UnsilentMajority

Well, it's two days until game time. There's a whole lot of turkey and good eatin' between now and Friday night at 7. I sure hope the Back Valley Boys are having a good week of practice. I'm looking forward to seeing how our defense is going to handle Cottrell and the rest of the West speed. It sure sounds like nobody besides the Rhea faitful are giving us any chance. Like I said earlier in the thread, I like being the underdog. I think our boys see it as a challenge!

As already mentioned, Rhea's visitor stands are bigger than any other stands I've ever seen for a high school field. Both sides extend from goal line to goal line. They consist of the old school concrete, so they're not too soft to the posterior. However, each level is wide enough to allow you to bring a bag chair to sit in. I've always heard that we could fit 10,000-12,000 and it'd be full, though I've never actually seen it. I've never seen a team travel as well as our Rhea faithful, but it'd be nice to see Eagle Stardium full. I saw earlier this evening that the gates will open at 4:30. That'll give everyone plenty of time to get their seat and pack in for a good game. There will be plenty of RC faithful tailgating before the game. Maybe a few from West will come down early and join in on the fun. I have heard some groups say their tailgate menu this week is pretty vast!

Rhea just keeps on chuggin'. I will admit, it's been nice the past few weeks. We've heard that we couldn't play "Big Boy Football" and we dropped 47 points and sent them home. Tullahoma and Oak Ridge both had signs saying "Tell your girlfriends you'll be free next Friday." Unfortunately for them, it's now basketball season and Rhea rolls on. Being the underdog the past two weeks (Ooltewah and OR) has been nice because no one outside Rhea County has thought we'd win. I'm sure this week will be no different. It's definitely going to be nice to be back at Bill Horton Field one more time. There will likely be countless tailgaters, a full house, and some good football. I just hope our Golden Eagles aren't too full of turkey and get stuffed by West. Now, on to business: somebody from the Knoxville area (preferably a West fan), how bout a scouting report on what you guys do? Who can we look for to make big plays?

Mayfields? I believe you're thinking of Athens across the river in McMinn County.

I assure you, there's nothing in that post that the Oak Ridge coaches can't deduce from the films I'm sure they're watching. My insight was for the Oak Ridge faithful and any Knoxville area fans who know little or nothing about our beloved Green and Gold. All anyone would have to do is see us play a game or two and they'd know we don't do anything too crazy. It's just an overview of what Rhea County Football has looked like this year. Perhaps, kind of like someone used to do for us a couple years back, under the name "RheaCo" (spoiler alert, I'm not him). If the OR fans want to see highlights rather than write-ups, checkout RheaReview.com. Last week's highlight video is now up. http://rheareview.com/eagles-soar-to-quarter-finals-with-win-over-owls/

Rhea ran flat over Ooltewah. Period. Did Ooltewah's QB have an off game? Yes. Rhea is essentially one dimensional with their old school, smash mouth Wing T. It's like someone else said a few pages back: we have five or so plays and they work. We're not fancy with the reverses, long passes, or anything like that. We just have multiple running backs that can get the job done. York can pound out the short distances with his size, but he can also move a decent pace for his size. Bice has speed and if he gets open field, it's over. Daoust doesn't care. Up the middle or around the end, he would rather run over you than around you. He's not big and he has one fast set of wheels. Two other boys, Smith and Stephenson, fill in when either of the wings (Daoust/Bice) or back (York) need a break. They, too, shouldn't be overlooked. On to Rhea's defense… Yes, we only rushed three linemen most of the night against Ooltewah. This isn't a surprise to anyone who has seen us play all year. It was mighty entertaining to see three linemen still have the skills to pressure a supposed All-World, Big Boy Football QB all night long. Our secondary is the weak link to our team. This, too, is no surprise. Soddy threw on us early in the year. Ooltewah could very well be playing Oak Ridge if they had a decent air attack a couple nights ago. However, our boys still got it done. Botton line: Rhea is nothing flashy. I believe we're back to our 80s way of playing. Wing-T all the way and our defense has kept us in the game all year long. I will say that it's sad to hear about the OR receiver being hurt. I had heard so much good stuff about him. I wish him a speedy recovery. I hear he is even better on the basketball court; so hopefully this injury doesn't hinder him too long on the hardwood.

I think it's a great matchup. Ooltewah's passing game and speed against Rhea's deadly ground game could lead to a battle for time of possession. Ooltewah scored all four touchdowns last night in the air and kicked a FG. If I remember correctly, Rhea scored all of their TDs on the ground with exception of the 4th and 3 TD to the TE while the continuous clock was running. I heard a rumor (may be all it is) that Ooltewah fans were chanting "We want Rhea" towards the end of last night's game with Stone Memorial. Can anyone from the nest verify this?

