ROCKYTOP3

USA BASEBALL IS LOOKING 50 Soph. & Freshman in the state of Tennessee. Recommendations will be give a invite for USA Baseball workout in Nashville this JUNE!

THE ONES I KNOW OF THAT ARE TOPS IN MY AREA:

Patrick Raby - Farragut Freshman Pitcher

1ST BASEMAN - Farragut Sophmore 1st

Eric Hart - Mcminn Central Freshman Catcher

Spencer Morgan - McCallie Sophmore INF, P

Drew Vaughn - McCalie Freshman PITCHER

Tyler Payne - McCalie Freshman INF

Mathew Brock - McCalie Freshman INF, P

Jake Wyrick - Cleveland Sophmore PITCHER

Taylor Thompson- Cleveland Sophmore PITCHER, ?

Jake White - Mcminn Co. Sophmore PITCHER, ?

Cal Pickle - Bradley Co. Sophmore Outfield

Bryson Baker - Meigs Co. Freshman ?

Ty King - Bradley Co. Freshman INF, P

Kamren Barnes - Walker Valley Sophmore INF, C, P

Ryan Mahaffey - Walker Valley Sophmore 1st, P

Dillon Clift - Soddy Daisy Freshman C

Soddy Daisy also has couple other fresh., soph. that are good not sure on names, Rickets maybe.

Also in the Knoxville area Will Morrow Fresh. maybe at Bearden

Saw part of McCallie vs. Walker Valley 5-2 through 5, don't have a final. Very impressed with overall team speed and great facility.

McCallie won 5-4 over Walker Valley. WV had 1st and 3rd with one out and hit a pee-rod right at shortstop for game ending double play. A good game to watch early in the year as each team battled back and forth.

monday

Ooltewah 12 Mcminn 2

Soddy Daisy 1 Bradley 0

Walker Valley 10 Rhea 0

tuesday

Soddy Daisy 8 Bradley 7

Walker Valley 2 Rhea 1

lets hear what everyone has coming back! predictions wont matter season starts a week from today.

Mcminn- 1st baseman will be a tough out, center fielder, and Lingerfelt probably #1 pitcher. Lacking depth at pitcher.

Rhea - No idea think they lost a good senior core.

Cleveland- Did not look good in play day game I seen, had some athletes not sure if they can conform into baseball players. Lacking depth at pitcher.

Bradley- Has a good core of Juniors with good depth in pitching as long as they can progress into throwing strikes may upset some of the top dogs. Should have solid hitting throughout line up. Catcher has really improved should be a solid team.

OOLTEWAH- 2 solid pitchers for district games Dupree will be a load to handle both offensively and pitching. not sure of what else they have coming back.

SODDY- #1 pitcher will be solid not sure whats behind him. Loss of Talon will be huge, praying for you son. 3rd baseman is a beast with the bat not sure what else team is made of.

Walker- Returns entire infield except catcher and also returns 2 outfielders from last years sub state team. The catcher and outfield positions should be filled with quality players. Bobby will be solid on the mound as #1 not sure who will be #2 Broom, Longwith, Simmons, Kirby, Lyles will fill the void hopefully with Hindeman coming in towards the end of the year after having off-season surgery, if he can come back as good as he was last year the Mustangs may make another run. they will be a solid hitting team 1-9. Pitching is the question to see who will step up as #2 and see who steps up as closer until Hindeman returns.

PLEASE fill free to fill in all the details left out

Like clevelandblueraiderfan and you recognize, just more of the same for WV.

exactly same philosophy. players will help him out in his first year though.

WV will have the talent to win next year, which should make the coach look good. how he does after that will be on his ability. good luck to coach ryan he has the talent to work with, lets see what he does with it.

Well, coach, you obviously have different ties to the school than I, or our ties are telling different stories. Guess we'll have to see how this all unfolds.

I actually talked to the horse and he said they called him and he told them he would listen to what they have to say after the season is over. But the horse told me that most likely the only job he would leave for would be a private school or an out of state team. He will not set himself up for an opportunity to fail. Private school you can recruit and out of state if it had a large talent pool. Both = money and opportunity to win. Not sure if Cleveland will be able to offer both. And he is the one who said Brentwood coach had been contacted also.

Newspaper quoted officials as saying they won't really start the process until after Thanksgiving.

School contacted Rankin and Brentwood coach! It should heat up after championship game.

Mike Martin? Really? As in East Ridge Mike Martin?

 

Really, Cleveland needs someone with a proven record of performance and ability to coach-up a team. Several area/regional guys come to mind...Martin wouldn't be near that list.

