supaballa

I think the surest picks are from West TN, where I believe Peabody is money and then either Huntingdon or Gleason should get the other slot. East TN Single A is down this year I believe, but there are still a handful of teams fighting for spots-I don't think any of them have a chance of going all the way, though. The toughest and most balanced area, once again, is middle TN. A lot of it has to do with the high number of private class A schools in the Nashville area, but a lot of other schools (Wayne Co., Collinwood, Moore Co., Summertown, Clarkrange) have always been consistently strong. From top to close to the bottom of many Mid TN districts, there is not a lot of disparity. I'm saying the state title is Peabody's to lose--If they're playing their best, nobody in class A can hang.

Experience and the ability to play consistently well are key to making it to state. Some of the more highly-touted teams just don't have any experience, and some haven't faced enough stiff competition to prepare them for a grueling tourney schedule.

As for Rockwood, I didn't really use head-to-head matchups as much as looking at a schedule that would prepare for the postseason and looking at the type of team they were, if it may be conducive to tourney time. Hey, none of the teams I picked may make it, but they all have a chance.

It's getting awfully close to tourney time-who does everyone think will make the final eight? Here are my picks-they all have a legit shot, though you may think someone else has a better chance. These definitely aren't the best eight teams in the state, but all you've got to be is top 2 in your section of the state. I think this scenario is possible-I may have one or two that couldn't advance together. PLEASE don't get on here harping about how your team is going to win it all-just tell who you think will be in the Boro. My final 8: Huntingdon Peabody Clarkrange Harriman FRA Ezell-Harding Westmoreland Hancock County

It's getting awfully close to tourney time-who does everyone think will make the final eight? Here are my picks-they all have a legit shot, though you may think someone else has a better chance. These definitely aren't the best eight teams in the state, but all you've got to be is top 2 in your section of the state. I think this scenario is possible-I may have one or two that couldn't advance together. PLEASE don't get on here harping about how your team is going to win it all-just tell who you think will be in the Boro.

It's getting awfully close to tourney time-who does everyone think will make the final eight? Here are my picks-they all have a legit shot, though you may think someone else has a better chance. These definitely aren't the best eight teams in the state, but all you've got to be is top 2 in your section of the state. I think this scenario is possible-I may have one or two that couldn't advance together. PLEASE don't get on here harping about how your team is going to win it all-just tell who you think will be in the Boro. My final 8: Pickett County Chattanooga Christian Harriman Cosby Huntingdon West Carroll Forrest Goodpasture

Oh, the faith you have in your Viqueens! It is very admirable, especially since they let you down time and time again. The much-deeper Raiderettes will squeak this one out. It'll only be a close game because Moore Co. NEVER plays well in Unionville. Gotta get going--we've got to get the horses loaded if we're gonna make it all the way up there before the game tomorrow.

I think that's a pretty good all-district team. The favorites right now would be Cascade and Moore Co., with Huntland a close third. This should be a great dist. tourn., with maybe just two games that aren't nail-biters.

Moore Co. controlled the first game, though they didn't win by much. Cascade has been winning a lot of games lately, and they barely lost to Forrest. It is too late for them to make a run at the top two spots, but they are a team NOBODY would like to see early in the dist. tourn. I'd really like to see Moore Co. win, if not just because it would be great to see an MC/Forrest matchup at the end of the season to decide the dist. champs. They still have to go through Cascade, Community, and Richland though, and won't go anywhere if they start looking ahead. I'll go with Moore Co. with this one because their defense and shooting has started to pick back up recently after a slight lull. MC by 14

This should be a good one in Lynchburg. They played pretty close the first time. Not many people thought at the start of the year that these two teams would be battling for the district lead this late in the season. I think MC has the obvious advantage playing at home, but they played an OT game on Mon. night at Marshall Co. and got beat after leading the whole way. It will be interesting to see how the young girls perform. I don't think fatigue will be a factor since Moore Co. has played so many Fri.-Sat. and Mon.-Tues. back to backs this year. Cowley makes Cascade the best offensive team in the district, but MC plays the best team defense. I'll pick Moore Co. by five.

As for all the people ripping me for mentioning Moore Co., they have a legit shot at state. MC and Forrest could very well be the top two teams in the region, with one of them getting to host a substate game. Sure CPA, FRA, Ezell, G-pasture, DCA and all are a great district, but it only takes a win over one of them in substate to move on. They'll be playing ONE of those teams, not the whole bunch. Also, I agree that Forrest may be overrated, but they are very good. When Jamar decides to get down and play, he is hard for anyone to stop, and he has a very good supporting cast. Just keep tooting your horns, but while you're at it, go ahead and be making up excuses for why you didn't make it to state with such a good team. In substate, it's 0-0 to start the game no matter who you beat during the regular season.

I think you have severely underrated Moore Co. They are traditionally not a strong softball school, but they have a lot of returning talent. They have all of their pitchers back, three infielders and the catcher back, and several girls who saw time in the outfield returning. A few girls who haven't played in a while are coming back this year. All the best bats return also. They may not win the district, but they are a definite top three or four team. They beat some people and gave the top squads fits last season, and they will only be improved this season. Coach Bondurant is doing a terrific job with this program. On another note, I am very excited for 11A softball because of the proposed multiplier rule. If the privates are bumped up out of class A, this district should see a real surge in fastpitch just because they'll know they have a chance to go all the way.

What does everyone think about this game? Cornersville won the first matchup, but Moore Co. has won seven straight dist. games while Cornersville has really been struggling of late. The Lady Bulldogs really need this win to get back in the title race, while a win by the Raiderettes would really put them in a good position in the district. Despite the homecourt advantage, I don't think Cornersville will be able to pull out a win. Moore Co. will roll by 12.

