GirlsBBRules

Macon County is my pick as well. But it wouldn't suprise me if any one of the three won it. Three very good teams. I am going on record and saying Elizabethton will be there the next three years and will win at least 1 Gold Ball. Maybe more. Really amazing that freshman, yes freshman playing that good on a big stage. Really fine ball players.

What is amazing is that the other twin is often the one scoring the most points. Both are amazing players. The Lady Cyclones showed great teamwork in getting the ball in the hands of the best shooter on that day.

Problem is the twins wouldn't have played as much as they need to if those two stay in the lineup. There are only so many minutes to go around. And nope, you're wrong Grainger was down 8 to start the 4th got down by 17 at one point, cut it down to 10 with 2 minutes to go. They gave up a layup on a long pass over the top of the press went down by 12 and the intentional fouling began. So, wrong again you are, as ususal.

Problem is the twins wouldn't have played as much as they need to if those two stay in the lineup. There are only so many minutes to go around. And nope, you're wrong Grainger was down 8 to start the 4th got down by 17 at one point, cut it down to 10 with 2 minutes to go. They gave up a layup on a long pass over the top of the press went down by 12 and the intentional fouling began. So, wrong again you are, as ususal.

Yes the twins would have played just as much with Depew in. She is a point guard, not a 2 or 3. Hodge is an awesome post, she would have worked in as well. I didn't say McCurry was missed. Now I'm finished with you because you don't seem like a nice person. Everytime I think I will come on here and enjoy the reading, there is someone who can't be nice. I'm through with Coach T.com!

Oh I've been waiting on the injury excuse about how you've lost 3 starters to injury. Truth is.... you're better now than you were when you had the seniors. Losing those 3 freed Dugger up to play the 2 Freshmen twins. They are better players than any of the 3 you lost, and should've been starting from day one. The injuries were the excuse that he needed to play them. If he tried to play them in front of any of those 3 injured players he would've had a senior mutiny on his hands and team turmoil. You guys are better with the lineup that's playing now than you were before. FACT! Now back to injuries. Grainger's starting PG tore her ACL in the last regular season game. Another back up point guard had knee surgery before the 1st week of the season and hasn't played at all this year, and the PG that they started against you the other night is just coming back from ACL surgery and is about 60%. That's 3 PG in one year. Grainger doesn't have two 6 foot freshmen twins to step in and fill that role. Kudos to Betsy for having that kind of depth. It's just not a luxury that most schools have waiting in the wings when the injury bug comes calling. But, don't try and act as if the injuries have devastated you, they made you better.

I know all about the pgs and their injuries. I know those two girls and both are really nice and sweet little gals. But to say the cyclones are better off without the three they lost is not correct. Better off without McCurry - true, but Hodge was a force underneath and Depew is a true pg who can also score big points and was the team leader. She would have been great with the twins so don't begin to badmouth those two girls! EHS is better having the twins in the lineup, but not because of loving Depew and Hodge. They would have been awesome together!

Won big Wednesday night? Give me a break! Won by 15, but at lease 8 of those came from our intentional fouls at the end of the game giving scores from the bonus line...NOT from play on the court. You need to get YOUR facts straight. Not taking anything away from the Lady Cyclones, but your arrogance is only exceeded by .....................

Nope, you are wrong. Elizabethton led by 17 at one point....before all the intentional fouling began!

McCurry was from Unicoi County. The state tourney team from a couple years ago had the little point guard from the Roan Mtn area. That same team got Bowling from Happy Valley.

There's three in the last three years. Im sure there's more. I hear he is trying to convince the Bowers girl to leave Hamtpon and come back to Eliz next year.

Kristin, Lauren and Cara all came to Elizabethton because they wanted to play in a good program. Certainly nobody invited Lauren to come. And the Bowers kid left Elizabethton, the system she went to school in all her life for Hampton. What does that make Leon? You think he wasnt talking to her before she left EHS? Right

Right, and I hate to burst yours, because you didn't win over 20, you won exactly 20 last year. And you did finish 2nd to Unicoi in both the regular season and district tourney and you lost in the first round of the Region on your home floor to District 2's 3rd place team. That is a down year by the standards that you guys have laid out on here. That is a down year for a program with the proud tradition and esteem that you guys said you have. That is a year that Dugger's ego just couldn't handle and he left after 4 games. Amazing that you can blame that on the superintendent. Wow.

