OldTownRoad

9 minutes ago, croz6110 said:

For the most part, this game went about like I expected.

Last year, when we won 20-0, the game was closer than the score. This year, the game wasn't as close as the score.

Gordonsville moved it all night, I feel that at minimum, we left 3 scores on the field being inside the 10 those times. I feel it was more on account of our mistakes rather than Clay making plays. 

Granted Clay made mistakes as well, but if I counted right, they only had 6 first downs all night, and one was on a roughing the kicker on a 4th and 12. They were still held to close to 200 yards, and 135 of that was on 2 plays, one being a long pass at the end for a td where the defender fell. It happens...

Clay will be a different and better team as Arms gets his legs under him more, and I feel they'll give SP a pretty good game. I feel we did a good job of keeping the ball from getting into Kerr's hands, and we were missing a 4 year starter at WR/DB. We'll be glad to get him back.

I hope to see them again in the 3rd round. That means we're playing at home, and I always enjoy seeing my Clay County peeps.

Again, I feel the game should've been around 28-7, however, Clay's grit affected that more than I like.

I disagree with you about the regular season game last year. I would consider the score to be closer than what the game really was. Clay was never in that one. Gordonsville was in complete control in that one. I think Clay did a much better job of fighting back in this one when they got down tonight than last year though. Gordonsville is a very difficult team to play against when they have a lead. I would love to watch a rematch in round 3 (although it is insane that Clay would go to Gordonsville four times in a row). Having Arms back at this point in the season has been described as creating a good problem to have, but not being sure how to split Adams/Arms at QB still highlighted tonight why it is a problem in the first place.

26 minutes ago, Trollin said:

Just shows me even more that we are better than WH. Regular Seasons over. Big boy ball now. Waverly is running hot. We’re coming to put WH in their place. 

Will Waverly play next week at Jackson County or will they play at a neutral site?

Round 1

South Pitt hosts RBS

Clay County hosts Sale Creek

Gordonsville hosts Copper Basin

Whitwell hosts Jo Byrns

My predicted winners are in bold. In my opinion, all but the last one will be running clock by halftime. I don't know enough about Whitwell to predict that score. I think Jo Byrns wins that one though.

Hats off to the Tigers. Clay County had too many mistakes in this one, and it takes a nearly flawless game to win at Gordonsville. Now, on to the postseason and Sale Creek. Would love to see a rematch with Gordonsville, but have to win next week first, then go beat the gold standard in East side of Class A on their field for that to happen.

56 minutes ago, Enthusiast said:

I guess I know very little about football, but I can’t seem to understand the rationale behind a competent belief that Clay Co. will score 28, tonight.

Jo Byrns coach said, unequivocally, Gordonsville is “by far the best team we will play, in the regular season.” Clay Co. beat Jo Byrns 20-6 and I know teams can get better as the season goes on, but it appeared Gordonsville could have put up 60 on Jo Byrns. The starters were on the sidelines, early in the 3rd.

Clay has never played well at Jo Byrns. Last year, the game against Jo Byrns was a running clock in Celina. Gordonsville played Jo Byrns at home, so your comparison is apples to oranges. What I don't understand is the belief that Gordonsville will score 28+ on Clay. Nobody has scored more than 14 against their starters (Grundy and RBS both scored twice on subs). In fact, only Cornersville and Westmoreland has scored multiple times against Clay's starters (12 and 14 points respectively). I do think the rain will cause a few more issues for Clay's offense, so I am updating my prediction. 

Bulldogs 26

Tigers 14

3 hours ago, Pirate2003 said:

So according to these rankings.. Clay County is 30 points better than Pitt? Yes we’re down but wow. 

I don't think it translates point for point on the football field. However, I agree that gap is too large. The road to Chattanooga runs through South Pitt for the East.

1 hour ago, croz6110 said:

It's actually a hard question to answer. I think there are a few position groups that are not as good, simply because we went from playing with dominant seniors to talented underclassmen. 

