breakawayspeed

Nice points on the injuries having their effect on the team. Just a question, but who would these "big shots" be???

To me, winning isn't always about the superstars. Sure, a super star can take you further, but a solid team full of good players that work hard, will win some games for you. I call these good, hard working players solid players. The problem with Portland's Football team is a large amount of solid players, or good players that work hard, aren't there. You could say that their whole starting line-up is solid players and be correct, but more are needed. Every player that is starting at PHS is a solid player, but there aren't enough to finish the fight on game night. From the Portland West Middle School 2011 Sumner County Championship Team, only 3 starters are still playing high school football. Sure, the young man at RB that now plays at Davidson Academy could help PHS, but what about the other 10-15 starters that aren't playing??? You add in those other 10-15 solid championship players and now your solid player level has increased on the sopohmore level. You add in the other good, hard working players from the other classes and now you have those 20-30 extra solid players that help you win some games. Not saying playoff games, or championship games, just games in general, and I think that is what Portland is wanting at this time. So the question is, why do kids quit between 8th, 9th, 10th or whatever grade? Find the true answer to that question and you need to let Coach Aric know. I am positive that the current coaches are good coaches. Sure they have their stregnths and weaknesses, but ALL coaches do. The answer to Portland Football winning some games is to get the solid players on the field by continuing to create an interest in the program and continuing to cultivate a sense of restored pride in the program. I don't blame anyone for the situation we are in, but I do think that everyone in the community needs to do something to help with the resurgence.

Not sure if it has changed but Sumner County had an out of county tuition fee a few years ago. It didn't matter what county you lived in, as long as you could provide transportation and $2,500 you could attend any Sumner County School. Beech had quite a few student/athletes from the Metro area do this. I think Sumner County might have put a stop to this. If you are a Sumner County resident you can go to any school within Sumner County free of charge as long as you provide your own transportation, provided the Director of Schools, the principal at your zoned school and the principal at your desired school all sign off. I think they are cutting down on this as well.

As an outsider looking in, I have no idea if the current staff or previous staff are the right coaches. I know there are some quality coaches on the current staff as evidenced by their success at other programs. However, I do know that Bobby Beasley at Rucker Stewart Middle is a quality coach and an even better man. If he ever has the opportunity to be a coach at GHS the program will benefit. He dresses close to 90 kids at RSMS which is more than any other school in the county. He had 40 something eight graders tbis year alone which was more than some county teams had on their entire team. This shows he has the interest of the kids in the halls and also shows he runs a fair and organized program. If he continues to be the coach at RSMS then GHS will have future success.

Maybe not a top name, but one that should be mentioned is Roger Perry. He has had a great career starting in Westmoreland, then moving to Portland, and now at Mt. Juliet. His Portland Teams were in the State Championship in 1994, 1999, and 2000, winning the Championship in 2000. Not sure of his overall record, but he has been one of the primier mid-state coaches since the early 1990's. A name on this list that I second is John Tucker. His 1995 Humboldt team was one of the best I have seen and the man is 3rd all-time in TN with 332 wins. Check out the top 7 winningest TN coaches as provided by Murphy Fair at http://www.murphyfai...s_coaching.html

Our Middle school is in need of a Offensive and Defensive Line Coach. Teaching position currently available is 6th and 7th grade Math. There is a possibility for 8th grade Science and/or Language Arts. There is a 5% supplement involved. This is in Sumner County. Please email if interested: kyle.lane@sumnerschools.org

I haven't watched R-dale play is years. I was being more philosophical about football in general. If they don't pass block well then maybe the o-line coach is lacking the knowledge. Also, how are they passing, are they using play-action or drop back more? I can agree that you gotta do what best suits your players on a yearly basis. If the kid can throw, then you gotta work that into your scheme. If you got John Riggins as your FB your QB might throw less. Good coaches exploit their own talent by utilizing it.

Most of the time it is the Jimmy's and the Joe's, not the X's and O's. Coaches make a difference though, just not as much as some of them would like to think.

