HHSFB10

There are a number of reasons for the state of Heritage football. 1. Lack of resources and support at the county level 2. Subpar coaching 3. Drop in student enrollment and subsequent rise in city schools. (Not just athletes but all students) 4. Athletes choosing to focus on one sport. 5. Kids deciding they have better things to do than play football or any sport for that matter. Numbers are down across the country, so it’s going to have the biggest impact on programs that are down. 6. Again back to coaching because the coaches are unable to overcome these issues.

And your point is? That was 11 years ago, it has not effect on what's happening now.

TSSAA needs to do something. 36 games from last week in East TN were won by more than 3 scores. TSSAA needs to create more competitive regions. Not trying to pass the buck, schools and school systems need to be more responsible for building competitive teams as well. But, I think the TSSAA can aid in the process. No reason for Heritage to play Maryville or Bradley.

At this point I don't know if it matters? I don't think Rankin, GQ, or any other coach could fix the disaster that is Heritage football.

You mean the battle of two schools getting screwed out of getting new field houses because of a county budget committee?

Heritage is on a 16 game losing streak. If they couldn't break it against LC I don't know if it'll come to an end this season.

Heritage should have a pretty good shot in this one. If they can get a win this week, they could potentially win 2 or 3 games this year. If they lose this week, it will be another 0-10 year.

It’s true. He’s coming back to blount count to turn heritage around.

Why don’t you ask coach hunt.

Alcoa football is a different monster than all of the other sports. They probably should forfeit the maryville game. Heritage has no business being on the field with maryville. Maryville has won every game over the last 18 years by more than 42 points.

It’s true that when adults do the wrong things it’s impossible to get kids to do the right things. BUT, and this is a big but, heritage not playing Alcoa is not the wrong thing. It makes no sense for heritage to play them. They gain nothing from it. If I decide not to fight mike Tyson it doesn’t mean I’m running from competition, it means I know I’m not in the same league as Tyson and have no business fighting him.

That’s not the case at all. There is no way a kid has thought to themselves, “hey I don’t have to work hard, and lose every game because we don’t play Alcoa”. Teams get better by playing similar teams that they can compete with. Heritage can’t play with Alcoa. Heritage had played Maryville year after year, and it hasn’t made heritage any better.

They were talking about coaching not talent.

What does heritage gain playing Alcoa? Playing a team and getting your teeth kicked in does nothing to improve the program. I understand the idea of playing the best teams to make you better, but you shouldn’t play the best of the best if you’re one of the worst.

Heritage beat a much more talented south Doyle team last year they had no business playing with. That was mainly because heritage looked more disciplined and more prepared.

There aren’t many who think the same.

Yes, those kids are real winners for sticking it out and not quitting. Unless, they wanted to quit and transfer to Maryville. Then it’s ok to quit, because who can blame them?

I have a really hard time figuring you out. I follow most of the heritage threads and you’ve been very complimentary of the young men at heritage who’ve stuck it out, and continue to compete against extremely tough odds. You’ve criticized the players who quit at heritage, and stated how much better in the long run the guys who stay will be. Then on a maryville thread you commend and defend families for moving their children to another school. Are those kids not quitters also? Did they not quit on their teammates at hhs or wb? Would they not be better off in the long run for sticking it out? Not trying to start the transfer city vs county argument again, just trying to point out Barney’s hypocrisy.

Sevier county by a lot. It’s going to be a long year for Heritage.

You’re probably right, but if they only play jv the program will never be able to be rebuilt. Every parent who thought about sending their son to heritage will send them to one of the city schools, and at this point no one can blame them. Any kids who thought about coming back out never will. And the county will never take the steps needed to resurrect it.

I think the biggest concern is just that. If they have to forfeit the entire season, the county may just come in and bulldoze everything. Idk if the school will ever have a football team again.

Another player was dismissed from the team too. Not to sure if Heritage will have a team by the end of the year.

I’ll agree that heritage needs to be in 5a. The little success they’ve had recently was in 5a. I want to point out that you said you were sick of hearing the excuses of losing kids to the city schools, but you just identified that as a major issue that needs to be addressed? Also, you said that Heritage needs to stop the bleed of players going to Alcoa, but failed to mention Maryville who’s starting QB lives in Walland and drives past HHS every day.

So what should the county do? What’s the solution?

Heritage’s attendance is actually under 1500 at this point not 1650. You can continue to point out consolidation as the problem, and it may be, but the county is never going back to the small high schools. There are a number of reasons heritage has such low numbers. More and more kids are specializing in one sport. Both county schools, for whatever reasons, have had a difficult time keeping kids from the city schools, and now greenback. On top of fewer kids willing to play such a demanding game. My grandfather was on one of those porter teams. He would get up in the morning go work on the farm, go to school and practice, then go home and finish working on the farm. Most kids these days are built like that.