NWTennSports

billedbetter and Cinnamon03 should get together and see if they can get a 2-for-1 discount at an English class. Try again when you learn some basics, like spelling and punctuation.

Sportster, I'm beginning to think you are coach Smith's agent. So, how much is your cut??? Just having a little fun with ya. It will be interesting to see who is hired to guide the Rebels.

Don't look at it as coaches "jumping ship." When a program is as successful as Huntingdon's has been under coach Mansfield, it is natural that other schools would come knocking on the door looking to grab some of that magic for themselves. In other words, I don't think the coaches moving on says something bad about Huntingdon. On the contrary, I think it says something good about the Mustang program. When you're good, you are in demand. And, Huntingdon is GOOD. Makes sense that school officials would be lining up on the doorstep of the H'don fieldhouse looking for a few good coaches to run their football programs. Then again, I am not "in the loop" at Huntingdon. MAybe you know something tha I don't Bottom line for Hickman County is that the school is getting a proven winner.

By the way, to all you bashers and haters of Clint Sisco ... You do realize he will be coaching Trenton Peabody in the STATE TOURNAMENT next week, don't you???

And now, ladies and gentlemen, introducing the CO-head coaches of the Obion County Central boys' basketball team .... Paul and Kim Decker ! ! ! ! ! Just kidding. I don't really know who, yet. (But, Kim coaching the boys -- she already coaches a boys' traveling team -- would be interesting, don't you think???)

Wait a minute here. You mean A-E has won 30 games and still hasn't opened eyes??? There's something wrong with that picture. Well, I hope your A-E team gets its respect. .... But, I really don't think that's what they're looking for. .... Seems to me that the "no respect" posts on here are done so for motivational purposes only You know, the "Hey, girls, nobody across the state is respecting you. go out and make'em respect you." ... I've always felt that was a bogus and, frankly, idiotic method of motivation.

OBION COUNTY CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL "Rebels" (This was the schedule I got a QB Club meeting recently) Aug. 26 ..... at Dresden Sept. 2 ...... at Crockett County Sept. 9 ...... vs. GIBSON COUNTY Sept. 16 .... at Dyer County Sept. 23 .... vs. UNION CITY (HC) Sept. 30 .... vs. COVINGTON Oct. 7 ....... at Haywood Oct. 14 ...... at Chester County Oct. 21 ...... vs. DYERSBURG Oct. 28 ...... vs. RIPLEY

I get a big laugh out of all the A-E and E. Tenn. people talking about "gaining respect." .... If you've made the state tournament and still haven't gotten any respect, it's probably because you don't deserve it. .... And, if you need to get your motivation from a fans' message board, then you're already beaten. Good luck, though.

Don't know how good Union City will be, but they have a new coach: David Barker. He's young and energetic, has a fine knowledge of the game and has taken an interest in the community and the program. He's offered his assistance in improving the baseball facilities, which will also play host to a college wooden bat league team in the summer. Those intangibles should be worth a few wins in close games. ... Of course, talent helps. Anyway, getting slightly off-topic, everyone who has a chance should go watch games at all three county facilities this year. Each one has gone through some sort of upgrade, from lights at SF to landscaping at Obion Central to major renovations at UC, the atmosphere at each place will be worth the visit. The baseball ought to be pretty darn good, too.

All those boys banners do get in the way... I bet ya'll wish you still had Whitby! 825579488[/snapback] You should really check your facts before making a statement like that. In the history of OCCHS basketball, which dates back to consolidation in 1960, the Lady Rebel program has far more district titles than the boys' program. ... And, let's see, about Whitby .... Well, Kim Decker took the girls' program to as many state tournaments as Whitby did the boys. ... So, it's all in how you look a things. .... I'll be glad to give you a little history lesson on the two OCCHS programs someday.

All I'm saying is that during the previous coaching administration, OC would have a good regular season record and beat the majority of its rivals except Westview and Gibson County. Go back and look at the record of OC's girls vs. GC and Westview under the previous coach. It was not good at all. ... This year, OC beat both of those teams in the regular season and the postseason and won a district title in the process, which didn't happen under the previous coach. ... So, "getting over the hump" means that OC was finally able to show it truly belonged among the district's "Elite 3". .... What will OC do in the regionals, especially if they have to face either GC or Westview or both, I don't know. But, at least now the girls now that they can play with and beat the other two top teams in the league. That's a huge confidence boost. .... And, since OC couldn't beat those two teams under the previous coach but have found a way to beat them under the current coach, that is why I say Eddie should have been considered the Coach of the Year. I think you took the "getting over the hump" thing the wrong way. Ya know, Fulmer lost five games in a row to Florida before finally beating them in overtime in 1998. Everyone then said that he had finally gotten over the Spurrier hump. ... The phrase simply means that, this year, OC finally showed that it can beat those other two teams. Nothing more, nothing less. It is not to say that the season is over b/c they won district, and it is not to say that winning those games guarantees OC a region title, substate win and state berth. By the way, they don't hang district championship banners at OC. Not enough space on the wall.

