Pancakes

"Winning team, losing team, score board, score board." It isn't bragging when you back it up. It is fact. Glad the students have some life in them. Shake hands at the end of the game and we're all good. In life we all win and we all loose at times. Learn to deal with it, and if you loose, ain't no shame in it, as long as you came with it, as the song goes. Respect the opponent, but get yours... better for him to deal with the loss than you. Go Red Rebels!

Been traveling out of country and knocking some things off the bucket list. Got in a couple of hours before game 1 and been on the go since. Haven't been on Coach T in a couple of weeks and probably won't very much throughout the season. Holler at me at the games and introduce yourself. I'd like to meet you. Here's to a healthy Maryville team soon and undefeated season. Someone asked earlier, how's the training going: 32 reps of 225lbs Monday for a PR, weighing in at 225lbs, 20 mile run last week, hiked part of the AT and a volcano in St Lucia. Trying to get mile time back to 6:30 without loosing weight. Mixing up the routine with cardio, weights, working on the punching bag. See you at the game Maryville friends.

The closest opponent I can recall with size and speed to compare to Ensworth would be Haven 2011. They had a great D with speed and size. Haven basically gave us two scores in that game with those shanked punts. Ensworth had what Haven had with big athletes but with better technique, obviously Ensworth is more disciplined. We played pretty poor and made Ensworth look even better than they were and just didn't compete. What stood out was Ensworth was hungry, they wanted it. Wanted to hit us in the mouth, killer instinct. The way the rb finished his runs was brutal. It was probably the best thing going into these next two weeks. Gonna be fun watching how this group responds to coaching, leaders emerge and players take ownership of responsibilities.

Yep, this year's players. Break time over, back to the big green tractor and fields that need taken care of.

Brooks has worked hard preparing for this season. He looked like the tough kind of senior you'd want to see on D. He had no fear. Need more to follow Brooks example. Got two weeks.

The gospel truth.

Respect the opponent. Do not underestimate him. It will not be an issue following these scrimmages, with anyone who matters.

its not bragging when you back up what you say. Therefore measure what you say. I do back it up btw. Now go pick at someone else.

Back from Cookeville. It was unpleasant on all accounts. Much to be done over next two weeks.

Pull a quote anywhere saying I said "crusty old farts" dipstick, part of quoting someone is to actually use their quote. I never said "all" either. The team is strong. Saying 40+ points on a Webb team is beyond optimistic. Its fantasy land. Study Ensworth film and get a real perspective. We got a lot of work to do these next two weeks and adjustments to make, as I said earlier.

Shots taken? I don't care if you are The Knox News sports writer... to say 40+ points on a 2013 Webb team is ridiculous at best. Dude.

Stars, we are all still stirred up over what got taken away in that last game. So we just smack each other around a little bit lol, Heck, I just got done beating on that Everlast punching bag the last half hour and had to lift a few like 7th string suggested just to get a little aggression out. Once game one is behind us we'll all be real huggy. Meeting at Pancake Pantry over a pile of banana pineapple triump pancakes, bacon, eggs and a cup of Joe.

Atta boy... Hope you get tutored on breaking down that MS film, cause you sure missed it on this game. No one around here in their right mind is underestimating our first opponent by a ridiculous amount as that. It'd be hard to earn a living around here broadcasting your gonna hang 40+ on the best defense Webb has ever had. That is some serious disrespect and ignorance all rolled up into one. I wont take offence to your workout jabs, they are comical. I wont bother looking up what you used to be either 7th string. Calm down, didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Back on topic.

Country I don't do scores so well, and us making adjustments the next two weeks will be KEY in preparing. We have the best staff around in game prep. If we scored 30 last time on them with that loaded O that we had and you take into account Webb is twice as good on D now, well, you know we'll have to work hard to put 24 on them over 4 quarters. I have NO idea what we can hold them to on D. Lets see if we can stop Ensworth's running game or at least slow it down and lets see what adjustments are made over the next two weeks. A wild guess right now (that means nothing but speculation due to so many unknowns at this point) is that they would put 21-24 on the board if we played today. They pound us for two TD's and score on a trick pass play for the third TD like TK did last time. Us squeaking by with a 3-6 point win. Do I think we get beat on our field? NO, HECK NO! We'll have some swagger, count on that. If we improve over the next two weeks and can stop long clock eating drives and those 20 yard runs that Webb is so good at we can win by a bigger margin. But man, we gotta have somebody hitting those RB's on every play wrapping them up. We wont wear them down like before, they are much improved now. We are disciplined, they are disciplined. We can run, they can run.

"QB 7th string" you've apparently dropped a 45lb plate on your head doing skull busters if you think we are going to hang 40 on that Defense. I drink red Kool Aid too but not gonna happen. There is no logic in that whatsoever and it doesn't resemble reality. Webb D is as legit as any, probably all D's, in any classification this year.(while we could out lift them and most other teams in the state this year that isn't the point) We only scored 30 on them two years ago with a loaded team on both sides of the ball. That was our best D that held them to 7 also. Most of the Webb guys are seniors and you win with seniors. In 2011 we could stop the run. We had a D front and linebackers who loved for teams to run it at us. Hitters! We'll see how much we improve from now to then. Rebels should win but it will be a strong test of wills and all the crap of adrenaline and emotion wont be a factor again as they've learned from playing us and Alcoa the last couple of years. We are in for a fight. If any Rebel fans think otherwise you are in for a shock. It isn't going to be easy particularly since their strength is our weakness. We need a really good couple of weeks of practice to get it together.

