tradertwo

Maybe next season? We tried to schedule y'all this season, and Brandon wanted to move the tentative date set to a week that we already had a commitment from another team. I hate that we have ties with the coaches, that I know some A'ville folks, both travel well, the old 15A competitiveness was there between us, and we couldn't get the game done. The food...you know how us country folks love to eat! Hospitality is something that we take pride in here, and though our facilities are a "work in progress", we try to go all-out to welcome visitors. Good luck to the 'Cards this season, fine football team your son is a part of, and a good shot at that elusive gold ball.

They'll probably get more performances like that from him, but after seeing the game in person, I'd agree that he would have been a great choice.

Good job Bobcats...y'all should surprise some people before the season's end. How is the young man who was hurt?..heard that he was ok, but would like an update. 31 should be one of the best backs around before he's done, he's a beast already.

I'm still around...been having fits with my server, and working nights. Tried posting a few times and got kicked off the web (hopefully fixed). The Lions graduated two huge linemen, and a 'couple of subs, and are missing them. Got to get bodies in the holes up front to get better. The McNairy game wasn't bad...single wing gave the kids problems early, they haven't saw it and McNairy ran it well, even pulled the guard and ran through the hole he left a few times when the linebacker bit. Coaches made the adjustments and we erased a 21 point deficit (missed the extra point) to trail by one late. After the Bobcats scored to lead by eight we sold out to score and gave up two pick's that scored easy points at the end to make the score look bad. Hodge has MC on the way up, and the soph. RB will be well known before he is gone...they will surprise some folks this season. I'm worried about Wayne County, our weak spot on D is where their bread and butter is, and our offense plays into their strength on defense, but we're gonna show up playing to win. Losing our tailback hurts our chances too, he got the tough yards last season when we needed them and although we have some promise to replace him, nobody has proven that they will hit the hole hard and get that extra foot or two that so often makes the difference. Good luck to the 'Cats, hope that we can finish the game without injuries (had a scary one last night for a while, but heard that the McNairy kid was OK), and that we can give y'all a fight.

+1

Me too. I was just going to leave it at "Me too", but gol lee...does nobody have a spine anymore...or care for tradition...or are just stubborn enough not to be told what they need to do by someone with no spine or pride? The "change" (if there has been one) was not made by the school board, they were not even aware of it...can't see D.L. (principal) initiating a change either. Sad.

Update...they're still the Rebels, but have a bulldog suit and maroon n grey can coolers that say "bulldogs"...now I'm confused. Said that the mascot suit was a deal, and the can coolers just followed.

Ain't been the same without you here, Butchie...there's another thread about the 'T being boring, and you came to mind first thing. Look forward to more post's, and hope that we cross path's somewhere this year...you get to looking for a game to go to other than the 'Rebs, you've got a standing invite wherever the 'Hill is playing...gate and groceries on me.

The Lions did pretty well Friday...1'st unit only played intact for about three series before backup's started getting rep's, but they looked in better shape and more in sync than Bruceton. The line was the big question mark after losing two huge seniors, but a few younger kids showed some promise to fill the gap's there. The offense in particular looked good...we have a lot of returning skill players who had to learn a new offensive scheme, and they seem to already be running it smoothly. Defense let a couple of plays get around the corner that developed slow enough that it shouldn't have happened, but other than that they were pretty stout up the middle, and pass defense looked great. We're a better team this year than last in my opinion, but have a much tougher schedule...time will tell, but if we stay healthy we should give the favorite's to win the region a fight. The big test will be Huntingdon this Friday...if the younger kids strap it up and hit the 'Stangs back when they get punched in the mouth, we'll be ok.

Can't say for sure, but I don't think so.

Couldn't agree more...in Paris of all places, where the mascot is the Patriot! I was there for work the last 'couple of weeks and the Stars n Bars were everywhere.

