sx1234

Halls and Gibbs will most likely both finish top 10, not quite top 5 this year in single A. Granted both programs would say they are down this year, when they are "up" they most certainly both would compete for a state title (Gibbs did win it just 3 or 4 years ago). Also- is anyone going to acknowledge the fact that the winner of this Clinton vs Halls match has to go wrestle Greeneville??? You're arguing for the chance to drive 2 hours during the week to go wrestle one of the best teams in the state this year regardless of classification? Actually, considering this, I think I am now on your side youngbuck. What can I do to help make this Greeneville vs Clinton dual happen?

Districts were scheduled to be at Fulton last week. Knox County schools were closed due illness so they had to find another venue. Coach Sayne was pro-active and tried to find a place for the match. Anderson County High School, which is located between both Clinton and Halls and was hosting a AA district dual that evening, agreed to host the small school duals as well (This happened a couple of years ago when Pigeon Forge hosted both the small school and large school region duals when Knox County was not allowed to host). Coach Sayne relayed this information to both the Fulton and Clinton Coaches. Fulton decided to Forfeit instead, and the Clinton coach claimed that this was too late notice, he thought they would not wrestle and his guys could not make weight in time (aka... he forfeited). This was the rational used for Halls having the 1 seed, and Clinton having the 2 seed. GIven the circumstances, Halls agreed to wrestle Clinton for a true 2nd if they lost to Gibbs (which they did). This was the story told to me from a pretty reliable source when I was in the crow last night. Also, I watched Clinton pack up and leave before the end of the Halls and Gibbs match. Yes the District rescheduling was short notice, but do not claim that the man that took the initiative to find the solution to the problem is the one at fault. And the concept of wrestling at Anderson County is not as outlandish as you claim it to be, given the proximity of the schools and the fact that it was a precedent set just two years ago.

The same situation has played out numerous times and handled varies ways. Usually a coin flip to determine who's number 1 and who's the number 2 'seed', OR the two will wrestle each other to begin the evening (or sometimes both coaches are confident they'll win their first round match and will wrestle in the finals with both the Region and District championships. There are also plenty of examples of teams not wrestling in the Region finals because they wrestled already, Each district and region has the freedom to determine their own criteria. Also, word to the wise, 'Halls Wrestling' - both the youth program and high school team, are ran by some of the most well respected coaches not just in the area, but across the entire state. So kind of peculiar coach to call out specifically for any wrong doing, or say he is trying to 'steal' a district title. If you want a better explanation of what's going on, or the rational behind the decision of the seeding, I am sure Coach Sayne will talk to you personally. Additionally, If both your teams lose to Gibbs, I am sure he will be happy to wrestle off for a 'true second'. However the saying, "be careful what you wish for' may be applicable if that scenario plays out.

true 2nd for a 3 team district? Or true 2nd for region- which assumes both teams lose to Gibbs? (which isn't really a safe assumption). Halls is nowhere near as solid as they were 4 or 5 years ago, but I don't see them losing in that district for awhile. Arguments on who would beat who aside, in years past District titles have been determined on coin flips, past years results, or numerous other criteria when matches get cancelled for school closures.

Maybe you should refer to those forums on clarification on rules of hiring head coaches since several on here seem to be confused.

Never been on either. I do occasionally argue with the Nashville folk on the wrestling forums though.

There are numerous head coaches in Knox county of smaller sports (soccer, cross country, tennis, wrestling etc.) that do not work in the school. Although thats normally not the case for sports like football, there is not a rule in place that only applies to football in terms of hiring a head coach.

So roughly 5 years before this year's seniors were born?

When was the last time they didn't make the semi finals? 1998? or was there a year they got upset in round 2 or round 3 that I'm forgetting about?

Seems to be popular opinion for most when they first see them. They seem to be okay with that though.

I'm a former coach myself- Coached high school football and high school wrestling for over 20 years across 5 different states- babysitting a few jr. high and high school track and soccer teams as well. I promise you that it takes place at almost every school, in every sport, across every state! lol

If there is any speculation of wrong doing, I believe TSSAA would look through the Powell program with a fine-toothed comb (I would imagine a much deeper investigation now that a gold ball is involved). Hopefully Powell can prove innocent, and hush all the naysayers for good. You know better than I would, and you can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the only thing a Powell coach is guilty of is having a conversation that may be considered a gray area to some advocates., but does not technically violate any rules.

I may rustle some feathers of Henry Co and Knoxville West fans, or people that were claiming Page didn't deserve to be in the state finals, but I believe the two best teams in 5A met Friday night and they put on an exciting game for everybody watching. Congrats to Powell on their first state title!!! (I was shocked to learn that was their first), and hats off to Page for a hard fought game.

