball effectively, I like the Bobcats chances in this one. If they can't, this one will be a nail biter. I think the Cats can win this one by 14. Would like to hear from the Cavs fans on this. Good luck to you guys.

I think the Cats will be fine this year. They do open with 2 big, physical teams in Cookeville and Farragut. Central should have the "athlete" advantage in those games, I just hope the lines can hold up to these teams' lines. The Cats do have some pretty good sized guys on the line this year. Central also needs to not have injuries to key players this year. I am encouraged after hearing about the DB scrimmage. They scrimmage AE tonite. I still think they will finish 2nd in 3-4A.

I was not able to attend last nite. Can anybody that went give a recap of the scoring?

While anyone connected to Central would ever concede a game to Maryville, I think the Red Rebs will be really good this year. Central could have a better year and still have the same record. I think Cookeville will be really good and West will be as well. Those are swing games for the Cats. I like West in this spot. I believe West and Central will be a toss up for the 2nd spot, but since the game is at Ftn City, I'm giving the edge to the Bobcats. Halls makes the playoffs. They may be pretty run oriented early in the season, but as the QB grows into the job, they will improve on O. Their line play should be good. South-Doyle here. They have gotten a little better each year. Could be the start of the comeback of this program. Powell for this spot. Could be a long year for the Panthers who are used to big time success. Clinton. In reading the Clinton thread, it seems like there is a lot of controversies. That's too bad for the kids. I think there is some talent there. Lenior City. What can you say. They are in a tough region and they are not keeping up right now. Ok guys, you can fire away now

Thanks, ruse?. Growing up in Indiana, where bball is king, we started in the 4th grade with fundementals of the game of basketball, but we also learned the basic plays that the HS team was running. We ran those plays all the way thru Jr Hi and by the time we got to HS, the coaches did not have to teach us the plays. We worked on other stuff. I really hope that middle school ball can be brought to football, again. When my son was going thru the Bobcat organization, Central's plays were not taught. If I'm not mistaken, Maryville youth ball does a better job at this, and therefore, those kids are ahead. I, too, think there are some very capable youth coaches out there. I just think it might be a little better if it was school based and there was a team for each grade level. I know that won't happen, but hey, I can dream, can't I?

I understand where you are coming from and there are no hard feelings. I think I know the Bobcats better than you having been involved in the program for a number of years. You can believe what you like, but I can tell you the best players play. Again, if the program was not developing players, how can you explain all the college level players? I have seen Fulton play a couple of times, but I have never been to a Fulton/AE game. I know its a classic. Would love to catch that one in person. Good luck to the Birds this year

Ok--I can't stand it any more. Some of the things that have been said concerning Central's program are outlandish. Let me 1st state that I did not grow up here, so I do not have the anger that seems to fester between the Bobcat and Falcon fans. I always hope that the area teams and players do well. I have been to a couple of Fulton games, and they have a good program. They should be proud. I am not sold that Central has lost more than a couple of players to Fulton. I guess Cobb and Stinson would be two. However, just because a kid plays in the Baby Bobcat youth football does not mean he will absolutely go to Central. It is an open league and kids from anywhere can play. So the statement that Central has lost a bunch of kids is not correct. It can certainly be said that some of the kids that used to transfer to Central from the Fulton and AE areas has slowed. That probably means they are playing for the school they are zoned for. As far as the transfers of Huber, Smith and Cruze to Powell, Cruze's situation was not a football related issue. Huber transfered so that he could be more of a featured player than what he would have been at Central. Lee Smith did not want to transfer. Daryl got upset and took Lee with him to Powell. Look, stuff happens at all schools. None are perfect. Central has been the beneficiary of multiple transfers in in the past. I am sure it will happen again. What will be interesting in the future is how the re-zoning due to Hardin Valley will effect things. As far as kids transfering to West, Catholic, etc, I'd sure like to know who those are, or are you, Footballu, just making it up as you type. Secondly, if a slide is to 7-3 with a very beat up and injured team, I think a lot of programs would love to have that record. Thirdly, the statement that Central does not develop talent is wrong. Coach Helton has been there 20+ years and there is a very long list of players that have recieved offers to play at the next level. Just in the last few years, several D1 players have come from the Bobcats. Probably as many as any other school in the area. Central is a regular stop on the recruiting trail because these colleges know these kids know how to play and are talented. Next, the statement that coaches kids get preferential treatment. I can assure you that the best players play. If that happens to be a coach's son, so be it. A couple of years ago, my son had to fight for his starting position against the nephew of one of the coaches. My son won out. The better player played. It has always been that way. The statement that Central will have a whole new coaching staff in two years must have been pulled out of the air. I hope Coach Helton's health stays good, but if for whatever reason Coach Helton decides to step down, I can almost assure you that Mac will take over that job and there will be good continuity. You might have read that Corey Larkins recently joined the Central staff. He will be very good for a lot of kids there. Some of the statements that Central is in a downward spiral and the future appears bleak are just flame statements. With the re-zoning, I think a number of schools will be in flux in the next couple of years, Central among them. Coach Helton and several members of the staff have been at this successfully for a long time. Things have a way of working out, and I am sure that will be the case here. Footballu, you seem to have a real ax to grind with the Bobcats. Thats fine. I encourage you to keep posting. Discussion is what drives boards like these. But some of your recent statements seem to have been made out of dislike, not fact.