gulloern74

My source says Gruden. He bought some land in Evensville earlier this year. Said something about loving the fishing in Dayton and wanting to return to his Eagle roots.

Smithey confirmed. Thoughts?

That's confirmed. His Twitter bio is already changed to Bradley Central.

You would be correct. We have an entirely new O-Line, and have been without some key players for some important games. We are more than likely down two or three offensive starters this week. That is not an excuse, though, just stating facts. The kid we had playing QB last season is now at WR, and he switches time between safety and linebacker on defense. I don't see this one ending well, but at least we will have some solid experience coming back next season as we only lose our kicker, a linebacker, and a tight end. All of the skill guys will be back on offense, including our tailback that has over 4,000 rushing yards over the last three seasons, as will all the O-Line. Same goes for defense as most are either juniors or sophomores. We will be senior-heavy across the board, but with the amount of experience some of the younger guys have gotten, we could be in for something special in 23.

You may be right. I would love to see my Eagles pull the upset, and if there is one thing I have trusted more than anything during the last ten years of watching them, it is that they won't quit regardless of what the scoreboard says. I'm excited to see this team's growth next season from being battle tested more so than most would be at this point. It is crazy to think this O-Line could remain mostly intact for the next two seasons as there will only be one senior starter there next year.

The Eagles have been very Jekyll and Hyde this season. Played y'all and Red Bank to the wire, but laid eggs against McMinn and Walker Valley, both of whom would lose by two TDs or more to you guys. We have just not put together a whole game. It is either our defense shines (Red Bank), our offense looks unstoppable (AC), or, like against Alcoa, McMinn, and Walker Valley, we just look like a team with a bunch of freshmen and sophomores playing massive roles on the line of scrimmage... outmatched. These Eagles will be dangerous next year (only lose two regular starters at LB and TE), but I don't see us winning more than one more game against Howard before an early exit in the playoffs this season. We will lose to Betsy, Bradley, and the game against Coffee is a toss up at this point.

They agreed to the move last season due to COVID issues, as both teams had the same week off, and just kept it the same this year.

I completely agree. It is going to be a tough season without having a BYE to give a break. Especially when we get into the middle part of the schedule when we have to face Red Bank on the road and host Walker Valley and Elizabethton three Fridays in a row. We had some guys out against Alcoa that we are hoping to get back, but they don't get a break from here on out.

Rhea lost to Alcoa 21-38 last week. We are replacing our entire OL from last season and most of our defense, but we did show a lot of promise against one of the best teams in the state. We finished last year 10-3 with the losses coming against Alcoa, Elizabethton, and Powell in the Quarterfinals. As for the BYE being so early, we were supposed to play Elizabethton in Week 2 last season, but it got moved later in the season for COVID reasons. Both teams just agreed to keep it at the later date this year instead of moving it back to Week 2. I am also shocked at the disrespect for Powell. I know they got throttled by Anderson County, but they were without Potts for most of the game, so it is hard to know how they would have fared at full strength. They should have been at least in the Top 10 even after losing, if not the Top 5. Rhea shouldn't be #3. We very well might finish there, but I don't think we are the 3rd best team in the class just yet.

They would face the winner of Rhea County and Oak Ridge/Campbell County. On the road if it is Rhea, would host if it is the others.

I know no one in 5A compares to Desean Bishop's numbers and impact, but Ethan Davis, a sophomore running back at Rhea County, has to have close to 1500 total yards, and I know he has 18 total TDs after his 5 TD performance at Bradley Central last week. I think he has a fumble recovery or two on defense as well. I think I saw from other Rhea people that he had over 200 rushing yards before halftime. He won't win the award, but he should definitely be a finalist. Even more impressive is that he shares the backfield with three other capable runners and a QB in Martin who has 17 rushing TDs and a few hundred rushing yards himself.

