UncleDave

UncleDave thinks some of you folks have the SP Pirates too high on a pedestal right now. They have the ingredients to have a really good team this year, but injuries have really plagued the team. They won't be at full force for several weeks and you know how missing games can hurt chemistry. The last 4 games of the season are as tough as I can remember SP having ever. 6A Franklin County, 2A Boyd Buchanan, 3A Polk County, and 2A Knox Grace. I know for a fact that 3 of the 4 will be tough games....not sure about FC, but they are 6A. I will be surprised if the Pirates make it thru those games without more injuries on top of what they have now. I will also be surprised if they do better than 2-2 during that stretch. This could be Gordonsville's year to represent the East.

Congratulations on the big win last night for the Signal Mtn Eagles. They really took it to the Pirates on the ground. With all those studs in the backfield, they should have a good rest of the season and make some noise in 4A if they don't make it to the state game again. Really impressed with #3, #32 or #34, and the big fullback. Tough runners that made the Pirates gang tackle to get them down. The Pirate defense took away the pass, so we did not get to see the quarterback throw much. With a two headed monster offense, you just have to pick your poison. Good luck the rest of the season! I am very proud of the Pirates for not quitting when they got down early like some teams would do. They fought back and could have made it a game if not for some key injuries and great defensive play by the Eagles. The key play in the game for me was when Signal scored before halftime. If the Pirates hold them there and score at the beginning of the second half, it would have been another shootout. We just need to learn from this one and get better. Now for this Purple Pansy fellar....I am sure you have only seen one game all year so for you to say the Pirates are weak and out of condition....I say bullcrap!! To back that up, 46-0!!!! You are just hating on a team that has dominated since 2007 and should make a serious run at the 1A gold ball. Yes, they are 1A but are not afraid to play bigger teams even if they get it handed to them. You only get better when you step up and play quality opponents....unlike your little purple team. You just need to shut your pie hole if all you can do is critcize!! Yes we Pirate fans are supporters of our kids and community....Jasper could learn a thing or two about that because the lack of support in that area has doomed the Warrior program for 15 years. You can't always be a winner, but you need to support the kids win or lose.

Troll, you better watch it....Roy and Jimbo road that bus to school and once they figure out what you posted will be ready to rumble come Friday night. I just suggest you stay away from anybody with a lawnmower blade or fudge rounds next week at the game.

I have to agree with Pirate Mike. People that are not part of the SP family don't understand that word period. This Philberry Bungho character is just a hater that will do anything to run down the high school, football program, and the town....and then he has the nerve to talk about Coach Grider being immature? At least he does it in person instead of hiding behind a screen name. The thing about it is that SP put another whipping on the Warriors and for the SP family that is as good as it gets!! 6 in a row baby!!! Chew on that for a year!!!! We just need to ignore this clown and he will go away.

I for one think the Pirates have a chance to win this game. I don't think Signal is as good as they were last year. If you look at last year's game, their quarterback was the difference. We would have pass plays covered and he would scramble and either make a play running or passing. I am just not sold on them no matter how many transfers they have brought in this year. Keys to the game in my opinion...if the Pirates can protect the ball and get some turnovers, they can pull the upset. There are no excuses if players can't participate due to injury or suspension...you have to play with what you have. Signal definitely has more to lose than we do...might be a little embarrassing to get beaten by a 1A school. I for one believe in the Pirates and think they can win.

Great game tonight for the Pirates. They are continuing to get better each week no matter what some of these folks keep saying. Can they get better?? Yes, and they will progressively get better each week. Pillsbury Doughboy is wearing the rose colored glasses as Old Pirate would say....drop off in speed?? I see that in purple in white but not in orange and black. Great game by #1, #6, and #5....and I still think the line play is getting better. Now lets get ready for the big challenge next week.

