EarlVolFan

Please, there are no 'zones' in Maryville or Alcoa. You live in the city limits and go to that school or not. If you live in either city, you can go to the Blount County school that you are 'zoned' for (Heritage or William Blount) because city residents pay both city and county property taxes. There are three separate school systems, completely independent of each other.

Do you guys STILL not get it? There is no 'open zoning' in Blount County. Unlike Rutherford County, there are THREE SEPARATE school systems in Blount County - Maryville City, Alcoa City, Blount County. For ANY non-resident of the City of Maryville to attend it's public schools, one must pay a substantial tuition (+$2K). That pretty much eliminates most venue shopping athletes unlike the 'magnet' school that Oakland operates.

I guess you missed the sarcasm in my post?

Can the Rebels play with the ‘Big Boys’?!

So, is there a Murfreesboro team that Maryville hasn't beat in the 6A playoffs?

Separated left shoulder. Looking at 4-6 weeks, so maybe back in time for the playoffs.

I was there, too. My son was a captain of the team and a friend of Desmond's..and still is. It happened right in front of where I was sitting. He was tackled by another player and down and as the official blew the whistle an OR player hit him high before he could hit the ground. I can still replay it in my mind 4 years later. I didn't say it was a dirty play. It was unnecessary and classless. It not only didn't intimidate the team, it motivated them to a 35-14 win.

Not disputed? LOL! Name the years...making the same vague claim over and over doesn't make it true.

That would be the hits your players seemed to be coached to execute when the play is over, or "playing through the whistle" as you like to call it. Classy, especially for a scrimmage game. That kind of play ended the football career of Desmond Horne in 2010, who would have likely earned a scholarship at a small football school. He courageously came back at the end of that season and was never the same player again...

So when are you talking about, troll? I don't remember Maryville playing 'down a class', just playing in the class that their enrollment qualified them for - AA when there were 3 classifications, 4A when their was 5 classifications, and most recently as one of the smallest 6A schools in the 6 classification system, which by the way, they have played in the state championship game of every year that 6A has existed. The only single A school that I can remember them playing was Alcoa in the 3 classification days. Has OR ever played Alcoa? I would bet they would beat you as a 3A team now.

As pointed out by another poster on Volquest...There were actually 5 off sides called during Blackmans first two series....two were jumps and three was your left guard lining up with his head over the ball....and the flags were thrown before the snap. The block in the back was obvious and right in front of the ref. Maybe you should be complaining about the discipline....or lack of it. Credit to your coaching staff....they righted the ship in the second quarter. Refs had nothing to do with the outcome. Maryville outplayed and out executed Blackman from the 2nd quarter until the end of the game. Go watch the film then get back to us...ok? Also, there was an obvious motion by your tailback on your 2nd score that wasn't called, inside the 5. It was a big no-call.. We assumed the white hat was giving you a break.

Good story in the Maryville paper by John Brice of VolQuest.com about the 'fight song' play that drove the final nail in Blackman's coffin... http://www.thedailytimes.com/Sports_News/story/Rebels-use-Fight-Song-to-get-back-to-state-title-game-id-043766 Quarles apparently picked this play up from Gus Malzahn....

Looks like Jesse Smithey was spot on in his interview with Tom Kreager of the Murfreesboro DNJ- 5. Can you give a prediction and why? I picked Maryville, 27-15. I really respect what Blackman has done defensively this season. Maryville has only been held to fewer than 30 points once this fall, and I really believe Blackman could be the second team to achieve that. The Blackman linebackers have the Maryville coaches’ attention, as does junior safety Jauan Jennings. But Maryville rarely loses at home, and it hasn’t lost a state semifinal since 2003. The Rebels have played for or won a state championship in every season since, as well as the three seasons before 2003.

I thought Stars 'n' Bars was our Mascot?!

You guys and Lenior City were our closest games this year and you put it on Lenior City last night! Good luck in the playoffs. I hope all of the 6A teams you had to play in the regular season get you a state championship this year!

I know that it is early, but you might want to check the subject line again!

...any other teams whose only regular season loss was to Maryville?

Agreed. Gary has a pleasant, professional voice and a concise, informative, and sometimes funny style. It was refreshing to attend a Maryville game and not cringe at the PA announcer..

Not trying to fan the flames, but, I think it needs to be said, that I have seen the evidence on the tape, and several Cleveland players can be seen pulling off a Maryville players helmet at different times in the game. Once or twice could be explained away as the heat of the battle, but this was some kind of plan...I assume because of the rule where a player whose helmet comes off has to leave the field for a play. I hope no Cleveland coach was involved in this and this was simply a few players acting on their own.

Allow for extra time at Sullivan's. They are S-L-O-W !!!!

Cheddar's is fine if you like large quantities of cheap fried food...you'll have a long wait. On the other end of the spectrum, Foothills Milling Company is fantastic, but you better have a reservation!

I would think 14 State Championships have something to do with our 'Mystique'!

Maryville....George Quarles

In addition to his pronunciation, as a parent of a now graduated player, I think most spectators would consider the most important function of the PA announcer to announce game action, but I have noticed when the game is in hand, he doesn't bother to announce the names of the subs who make plays late in the game...a chance to recognize players that work hard in practice but don't get to start....instead, as he did last year it seemed he laboriously read the same spiel about the 'Star Player of the game' from all of the local schools every quarter! I just think it's time to make a change..nothing personal against Mr. Judkins, but it's just like when Coach Quarles starts one QB over another, we need to do what's best for the program and have a PA announcer whose style and substance befits the best high school football program in the state!

No offense to Mr. Judkins, Mower, but 'iconic' would not be a term I would use to describe his announcing. As far as an icon, I'm old enough to remember when Mayor 'Skeeter' Shields announced the games. He sounded like one of us and injected some humor in his commentary, much like what GovMan does at the WB now. I have actually had comments from parents I know from visiting teams comment negatively about our PA announcer and how out of place it seemed in our program. Roger Murphy has done a great job at other games in the past at the stadium and would be great at the varsity games... Bobby Denton is retiring from anouncing UT football games at Neyland Stadium this year...maybe it's time for a change at Shields Stadium, also.