Coaches are often hired based on records. Dooley kinda breaks that trend. Look at todays college coaches and ask yourselves what is really the stamp that most winning teams have? Usually (with exceptions Les Miles and Steve Spurrier) a respectable hard nose coach is a winning coach at the college level. The team takes on the personality of the coach and the program in time will follow suite (example Bear Bryant, Nick Saban), the same goes for high school. If you hire a stand-up disciplined coach and stick with them (example QUARLES, RANKIN), then your team and program will take on that personality of the coach and success will in time come around. Unlike college, high school coaches can not recruit they are dealt the cards they have and very few coaches are lucky to get in a situation where they can be successful year in and year out regardless of their abilities as coaches the talent pool may not be there year after year. Rankin and Quarles have 2 things in common a enormous pool of talent and they are respectable coaches who instills discipline. Neither coach runs a complex scheme they just stick to the basics and coaches their kids to be fundamentally sound. When I talked to Rankin he was at Riverdale and there was 2 areas in the state he was interested in leaving for and that was 1) Cleveland and 2)Blount County in order. Why? Because he knew both areas were loaded in talent and had high opportunities for success. Who can compare records of coaches? If a coach is 7-3 in Polks district does that mean he is better than the coach that is 5-5 in Cleveland's district? You have to look at teams a coach has played against and the talent that coach has to work with. I think Davis has a small pool for talent and has made his out of district schedule as tuff as possible and his teams and program has taken on his character, you know what your gonna get when you play Polk. Same goes for Mike Martin he has made a huge impression in the Chatt. area. He is a very well respected coach in the toughest district (athletes wise) in Chatt. Of all the teams in that district East Ridge has the least amount of athletes, but his teams compete in every game and usually make the playoffs. East Ridge was the WV of that district until he arrived and brought some discipline and respect to that program. BLITZ I totally agree with you about the fit at Cleveland because I dont think he would let the boosters or adm. run his program and the same goes for Davis they would probably not have a good marriage if people was trying to stick there noses into their football team. However I think Martin is a very good x and o guy. When he was at Meigs I did not see as much of it, but what I have seen with his x and o at East Ridge given more athletes I have been impressed with him. He runs multiple sets and gives his team a chance against teams he shouldn't be able to compete against. Last year he gave Greenville their 2nd best game of the year I believe with 1/2 the talent. Either way Cleveland needs to find a face for the program like they had with Monroe regardless of records I think Davis and Martin are the 2 in East Tennessee that given the opportunity will instill discipline and respect back to this program.

The Cookeville field was in terrible condition for a playoff game. It looked like a mud pit even before the teams warmed up. Yes, it was the same for both teams but the word is out the the Cavs like to doctor their field according to other district coaches, depending on the nights opponent. The home crowd was pathetic for a regular season game let alone a playoff game. I don't know what it takes to get people there but obviously football is not it.

 

Wildcats by 21.

FREE METH will fill the stands...... OR by 35-20

Rockytop3.....where are you today???

25 got in the open field and uhhhhh DUSTED THIER BUTTS!!!! Not only could they not catch him, he put space between them.

Hey wiggle, 1st I am not a parent, fan of Mcminn. I gave my opinion of some of their players speed and a team as a whole. I still stand by the speed guys, the Lindsey kid rolled his ankle early on I believe but I still stand by my post on the speed (#5 4.4/40,#2soph.,#15,#7,#1rb that did not play, all have 4.5/40. I never said you guys had 0 speed. Never said anything about your speed because I have not seen you play. Only gave opinion about Mcminn speed and that is how they beat everyone this year by getting that speed in open space to run and how it would be difficult for OR to handle if they did. They got that speed in the open 1 time in the game, partially due to playcalling for QB, Oak Ridge coverage on WR and Oak Ridge speed. As a team, I have no idea who you played friday, it was not the same team I have seen play 3 times, as far as game plan, coaching, character, playing, anything. Your kid can fly I would say he is 4.4-4.5 AS A whole you got good speed and you have a good team that should make it a few rounds, congrats.I am a BYSTANDER and from what I seen on the personal fouls, Mcminn was out of control but Oak Ridge caused a lot of tention, not actions. Not making excuses for Mcminn actions at all but OR was really running that mouth after they got a little of a lead and Mcminn seemed to get tired of hearing it. I seen Mcminn lose this year and so did SWEET SCIENCE but I did not see the other team talking smack, and I did not see Mcminn play dirty in that game. WIGGLE did it feel good to beat your chest and call me out? Hope so and good win and good luck

Ditto on the congrats, I seen Red Bank play earlier in the year and they looked really solid with some good playmakers. I knew they had not been playing well at the end of the year but still Sequoyah did a great job to beat a team with the talent Red Bank has. Good luck next week I pick you to lose by 28 again. It is funny if I think TN. has a chance they get killed and vice versa, so I will try this reverse psychology and hope you guys pull it out.

