Pigskin Pro

I would suspect this game will be close - until kickoff. Polk, in a rout.

I've liked the grit, determination, and blue-collar work ethic of this team since the first time I saw them. They are well-coached, they play TEAM ball and don't have any superstars. From their games I have personally watched or from video, the guys in the trenches deserve some recognition. I especially tip my hat to the six seniors on this team for their leadership; they've earned everything they are now receiving. They have paved the way for success through dedication and hard work, and they have "raised the bar" for future Meigs players. Congratulations to the administration, coaches, fans, and players from Meigs County.

I got to attend the Meigs/Polk game Friday night. Meigs is certainly impressive and have improved even more since I saw them dismantle Notre-Dame. By my count Meigs only has six seniors on this team, so next year can be special if they can replace some of the heart and leadership in the six they lose. I do know that some colleges of various divisions are looking at least at four of these seniors. They're a gritty bunch of kids who are hardnosed and determined, but that doesn't mean they can't slip-up and lose a game to Howard or Sweetwater. I expect Meigs, and maybe the second place team in the region, to make it past the first round of the playoffs. If the second place team is Polk, they will need some toughness in the trenches, and learn how complete a few passes at critical times.

Wow, what a vivid imagination you have. First of all, Notre-Dame never made it to Meigs 20. On the last play of the first half, Notre Dame was on Meigs 37 yard line and they threw the ball to the receiver in the flat. The receiver tried to get yards instead of getting out of bounds, and was tackled 10 yards from the sideline - so the first half ended. On one of the previous out routes near midfield it wasn't clear if the player was tackled in bounds or out of bounds. The Meigs fans around me were booing because they thought he was tackled in bounds, yet the clock stopped. So I guess opinions vary slighlty depending on who you were pulling for. I'm neutral and I have video of the game. I assure you that in every football game a few plays are always questionable and can always be discussed at length by fans of each school for the merits or lack thereof. Meiogs soundly defeated Notre-Dame, with or without a couple of calls, with or without a few seconds here or there.

And it's that "except" that I'm referring to about Farragut being a better coached team and playing more disciplined on special teams. I have talked to a lot of high school coaches who would love to be coaching McMinn this year. If John Mullinax were still coaching there, McMinn would finish no worse than second in the Region, and may go to at least the third round of the state playoffs. The Cherokees have an abundance of talent, but good game-coaching decisions and teamwork is visibly missing. In spite of all that, McDermott should be playing somewhere in the SEC next year. I think his best years are ahead of him, and I hope he's not overlooked because of McMinn's probable losing record this year.

I've not covered the Chattanooga area a lot this year yet, other than Ooltewah. But I am aware of Mr. Turner. I hope to actually see him play in person this year so I can analyze a lot of things about him. He's a good QB and probably one of the top 3 in the Chattanooga area. I believe he can play on Saturday's, although I believe it "may" be as a defensive back, and it may be at a UTC or some smaller school. And I do not say that as being anything wrong with UTC or other smaller programs. As you know, Terrell Owens came out of UTC. Bradford's QB stock could rise by throwing for more yards - both short and long.....but mostly by "leading" his team to an upset or two. I don't know anything on Mr. Sells yet. I know here are a lot of good kickers in the Knoxville area who are being looked at.

My opinion is that McMinn has just as much talent as Farragut, and the Cherokees have one of the best running backs in the state in Mr. McDermott. However, Farragut has better game coaching and better special teams......so Farragut will prevail.

