mfalc04

I too am glad that Ensworth has joined Div. II-AA. It's already a great league (probably the best in the state) and everything about Ensworth seems to indicate that they will be competitive in football for years to come. They have lots of cash, the best facilities in Middle TN (probably the state), a very good coaching staff, and some good athletes. But people need to slow down on the talk of them becoming a powerhouse. I feel like people are reading too much into their record this season. They have not beaten anyone worth getting excited about! If they want to consider themselves any good then they better beat the CPA & Webb's of the world. McCallie will be their first major test. And I highly doubt they will beat McCallie or MBA or Ryan. In an earlier post someone was defending their schedule saying that they are already playing against the "big boys" b/c they will face McCallie, MBA, Ryan (I just can't bring myself to mention BGA). But these teams are in their conference--they HAVE TO PLAY THEM. I am being critical of their OUT of conference schedule- which is extremely weak. I understand that this is their first year of a full varsity schedule, but it just frustrates me sick that people are raving about Ensworth when they haven't played anyone. Friday night will answer a lot of questions. If Ensworth beats McCallie, I will be very impressed and tip my hat.

Father Ryan (5-0) has a very good chance of winning its next three games: vs. CPA, at Knox Webb, at Ensworth. They could very well be 8-0 heading into their last two games of the season against MBA and BA. This must be a very exciting time for Ryan fans. Best of luck to Ryan!

Thanks for breaking down their schedule. That was very helpful. I know that Bowers is a good coach. He had great success at MBA and I'm sure they consistantly played against tough competition. But Ensworth's schedule this season is an absolute joke. Their out of conference schedule is pathetic. The next two games will be a wake up call as they get beat solid by McCallie and blown out by MBA.

Let me explain something about Knox Webb. They won the AA state title last year. But Ensworth is essentially playing in what was last years Div. II-AAA. It's been re-organized this year so there is only A & AA. Therefore, beating last years Div. II-AA state champ does not mean much. For example, BGA (who has been absolutely awful in past years) absolutely killed Davidson (2-time defending state champs for Div. II-A) earlier this season. I think it was like 40-0. There is a big difference between the classifications in Div. II. When Ensworth beats one of the big boys (McCallie, Baylor, Father Ryan, MBA, MUS, BA) then people can start talking.

Without having seen Ensworth play, it's hard to make any educated predictions. I will certainly look forward to watching them play McCallie. My guess is that McCallie beats them handily. Ensworth has not played ANYONE this year. Sorry, but it's true. Wins against CPA & Knoxville Webb do not mean anything. It sounds like Ensworth running game has had incredible success thus far. But I've heard that their O-Line is small and I'm sure will struggle to open up holes against McCallie's tough defense.

BA won 30-0. It was 0-0 after the 1st and 10-0 at the half, but BA blew it open in the 2nd half. Chris Jordan had some terrific runs and freshman WR Pleasant had a 60 yard TD catch. The defense was dominating again. Baylor's QB Massey is going to be sore tomorrow. Another great performance by the Eagles!

What do you think?

I'm glad to hear that Ensworth fans are excited about their team. From reading the message boards and the word around town it's obvious that their fans believe they will be competing for a state championship in the next several years. If the football program is anything like the basketball program then they will be a force in the future. But building a strong football program takes a lot more bodies & talent. Honestly, all of the games they have played up until this point don't mean anything. How they do against other solid Div. II-AA teams is all that matters. As simply an observer of Ensworth football, the first game that will mean anything to me will be when they play McCallie. McCallie, MBA, Father Ryan...those will be indicators of where Ensworth football is at. If they think they are any good then they need to beat teams like Knox Webb, PJP, and BGA.

