BatmanDevil

I hardly ever play the lottery but I figured out long ago that I'm many times more likely to get atleast bitten by a shark if none of my sons are at the beach with me.No matter when then were small or now days that they are all grown,if we are at the beach together,I try and find things away from the ocean water to do.A Few years ago, they were all in some other part of the world and I was in the water atleast twice when sharks were spotted and everyone had to get out.A third time, I seen a big shark fin and stayed out anyway for a few more minutes.I figured I was in five feet of water and he was less then twenty feet away,so I might as well take my time getting back and not ring a dinner bell.Had my kids been with me,none of us would have went back after the first shark sighting.

Everything has to line up Lawnman.DB has had some really fine teams and several years ago was at the door a few times in the semi's. You have to be the best team on every friday or saturday playoff game. I know those DB teams were loaded with talent and somebody else will have to say why they were not the best during those years.I've seen some clusters since then when everyone knew DB had the best team but still didn't win some playoff games,once again folks can go back and forth on why that was the case.Both our teams have been close at times that we didn't win it all but thank goodness both schools got it done a few times .

I think we are saying the exact same thing. I'm not in disagreement or taking it as an Attack on the Devils.Your right and yes there are a few exceptions as we both mentioned.I was also saying that even with the advantages of numbers,some big schools just don't have the coaching and weight training that they should have with the money that has been thrown at the programs.

No doubt it better to have quality depth and those numbers are one of the reasons we have so many public classifications these days.Yes there are smaller 3a and 4a schools like Alcoa, Greeneville and Elizabethton who have handed to the bigger 5a and 6a teams with more depth but there is more then numbers at play there.Just because a hundred or more kids come out for some of those big schools,it doesn't matter because some of those coaches couldn't carry many of the Greeneville coaches jock strap.I seen it first hand with a 6a programs weight training a few years ago.A coach punished the whole team because it took his strongest player longer to get his weights on and off. I would have challenged the whole team to get stronger instead of belittling the strongest player.Four of his top lineman quit that team and one of them will soon be in the NFL.

Alcoa even if playing guys on both sides is going to be more then most schools can match because of their great talent most years.That is huge for a lot of 6A teams with big numbers but I'd still take a well conditioned player who runs a 4.5 over a fresh player who runs a 4.8 most times. No matter what class your in,you had better have a number 2 and 3 guy ready to go into a game at every position,even if you don't have great numbers.I know a guy who played on a team that had 13 players total back years ago and they had to go right side against left in practice and so on.I don't know what the outcome was but they actually played against Science Hill one year . Even back in the early years when the university of Tennessee was undefeated and unscored on in 1939,those guys played both ways.I knew one of those players when he was an older man and he could still whip most young guys. Maybe like a lot of things,those guy were just tougher and meaner then but just not as fast.

Alrighty then.I will not read all the comments since this has been posted but will give my own lengthy opinion.All three of these teams on any given day could take most any public school football team to the woodshed and yes that includes our very fine Devil team.Could Greeneville beat them on any given day as well, I'll say yes but either question doesn't matter this year because the Devils don't play any of them.Mainly to all the fans around the state and beyond that are not Devil fans.I love the Devils but understand that on any given day,not just the best teams around the state but with a combination of Greeneville mistakes and a fired up opponent,the Devils could be beat and had better prepare and play that way every week.

If this season is able to play out and all the best 4A teams stay healthy,here is the way I see it. No disrespect to any other team including Elizabethton ,but Greeneville has a chance to be one of two teams come playoff time. They can be scary good and nomatter if most teams had another weapon or two,Greeneville would still be extremely hard to beat.The second option is the one that I was thinking about during the game last night. Make all those mistakes and then add a few turnovers ,that could be terrible against a team playing really good on that night. What I'd like to see is the Devils play their best and clean up those mistakes all year.If they do that and Elizabethton or any other team beats them in the playoffs,then you know the Devils lost to a great team this year.Once again,best of luck to Betsy until or if our teams play again.

Great game for the Devils.The talent was showcased around the state tonight.Awesome job by the players and coaches.Just clean up those penalties going forward.

I was hoping BVD could get on here this week and say a word or two. Like myself,he doesn't say much or have a temper at all.However,I wish they had cell phones back in the day when we golfed a little bit. I've never seen another person beat a golf club for 15 minutes until it look like a pretzel and then spend 15 minutes trying to straighten it back out.

