soggybottomboy

UCHS is the largest school in the district in terms of enrollment. In fact they are very close to 3A classification. Yet each year they load up on class 1A teams like King's Academy, Hancock County, Harriman, Sunbright, Washburn, and although Sequoyah is a 2A team they were only 3-24 on the season. Untill whomever is responsible for the schedule decides to play a more challenging non district schedule the Patriots will continue to have a resonably good overall record ( 17-12 ) but will flounder when they play district foes ( 3-8 ) and flop when they play in the post season ( one and out ) I can understand Washburn, they are close and and it dosen't hurt to play down occasionally, but to travel to places like Sequoyah, Hancock, Sunbright etc. when there are teams that would offer better competition much closer and also ready the Patriots for post season competition seems counterproductive in the longrun.

Why do you think UCHS was the better team without a doubt? They played the Gap three times and lost to them twice. Better talent on the floor does not always equal a better TEAM.

You are right if you are only talking about this years scores. Your comment was, "If i had a million bucks for every game Knox Ridge officials have helped them win in the new gym since it opened I could look at Donald Trump and say you're poor!" The new gym opened in 1997 and if you check back to past scores there are just as many cases of double digit wins by Union at Union and single digit losses on the road......... just like i see it as well. Also the only time Rutledge sees Knox Ridge in district play is at Union, while Union must play every single district road game with Smokey Mountain officials, a decided disadvantage in my opinion. One thing we can agree on however is the level of compent officials is in decline, and the difference in how the game is called from one association to the next is vast.

All schools have fans that are an embarrassment, and Union County is no different. I am sure that Rutledge, and Pigeon Forge are not without them as well. As far as Knox-Ridge officials helping the Patriots out with wins that goes both ways. Be glad that Rutledge is not like Union County. Union County must use Smokey Mountain officials in every district road game, and if i had a million bucks for every game that Smokey Mountain officials have cost the Patriots i could look at Bill Gates and say "You're poor!" As far as the Patriots not making the field after having the tournys in their back yard they can only blame themselves for playing such a soft schedule. Maybe in the future they can schedule a little stronger competition like a Halls, or as they have done in the past Austin-East, and Anderson County, instead of traveling miles to play the likes of Oneida, Thomas Walker Va., Sweetwater etc. You may trade off a few regular season wins, but you will be more tested for post season play.

Haha, I guess it depends on your definition of several. I can't remember Claiborne ever beating Union before last year, maybe they won when they were the Blue Devils, and we were the Red Devils, before my time I guess.

Whatever it takes within reason to keep him. At least as much as coach Liles and the rest of the coaches of regional schools pay.

Agree that moving up would be disastrous, but the problem is that Union County has been such a revolving door for coaches especially football that nobody stays long enough to build the program. The athletes are there, but are walking the halls instesd of participating. Hopefully they will pay Mcbrayer what he is worth and he will stay long enough to build the program. Union County is a growing community and the increase in school enrollment is enevitable.

He has done a good job, and will if left alone by the good ole boyz turn the program around. I disagree with your accessment that the numbers or athletes are not there. With almost 1,000 students Union County is close to being 4A in football and 3A in basketball which gives them both the numbers, and the athletes to be successful in 3A football, and 2A basketball. In fact I believe they are the largest school numbers wise in their region, at least in the basketball region.

Since neither school has been around for very long, there is little history to be had. I do know that both schools are located in the same county. The point is that hate is a thing that has been proven to shorten your lifespan from the stress it places on oneself, and when you make disparaging remarks about another school especially in the same county you live in it is not a slap in their face, but rather has a tendency to make you the poster look bad. I have played many sports against many rivals, and have to say I had a respect for most all, but I did not hate any.

Gapfan06, Although i am not a fan of either school your reference to claiborne as donkeys and donkeyville is a testament to your immaturity and lack of class, and i am sure is an embarassment to the real, and classy gap fans.

OH REALLY?????? HMMMMM!!!! They both stayed home, well at least the offense.

