Cowboys68

The team who is mentally and physically tougher will come out on top. Last year, that team was Loudon. Should be a great game.

That is how South Pitt or any other small town with one small school fits. The town supports the school. The alumni still come to games, kids grow up in the tradition and want to go to school there, all the businesses donate, lots more community pride. Sure there are more students at RedBank. Probably more single parents who may be working instead of coming to the game. Also I'm sure the RedBank student section was way less populated. More choices of things to do in a larger city. There are many reasons that contribute! I apologize for sounding argumentative. Not my intentions! Seems RedBank gets the same critique from many opponents, "their crowd is small...", just trying to explain my opinion of why! I would like nothing more than to see the stadium packed every game to support the kids and their hard work!

Do the students and people of "your" town have 5 private schools or 16 other high schools to choose to support? Or is there one high school that every kid goes to, all the people who still live in town went to, and the town closes on Fridays because everyone is already at the game?

Just explaining facts! I didn't say a thing about "small town." It is a great atmosphere at SP, and the town support is what makes that! The community support for RedBank has been divided by there being more schools in the area. As to the enrollment numbers, dressing around 60 players with a 260 enrollment is a testament to your coaches and separates you from most every 1A program in the state. RedBank dresses around 60 with their 800ish enrollment. Because of the tradition of your program, and the lack of other choices, your kids go to South Pittsburg and your town supports the school that is there. Many people that would support RedBank support Signal Mtn, Chattanooga Christian, Notre Dame, Baylor, McCallie, Boyd Buchanan, among many others. There are 17 public high schools in Hamilton Co. There are 5 major private schools that play football in Hamilton Co. These are facts. I would assume it is some of the reason why the crowd size is not what it used to be. When(early90's-early 2000's) there was not a Signal Mtn. High School, Chattanooga Christian didn't play football, T$$AA made the privates follow the same rules, RedBank had an enrollment of around 1500, played in the highest classification(5A), and generally had around 2000 people at every home game.

Allow me to clarify some things for you all. The decline in RedBank crowd size is due to the facts that 1. The Signal Mtn. people decided to build their own school, taking away lots of students and parental support (middle class, 2 parent household) away. Ask Troll where he went to school. 2. Other folks have moved to the Soddy Daisy or East Hamilton areas for what ever reasons also taking their money and children. 3. Many kids living and working in the RedBank area who are zoned for the school are attending one of the many private schools in the area. 4. As for the game being cancelled and not rescheduled. There was a senior/academic field trip for South Pitt student athletes on Saturday. No games would be played on Sunday ever. Bye weeks did not match up, and with region games remaining (those are more important for playoff purposes), it made/makes more sense to cancel. 5. The safety of our student athletes has to be most important part of the decision making process. A game starting at 10:30 EST likely finishes around 1:00 am EST. Keep in mind kids were at school on Friday at about 7:00 am EST. Not sure it would have been a great decision having kids who have been awake for 19ish hours, played a game (after warming up 4 hours before), and then drive home at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning EST. Just to clarify!

I can't figure out why, if a school charges a tuition for out of zone students, the TSSAA doesn't at least audit those schools to see if there is any trace of financial aid being given. I believe if any financial aid is given, said schools are to be Private.

I agree that recruiting is one of the problems, the other being some school systems have open zones. As for situations not being good for a kid, if it were truly about the kid's best interest, sitting a year of a sport wouldn't matter. Hardly anyone transfers for any other reason than sport. There are zero eligibility issues with algebra!