It was a great game--went right down to the wire. Smyrna had a chance to win it with a TD, but were stopped in the red zone. It was sort of a tale of two halfs. BA was really in control offensively the first half scoring all 17 of their points. They ran out of time on the 4 yard line and had to kick a FG just before half time. Smyrna played much better the 2nd half. Their defense was very tough and they really shut down the BA running game. Smyrna's passing offense could not get going in the 1st half b/c of the pressure on the QB. Sonny obviously did not play the 2nd half. He took several hard hits in the 1st half from BA's big D-Line. Although Smyrna did a good job running the ball in the 2nd half. #22 is very quick and shifty. He was hard to stop for a couple of drives. I must admit, BA did an excellent job on Wilks. I believe he had just one catch on the night and no TD's. BA's defense was very strong again. It seemed like they wore down a bit in the 2nd half, but that's b/c they were on the field constantly. The offense struggled mightily in the 2nd half. Defenses are really keying in on stopping the running game and it's proved effective. BA's soph. QB, Nelson, is getting better with time and made some nice throws tonight. He'll continue to improve and so will their offense with time. BA has Baylor next week at home.

Can Smyrna beat BA this weekend? Absolutely. They have an explosive offense with the top WR in the state. But Smyrna's defense will also have its hands full trying to stop Chris Jordan and you better believe he will get the ball 20+ times. Jordan was definitely still slowed by the ankle injury against McCallie. To suggest that BA's defensive line was showed up by McCallie's running game is insane. Brock probably got half of his rushing yards on the 1st drive of the game (and perhaps one other long run) until BA quickly adjusted and shut them down. If you were at the game, then you remember that the only TD McCallie scored was an absolute fluke that should have been intercepted by BA's CB. McCallie did not come close to scoring the rest of the game. BA's defensive line is not supernatural, but they dominate. If giving up 6 pts to a solid team is supposed to show your defensive line is overrated, that's a sign that BA's is pretty good.

National rankings for high school football are pointless. High school football teams do not play enough games on a national level to be able to determine any kind of accurate rankings. National rankings for high school basketball are much more accurate b/c teams play 30-40+ games and play all over the country. I really do mean no disrespect to Maryville, please understand this. They are clearly a powerhouse and great football program. But it bothers me when people repeatedly say "Maryville is the best team in TN," like it's a given. I don't think it's a given that they are the best team in TN every year. During their incredible run they may have been the best team in TN for one of two of those years, but it's NOT a given. Their schedule is simply not difficult enough to merit that title. They don't even play against the top teams in the state of TN year in and year out, let alone on a national level. Sure they have an incredible record over the last several years, but it's not against the absolute best teams in the state. Why aren't they playing the top 5A & Div II schools every year, like Brentwood Academy & Riverdale? Alcoa & Hillsboro are very good football teams, but they need to play better competition to be considered hands down the top program in the state. For a team to be ranked nationally it should be a given that they are playing a top notch in state schedule and an out of state powerhouse at least every other year. Maryville has done neither of the two.

BA's defensive line according the their roster is as follows: McHaney, Jr., 6-5, 220 Lewis, So., 6-1, 250 Carrethers, Jr., 6-1, 290 Dabney, Jr., 6-1, 270 Did you happen notice that none of them are seniors? It's incredible. I think they can all play in college, not sure at what level. They also have an OLB (Tuani, 6-1, 240) who is a div. I prospect. They dominate the line of scrimmage.

I'm sure that Smyrna will be very motivated for this game after coming off a major upset. But BA will not overlook them. It's hard to do that against the defending 5A state champs with one of the best offenses around. Will Josh Day play this Friday for Smyrna? I had read that he did not play against Lebanon. I have to pick BA to win this game. Their defense is talented enough to contain Smyrna's offense. This game will feature two of the top recruits in the state in Chris Jordan & Rodriguez Wilks. Should be exciting!

