mfalc04

This is going to be a fantastic game. Two very talented, big, physical teams with exceptional defenses going at it. The crowd is going to be electric and it will be a packed house. I think BA will pull out a close game for two reasons. First, BA's defense (5 future div. I players on the line) has the horses to contain MBA's very good running game. Second, I think BA's passing game is better then MBA's, which will be the wild card. I expect MBA to do an excellent job against the running game, but Potter is not afraid to throw the ball and Nelson (BA's QB) has gotten better each week. I think BA has more weapons on offense and MBA is just too one-dimensional with their running game. Can't wait!

You write 3 intelligent and articulate paragraphs about private schools vs public schools (making some great points along the way), etc, but then you have to end with an ignorant comment about how it is a proven fact that BA recruits. It's incredible how many people feel it necessary to voice their opinion on a subject they know nothing about. BA whoops on public schools so they must recruit. Great reasoning. Or every once in a while we'll get the old, "I knew someone who knew someone who got recruited by BA." You have no idea what you are talking about. If your local public school is getting whooped by some private school then take your beating and keep your mouth shut. Stop trying to come up with excuses that revolve around recruiting. Yes, maybe the private schools have more talent, but it doesn't mean it had to come through recruiting. Have you checked out some of these private schools (BA, MBA, etc)? The facilities are amazing--like small colleges in a lot of cases. The faculties are outstanding. They send 99% of their kids to college every year. Their coaching staffs are excellent. Many private schools have a spiritual/religious component looking to nurture the whole person. For the most part, kids are in an environment more condusive to learning, etc. Gee, I wonder why anyone would want to attend a private school? Athletes are attracted to these schools b/c they are great institutions that can help get them to college. PRIVATE SCHOOLS DON'T HAVE TO RECRUIT. The product sells itself.

Please don't start with the MBA is better coached speech. I hate how the perception out there is that BA that is head over heals more talented than MBA, but those boys at MBA make up for it with coaching and toughness. MBA has two seniors committed to UT (and several underclassmen that will go Div. I), I'm not about to throw a pitty party over their lack of talent. I hate hearing about how MBA is "better prepared" and more discplined. What does it mean to be better prepared? They watch more film? Their players are more intelligent? Come on, give it a rest. No doubt, MBA has always been a very well coached team. But that doesn't mean that they are more well coached THIS YEAR. MBA has the youngest coach in the conference, a guy who is a first year head coach at a program that matters (FRA is not worth mentioning). Potter at BA has coached for 10 years in Div. II and has a state championship ring. At least wait until after the game to start the "better prepared," more disciplined speech, better coached speech.

I am tempted to agree that this game is going to be about tough defense, field position, and trying to pound the ball on offense. But Potter is a creative offensive mind and anyone who thinks that BA is a one dimensional run team is mistaken. They have a solid (still developing) passing game and are not afraid to throw the ball down field. They had 3 games in a row before PJP with a 60+ yard TD pass. I think BA will not be afraid to take some risks on offense. At the end of the day I think the BA defense is too strong at stopping the run. They dominated a very big offensive line and talented RB from Westside, SC. It will also come down to playmakers and I'm not sure that there's a better one than Chris Jordan. PS- lets end all the recruiting garbage. Both schools are WEALTHY private schools with great facilities, coaches, football tradition and athletes.

Any updates on Jefferson's injury?

After having seen MBA play on Friday I really don't think they have the offense to beat BA. The running game is solid, no doubt about it, but BA's defensive line will make it very difficult for them. I'm sure MBA's passing game has had better days then it did last night b/c it was terrible. But I don't think they have enough juice on offense. They really struggled to move the ball against an Ensworth defense that is not all that good. I'm sure MBA can also make life difficult for CJ, but BA's passing game has shown tremendous progress since the season started. They are not afraid to throw the ball downfield and can make you pay if you stack the box. This is going to be a great atmosphere- can't wait!

Let the talk begin. BA @ MBA, next friday night. Both teams are undefeated and ranked #1 & 2 in the state. I'm picking BA in this one. More to come in the coming days.

