Yellowstone

Knew you were keeping it low-key. Hope sales are doing well up in the eastern parts of TN. Glad to have you back.

Doyle! Always good to see you back on the boards. You get your internet reconnected or using the Wi-Fi at the Flying J?

Ready for some football.....only a couple more weeks until fall camps open. Just want to see if we can get some dialogue started. 1.) Will Knox Webb continue to be the top of the class? 2.) Friendship should have a new freshmen quarterback along with 2 experienced RBs. 3.) Will BGA be up to par since the upset playoff loss? 4.) Will FRA be able to compete for a playoff spot? 5.) Can DCA build on last year's momentum? 6.) DA has a new coach with his son probably playing wherever is needed to compete.....Will that be enough to take a step forward? 7.) Ezell - will they have more than 20 players? 8.) MJCA - Coach Davis's rookie season as a Saint. Thoughts?

HT, With all do respect, Coach Davis's resume are those of a an accomplished assistant coach. Not that he is any more qualified than yourself or any of your friends that may have applied or of the last 3 coaches there. If you interpretation of "real coach" was a dig at the previous coaches or anyone who applied that was not hired, then that was not the intention of the post. DD has been an accomplished assistant at a winning program whose demographics are light years away from PC. However, in my opinion, I think he is a better candidate than a young 20s college assistant who was backdoored the job on the last hire. That is why I question the leadership of the athletic director. To dismiss a coach like Harrison, to fill it with a young coach, who bounced 2 years in has the right to be questioned.

My solution would include getting an administration and some leadership that has some type of plan, some foresight, and executing the plan. Their location is their biggest strength. Also, there tuition is affordable in regards to private schooling. In regards to academics, they do fall behind the other 2 schools on the East Side of I-40, and that needs to improve. I also feel that they can could gain some students down into Antioch who might consider other institutions. Again, as discussed there are students that are literally walking the halls of MJ and Wilson Central along with the middle schools that are not playing at those schools due to depth of talent. Those students have grown up playing in various baseball, softball, football, basketball and soccer leagues that can't crack a team or a lineup at the bigger schools. Parents There is an advantage of contributing in athletics at a smaller school if your child wants to do so, my question is why not MJCA? Wilson Co is a rapidly growing area with lots of potential.

Wasn't trying to start a sword fight here. I don't feel like 2 of the past 3 coaches have what Davis has. That being said, they are not bad people or coaches, they just had major issues stacked against them as well, the 1st being an administration that by their actions does not want to be competitive in Division II. The coach no matter who it is, can't be a savior without some help and getting some bodies in the door. In my opinion, PC tells them what they want to hear, and then does not make good on certain things, thus leading to turnover when the coach realizes they are fighting a no-win battle. That or they "want to go in a different direction" as they did with Coach Harrison who basically did not do anything to warrant a dismissal after 2 seasons. Whether 2 seasons or 5, it's hard to produce on the field without competitive bodies or depth.

Warning: memcache_connect() [function.memcache-connect]: Can't connect to internal.memcached.coacht.net:11211, Connection refused (111) in /mnt/wwwroot/boards/ips_kernel/classCacheMemcache.php on line 90 At this time, I don't think this will be much of a rivalry. I hope success for Coach Davis, but on the Wilson County side MJCA is looked at as an afterthought right now. However, there are folks that consider MJCA, but for one reason or another choose different schools. I don't think it will take any players away from FCS. FCS has much more tradition and have won state titles in all 3 sports in the last decade. MJCA is lucky to win a conference game. However, back in the 90s, FCS was pretty much middle of the road in football. Their district was Ezell, DCA, CPA (all of which who had won state titles) and they were just beginning to gain some recognition. They picked up steam and came into some good athletes. All the schools on the east side are competing against each other for students. Probably all of them have the capablility to handle more enrollment, but getting students and parents to have to come up with the discretionary income for private school is always a challenge. I wish the best for MJCA as I believe they have untapped potential. I question the administration to be aggressive enough to sell the product they have, but hopefully things can change. I applaud MJCA for hiring in a real football coach. Not that the guys before them were bad, they had a lot of things going against them, and I think the day has come where MJCA has to make a decision to be competitive. When your football is competitive, everything else will fall into place in my opinion. Parents want to send their children to a program that has a chance to be competitive during their high school career, and there are a lot of kids that miss out on the opportunity to enjoy a high school athletic career at a AAA school where they could contribute at a private school.

While the AD can be blamed, the administration of the school is at fault as well. Their lack of leadership at Headmaster should also be looked at. They need fresh blood, a go-getter, and someone who can capitalize on their location. Their tuition is on the cheaper side and they should be able to get a lot of kids that want to play. Why they haven't done that is anyone's guess, but is starts there. They need fresh ideas, and a visionary for the school. They have had several good athletes leave just because they know their high school career would be wasted.

Absolutely. Why forfeit the game? They aren't going to run up the score anymore than anyone else.

Just my opinion, but the problem at MJCA isn't the coaches they hire. It's the ineptness of the administration to attract more students to the school. They are located in a prime area that can draw from several elementary and middle schools. Unless they can get some depth, it doesn't matter who the coach is. They are going to have an uphill batter against Webb, FCS, DCA, etc. "Changing the culture" needs to happen from the top-down. I don't see how an athletic director who literally hasn't done anything relevant in any sport since joining the TSSAA can be looked at as a visionary. The mentality over there is "we are a poor little private school against the others in the region", and that attitude is what needs to change if anything is going to.