I've heard from multiple sources that the stadium seating comes at a premium. Is this the case at EH? I know all stadiums can't be like Eagle Stadium, but we tend to travel well compared to other schools. Do we need to bring chairs tonight? Will the EH fans scoot over and let the rest of us sit with them? It seems like almost everywhere we've went this year that we've sat on the visitor's side AND took part of the home bleachers as well. Rhea in a close one. Hopefully it's a clean game and Rhea can continue to cruise towards the playoffs.

I suspect we'll do alright in our district, with the only bump in the road being Cookeville. That's why we play the game though, right? Why isn't there a thread started for Rhea @ Coffee Co?! It's Week 1!

It's a welcomed change talking about playoffs in Week 9 considering the past couple years. Big senior night ahead for Rhea's seniors. I think there will be a huge crowd on both sides, seeing as you have two top ten teams in the state (supposedly, according to a poll). Rhea will have a hard time with speed and hoping we have York as healthy as he can be. EH may have a tough time with the WingT offense, since they may have had trouble with it earlier in the year. I don't think Rhea's passing will be as effective as it has been within our own district. Remember, our old district (Ooltewah, Soddy, Cleveland, Bradley, etc) is a whole different world than Cumberland, Coffee, Warren, Cookeville, etc.

I agree. We usually have more people posting (or at least more names). Some may be choosing to read and not comment. Either way, it's strange. What kind of offense are the Trojans running? Defense? Standouts? I'm hoping the boys are having a good week of practice. Soddy should never be taken lightly, as they've kicked our butts in the past when they shouldn't have. Any update on Mr. York? An earlier post said no break in his fibula. I'm hoping that's correct and he is only out for a week or two.

Another old rivalry of two schools just down the road from one another. The Trojans enter the game after a stern beating from McMinn while Rhea is riding high after a convincing show against Cookeville. Although this isn't a district game, it's a game the old timers like myself can't wait to see because it was once a rivalry that we all remember our battles in the bowl at SDHS. Thoughts? Predictions? It's still early but I'm thinking the clock runs continuous in the second half with Rhea on top... On another note, I sure hope York is alright. Last I heard, he went to the hospital after the game last night. Regardless of whether or not he plays this upcoming week, I hope he is okay. He is a great kid and an excellent ballplayer.

We shot ourselves in the foot one too many times. We jumped out early and tried to put it on cruise control. Once we did that, we couldn't get back in gear, hence the goose egg the second half. We had too many dropped balls and costly penalties. It may just be me, but exactly what was with the illegal procedure call that hammered us 6-8 times during the game? Nobody around my bunch could see what the line judge apparently saw time and time again. I'm not saying the zebras helped beat us because we made costly mistakes. However, they about ripped York's helmet off a couple times right in front of an official and we got a big no call. JMO. Hopefully we'll get a good week of practice this week and be ready to jump back into the district schedule Friday against the Jets.

CBRF, we miss you too. It saddens me that we don't get to play you guys this year. As for WV, I hope we can put together a good first road game. From what I've heard, they seem to run the ball by committee, so they may always have fresh legs. If I remember correctly, the paper yesterday showed that their leading rusher was their QB (don't quote me on that). If they're running a 3 man front, I like our chances with the run game. Speaking of running game, how is York? After seeing him go down last week with an obvious rib injury, is he going to be 100%? I've heard he has a cracked rib, but also heard he will play tomorrow night. I know he is tough and our coaches seem pretty intelligent, but if he has a cracked rib, IMO he needs to rest. Contrary to some belief, there is life other than football and health should be taken into consideration. RC by 14

Word I'm hearing (take it for what it's worth) is that the application period ends on Good Friday (3/22). Then I guess they will start a round of interviews and go from there. Besides the two coaches slated to apply (Coach O and Coach Cook), does anyone have any ideas or info on applicants? On a side note, when is spring practice slated to begin? Hopefully the new Golden Eagle (or not new) coach can be in place in time to place stability for spring practice.

This thread is always fun. I agree with the politics affecting sports other than football in this county. Certain school board members and other members of RC DOE are way too involved in athletics in general. I am a fan of letting the AD and top principal of the school make the decision. That being said, somebody throw out some names of potential candidates for the job. Everyone seems to have good things about Rhea County native Jerry Cook. Walt Cameron's name has came up (maybe in sarcasm, maybe not). Both have Rhea County ties and have since moved on to other schools. The only thing for certain is that interum coach Tommy Mitchell will not be the head coach in the fall. You can bet on that!