As a team, I feel like we might be better, mainly because the large sophomore and junior classes are a year older and more experienced. There are several juniors that started as freshmen, and now they're 3 year starters and have another year to go. But, I also know that as of right now, there are only 3 seniors seeing significant playing time. A lack of numbers in the senior class is a hard obstacle to overcome.

Having said all that, honestly, I'm surprised by our record at this point. It is better than what I thought it would be. Offensively, I thought our offensive line would be a very strong aspect of our team. We were coming in with 3 returning starters, and one open spot would be filled by a senior. 2 of those returning starters have been hampered by injuries, so we've been playing 1 senior, 2 juniors, 1 sophomore, and 1 freshman on the O-line, and only one of those started last year, yet they've been getting it done. As always, they can do better, but I've been pleasantly surprised at what they've done thus far.

Again, having said all that, I think as a whole we're a little better, however there are a couple of position groups that are not what they were last year. It kind of makes it hard to compare to last year as our strengths are completely different.

I believe this is one of the best assessments I've read on CoachT.

On 10/25/2021 at 8:23 PM, croz6110 said:

We only had 4 playing RBS.

Same for Clay County - RBS. The one official under the goalpost on extra points just gave a thumbs up instead of raising both arms straight up. Really sad that TSSAA can't get enough officials to have a full crew at all the games.

59 minutes ago, VOLnWTN said:

IMHO, everyone needs to worry about the current week and quit looking ahead to what might be.  That is how you start playing basketball early.  That top 10 poll doesn't mean a thing.  The only rankings that mean something is week 11....then week 12.....etc. 

Absolutely. I've said they were garbage all year when Clay County was ranked below Cornersville and I still believe they are meaningless now.

Given the two point addition for home field advantage, that puts Clay County at 118.04 and Gordonsville at 117.54, meaning Friday's contest is a virtual toss up. I would say the rankings got that aspect correct. Although, I do not believe that Clay County should be #2. McKenzie, Peabody, Fayetteville, and South Pitt should all be ahead of Clay County in my opinion.

The loser of this game gets a brutal gift of hosting Tyner. Definitely the highest stakes TC - Watertown game in years. The odds of a rematch in round 3 are very slim to the say the least. Whoever gets to the semifinals this year from Region 3/4 will be battle tested and posied to win a gold football.

7 hours ago, Archiewho said:

No problem at all with McKenzie at #1, they are undefeated against common opponents (Huntingdon) with Trenton Peabody.  This will all play out in the next month when the west is decided between Lake Co/Trenton/McKenzie/Fayetteville

Dresden will play factor in this area as well.

Gordonsville is advertising a blue out for this game. Clay County is advertising a black out. Black and blue all over the stands is very fitting for how the game should go.

Looks like it is going to be South Pittsburg, Whitwell, Sale Creek, then Copper Basin in Region 3. Region 4 will be Clay County/Gordonsville 1/2. Jo Byrns 3, and RBS 4.

RBS @ South Pittsburg

Sale Creek @ Clay County/Gordonsville loser

Copper Basin @ Clay County/Gordonsville winner

Jo Byrns @ Whitwell

2 hours ago, blazer1set said:

Is anybody going to start a Hampton @ Boone thread?

8 minutes ago, MainStreetBengal said:

Whoa whoa pump the breaks on your horse there hoss! Which team were you a member of? Or are you on their radio team? If you are you boys do a good job.

There’s something each and everyone of those seasons have something in common right? You comparing, maybe unknowingly, us and Cornersville? Surely you know better than try that! Some teams just don’t match well with others and thats fact.  

This is the way it should be with the final two standing at the end to see who is King of the Hill. Friday one of us will get that crown. Guess what? It don’t matter!  You referenced  2019 who was last 4-a team standing?  What I would hope you and yours take away is if you come up just a bit short the second season is where it counts. I guarantee you this there’s a whole lot of respect for the Bulldogs in Gordonsville.  All I am saying is  you think your 9-0 instills a little fear or doubt in our bunch your wrong.  You’ve won 9. 1 loss don’t end your season but 2 sure will! 

