Cowboys Up

That's more like it!! Way to go Pats!

Oh my goodness...*sigh* Our Patriots seem to be having a real roller coaster season. PageMan, do you think they can get it together for the dist. tourney?

Overzealous coaches should be handled by responsible school admin., not legislation by overzealous TSSAA board members trying to even things out. It is a good life lesson for these kids (and parents) that life isn't fair - things don't ever even out. It's a hard lesson to be sure, but that is life. I can only speak about volleyball having been involved for 7 or 8 years with travel and school ball. Tennessee is WAY behind. Recently, with better travel clubs and very dedicated players, Tn. has gotten better, but there is still a long way to go. I will tell you that my experience at the national tournament for travel teams, college coaches don't seek out Tennessee girls. Very few of our girls have broken into the D-1 category. These new rules, if passed, will hurt the volleyball community very much. I have a son that will play HS baseball next year and I can only surmise by some other knowledgeable posters on this thread that the new rules may harm baseball, too. I'm sorry that you think society has gone to the dogs because my child or someone else's child is driven to succeed in sports so they can have the privilege of playing on a college team or simply to make their HS team better. I don't happen to agree with you on that point.

It is not right to legislate a balance of life. For some, their sport is a vehicle to a higher education. It is not for you or anyone else to say that a student should have the right or not to concentrate on a sport. Some kids are just like that and you can't legistlate that out of them.

Pageman called and asked me to post a schedule change due to the weather: Page will play USN at 3:30 pm. The game after that will be Page vs. Huntland.

Hi PM! I've been keeping up with the boys from Rudderville. So glad their bad streak is over! They started so well this year. Will you post Page's schedule in the upcoming tournament and where they play? Page Middle has a game scheduled for tomorrow and Saturday noon but I'd like to come see the Pats play if possible. I've been busy with the Page middle team so I haven't been able to come see you. We were playing a game right across the street tonight and I thought of you. We beat Heritage Middle 10-2 - a big win for us! I hope your are doing well.

The #2 court was running behind. The first championship teams started warming up while the match on the #2 court was still going on. The #2 court was finished just as the championship was winding down their warm up. I remember thinking - ok now they can switch courts and play on the big one. They just didn't switch it and I was so surprised. They didn't switch it for any of the matches, did they? It's not like they couldn't have switched between the first final and the second. What a let down. So who was the tournament director? Maybe an email to remind him/her what is important in state championships is in order so things will be different this year.

I like your suggestions except for the one that playing at other venues is ok. Year before last, there were teams that didn't get to play at MTSU and that isn't ok. They didn't even feel like they had played at a state championship tournament. That is the thrill for the girls, when they walk into that huge place, seeing the jumbo-tron displaying the names of the teams and having animated "BOOM" or "Spike" in huge letters on it when there is a kill...that is priceless and none of the teams that earned the right to play in this tournament should have to go home without that experience. I don't have a solution, but no team should go home without playing at MTSU. These teams earned the right to be there. Also, I agree that the finals should be played later, but what time do you start? If you start at 5, then the next match may not start till 7. Then the last final will start at 9 pm? That isn't fair to the last division that plays. Remember that after each match they give awards and that takes time. I don't have a solution to this problem either other than to have finals on Saturdays.

I totally agree! It used to be that way - that is what I'm saying. What would make a good ceremony in your opinion?

I know exactly what you mean! I remember that they did start really early. I can tell you that 2003 and before, at least when Page was winning the championships, the ceremonies were really good. We always got to play on the big court, the jumbo-tron was going (it was going the whole tournament) and there was a feeling of "greatness", of importance. Lots of press, lots of fans (cause the matches were a little later), generally much better than the last 2 years. I don't like playing at outside venues, it tends to feel like just another tournament. The "hugeness" of the MTSU venue is what makes the event seem as important as it is. All the problems you mention came about when the state adopted the 3 out of 5 rule. This past year, they didn't even bother with the Jumbo-tron...the girls loved seeing their team name up there in lights! And since the teams are spread out all over, the MTSU venue isn't covered with signs that the teams make for themselves. Anyone that has been to lots of state championships knows that reading all the signs is really fun and sort of a competition between teams. Who can do the best signs? It's another fun thing the girls do together and it adds to the fun and bonding. OK, how to correct these problems... How do you fit 3 championship matches in one evening when they are playing 3 outof 5 games. If you are the last division to play the championship, is it fair to ask that they start at 9:00 pm or after, cause if you have the 2 other divisions go to 5 games, then it really might happen. What is the solution? Then there is the court thing - hopefully last year was an isolated event with the girls not playing on the big court. That wasn't TSSAA, that decision was made by the officials there because they were running so late on one of those courts. And the ceremonies being bad, I guess the only thing to do about that is complain which probably will do no good. Playing on the side court really hurt the ceremonies, I'm sure. I don't know why they aren't as good as in previous years. Winning state is the ultimate goal that every team has, but only one reaches. It should be given the importance that it deserves. What would you like to see in a ceremony?

You are absolutely right, it is a serious shame, but I can't think of a way to rectify this situation except to take more teams to the tournament, maybe like you suggest, take 4 to regional out of each district. East Tn. has many good teams that won't get to the show because of that same thing, especially in A/AA.

Hi clifford20 - what was the outrage last year? Page didn't make it to the show last year so I hadn't heard what happened other than the officials not tearing down the 2nd court and the finals being played on the big court like it should have been. But that wasn't a TSSAA thing, was it? I thought that was the call of the officials that were there. What else happened?

Congratulations to Goodpasture and Ezell-Harding. Two surprise teams coming up! These two teams must be peaking at the right time.

Congratulations, bd4vols!

I'm too bashful!

Anyone have info on the dist. 11 AAA tournament? That's Brentwood, Franklin, Independence, Centennial, etc. I have heard that it's at Centennial, is that correct? Is that next Tues. and Wed. or is it Wed. and Thurs.? What a packed district!!!

Pageman, you're the greatest of all time!!! Thank you~

I didn't go due to an injury, but Page beat Van Buren in a Dist. 11 A/AA match. I don't have the scores of that match and Pageman didn't make the 2 hour trip (one way), either so I have no details. Until tonight, Page was tied with Eagleville for the top of this district, but tonight Spring Hill beat Eagleville. So that leaves Page on top of this district as we go into the district tournament. From a good source, I understand that Janay Yancey played really well for Spring Hill with a good performance from the whole team.

I'd like to congratulate Eagleville on a good win! I'd also like to mention to the Eagleville girls that you are really good volleyball players, so there is no reason to call your opponents nasty names. I would expect better sportsmanship from a team that represents Eagleville High School.

Hey bd4vols! You can say that again! On edit: That is so funny, I did it, too!!!!!!!

Hey bd4vols! You can say that again!

2 seasons ago, Page beat Brentwood in 3 games in pool play in the BIVT at BHS (Perilli's senior year).

Thank you so much for the updates! You and Pageman make an excellent team!!!

Sounds like a good match, but why is the score that way, a 4th game that only went to 15?

That is good, who did they beat and who did they lose to? District-wise.