If you have an idea that you might know, then you know...could only be one, and that in it's self says that it's a rare thing. After reading my post back, it seems that I condone cursing to make a point...I don't. Both Bob Knight and Dean Smith were great coaches, yet I hold Coach Smith in higher regard because of his character. I guess that the point was that you can't generalize. On one hand cursing isn't a good thing in any situation...on the other, that's just who the man was, and he gave the kids everything that he had in order to make them better.

You being from Lexington probably know (or know of) a certain coach from Henderson and Decatur Countiy's past who cussed like a sailor. He coached for many years at Lexington, Riverside, and Scotts Hill, in multiple sports, and I never met anyone who ever played for him that wouldn't run through a block wall to please him, and whenever he's in public, he is surrounded by former players expressing their affection for him. I don't believe that most people could pull this off, but it was just his personality, and it seems that no one took offense to the language used because he genuinely loved the kids. There's not a "right way" or "wrong way" to coach a sport...I could never cuss a kid and get his respect, because it's just not me, and the kids would resent me for it, but some can (and do) without any negative response. I agree that cussing in general and cussing at a kid are different, and that there are certain words that should never be used, but the kids are the ultimate judge of whether or not a particular coach can cuss without negative results.

Who is "misguided"? You use the term "rep", which is the abbreviated form of representative...meaning to represent those who elected them...of which almost all favor the split. The threat of litigation influenced the vote to split, because another private school lawsuit almost bankrupted the association a few years back. This vote wasn't about fairness at all, it was about money (as usual). The argument's used by the "haves" to keep the advantages they currently hold over the "have not's" quickly went from "we just barely can afford travel cost now", separate us and we'll form our own association", and "the public's make more money when they play us", to "place us in a division where we play only other schools like us and we'll file suit" when early leaks from those involved indicated that a complete split would be almost unanimous ...classic.

Great points, and I also have much respect for your point of view. To be honest, the rural/urban split proposed, and the tentative list of classifications and schools within those would benefit "my" school more than a private/public would, but I try and not let that influence my opinion. I suspect that the situations that form our differing opinions vary some from east to west also...out here there are no privates that play above AA (football), and though some of your points apply here as well, some probably do not. The money issue may be a factor with a few families, but by far the largest percentage of kids who are potential difference makers are year round athletes. They play travel ball, take private lessons in multiple sports, attend camps, play league ball, ect...in short there are thousands spent each year by the parents of these kids, and if they thought that $7,500 would place their child on a state contender, most would mortgage their homes if that's what it required. The "home zone" position that a certain number of athletes would be zoned to go to your school, and couldn't go elsewhere...that's contrary to the biggest advantage (in my mind) that the privates have. Scotts Hill has roughly 470'ish to 500 students at any given time over the last 5 or 6 years...the same 30 to 40 kids (male and female combined) can be found in the starting lineup in every sport, encompassing their four years there, which leaves 430 or more every year that play nothing, yet their enrollment affects classification. On the flip side, Friendship Christian's website(while they were in DI) boasted that over 70% of students enrolled participated in athletics...in that year they were champions in football and men's basketball, and were the favorite by many in baseball...also state champs in two women's sports( from memory...my apology if wrong), and that(just the 70%, nevermind that they were state championship caliber) would be impossible for any public school. In all fairness, the open zone public school problem hasn't surfaced in the west (other than Union City being mentioned) , because Madison County(Jackson) has been closed zone until last year, and Jackson is the only multiple school metro area in the west outside Memphis. May become a problem, but it remains to be seen if they can compete with the four private and two magnet schools there to be successful, as Sacred Heart just joined TSSAA, and all the others have won championships in recent years. I'd like to say thank's again for disagreeing in a gracious manner. All your views are based in fact, and for all I know, you may be far more right than myself. You have my respect (that and $4.50 will get you a coffee at Starbucks) for expressing your feelings and viewpoints without anger toward someone who genuinely see's things in a different light.

