MidTennFootball

7 hours ago, FBfan26 said:

Bone to pick:  So I heard a media member sent out an email out about playing rap music at football games. From my understanding it was a problem with him listening to the radio version of rap songs because the radio blanked words out and said the kids shouldn’t be listening to it in the first place….This is ridiculous….Im sorry majority of the metro kids don’t warm up to Katy Perry Dixie Chicks or Def Leppard. We listen to what we listen to. 

I think they occasionally forget they are supposed to write the news not become it and virtue signal

13 hours ago, BarneySox2007 said:

Not bashing Oakland but good for the game to see different teams win. Yes Maryville done exactly the same thing but as time wore on it became evident why no one was coming to see a azz whooping across the field from us. Not an Oakland hater by any means. Maryville lost not only a great head coach but two Hall of Fame assistants that you can see the difference like night and day. It would be nice to see the move ins slow down some and play with your own crop and not reload with all D1 players year after year. Creasy is a fine coach indeed and has been very successful. I have a lot of friends that no longer attend  the games anymore because they already know no matter what or how good we are we have to deal with the Oakland beatdown. I honestly feel the same way but not ready to jump off the ship but I don't go to many games as I once did in years past. No way in ale was I going to drive down 75 last night to watch what I already knew was going to happen when I could watch it at home and save the long drive and even watch other games like the Jefferson and Bearden game and also the Oak Ridge disaster and be in bed  after, while everyone is only halfway back from the game. Plus I also do not agree with the dictatorship that is running that high school and why I won't give them a wooden nickle to help out while that BS keeps going on and gets deeper every year.

I don't disagree but dynasties rise and fall, Oakland isn't any different. Riverdale made the BCB ( or Clinic Bowl) 9 out of the last 13 seasons under Rankin, they haven't been back since. I grew up on Oakland football at a time when scoring a TD on Riverdale was cause for celebration. Don't count on the growth slowing down in Middle Tennessee, it's just something that is a new reality, if it's not Oakland it will be someone else.

I do wish GQ and his staff had hung around longer. A great coach surrounds himself with great assistants. Having Gaylor and Ellis was basically a cheat code for Maryville

11 hours ago, TommyBahama said:

MJ has the worst offense I've seen in a long time and that was before the key injuries they've had.  At no time last night were they a threat to score. Perry has got to decide once and for all what he wants to accomplish.  Continuing to hire young, lapdog (yes men) assistants is going to continue to yield similar results.  If MJ had any sort of offense at all last night they had a chance to win that game. 

Not sure I'd put it that way but I think the offense has held MJ back for the last several years. Most years they have been solid defensively and have a good S&C program. They need to get Roger to show the young 'uns how it's done

1 hour ago, alt1958b said:

Don't disagree with you on the probability. Just my opinion on the fact that the TSSAA has set things too broad for the number of teams.

Right there with you, I wish they would slim It down I just don't think it's realistic.

18 minutes ago, alt1958b said:

Well Georgia also never had the private schools separated, although that looks to be coming. So the 7 included all the private schools. We have 9.

 

Fair enough and if the privates decide to stay you might be able to eliminate a class but my point still stands, I'd be very surprised if they ever eliminate a public school class

14 minutes ago, JJrebel2010 said:

When you say that took Maryville’s model and applied it to their own, what do you mean by that? I’m curious, because they play two completely different styles of football. So I’m not really sure what you’re trying to say. 

By having complete buy in from youth league all the way through high school, developed by top flight coaching. Your right as far as scheme goes,  they couldn't be more different although Hunt has been more run oriented than his predecessor 

2 hours ago, BarneySox2007 said:

I don't like to see a team dominate over and over like Oakland has because it's not good for all high school football as a whole. I would like nothing better than to see Bradley take it to them with their A Game just like the Bearden game and let the air out of their tires for a change. That would be to East Tennessee's benefit who ever represents this side of the state for next time being. I don't hate Oakland but the way D1 players keep showing up at the doorsteps there has gotten old.

Yet you support a team that has dominated the their in for nearly 30 years, Oakland has dominated for only a third of that time.  I agree that parity makes it more fun but don't act like you didn't enjoy Maryville being a team you could automatic write in for the semifinals.

Oakland isn't any more talented than any other successful team in Middle Tennessee and they aren't the only ones high profile transfers move to, what got them to the next level was taking the model that made Maryville so successful and applying it to their own and it doesnt hurt they have one of the best staffs in the state. I figured most Maryville folk could appreciate that but maybe I'm wrong

2 minutes ago, Booger said:

partly agree with MTF......but no way can the human eliment of T$$AA or the TN sports writers be allowed to decide on who those 2 are

Booger just sayin 

I think a computer rating system along with a panel of 4-6 writers who have statewide credibility could work, but no larger bc I agree the average AP voter couldnt tell you anything about teams that are outside the grand division they're in

9 minutes ago, alt1958b said:

I give credit for that. Maryville has played up and still dominated.