Hey TribeFan, how bout some strengths and weaknesses for the McMinn?

Strengths for Mcminn- WR,DB,RB

Weakness- Not knowing about QB

The it - Both offensive and defensive lines are outsized but they give all they got = SCRAPPY

Valedon...Another baffling one...Blade thinks Vandy got a HUGE steal by getting Valedon..Wasnt even remotely looked at by UT...And people wonder why these kids around here don't wanna go to UT when they finally do start recruiting them...Example, Randall Cobb

Valedon yes, he was the best lineman and most athletic lineman I have seen in a while until Jay this year.

Jay Guillermo is awesome, he is their Center...And buddy, i have no idea...Maybe thats why UT sucks right now and Clemson is in the top 25, the team that is recruiting him and who he is verbally committed to. If i was Dooley i would be all over him and Robinette..They are both proven winners, and both smart young men...It baffles me, they are right in your backyard! I think he is the top Center in the United states to be honest with you acccording to rivals or scout..And UT not recruiting him LOL

That V kid that was a lineman for you guys last year then went to play at VANDY, WHY DID HE NOT GO TO UT?????

He was better than the kid from Catholic and the freshman Jackson that played last week for UT. Not even close to as good as your boy. Is that kid getting time at Vandy this year?

I agree, i know Smyrna is a tough team, i know Riverdale is a tough team...And i am an Oak Ridge fan, i know first hand how good Riverdale used to be, cause our teams had some great battles over the years...But, i am telling you, Maryville could compete with if not beat every team in 7-AAA..They have possible the best QB and the best Center in the state of Tennessee. They have THREE Division 1 players on their team. One would be a div1 guy, but i heard his grades aren't that good..They have a steam roller offensive line, that could block any dang defensive line in Tennessee. I am telling you, i live in Maryville and have watched them many many times over the years...They have a awesome defense, and probably the best coaching in the state...People can say yeah we could beat them, or this or that, but really until somebody does it, it means nothing to me. And i know Maryville feasts off of being doubted, you better believe these message boards are read by kids on all these teams..Maryville has been doubted for years now, and keeps on proving everybody wrong year AFTER YEAR.

That center as unreal!! Seen video on him...... WHY IS DOOLEY NOT ALL OVER HIM?????? He would start today at UT!

Pretty good description. I have no doubt OR will come to play. I've never really seen a bad OR team, just some not good enough to win the state.

Sometimes success can be a bad thing when you have clueless fans. I have a relative in OR and he's been following the 'cats since he moved there in 1970 or so. They won the state a few times in the 70's, but the in-between years they didn't win it that decade, he'd be moaning and groaning about coaching, etc. LOL

 

Have a safe trip coming down. For those of you who like great BBQ, '2 Dudes BBQ' will be set up cooking and serving the best pulled pork (sandwich or plate) you've ever put in your mouth. They're very clean and only use the best Boston Butts. They also have butt-loaded potatoes that are very tasty. (They're a UT Campus approved vendor that is located right across from Volunteer Village on gamedays) They'll be set up on McMinn's campus at the baseball field entrance, which is right across from the reserved parking lot of the stadium. Look for the orange trailer.

2 DUDES BARBEQUE............................ OAK RIDGE LISTEN UP..................................

I have gotten the chance 2 eat this at work a couple times and it is the best BBQ around and the biggest POTATO of any kind I have ever seen. I will become a Oak ridge fan if anyone from there can eat a sandwich and a whole BBQ potato in 30 minutes and not get sick. ABSOLUTELY THE BEST

Tribefan, I think I can answer this one without giving away the game plan. I know we have traded films and your coaches already know what we do by now. So, here goes:

 

1. offense, multiple sets, mainly from the shotgun. Trap, counter, quick pitch, inside zone read and play action passing off all of those plays with a few screens sprinkled in.

 

2. Defense multiple, mainly 4-3 look, multiple blitz packages. mixed coverages: cover 3, cover 2, cover four when needed.

 

Strengths: Offense is just good all around. good line, good backs, qb, deep receiving corps.

