RCfan

This was actually my first trip to Alcoa. Very nice facility with a great fan base and an excellent football team and coaching staff. Very impressed with Alcoa football. Coach Pemberton has put together a really difficult schedule for the next couple of years and he obviously doesn’t back down from playing any team anywhere. I’m all for playing a tougher schedule because it makes your team better and it exposes your week spots in time to make adjustments before it really matters but the Eagles were way over matched and just got beat up Friday night. Hopefully these injuries aren’t to bad but the after effects (physically and mentally) of a beating like that only make this weeks game prep more difficult and things don’t get much easier this week with Elizabethan (defending 4A state champs) waiting for the Eagles. Let me go on record as saying I support Pemberton and think he is a good coach, Just not sure what the benefit of playing Alcoa was except maybe we didn’t have to travel to Kentucky. Also it’s hard to believe out of all the kids on this team the coaches can’t find someone else to play safety besides the starting QB?? Surely that’s not the plan for the entire season?? Martin is an excellent athlete but does the benefit outweigh the risk? The Eagles played hard Friday night and should have a solid and talented football team this season, I just hope they aren’t beat up and down before they get to the games that really matter. Keep your heads up swallow this and move on to the next opponent. Go Eagles!

Diamond Clear Media sometimes streams the Alcoa games but not sure about this week.

Goose was a great player for the Owls and I have no doubt he will make a fine coach for the Hooters as well. Congrats!

Looks Great. GO EAGLES!

Agree

I know it’s not ideal geographically speaking but they should really consider giving Chattanooga a try. Why not? They have played it at most of these other places and apparently Murfreesboro (IMO the best choice) just isn’t interested for whatever reason. Vanderbilt (the 2nd best choice IMO) also doesn’t seem interested and it’s never gonna happen in Knoxville as long as UT has grass. Max Finley Stadium Chattanooga would be a great venue for these games with a seating capacity of just over 20,000.

Hey Willie, I have always tried to keep my politics off this message board because it really doesn’t have a place on here but in response to your FIRST post I have to say I disagree with most everything you said, but that’s OK because we don’t have to all agree on those things to enjoy and talk about high school football. So I might be one of those idiots you are talking about LOL but again that’s OK. I have always respected you and enjoyed your post because you are a wide open kool-Aid drinking Oak Ridge fan who is passionate about your Wild Cats and I would expect you to be just as passionate about your political views as well. Hang in there brother and hopefully 2021 will be better to you than 2020. Good luck and God bless.

https://www.rheaheraldnews.com/sports/article_0eb823f6-4aba-11eb-ab13-c7f04b20ad46.html Actually the kid from Rhea did make the list.....

Congratulations to the Summit Spartans on a convincing victory last night. Very impressive showing by the Spartans. I’m not surprised that Summit won but was surprised how dominate they were right from the beginning. As others have stated Oak Ridge didn’t play their best football last night but Summit showed that it really wouldn’t have mattered. The Wildcats needed their defense to keep them in this game to have a shot at the end but D. Wade put that strategy to bed pretty early. Besides the Wades, I don’t know what all Summit has back next year but they could make some big noise in 6A next year. I hate dogging officials because it is a thankless job, but it was pretty bad last night. I don’t get it. They should use the best of the best officials for these championship games. Congrats to Oak Ridge on a great and memorable season. Every good high school football team ends their season with a loss except for 1 and you guys took it all the way to Cookeville. That’s a lot to build on.

Both these teams are playing their best football of the year. Oak Ridge has been a little up and down on offense but I just don’t think Summit’s defense is as good as West’s or South Doyle’s even with K. Wade at defensive end. Summit is explosive on offense with D.Wade at QB but Oak Ridge has a great defense. The Wildcat D will need to set the tone early with the Summit offense and not let them get into a rhythm. OR has got here playing great defense and think that will the case tonight as well. I believe it’s a tight, low scoring game with the Wildcat offense winning it late, maybe in OT. Go Wildcats! RWR

Gallatin was a really good team that year but they didn’t have near the firepower of that Central team. Oak Ridge and Central were the best 2 teams in the state that year with no disrespect to Gallatin. I was thinking OR shut Gallatin out that game but it may have been 3 points.

Yes sir, that was also a bad call. Should have been ruled incomplete. On the replay it appeared to me the ball hit the ground before either guy maintained possession, as they rolled over Turner pulled It into his chest. Don’t get me wrong- Every play counts, this one was around midfield and could have impacted the outcome had Oak Ridge been ruled the INT.

Congrats Oak Ridge! RWR Wow! Great ballgame! And 2 great defensive performances. Momentum is such an important part of high school football and the face mask call was really bad. It would have been interesting to see how things would have played out if the correct call would have been made but I believe Oak Ridge was the best team on the field tonight and would have prevailed in the end. Oak Ridge didn’t have a great offensive game tonight but a lot of that was South Doyle’s defense. Bring back a gold ball Wildcats!

Yes there defense is tough. If the defense can play that well against Oak Ridge I would run that the “wildcat” the whole game and try to keep it close and shorten the game. This game could very well end up a field goal game. SlobberKnocker!!

I finally had the chance to watch both of last weeks quarterfinal games. Wow, this could end up being a low scoring hard hitting defensive slobber knocker. The Oak Ridge defense is very solid but I was also impressed with South Doyle’s defense against Central. I think the difference in this one will be that Oak Ridge has a couple of more weapons on offense than Central had...BUT the Wildcats can’t let (21)Gary get rolling like Central did because he basically took the game over there at the end. Also they will have to keep (7) Sizzler? contained but I think SD caught the Bobcats snoozing on the big pass. I’m expecting a low scoring Oak Ridge win but If I were the Wildcats I wouldn’t want the ball in Gary’s hands late in the fourth quarter with game on the line because he ran harder as the game went on last week. Should be a really good game. pulling for the Wildcats RWR!!!

SS I think you mean 91-92 right? That was the 42-41 overtime classic that sent OR to the championship game. I was at that barnburner and the championship win over Gallitan. 90-91 Central knocked Rhea County out in the quarterfinals and Lincoln knocked out you guys the same week I think. Lincoln went on to beat Central in the semis and win the state that year. That Lincoln team had the biggest O line I have ever seen in highs school.

Congrats Oak Ridge! RWR!!

I believe West Is the most complete 5A team in the East and I think they win this one on their road to Cookeville. That being said I’m pulling for Oak Ridge and the upset! GO WILDCATS! RWR!

Congrats Wildcats on a great win. Good luck the rest of this season and safe travels back to OR.

Eagles still stuck in a funk, can’t get the running game going or hang on to the football. Defense playing good let’s hope they can keep it up and the offense gets on track.

Since SS posted one from the past I think I will to. I much prefer the outcome of this one as opposed to the 96 game ....

Yeah, I was at that beatdown and remember it well. That team was loaded with Bohanon, Gipson and Mcaddley and that was Gaddis’s first tenure with the Wildcats I think. Look at that crowd. People just aren’t into high school ball like they used to be. I know this year is an anomaly but it’s hard to get a crowd like that in a normal year these days.

Coming your way pal!

LOL I don’t think this “expert” was anybody who has seen Rhea Co play - especially here lately. Sounds to me like somebody is “juicing” this game and trying to give the Wildcats some bulletin board material to get their whiskers wrinkled. The Eagles have enough to worry about with OR without all that.

Exactly! Also got to eliminate all the penalties - especially the offense. I know that’s part of having a young team but these guys are 11 games in and they got to clean that stuff up.