I have said for a while that there were too many teams int he playoffs and actually too many classes.

Georgia had 7 and are dropping back to 6 this go around. Tennessee needs to follow suit and drop the number of classes at least one, maybe two and drop the number of teams in the playoffs. Teams with losing recodes should not be playing at this level.

At this point, I think it would be better to only let the top 2 teams get automatic berths into the playoffs and let the rest be wild card teams. I'd be stunned if the TSSAA voted to go back to 5 classes, much less 4

7 minutes ago, LadyCavsFan said:

Cookeville definitely showed tonight how much they have improved this season.  That was not a cake walk by Riverdale.   The Cavs played well and Riverdale had to fight.  I am sure the Cavs wish they had a few plays back but overall it was great football playoff game.  Score was not representative of how close the game was IMO.  But I believe both teams thought the officiating was crazy in second half. Changed the flow of the game and Cookeville seemed to get the worst end of most of the calls.   I am not saying that officials changed the game.  I am just saying….they sucked!   I am excited to see how much this team improves next year.

How many starters are returning?

14 hours ago, MJGOLDENBEARS said:

Our issues have been and probably always will be overall talent and depth. Yes we have had spotty talent and the last 2 seasons… 2… we have had a steady stream… even then our 2 highest recruited players, one being an Olineman and the other a LB that was kicked off. At best you can convince me our talent is slightly above average for a 6a school but unfortunately in a day an age where the best teams recruit, I don’t think we will keep up. People want this narrative that it’s TP’s fault….  I just can’t fathom what the guy did to anyone to have such skeptical, and downright rude critics. He has done a solid job with the TALENT GIVEN to him. However I can agree with the scheduling issues and tendency to regress as the season goes on…. Although with the regressing argument I could just point fingers at lack of depth and injuries… like it’s not rocket science. Once again talent is at best slightly above average in the upper middle class area of Mount Juliet. End of discussion.

Won't dispute that MJ is at a talent disadvantage against some teams, but there are programs at a similar talent level that have consistently played for titles. I do think Perry has done a solid job and have not heard a bad word said against them, there's something to be said for running a program that represents a community well on and off the field. 

Iron sharpens Iron. Until MJ makes peace with the idea that its OK to go 6-4 in the regular season against a challenging schedule, were going to be talking about the same things every year. Oddly enough, Perry actually put together some good schedules when he first took over, struggled some then went the easy route. I don't hate Perry and I think anybody that does should check their priorities, I just want to see successful teams play other successful teams

I think non-Oakland folk need to consider the possibility that Week 11 happened not because of a bad half but merely the possibility that Riverdale is just better. This team is relatively young by Oakland standards whereas just about every major contributor for Riverdale is a senior.

Some people see it as a bump in the road on the way to another title, I see it as a potential repeat of 2019 where Riverdale exposed us a little bit there as well (albeit in a loss) on the way to getting knocked out before the BCB. Hopefully the team proves me wrong and makes me feel like an idiot

1 minute ago, ttitan27 said:

Try the tamales.  I grew up in the Mississippi delta and theirs are as close to authentic delta tamales as you can get.  We have a Champys here in the boro.   Good food.   Great fried chicken livers too 

I can second on the chicken livers

3 minutes ago, ttitan27 said:

I usually will watch theirs but when I went to the site this past Friday I couldn't see a link to watch it.   Did I simply overlook it?  The kids that ran the graphics for that were usually sitting right beside me in the pressbox  when I  was working the games running the scoreboard and the 25/40 clock.  Nice kids but almost none of them knew anything about football at all.  They were all in the AV program  at school. Even still they do a really good job.  NFHS?  Not so much.

Because it's the playoffs it was broadcast via nfhs on Friday then uploaded to the school site saturday. Honestly I like that it's just video and the PA announcer. Your right it's hit or miss on nfhs. It seems like the smaller schools that usually have the better production

1 minute ago, ttitan27 said:

Yup NFHS only during the playoffs until finals it seems.  Some NFHS broadcast are better than others.  Oakland's was horrible last year but Moore County has a great one.  Never know what you're gonna get.  Hopefully y'alls will be a good one.  Good luck Murvil.   Hope y'all get it done. With a little luck Oakland can make it there as well.   It's kinda become a nice tradition seeing them face off.

Oakland does their own broadcast when their at home, pretty well done and no annoying commentary

9 minutes ago, blitzinbuc said:

When's the last time a tri-cities 5A or 6A football team even played in a state championship game? 

Closest I can think of is when DB made the semis in 98,00,02

Since we're all throwing out our own ideas.....