Now we're getting somewhere. I was lumping them all together, just as if there were no restrictions on anyone. That was done in order to show the need for separation between schools with different opportunities to "attract" athletes, and the opportunity to restrict enrollment in order to stay in a lower classification if they choose. I realize that not all privates strive to win championships through this process, but the fact remains that TSSAA's rules allow this if they choose. No time will ever be better than now to account for all possibilities and implement restrictions, both to counter private and open zone advantages. In my opinion (worthless), the clear line of division should be private/public, with some sort of allowance for the urban open zone public's advantage over rural and closed zone public, and likewise for aid giving private over non aid schools.

Question one ; nothing prevents it, just as nothing does now. TSSAA membership is voluntary for both public and private schools...in fact you have to pay "membership fees". Question two ; nothing prevents this either, in fact being classified closed zone is self imposed by the school system. There are many variances of "closed zone", as the policy is drawn by each system as they see fit.

Fire away...still waiting.

Looks like Booger has been tradin' copy n paste shots with the goons too long...Troll just lobbed a 'couple of serious grenades in Booger's back yard, and all he's got for a response is two stupid pictures? trader just sayin'.....

It seems that you have concluded that I only want a private/public split, which is not the case. The purpose of my post was to illustrate that there are vast differences between the small rural schools who are limited by isolation, and those with opportunities to enroll athletes from a large population. Like I have stated many times...no problem with any particular school, not accusing anyone of anything dishonest...on the contrary, I was just complaining that all schools currently placed in the same classification by TSSAA do not have equal opportunity,and I used DII powerhouse Webb in a hypothetical situation as an example because no rural school with comparable enrollment could ever be expected to compete against them. I am completely with you in thinking that all advantages/disadvantages be addressed, an acceptable solution be implemented, and left alone. No matter the solution there will be some differences, but should be as minimal as possible without "creating" too many divisions or classifications.

I was using a DII school as an example on purpose...to illustrate that there is a very wide range of opportunities to assemble athletes (if that is the intent) between metro public's, urban privates, urban open zone public's, rural open zone public's, and closed zone public's...and that some reasonable restrictions have to be placed upon those with greater opportunity in order for them to compete in the same divisions, or placed in separate ones.

YOU are the reason that there's a coachT to begin with. You're a fan, a dad, and a booster for the program...I have never taken any ill intent from one of your post's, and have not considered any reply to another poster to be anything but gracious in defending your son's team and school. A'ville and Scotts Hill are rivals, but there's a lot of respect from "us" here at the 'Hill for the way your school and fanbase conducts yourselves. In short, keep posting and feel free to yell as loud as you want when we face each other...we'll be yelling back, but we'll still have respect for your son and his team.

The "problem" is the fact that privates don't have the same set of rules to break for recruiting athletes as the public's. A typical open zone system still has set boundaries, and most are isolated from populations large enough to equate to a typical private school's "neighborhood". I'm not advocating for trophy's for everyone...just an equal chance for local kids to compete against teams of similar composition. A public school with surrounding population density enough to compete with Webb (for instance) would be 5 or 6A (and only a few of those), because they accept every student that gets off the bus. I applaud Webb for choosing DII and playing up in class, but they could compete for the 1A gold ball according to enrollment alone. Again...I'm not against Webb or any other private school, but there has to be separation based on boundaries (both physical and regulatory) if any of the small rural schools have a legitimate chance to compete. I hope that the reason the split failed is because there's a better option for everyone out there, and from what has been made public, maybe the rural/urban split addresses the open zoned public schools that are near large population areas' advantages as well as the privates.

Collinwood has tradition, and that coupled with a good coach should have the program back on the rails before long. Sometimes things just go wrong, and I've heard that several unconnected situations aligned against the Trojans all at once, almost destroying the program. When SH scrimmaged them last preseason, I felt sorry for the kids that remained, they were outmanned and small (young)...but admired them for the effort that they gave. Collinwood will be back to respectable before too long.

I'd much rather attend a game in Memphis than some elitist "better than you" private school, and endure a bunch of aloof snobs golf clapping if they happen to notice the game at all. Some of the nicest fans that I've met were from inner city Memphis. I think that he got the implication very clearly the first time...just gave you the benefit of explaining yourself, and you removed any doubt.