blazeburnin

No doubt.....that's why I threw the (for the most part) in. He still was able to sneak through and pop some big runs. He and "I" are similar in the sense that they make what they do look easy and they end up with far more yards than it looked like in person. Bradley was selling out to stop him and that's why we seemed to have more QB runs last week than normal. My only point was that we are going to have to have more success through the air this week, because I think Maryville will be more successful limiting our run game than Bradley was.

True, but Maryville has a way of taking away what you do best. Bradley did a good job of taking him away (for the most part) last week, and we were lucky enough to make enough plays to pull it out. Considerably stiffer test this week (understatement of the year). Can we make enough plays in the air to counteract them trying to stop our running game? That will be the key to whether we make this a competitive game or not.

That staff has been there for less than 2 years. Oakland has been one of the top 2 teams in this county for the last decade. Oakland's success these last couple of years is as much of the result of the previous staff's "model" than the current one. Can they continue....who knows. We will see next year after graduation hits them pretty hard.

It was sad to see the Riverdale program look like that, and ultimately the Head Coach bears responsibility for that. As to the QB....if he has offers "out West" I would be surprised. Talent at the QB position is not dependent on throwing a "pretty" ball. I only saw one ball that would be considered "pretty" and it sailed out of bounds. There were many more that were bounced, fluttered, etc. He didn't look too enthusiastic on the times he had to keep the ball either. However, I don't know that I would be too enthusiastic behind that oline either. I think Coach A was just trying to look for a spark down 21-0. He probably thought putting in the kid that might be able to run away from the pressure would be better. I don't know. It's just sad to see the Riverdale program sink that far.

Dang, I miss school. Only place you get rectangle pizza, corn and chocolate milk for lunch!!!

WOW!!! I love it when somebody tries to be cute and condescending trying to make a point and they just further prove my point. Try to look up big words in the dictionary before trying to use them. I still hold to my statement! By the way, my favorite oxymoron is Government Intelligence.

I don't condone calling people names, but I think this is pretty accurate.....You ,sir, are a MORON!!!!! Whether you are who you have been accused of being or not....you have proved you are more than clueless!!!!! Please expand on these "bridges" you speak of. Keep throwing crap up against the wall....something might end up sticking eventually, but I doubt it.

Dang, has that axe you have not been ground down to the handle yet? What else are they supposed to do? If there are no positions to hire any coaches, then who should coach them? Who would you rather coach your middle schooler....some random teacher just so they can have a "coach in the building" or a varsity football coach (who happens to be one of the best and most selfless people you would ever want to meet). You got your way....Shad is gone. Are you not satisfied yet?

Exactly! I can't speak for mkd directly, but I think he was just referring to him being "fired" as the coach. Yes he still has his teaching job and is still at Blackman. As to being the coach, you could say that he was fired. I know he "technically" resigned, but it's all semantics at this point.

I agree he didn't have a choice. He was either told to resign or would be fired. He is still at Blackman teaching, though. He was just relieved of his coaching duties. I'm sorry, but if he had done something so bad as to personally warrant a criminal investigation he would at least be placed on leave pending investigation or at least transferred to another school. The problem is that the public has been made aware of barely any of the actual facts. MKD is good people. He supports Shad and is just basing off of what has been published publicly, which we all know isn't the full story. I agree 100% with the rest of your post, though!

Well said MKD!!!!

Shad has an uncanny knack of motivating kids and getting them to buy in. At the same time, you know where he stands up front and that's that. His first year at Blackman, he took a team that hadn't won many games and won the district that 1st year and has finished 1st or 2nd every year (except for maybe 1). Kids love playing for him. There are always going to be some that try to fight the system, but that's just the issues of dealing with teenage boys. As to the parent "involvement" (meddling), they will learn very quickly who is in charge. He will be nice, cordial and professional with everybody....but he will tell you the truth flat out. If Shad is the guy, I don't think that will be a problem if they give him a chance. If they don't want to put in the work, he's not going to beg or baby anybody just to keep them on the team.

