JPSartre

Hmmm...itsamythsmith, er, factjack takes Rebel fans to task for being idiots? Curious. It seems that Rebel fans know how to spell correctly and at least put together complete sentences. Kudos to that crack (with emphasis on crack, as in, perhaps, crack baby) private education, huh? Reading inane remarks flatulated by such people reminds me why tigers eat their young and why we really REALLY need to push birth control in certain instances. All this posturing is pointless. To be the man, one must beat the man. Right now, McKenzie is the man. Let the kids play and if the Lions win (or come within two touchdowns of the Rebels, actually) good on them. Meantime, bring it, jack (small j in jack, of course, which suggests to me other things may be small, but i'll leave that to other readers' imaginations). I'd send you a map, but with that quailty private edgy-cation, I'm not sure you could read it. Your favorite country is probably Africa, or Delaware. Planning a vacation to that gorgeous Wyoming coastline, jack? Tell me, how far into the negatives DO the ACT and SAT scores go?

this one website isnt just football but covers every sport but they do football very good its calld www.mckenzierebels.com they got pix storys and tv shows on there and its alwasy updated so go check it out they do junior hi to so if u wanna kno anything about the mckenzie rebels this is where u need to go

Wow...the rhetoric is flying as if some pigeons had swallowed a laxative. Camden possesses a very good football team, no doubt, as does McKenzie. A lot of fans seem to think that the Rebels field a uni-dimensional club. Do so at your peril. McKenzie has a stable of record breakers on the pasture and when playing them, you pick your poison. Meanwhile, Camden is believing in itself. It believes it can make the 45 minute drive to McKenzie and win. One can never go by scrimmages. Milan is rebuilding and Union City is seeing a mass exodus of students to Obion Central (thus it's potential standing as a Class A team next year). This game could boil down to one thing: preparation. Camden will certainly be prepared. But it hasn't had to prepare for a marquee game like this in a while (true, the Lions had to focus on a playoff game last year, but being a No. 4-seed, they weren't expected to win). This is being touted as one of the West Tennessee games of the week. McKenzie has had to prepare for several (these seniors have 10 post-season games, two semifinals and three Huntingdon games under their belts) of these types of games. If Camden doesn't respond, then it will endure a long bus ride home. If McKenzie feels it can just phone it in and win, it will endure a long bus ride somewhere in November.

Thanks for the remarks Tank and Jim...Frankly your assessment is correct; editors at newspapers, generally speaking (sprinkled here and there, there are those editors who "get it") are sports retards. Al Dunning, the late sports editor at the Commerical Appeal, once told me: "Sports isn't the most important thing going on at the University of Tennessee, but it's the only thing that will bring 100,000 people to campus each week." Likewise, football isn't the most important thing going on at Red Bank or Milan or Kingston or Covington or Unaka, but it is the only thing that's going to give you hundreds of dollars of free advertising every week (headlines, photos, stories) and the only thing that will bring hundreds to your campus every week. Honestly, Maryville High School may have a Science Olympiad that draws perhaps 75 people. And let's not lose focus, academics is what it's about. But more people are going to be interested in how the Rebels do on Friday night. So one could argue that sports SHOULD be the front section (go to McDonalds or Wendys and look in the paper rack...you'll notice the sports section is always missing; likewise, you aren't reading fashion news when you are taking a squirt at O'Charleys). Unfortunately, many editors -not all, mind you - believe that sports is just "fluff" to be tolerated and that more people are interested in what goes on at the sewer commission. It's unfortunate, but that's the business. If you really want to make an impact, quit buying the paper if you aren't satisfied. If enough of you boycott, you can affect change in coverage.