Both Mobriant and Maddron can drop .2 second off their 40 time in a few weeks with some proper speed coaching, which they would get in college. Shuttle times are more relevant to the colleges, though, but most smaller high schools don't do that. The reactionary times from each of Mobriant and Maddron (when Maddron was on defense) appeared to be very good, so that's a huge plus. I still think Mr. Mobriant will play MLB in college. He's obviously been in the weightroom a lot and is very strong, therefore he can plug the middle well. Lateral footwork drills will help him a lot and will allow him to cover a running play tackle to tackle, or a tight end roaming across the middle. Again, these improvements will come in college. A lot of the SEC coaches see a lot of different things they want in a player they recruit. Who knows, Mr. Mobriant may end up at DE.....but I doubt it because if he bulks up too much he would probably lose the speed he would need to be a rush DE. And the things you said about Mr. Maddron "got good hands, runs good routes, and very coachable" are EXACTLY what colleges want in a "possession" receiver. He's not a post pattern receiver, but he is the receiver you want to throw to when you have to have a first down. His pattern running was superb in the aspect that he blocked first and just sort of slipped off as if he had done his job of blocking....then bang, he caught the ball. He's very deceptive on his route intentions, and that's something that even college receivers have a hard time disguising. Honestly, I was wondering why they didn't throw a couple more balls to him. Remember Bobby Graham that played at Tennessee about 6 years ago? Not blessed with speed, but he was THE man you could depend on to catch the ball when it was imperative. And Bobby played with two receivers who are in the pros now....yet he was the one who the coaches had the most confidence in when thewy needed to throw ffor the first down. I'm not always right, but my track record is pretty good at spotting talent and potential. There's a lot more games in this area for me to watch in person, and I've already started watching some gamefilms. I do hope to see Meigs again. I always enjoy coming to Decatur and seeing the hometown pride. Best of all is that the young men who play at Meigs are very good, respectable young men, and that's not something you see at the majority of high school programs.....even in this area.

Both Mobriant and Maddron can drop .2 second off their 40 time in a few weeks with some proper speed coaching, which they would get in college. Shuttle times are more relevant to the colleges, though, but most smaller high schools don't do that. The reactionary times from each of Mobriant and Maddron (when Maddron was on defense) appeared to be very good, so that's a huge plus. I still think Mr. Mobriant will play MLB in college. He's obviously been in the weightroom a lot and is very strong, therefore he can plug the middle well. Lateral footwork drills will help him a lot and will allow him to cover a running play tackle to tackle, or a tight end roaming across the middle. Again, these improvements will come in college. A lot of the SEC coaches see a lot of different things they want in a player they recruit. Who knows, Mr. Mobriant may end up at DE.....but I doubt it because if he bulks up too much he would probably lose the speed he would need to be a rush DE. And the things you said about Mr. Maddron "got good hands, runs good routes, and very coachable" are EXACTLY what colleges want in a "possession" receiver. He's not a post pattern receiver, but he is the receiver you want to throw to when you have to have a first down. His pattern running was superb in the aspect that he blocked first and just sort of slipped off as if he had done his job of blocking....then bang, he caught the ball. He's very deceptive on his route intentions, and that's something that even college receivers have a hard time disguising. Honestly, I was wondering why they didn't throw a couple more balls to him. Remember Bobby Graham that played at Tennessee about 6 years ago? Not blessed with speed, but he was THE man you could depend on to catch the ball when it was imperative. And Bobby played with two receivers who are in the pros now....yet he was the one who the coaches had the most confidence in when thewy needed to throw ffor the first down. I'm not always right, but my track record is pretty good at spotting talent and potential. There's a lot more games in this area for me to watch in person, and I've already started watching some gamefilms. I do hope to see Meigs again. I always enjoy coming to Decatur and seeing the hometown pride. Best of all is that the young men who play at Meigs are very good, respectable young men, and that's not something you see at the majority of high school programs.....even in this area.

