BlMed

In answer to the question of this topic "Who is the best QB in the Knoxville area? And is anyone better than Zach Helton? I believe Brad Ramsey is, but it remains for Brad and his teammates to prove it. we shall see? The offense line will have to rise to the occasion. That former Cane QB wouldn't have been Palazzola ? Or maybe Randy Sanders? At least Ramsey has some great tradition of QB's to follow at East.

thumb Big Daddy : I agree Blake Garretson is a great athlete and could have made it big in either baseball or basketball . He has the potential to be another Jason Witten . Also I still think Brad Ramsey is a diamond in the rough. I think both he and Shawn Penland will have a big year. If Ramsey has the kind of year he is capable of having as a junior, he may end up being the top recruit QB out of Tennessee next year. I wish Ramsey was in Knoxville so he would get the kind of exposure that Helton is getting. For instance, last year Penland averaged some incredible yards per catch and hardly received any press. Like I said before those three alone are worth a trip to Morristown, to see some potential college standouts in the making. Hopefully Fulmer and company will take notice and look in their own back yard............

Brad Ramsey from Morristown East is the best prototype Quarterback in East Tennessee. He is tall, big arm and fast a foot. Only problem may be his offensive line (unproven). Helton is a great High School QB, but Ramsey is a real sleeper. It may be worth the hour ride to Morristown for any of you Knoxville area football fans to see the combination of Ramsey , Penland and their prolific air attack. Brad is a class act and the Furman coaches can attest to that. UT scouts need to take a look at this Ramsey kid,Penland and Garretson ( huge fullback or tight end) ala Jason Witten.

Morristown East should be the favorite if the offensive line can prove the predictors wrong. Ramsey may be the best QB in the region given time and Penland is the best big threat receiver. Add Blake Garretson as a tight end and the blazing speed of Josh Morgan as a second receiver (if they use him) and they could have a potent offense. The passing game could be prolific if the offensive line steps up. Either way East fans are in for some exciting games with their offensive weapons. Ramsey is a legit D-1 prospect and Garretson is a done deal.

The Knox Sentinel and Prep Xtra say that the East coaches and AD choose not to participatle. In light of the fact that we now realize we don't really have a local newspaper, I think they need to be encouraged to post in the Knox paper. They have been approached but frankly I don't think they care except for the football coach. Unfortunate for the kids. Part of the message may be that Morristown East really does not emphasize their sports programs. Frankly if I were a student athlete I would go elsewhere.

Agree with you CNfn. All I can say is I would not want to be the coach that has to figure that one out next year.. Altizer did a good job under the circumstances of not really knowing the players or his talent. With some major practice and summer camps some of the players can develop by next year. They will have to choose baseball and dedicate to it only, in order for it to happen. East has a nucleus of players and some upcoming talent that should make them competitive. But you are right, they need to put their best skill players in the infield where most of the damage was done this year. Rines knows the kids and with Altizers help they should be better next year with some luck. Hopefully they will work hard this summer and fall.

I have not agreed with everything that has gone on here , but it is time to put differences aside and get behind the players and Altizer and give them all our support. The opponent is Science Hill not EastHigh and they are going to be tough enough. The players and coaches will have their hands full. Let us hope we get some good fan support tonight as they will all need it. Go Canes

You are right he is a great kid and he should have played more during the season especially if the coach didn't cancel so many games and tournaments. He is a great power hitter and should have played DH, first base, and pinched hit in each and "every" game. And I emphasize every game. We could have used his bat alot more. The coach may have felt guilty and tried to make up for his failure to play him during the season. Not the right place , time or position to do so. Something should have been said long ago about that, but most are intimidated. But don't hang him out in the championship game and let them tag him for 6 runs. I don't think he deserved that .You are right he should have played but you don't spot a team like JC 6 runs before you try someone else. If that were my friend, brother or son out there I would have been the first to tell the coach to take him out after 3 runs in 2 innings. The freshman is a great kid too with a bright future but don't throw him the first time on varsity in the championship game. I am not sure that is where he should have made his pitching debuit. Again he should have seen action during the year as he was being groomed. It never happened , but there were opportunities to do so. But don't throw him to the wolves and potentially destroy his confidence. He didn't deserve that either. Josh Green would have been a better choice in that situation against a power hitting team. He has good fast ball and a more than average curve ball. And what about Jeremy Dickerson. He deserved to play too, during the season and even pitch an inning or two om this one. There was nothing wrong with pitching who he pitched. The problem was how long he waited to change pitcher each time. If coach wanted to give a great kid a chance to contribute , he should have played alot more with his power and awesome bat. The real question is why he didn't once play DH or 1st Base in the tournament or even during the season, not pitcher? That would be like pitching Mike Piazza in the last game of the World Series. He like Piazza has a future in baseball but not at pitcher.. As far as being home by now, I am not so sure you can give him as much credit as you seem to be doing? One thing you can definitely say about J Rice is that he knows "pitching". And the kids seemed to like him and respect he and Wills. Wills would have made sense as an interim but politics prevailed again. At least Wills would have practiced them and played more games. More players would have developed and had a chance to play during the season. BTW what does Kent Basil and basketball have to do with this? Where did that come from? He would have been the worst choice to start in "that game", let alone pitch during the tournament . If Basil pitched I am sure it would have been 6 runs in one inning. Good hitters are rarely good pitchers. That is the WHOLE POINT! Knowing your players and where to play them is a sign of good coaching. Seals, Stansberry and the rest of the IMAC guys seem to have that.

