7mm

WELL I HEARD SOME DISTURBING NEWS THIS AFTERNOON. THE RHEA COACHING STAFF IN IT'S INFINITE WISDOM HAS DECIDED THAT THEIR PASS COMPLETION PERCENTAGE IS TOO LOW. THEREFORE, THEY ARE PULLING SWAFFORD AND REPLACING HIM WITH DAVIS. I REALIZE THE COMPLETION PERCENTAGE IS L0W, BUT, HOW MANY PASSES HAVE BEEN DROPPED? I WILL BET YOU THE PERCENTAGE OF DROPPED PASSES IS AT LEAST 85% DROPPED AS COMPARED TO 15% THROWN BAD. IF RHEA IS GOING TO IMPROVE ON THEIR PASSING GAME, THEY NEED TO START WITH THE PROBLEM---THE RECEIVERS. WELL, I GUESS THE COACHES SON IS GOING TO WIN OUT AFTER ALL. LOTS OF LUCK. THEY'LL NEED IT.

I AGREE. THEY NEED TO WORK HARD ON TACKLING DRILLS. THEY ALSO NEED TO STOP BEING SO CONCERNED ABOUT HOW FAST THEIR RECEIVERS ARE AND START THINKING ABOUT PUTTING SOMEONE ON THE FIELD THAT ACTUALLY WANTS THE BALL. A COUPLE OF THE RECEIVERS ARE DOING A FINE JOB AND A COUPLE ARE NOT. SPEED IS GREAT, BUT IF THEY CONSISTANTLY DON'T MAKE THE PLAY, THEN FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN EVEN IF THEY ARE A LITTLE SLOWER.

RHEA BETTER HOPE THEY ARE OVER THE FIRST GAME JITTERS AND PLAY BALL OR HIXSON WILL TAKE THIS ONE FROM THEM. THEY CAN'T MAKE THE MISTAKES THIS WEEK THAT THEY MADE LAST WEEK. I SAW IN THE PAPER WHERE THEY PRINTED SWAFFORD'S STATS AT 4 OF 19 WHICH IS TRUE I'M SURE. WHAT THEY FAILED TO MENTION IS HOW MANY DROPPED PASSES THERE WERE. I SAW THE GAME AND SWAFFORD LOOKED A LITTLE SHAKEY IN THE FIRST HALF BUT SEEMED TO SETTLE DOWN IN THE SECOND. FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD, THERE IS NOT MUCH SAID TO THE RECEIVERS FOR DROPPED PASSES. SOMEONE NEEDS TO MAKE THOSE RECEIVERS UNDERSTAND THAT IF THE BALL TOUCHES THEIR HANDS, IT SHOULD BE CAUGHT. THEY ALSO NEED TO TEACH THE RECEIVERS TO FIGHT FOR THE BALL. I'VE SEEN TIME AND AGAIN IN THE LAST FEW YEARS THE RECEIVERS GIVE UP ON THE BALL AND IT BE PICKED OFF. RHEA HAS THE TALLENT TO DO WELL THIS YEAR. LETS GO GUYS, SMOOTH OUT THE WRINKLES AND GET IT ON. GOOD LUCK AND GO RHEA.

FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM SOME OF THE PEOPLE WATCHING PRACTICE AND WHAT MOST OF THE PLAYERS ARE SAYING, THE ONLY REAL QB IS SWAFFORD. I DON'T KNOW MYSELF, BUT, THEY SAY THE ONLY THING DAVIS HAS GOING FOR HIM IS THE FACT THAT HIS FATHER IS ONE OF THE COACHES. I DON'T KNOW THE COACHING STAFF PERSONALLY, BUT I WOULD'NT THINK THEY WOULD LET THAT BE A FACTOR IN THEIR DECISION.

HAS ANYONE SEEN ANY OF THE PRACTICES THIS SPRING? I SAW ONE THE OTHER DAY AND THEY LOOKED GOOD CONSIDERING IT WAS SO EARLY IN THE PRACTICE SESSIONS. THEY HAVE A GREEN AND GOLD GAME TODAY. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW THAT GOES. I ALSO HEARD THAT NEXT THURSDAY THEY ARE SCRIMMAGING KNOX CATHOLIC AT RHEA CO. HOW DOES ANYONE THINK THE STARTERS ARE GOING TO PLAY OUT AT THIS POINT?

RHEA HAD A GOOD GAME AGAINST RB. RHEA PITCHED A SOPHOMORE THAT DID A GOOD JOB. RB ONLY HAD 4 OR 5 HITS IN THE GAME AND ONLY A FEW WALKS. RB HIT THE BALL WELL. THEY JUST HIT AT SOMEONE OR POPPED UP TO THE OUTFIELD. RHEA PLAYED GOOD SOLID DEFENSE AND HAD SEVERAL GOOD HITS TO THE GAPS. RB PITCHER DID A GOOD JOB AT FIRST BUT SEEMED TO STRUGGLE FROM THE MIDDLE INNINGS ON. BESIDES THE HITS THAT RHEA GOT, THERE WERE ABOUT 5 BATTERS HIT BY A PITCH. RB HAD A COUPLE ERRORS THAT COST THEM.

SWAFFORD FROM RHEA COUNTY. HE PLAYS SS AND PITCHER.

IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT BOTH BOYS BATTLING FOR THE QB SPOT ARE PLAYING BASEBALL AND OTHER THAN LIFTING AND CONDITIONING THERE ISN'T MUCH BATTLING BEING DONE. THE REAL BATTLE FOR THE STARTING QB SPOT WON'T START UNTIL SPRING PRACTICE WHEN ALL THE SPRING SPORTS ARE OVER.

WHEN IS RHEA COUNTY'S SPRING PRACTICE THIS YEAR? LAST YEAR IT WAS EARLY, I THINK RIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS BREAK. I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT THEY HAVE MOVING UP AND WATCH THE BATTLES FOR POSITIONS. I'M HEARING SOME OF THE SKILLED POSITIONS COULD GET QUITE INTERESTING.

WHAT DID RHEA CO LOOSE THIS YEAR WITH THE LEAVING SENIORS? IS RHEA GOING TO HAVE THE PLAYERS TO FILL THOSE POSITIONS? WILL IT BE A YEAR OF REBUILDING OR WILL RHEA BE ABLE TO PICK UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF?

RB IS GOOD AT TAKING WHAT YOU GIVE THEM. THEY DO HAVE A LOT OF TEAM SPEED. THE THING THAT IMPRESSED ME THE MOST ABOUT THEIR OFFENSE IS THEIR SHORT PASSING GAME. THEIR WHOLE OFFENSIVE SCHEME IS GOOD, BUT THEY USE THE SHORT PASS VERY WELL. LEDBETTER IS A VERY ACCURATE PASSER, THEIR RECEIVERS HAVE GOOD HANDS AND RUN WELL AFTER THE CATCH. THE BAD THING ABOUT ALL THAT IS, IF YOU PLAY UP ON THEM, THEY CAN EASILY GO DEEP ON YOU. I'VE NEVER SEEN KNOX WEST PLAY SO I CAN'T MAKE A PREDICTION. I HAVE SEEN RB PLAY AND THEY ARE SOLID. IT SHOULD BE A GOOD GAME AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT BUT MY TEAM IS PLAYING AT MARYVILLE. GOOD LUCK TO RB.

McKinnon had a slight concussion from the week before. They said he was ok to play Friday night but the coaches wanted to make sure he was 100% for next week, so they held him out. Swafford did a good job filling in for McKinnon. He also looked good at QB when they let him finish out the last 9 minutes or so in the game.