My point is every team's journey to the top goes through setbacks. Michael Jordan lost three times to the Pistons before finally breaking through. Clay County has took their lumps in these moments recently. However, I believe they are ready to breakthrough and overcome the huge challenge that awaits them Friday night and win the first region championship in program history.

7 hours ago, Boarhog said:

Well said, I definitely painted myself into a corner with that comment.  I do believe that we’ve got a handful of kids that have the drive, skill, physicality, and maturity to be starters anywhere in the east.  That’s said with admiration for them more than disdain for anybody else’s guys.  

Absolutely correct. Nobody is saying that they would be the best players for any team in the East. Just that they would be contributors to any team in the East because of those qualities. I believe Gordonsville has a few guys who would start for any team in the East, headlined by QB Matthew Albritten.

4 hours ago, MainStreetBengal said:

Boarhog it will be a playoff atmosphere Friday on Main Street!  This is a time of year when the good teams hit another gear and the great teams are speed shifting.  
 

The old saying is act like you been there and act like you’ve done it before.  We have. Hartsville has. South Pitt has. We know what to expect and what it takes. Disrespect? Absolutely not. Is it arrogance? Maybe. Is it confidence? Most definitely.  We will expect a war. You should too!

Clay County has been in this situation as well recently. 2017 Clay County took a 14-7 lead into the fourth quarter against Gordonsville in the region championship game. 2019 Clay County led Monterey 6-0 into the fourth quarter in the region championship game, and dropped a surefire pick six in the last two minutes that would have won the game, before falling 9-6 in overtime. 2020 Clay County leads Gordonsville the entire game (second round of the playoffs) before a false start on 4th & 1 forced Clay County to punt and allowed Darrell Holt to will the Tigers into the endzone for the winning touchdown. Does Clay County have the experience overall as a program in these situations? Of course not. Have Clay County's players been involved in big games before? Yes. Clay County knows it will be a battle. 

You know who else expected Clay County to not be up to the task? Cornersville, and everyone knows how that turned out. The last time these two teams played, it was a battle that could have went either way, but the Tigers rode their seniors when it counted to survive. Clay County will come in stronger than last year. Are this year's skill players able to come through in the clutch like Holt, Gregory, and Pemberton? I am not convinced that Albritten has the weapons as last year for the Tigers. Either way, should be a dandy 

2 hours ago, jimmycrackedthatcorn said:

Let me guess. They could start for Red Boiling, Pickett County, Community, and and Sale Creek? 

Of course they could. Along with most, if not all other teams in the East as well.

6 hours ago, Boarhog said:

Probably an overzealous comment I made when it comes to the Pirates. I haven’t seen them this year.  Everyone is kinda taking SP out of the conversation this year it seems, but I’ll be the first to say that SP is the standard and whoever advances (Gville,Clay, Coalfield, etc.) is gonna have to sink the Pirates ship which is seldom done.

Clay County definitely has four players that could start for any team in the East when healthy.

Can the Bulldogs reach regular season perfection and host two playoff games? I believe they finally exercise their demons with the Tigers and win 27-14. 

Almost game time. I predict Oakland 56, South Pitt 7.

19 hours ago, Enthusiast said:

Clay County may beat Gordonsville, but I don’t really know if I would make the conclusory statement that they are Definitely more talented. Gordonsville’s defense plays well, as a unit, and they have playmakers on offense that I wouldn’t sleep on.  But, I barely have the qualified knowledge of football to post.

I would consider Gordonsville playing well as a unit more to do with coaching than talent. I agree that Gordonsville is very well coached and do not beat themselves very often. 

Has LA ever went 0-10? It appears they will this year.

1 minute ago, Southtowner said:

Makes sense.  We will most likely see Clay 2nd round.  That very well may be our ceiling.  

I wouldn't say most likely. Clay is definitely more talented than Gordonsville. Just a question of whether Clay can bring their A game to Gordonsville and limit their mistakes.