The typical zietgeist of daily newspaper media is to get the big stuff: NFL, NCAA, MLB, NBA...even if it's Lakers vs. Portland or the Niners at Seattle. Having been in and out media at the daily level for several years, I know the mindset. Generally, there is no competition for local stories, so high schools, local colleges, etc. are placed on the back burner, which is unfortunate, because most of your local readers are inately more interested in the local scene than whether Michelle Kwan can land a triple salchow. Yet we have "seminar" sports editors who ignore their readership and embark on an agenda. I once had an argument with a writer while running the sports section at a daily newspaper over placement of the Super Bowl story...It was the Baltimore-N.Y. Giants game a few years ago (you remember, the lowest rated game in 10 years). That same weekend, there was high school basketball game with post-season implications that drew between 2,000 and 3,000 fans. That was the lead, the girls game was second and a sidebar with extra photo on what it means was the anchor. The Super Bowl was placed on the national page (I indexed my sports section in graduated steps: local, state, regional/national) where it belonged with no pic. The Super Bowl wasn't our story and anyone with ESPN or a computer read all about it anyway. Yet I was chastised for not having it as the lead. The editor actually asked me, "what do you think our readers thought was more important?" I said, "that basketball game." He said, "I disagree, the Super Bowl was more important," to which I said, "not to those 3,000 readers who saw the high school game." Once sports is no longer a red-headed stepchild to be tolerated in the newsroom, your local coverage will pick up. Attitudes just need to change. As for the public, keep the pressure on and quit reading the trash, or the brain trust will continue to advance their mindless agenda.

Grady Andrews and Hugh Owens at Dyersburg are exceptional assistant coaches...ditto Lawrence Hurst at Martin-Westview...Jimmy Pritchard and Eric Swenson at Huntingdon are good ones as well.

McKenzie assistants David Duncan, Randy Thomas and Brad Chappell are no doubt three of the best. Consider: Duncan was a head coach at JCM and Bolivar; Thomas was head coach at McKenzie in the 80s and 90s and Chappell is the son of former McKenzie head coach Richard Chappell. McKenzie may be one of the few, if not the only, 2A school to have three current/former head coaches on staff and the son of another. And believe it or not there is no ego friction on the staff. These guys are top-shelf.

It was with great curiosity to note the prediction of one "jacketpride" that 5-2A will sweep 6-2A. While, in post-season, anything is possible, I think this is hardly probable. In fact, there's a very reasonable chance that of the 16 teams who will be preparing for basketball after this Friday night, four of them will be from 5-2A. Just looking at scores I have concluded that 5-2A is either a very good and even league or very mediocre in its parity. I make no solid predictions and wish all teams well in the playoffs, but I maintain that Regon 6 could master Region 5 this season, after all a 6-2A team has taken on the best of 5-2A and prevailed each of the last two years. Certainly, 5-2A has a lot of vengeance coarsing through its veins, but vengeance without focus is chaos. Line 'em up, kick it off and let the chips fall. If 5-2A sweeps, I'll trumpet it from my rooftop; but if 6-2A gets the better of our pals on the other side of the river, you read it here first.

Very definitely Friday night. Gates open at 5 p.m. Watch your speed getting to the game because of trick or treaters. The Cops will be out in full force writing tickets for those who are speeding.

In Division 1 high school football, there are 80 first-round games (16 opening-round games per division). Let's say average attendance is 1,000 fans. 1,000 X $7 X 80 = $560,000 in revenues for the TSSAA, minus a meager cut to the host schools and for the officials. Once, a 1-9 Chattanooga Notre-Dame made the playoffs and a 7-3 Greenfield team stayed home. So if a 2-8 sacrificial lamb gets slaughtered in Week 1 of the playoffs, who cares as long as the cash rolls in. I wish the competitive integrity of high school football weren't so watered down.

FECES FIELD! I busted a gut laughing over that one. I could almost see someone naming a field that.

Jeez, photojeff, don't flatter yourself that much. Peevyhouse and Heath should be up there on Mt. Rushmore...cleaning it of course...that would be a great photo...beats all those tattoos......

To be sure, Ike was an icon. Even Johnny Majors spoke favorably of him at the spring game last April. I'm glad Heisman Heath took time out to pay tribute. General Neyland was a unique individual and anyone who was able to bask in his aura is indeed special as well. As for photojeff, one of the best shooters around, all I can offer is "50."

Bruceton does play at Gleason Thursday night. But West Carroll fans need to note that its kickoff Thursday night with Halls is 7 PM!!!!!!!! Please make a note of that.

