hotrod44

Rhea most definitely did not come and play to win the first half. I wish they would have. But how many times have you seen a team not play to their potential. It happens. West is too good of a team for that stuff. The second half rhea came out and played their hearts out. In my eyes they redeemed themselves. They belonged on that field, and had they played the whole game like the second half, even in a well officiated game, they would have put themselves in a position to win. That's the game I went to see. Unfortunately the refs made the game a debacle, and extremely hard to judge how well the two matched up. I was sitting on the opposite end of the field from where all the bad calls were made, so all I could go on was their communication back to the crowd. Of which they did a horrible job, and I couldn't make heads our tales of their reasoning. So from my perspective, west got shafted by them and did effect the score. But all in all, imo, rhea can beat west, but they would have to play extremely hard all game and it would be hard fought and very close.

Hey RCEF, I didn't mean to come across as a west guy. I played on rhea county's 92-95 teams. That was just my honest assessment of the game.

Refs aside... I heard a player and a couple of west's staff talking about rhea's physicality and how we were the most physical team they had and will face all year. Honestly I didn't see that at all in the first half. Rhea was not playing inspired at all. West was so much faster, and if you ask me they were much more physical. Their backs were falling forward even when rhea's D had clean shots on them. My friends and I were discussing how West just seemed like they were too good. Rhea didn't come to play in the first half, and didn't look like they believed. Cut to the second half... Rhea came out playing hard and fast; smashing mouths and controlling the scrimmage line. They were definitely the more physical team. West still had a speed advantage, but rhea was staying with them stretching out plays and JUST catching their backs on the corners before they broke loose. Playing inspired and believing they could win Rhea was the team they had been all year. The refs most definitely took points right off the board from west, and who knows what else they effected as compared to what should have or should not have been called. But regardless of the score or what it should have been, rhea showed me they belong in that game and gave west more than they wanted in that second half. And it says a lot that all of rhea's key players play both ways, and all of west's only pay one side. In a close game I honestly believe that would have been a deciding factor. I only wish our boys would have played more inspired in the first. Given that, I don't believe they need the refs to keep them in this game. West is an amazing team and will be a joy to cheer for in the finals.

Yea, ten years of football and I have NEVER seen them blow the whistle and stop a pick six. Absolutely disgusting... Can't believe such a horrible called game at this point in the playoffs

These are two totally different teams playing now...terrible calls on both sides...west has had quite a few more with more hurtful results

Yea no explanation for these refs...it is what it is at this point...all that was in the first half though....if rhea pulls it out you gotta hand it to em for comin back from 28-0 all in the second half

Rhea boys are playing with much more fire this half...they were playing like they were intimidated earlier....who knows with these refs though...

We got a game!

Wow... I don't understand these calls..maybe I have forgotten the rules...well still our ball...thx refs

Yes..a first down..brick by brick boys

Rc needs to put the pads on them...so freaking fast

I know the penalties have been on west mainly...but that was prefect timing... Not pass interference

I'm not giving it to west yet..but they are definitely a new class of football....much better than ooltewah, the last game I went too

Ty Willie...couldn't make it to the game

Just came across this forum and thread and saw Sweet Science talking about Josh and it had me reminiscing, so I had to post. Im a close friend and played LB along side Josh from jr.high up to senior year when I got moved to DE. Although he started as a sophomore, I didn't except as punter. Josh was absolutely ferocious on the field. You had to be fully committed and totally sell out to bring him down by yourself. He was 235, squatted 605, ran a 4.6, and refused to go down every time he ran the ball. Film was very entertaining, especially when he got to the secondary and those poor DBs had to tackle him. In wrestling he lost the finals as a sophomore, and won the state as a junior and senior. He went to Tn. Tech on a full ride where he played nose tackle. I was wingback in that 94 game, and I do remember it being hard fought. We had much respect for y'all and took that game very seriously, and we were so disappointed we didn't prevail. Knocking you guys off would have been a huge moral booster. Trying hard to remember some details, but I think ten years of football in my formative years had adverse effects on my memory lol. I expect Friday's game to be a nailbiter. I really don't know much about OR this year, but ever since our game I've had much respect for oak ridge and hope our boys don't underestimate y'all because of how easily ooltewah went down. After Rhea county went to the playoffs last year, and after reading about the success their new head coach had at Knox Catholic, I decided to come to a few games this year. All I can really say is...wow! These kids have really bought in to what this guy is selling, and playing with fire and passion. Their execution of the offense is so impressive and head and shoulders above the opposing team's. To see them take on a defense like ooltewah's with 9 and 10 in the box and still rush for 428 yards, I mean, what else can a defense do? At first I think it just had to be the coach and his scheme, but then I think about the O line and the holes they open up, and then I think about the 3 awesome backs they have running the ball and how no matter who ends up with the ball it's in capable hands. After seeing them smash some teams I had never heard of I was eager to see how they would do against an undefeated Ooltewah. Ooltewah's offense had a bad night or rhea just confused them, either way that's not the story. The story is what rhea did to their D. Did their D have a bad night as well? From what I have read the owls defense was smothering and tough to drive on, yet they gave up 428 yards on the ground. I'm worried about how they will handle OR's enormous d-line. Just goin from the roster it looks like the rest of their defense is kinda small, but probably fast. If they can consistently control the line of scrimmage and keep getting to the second level, it should be business as usual for rheas running game. It will then be a question of can oak ridge score with them enough to keep up. If the line can't handle OR's size then that will pretty much be the ball game. With the way rhea county has ran the ball all year I'm gonna say they find a way run it, and oak ridge does their thing in a high scoring close one. Rhea wins 48-45, but I'm not biased or anything.