First off, let me just say this--Ensworth is NOT a contender for a state championship this year. Ok, just had to get that out of the way. They played a tough game, but people get back to their computers after a feel good moral victory and start talking about them being a contender. I'm not trying to be negative or be a hater, it's just the truth. It was certainly a hard fought game, no doubt about it. I thought MBA's defense looked strong--very disciplined and solid. Offensively, they really seemed to struggle with the passing game. I think they will have a lot of difficulty scoring against BA next week. The running game was solid. Bartholomew is one tough guy. But they should have been able to score more then 14 pts. Jefferson is a game breaker for Ensworth, but I never felt like they were a threat to score unless Jefferson broke a long one. Their passing game is also weak. I give the defense credit, they surprised me. But MBA's offense is just so one-dimensional. If you can contain the run then you're in good shape and that's what Ensworth did. The focus is now on MBA and BA next Friday night.

I have to admit that I am very interested in what's going on at Ensworth. The whole idea that they would hire away one of the better coaches in the area (RB) from one of the elite private schools in the country and essentially give him a blank check to build an athletic powerhouse from the ground up peaks my interest to say the least. Their facilities are the best I have ever seen at the high school level. They are obviously aggresively pursuing athletes. I do NOT mean illegal recruiting. To have such a competitive athletic program only 4 years into your schools existance means you have brought in some athletes. They have an excellent coaching staff--many of which were lured away from other local schools (MBA, BA, CPA, etc). They have everything in place to build a powerhouse football program (and be very competitive in other sports as well). But I do get the feeling that Ensworth fans are getting carried away at their first taste of success. I'm sure Bowers is keeping the players level headed, as any good coach would do. Without having seen either team play it's tough to make much of an analysis, but from what I've read and heard I think that MBA will win this game. McGugin better get it done. I know his 1st year is off to a great start, but he can not lose this game to a 1st year varsity program. B/c they are both run oriented teams my guess is it won't be high scoring. But I don't think Ensworth can stop MBA offensively. The big red are too big, strong, and physical for them and will slowly move the ball all night. Offensively, Ensworth may manage a couple of scores, but MBA is good enough to make adjustments and contain them. If they can contain Hillsboro who have div. I prospects at QB & RB, then they can certainly contain (if not shut down) Ensworth. 24-10, MBA

You might be a moron if... 5) If you say, "BA beat McCallie by the same spread as Ensworth," as if it were a badge of honor. 4) You say that MBA's 1st real challenge will be against Ensworth 3) You bring up the fact that Ensworth "beat on" Ravenwood in a scrimmage. 2) You believe that Ensworth lost to Hillsboro in a scrimmage only b/c they had 10 days of straight two-a-days. 1) you post under the alias "falcons 101." That is without a doubt the dumbest post I have ever read on Coacht. What kind of logic are you using? Criticize MBA's schedule all you want but Ensworth will not be MBA's "first real test." Hillsboro is one of the better teams in the state (certainly in Middle TN) and MBA proved they are tough when they beat them. Ensworth has everything to prove in this game--they are the new kids on the block. For a team with only one solid win under its belt some Ensworth fans are pretty cocky. But I know falcons 101 does not represent the whole.

In their defense, MBA beat a very talented Hillsboro team (with lots of speed) that has a high powered offense with a couple of div. I prospects. Hillsboro will likely be back in the 4A state championship game. I give MBA credit for beating them. They will also play BA & Father Ryan later in the year. Ensworth really only has one solid victory under it's belt--McCallie.

I am growing very tired of this thread. I think one Maryville fan summed it up best when he said that he realizes they don't play a tough regular season schedule, but he's ok with that b/c they continue to get gold balls. Ultimately that's probably how most Maryville fans feel. Just let them be. I think we have beat this topic to death. Is Maryville's regular season schedule relatively weak? Yes. Do they attempt to go out and try to play the best teams in the state? No. But so what? They play who they have to play and take care of business in the playoffs. Personally, I like the idea of going out and trying to find a new challenge every year--mix it up, play different teams, out of state games, etc. If you have a great team, why not go out and play against great competition? But not everyone is like that. When BA had Brandon Wright (basketball) they did not just stay local and pound on the Father Ryan's, MBA's, etc. They went out and played in some of the top tournaments in the country and played against some of the top teams in TN. I like that. I think the fans enjoy it and the players do as well. I would love to see Maryville and BA play in football next year. I see no negative that could come of the experience. Both programs respect the heck out of eachother and it would be awesome for everyone involved and TN high school football. BA will likely win it's 2nd consecutive state championship this year (just my opinion) and Maryville will likely win its 4th in a row (hope that's right). It would make for a heck of a game.