No, I truly do thank you for the correction. I report in this area for one of the major recruiting services. Although the incorrect information would have been caught, it still would have been embarrassing for me to report on Charlie, yet called him Tyler. I still believe Charlie can play SEC football, but he needs to improve his speed and be more aggressive in using the strength he has. He was still a man amongst boys Friday night, and absolutely killed a Notre-Dame running back on one play. I'm still not sure about his GPA, but I'll know this week.....and that won't affect his star rating. I know (at least I was told this) that Tyler Roberts has already inked scholarship papers to play baseball at the University of Memphis. Maddron, the blue-collar, clutch receiver, can play receiver at some of the smaller colleges around here. I first heard about him from a small college coach near Knoxville. That coach heard about his receptions from the Central/Meigs game and asked me to watch him and evaluate him while I was there Friday night. Meadows and Tyler Mobriant will be back next year to play for the Tigers, but both can play at the next level. It wouldn't surprise me if T Mobriant gets an offer from an SEC school next year, if he keeps improving and stays injury-free. Zach Rayl is the one to keep an eye on at Meigs. He's pretty tough for a freshman and has very good size. Is he projected to play QB next year? Yes, I realize that Notre-Dame wasn't what they were last year, but I believe their second half play wasn't good because of the relentless, defensive pressure Meigs' brought. That's the first Notre-Dame team I've ever seen get manhandled the way they did.....on both sides of the ball. Most all of the high school teams are still experiencing some turnovers and blown assignments this early in the season. The rate of improvement from here on out in these areas will determine who makes the playoffs and whether the first round is at home or on the road. I think Meigs' schedule still has some very solid teams left on there. If they can go 8-2 and get a home playoff spot with that schedule, they'll probably advance to the second round. I appreciate your input. And please feel free to correct me when I err on a name.

No disrespect to Loudon, but the one major difference is that Loudon isn't Fulton. I expected Alcoa to beat Fulton, but I felt that Fulton had a decent chance to win. Loudon is too one dimenional to beat Alcoa, and the speed of their running backs will be offset by Alcoa's defensive speed. Having lost to Fulton, this isn't the best week for Loudon to be playing the Tornadoes.

Thank you - I stand corrected. I guess I should have checked my football program closer. Are you a Meigs player or fan? Having only watched Meigs against Notre-Dame, I was very impressed with both the Meadows and Maddron young men at receiver. I already knew about Meadows, but I thought Maddron caught the ball exceptionally well considering he had to work hard to get at least one of the balls. He and Meadows both run good routes, and their downfield blocking was very good. I was told he caught a couple of real beauties against McMinn Central.....both covering about 30+ yards against double coverage. He's definitely the "possession" receiver I would go with if I had to have a first down. Also, having a threat at kicking extra points and field goals has added a new dimension to Meigs. Just an all around solid team in every phase of the game. That will guarantee you a playoff spot if they continue playing the way they did against Notre-Dame.

I'll pick Meigs, based on watching them against Notre-Dame. I've alluded before that Coach Martin and his staff have developed a "team" atmosphere there. Plus, although Meigs llikes to pound the ball with their solid running attack, they can throw to at least two EXCELLENT receivers in Meadows and Maddron......who both have great hands, run good routes, and block downfield very effectively. Meig's likes to blitz from different areas, and although the corners and linebackers don't have sprinter's speed, they have enough speed to press the opposing QB into making premature throws. I've watch four games of eight different teams this year, and I am impressed a lot with Meigs. They truly seem to be focused and on a mission. Offensively, East Ridge is going to have to control the ball on long drives.....and have virtually no turnovers. Unless they can do that AND stop Meigs on the ground and in the air, they will lose this one.

Coach Martin and his staff seem to have the Tigers playing as a team, and if they continue playing that way they'll have a successful year in this tough Region. What really impressed me was how nearly all the players on the field congratulated a teammate for a good play - whether on offense or defense. And the closeness of the players when they were on the sidelines shows they care for each other.

I think Alcoa has more quality depth than Loudon and will win. Loudon isn't totally one-dimensional, but if their running game isn't clicking, then they're in trouble. Hawkins speed isn't awesome, but he's pretty fast for most teams in the open field. Alcoa is one of those teams, however, who has the speed to keep Mr. Hawkins from taking it all the way. Plus, the fact that Alcoa was upset last week by Fulton, will mean the Tornadoes are definitely prepared for this key game.