The technical foul call was absurd. The official created the whole situation by raising his hand and not pointing to who had the ball which was at least a couple seconds delay in a huge possession with that much time to go. Officials do have a choice in that situation, and they should swallow the whistle. Especially when they have their armed raised for seconds before they point the direction. Both teams played as hard as they could and every possession mattered, and that type of call with :45 to go in OT in a one possession game all but sealed the deal for Mitchell. GCS had their opportunity to close in regulation when a foul was called with .5 remaining on the 1 and 1. It was a great game by both teams, and unfortunately was the championship in Round 1, and Mitchell is a great team. I don't see anyone beating them. Both teams fought hard, and kudos to Mitchell kept coming even when they were almost out of it.

I agree that DII was down this season, but the league top to bottom is about as competitive as it comes. I think the West TN teams are always the toughest to play and toughest out when it comes to tournament. All of the strength of schedule arguments, etc. go out the window next week. I don't see Goodpasture as complacent. Complacent teams do not continue to beat down competition the way they have the past month, no matter who they play. They absolutely dismantled the team in their sectional last night and dropped 41 in the 3rd quarter. Sale Creek had 47 in the game. I can assure you their coach could not care less that they won 30 games, he has been to the tournament with all different types of teams and records. They can play as many as 10 players, and their top 7 seniors would start on almost any 1A team. 30-1 is a good accomplishment no matter who you play, but no one remembers that if you go out in the 1st round of the state. We will all know next week. Like to to see Hampton against Gpasture round 1. That will end this discussion one way or another.

2 of these 4 Memphis Mitchell, Humboldt, Union City, and Booker T will move on, and clearly had the toughest path to Murfreesboro. Not saying they aren't beatable, but I have a hard time finding a team out of NE Tennessee that could run with these type of teams.

Good assessment. FRA was the DII-A runner up with a D1 post player and a really good sophomore guard. They can only control the opponents in front of them. The Wartburgs, Cloudlands, Happy Valleys, Unakas, South Greenes, and Hancock Counties of the world are a real good indication of strength of schedule. I'm not taking anything away from Hampton, as I'm sure they are a respectable team and will play solid in the Boro. But there is no reason to question strength of schedule, when Hampton is playing those type of teams. They can not control their schedule. BA might be a "shell of themselves"......Even if they are (considering they lost to Ensworth an average of 6 points/game), they would beat that upper East TN bunch by 40/game. Hopefully, they will play round 1 in Murfreesboro.

Goodpasture has played Brentwood Academy, Father Ryan, PJPII, Lipscomb Academy, FRA (scrimmage), and Pearl Cohn. While their region and district opponents were not much of a matchup, they can only control the teams they play on their schedule. I doubt Hampton has seen anyone close to those teams. Especially BA.

Their soccer program has a brand facility. It's pretty nice. The AD isn't a bad guy, he has been there for 15 years. There is no headmaster, always a headmaster in waiting, or if there is he lets "PC deal with athletics".......which is why for 15 years they have completely been horrible in pretty much everything. They are decent in basketball and had a pretty good record a couple years back with cupcake scheduling, but got bounced out in the region after starting out 16-1 or something. Their programs are terrible and it starts at the top. Yes, they have great people and decent facilities, but it's the mentality that matters. And it starts at the top.

Friendship moved over to DII-A.

So Mike Kittrell is going to be the Varsity HC?

Lot of opinions in this thread. It's FCS.....Friendship Christian School...not FCA. The biggest issue with MJCA is their AD. Every sport other than men's basketball is a revolving door because of several reasons, the 1st of which is him. He really believes he does "get it".....and looking around everyone know he doesn't except himself. They have hired several quality coaches in other sports who once they get over there, see the light that they have no interest in really being competitive and either leave, or get done wrong (Harrison). The folks there really don't have a chance to compete, and the best athletes they have there end up leaving and going to FCS, MJ, WC, or DCA because they know their opportunity to compete for something is slim and none if they stay with the Saints. I've personally known several families that have left MJCA to transfer for one reason or another,and a majority of those is the athletics situation. Truth be told, MJCA with the right leadership could capitalize on their location. As another poster said, there are a lot of kids on Friday nights standing on the sidelines that could help them tremendously. Also kids walking the halls of other schools that could step right in and play anything they wanted at MJCA.....which is part of the high school experience. Unfortunately, they have not been able to benefit from this, and will continue to do the same thing over and over again (hiring someone, they stay 2-3 years and are gone for one reason or another).........because they get little support, have ideas that would work, or actually try to make something happen and get shot down. Also their teacher and coach compensation is very low. But there is a positive, so are the expectations. If you take a job there, and can actually compete, you can probably have a lifetime contract. Except if the AD gets in the way and lets a good man go because he has a young guy lined up. Think it would be best if MJCA hired someone from MJ that is connected in the local community that could get a couple of kids to transfer in. They need players. In every sport. There are a lot of good kids out there that could play something and help them, and it could be a win-win.

Great! Hope Drew can land Caleb Hollander for next year.

It's about as dead as their school. Get out of Antioch.

I like "Team Select" that practices at CPA and is coached by Michael Couey.....Coach Maddux's assistant coach. This allows Coach Couey extra income by coaching players during the summer and identifying 6th grade talent. Hopefully they expand their program down to Kindergarten and I'll let my son try out. He is a baller right now at age 4.

Wouldn't count out Stewarts Creek on pulling a couple of upsets. Good group of sophomores.

Raiderdad, Think your predictions are spot on. in A - I think Richland or Gordonsville are the teams to beat. Both have the pitching, despite the losses, someone will step up. Goodpasture doesn't have the pitching this season, and I think CA will make some noise. AA - I'd say Gibbs has to be the favorite here. West Tennessee is always tough. Greenbrier might make a run. AAA - Like your picks, but don't count out Dickson County here. They have almost everyone back and a beast of a freshmen class.

Yes, but none that urinated on the football field after a loss.........LOL.