MBA/Byrnes SC updates

[donhaney]

I agree. It takes some moxy to schedule these types of games and a tip of the hat to MBA.

[rollredroll]

Just got back from the game.

 

Byrnes was everything as expected. Will Korn, their junior QB, looks to be as good as, if not better than, Brian Brohm was when he came to Nashville in 2003. Strong arm and accurate. All of Byrnes's receivers were good, particularly their 6'5" wideout, Matt Quinn. The team was fast as expected - too fast for MBA. MBA's secondary certainly made Byrnes's passing game look good, but Byrnes would handle pretty much any secondary in this state. Look for Byrnes to go 15-0 in South Carolina.

 

MBA is not as bad as people may surmise from the score. Byrnes was just that good. Riverdale is the only team in this state that would have a chance against this Byrnes team. MBA, unfortunately, is down from levels set at 2003 and 1999-2000, but they will rebound.

 

I visited SC's messages board tonight. Long story short, I couldn't be any prouder of being an MBA fan and a Tennessean. The people on their site who have to be as demeaning as they have been need to win blowout games like this to feed their pitiful little minds and hearts. MBA wins with class and loses with class, and we'll take our lumps with class tonight. I especially admired MBA's composure tonight in the face of some occasional extracurricular "behavior" from some of the Byrnes players.

Edited August 21, 2005 by rollredroll

[cbg]

Byrnes has way too much speed for most any high school team. It would be interesting if Riverdale were to play Byrnes. IMO Byrnes would be difficult for any team in Tennessee to beat due to the way they no huddle and spread the field, plus all of their receivers catch the ball very well. The only negative with Byrnes is that they received too many unsportsmanlike penalties and that will get a team beat in a close game.

[WesVLT]

Ouch.

 

Kudos to MBA for having the cajones to schedule such a beastly team. It will do nothing but make them better if they're willing to learn from the loss instead of folding in self-pity. I don't see a Jeff Rutledge-coached team wasting this learning opportunity. Good luck to the Big Red against Trinity.

[rollredroll]

Don't get me wrong. I'm proud of my team and south GA ball, but most people know about us. The powers down here are spread all over this big ole state(Valdosta, Warner Robins, Lagrange, Parkview, Lowndes, Camden Co. ect...) But all those teams in SC are all within 75 miles of each other.  And believe it or not. Byrnes will lose to one of the Big 16 teams they have scheduled this year(Gaffney, Spartanburg, or Dorman)  As you guys saw.  SC HS ball is no joke. Though their college ball is

825721969[/snapback]

 

If Byrnes loses, then it will take a great effort. Obviously, it can be done (and Gaffney held them in check offensively last year), but my understanding is that this is Byrnes' best team ever. A tough secondary would help to combat Korn and his WRs, but Byrnes has a pretty good defense, too, so it will not take many points for Byrnes to win most games.

 

Welcome to coacht.com.

[rollredroll]

The big argument they've talked about in SC the last few years is who is the real champ in SC Rock Hill or Byrnes.

825722004[/snapback]

 

I've never understood the 4A dynamics in SC, with the "Big 16" and "Little 32" (I think that's what they're called), where the teams from the two divisions play each other during the regular season but have separate state title games. If I understand correctly, within 4A are "conferences" that include teams from both the Big 16 and Little 32.

[Crossings]

That's the best high school team I've ever seen. Period.

[BamaFaninTN]

First off, I have never been as embarrassed as a fan of Montgomery Bell Football as I was tonight. I had friends from the Spartanburg area drive in to witness this matchup of "equal teams" and I couldn't even stand to stay for the first half.

 

With that said, I've watched a ton of MBA teams succumb to superior talent, I've also watched alot of MBA teams defeat superior talent, but we have never had an opponent like that. I will start this discourse by saying this -- the MBA '99 team is the best high school football team I have ever seen assembled. The only reason I dont put the SC team tonight ahead of them is because of the speed and secondary we had that year. The seam routes run tonight wouldn't be possible with Barton Simmons and Moses Osemwegie stalking the middle. But that Byrnes team was pretty flawless.

 

MBA has played against some pretty spectacular talent in the past (at least what I have seen) but this SC team was loaded.

 

I've heard about the backfield from Overton in '69 with Walter Overton as Quarterback, the team who could have out-run the NCAA 4x100 (then it was the 4x110 yd) champions. I've heard about the No. 1 ranked Brownsville team in 1970 who had an offensive line who outweighed the blocking starters for the Minnessota Vikings. I've seen Al Wilson and that kid who signed with VATech from Jackson Central Mary, I've seen Travis Stephens and Marcus Gildersleeve from Clarksville Northeast. I've seen Tito Lee, Kurston Biggers and Austin Kemp at the No. 3 ranked BA Eagles. I watched John Henderson and Bucky Fitzgerald at Pearl Cohn. I watched Bolles and then Brian Brohm at Trinity -- but I have never seen a team as loaded as Byrnes.

 

Will Korn is everything Brian Brohm ever dreamed of being. Not to discredit the MBA defense who bowed up during the Rebels first three offensive possessions, but that QB did what he wanted whenever he felt necessary. They had speed and slipperiness that could not be replicated during a scout session -- a hurry up offense predicated on easy exploitation of zone defenses. They had too many receivers with good hands and good knowledge -- namely the gigantic Quinn kid who didn't drop a pass all night -- he's going to play wherever he wants to next year. It was a battle of men against boys tonight, and MBA folded.

 

I've watched good TN HS football, tonight there was only one good team on the field. To put it into perspective, that Byrnes team would have given the MBA '04 squad that should have finished in the USAToday Top 5 (without the BA debaucle) everything they wanted. They were simply superior athletes with superior skills and they should easily win their state chamionship.