No, what is amazing is that you have gone off the deep end over our coach simply because on the floor Wednesday night, Elizabethton was the best team and outplayed Grainger from start to finish!

And 20 wins while going through one thing after another was fantastic for these girls. In the end, everyone knew 20 wins was an underachievement because he had the same starters then as this year! Same great team, just handed a tough hand to play with.

Just get over the fact that Grainger is not undefeated anymore.

I would like for the Lady Grizzlies to win over CAK Saturday -- for the girls, not for fans like you. Since you know so much about Elizabethton, I suppose you know we already played Alcoa in our gym once this season and won 82-61, but whatever the outcome, we are fine because we know we have had the best season possible. Losing two of our best players was hard to overcome, but we have and people like you will not change that.....nor will it change the fact that we won big Wednesday night!

Oh, one more thing ...... better luck next year if you make it to the regional final. Seems you guys have a problem with that.

Whoa. Didn't take long for someone to pull out the tradition card. Quit beating a dead horse, we've said many times that your team outplayed ours and that your girls deserve all the credit for that. I've never once blamed the refs. The refs were bad, but it was bad both ways. The refs did not create the outcome. But I don't see what Band, swimming and ACT scores have to do with a discussion about your coach. Like I said you can defend him all you want, spin it however you want, but you aren't going to make the rest of the world believe it. Outside of your little Elizabethton bubble, the rest of the world sees Dugger for what he really is. Dugger has been there way too long for anyone to call him in and tell him that he has to do anything. Lol. I don't care who your superintendent is or how much power he has or what the local newspaper says. Truth is Dugger went to the super when the boys job opened and said let me do it because he knew that he couldn't win with the girls last year. The poor AD was the one who had to fall on the sword for him. End of story. End of discussion. lol.

Hate to burst your bubble but the girls had a very good team last year and would have done even better with Dugger. Won over 20 games and some of the losses were because of the upheaval caused by our esteemed superintendant!

I'm sorry if I choose not to believe that story. I take that for what it is, a big line of BS. That's a fabricated PR story to cover his backside and save face with the public. Someone who has been in it as long as Dugger isn't forced to do anything against his will. I'm sure they drug him kicking and screaming all the way to the boys locker room and threw him inside and said you must coach the boys or you will be terminated. If he hadn't wanted to do it, he could've said no. What were they going to do? Fire him because he didn't want to abandon his team in the middle of the season to take over another? I'm sure that one would've really held up in court if he had wanted to sue them for wrongful termination. Give me a break, they made him! Lol. That's hilarious! They can't make him do anything. He can write his own ticket he's been there so long. He jumped around to save himself from getting some beatings stuck back to him that he delivered the year before with his all-star squad, Period! His ego couldn't handle a down year that most high school coaches have to endure from time to time. You should feel silly for even believing anything differently. Lol. That's a good one though. Lol.

You don't know very much about Elizabethton if you think what you spout is true! Dugger was asked to go to the boys. He refused, the super told him to think about it over night. The next morning he was delivered a letter saying he was terminated as the girls coach and was named as boys coach. He asked what if he refused and he was told he would have no job. This is the truth but it matters little whether someone from Grainger who thinks he knows everything about Elizabethton believes it or not!

You should also know (since you know so much) that Dugger has actually been coaching again at Elizabethton for only 6 years. He did not coach for many years until 2007 when he took over the girls program.

You must really like him since you like to talk about him so much...lol.

No arguments with anything you said, except for the part about your coach. He is a jerk. I know, I know he's your jerk and he wins and you love him. He's had great success, but he's also benefitted from having great players always come through his system. Funny how last year when the going was a little rough for the girls, the saintly man that he is, abandoned the girls and walked away from them mid season to take over the boys team that he felt would give him a better chance to win. Then when the greatest coach to ever live, got upset in the first round of the district boys tourney by a team that had no business beating them, he decided he would go back and coach the girls again. There's a right way to win and a wrong way. He typically chooses the latter. But you guys are the only one in the area that will defend him. No one may come forward publicly, but I know that the majority of schools, fans, and other coaches in the area feel exactly the same way about him as we do. It is what is, you won't change my mind or anyone elses for that matter. He's done too much over the years to go back now.