1A -Devin Ramsey (Unaka) - 1347 total yards, 16 total TDs, 52 tackles, 18 TFLs, 1 INT 2A - Ty Simpson (Westview) 3A - Keaton Harig (Loudon) 4A - Bryson Rollins (Elizabethton) 5A - Desean Bishop (Karns) 6A - Destin Wade (Summit)

Rhea by 3 Anderson County by 14 Halls by 7 Central by 10 Greeneville by 17

Campbell County by 7 Oak Ridge in the upset by 2 or 3 points Rhea County by 7 Halls by a pitch fork Fulton by 10

Little biased, but Eagle Stadium in Evensville is one of the best stadiums in the area and when it gets rockin, it gets ROCKIN. It is the largest I've seen in Tennessee. I would say that Blankenship and Clabo tie for my favorite I've ever travelled to. Clinton has a unique setup, and I really enjoyed going to Cleveland and Franklin County. My top ten would be 1. Rhea County 2. Oak Ridge (Blankenship) 3. Farragut (Clabo) 4. Cleveland (Benny Monroe) 5. Clinton 6. Franklin County 7. Bradley Central 8. Oakland 9. Powell 10. Walker Valley (Stadium is meh, but the band makes up for it) I know I have a *mostly* East TN bias, but to my credit I have not been able to travel out of the East much. I've never been to DB, so I can't accurately judge it. From what I've heard, it would probably rival Blankenship and Clabo, but I'd have to go to a game there to decide.

Cheering for the 'Cats from Rhea County!

It really was! Rhea County's defense played their hearts out all game, but couldn't overcome the offensive woes we've seen since the Marion County game. 28 points in three games after almost putting that many up in a quarter on Karns didn't bode well, and it is not a shock we lost 2 out of our last three. Kudos to Oak Ridge on holding tight on defense and making the plays they needed to to win on offense. Jackson is a stand up kid and darn good ball player, and I'll be cheering for the 'Cats to go all the way!

If you travel 'Cats are looking for some good food before the game, La Hacienda and Winstead's in Spring City are great, and, if you want to drive a little past the high school, Delia's in Dayton is one of the BEST Mexican restaurants in East Tennessee.

Agreed. The QB is a great player for a freshman, but Rhea County is still an offense that does better having long, sustained drives rather than quick scores. If Rhea can limit the turnovers and control the clock, I see them winning a low-scoring, close game 21-14. However, if the Eagles do like they did against Marion and Fulton, Oak Ridge could plaster us all over Eagle Stadium. The 'Cats are a much better team than either of those, and we cannot afford to turn it over four times for the third game in a row.

The story would be even better if Rhea County finds a way to beat Oak Ridge on Friday along with a Walker Valley win. They were up 28-14 on Rhea in Evensville with about 5 minutes left in the game only to have a complete collapse and lost 31-28. Making that trip back to Evensville to avenge their last loss of 2020 for a shot in the Semifinals would definitely make for a dang good story.

I avoided the pop-up by just clicking on my selection rather than doing the drag and drop.

Region 3-5A is the toughest region in the class with a legitimate three teams that could win it year in and year out. Powell is not your usual 3 seed. Pick any other region in 5A, and they are at least finishing 2nd if not first.

Never said West or Oak Ridge were low powered offenses. They are both great in their own right, and West should represent the East in Cookeville. However, I really think Walker Valley is poised to cause some issues in the playoffs. Even if they lose a tight one to Powell, it will show that Region 4 is not just a doormat for Region 3 and maybe some on here will respect WV. I am not a Mustang fan by any means, but I can appreciate a solid team when I see one.

Very true. Just an offensive guy myself and have been intrigued with Walker Valley's offense this season. Best of luck to Powell! I am nervous to see any of the top 3 from that Region 3 in the playoffs.

Offensively speaking, Walker Valley will at least be the second best offense Powell has seen this year. They score on anyone and can score a ton in a hurry. They have only scored under 30 once this season, and haven't given up more than 14 since they gave 31 to Rhea. Powell should win because they are more talented, but a turnover or two and Walker Valley could cause some serious problems for their title hopes.