SurfingPatriot786

If he stays for the long haul he'll do an incredible job. Great hire.

Looks to me like this is a great hire. Very well executed search by Gallatin. Good luck to y’all. Hope a bright future follows.

I’m sure when the holidays are over they will get back to doing more interviews and finish things up. I’m excited to see who y’all hire. Do they hope to hire a coach soon that will transfer to Gallatin and teach there the rest of this year?

Wow! I wonder what direction they go now?

I agree wholeheartedly. Blade is a good coach, but some of the names being thrown around are still better options. I bet Gallatin is going to get a better coach than Blade.

I apologize. I’ll try to clarify better. I just meant those schools had more talent the last few years. I don’t think it makes him a bad coach if Brentwood or Ravenwood just simply had better players and he couldn’t beat them. I think a coach can only do so much if his team is not as talented as the team lined up across from him. I heard he left education and coaching to take some time off and be with his family more. He may be ready to jump back in at a school with more talent and resources available.

This a fun thread to read. Can’t wait to see who actually gets the job. I loved this place the one time I visited and attended a game when Page played there in the playoffs a few years ago. Hope they get a great coach and get back to being the program they are capable of being.

In my opinion, the win-loss records don’t tell the whole story there. Williamson County has changed a lot over the years and there are so many schools here that it has ebbed and flowed a lot just due to how good Ravenwood, Brentwood, Franklin, and Centennial have all been at different times. Also, after his 2015 and 2016 teams, Summit being right down the road affected the zone lines a little bit. They started getting the most talented kids in that area more recently. As long as he could bring in a good staff with him to Gallatin I think he could do a really good job there.

I think it’s a great idea to split the two positions. That’s too many responsibilities for one person. I heard it’s down to two finalists. One in house and one outside guy.

I would be thrilled if I was apart of the Lipscomb brass and Jason Witten was my head football coach. Hopefully they make it happen.

That's an interesting choice for the AD. I am sure he will do a great job, though. I am interested to see what that means next. Is he about to become the head football coach too, or are they wanting to split those positions between two guys moving forward?

It sounds like Gallatin is pulling out all the stops and trying to make the best hire possible. Kudos to them for being aggressive. In my opinion, it still has all the potential to be one of the best jobs in the state and the right coach can get them back to being the successful program they have been in the past.

That is very well stated and based on the time I spend on this forum, I’d agree. If I was West fan I’d be doing same thing I’m doing as a Page fan probably. It is definitely going to be a great game and it is a great opportunity for both teams equally. Go Patriots!

I also heard this. That would be interesting if it actually happened.

That’s fair. Thanks for sharing cause that’s interesting to note. Glad they’re feeling confident. They have earned the right to feel that way, in my opinion. My main reason for saying what I did, is that I would be going into the game feeling like an underdog with something to prove just going off the belief that no one outside our circle thinks we can win so let’s go show them. As far as I can tell, most outside folks are picking West to beat Page, so the outside perception is just that Page is the under dog in this one.

I’m excited about the Patriots getting the opportunity. No one believe Page could make it back to Chattanooga, after losing McNamara and some of the other players they lost but here they are. They’ve gotten better every week. They’ve had some really impressive moments along the way to find a way to win the last 3 weeks. I worry about the speed of West, but I think Page can contain their run game enough to potentially make them one dimensional and stay in this game. Knoxville West is clearly an outstanding football team and I’m sure they’ll be a tough challenge for Page. I love knowing these guys are heading into this thing as the underdog once again. Coach Rathbone is top notch. He and this staff will have those boys ready to play. I’m excited for them to go out and show the state of Tennessee what they can do.

Good for Cody White and getting the chance to move back home to his family. He had a great run there. This will be a fun search to follow. There’s some really good coaches in the area, but I imagine they do a national level search again and find someone unexpected again. Just like they did with Cody White.

I’ll say this much. I ain’t underestimating either Henry County or Springfield next week. I saw that Henry County squad first hand last year. As tough and physical a team that I’ve seen in recent years. This year is no different. Have to focus on the task at hand right now, though. A huge game against Nolensville. What worries me the most is that the Knights seem like they’ve only improved since the first game and they are very tough. Good in all three phases and super talented. I think that game against Mt. Juliet last was crucial for many reasons. The way those kids stuck together, kept playing, and found a way to win was super impressive. I was super proud of them and I bet they’re gonna learn from the mistakes made in that game and make sure they don’t happen again. I also bet they still haven’t forgotten the way the first game against Nolensville played out. They’re going to be ready for this rematch. Those coaches have done a great job all season all season and I’m excited to see them show what they can do once again this Friday night. It is going to be a great high school football game.

Here we go folks! The Patriots travel to Mt. Juliet to take on the Golden Bears. This should be a fun game and a big challenge for the Patriots. I’m excited to see them do it. Big test on the road in a tough environment against a great team. Mt. Juliet has a couple D1 prospects if I’m not mistaken and they’ve played really well this season seems like. I am excited to see the Page boys battle it out. They have a really good thing going right now! How’s this one going to play out?

Good win for the Patriots. Good job, Coach Rathbone. They were locked in from the start and he had his team prepared and ready to play. They looked strong in all three phases and in my opinion they played one of their best games of the season so far. Can’t wait for next week!

Mt. Juliet rolls big in this one. Coach Perry has those dudes clicking on all cylinders this year. I am excited about the trip in round 2, if my Patriots can get it done against Green Hill.

This is going to be a fun game. I’d love to be there. I’d give the edge to Riverdale because they’ve been tested all season and they’re the kind of team that’s ready for the playoffs with the way they’ve played down the stretch. On the other side, Lebanon has some serious playmakers and they might be able to wear down Riverdale as the game goes.

This is an excellent point. If I remember right, they even had radio shows to reveal the bracket Saturday morning after the last regular season Friday night. That was fun. I think there’s a way you could make the Z-Plan work again.

I agree with this. It seems like Page has more spry this year. The turnover margin will be key in this one. The team that makes the mistakes will cost them. Both teams have been on the losing end of that this year. I think it’ll come down to the defenses and which one can prevent the other from establishing the ground game early. I think my Patriots will be able to get it done in a tough one.

A rematch of last years quarterfinals. This is going to be a fun game. The Patriots lost a couple tough games recently, but I think they are still a very good team with a lot to prove. They are skilled, talented, and ply really hard. Plus, with their defense they have a chance against anyone. I saw the second half of the game last night and Green Hill looked tough. They play hard and physical and run the ball well. I know it’ll be tougher without their starting running back. How does everyone think this game is gonna go?