How many MBA people did Bowers take with him to Ensworth on his football staff? I know that he took the O-Line coach, not sure about anyone else.

WesVLT, the D-line is every bit as good as advertised. They rotate 4 guys for the three down lineman positions (all will play div. I college football). Then they have an OLB that plays on the line every down who is also div. I prospect. The OLB (Tuani) is the only senior of the group. They put tremendous pressure on the QB and are obviously big boys, but they are also athletic and quick enough to contain scrambling QB's and runs to the outside. I can't wait until the game against MBA. From what I hear MBA has a very good, physical offensive line and a great FB in Bartholemew. So it should be a great battle in the trenches.

I enjoyed your post. I think it offers a different perspective and a good one. Although, I must say that I disagree with you on several points. Going out of state or traveling long distances within state to play a football game is not about inflating the ego of coaches. Both of these can be very healthy sources of good competition and pride for your state, area, school. The kids at Maryville would love to go out there and play other top teams. Although I'm sure they are content with the way things are. People don't mean any disrespect to the programs being called "cupcakes." It's just a fact that some programs are stronger then others. Teams are out there to compete. I'm not saying it's all about winning, but realistically sports are largely about competition. The kids know this and they enjoy that part of the game. This isn't just a big love fest. There is such a thing as good, healthy competition. There would be nothing wrong with Maryville expanding their schedule to include out of region games against some of the better programs in the state or in other states. It would be great for TN high school football fans and for the teams involved. I feel like you are milking it a little bit when you say that kids need to be in school and not traveling for games, etc. Please, spare me. I'm talking about one out of region game per year against top competition. Don't get carried away. I'm not talking about turning high school sports into the big business that is the NCAA.

I can't believe both of these traditionally strong programs are so bad this year. I guess the power in Div. II is definitely in Middle TN this year. But, having seen both teams, I am going to pick McCallie. I know that their defense is capable of playing well although they really seem to struggle scoring. But Baylor looks like they are self-destructing. What a terrible situation. Four losses in a row, losing a combined 54-0 to rivals MBA & BA. I thought they would come back strong and pound on Knox Webb. I can't believe they lost the way they did. Hopefully it will be a great atmosphere and close game for the Chattanooga fans. I'm picking McCallie in a close one.

Who cares if GQ turned down BA or not--maybe he did--so what? Brandon 100 definitely has a lot of time on his hands, but he does make some good points. It's obvious that Maryville does NOT play a strong schedule. To me, that's not even an issue. The statistics back it up and anyone that knows high school footbal in TN can figure that out. I'm more curious as to why they won't play a tougher schedule. It sounds like they may have some economic reasons or rivalvry reasons. Perhaps they don't want to travel and they have some great "rivalry games" within the region that bring out huge crowds every year. But these aren't really rivalry games. It's not a rivalry if one team is winning all the time, especially winning big. The school and its fans are obviously very contempt with beating up on their weak schedule. They don't have the attitude that they want to continue to challenge themselves. That's why I don't think they should be nationally ranked. Are they a great program? Absolutely. Is GQ a great coach? No doubt. But people know that they aren't out there playing the best competition they can find, not even close. Stats aren't everything. I just have a hard time understanding why they wouldn't go out there and schedule some of the other traditional TN powerhouses. If I were a Maryville fan, I would certainly be pushing for it. (As for the BA-Maryville comparisons. I just know that BA scheduled the defending 5A state champs, the 5A runner-ups, the Div.II runner-up, a pretty solid South Carolina team this year, and MBA which looks very strong again this year. That's the toughest schedule I've seen anyone play.)

