compusatman

Football (like many things in life) is 90% mental. DB softened South up with it in the pregame show. Bristol softened DB up with it for 2 quarters. South used their psyche' to not only defeat Bristol but to turn the whole ship around. Japan used it in WWll. Terorists use it now. You can bet Elizabethton will be psyched. Some teams have more talent than others yes, but attitude and mental ability is everything. Don't count the Cyclones out. They will come fighting. Yes, South has more tricks in store. They have just begun to scratch the surface. Curt Phillips just learned a valuable lesson...that using the rest of the team is a positive force. He has discovered that the team effort doesn't take away from his stats, but instead adds to it. Now you will see him crank it up a notch or two. You will see that Stacy Carter has learned to "Divide and Conquer". He has learned that to be a "Gladiator" an army must posess many facets and use them well. Now and only now will we see the actual potential this team has. The 05' Rebels were more mature. The 06' Rebels have just reached maturity...and have something to prove...one game at a time.

Cap1 talked trash with the best of them, however now he speaks plain English. It is admirable that a diehard fan can swallow his pride and give credit where credit is due. My hat is off to him for his textbook display of true sportsmanship. I will honor and respect his presence on this site. He had to have been at the game. And anyone attending this event was convinced that the preseason hype is real. This game was no accident, no turnover fest, no miscue, no injury laden could-have-been, but instead was an example of a group of seniors making a decision to do what was expected of them. Curt Phillips is learning the maturity of the game and the need to depend on the other 10 members of the offense. A very gutsy showing on his part. It will be interesting to hear how the Bristol players rate South in terms of intensity.

Look...Waco stirs it up...and you know what? Usually he mixes it up real good. He tries to be honest...as honest as a DB fan can be! Fact is, in NET we all live to be as good as DB is year after year after year and if we smack them every now and then...well it makes us feel GREAT! They are the yardstick and they know it and so be it. If we get that good on a consistant basis then we will be cocky also. Vance is consistantly good and CHMS is Dominant year after year. Sevier and Ross Ann are never as good as either of the 2 afore mentioned powerhouses. So why is it that campaign after campaign DB emerges as a Blitzkrieg in light of THS's and SSHS's incoming dominance? It's called Tradition! Graham Clark seldom has the superior athletes but come Friday nite he fields a championship team every year. Is coach Stubbs inferior...no but something is lacking. Is coach Carter inferior...no but something is lacking. This anomaly is more prevalent in Colonial Heights than in Bristol but they both are guilty of being complacent. What will it take to step up to DB's level???More than is currently demanded of the 2 systems! Granted, THS is very close to that level this year but no cigar. In Bristol maybe it's too much NasCar mentality. In Colonial Heights, it's too many BMW'S and Mercedes in the school parking lot. So DB does not have that problem? Yes, they have the Crackheads, the Socials, and the Rednecks but come August they can it until December and then they are no better than we are. But in the heat, they heat it up and in the storm they weather it. I played against the 70-71 National Champions from Bristol and they were Professional! The level of dedication displayed was a story for Two-A-Days. So, if DB fans crank it up...then crank it up because all they want is for us to show them some composition...if we had it! And, if we had any Stones we would step up to the plate! C'mon, let's grow the business a notch or two and bring it up to the level of middle and west TN! It's not a matter of a lack of talent...we have tons of it. It's what you do with what you got. So, is WACO going to be at the game? If not then his words are tripe. Out of respect, I think the whole Tribe should be there. The Air Force against the Marines! You know you can't miss this one...Go REBELS!!!

Artvandalay...1200+ posts...We pay attention to what people like you say...almost as if you were a Deacon. Thanks for including your address...I always thought it was Fair Acres...had no clue you would live on Roberson St. But then it is kind of a Cloudy day.