I don't think age has anything to do with it. I've also seen a lot more clock problems than usual this season. I believe that anyone running the clock should have to be certified by the TSSAA before they can do it. The TSSAA should hold some kind of certification classes during the summer for all sports so that these people know what they are doing. It would probably be a mammoth task the first year, but it shouldn't be that bad after the initial wave of certifications. Every school could be required to have a certain number of certified operators for each sport. If money is an issue, we can just allow all the teams to play "Clock Certification Training" games to raise money, just like we're doing now with the Hall of Fame. jk

I'm going to add Moore Co. and Goodpasture from Mid TN. I'd also agree with Pickett, Temple, Gordonsville, and Chat. Christian. I'm not really sure of substate matchups and such to be able to pick the final eight.

I think it might really turn into a defensive game, low scoring. Whichever team is most consistent from the outside shooting to open up their girls in the middle will probably win. This will be a great game-both teams will be in the Boro. I'll pick Shelbyville with the home floor by 10.

So I overshot it just a little.... It really could have ended up that big of a margin, but Huntland fought back hard every time the Raiderettes started to pull away. MC gave them every opportunity to win it, as they missed the front end of three bonus foul shots in the last forty seconds, but Huntland couldn't take advantage. Great job to Rachel Norman and Renata Draine scoring ten apiece off the MC bench and to LaFevers getting ten for Huntland off the bench. Both teams really showed off their depth with some starters struggling. Both teams played hard, played well, but once again the Raiderettes are #1 in the district. Those tough out-of-district games are paying off in crunch time.

They stirred it up a little, but they also helped to settle one thing-with Cascade's loss and Moore Co.'s win over Huntland, MC is now the sole tenant at the #1 spot.

Raiderettes by 14, Raiders by 40

NOMOORE--All those games were close going into the fourth period. The final score doesn't always tell the whole story. As for the head-to-head matchups, they don't really involve the top tier teams in either district, so we'll just see when regions get here.

I really believe it will be two 11A teams in the district finals. Moore Co., Cornersville, Huntland, and Richland are very strong balanced teams, though Moore is the only one with any real big game experience. Cowley at Cascade will be crazy tough for 12A teams to guard who have never played against her, as will Knight from Forrest and Karper from Eagleville. The only thing that is holding back 12A from being a consistently powerful district is the schedules that the teams play. Some of these pitiful little schools some of the teams schedule make for good records, but it doesn't help the team in the long run. I find it amazing that the other teams in the district don't catch on to this as the top tier keep playing tough competition and reeping the rewards from it. Forrest, Richland and Huntland occasionally play some good teams, and Cornersville has just started to with Coach Landers. Sometimes, though, teams think that simply playing a AAA school is a tough game-not so. Moore Co. always plays the toughest schedule by far. People underestimate them this year because they have 11 losses, but their losses were two close ones to Ezell-Harding, two close ones to Upperman, a close one to FRA, a close one to Clarkrange, and losses to Lincoln Co., Coffee Co., and Smyrna, all AAA schools. Other than the last three, all the others have a very legit shot at winning a state title. The Raiderettes may take their lumps, but that is why they always pull out the tough tournament games, because they been there, done that already time and again during the regular season. I think the tournament, depending on pairings, will come down to Cascade, Moore Co., and Cornersville, and I also believe two of those teams will play for the region title. 12A is very down this season from what they have had in the past, and only the team that wins region and hosts substate will really have a shot at state because nobody wants to have to travel to anybody from the Ezell/FRA/DCA/Goodpasture bunch.

I'd say it probably is. Some schools who consistently put out a pair of good teams are Upperman, Moore Co., White Co., Ezell Harding, Perry Co., Oak Ridge, Summertown, Oakland, and Lawrence Co. More recently Cleveland, Riverdale, Shelbyville, and FRA would qualify.

This is a tight dist. race, with four teams tied for first at 5-2. Who do you think will come out on top?

As of Thurs. night, there was Cascade in 1st, then a 4-way tie for 2nd. Skip to Fri. night, and now there is a 4-way tie for 1st, with Cornersville holding on at 2nd. Who is going to rise to the top before all is said and done? Here is how things stand:: Richland, 5-2, lost to Huntland, Cornersville Cascade, 5-2, lost to Moore Co., Richland Huntland, 5-2, lost to Cascade, Cornersville Moore Co., 5-2, lost to Huntland, Cornersville Cornersville, 4-3, lost to Cascade, Community, Eagleville Community, 4-4, lost to Moore Co., Cascade, Richland, Huntland Cornersville has the most wins over the top teams, but they've lost four straight games. Moore Co. has won five straight dist. games after an 0-2 start and still have home games against Huntland, Cascade, and Richland, but they are young. Huntland is talented, but seems to lack a killer instinct to put lesser teams away. Richland has sort of flown under the radar and could take a big step with a home win over Moore Co. Tues. Cascade has the best player in the dist. hands down with Cowley, but when she's off, uh oh. Community has some talent, but have dug themselves a hole. My top six by the end of the year: Moore Co. Cascade Huntland Cornersville Richland Community

The Moore/Forrest game was a great one. Not many single A teams could have beaten either one of them the way they played tonight. They both played as if their seasons depended on it. It was very fitting that it went into overtime. It has been a while since I've seen two high school teams go at it that hard in the regular season, both teams playing very well and so even. I think the Raider bench is what got them the win-Forrest just doesn't go very deep, and Moore Co.'s relentless pressure just wore them out. These two teams are far and away the best in 11A, and I still think they'll play in the dist. and region finals-I can't wait for the reg. season rematch in Lynchburg.