That was a good one. Actually what most folks call work today would be laughed at by our grandfathers

You know the game pretty well.I hope we are looking for the easy stuff like an onside kick and dang sure the fake punt if they only need a few yards { anywhere on the field }. Both teams have great coaches and you have to look for anything like a double pass that burns the defensive backs.So every player has to be aware of his assignment on the field and not get caught out of position,like an end or linebacker who has containment on a reverse.Also,It is hard for any QB to find a target when they are on the run,so I also look for some quick options like the pass to a back or a fast pattern by a wideout,plus maybe a draw or two from the Devils that timed right could bust for a big gain.Go devils

Maybe I'm just old but not worrying at all about tonight's game.I just hope it's a safe outcome for both teams and both can have a great season this year.Then I hope our teams get to meet up in the playoffs again with the winner going on and bringing back another gold ball !

I've played phone tag with him while working eight straight days or nights but did get to talk to him during this time.Hope to catch up tomorrow with him. He has a long road ahead but is about as tough as they come.I went down to Greeneville and we watched the first Devil game together on TV. I told him that several on coacht had ask about him. We talked about how some of the fans on here from different teams are good guys,including yourself ,Stars and several more.Ha,he said to tell Lawnman the Devils would beat those Cyclones .Thanks for asking .

Games like last week are good for the younger players on both teams and terrible for the older players on both teams.

I never want to lose at anything and this is no different.However,I'm not looking at this game like it's the end of the world,win or lose.This is for who plays at home if they meet again in the playoffs.Yes,that's pretty big but it doesn't put a gold ball in Greeneville or Elizabethton this year.I think the winner will be who learns the most and makes the best adjustments for the possible 2nd game and yeah,who has the most points at the end of this one as well. I'm not putting either team as an early favorite,both will have to earn that next week.Go Devils.

Should be an interesting game . I'll go against the grain and say the Wolves take a bite out of the Toppers and make it look easy.

Is the game going to be at West Ridge,I didn't know if they would have every thing ready this year or not

No sir,West Ridge is not South.The school that I think of from years ago and is still around, Jeff County.I don't know if WR will have some great teams like JC did back in the day but I believe they will be a very strong 6A program going forward .After some success,kids will start to leave other local schools and go to WR,like they use to the other way around .

Just seen it on the news . Twenty players ,but I don't know if that's positive test , quarantined or a combination.

Should be a great game.I look forward to seeing what this years Maryville team has.I can't imagine anything but another well coached and solid group of Rebels.

The main thing is " team ". Every one of these Devils may be the player that makes a season saving play.Shoot,it could be as simple as an onside kick recovery or a game saving tackle somewhere down the road.Every player dressed out could be that player on any given night.Anybody old enough to remember Peyton's first game at Tennessee.He was in a shootout for third string at the first of that game.Probably wasn't going to play that whole year if the starter and TH had stayed healthy and ready.

I don't believe I called out any player or any position played by any player.I simply said I'd like to see every thing the coaches see and that has nothing to do with any one player.I'll leave who plays up to the coaches,nomatter what side of the ball because that's there job.I can watch a game and see for myself if our defensive front is blowing up their offense or our O line is blowing open big lanes to run through.I can see all of that and every spot on the field.I can say there wasn't any place that the Devils didn't look pretty darn good nomatter if it was the first guys in the game or those that played at the end.Also I'll take either QB and neither was 1000x better then the other,they both looked pretty darn good in a big win.On top of that,you need atleast two good QB's ready to play at all times.

One game and you never know just how good your team is or the team you just played.I really wish I could see everything the coaches see in practice at Greeneville or in the training room. It was really nice when I had one playing up here in K-town and got to watch nearly all the practices and even the weight training { most gains for my Indians was at home }.Still,I could see why this player or that was or wasn't playing most of the time.Some young men shine when the lights are on ,but a multitude of reasons can be why they are coming off the bench.As a parent,it's hard to step back and not be atleast a tiny bit biased,however if you watch enough practices and know the game,it makes it a lot more easy. I like what I seen this last saturday night and know the coaches at Greeneville have forgotten more then Batman knows about the game of football,so I'll leave that up to them in the coming weeks to deal with the very tough schedule and prepare the team for a playoff run.

I'll go with WR in this one but yes Boone will be tougher.I think we have a possible powerhouse in the making.Central always had kids in the system but would lose many to DB,TH and South and it ended up badly for many senior classes.North had some dang good teams in the last several years .Then you have South with some great success going to the state semi's and putting all kinds of kids into the next level. A few more pass plays and WR offense will steam roll most defense's by the end of the season is my prediction.I would be very concerned if I were SH and DB going forward.It's been Maryville for years in the playoffs,now we might see another animal take a bite out of the other locals before they get a shot at the Rebs.