Defense is very good also, good front, good backers, good secondary

Special teams: excellent, good kicker, good punter, good punt returner

 

weaknesses: I would have to say we're a little small at corner. We haven't played anybody any good in five

five weeks. We have mercy ruled the last 4 opponents in a row. This may cause us to start

slow, it's been along time since we played a good team.

 

I guess you can tell, I think we're a pretty solid football team. We are not Maryville by any means, but this team is playing very well right now. Hitting on all cylinders and playing at full strength, no injuries. We are very confident, but we also know that McMinn will be very good and will probably give more effort than most teams bring. I think it will be a good game, but Oak Ridge will be tough to beat. These kids love playing on the road. We played 4 straight road games last year. We beat Bradley, Cookeville, then Riverdale and of course then we went to Maryville. You know the rest.

Very good info. thanks. It sounds like you guys are solid. Let me point out a few things. 1st it sounds like you run a diverse running game to keep opponents off balance and have the opportunities to break lose for big gains if the defense don't stay disciplined there is alot of room to run by creating lanes and misdirection. That will be a plus for OR if Mcminn don't stay disciplined. And it is not good for Mcminn that the QB is out because it sounds like they could exploit your one weakness, the small DB's with their big receiver. If you guys are small at DB that is Mcminn's strength at WR Nevins being so big, not sure exactly but he looks about 6-3 or 4 and about 225 and can get down the field. Sounds like they could exploit this part of the game if they can find someone to get the ball in his direction.

Sounds like more of your BS to me.

Well I don't know if this is true or not but either earlier in the week or end of last week there was a post about this on Coach T by one of the mothers of a player evidently and she said the same thing PLUS much more. She was not happy and was calling for heads, so I am sure if it is true then she will have her day with the administration. It was weird though because the day it was posted it only received a few replies before it was a LOCKED TOPIC, and I haven't seen it on here since! Makes you wonder what was up.

yeah, i was watching a clip last year of Maryville and Mcminn on youtube..did yall play them in reg season or playoffs last year?

I don't know I haven't been following Mcminn's recent teams until this year I usually go around to " The Game Of The Week" around Southeast TN., this year they were in the best game around a few times and they impressed me so I know more about this years team than past teams. If it was last year then Mcminn was not very good 2-8 or something, one of the worst years in history I believe, so it would have been a regular season game. I do know they played Maryville 2 years ago in the regular season and got drilled early in the year by about 30 or 40 then, much like this year got it together and started playing some good ball and faced Maryville again in the 2nd round of the playoffs and it came down to the last seconds of the game. I think they won something like 20-14 or something like that.

regardless, it means zilch come friday night, right buddy?

Exactly. AS for schedule Mcminn open out of district games was weak. Meigs is a 15 minute drive that a lot of people around the 2 county's have been itching to play each other same goes for Mcminn Central both rivalry games. Mccalie is usually a tuff team and most public schools wont play them but Mcminn has had a history of playing them. Farragut was a good choice so Mcminn picked 2 toss ups and 2 wins on their non district games. Rhea, Soddy, Cleveland were down but Ooltewah and Bradley were both stout. Maryville has been on and off Mcminn's schedule for years.

I was wrong I was looking at the strength

 

McMinn- 100th

Oak Ridge's- 53rd

 

my bad!

Dude that don't mean anything look under thread about teams that got left out-Bartlett. I put a post on their about Notre Dame strenghth being 24 Not even close. Yours would be 24 but not theirs. I don't believe in that strength of schedule bull. Mcminn district was not as tuff as normal.

So, it is safe to say OR had a tougher schedule? Is Mcminn Central 3a? or 4a?

3A COUNTY RIVAL THEY ARE HORRIBLE BUT IT WAS A LONG RIVALRY THAT JUST CAME BACK. USE TO 20-25 YEARS AGO THE BOYS FROM EACH OF THESE TEAMS WOULD THROW A FEW PUNCHES OUT IN TOWN BEFORE THIS GAME BUT NOW IT IS NOT A GOOD RIVALRY ANYMORE IN FOOTBALL, THE OTHER SPORTS IT IS. Yes this year you probably have the harder schedule.

LOL OK, Guess we will see...Bradley the best team Mcminn has played all year?

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No Farragut, Mccalie on the night they played plus Mcminn did not play earlier in the year near as good as they are now. Then Ooltewah/ Bradley probably. Farragut was not very impressive but they were big. I think Mcminn doubled them up on yards.

Mcminn scores 28 on a Defense that is giving up 16 points a game, with a QB that has never started before on the varsity level? Okay.

I AGREE defense scores 14 of the 28