This is would be an incredible match up and certainly bring out a HUGE crowd. They could do a home & home or meet at a neutral site. It's common knowledge that GQ interviewed for the BA job before Potter was hired so there is obviously some familiarity between the two schools/programs. I know that BA is aggresive in their scheduling as is evident with their playing Smyrna (5A defending champs) this coming Friday. I am not very familiar with who Maryville has played in their out of conference schedule in recent years. I know they play Alcoa, but they are only 2A. I'm sure Maryville fans would like to see them take some more risks in their scheduling.

I believe it's through the school web site: www.brentwoodacademy.com

Wow, I can't believe Smyrna lost tonight! I just thought that with the defending 5A & Div II-AA State Champs (both ranked #1 in their polls heading into this weekend) it would be arguably the best game in the state this year. I certainly did not expect Smyrna to lose tonight. It will still be a great game, but I would have loved to see an undefeated Smyrna team heading into that game.

21-6, BA wins. McCallie was up 6-0 at half time. McCallie came out on their first possesion moving the ball really well. They threw a deep pass and the ball was tipped by a BA corner right into the hands of a McCallie WR and that was their only score of the night (they also missed a FG in the 1st half). BA was dominant in the 2nd half, especially defensively. Chris Jordan had all 3 TD's. McCallie did a good job containing BA's running game (even stopping them cold on the goalline once) and proved to be a very tough team. They have a quick athletic QB, but he does not look to be a very good passer, having made some terrible throws including a couple of INT's. BA's defense is just an absolute nightmare. Their offense isn't overwhelming, but it's good enough. They pound you hard with that big OL & plenty of Chris Jordan and their QB makes enough plays in the air to keep the defense honest. Next week BA @ Smyrna. This will be the best match up in the state of TN this year.

Big win for MBA. I certainly did not expect them to completely shut down Baylor. Sounds like they have a pretty powerful running game.

would anyone happen to know the size of MBA's offensive line? Obviously Bailey is enormous, but I'm wondering what the rest of the line is like.

This game should be an indicator of where both teams are...should be a great game. My guess is that Baylor pulls it out. Anybody know what schools are recruiting Massy or if he's recieved any scholarship offers?

I think both teams will be very well prepared from a scouting standpoint b/c they know eachother so well. Potter is running the same offense at BA that he used at McCallie and I assume McCallie is running something similar to what they did under Potter. I agree that there is no way either side downplays this game. The kids on both teams will understand the significance of this game and emotions will run high. The storyline is incredible. It will be a VERy hyped game! They are playing it at UTC's stadium to help accomodate the large crowd they are expecting. I think that CJ will be fine after being held out of the game on Friday night.

BA's defense was dominant. The defensive line is so big and fast. They stuff the run and are constantly putting pressure on the QB. The secondary also did a very nice job tonight. I thought Ravenwood would give them trouble with the passing game, but they never did. Becker is a tough guy to bring down, but he took his licks tonight and had a tough game. Offensively, BA looked decent. They struggled in the 1st quarter but then settled in and moved the ball nicely. QB, Cody Nelson, looked much better this week. CJ missed about the entire game and soph RB Joshua Tate did a really nice job filling in. He's going to be a player himself in the future. Next wk BA goes to Chattanooga to take on Potter's former team McCallie at the UTC stadium. I'm sure that's going to bring out a HUGE crowd. The week after that is what I think will be the game of the year in TN...BA @ Smyrna.

what was the final score?

If Ensworth is going to compete with the best of Div.II-AA then they better beat CPA. Nothing against CPA, I did watch them in a scrimmage and though they are small, they have a really good QB in that dangerous spread offense. Can't wait to hear how this one goes. I'm curious as to just how good T. Jefferson is on the football field. I've seen what he can do on the basketball court.

Private schools definitely don't have anything to complain about. They normally have superior academics and facilities and can attract kids without being restricted by zones, etc. Sure, private schools have tons of advantages. But don't forget that a public school gets to choose from a talent pool of like 500+ boys where some of these private schools only have 250 boys. That's a tremendous difference. With those kind of numbers public schools have NOTHING to complain about. At the end of the day it evens out as each side has their own advantages.