possum

I know Whitwell will be better. All I am going to say about that.

All I can say is that I am so proud of the Tigers, coaches, players, and administration. This has been a work in progress for the community. If people have a problem with the program step up and do something about it or shut up. Remember the old saying say something good or nothing at all. the facilities are as good as I have ever seen them. The pride is back and that should make the school year run much better if you can enter the mind of a 15 or 16 year old kid. I remember being laughed at by players, students, and teachers when I went to Whitwell and said we will be good again. Graduation rate was less than 50%. Whitwell had the longest loosing streak in the state. We worked the piss out of our players 5 days a week and won a region championship the second year with a program changing win over Boyd Bucs. What was amazing to me as the season went on it was like class reunions, people were crawling out of the wood work with many sporting leatherman jackets. Students began coming to school, build and trades repared things that students had vandalized. Kids began to understand what hard work can do for you. They began to believe! Whitwell is on high ground right now. They have left it all on the field. Like Butch Jones told me negativity is like a desease. The cure is to remain positive. let's keep supporting these Tigers,and even though you think you may not be a part of it you are the one throwing an ankor to someone drowning it, or someone throwing a rope to save it. Go Tigers!

Amen.

Never mind found info.

Is Columbia academy a public school?

Getting another dose of Columbia Academy in my opinion should work in Whitwell's favor. The past is just that , the past. Everyone has a chance to change their stars from this point on. I think the coaching staff did a great job preparing for Moore Co. And pretty much controlled the clock and tempo with their ground game. Whitwell has a very good offense for the field conditions tonight. It was awesome that Whitwell was able to host a playoff game but to win was priceless. Not to seem negative or anything, but I was disappointed in the attendance for tonight's game. The kids, coaches, and boosters have worked hard to bring the pride back to the community of Whitwell. I understand the rain and all, but the Whitwell side should have been packed. Go Tigers!

Have faced both Moore Co. And Whitwell.. This game will come down to how healthy their team is and who really wants it the most. I am impressed how both Moore Co. And Whitwell have put the work in during the off season. neither team is loaded with talent , but have worked hard to be where they are at. In my opinion this will be the game to watch in the valley tonight. Go Tigers!

How did the chiefs do last year. Tough time looking for a coach with spring ball here.

The guy is one of the best hs coaches I have ever worked with in my 17 years of coaching. He is young, energetic, and a great student of the game of football.. You guys are lucky to get him. He and I have put in a lot of time together. High character guy.

I think the kids name was Maynard. .

I know another middle school coach in the area that deserves a shot. Sequatchie's middle schools coach has sent three teams to the high school that has either played in or won a SVC Championship. I coached middle school one year and we beat Grundy for the SVC Championship when i coached the middle school there I think in 99. I have coached at high school since then, but I am going to tell you it is not as easy as one might think. Especially winning a championship, having athletes or not. You only have the kids two years, You have to reteach things daddys have taught them. You are dealing with kids that think they are smarter than you. You really are limited to running a few plays if you really want to execute those plays well. If you don't know how to coach fundamentals you are not going to be successful, of course thats at every level. I guess my point is middle school coaches get a bad rap about just being a middle school coach. One more thing, some of the most successful head football coaches I know have played or been offensive line coaches before becoming a head coach. I know the other candidates that applied and I know they would have a good job, but I think this guy given time can do well The only problem at Grundy is how do you define well. Like Whitwell, Sequatchie, and Bledsoe in the surrounding area they have never been world beaters. I could be wrong but did I read that Bryant took the team to playoffs 5 of his 6 years. On paper that does not look to bad. Pretty good resume if you ask me.

I have to disagree with you about Evans. I coached against him. His team improved year to year at Marion and had been given a chance to coach his third year he would have done as well as the next guy. The assistant principal who was one of his assistants, fired Jason and put on a joke of a coaching search and named himself head coach. He had the one good year with the kids Jason developed. Which would have been Jason"s third year. Had he been hired for the third year he would still be the head Coach and Marion would have not went through the problems they have had since he left. In my opinion I think the assistant principal knew they were going to have a great team, and if Jason came back for another year he would be hard to get rid of. Just my opinion. Look back on it and see if the wheels did not fall off after that guys first year.

Barger would be a good solid hire.

Tim Taylor, or Jason Evans would be my choice for what it is worth. I would apply, but I am under contract in Florida until June. Either way that would be a good staff if you got both. Jason is a good coach, it is wrong how he was done at Marion. Tim is a good solid guy as well. I think with either of those hires you could build a program.

I have not seen any info on where to apply for the job in Grundy.

Bill will you email me please. Coachpossum@yahoo.com I need to call in a favor, nonfootball related.

You are a man with great insight. I see this was like your fourth post. One of the coaches you mentioned should have left a long time ago. He has had plenty of opportunities to go elsewhere, but has chose to be dedicated to the program. Maybe this will be his wake up call.

Has the MC principal been replaced or quit. I thought he was a good principal. What happened?

I coached at Brainerd for four years, in Florida now with nice weather, but I sure miss my kids I taught at Brainerd. I am seriously thinking about going back if I can. When I was there a couple of years ago we were playing 4A with 2A numbers. When we played Giles county in the second round of the playoffs we only had 21 kids dressed out. I had a great time running the option there with the speed we had. I think great things can happen there for the program now that they are in 2A. Brainerd gets a bad rep for lack of discipline, and there are some bad kids there, but there are some really good ones there too. Anyway I am excited for them.

Brainerd will be tough.

Thanks, and trust me if I can make it happen I will. Wrestling helps kids get in control of their bodies, and gain confidence. Awsome sport for football players if they do not drop muscle weight.

I can remember years when Grider would only win a. Few games, but they always managed to beat us. I would be really surprised if this was a forced resignation. South Pitt as rare as they maybe does have their down years. if there is a problem they will need someone to come in and get kids committed to program. I am not going to read 14 pages of post so if I am repeating something someone has said I apologize. South Pittsburg in my opinion is still a top program. The community atmosphere there is second to none.

I think Helton has done a good job at Whitwell. I heard from a source in Chattanooga that he was going to East Ridge next year. Glad to see that is not true. I think Whitwell is going in right direction, however they will be tested next year. Get in weight room and get it done. Not playing Marion County could be best thing you could have done coach. When I was head coach there in 2006. we were 4-0 going into the Marion County game, with wins over Seguatchie, Bledsoe and Grundy. We lost to MC and I should have just took up their stuff. It was like our season was over, and really other than bragging rights that game really did not matter as far as district play., and we ended up going 4-6 and missed the playoffs. Mindset of community at that time, I hope it has changed. At that time they did not know how to handle success. Just reading these boards I can see things seem to have changed. Was by there this week and facilities looked great. Go Tigers!

I don't think it was the assistants or Ken. Look at who they played this year, I am in Florida Coaching now but have been keeping up. didn't' they have several injuries? I don't think Ken went to bed woke up and forgot how to coach. Sequatchie has someone on staff that has been there for 16 years, had lots of success, hardest worker they have ever had there, and on top of that is loved by the community. Why he gets over looked is a mystery to me. I guess grass is always greener on the other side. Anyway good luck to Sequatchie in finding a new coach, despite the few village idiots, they do have a great community and you only have to look no further than their facilities to see the support they have.