Again, all thiis talk is simply that...talk. Idle banter. Lunatic rantings. Let's be honest, Milan is probably the best team in West Tennessee, on paper, on any given night, etc. etc. McKenzie has little room to talk since it hasn't been to the turf yet (Milan, Union City, Martin and Huntingdon have and that's great for them). But hanging ones hat on the past is a dangerous thing. And since when is it virtuous to lose two straight times in the quarterfinals, as Lewis County has? Like anyone west of the Tennessee River fears them? As for the SUVs...huh? The Chinese have an expression: Fong Pi. Roughly translated, it means "your rectal orifice is where your mouth is." I think you get the idea. This crapola has grown tiresome. Yawn....wake me up when it's kickoff. But before I doze, let me offer this tidbit, followed by a caveat: Huntingdon may very well romp over McKenzie Friday night. If so, I'll be the first to stand and clap for them. But as I've said all year, ignore McKenzie at your peril. If the Rebels win, I'll be interested in the input from all those naysayers then. Pleasant dreams.

Terrance Bell is one of the best running backs you are going to find. McKenzie quarterback Drew Hayes is one to watch. He's a special talent, folks. Someone who is under the radar screen is McKenzie senior linebacker John Craig Howell, who was the top 2A tackler in Tennessee last year. He is an all-stater and a dark horse for Mr. Football.

Ah, the delusional reigny daze. Yawn. What is McKenzie's record over Lewis County the past two years? I forget. And yes, Huntingdon has scheduled those powerhouses like Union City (1-8) and Martin-Westview (1-8). McKenzie acknowledges that Huntingdon will indeed be the toughest challenge of the season. True, McKenzie will have to play the best game it has ever played, perhaps in history, if it hopes to top the Mustangs. That's true of any team. We respect the fact that Huntingdon is perennially good. Now they have a little company atop the flagpole and you don't like it. Suffer. And as for saving money on travel budget, curious to note that Huntingdon hasn't spent a lot of money lately on post-season travel. By the way, how is the Huntingdon basketball jamboree coming along? Should be a big crowd for it. There might not be much else happening around town then. I'm glad that psychobabble is a comfortable parasite on this thread.

I've seen good fields and bad through the years. Dyersburg does a nice job on its field. North Side has in the past. Haywood's track makes it an interesing venue. Camden's Field has improved and Chester Co. has a nice yard. McKenzie has a nice place to play, but the lights are so dim that you need to strike a match to see if they are working. And i submit that any field is treacherous if the rain is torrential. Even if it isn't, like St. Benedict's artificially created quagmire prior to its state playoff game with Lake Co. Funny, it hadn't rained in two weeks, yet the mud was so viscous that you sank ankle deep into it even on the sidelines. I was looking for monster trucks that night. But if you want a field that is postcard material, check out what Rod Sturdivant has done to Joe T. Herndon Field at Bruceton. You could carpet your living room with his field. It's awesome. Even the practice field is incredible. It's as nice as the surface at Shields-Watkins Field in Knoxville, if not better.

Someone mentioned Marshall County? I'm not surprised that those cheating, prevaricating, conniving malcontents have less-than-playable environs.

All this tripe and babble is rather entertaining, if not hysterically funny. People like to throw stones at people on top of the pile. A few thoughts. McKenzie has been the winningest team in West Tennessee over the past four years. It has won 41 of its last 50 games. Yes, McKenzie was "smoked" by Westview in the 2001 semifinals. That wasn't an indication of how bad McKenzie was, rather it was a stark disclosure of how great Westview was that year (three D-1 players, two NFL performers in the last 10 years?). The 12-0 loss at Mitchell was hardly a smoking. True, the Rebels lost, but had chances. Where was Huntindgon? Getting ready for basketball. This is not a slam, but an acknowledgement of fact. Those who point to Dresden's loss to McKenzie or lackluster performance at Martin-Westview need only to know that the Rebels were flat. On balance, McKenzie has a better team than either. But it's not who has the best team, it is who has the best team on a particlar day. Dresden was better that night. Give the Lions credit. Give the Chargers credit for not laying down. As for this Friday night's game, Huntingdon has exceptional talent, enough to defeat Milan if it can score in the shadow of the other goal posts. Terrance Bell is as talented a runner as one will find. Chris Donald is a talent as well. The Mustang line is physical. And the team is loaded with delightful kids. Stopping Huntingdon's speed will be a key. Regarding the Rebels, Drew Hayes is a phenom. His receivers are exceptional as well. Cody Cook is a proven runner. The Rebel line is big, strong and physical. Brad Campbell's motor runs full out all the time, reminiscent of Brian Cox during his Dolphin days. This team is loaded with delightful kids as well. Pressuring McKenzie's passing game will be a key. Let's dispense with all the malediction, the name calling, the flatulent boasting and let the kids do the job on the field. If Huntingdon wins, great; congrats to them. But if McKenzie wins, remember, you heard it here first.