South was devistated by the DB loss. The pre-season hype, the All-State QB, the terrific LB's, able Wide Recievers, good RB's. They have sort of drifted through the wilderness until last week. I think they are out of the woods. Bristol...they think they beat DB except that the score was off a bit. They woke up Sunday morning and got on with it. They wasted very little grief on DB. South, is fortunate to have stumbled this far without falling off the cliff. They endured a ton of injuries to key positions...I know everybody has injuries, but they had more than their share. OK, maybe they asked for a few of them. Bristol regrouped and refocused very quickly. South had to go back through the fire. Is South ready? If not then they will never be. The timing was all in their favor. The "new" center...is a vetran, the "new" running backs...are vetrans. The "new" game plan...is not new. They know this is the Real McCoy. Curt Phillips quick strike capability...Bristol's dog-eat-dog mentality...might not be 5A but I wouldn't miss it for the world!

I have a question for South fans. I have been watching TN.HIGH the last several years and when this Senior group played as Freshmans South had a big powerful RB that was real good. My question is did he transfer or what That would probably be Justin Dykes and/or Paul Wingfield. They are the current linebackers. Both seniors from Colonial Heights Middle. Jordan Kitzmiller was also previously a RB before migrating to WR also a senior from CHMS.

Missed the Jamboree did Curt Phillips compete. He's good on accuracy just wondering how far he throws. At the Jamboree he was on the tender end of shoulder surgery rehabilitation. He should be solid by now. I think all would agree his distance is comparable to anyone in the state.

Last years game was led by Jake Hicks. Curt Phillips was injured. Bristol looked very strong against DB. They have a complete team. The kicking game will pressurize South heavily. South is healthy except for one key player. RB Fletcher is not back. No one in NET could stop him including DB. They will miss him dearly. Stacy Carter has been bashed all season for not providing the correct leadership. It has been said that he lives and dies by the spread offence. Carter has endured life altering circumstances since before the Jamboree. Circumstances which impare judgement. You will see changes in this game. You will see a coaching staff with a renewed direction. Can the South team leaders manufacture the required motivation to play with this physical Bristol team. To be seen. One thing for sure, against Johnson County South dropped 4? breakaway (TD) passes. South was in the red zone 4 times and failed. Phillips passes were all on the money to recievers who previously would not fail. Phillips has 5 breakaway recievers. If they are on then it is on. Obviously, Bristol will blitz. How will South deal with it this time? It is said that Johnson County is the hardest hitting team in the MLC. South will not roll over and die in this one. Bristol will expect to blow the doors off. One problem I see and one that bothered DB is the Bristol stadium. The feeling is claustrophobic. The end zone and side lines alike impose a sense of a much smaller field and therfore may impair judgement. Whoever recieves the ball after the half will have the upper hand. Curt Phillips future is secure. His reputation is on the line. I see Bristol doing nothing different. They will attempt to run the ball down South's throat...and that will tell the tale. May no injuries occur and may the best team win.

maroonandgray...you are correct. On this play Coty was perfect. And Bo got it there and in the proper demension, however neither played better than 60% for the evening. I say it this way because the two of them plus Throp are a break-away threat at any moment (normally). But in this game my assesment is that Coty and Bo were below par and therefore the team "searched" for success. Throp, Sensabaugh, & Burton may not be "Offense Inc", but are close. I don't think Bristol put them in this corner...I think they put themselves in this predicament. Otherwise, I have the utmost respect for them as athletes and as a team.

I didn't leave until the buzzer. Bristol ran 90% to the right. They threw 3? passes with success. Their offensive line appeares imposing but only picked up three-four yrds a carry. Their running backs seem impressive but seldom broke open field. Their QB gets high regards but is one-deminsional. Their game plan was to eat the clock but they ate themselves. Their coach did not have alternatives. Their defense is solid except for the backfield. DB seemed out of their element. Afraid to light it up. Afraid to take a chance. They played much to conservative for a so-called unimportant game. This game proved they are vulnerable. If Bristol had a playbook larger than one sheet they could have hung with them. DB will go to the finals and choke. Throp might have a big mouth but he is spot-on. Barnes proved he is just hype. Justin was scared. Coty was tight but on. And Bo was uneasy. I thought DB should have come out blazing like they did against South but instead they came out shy and timid. Bristol is impressive but not a championship team. DB has nitrous but they did not use it tonite. Throp was MVP. If Bristol wishes to beat South they must do as DB did otherwise Phillips will beat them deep every time.