East was by far not out of pitching. Try Jeremy Dickerson one of East's best players (who sat the bench the entire year for unkown reasons), or Josh Green, Nick Green .You might figure the rest out from there......

As a JCHS fan you should be proud of your team. You don't need to go there. My advise to you is remain oblivious. If you were there , you should be able put two and two together. If you insist ask any East High fan who knows "anything" about baseball and the players and they might tell you, providing they have the courage to speak up. Most won't. I alluded to that above and why that is. Sheople rarely speak up.

Who watched the last game of the tournament last night between East and Jeff? Did anything strike you as strange and way out of the ordinary about that game? I have never heard so many people in any game saying "what is he thinking?" But it has been that kind of season. I am sure the opposing team fans were oblivious to what was really going on. That is not to take anything away from the Jeff County team , they were truly deserving of winning the district. Crouch,Story,Long, Bowlin,Chapman,Ausman etc are great athletes and they are fortunate to have a great Coach in Seals to lead them. He seems to get the most out of his players and treats them with the respect they deserve as "kids". Would like to hear a "sports writer" etc finally tell it like it really is/was rather than the usual "whitewashed local, small town, politically correct play by play". Not holding my breath on that one. To those of you who can read between the lines , you know what I mean. If I put it any more bluntly they will probably delete this message. Most won't speak up out of fear of either losing their job or being ostrasized by the small town politicos. But then again I am not trying to be politically correct ...............

By the way they were Jefferson County fans not Mo East fans that were involved.

East has some other good pitchers, it just seems he doesn't know who they are.

Marshall pitched a great game last night. East should be loose as they have nothing to lose. No one ever expected them to make it this far. They can afford to enjoy the game or games and all the pressure should be on the Patriots. Everyone expects the Patriots to win the state this year and rightly so as they are absolutely loaded with pitchers and hitters. I am sure East players are honored just to play on the same field as these guys (maybe one of the best high school teams ever). Hat's off to the Morristown East players for making it this far. No matter what they do the rest of the season, they have succeeded beyond expectation. They have had to deal with alot of adversity ( I am sure the fans know what I am talking about , especially the loss of two of the best players in sophmores Josh Morgan and Brad Ramsey for the season. We can only imagine what they could have done with Rines there at the helm?

1) Number one has to be Doug Rines from Morristown East who is presently serving our country in Iraq. His players sorely miss him. Watch out for M East next year when he returns. 2) Stansberry from Morristown West has to be the best coach for getting the most out of his players. He seems to really have a handle on the game. Look forward to some real rivalry between the two cross town rivals when Rines returns.

The 2nd game was rained out . West won the first game 13-5 and East is still experimenting with their positions and lineup. This week East lost two of their best players in Josh Morgan (best hitter) and their catcher Brad Ramsey for the season. My two cents are not worth much but here is where they should play these kids. Batting order and position close to what they are doing now with some minor changes 1) Austin Davis catcher or SS 2) Corey Shaw LF 3)Jimmy Mosier 3B 4) Kent Basile CF 5)Lucas Elkins 1B and DH 6)Josh Greene 1B and DH 7)Robert Allen or Nick Green 2B 8)Tyler Dalton RF or Tyler Collins RF depending on who is pitcher 9)Jeremy Dickerson SS or Blake Price catcher/PH Great speed in first 4 batters with two power hitters to follow. Also good speed at 7-9. Dickerson is key at SS for defense and Davis at catcher (although he can play anywhere).

Ed Masters earlier mentioned Shaw and I agree on that one, but he failed to mention an equally good one and that is Lucas Elkins from Morristown East. You won't find a more solid line drive hitter. He can flat out stroke the ball.

You forgot about Blake Price the back up catcher with the big stick. Danny Mills can play all positions very well. Also Brad Ramsey should be the best Quarterback in East Tennessee next year. Watch for him to go big time Division 1 with the right kind of coaching and of course some good fortune. He has a cannon of an arm both at catcher and QB.

Brad Ramsey Morristown East

Who cares what anyone thinks? All that matters is what team wants it the most when they step out on the court. I just hope the refs let the players play without trying to control the outcome of the game. Too many games this year in the IMAC have been decided by biased refs. Good luck to all four teams tonight. And let's pray there are no injuries and good sportsmanship on all sides.

Wait and see what happens "on the court" not your computer. If the refs let them play these could be some good games. A group of IMAC refs are control freaks and not likely to let them play. They look to foul "certain players" out and control the outcome of the important games. If that happens then unfortunately Jack you are probably right............... "too small and not athletic enough"????

You better mention two more , Daniel Deadrick from Morristown East and Korian Buckner from Cocke County, two exceptional seniors. Both would make outstanding guards at the small college level. Deadrick could be an all-American soccer player , so that should tell you what kind of athlete he is.