UncleDave can remember the days when this was a rivalry game.... but where the Warriors got the upper hand most of the time. That was back in the 90s when the Jasper program was fresh off of 3 state championships. Unfortunately for the Warriors, that is ancient history and their program is not at the standard it once was. With that said, the Pirates should have a field day at Baxter Stadium tonight. Pirates - 60 Warriors - 14

I still don't get your point....so one of the smallest schools in 1A should move up to 2A because certain teams don't get a fair shot at a title?? That makes no sense to me. On an average year, SP has around 300 kids in 7-12....so say between 200-250 in 9-12. No, we don't have school zones in Marion Co, but the majority of kids that attend the three high schools live in the town the school is located. There are exceptions where kids move from school to school, but that is very rare. And if they do that, they usually have to sit out a year before they can participate in sports. Just like Ambassador mentioned, SP has down years...but I guess since the Pirates have consistently good teams for several years it looks like they never have down years. Seriously, they should have a good team for at least 2 more years, and then they may drop off. I look at it like this, you have to go with what you have when it comes to football.

Defense is always a strong point for Boyd which does win games. SP just has so many weapons, it is hard to stop them all. Anything can happen between now and then, but if SP continues to improve, they will be a well oiled machine....or train as you say it.

This is a laughable statement! All of the kids that are playing for South Pittsburg minus the big lineman have been in school here since day one....and the big lineman is from South Pittsburg and went to school here thru elementary school. If SP recruited, they would be twice the team they are now. I understand your statement as far as recruiting, but don't put SP in that category.

UncleDave is from So Pittsburg and thinks we have a long ways to go to be as good a team as we were in the playoffs last year. The players are there, we just need to get better as the season progresses. I agree that we have one of the toughest schedules of any 1A team going down the stretch....and that is partly due to most 1A and 2A teams in our area opting not to play us....and beating the tarnation out of them too. Just ask Cascade that several folks are high on how those butt whoppings the last two years felt! Naw, just kidding, but I was only impressed with how hard that team hit...that was their best quality. Playing bigger teams will definitely help us....just hope we don't have too many more injuries. In UncleDave's opinion, if Gordonsville goes west, SP will have a cake walk to the state game....sorry east teams. They were the only team that challenged us all year in 1A in 2010 and I think that will be the case again. Wayne County may be the real deal, but if Gordonsville goes west, they will have to take down the Tigers to make it to Cookeville.

UncleDave says the Bucs will have to prove themselves against the Pirates before I believe they are that good....of course I am not anyone special so it probably don't mean a hill of beans to you. Will it be a defensive battle like 2008 or a beating like 2007?? Who knows....all I have to say about 2009 is that if Terrell had played Boyd probably would not have made the playoff field that year. I am ready for a payback year!!

UncleDave agrees with most of the previous posters....this will not be much of a game. The Pirates have improved each week and Marion will be catching them at a bad time. Vic can pretty much name the score in this one, but I am hoping by mid 3rd quarter that we rest some of our starters. We have a gauntlet stretch of games coming starting with Signal Mtn and will need everyone healed up for the second half of the season.

UncleDave is hopeful for a good game tonight, and being Sequatchie…..I am seeing a better game than the last two. It will be a tall task to stop the Pirate offense which was clicking on all cylinders in the 1st half last week. If the Indians can score on the stingy Pirate defense and somehow slow down the Pirates, they might have a chance of keeping this one close. UncleDave feels this will be a closer game, but that the Pirates are at least 3-4 touchdowns better than the Indians. Prediction: Pirates – 35 Indians - 14

Don't know if you was talking to me or not Seven, but I met you last year at the Signal game along with Sportsman and PowerP...then at the state game with Pirate Mike. If I am not mistaken, you was at the Boyd Buchanan game in 2009 when we played in a flood. Any idea if you or Snowball will be making any of our games this year?

UncleDave says you boys are right....you can't take any team for granted. For those old Pirate fans, you may remember back in 1986 the Pirates were undefeated and the Indians had not won a game when they met at Beene Stadium. Not saying the Pirates were overconfident, but they learned a valuable lesson that night by losing to a Sequatchie team lead by Alan Broom....a previous Pirate assistant coach. I just hope this team lets all this praise go in one ear and out the other. Yes, they are talented but you have to come to work and get better every day. Talent alone will not win a championship.....the 2008 and 2009 teams found that out the hard way.