It's official. Greene has left Golden Eagle Nation. Let the rumor mill begin to turn. What is everyone's thoughts?! http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/mar/14/doug-greene-steps-down-head-coach-rhea-county-foot/

The regulars were definitely not regular this year, myself included. If only we still had RheaCo's weekly scouting reports to keep us checking the board, maybe people be more talkative on here. Back to my basketball comment, it was a real treat watching Jalen drop 41 against Cleveland Tuesday night. Any win against that school is big news for the Green and Gold faithful. If anyone reads the boards this time of year besides our select few, what's everyone's thoughts on the new district we'll be playing in this year?

Jacob is a very good young man. I'm proud to see him sign with UTC and follow his brother into the program. The Revis boys have been a great influence on Rhea County football over the past handful of years and continue to be an influence on the Rhea County community. Congratulations Jacob!

Well, I'm not very bright... but it could be because it's only February. It's three or four months until SPRING PRACTICE and 6+ months until Week One?! Maybe I'm wrong, but I think most of the Rhea County faithful are still stuck holding onto what's left of our invigorating basketball season. Bud, we've got track, baseball, softball, men's soccer, women's club soccer, men's tennis, women's tennis, and half a semester of grueling intramural sports before it's time to hit the turf for God's favorite sport. You wanted everyone's two cents, right? There's my nickel's worth.

CBRF, you're speaking of RheaCo. He was our guy that had the inside on everything for us since he was in school himself. Because of administration becoming upset, he decided to no longer be as big a part of RCHS football. We all miss his Monday reports and inside knowledge that we got from him every week. Ballcurmudgeon, let bygones be bygones. No, I'm not the same guy. He gave up his name to me after he got fed up with all the stuff that people jumped on him for simply stating his opinion. After all, this is an open forum discussion. We all have some form of differing opinions. His was more extreme in some forms than others. Let it go.

Sadly, we no longer have a Bill Horton coached team. Coach Horton was a great coach; more importantly, he was a great man who taught the boys about more than football. I guess you could say it's both the coaches and players fault. If the coaches quit on the players, the team morale drops. Some of it can be attributed to players' attitudes as well. Let's face it, attitudes from the newer generation of children are much different than that of 20 years ago (or even 10 for that matter). Children, and adults too, tend to find it easier to quit when things get tough just because they know 'it'll be okay... little Johnny will get another try... etc'. I'll get off my philsophical soap box. Sorry about that. Two days til kickoff. Anyone have a RC injury update? Boy, I sure miss Mr. RheaCo. RheaCo, if you're reading this, know you're missed by many, including by more than just the Evensville faithful.

Considering we had a player ejected Friday night and heard a rumor (didn't see firsthand) our illustrious head ball coach either brushed up against or hit an official, we might be at a disadvantage. The days where Bradley and WV were games to fine tune our skills are long gone. From the looks of our beloved Green and Gold, we have become that team everyone else gets to enjoy. Hopefully we can get over all of our injuries and broken pride after Friday night's beating, gather our composure, and come to the Bear Cave and scrap out a good game. Not saying we will win, but it'd sure be nice. After seeing the Evensville boys play all year, if BC jumps on us early and often, they mine as well put in the freshman squad because our boys/coaches will lay down. Call me negative if you like, I call it realistic. I bleed green and gold and have for many years. Over the years, we have had trips to the championship games and quarterfinals, and the 1-9 years as well. You'll still see me bearing those Golden Eagle colors.

I agree that we're much improved over the past year or two. Our awesome freshman team from last year is paying dividends this year. At times, I do believe we jump straight to the coaches. Everyone can see the same thing on a larger scale with Dooley and UT after last week's performance. However, I believe some of the critisism is justified. Plus, it's expected. This is high school football, where most parents/fans think they know more than their team's coaches. I'm sure even parents at Maryville don't always agree with GQ's coaching philosophy

I was there Friday night. It was a horrific game. The yellow flag flew more than the pigskin. While I agree that Soddy took the brunt of the flags, Rhea deserved as many. Home cooking still didn't pay off for the Back Valley Boys. I wasn't very pleased with the coaching, but I won't say I'd do any better. To stand in the huddle on the field after the game (within arm's reach of players), and not be able to hear Coach Greene, that's sad. What little I did hear included "Boys, that one is supposed to hurt." Really? I believe they already knew that by the tears on their faces. Two positive things: great job honoring one of their own stars (Calvin Hall) from the 90s! That definitely made me proud to be a former player. One another note, great job to Coach Fitz on his big comeback Friday night with Hixson!