82Wildcat68

Do we have to go back over this again?

Maybe something happened yesterday, but I was standing with Gaddis Monday after practice when someone asked him if his coaches got hired. He said "no, but all three were on the field today, they are currently working for free".

The three new coaches are at practice, but as of talking to Coach Gaddis Monday night, have not been hired. They are currently working for free. The three are Meunch (pronounced Minch) at O line, Graham, and Wyatt at QB. On a slightly unrelated topic....it was reported in the Sentinel tonight that Roane County is cutting out all supplements for coaching and extracurricular activities.

Hard to tell being the first day and all. Can put on pads for two more weeks. No team practice, all individuals, and with three new coaches. They are starting over in some areas. Line is using a whole new blocking scheme. There is a 7 on 7 at Maryville College from 1 to 4 on Saturday. That may show us something.

Started yesterday.

Are Ridgerunner and Bladerunner brothers?

The folks they need to be on a social media campaign toward is the City Council. They have denied any request that the school board has made for money. They even refused an emergency request for $35,000 to repair the sink hole in the soccer field. That's after cutting a previous budget request and telling the SB they should just ask for emergency funding for contingencies.

Forgot to mention Tim Grabenstein on the line and DE. Another returning starter. I think our line with be our strength until the other areas catch up experience wise.

My son finished spring practice as starting TE, moved from receiver, where he played as a freshman and sophomore. To be honest, I spent most of the time I was at practice over with the linemen. I have watched the rising juniors play since they were in 7th grade. As a group, they are good athletes, and play with a lot of pride. Bonds, Chitwood, Rowe, Myer, Hardy, Hall, Riikola, Kasner, Kaczocha, and Waddell (disclaimer, he's my son) are all players to watch. Bonds and Rowe have good speed, Kaczocha is short, but has good hands and is quick when he gets the ball. Hall is a returner at Corner. Kasner has good size as a lineman, and is a solid player. Waddell, at 6'4", 210, is a prototypical TE and is solid blocker. Myer and Chitwood are hard hitters. Seniors Caleb Clement, Marcus Knaff, Harry Boston, Cody Perez, and Marion Alvarez have good size, and will see alot of playing time on the line. Richard Turner is a returning starter at SS. Goins will see a lot of time at WR. Gerod Young is a good solid player at either SS or QB. Sophomores Gavin Warrington, Jordon Dunbar, Brandon Nickle (K), Matthew Warmbrod, Tamarrea Hurd, Adam Manookian, and Jared Verner were getting a lot of looks in the spring. That new huge lineman is impressive, can't remember his name, but he is the strongest guy on the team, and is one of the three biggest linemen in 5A. I probably missed a few I should have mentioned, but without doing much team scrimmaging this spring, and because several players were moved around, it was difficult to get a good read on everybody. I really would be disappointed in a 7-3 record. 8-2 I think is realistic. 10 wins and two or three playoff games isn't out of the question.

Preseason coaches poll from Murphyfair.com Class 5A (Top 10 teams) 1. Beech 2. Columbia Central 3. Henry County 4. Ridgeway 5. Knoxville West 6. Ooltewah 7. Oak Ridge 8. Lenoir City 9. Cleveland (tie) 10. East Hamilton (tie)

Joe pushed hard for Saunders to come back. Coach Saunders told me personally he would help in summer but he was already planning on traveling with his wife in the fall and he wasn't coming back. 30+ years was enough. I have been told by the father of one of the kickers that Mckever Marlar was going to help coach the kickers.

This horse is a bloody pulp and is starting to stink. Just like everyone else, I thinks it's a raw deal for these coaches. For them, and the rep of the system and the good of the program, I hope it all gets worked out. However, if not, let's move on. Everyone talks like we are coming off a losing season. We won 10 games last year, with basically the staff we have now with a couple of exceptions, and the coaches that left have been back filled with good coaches with the exception of Saunders....we still need a kicking coach. We have good players that are disciplined and working hard in the off season. Last years JV won every game except Maryville. We have a good freshmen class coming up that will play a part in 2014. The future is bright. Lets get excited about what happens in 58 days from tonight, and quit whining about this.

Freshmen are one group and sophmores, juniors and seniors the other.

I was at the Booster Club also. The Booster's job is to support the team and not to get into politics. We have to work with the administration as well as the coaches, so it is doubtful that the Booster Club as an organization will get involved one way or the other. If you have strong feelings about it, ask Coach Gaddis. The new Super either started this week or next. Something may be worked out with him, I don't know. Others on here are correct, even though 8 or so positions are being cut, they will not replace teachers that are leaving, and will hire to fill any vacant funded positions.

It's most definitely true.

Yes

No. Get this. The administration supposedly told Gaddis that he could bring in three new coaches. They all three quit their old jobs and moved their families here. Now the administration says they don't have the money to hire them.

Thought you guys might find it interesting. 58 Freshmen reported for workouts yesterday. With the 76 JV and Varsity players that went throigh spring drills, that's over 130 players. Not bad. We'll see how many are left for the first game.

Russel is still there. Collett left for Alcoa. Wyatt, Graham, and one other coach (Muench, I suspect) are expected to join the staff.

I played for Emory my Sophomore year. He was a great motivator and coach. But, I'm not sure he would have had the same success a second time around at Oak Ridge that he did the first time. For one thing, Paul Brewster, Hale's DC, who came with him from Johnson City, stayed at APSU after Emory left there. Also, Chick Granning, Emory's OC, didn't go with him after APSU either. I've always felt that the combination of those three coaches at that point in time was what made Oak Ridge successful. Emory came in '69 with Brewster. Granning came a few years later. Emory was successfull before Chick came, but the really successful years of '75 through '80 happened after Chick got here.

Do you know that none other than Emory Hale was Spurrier's QB coach at Science Hill?

Everybody bemoans the fact we lost 23 seniors. I'm not saying it will be easy by any stretch. But, last years JV beat everyone they played except Maryville. Plus, it looks like several of the rising Sophomores will be good athletes. If we can get past Farragut (Gaddis didn't lose but 1 opening game in 10 years last time in Oak Ridge), we will have a couple of weeks to iron out the kinks before MC.

They ain't losing to Farragut or AC. Not going to happen. I predict 8-2 at the worst. I don't know what MC and Powell have this year. I would not be surprised at a 10 win season.

Wyatt was at the scrimmage today, down on the field where I was also. When I asked one of the kids who he was, they said he was the new QB coach. Did some checking on the web, and he was Gaddis' QB coach and OC at Henry County, and apparently went with him from there to NC.

Turner did practice up until yesterday. He just missed the two days this week.