..... Didn't you try to say he wasn't your son awhile back ?

Since when does it work like that? Does the kid live in Powell/ zoned for Powell and the parents are considering sending him to a private school? That's perfectly acceptable and legal. But to use the "R" word and the phrase "has his list down to" insinuates that conversations that aren't allowed to happen are happening in an area that's had a history of those similar rumors.

A lot of that stuff will work itself out after a couple of tournaments. The first set of rankings are mostly speculation (especially the lower weight classes). He's one guy covering two new divisions across the entire state that he does on top of work and coaching- cut the guy some slack!

Its a rule similar to pass interference in the way that there are numerous acts that are illegal that all fall under the same penalty name. There are a few other specifications too dealing with angles. For example, The endman on a line of scrimmage can't cut down at an angle to set an edge, and you have to cut "between 10 and 2 o'clock". The blocker has to be in a 3-point stance (that may have changed) you can't be down field or open field (that one may only be youth football- can't remember). Point being that just because a ref calls illegal chop block, doesn't always mean a high-low or it wasn't off the snap of the ball, there are several illegal blocks that all fall under the same umbrella.

441 carries and 19 catches in 12 games.... that's an average of over 38 touches a game!!! Can someone say workhorse?

Being that Rhea County is a Wing-T team, and extremely well-coached Wing-T team, I would imagine that they will execute all cut blocks legally. They may add a few to their scheme to factor for Nolan, but cut blocks are most likely already a fundamental of their offense; a technique their coaches have been teaching how to do legally for years. I could be wrong, but I don't believe that will be an issue Friday night. Also, most people use the terms cut blocks and chop blocks interchangeably, but the actual rule book does define them differently. A chop block is what most people call a "high-low" block- where one blocker cuts a defensive player that is already engaged with another blocker.

First set of rankings should be out in a couple of weeks. The coaches poll, what I think you are talking about usually comes out a bit after that.

Odd combo of teams to compare to.... I wouldn't say Powell is as good as Alcoa or Maryville (shown earlier in the year). But I would say Powell beats betsy by 21+

Ouch... I hate to see that happen twice so fast. Maybe it can be eye opening for the young man though. The sky is the limit for him, he just needs to get out of his own way at times it appears. Also I just looked at Mcminn's schedule and I think some of us may have been sleeping on them (I was at least). They've won 7 in a row, Rhea County and Bradley Central are not bad losses at all, some may point to the Cleveland game- but that was week 2 and they are 6A... so I don't know if I would really call it a bad loss.

I know Collins had the injury, which is a big enough hit to Powell... But what happened to Redmond? Was there another injury or was it something at school? If the latter you don't have to go into specifics, I know the rumor mill on that one has been off an on for most of the season.

There's a lot of experienced coaches that won't take a classified position for any longer than a year (or even a semester). This has turned into Knox County's solution to not helping coaches enroll in whatever program to acquire their teaching certification, and its really hurting a lot of coaching staffs. Years ago (and many school systems still do this) coaches could get hired to teach with a transitional or temporary licence and would have 2 or 3 years to get whatever endorsement they needed, or a position would open in that 2 or 3 year time period and they would be moved in the school. Either way, they are in the same building teaching, coaching, and actually making a real paycheck. Now Knox County says, "We can't hire you to teach, but we can give you a teaching assistants position". That means their salary is around 17,000 a year, add that their assistant coach's pay in Knox County only adds another thousand or two to that a year, you see what people were meaning when we said Knox County doesn't help their coaches. Yeah its a pay check, but when you do the math of hours at the school and hours involved in coaching, those coaches make well under what is minimum wage for their time spent at work.

This is spot on, and something that is taking its toll in Knox County. I don't think school admin "undervalue" athletics in Knox County, they are just given a much shorter leash than other counties. Yes you have to have licenses to teach, but there is a little bit of wiggle room around that. As long as the coach has a degree, there are types of job-embedded programs that essentially lets the coach go ahead and start teaching and he has a couple of years to get his licenses- usually by taking an online class somewhere and passing a praxis. It's a bit of a process to apply for these types of licenses, but schools used to do it all the time to get their coaches in the building. From what I understand, the people downtown still allow this to some degree, but its become much more difficult in Knox county over the last few years. For the most part, the communities in Knoxville are very supportive of athletics and so are the teachers/ principals inside the building. However, when you consider that coaches in Knox County get paid less (on average), they don't have a last period Advanced P.E. to go ahead and start workouts, film, practice etc, and that the school board isn't as willing to help get jobs for your assistant coaches, it really makes head coaching jobs in the area less appealing.