Clarification: Mr. Limbaugh, I offer some apologies for my last post. I read a more recent post and some of your remarks are right on the money. I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree on the rest. You aren't as uninformed as I thought. I stand corrected.

To the uninformed Mr. Limbaugh: The officials aren't paid through parking receipts; rather their take comes from the individual school's treasury, which is funded by gate receipts, after the TSSAA gets its cut. Schools cannot charge parking at TSSAA events, but they may solicit donations. Some schools, Dyer County for example, has a dedicated lot for the Junior ROTC to earn a little extra dinero. Those who chose to park there give a buck or two and that's great. As for concessions, usually those folks are parents of bandmembers or basketball players trying to raise money for their respective groups. In most cases, band has the concessions for football games, at least all the ones I've been to in the last five years or so, so that we don't have to be bludgeoned with candy bar, popcorn, magazine or candle sales. I agree with Mr. Nietzsche, charging for parking at a high school game is simple gouging and is, indeed, a load of guano. This is simple opportunistic redistribution of wealth to exploit a captive crowd. I'm surprised someone who purports to have the last name of "Limbaugh" would would endorse such a socialistic and confiscatory notion. Might I suggest you join your namesake in some kind of rehab?

Cnlreporter, you present apostriori evidence, but McKenzie is slowly purging the Blue and Gold demon from its psyche. The Rebels are now buying into the fact, after 40 years, that McKenzie doesn't have to win this game to have a successful season. I offer last year's performance as empirical data (a second straight semifinal appearance despite a third-place finish in 6-2A). With less emphasis on the Huntingdon mystique, McKenzie will be more relaxed, focused on the game plan and ready for the playoffs, which will be at Rebel Field no matter what happens next Friday night. Consider what happened last year: Huntingdon won the region and promptly lost to Fairview in the first round. McKenzie has nothing to lose. If they tumble to the Mustangs, then it was expected. They are already in the playoffs. Huntingdon has the goblins of last year haunting it and the pressure of beating a formidable McKenzie team pounding on its temple. Huntingdon may well win this game, but only because of talent, speed or breaks, not because of some voodoo or billy goat curse.

I'm not a particular Westview fan, but I am an admirer of Coach Coady. Yes, his Chargers have won some lopsided games, but look at all the D-1 and NFL talent his program has produced. In 2A, is it any wonder that his teams have won rather easily? And let's not forget for a couple of years, Westview was a 3A team and contended in that realm. It reminds me of the 1983 Wimbledon gentlemen's final when John McEnroe played unknown New Zealander Chris Lewis. When asked about the other side of the draw and its lack of winning top seeds, McEnroe said, "I can't help it if the other side of the draw stinks." And so it has been for the Chargers. This year is an anamoly, an aberration and one can bet that the Chargers will be back and bad. Even Milan during the John Tucker years had their crummy seasons. I think Westview's proficiency has more to do with the recent lopsided scoring than does Coady's wont for running it up. I have great respect for the work Coady and staff (especially long-time adjutants Hurst and Scates) have done in keeping Westview a prominent figure in 2A football. I wish him and the Chargers the best, but not until after tonight's game is overwith. I maintain that if McKenzie shows up and expects to win by putting the red and gray on them, it will be a long night. The Chargers will be prepared. Never lose sight of that fact.

I'd be curious to see what Westview fans think. It's a home game for the Chargers and head coach Don Coady has emerged as one of the best and this is only his third losing season (one must qualify that because the Chargers were 5-5 in 1994 and lost in the playoffs making them 5-6). I expect McKenzie will win the game and should do so handily, all things considered. But I also suspect that this will be a tougher game for the Rebels than they think. If they play like Westview is a contender this year, the Rebels will prevail and handily. If McKenzie plays Westview like it is Dyer County, then it will be a long night for the Rebels. I will be very surprised if McKenzie has a real easy time with the Chargers - not because it is overlooking them, but that the Chargers will be prepared. What say you, Westview fans?