bratman

Farragut, Harden Valley, Maryville are the top AAA teams in Knoxville, but all the talk is AA powerhouse Anderson County. They are big. They don’t play club, and won’t start playing their best until mid September but the dismantled Oak Ridge who will win AAA District this season, playing JV once the match win, was apparent. To be a small rural school they play only AAA powers. I think they are one of the top 5 programs in Tennessee.

AC dismantled OR in 45 minutes and played their JV some to rest their starters. OR is really good, and will win the AAA District, but AC is so big.

I am proud of Hume Fogg. They had to play Anderson twice, after Anderson beat them to open the tourney. A little odd that the three best teams by a mike, Fogg, Anderson and East Ham were put in he same bracket!

Hume Fogg won in the late 90’s and I think Anderson was their big rival back then!

I am all in for Nolansville, and I agree about the East with the exception of Anderson County. I have watched them for years, they play in a lot of tournaments I ref in or watch my nieces and they are always a tough out. The other East teams have a good year or two, but Maryville or HV could not have made it out of Districts here.

Nolansville is playing well, but I think Maryville and HV may have been a little overhyped. The test is making it to the final four, we have a shot!

After the Nolansville match I am going to watch AA. I was at a club tournament a couple of years ago when a couple of players were killed in an auto accident and it was rough. How did Anderson and Fogg look? I was surprised that Lexington played East Hamilton so close. Was anybody there?

I think Nolansville is going to be focused tomorrow. The fans said Maryville has two transfers from California that are their best players. To be honest I expected more. Not a lot of excitement. AAA is anybody’s to win. AA seemed to follow the bracket better but whoever put together the bracket STACKED one side. The AC vs Fogg match must have been a war.

Oh my, that is horrible. It puts everything into perspective.

Maryville is not living up to the hype, but Harden Valley came to play!

What happened, I am out of the loop and was at AAA?

I agree, Fogg is up and down. Also, I checked and AC had a setter, OH and RS out when they played Fogg and it was close even then. I am backing off my Signal Mountain final Four after looking at the bracket. I think getting hot at the right time is important and I think it is hard to win your first year in the tournament. I don’t really know anything about Lawrence, Dyer or Sullivan East, Rockstar any insight, you seem to be our most knowledgeable and unbiased poster. I follow the Middle Tennessee teams, and ref some (club and middle school) but unless they come to the State often or play in middle TN I have to rely on Coach and ref friends.

If Knoxville Catholic loses I think it would be a big upset. They are like Maryville in that they are K2 heavy, and I don’t think Baylor and Briarcrest are as strong as they have been this season. This may be the easiest bracket to pick.

I agreed with you on another thread. Anderson did lose to Fogg in a close one at a tournament but I verified that they had multiple starters out. Also their recent scores have been impressive. My concern with Alex and Dyer is strength of schedule. I looked at unapproved website, and they don’t have a great resume. Anderson over Dyer in the finals is a solid prediction but I still like Fogg’s size.

I am again agreeing with Rockstar, and also think Summertown is the team to beat.

I am absolutely with Rockstar on this one. This is the toughest bracket for me to call. I am actually going with Houston to win, but any of these four could emerge. Maryville has never been which makes it hard, and I love Nolansville but Houston is my out on a limb pick.

I think those are good picks. East Hamilton struggled with a weak team in sectionals. I would put Fogg in there over Lexington because of their size but Rockstar is usually spot on.

What are your thoughts on this one? I know when Anderson County came to White House they had multiple starters out. My friends at K2 said they are completely healthy and have been mowing thru the post season. I watched them take a set in the finals last year against Nolansville and thought they might pull an upset. I don’t know some of the other AA team, is Anderson the team to beat?

They would have won the State that year but an Asst coach subbed in an ineligible player and they had to forfeit. They actually won the match. Totally different.

Brentwood not even making it out of District says a lot about the impact of coaching in volleyball. Without Coach Campbell Brentwood became average. I started thinking, Page, Independance and Ravenwood were only really competitive when their coach was floating between teams. Father Ryan, East Ridge and GPS became non relevant when their long time coaches left. Other than Anderson County and Sullivan South has any program remained competitive at the State level with multiple and different coaches?

Nolansville is the team to beat. I think they would have been in the AAA finals last year, and could have won. I don’t see anyone beating them, but with Brentwood out I think teams will be more excited than normal!

Nolansville/Brentwood/Siegel could all take State this season. It’s who will get hot at the end. I don’t see Maryville, Cleveland or one of the Tri Cities teams beating these three. I think it’s a benefit having such a tough local schedule.

I called my friend from AC and they had three of their best players out with minor injuries and rested several starters. I still think AC is the team to beat.

Anderson County, according to my ref friend in Knoxville is better than they were last year. He told me they beat Knox Catholic, who I think will win the private school state championship 3-0 in a scrimmage this week, and in a play day today they have already beaten Farragut and Hardin Valley, two pretty good AAA teams. I had forgotten they were moved up to AAA for 8 years. If you don’t count those 8 years they have been in 6 of the last 14 AA State Finals and 14 of 14 final fours. I actually thought they had Nolansville beat last year when they took game 3 and went up big in the 4 th set but Starke had a monster match to save the day. People here in Nashville forget how dominant AC is in AA.