I love how you mention that Ensworth beat McCallie by the same spread BA beat them. Is that an extra badge of honor for you? Does this mean you are as good as BA? Welcome to Div. II, you beat one team in the super 7. Should we start calling it the super 8? I guess I can't blame you for having a chip on your shoulder b/c everyone seemed to pick McCallie over Ensworth on the message boards, including myself. But slow down for a minute. The McCallie win surely proves that Ensworth is no slouch. But you have beaten one solid team (a team with 3 losses). You will NOT "run over" MBA. It will likely be a hard fought close game. I think it will be a great game and I wouldn't put it past Bowers to pull out a victory, although it would be a major upset if it happened. Having Bailey out for MBA doesn't help. A crowd of 5-6 thousand would not surpise me, but anything over ten thousand is hard to imagine. Ensworth will come out on an emotional high . They understand that this game would put them on the map. But I just don't see them beating MBA.

Congrat's to Ensworth. They obviously proved a lot of people wrong. I certainly did not think they would win this game. McCallie has 3 losses now, but that shouldn't take anything away from Ensworth. McCallie's losses have all been to solid teams (BA, Ryan, Ensworth). Ensworth should not celebrate too long as they will have their hands full with MBA next Friday. It will be the biggest game in the history of their young program. They will certainly be a heavy underdog.

Great game by BA. It was a dog fight in the first half with both defenses played very well. 0-0 at half time. BA really dominated in the 2nd half. Westside's defense wore down and CJ had a field day. Their running game is the bread & butter, but the passing game will make you pay and keep you honest. BA now has 3 consecutive games with a 60+ yard passing play for a TD. BA's defense may be the best I've ever seen at the high school level. The defensive line rotates 4 guys that will likely go div. I (none are seniors). The LB's & secondary are very solid as well. Westside's offense could do very little. Their running game was non-existant. This was a great showing for TN football. I have my eyes set on BA vs MBA in two weeks.

I heard that he may get redshirted this year and will have a shot at starting next season.

MBA throws 5 passes a game. big deal.

I will try and touch breifly on each program. I am starting to get really excited at the thought of BA facing off at MBA in a few short weeks with the possibility of both of them being undefeated. MBA still has to beat Ravenwood and Ensworth to stay undefeated before BA. And BA still has to beat Westside (SC) and PJP. But there is a very good chance both will be 7-0, ranked #1 & 2 in the state heading into that game. Wow, that will be a special game--great crowd. Two very physical, big teams with good running games and outstanding defenses. Congrat's to MBA for rebounding from a terrible season last year. I'm very excited to see Father Ryan doing so well. That win against McCallie's shows that they are not a fluke this year. They have a very easy road ahead and should be 8-0 heading into the last two games of the season when they will face MBA and BA. If they go into those games undefeated that will also make for a great atmosphere. I think Ensworth is going to get a major wake up call the next couple of weeks against McCallie and MBA. It's going to be ugly. Their fans will realize that while they may be good in time, now is not the time.

McCallie is a tough team. They have a solid defense, but I think their offense does struggle at times. I can't even begin to put into words how outrageous your statement is that "McCallie should have beat BA and dominated the line of scrimmage the whole game." If you were at that game you would know that after scoring on the 1st possesion (a lucky pass tipped by a BA CB into the hands of a McCallie WR) McCallie did not even come close to sniffing the endzone the remainder of the game. BA shut them out 21-0 the rest of the way. Does that sound like they should have won and dominated the line of scrimmage? McCallie is a tough team and will likely easily handle Ensworth. But please, just leave it at that and don't be rediculous. Back to Ensworth vs. McCallie.

Wow, if Chris Jordan is overrated, then somebody please show me the real deal. But I'm sure you know what you're talking about. Each of those 12 scholarship offers he has from power conferance schools including most of the SEC must be wrong about him. Not to mention Nick Saban is after him hard--I think he might know a thing or two about judging talent. All this to say, teams have been stacking 8 & 9 in the box against BA. So I can see how you might not be blown away by his stats thus far. Doesn't mean the kid isn't an incredible RB. I love these interstate battles. I realize TN HS football isn't viewed as some of the best in the country. But it would be awesome to see BA beat these guys.