I don't run the offense, but these are the reasons I hate defending it....... 1. It relies on angle blocking which gives smaller lineman the advantage of using leverage, quickness and technique rather than sheer stregnth. 2. Plays are derived in series form so that the defense is forced to honor all gaps at all times. The element of misdirection leaves the backside of the defense at home and gives cut back lanes for runners on the frontside. 3. The passing game becomes legitimate because teams must honor the run in 2-3 different running gaps every play. The secondary can be exploited and lulled to sleep. 4. With the use of the shotgun, a wing-t team can effectively become a 2x2 spread team by bringing their slots in just a few steps. Thus, they can run wing-t running plays and for the occassion when they fall behind they can use a spread passing philosophy to give them a chance to get back in the game. 5. It has become less used, so defenses have to take more time to prepare for it. It is like the option in college football. D1 schools always have a tough time with option based teams because they rarely see that style offense, which makes you stay gap committed.

I say a mixture of a few different o's would be my choice. I like the versatility and evenness the pistol gives an offense. You can take the Spread passing philosophies, Pistol even aspect, and the deception of the Wing-T and meld them into an offensive philosophy that is effective. I personally like to see a team get into Spread sets and run Wing-T plays like speed sweep, trap, buck, g, and counter. The key to a good offense is stealing practice time from the defense. The more you can do in a simplistic manner with your kids then the better opportunity you have to keep defenses on their toes and basic because you've given them too much to gameplan for everything. You just can't get so diverse that your kids don't master any techniques.

This will be the third thread about Portland. Let's try to keep it up for awhile. Is there any news about who Portland's non-district games will be next year? Has anyone heard if there will be any new assistant football coaches at PHS? Will any of the current assistants be let go? I am hoping the Panthers can build on the season ending victory in 2010 and make 2011 a season where we see the team reach it's potential. Hopefully the Panthers will notch 2-3 wins in 2011 and create momentum for 2012. It's a long row to hoe, I just hope Aric and the boys at PHS are ready to sweat. Go Panthers!

I am indifferent on the offense. Having studied it thoroughly, I will say that the beauty of the wing t is in the details. Many teams over the last few years have tweaked it here and there or added this and that and you lose the essence of the offense. A great wing t team must be ready to focus on the smallest details. They run the buck sweep, speed sweep, G, trap, power, counter, double handoff, option and boot. That's it. If a team can get that basic and focus on the details then it can be successful with the offense. It is when coaches start adding this and that to the offense when they lose the detail orientation and the offesnse becomes ineffective. The wing t is like your old rusty pickup truck. You know you aren't winning any races or car shows with it but at the end of the day it gets the job done in it's own way and you love it. Just my 2 cents........

I am going out on a limb here and predicting Portland wins 20 to 17. After Portland wins expect that dang horn to blow for about an hour solid! As far as the coach in Portland goes, does anyone think he is truly gone? Anyone can speculate that an 0-20 coach is done, heck Lombardi himself would be out, but I have heard many people say Sanders was promised a third year. As for me, Sanders is a stand-up guy and I would be happy seeing what he can do in year three. Just my 2 cents. As for BOTH teams, I give the players a huge congrats on working their tails off all year and looking adversity head on. You will be better men having went through what you have. My hat is off to you guys.

Perhaps the good people of Sumner County and District 9 should be rooting for the Panthers to get a win unless it is at the expense of the team they cheer for. If you have watched the panthers play you can see that the players are all heart. Granted, there aren't many play makers, but they give 110%. Isn't that what the game of football is all about? If Portland could grow into something more than a doormat then the rest of the state may believe our district is the best in the state. I would think that adults would wish the panthers well until they play their team (this comment includes supposed panther fans as well). Good luck to all District 9 teams tonight, excluding the Green Wave because they are facing the team I cheer for, GO PANTHERS!!!!!!!

How sad is it that one of the most heated rivalries in the mid state has only a handfull of replies????? White House is far and away the better team, but those who are old enough can remember when Portland owned White House for the better part of the century. I hope Portland can get their head back above water but right now it ain't looking good.