UncleDave is getting ready to head to the game. Hard for me to believe that the Pirates have dropped off alot or that the yellow jackets have improved that much for this to be a tight game. Probably similar to last week...good 1st quarter and then the Pirates will widen the margin. Prediction: Pirates: 49 Jackets: 14

Roy, UncleDave pulled out an old highlight video from 1999 and relived some memories last night. That was one highly potent offense. I remember the Greenback game that year....the Pirates scored over 60 points on a fairly good Cherokee team. The only bad part about that video is no matter how many times I watch it, it always ends with the loss the TC Jackets!

Well, since I have not commented on the actual thread title…..I guess I better give my two cents worth too. It is really hard to rank/rate all the good runningbacks at SP. I have seen a lot of good ones play in orange & black and here is a list of what I consider the best at SP: Johnny Sisco Carl Lehr Rodney Cummings Patrick Pitts Kevin Mitchell Corey Tipton Eddie Moore Sam Pickett Cody Walker Robert Robinson David Jones Montrell Mitchell Raquis Hale Of course, Jimmy Wigfall and Bo Haden make this elite group…..I just can’t comment on them because I never saw them play. Raquis definitely has a place in SP history and I was really excited for him that he had such a great showing in the state game last year.

I actually saw that game on film. One of the members of the 99 SP team was like my little brother. After watching that film, I was very impressed with how TC pulled that game out. I can’t remember your quarterback’s name that year, but he was one tough son of a gun. I will have to say that the 99 game was one of the best atmospheres for a game I have been in since the SP vs Signal game last year. Two heavyweights going at it until the end. That whole senior class from the 99 team were on a mission after losing in 98. Can’t say I wasn’t nervous, but I had a feeling that we would get the upper hand.

Snowball and Seven....two good guys from Trousdale that I met at the State Game last year. I have been watching Pirate football since the early 80s. I would say that the 85 and 86 runnerup teams would beat all the ones after them. Those teams were loaded with talent and ran the single-wing offense. I would love to see them in something more modern. No doubt Eddie Moore was the best since I have been watching SP. He was dominate in every way....just came up short against a good Trousdale Co team. The feeling after that loss will never go away. Sam was pure speed....probably the fastest guy I have ever seen in high school. I tried to get him to race me a few times....he declined so he would not embarrass an old slow white boy. Fill us in on Vaughn?? I have never heard that story.

Uncle Dave is excited about the start of another Pirate season. Hopefully the 2011 edition will be hungry to defend that 1A title. We have seen in the past where there has been a fall following a state championship. Only time will tell if these boys gel and make a title run again this year. Now to the game at hand.....Uncle Dave thinks Grundy is improved but they will have to play perfect football and get a lot of help from the Pirates to win this game. The Pirates will probably have a few miscues early due to first game jitters, but will hit their stride in the 2nd quarter. Speed will be the difference. Prediction: Pirates 49-14

Uncle Dave says you must have fell and hit your head....then woke up and thought that the Jasper team you see is from 1994 or 1995. They may have young talent, but they won't be much of a challenge for the Pirates this year. I predict at least a 50 point victory for SP. As for Grundy, it should be a good game for the 1st quarter. No, seriously, it should be a good game with the size Grundy has every year, but speed kills and the Pirates are loaded with it again this year. Unless Grider waters down his own field, Pirates should roll!!!

Croz, I am sure the Tigers will have a good team again this year. They are alot like the SP Pirates....they just reload. One thing about those first three games, the team should only get better from those games...win or lose. I am sure we will see ya'll later this year in the playoffs...hopefully in SP. Good luck this season.

Fellas, everyone needs to remember that everything so far has been scrimmages. The Pirates and the teams we have played are working with new faces in several key positions. The Pirate coaching staff has proven for several years now that they can coach up the players....we just need to be patient. The pass defense is always an issue every year....and there is not a team out there that does not deal with it. I am not a bit worried. This bunch will get it together and play Pirate football. Just remember....last year folks did not think we had what it took to make it back to the State. The Polk Co game helped focus the team and it was all downhill after that. Look for another great year for the Pirates. TidePride...quit being a hater. You have to be from either Jasper or Stevenson.