ndirishdad

The Indians roll in this match up.....Indians 35.....Pioneers 17

Congrats SCHS! Best of luck in the next round.

Congrats to Red Bank High School. But have to say, this has been a disappointing season for the Irish. Don't know what's going on with program anymore.

That's a down-right mean spirited thing to say (KCHS won by 45). Don't know how you can say that unless you felt they needed to win by 55 or 65 to have played a better game. As a Catholic and the parent of a NDHS student/athlete, I normally pull for other Catholic schools - but in this case, I agree with some other posters - I would like to see how KCHS would fair against Alcoa! I would predict an F5 tornado would show up and ruin the day.

Catholic is as good as billed....they put a beat down on us last night. Big, athletic, and well coached. They look a lot like Alcoa. #3 is special for sure. If they stay healthy, they should make another run for Cookeville.

Catholic is big and athletic. Put a beat down on us last night. #3 is special for sure. Going to be tough to beat...good luck!

Got to go with my alma mater on this one - Rams by 13. Still think Turner is an excellent coach. Hopefully, SMMHS can start to rebuild their program. Go Rams!

Final 53 - 7 Irish!

I should have mentioned that I DO love high school football.....all of it. We experienced some "big-boy" football in round four of the playoffs from Alcoa. Got to give them their dues. You really have to admire the kids, coaching, and the community when you play in places like Alcoa, Sequatchie County, Bledsoe County, and even up in Baxter, TN with Upperman HS. The rural schools have so much nostalgia not found in the metropolitan or suburban school systems anymore.

No need to feel sorry for private school students. Let us not forget that we all send our kids to school to get an education - whether or not they win a gold ball or not. We made the decision to send ours to a private school and make the financial sacrifice in an effort to gain a quality and moral educational experience for our kids. Playing football (or any sport for that matter) is merely a by-product. I'm not quite sure neighborhood schools actually exist anymore, especially in the era of No Child Left Behind and the introduction of magnet schools. I would have loved to have sent my son to my Alma-mater....but let's just say the neighborhood has really changed since my time in school. I believe in what public schools do for our kids.....but it is sad to see how little family and community support exists for the local football programs in our county. I do admire the sense of community and pride displayed in the small town and rural county football programs though. Seems to be a tremendous amount of animosity with many of the posters on Coach T regarding private schools competing against public schools in blended districts/regions. Seems the best thing to do is create a complete split...even though the private schools are as much a part of the community as the their neighboring public schools.

Spot on about "big boy" football... "it a'int no joke". Alcoa has size, speed, and depth you do not see here in Chattanooga, in any classification. Some of our local teams may have a little of both (at certain positions), but not across the board like the Tornadoes. They should see many of their seniors get some D1 scholarship offers - especially the linebackers and D-line. This game should set the tone for our winter/spring training and practice. The underclassmen know what "big boy" football looks and feels like and need to prepare accordingly. It was a tough game to watch (from an Irish fan), but I was really impressed with their preparation and scheming on the defensive side of the ball. I spoke with one of our local priests at halftime and he summed it up pretty well - "can't deny them (Alcoa) being good".

Got to give Alcoa their due. The Tornadoes have to be one of the hardest hitting high school teams I've ever watched. Big, strong, and well coached. Fantastic facilities and a kettle corn stand....plus a jam-up scoreboard. Enjoyed the halftime highlights with Randall Cobb. Good luck against CPA. Hopefully, we get a chance to play them again next year!

ERHS should have displayed a little more class than to change the scoreboard like that. I'm going to break character for a minute and say - let's hear it for your 12&1 Pioneers! If the PA announcer said it once ("your 12-0 Pioneers!"), he said it a 100 times. I realize they were the home team, but the announcer and sound manager did take advantage of the controls by playing music when we were in the process of running a play or rallying their fan base during the same. I do admire Coach Malone and his staff for what they and the team accomplished this year. They were the better team the first time we met at Eberley Field. In fact, our fan base and school demonstrated the utmost respect for them after the game.....we (coaches, fans, and administration) would not have accepted altering the scoreboard or denying the team and parents their victory. They will need to learn to win with respect and lose with dignity to ever be considered a great team. Enough of this - time to focus on those Tornadoes! Hey Alcoa fans - where's a good place to eat up there around your neck of the woods? We're looking forward to visiting you guys...heard you have fantastic facilities!

Upperman has the best outdoor grill pit area I've seen at a high school. The facilities are good....just need to work on the turf a bit.

Actually received the notice on "schoolcast" but it only makes sense given the condition of the fields this time of year not to mention they're calling for about 2" of rain tomorrow. As I recall, we played two of our playoff games there last year. The facilities are much better at Finley. Going to be a great game