purplengold

The timeouts were used to get freshmen into place as Sequatchie said. Trying to let the starters get to take the knee in the victory formation. Yes it does improve the JV to get playing time. Most of the players on the field were freshmen with a few sophomores. If the situation dictates that they go in then they should be allowed to play with intensity. The QB and all the RBs getting the ball were freshmen. The player that scored the touchdown was a first year player. Congrats to the Indians and Coach Barger.

The coaches you are probably talking about are Fritts (Great Coach from the 90's) and Saunders (another good coach from 04-05). Saunders had a really good staff with the likes of Barger, Landon Pickett, and Tim Taylor. He brought in current staff member Nick Mullins, who relates really well to the kids that need it the most and is a great coach in his own right. BJ Armstrong was also a very good coach who brought in current assistant Daniel Terry. This coach does an excellent job with the line. We have been blessed with good coaches at SC but I think Barger is just one of those guys that can get the most from his players and finds a way to get it done. Barger has brought in one staff member, the DC Mickey Mays. He has impressed everyone in Sequatchie with his bredth of knowledge. One thing Coach Barger has done is get the kids to buy in to his program. I think you will see improvement in Sequatchie Football over the next few years.

TURTLE POWER!!!!!

Elrod is now at Hunters Lane and I think that they will be even tougher than in years past. Elrod has a way of working some magic where ever he is at. I do believe that they are now running the Tony Franklin System which may be a year or two before they start to show any success with that.

No one is saying recruit Tennessee exclusively but when Randall Cobb went to Kentucky I was disappointed. Kid made an impact at UK as a freshman, started three games as wide receiver and four as a QB. Also was the punt returner. I think we better get used to hearing his name, because he sure impressed the heck out of me as a freshman. I don't know the situation on his recruitment but if I were Phil Fulmer I would hope I could land that one considering he lived in K-Town.

I see Possum's point. If there are no kids from Tennessee on the team, I'm not as interested in watching. The years with Eric Westmoreland on the team were the best for me. I never missed a game. Besides I enjoy watching the teams that do more with less anyway. Service academies top my list, Texas Tech and Boise State are also favorites. No one is saying the team should be exclusively Tennessee players but the state should be represented with more than a player or two, because what players from Tennessee bring is heart and that has been missing the last few years. Great story on heart herehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUq_ig5Wlgk&feature=spotlightNot

Just curious Zone, are you'll just doing a lot of Wing-T stuff out of shotgun or are you'll full on spread with zone blocking and 1 back backfield? I personally like the flexibility of the Wing-T to use a lot of formations. Also is Stone still doing the middle school and how you'll looking there?

I believe they were resodding the field.

I do know that Jasper middle is going to be very tough this year. Possibly one of the best eighth grade groups in years.

As a coach in the SVC I have the utmost respect for all the middle school coaches in Rhea County. I think Jerry Cook is one of the best coaches I have ever known, high school or middle school. His teams were always competitive and really pushed other teams to get better. The new coach at SC seems to have picked up right where he left off. /dry.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=" Kinney at Rhea Central also does a good job and his teams are competitive and have a good mix of talent. If these two teams were combined to form a single team, it might look good on paper but I don't know how the execution would pan out. Grundy county forms a team like this but they tend to struggle with issues like getting kids out, getting them to practice, and keeping numbers up. The kids, when playing for the school, get a lot of respect from their peers, they just go straight from their last class to practice, the coach is on staff to work with athletes (in most cases), and with it being promoted as a school team there is a lot of inschool promotion; Pep Rallies, Homecoming, Cheerleaders, etc. Right now I believe RC plays Ocoee middle and Lake Forest middle and are competitive. If they combined numbers they would have a far greater pool of players to pull from than most middle schools and although they would be very tough a lot of middle schools that feed 1a schools might find playing a combined Rhea County less than desirable. Besides if you were going to do this you would want to play larger more competitive schools in my opinion. The benefits of having a sixth, seventh, and eighth grade teams might mean that the kids spend 7 years in a system instead of 4.Kids learn to work together. I am not saying that it could not be done but it would have to be a well thought out plan, that adressed a multitude of situations. I have a lot of respect for The middle schools in Rhea County.

What about offense and defense anyone knows what he runs? I know the Osceola Kowboys ran what looks like a hybrid wing-t and an odd defense. If Thacker is the only one helping then how are they going to get more coaches if as was stated earlier they have no teaching positions? Maybe someone at the school with previos experience could help.

I don't know anything about someone burning a car, but even if it did happen that person would be a criminal not a fan. Even the coaches at the best programs have their detractors. Grider does a good job at South Pitt year in and year out. Boeck did more last year than most (except Marion football fans) expected, and may have set the bar very high for the rookies this year. Barger improved Sequatchie tremendously last year. The conditions are right for these programs to stay at the top of their game or improve with time, but I could still find a few that will be negative about the coach at each one. They are quite when they are out numbered by the positive. However, one little sign that things are going bad and here they come. I do believe this group is a small percentage, probably way less than 5% but man can they be vocal when given the opportunity. Until a coach gets in their and is given or takes the time, the situation cannot change. All of the rookies will need time to change things at their respective programs. Some other names I might suggest or have heard. Heard "Chico" from South Pittsburgh, I don't know who he is but have heard some good things about him from folks down that way. Jerry Cooke at Rhea County. This guy is young and a great competitor. Marion had a veteran staff and one of those guys could help turn the program around. I look forward to the day when teams from Chattanooga fear all the Valley teams, because I know this Valley produces the best kids in the world.

Good suggestion. I think if you look at successful programs they have consistency in their program and I think that a veteran coach that was going to be there would at least make the program competitive. I think both of these guys were around during the 2001 season, the last season I was able to follow Whitwell football, and I was very impressed by the turn around they had made from the late 90's. I still remember watching Whitwell stun Boyd Buchanan at their place. Coby has been in several programs and would bring a new perspective. Condra has been around for a long time and a hiatus may have brought a new perspective. There are several coaches in and around the Valley that could impact the program. Who ever is chosen, I have confidence the administration will make the best decision for Whitwell Football. Remember, glass half full. After reading this thread I am sure that several more will be on here attacking this one or that one. What I have always tried to figure out is why anyone would want to be a coach. Obviously, everyone knows more than you do and you could win a state championship and not be worthy of respect. You have to compete with playstations, four-wheelers, hunting and fishing, and of course all the other sports for athletes. The federal and state governments are always breathing down your neck. Your family has to not only do without some of the niceties of life, but your wife and little girl get the honor of sitting in the stands and listening to everyone express their opinion of you. Still it seems that dozens of men line up and try to take on this job for no other reason than they love the game of football. That right there alone is enough to earn my respect. I applaud those fans up and down the valley who support their programs and coaches. My hats off to the men who try to make a difference in their programs, Grider, Boeck, the departing Taylor and the incoming HC (whoever it is), our own Barger, and the two rookies Reel and Bryant. May God bless you. Sorry for the rant, but I am reminded of the reasons I don't visit much.

Check this out Massey's. I personally think Marion may have a few more surprises left up their sleeves. Good luck warriors represent The Valley well.

If the game is going to be week 10 I would prefer not to get beat up and suffer a loss right before playoffs. If the game is week 5 I would like to see us play someone from district 8 1a or 2a to give us a barometer to guage ouselves in preparation for the playoffs. A Dekalb County, Livingston Academy, Gordonsville, or Trousdale would all be good in my opinion. Travel would be tough but I believe you would find out real quick where you stood. Now I know that the above scenario is not realistic just my rathers. I also think we need a home game, preferably week 10. No off week before playoffs.