Jamesbad...I agree, everyone should lighten up. However, put the shoe on the other foot. Let's imagine what the DB ontarage would do and say if Graham Clark made the same carreer ending blunder that Stacy Carter did. Hello! You say not to divide the community and the team by toxicity and negativity...my friend, the bashing of Stacy Carter and his policy of letting Curt Phillips do as he pleases started with the playoff game against Morristown West last year. Everyone knows he should have started Jake Hicks instead of Curt Phillips with his 105 degree temperature. Do you have any idea why Curt had 3 delay of game penalties called on him? Because with a 105 temp he could not see not to mention being delirious. So yes, Puddings take on the situation is spot-on! If Stacy Carter would learn the diplomacy and the ability to make crucial decisions while the bullets are flying then South fans would treat him as Harry Fry was treated...only better! Stacy appeared to have tremendous potential but the debacle at DB proves one thing. Under pressure, he will put his head in the sand. As far as Curt Phillips is concerned, he will be an All-American QB. He will finish his career at South being declared the best QB to ever emerge from this area. That however does not disspell what Pudding said about him. He does withdraw the ball from Taylor Fletcher and follow him up the hole because he knows Fletcher will bulldoze whatever is in front of him. AND he does hand the ball off when the hole is closed so as not to tarnish his stats. Nonetheless, He is D1 all the way and everyone knows it. If he were smart he would see the damage to his credibility and turn that into yet another positive facet of his image. And for Taylor Fletcher being the best Sophmore RB in this area...only if he transfers to DB. I think he and Sylvester have complementing styles. Sylvester has the open field speed but Fletcher is the Spin Dr. and is hard to tackle. As far as DB is concerned, they capitolized on each and every one of Souths mistakes. So what do you expect...they looked like a million bucks. And Throp...what do you expect from such a disrespectful young man. In all of his childish ways he did not deserve the treatment he got from South fans and athletes. DB was just as disrespectful as South...one did not intimidate the other. However, DB did prove one thing...they have a great coach while South has a personal trainer for Curt Phillips. Jamesbad...I agree, everyone should lighten up. However, put the shoe on the other foot. Let's imagine what the DB ontarage would do and say if Graham Clark made the same carreer ending blunder that Stacy Carter did. Hello! You say not to divide the community and the team by toxicity and negativity...my friend, the bashing of Stacy Carter and his policy of letting Curt Phillips do as he pleases started with the playoff game against Morristown West last year. Everyone knows he should have started Jake Hicks instead of Curt Phillips with his 105 degree temperature. Do you have any idea why Curt had 3 delay of game penalties called on him? Because with a 105 temp he could not see not to mention being delirious. So yes, Puddings take on the situation is spot-on! If Stacy Carter would learn the diplomacy and the ability to make crucial decisions while the bullets are flying then South fans would treat him as Harry Fry was treated...only better! Stacy appeared to have tremendous potential but the debacle at DB proves one thing. Under pressure, he will put his head in the sand. As far as Curt Phillips is concerned, he will be an All-American QB. He will finish his career at South being declared the best QB to ever emerge from this area. That however does not disspell what Pudding said about him. He does withdraw the ball from Taylor Fletcher and follow him up the hole because he knows Fletcher will bulldoze whatever is in front of him. AND he does hand the ball off when the hole is closed so as not to tarnish his stats. Nonetheless, He is D1 all the way and everyone knows it. If he were smart he would see the damage to his credibility and turn that into yet another positive facet of his image. And for Taylor Fletcher being the best Sophmore RB in this area...only if he transfers to DB. I think he and Sylvester have complementing styles. Sylvester has the open field speed but Fletcher is the Spin Dr. and is hard to tackle. As far as DB is concerned, they capitolized on each and every one of Souths mistakes. So what do you expect...they looked like a million bucks. And Throp...what do you expect from such a disrespectful young man. In all of his childish ways he did not deserve the treatment he got from South fans and athletes. DB was just as disrespectful as South...one did not intimidate the other. However, DB did prove one thing...they have a great coach while South has a personal trainer for Curt Phillips.