He has always been in complete control of his programs. What he has never been in control of is the booster clubs. That is not his place or any head coach's place. If you have a head coach that is in control of the booster club and their money, then you have a HUGE problem. That is why he has always stayed out of it and left "adults" in control of it. By your definition of "cooperate", do you mean accept responsibility for something he had no responsibility over? This was a witch hunt, plain and simple, trying to find any reason to get rid of him. If it was such a bad transgression, why wasn't he fired from his job or transferred to a different school? He was just told he wasn't going to be the coach anymore.

"why some parents think they can follow coaches into the locker room complaining about the coaches decisions, why some players have routinely been allowed to miss workouts and practices without repercussions, why some kids throw helmets on the sideline, why some kids think they can backtalk coaches" If Shad is indeed the guy, I can guarantee you that those will not be issues any more. If that first one happens, please pull up a chair and some popcorn because that will be good theater. You do NOT miss workouts and/or practice if Shad is your coach. And backtalk coaches.....hehehehe - let's just say that might happen once and that would be it! Has there been any timetable set. With Spring practice a ways off, I guess they can take their time.

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Spot on. I don't see any possible "regrettable" comments he has made. He said they had differing opinions on the way the program should be run. She has basically said the same things. I completely agree. It's amazing how fast things have "cleared" up and see where people truly "stand" and I use that term loosely. More like their strings are holding them up. Just who is pulling the strings is the issue.

^^^^This^^^^ I'm not going to go into the personal attacks, because it's obvious you have no idea what you're talking about. As to the "rumor is" stuff.....that's all that is. But just to humor everybody, let's go down your road for a minute. You're saying all he had to to was "accept responsibility and punishment for the improprieties that were reported and he would still be coaching".... So he was supposed to have accepted responsibility for something he had ZERO control or responsibility over? The booster club and their funds are NOT the responsibility of the head coach. Just like Cat said earlier (who was Shad's BC Pres at Smyrna), Shad has never been involved with that aspect. So why are the same people that were responsible for the screw ups unaffected and now just spewing the party line and what they are told to say?

True MKD, don't you just love how rumors get started. I just hate the fact that grown adults can't step up and take the blame for mistakes they make and dump them on the feet of others.

Not much.

With Shad leaving Blackman, could this be the logical spot?

Couldn't agree more. It was absolutely horrendous (the actions of the players not the officiating just to be clear), and there is no defense to be made for it. I was not trying to defend the players from their actions. I just took exception to the labeling of the kids when that is not what these kids are about and haven't been all year. I don't know if anybody could explain it. I would love to be a fly on the wall to hear what the coaches had to say about it. Bottom line is hopefully the kids will grow from it and learn some very difficult and harsh lessons about the consequences of their actions....because at the root of it is that these are still kids just playing a game.

From a talent "on paper" perspective, it could be. However, Maryville doesn't play those games on paper and have torched those papers with regularity over the last decade. Oakland has college talent all over the field, one of the best high school olineman I have ever seen in person, and speed. I think the QB position is their weakness, but the Smith kid is athletic. Will the Oakland coaches overthink things and try to get cute, or will they pull their pants up and play to their strengths which is running the ball and letting the defense do the heavy lifting. Their plan was to make Blackman drive the ball the length of the field and we couldn't do it. Will they do the same this week? That's why this is so hard for me to read. If Oakland plays smart and plays to their strength, it is a hard fought and close game. If the coaches try to get too cute, Maryville wins by 3 tds.

Well said MKD. I think the looming storm clouds he is referring to doesn't have anything to do with the game or Blackman football, but the school in general (if we are thinking the same thing), and any further insinuation or speculation would be highly irresponsible.

This is a game, I can't get any good read/feel on. I think Maryville wins it in the end. Oakland has more "talent" in the standpoint of future college players respect. I don't know how often Jack Jones will get to go up against the kid from Maryville, but that would be worth the price of admission alone. Part of me thinks Maryville wins by 3 tds and the other part thinks it could be a 7-6 game with defenses ruling the night. Should be a classic. I wish Blackman could be the ones giving it a shot, but can't do much about that now. I guess, by law, I am supposed to say go 7AAA, but I just don't have a good read on this one.