ScottShasteen

So let's get this straight WaCoJaCo. You do realize its a COACHES Poll right? You do understand that the COACHES in each classification rank the teams in their classification? The ranking of teams before the season begins is done in every sport, usually by writers who have little idea about teams outside their scope of coverage. In all cases it is done to begin stirring interest in that particular sport and to get people talking about the upcoming season. Murphy has a unique relationship with hundreds of coaches throughout the state, and he spends months compiling the information for his magazine/web site. Those coaches rank the teams when they send in their surveys. The polls are for fun. It's fine to promote yourself on here, but to say the coaches across the state don't know anything about the teams is ridiculous, not to mention the fact you can't get your head around when teams get the same number of votes they TIE.

Come on now Doubleshot, is it really a negative thing to say that Lincoln Co. probably won't win the state??? I appreciate your enthusiasm for your team, but the fact is unless the Falcons are dramatically improved in every facet of the game they are not winning District 8-AAA and they will not win state.

Berry has been at Tullahoma. He ran track for the Wildcats last spring and is certainly in their plans on the gridiron this year.

Not predicting a repeat at all. Although Lawrence Co. has Trent Garland back, one of the top two players in the entire district, they lost a number of quality athletes up front. David Marston has been slowly building a quality program in Lawrenceburg as evidenced by them just missing the playoffs two and three years ago by losing in the season finale. The fact they broke through and had such success last season was no surprise to those of us who consistently watch District 8-AAA. My point is that Columbia will be really strong again and must be the preseason favorite. Lawrence Co. will be good again but I don't know if they are preseason second and I don't expect another big playoff run from them. I stand by the statement that it would be a tremendous accomplishment for Lincoln Co. to finish in the top two in 2010.

Lincoln County would have to be one of the most-improved teams in the entire state to finish second in District 8-AAA in 2010. Not saying they won't, just saying that would be a tremendous feat. This is one of the best 5A districts, as evidenced by Columbia and Lawrence Co. success in playoffs. Both of those teams will be pretty darn good again, and Tullahoma will not likely go 4-6 again.

According to a couple of folks that attended the meeting yesterday, the primary decision to be made is do we want the 'best' 32 teams from each class or does each district need to be represented? In other words, is it about 'the best' or about geographic representation? It appears that will be the first thing the committee must decide.