Well, not to take anything away from the fine jobs the league's other coaches did, but I would have voted for Eddie Suiter. .... OC's programs have always been good, but the last couple of years before Eddie took over, the Lady Rebels were unable to get over the postseason hump of GC and Westview. This year, they did. Tied for regular season title and won postseason title. ... This team has a great shot at getting out of regionals and making substate, possibly even state. Actually, a three-way tie of Suiter, McMillan and Chandler would have been good. And, was there a post here that stated Dist. 15A had tri-Coaches of the Year??? Three awards??? In a four-team district???? Wonder how that fourth coach feels. By the way: Yes, Angie is attractive.

Well, we've drifted a little off-topic here, so let me lay down some numbers so we can move past "the Harry thing" and get back to bidness .... While at Union City from 1972-73 to 1986-87, Harry Ferguson's postseason career went a little sumpin like this: 1972-73: Dist. 21L runner-up, Reg. 6L first-round loss. (23-2 regular season, 1-2 postseason) 1973-74: lost in Dist. 21L opener (19-6 regular season, 0-1 postseason) 1974-75: Dist. 21L runner-up, Reg. 6L first-round loss (22-3 regular season, 1-2 postseason; ranked No. 7 in Class L going into regional tourn. and lost 60-22 to No. 1-ranked Brownsville) 1975-76: Dist. 14AA 2nd-round loss (to Munford, which UC swept in regular season; 14-9 regular season, 1-1 postseason) 1976-77: Dist. 14AA Opening Round loss to Obion Central (9-11 regular season, 0-1 postseason) 1977-78: Dist. 12AA and Reg. 6AA champs, lost to Giles Co. in substate at Centerville (13-9 regular season, 5-1 postseason) 1978-79: Dist. 12AA champ, Reg. 6AA semifinal loss to Camden (11-9 regular season, 3-1 postseason) 1979-80: Dist. 11AA won opening game over Huntingdon, lost 2OT to Lexington in semi and lost consolation to Westview (11-9 regular season, 1-2 postseason) 1980-81: Dist. 11AA champ, Reg. 6AA champ, beat Giles Co. at home in substate, lost to Humboldt 56-51 in state tourn. (6-1 postseason) 1981-82: Dist. 11AA runner-up, lost Reg. 6AA opener. (UC was 23-2 in regular season and ranked No. 1 in Class AA; lost district finals to Ripley, 72-42, and then lost 60-52 to Chester Co. in regional; 2-2 in postseason ... so, yes, UC had "one of those nights" vs. CC, but there was no excuse for the Ripley debacle) 1982-83: Dist. 11AA 4th-place; lost Reg. 6AA opener (14-6 regular season, 1-3 postseason) 1983-84: Dist. 13AA champ; Reg. 7AA champ; lost to Kirby at home in substate (20-4 regular season and ranked as high as No. 7; 6-1 in postseason; Kirby's Dwight Boyd: 32 points, 11 reb., 6 asst., 4 blk in substate) Alas, my stats are incomplete in Harry's last three years, but I know UC did not get out of district in 1985-86 (8-19 overall and lost to OC in quarters). These numbers are as accurate as I've been able to find and will get a double-check by me sometime in the future. Now, someone was saying something about Clint going to Troy .... ?!?!?

Well, if there is a shortage of applicants for the job (and considering the revolving door that school has had recently with all of its sports programs, except baseball where Buchanan is a fixture, it is certainly a possibility), then OC administrators could do the simple thing and assign a new coach from within the system's ranks. Curt Lee would be the logical choice. I think his style of coaching is more suited or boys anyway. I've never thought it was a good idea for "legendary" coaches to return to the place of their past glory. Catching lightning in a bottle twice is next to impossible.

Anyway, what I'm trying to point out is this: Union City is not one of these fly-by-night programs that popped up out of the clear blue sky this season. The Golden Tornado program has been around, and it has some outstanding tradition. ... Anyone out there who doesn't think UC knows how to "get-r-done" in the postseason just b/c they haven't done so in the last several years is simply fooling himself. ... UC won't sneak up on anyone this year, but the team should not have to be in that position. UC has earned the right to be the hunted, not the hunter.