It would pay you to get your facts straight before you speak. Coach Dugger did NOT willingly go to the boys team (not at mid-season, but after only a few games). He was removed as girls coach by the superintendant because he felt the boys needed stability and the girls would be fine with the AD, who was a former coach. This was done against Dugger's will and he was told at the time that at the end of the season he would be allowed to return to the girls if he desired, which he did. This is fact and documented in the Elizabethton Star if you wish to read the archives online. If you want to bash anyone over this move, then that would be Superindentant of Schools, Ed Alexander, not Dugger. We were surprised because he actually gave Dugger the choice after the season, but he did and the girls got Dugger back and the boys got a very good choice in their new head coach.

A good deal of you people need to grow up! Maybe a lot of you are kids because you sure act like it! The name-calling and putting down each other's teams is so juvenile and gains nothing. That said, I will say my piece about a few things.

As for the officiating in this contest, maybe you should take that up with Region 3 cause that's where I heard they were from. Local officials are never allowed to call games in their own district or region - you should know that. And actually the fouls called were pretty even (until Grainger fouled on purpose during the final minutes) with Betsy getting just as many or more bad or non-calls. Officiating did nothing to change the outcome of this game. The Lady Cyclones simply controlled the game throughout and deserve credit for playing a great game!

And some folks think it is impossible to have that caliber players living inside the city limits? Think again! Here's the rundown for you from the top players. Savannah Madgett - born and raised in E'ton. Whitney Roberts - attended E'ton City Schools her whole life since her mother is a teacher in the system and does live inside the city limits now. Reazyn DeMoss moved to Elizabethton after 5th grade from Johnson City. Kelci and Kayla Marosites - live in city limits and have attended ECS system for many years. Miranda Isaacs - born and raised inside city limits. Sarah Bradley - lives in county but has attended ECSS since 5th grade. Even the point guard who tore ACL, Morgan Depew, was born and raised inside Elizabethton city limits, as well as injured player Caley Hodge, who moved to Elizabethton in 3rd grade. I can't even think of any junior varsity players who do not live in the city limits, or at least have attended city schools all their lives.

Lauren McCurry, who transferred from Unicoi County before her sophomore year, was certainly not recruited! She moved to Elizabethton with her family to play ball there because she was not happy at Unicoi County. Turned out Elizabethton did not work out for her either and she doesn't play anywhere now.

Absolutely no recruits in our bunch, but if it makes you feel better to think so, feel free. But I can see why would girls and parents would want to be part of the winning tradition. At Elizabethton, they work their butts off and only those who really want to play ball survive! That's why they turn out winning teams ---- not because they have refs in their pockets or bring in recruits!

As far as calling girls on other teams names, that is going too far!!!! I do not believe that person is a parent of a player at EHS, but anyway, sorry about that person. Just as bad is the person calling Coach Dugger classless, a jerk or whatever it was. Totally unnecessary and they really ave no idea what this man is about. This is the most intense and focused coach I have seen at this level and he has dedicated himself to these girls, just wanting them to be the best they can be. If anyone gets that out of them, he can do it. Yes, sometimes he lets his emotions get a little out of hand during the moment, but he never would do anything to call attention to himself or call a time out to rub anything in anyone's face! I would venture to say that if the shoe were on the other foot and Grainger had dominated Elizabethton, there would not have been a single complaint!

In my experience the coaches have input on which of their players make all tourney teams.

The coaches were not involved. I know the group of men that did select the all tourney team and I have no idea why they thought it was okay to give the District 1-AA champs only three selections. I haven't seen that in any other tournaments, not even the Cyclones when they won the boys division and I assume the same group picked them as well. It's over and done with, but that does not make it fair, especially for Reazyn, who led the scoring in the championship game.