MOST of the people in every community don't care about it unless they have someone playing they know, or there wouldn't be any empty seats at any high school games. In every 10 years Union County will have talent enough to be a 5-5 team at least 5 of those years. Two years the talent is subpar and they will be under .500, and three of those years there is enough talent to be above average to win their district, and to compete with many of the Knox teams in their classification. The talent level is comparable with Rutledge, Gibbs, Carter, and the rest of the teams in their district. The biggest problem is in the administration not putting any emphsis on it. They have made some questonable hires in the past, and when they have had good hires, and they have had some success, they will not pay them and they have moved on to greener pastures. They might not have talent to be championship calibur every year, but there is certainly enough talent to be better than the 2-8 and 3-7 records of the past four years. You don't build a program overnight, especially when you have a revolving door of coaches. Hopefully if coach Macbrayer stays around long enough he will turn the ship.

Dang, Sienfield only one person I know that knows Union County, Gibbs, and Powell sports as well as you do. 60 years? Gibbs and Union County been playing football that long? I agree with most of what you say, but think that the Patriots are turning things around at least in football. Coach Macbrayer did an outstanding job with what he had to work with last year, is very knowledgeable, and a good diciplinarian as well. You must remember our former administration wrecked probably the most talented group of football athletes at Union County in some time with their nepotism hire of the previous football coach. It takes time to rebuild, and I feel if they will leave coach Macbrayer alone he will put the best possible team on the field. Now if they would only pay him after he establishes himself they could build a program, but that has never happened in the past, as you well know. BTW is your daughter playing sports in college?

I think you are both right. Kev is right in that the Patriots missed a ton of FT's down the stretch and Sauceman's FT's would not have mattered if they take care of business. The foul call however should not have been made. There was more contact initiated by the offensive player than the defensive.

I think he was just referring to the district game last year, and not the championships, but I could be mistaken. He is after all the Walter Mitty of Union County. The Patriots still suffer from the same problem they have had for a few years now, a lack of consistent post play to go far in the tourny, but could still suprise if they are shooting well from outside. Coach Jessee has done a good job, but when you must rely so heavily on your outside game it is hard to beat good teams, or win on the road when you have an off night shooting.

I think you are pretty close. After the early showing of Union County I might flip flop G-P and the Patriots. Maybe they will reverse last year's trend which was to start strong and finish poorly, but the lack of a strong post game could hamper them in the close games. They do shoot the ball well and Chuck Grigsby is one of the best in the region. I guess time will tell if coach Jessie is any better at BB than he was at Football, my guess is yes, or at least I hope so.

Thanks to all. Coach McBrayer is the real deal. This team is soooo young and should only get better. I just hope we can hold on to him because good coaches here seem to slip away to greener pastures.

That is why you play the game because anything can happen. The Patriots got stopped by the Roadrunners on fourth down late in the game with a chance to tie the game up and possibly go into overtime. When a team can play good defense you are never out the game. Congrats to the Roadrunners, and the Patriots. Coach McBrayer has done a remarkable job with a very young and inexperienced team that will only get better in the years to come.

This should be a good game. Harriman must be a much improved team from looking at their scores. Although the Patriots are not as physically talented as in past years they are very well coached and are a hard nosed defensive team. They do have some shortcomings offensively but continue to improve as the season goes along. Good luck to both teams.

John is a quality coach and person as well. He has certainly done an outstanding job with the talent he has had to work with. This team is indeed a very young team and one that most observers in Patriot country felt may not win a game, based on the youth and losses from graduation and attrition. He has installed a sense of pride and teamwork that has been lacking in the past, and also has taught fundamental football that if you can play good defense, and win the field position game you are always in the game. Congratulations and good luck the rest of the season.

Another thing that makes the job by coach McBrayer so impressive is not just that they have beaten two teams that they hadn't defeated in years but the fact that in every game except perhaps the 20-6 loss to Sullivan North the Patriots have been in the game until the end with a legitimate chance to win. They have accomplished this with a team that has 36 out of 51 varsity players being either 9th or 10th graders, and one that many thought would not be competitive this year. They are not only competitive, but have an excellent chance to make the playoffs. Have they ever been in the playoffs? I can't remember it if they have.

kingbrian3, you do not need to be an expert in football to see the difference in this team under coach McBrayer. Not to take away from any of the boys playing now but we had so much more talent the last three years it makes me want to PUKE when I think of how good we could have been if we had put our efforts into what it would take to win rather than individual statistics, and postseason accolades. Finally we have someone who can build a solid program here one that can be competitive year in and year out in the region and bring pride to the community. I can only hope that the jealousy and politics involved in the past few years are a thing of the past.