Hey Jack here is a more balanced view. I sure hope you guys can produce as well as you talk. Reminds me of the Science Hill arrogance. I-MAC Tournament time means time to throw out the records By: STEVE WILHOIT, Tribune Sports Writer February 18, 2005 It's time to toss the records aside as the prep basketball post-season is upon us. The District 2-AAA Tournament tips off on Saturday at Cherokee High School. Two boys teams and two girls squads have already earned first round byes and, in the process, cemented spots in the following week's Region 1-AAA Tourney at Bristol. Game two on Saturday seems destined to be a good one as the much-improved fourth-seeded boys from West High take on the dangerous fifth-seeded Jefferson County squad. The Trojans have made plenty of noise in the second half of the season with team chemistry jelling nicely. The team's only senior, six-foot-four jumping jack Jeremy Smith averages close to a double-double with 15.6 points and 9.9 rebounds a game. Dustin Guthrie finished the regular season strongly and is now picking up 12.9 points a game. Darius Ewing picks up 8.8 boards a game and has shown the ability to have games with twice that rebounding number. Brent Osgood leads a nice group of support players with 8.1 ppg. "We started 1-5 in the conference then got back to .500 which equaled out pre-season goal; now we want to win a tournament game to achieve another goal and go from there," Trojans head coach Larry Hurst said. The Jeff County Patriots continually played good teams close early in the season without a win to show for it but broke through in the second half, collecting key victories including a tourney seeding-altering victory over Morristown East last Friday. Jason Deering hit for nearly 13 points per game this season with Zach Smiley and Steven Solomon adding good support with close to eight a night. It's been a rough, sickness-riddled week for Pats head man Rick Sinard leading up the district tournament. Assistant coach Claude Chafin is "cautiously optimistic" about Jeff's chances. "We're young (started four sophomores against East) but we've definitely gotten a lot better," he said. In the third game of the Saturday session, it's yet another Morristown East/Morristown West pairing. The third-seeded Lady Trojans look to be a team with a chance at upsetting the apple cart in the coming week. The West ladies finished well with several solid wins in the second half. Included in the equation was an overtime victory against a strong Tennessee High team out of District 1. Bryan College signee Ashley Gray had another solid season (14.7 ppg and over five assists per contest). Summer Phipps was 10-10 from the floor in a win last Friday at Cocke County. Phipps is close to a double-double in productivity with 11.1 points and just under 10 rebounds a night. Katie LaMarr is good for 8.9 points a game. Several good role players also dot the roster. Lady Trojans head coach Johnny Galyon said he likes the team's recent level of play. "Our kids are starting to peak at the right time and we're excited about this time of year, but we need to give a good effort against East as it's always a rivalry game." The Lady Hurricanes, the sixth seed, are coming off a recent confidence-building win plus a competitive loss to Rutledge this week, a game which was decided in the closing seconds. No one averages in double figures but freshman Tasha Morrell has been a team sparkplug at the point and Lindsey Ely has bumped her scoring average to over seven points a game, just in back of Morrell's eight-plus. Anna Branner can be a factor on the glass. The team has dealt with some roster changes this month, as far as personnel availability. "We played them a good half last time," Lady 'Canes head man Terry Livesay commented. "We've got to execute and make our shots and rebound better to have a chance at being there at the end." The final match-up on Saturday pits the boys third seed, the East High Hurricanes against the sixth seed, the Big Red of Cocke County. East has featured a versatile, well-balanced unit in 2004'- 05 with a handful of gut-wrenching losses entering the overall mix down the stretch. The Hurricanes were the only team to knock off top seed Greeneville in district competition this season. Sophomore Kent Basile and junior Cory Shaw provide a solid one-two punch with 15.2 and 13.7 points a game, respectively. Dustin Farthing (64-percent from the floor), Daniel Deaderick, and Chase Goins also score in the seven to eight point range on average. Basile picks up six rebounds a game while Deaderick averages 5.9 boards and a team-best 4.5 assists a game. Hurricanes head coach Calvin Decker said he likes his team's chances of being very competitive. "We didn't get the particular seed we wanted but expect to go in and do quite well," he stated. "We've got to make our free throws, but I believe our youth has something to do with the misses we've had in late-game situations; it's not been for a lack of effort on our players' part." The Fighting Cocks are carried by senior standout Korian Buckner (20.8 ppg, 9 rpg, 50.1 fg pct.). The CCHS team has been searching for point production to support Buckner this month with its second-leading scorer having departed. Other than reliable senior Jake Allen (9 ppg), who mixes three-point marksmanship with the ability to penetrate, no one is averaging more than 4.5 points per contest. "I know we'll play hard on defense and hopefully we'll have an opportunity to win our first-round game," said Big Red head man David Whaley. "East has a very fine team and we need to step up."

I disagree Shaw is best 3 point shooter in IMAC and Basile doesn't play point guard, he plays strong forward.

Corey Shaw from Morristown East should be on that list too. Not sure who comes up with this stuff , but it sounds like AAU and politics is what it is all about. He is the best 3 point shooter out there.