Hey, speaking of UC historical numbers, here's an interesting one: In 1944-45, UC posted a 3-18 record, it's third losing season in four years. Since that season, UC has had only five seasons with records of below .500 (10-15 in 1962-63, 9-12 in 1976-77, 8-19 in 1985-86, 14-15 in 1993-94 when David Denning filled in for the ailing Marty Sisco, and 9-16 in 1998-99 when Ray Wilson served as the "tweener" between father Marty and son Shane). One of these days, I will double-check the accuracy of the pre-1960s era at UC, which should be relatively easy and a lot of fun but also very time-consuming, but I'm fairly certain the five seasons mentioned above are accurate. Anyway, I'd have to say that its pretty impressive for a high school basketball program to go 60 years with just five losing seasons. By the way, during that same time, UC has advanced to the state tournament 13 times. ... 1958-59 (quarterfinals), 1959-60 (runner-up), 1964-65 (first round), 1966-67 (first round), 1968-69 (first round), 1969-70, (first round), 1971-72 (second round), 1980-81 (first round), 1989-90 (AA champion), 1991-92 (AA champion), 1992-93 (AA semifinals), 1994-95 (AA first round), 1996-97 (AA champion).

I'll have to open up my vault of statistical information (still incomplete but working on it), but I believe this district tournament title is UC's first since its march to the state championship in 1997. Also, with 31 wins, UC's program has now won at least 30 games in a season for the fifth time ever. Others were ** 31-1 .... 1959-60 (State Runner-up) Coach: Ed Phipps ** 32-5 .... 1971-72 (State Tournament 2nd Round) Coach: Fred Gamlin ** 33-4 .... 1991-92 (Class AA State Champion) Coach: Marty Sisco ** 30-6 .... 1996-97 (Class AA State Champion) Coach: Marty Sisco ** 31-2 .... 2004-05 (to be continued ...) Coach: Shane Sisco So, at least history is on UC's side to reach the state tournament. The 1989-90 AA state champion team, by the way, finished 26-9. occhsfanviachatt ... you were right about Haywood ending UC's season each of the last three years. .... hopefully, fourth time will be charm for UC, if the two teams face off again this year.

Well, UC beat Westview by three tonight to win the district title. I think the margin could have been much worse since UC was up by about 20 points in the first half, this after spotting the Chargers the first seven points of the game. ... But, Westview is tough and always gives UC fits. ... So, a top seed going into the regional tournament is a good spot for UC, and they will be back in the same gym where they won the district. Surely, UC is familiar with that gym by now. .... Now, it gets interesting.... thumb

All great points. ... I didn't know about the survey a few years ago. .... I figure that TSSAA would start making big money if it started sanctioning state-like postseason events for TMSAA members. .... Yeah, the talent gaps from middle school to middle school would be a problem to be addressed, which is where classification would come in. Glad to see that people have opinions on this.

I wonder how many of the "No To Band" group on this thread are also Tennessee football fans? ..... So, how about we just stop all of that "running through the T" nonsense that the Tennessee football team does, ok?? It makes absolutely no sense for sports fans not to embrace their school's marching band program. That adds to the experience of attending an athletic event.

This is a sports site??? Well then, what's that Open board with its political forum and humor doing on here??? ..... Considering how popular band is at many schools in this state (At Union City High School, about half of the student enrollment is involved in band), there should be a forum here for them too. I would think we coachT members would want to open the doors to more members, not lock them out.

And, before I start getting all the hate-posts from athletes and parents who have been on a TNT state champs or whatever, let me say this: All those people should be proud of their accomplishments. Winning a state title or a bowl game of any kind is a great deed. They should be proud, and city officials should be honored to put up signs at the city limits. Just wanted to clear that up.

A couple of questions for all who follow Middle School and Junior High athletics in Tennessee: 1.) Do you think there will one day be classifications and TMSAA-sanctioned state playoffs/tournaments for middle schools and junior highs? 2.) Do you think that would be a good idea? Personally, I like the idea. I'm not too sure about the classification part of that, unless the state did what it did when it first classified high schools (Large and Small classes), but I think the idea of giving those programs a more level playing field and an ultimate postseason goal would be good. We already have all these local, area and regional tournaments and these unsanctioned (or, at least, unofficial) state tournaments. Might as well do it up right with a big gold football or basketball with TMSAA on it as the big prize. Just something to think about.

I think those are some pretty good polls on your part. Good job on separating the classes. I don't really get into the "all-around" polls that group all classifications into one poll since there is not one all-around state champion. .... I have heard some great things about that West Carroll team, so a top spot is justified. .... A lot will debate the AA poll, but that's only because West Tennessee has so many good AA teams. Mid- and East-State should be happy that we'll be beating each other up in the districts, regionals and sectional. ... I like Union City's chances in AA. They still have not lost to a team from Tennessee, but they will have a tough district and regional tournament. And, UC will certainly need to win the region in order to host the sectional. A trip to Memphis for the sectional round is always tough. Good polls.

Does anyone think that the rumor of Insell applying at MTSU was a ploy to get a pay raise from Shelbyville?? Just a thought. By the way: I think Insell would be good MTSU women's coach. He's already proven that he can recruit.