Keep it at 6 Classes, but only the top 2 in each region earn automatic trips to the playoffs. Use a rating system that not only rewards teams for scheduling tough competition but beating them as well. Break the bracket down to 2 Quads, each seeded 1-16 and eliminate the alternate sites for semifinals. Would prefer this happen for 5 classes, but I know going back to 5 classes is a pipe dream

Some of you are gonna be big mad when the TSSAA passes the one time transfer rule

3 minutes ago, MJGOLDENBEARS said:

Good way to put it, MJ has had reasonable talent, sure. Unfortunately the stars haven’t aligned properly on the right positions on the right year. It’s always lacking somewhere.

I want to address this over here bc I don't want to derail the thread it originated on. You can win championships with reasonable talent, MJ has sent a steady stream of kids to FBS and FCS so I don't think talent is the issue.

The issue IMO is MJ clearly isn't getting better over the course of the season, or at least as much as they should. This is the 2nd time in 3 seasons they've collapsed down the stretch, they did recover to beat Rockvale, but the Rockets were also down to their 3rd string QB I believe. The struggles are partly due to the fact that MJ doesn't play elite competition until its absolutely forced to. I think the other part of this equation is the offense, feels like every time they've hit a rough patch or don't achieve their potential,  it's on that side of the ball.

I have no doubt MJ will play hard, but trying to guess a score is anybody's guess. Oakland could win by 35, or they could win by 3-7 and neither would surprise me

2 minutes ago, MJGOLDENBEARS said:

Poor travers has none. But yet MJ is oozing with talent. On a good year, we are going to have 1 maybe 2 guys that can catch and run. That’s if we’re lucky.

You can be "oozing" with talent and still only have 1-2 guys that can catch and run, stars just happened to align right for Riverdale. Good QBs make the talent around him better and Graham def falls in that category

4 minutes ago, jhawk23 said:

And Oakland typically likes to play man to man and dare you to beat them 1-on-1 on the outside, but my guess is they thought better of that in that matchup because most teams can't pass like Riverdale can. If those two do meet again it will be interesting to see if Oakland changes anything up defensively. 

True, it's been a staple of the defense under Creasy and it works alot bc Oakland has been blessed with alot of college talent in the secondary the last 10 years. Most teams only have 1-2 threats they can utilize in the passing game, Riverdale has at least 4

10 minutes ago, jhawk23 said:

And the problem with that is those great receivers could beat you deep and Graham will likely throw it on the money. Really tough to defend. I actually thought Oakland's defense did a pretty good job for the most part and Riverdale still put up 25

Your not wrong. In theory, making a passing team methodically move down the field plays into the hands of the defense bc they'll eventually make a mistake. Unfortunately for Oakland, Graham played the best half I've seen from a QB since Stockstill. You truly got to pick your poison and hope for the best

15 hours ago, StarBright87 said:

Blaze for 6a there's 2 teams that's holding the state hostage Oakland and Maryville. So the Memphis area teams can say this is the best it's going to get cause we're not beating Oakland and the 2 knoxville teams can say the same because we're not beating Maryville, this is the first year in forever that 6a is wide open.

From '17 to '20 when the 2 knoxville teams were in db conference db went 7-2 against Bearden and Farragut and would have faced Oakland some of those years had it not been for Maryville. This was the 1st year that realistically db would maybe had a chance at beating Maryville, still wouldn't matter because Bearden is loaded this year 

For 5a your trailblazer were just a year too early, last season West team probably the best team they ever had, if yall could have that team from last year I could see a semi game or maybe a state championship game, this West and Powell team are beatable. For TN High they're always going to suffer from living in a small town that you have the inner city kids split into 2 high schools. Tn high best player this year #1 Donnie Thomas he's a transfer from VA High had they not had him they wouldn't even won some of the games they did. Tn high will always need the athletes from VA high and VA high will always need the meat and potatoes guys from Tn High.

In 6A, you got as many as 8 teams that can win the title this year. The favorite is someone not named Oakland or Maryville. The changing landscape of HSFB is going to make it hard to establish the kind of run the Rebels achieved. 

Can't speak for 5A, I just get the feeling that winning championships isn't the kind of priority for the 6A NET programs like it is for the other strong programs in the state. 

3 minutes ago, ttitan27 said:

Graham gets rid of the ball so fast that it's really hard to get pressure on him.  At least that was my thoughts after watching him pick Oakland apart.  Quick passes to the playmakers outside and let them do their thing.  Have to have solid tackling at the corner and safety positions.

Agreed its rare he holds the ball just gotta find a way to force them in 2 & 3rd long. He rightly gets much of the praise but even without Montgomery,  Riverdale has a stout WR Corps

Any hope Cookeville has of keeping this game close depends on how they start. They need to completely empty the playbook, onside kicks after every score, etc.

Riverdale is pretty solid up the middle, but if Cookeville can attack the perimeter I think they'll have some success. They got find a way to pressure Graham, if he has a clean pocket he'll pick you apart like he did Oakland for most of the 2nd half