The Lady Cyclones prevailed over the Lady Bulldogs tonight 59-55 at Hampton tonight. DeMoss, Roberts, and the Marosites twins all scored in double figures.

Thank you Coachh17 for your weekly poll and the topic. I have enjoyed reading it very much, but I get tired of posts from people who obviously detest Elizabethton and take every opportunity to bash the Lady Cyclones and Coach Dugger. These girls may not all play with heart all the time, but they do not feel entitlement, and there no one, NO one who works harder than this team! Perhaps a topic should be started entitled Diss the Lady Cyclones and Len Dugger. People need to remember these are kids and yes, they read the coacht message boards. I'm finished here.

I coached for years and NEVER used refs costing us a game or 'stopping our momentum EVERY time' as a reason for losing there was ALWAYS something I as a coach or my team could've done better like giving up second chance points, missing shots in the paint or foul shots. But like you said I wasn't there I just don't like hearing crying about refs take a look at your team and see what the team could've done better and move on.

I agree with this totally and we said that. If they hadn't missed opportunities, it would not have been close enough for refs to make a difference. I never said they played a perfect game, just that when that when the Lady Cycones had opportunity to take the win, the officials kept them from it at the end. I am through arguing about this, it is a fact. People from Dorman and other schools even said it.

Just saying don't Cry about refs u had 2 6 point leads(according to Dugger) in 4th n lose. That's not the refs! That's a B.S. copout blaming the 'refs if you have the better team win the game! So tired of hearing fans say that c'mon man! If you should've won by 'a sizeable margin' then do it!

As I said before.....the refs put a stop to our momentum EVERY time. Don't tell me how it was because you were not there. I have never before said that refs took a game, but in this case, they absolutely did. If you were not there, you can't give your generic opinion.

How are they different? I say credit the refs but they should never decide a game.

I guess you would have had to have been there. In the Dorman game, the Lady Cyclones would go out to a little lead and the refs would call something to take the ball away all through the game. Down the final stretch, EHS had 4-point lead and they called a moving screen (which they called numerous times throughout the game) which took the ball away with a tie, then as Depew dribbled fullforce downcourt for a final shot, they whistled her for a walk. There was no possibility that she walked, but they called it anyway, ending the game. These are just two blatant bad calls, this went on pretty much the whole game. EHS should have won by a sizeable margin.

When they made the call that gave Depew foul shots against Spartanburg, she was fouled on a layup. What? Are you not supposed to call the foul with .2 remaining? It would have been deciding the game if they let them foul and didn't call it just because time was running out.

Will the refs get credit for the 2 point Betsy win today. Heard they called a foul with no time left and Depew hit 2 free throws. If u blame them for a loss credit them for a win. It only makes sense right?

Nope, two different situations entirely!

Well, at least 12-0 Bradley Central beat Dorman in a very close game. I would have liked to have seen Elizabethton and Bradley Central play. Betsy must have carried the disappointment of that close loss to Dorman into yesterday's game against Fayette County. A win over Spartanburg may get them home on a positive note.

Yes, they did. They played with no heart in the loss to Fayette County. However, Fayette County was very quick and they shot the ball well, something they did not do against Bradley Central.

I'm sure they will take advantage of the trip to South Carolina to see if they can't pick up a recruit or two.

Seriously? Uncalled for remark. Sounds like sour grapes to me.

Unicoi loses to South tonight they led most of the game. Eliz pulled away late from S Greene. Not sold on Eliz. just yet with 6 of their 10 wins versus sub .500 teams and the 7th win over .500 Unicoi. Saw where Grainger laid it on Seymour by 20+ suprised by the margin there.

I believe Elizabethton did not pull away late for the win over South Greene. They controlled the whole second half and led by 15 after three periods and the final margin was 15.

I can not believe that he is back with girls. I thought we have done some crazy things in Erwin but that takes the cake. Well Chambers at HV would be a good fit.

Actually the only crazy thing was when the superintendent moved Dugger to the boys team against his will. He was told at the time he could move back to the girls if he still wanted to after the season. He chose to return to girls! Let us hope the administration has learned a lesson and never pulls something like this again in the midst of the season. Think of the kids for goodness sakes!!!