Again, this is a different Webb! They have conditioned and trained with some serious intensity. I've seen it personally in the off season at Next Level Training in Knoxville where we were working out. They are very much for real and it was a bunch of them hitting it hard. Several including Kelley has changed their physique by adding muscle mass and doing a lot of stamina drills. Meske is smart, they nearly knocked off Alcoa. They stopped Rankins Alcoa on 4th and inches several times. Had they not cramped they would have won. They've trained all off season to go 4 quarters and nearly all are back on both sides of the ball. Better take them very serious. The bright side is they don't throw often. He'll have a few trick plays throwing it but that's about it. Gonna run those big backs right at us.

Yes, I do BUT... first, my hope is that we can improve on D stopping the run from now until game 1/Webb. This is a different Webb than we saw two years ago. Their O Line looks like ours with two big guys 290lbs, 265lbs, then both of the 210lb-220lb 6'1"-6'3"smaller guards Campbell and Thomas were ALL STATE last year. Darn good athletes. Kelly is now a chiseled 200lbs and he scored 1 more TD than Prevo did last year. Strachan has also bulked up to 200lbs and is TOUGH and gritty. He almost rushed for 800yards last season. RB Mitchell has bulked up to 240lbs!, and RB Melton is quick and runs a 4.3/40 he was D MVP at state. Stopping the run and hitting hard on D is critical IMO. All those guys are equally good on both sides of the ball. Including Campbell 44 tackles/4 sacks and Thomas 58 tackles/5sacks and Wiloughby 48 tackles/4sacks at DE. This is as tough of an opponent as we have opened against (except the year Alcoa looked like they were on steroids) and I believe they would beat everyone on our schedule this year. If we figure out how to stop the run, we win. We don't just win against arguably the best Defense in the state with it's 9 returners, we go undefeated. If we stop Webb's running game we can stop any team. Unlikely, we see another offense or QB like Siegal. A strong Oakland team will be waiting for us and it will be a tough game as it should be, but we have the athletes, the strength and conditioning and the coaches who will put us in position to win them all.

Maryville v a senior loaded physical Oakland team in the Semis and Maryville v Mt Juliet, who has been knocking on the State door for a couple of years. The title comes back home to Blount County.

He's our most electric, big play back. He can break a long one on any play and tough as nails. The bigger the game the better he plays. We'll have a smash and dash tandem with those two who will be very difficult to slow down at RB (got several behind them too, btw). Old Rebel2, I have no idea why he was making all those tackles. It was confusing cause running backs dont tackle do they? Cause that aint happening. It is untelling what coach already knows and has planned for this 2013 team. He will be effective both ways if they want to use him that way. He has led other Maryville teams in rushing and tackles and was equally great at both. Great instincts. Like West, Shinsky has and can play RB and LB also. Guys, we've got a bunch of weapons. Still hoping Edmiston's buddies talk him into catching some balls this summer and rejoining the team for Sr season. We need another threat at WR. He's a stellar athelete and at 6'4" he'll win most battles. The young man can punt too and is another option for junk plays as he can sling it.

Hahaha you guys are crazy! Hilarious. Agree with all of Ron's observations.

Brother you know I tell it straight. Let folks think we dont have "stars" we have a whole team that is sold out, committed and strong as heck! Pick a position, RB? pushing 300 squatting 500. Go back a couple years and pick our strongest lineman in the program. We had one pushing 350, one. We got 3 of those guys this year who may see some playing time lol on the line. All others right there in the mix and helping and challanging each other. Dude this year is gonna be fun.

Well Ron, for full disclosure and the safety of all on this board I have to admit "ole pancakes here" is a parent, so ya know, take everything with a grain of salt buddy. What could I possibly know about lifting and training haha. Sorry, couldnt resist. Remember what a beast Waters was and still is? It has rubbed off. Think of the Alcoa team a few years ago that was Bull Strong and pushed everyone around like a bully. That is now us, with a lot more options.

I didn't say that. I never mentioned him. Talked about how West was used differently with his versatility and "the team" needs for a particular year. How coahes utilize players differently from year to year. We ended last season with some needs on D. That will be fixed.

"Jacob West" epitomized selflessness, sacrifice, commitment and arguably the hardest hitter we've had in recent years. Folks at state seemed surprized at how versatile he was as he had a role to play in GQ's putting all the pieces where they needed to be for that particular 2011 season. It is untelling what coach already knows and has planned for this 2013 team. I wouldnt be so quick to rule anything out as far as who goes where and how often they stay there. Look back a few years and it was pretty sick, staggering actually, what got done on both sides of the ball with particular players.