 

I wish all the luck to MBA this year within state, and against Trinity. They are going to need it. I hope we can turn this game against Byrnes tonight into a rivalry because they showed the Big Red what a football team should look like.

 

I'm not pouting, I'm just dissappointed -- MBA usually shows up for games like tonight. Go Big Red and congratulations to Byrnes for stomping a very well coached MBA team -- ya'll were fantastic fans with class and an understanding of the game not normally found within the Volunteer State.

[cbg]

Bamafanintn,

 

Don't feal bad, at least MBA had the courage to put Byrnes on the schedule. The last few years (from the time that Rickey Bowers became the head coach) MBA has won with average athletic talent and more work ethic, discipline, and coaching than other high school teams. Let's face the fact that MBA has a better coaching staff than some small colleges, they have good (not great) smart players, the work ethic of the staff and players is as good as anyone around but they don't have a ton of speed. Last evening than ran into a program that has the same type of coaching staff, great work ethic, much better athletes with real speed, wonderful community support (look at the crowd that Byrnes had in Nashville), and they work at football 12 months a year with their strength & conditioning program and the passing tournaments that they participate in.

 

Those great MBA teams that had Martin, Simmons, etc... would have made a better game of it but those MBA players would have become tired in the 2nd quater (remember how hot it was last night) and Byrnes would have sliced and diced them. IMO this Byrnes team would have won by between 21 & 28 points against those good MBA teams. While it's not fun to get blown off the field during a game, I do think that everyone now knows the difference in a legit Top 25 team in the USA Today rankings and a legit Top 10 team in those same rankings.

 

Congratulations to MBA for participating in the Clinic Bowl against a team like Byrnes. Coach Rutledge is not dumb and he knew what type of team he would be playing. You don't see any other teams in Tennessee standing in line to schedule a team similar to Byrnes.

Edited August 21, 2005 by cbg

[Antwan]

If you listened to the Coach Rutledge interview...when Byrnes called him he initially had no idea how good they were. It is great that they scheduled such a good team for people of this area to see. It's also good that the Clinic Bowl associaton probably made good money from the game for a great cause.

That being said...MBA wouldn't have scheduled them if some of the top 5a teams would play them. They wouldn't go out of state. They go out of state because the best competiton within the state will not play them. The same can be said for others of the Super 7. Coach Rutledge said that very thing in the City Paper interview a few weeks ago. It's too bad it is that way. I don't see any solution in the near future.

[USA1]

First off, I have never been as embarrassed as a fan of Montgomery Bell Football as I was tonight. I had friends from the Spartanburg area drive in to witness this matchup of "equal teams" and I couldn't even stand to stay for the first half.

 

With that said, I've watched a ton of MBA teams succumb to superior talent, I've also watched alot of MBA teams defeat superior talent, but we have never had an opponent like that. I will start this discourse by saying this -- the MBA '99 team is the best high school football team I have ever seen assembled. The only reason I dont put the SC team tonight ahead of them is because of the speed and secondary we had that year. The seam routes run tonight wouldn't be possible with Barton Simmons and Moses Osemwegie stalking the middle. But that Byrnes team was pretty flawless.

 

MBA has played against some pretty spectacular talent in the past (at least what I have seen) but this SC team was loaded.

 

I've heard about the backfield from Overton in '69 with Walter Overton as Quarterback, the team who could have out-run the NCAA 4x100 (then it was the 4x110 yd) champions. I've heard about the No. 1 ranked Brownsville team in 1970 who had an offensive line who outweighed the blocking starters for the Minnessota Vikings. I've seen Al Wilson and that kid who signed with VATech from Jackson Central Mary, I've seen Travis Stephens and Marcus Gildersleeve from Clarksville Northeast. I've seen Tito Lee, Kurston Biggers and Austin Kemp at the No. 3 ranked BA Eagles.  I watched John Henderson and Bucky Fitzgerald at Pearl Cohn. I watched Bolles and then Brian Brohm at Trinity -- but I have never seen a team as loaded as Byrnes.

 

Will Korn is everything Brian Brohm ever dreamed of being. Not to discredit the MBA defense who bowed up during the Rebels first three offensive possessions, but that QB did what he wanted whenever he felt necessary. They had speed and slipperiness that could not be replicated during a scout session -- a hurry up offense predicated on easy exploitation of zone defenses. They had too many receivers with good hands and good knowledge -- namely the gigantic Quinn kid who didn't drop a pass all night -- he's going to play wherever he wants to next year. It was a battle of men against boys tonight, and MBA folded.

 

I've watched good TN HS football, tonight there was only one good team on the field. To put it into perspective, that Byrnes team would have given the MBA '04 squad that should have finished in the USAToday Top 5 (without the BA debaucle) everything they wanted. They were simply superior athletes with superior skills and they should easily win their state chamionship.

 

I wish all the luck to MBA this year within state, and against Trinity. They are going to need it. I hope we can turn this game against Byrnes tonight into a rivalry because they showed the Big Red what a football team should look like.

 

I'm not pouting, I'm just dissappointed -- MBA usually shows up for games like tonight. Go Big Red and congratulations to Byrnes for stomping a very well coached MBA team -- ya'll were fantastic fans with class and an understanding of the game not normally found within the Volunteer State.

825722062[/snapback]

 

I assume you must mean the "03 BA debaucle". Anyway, in my opinion a preverbial all-star team between your 99 and 03 team puts up a much better fight, but still gets beat. It wasn't how good some of their players were. It was the number of good skill players that they put on the field. So many targets and so well executed. Their corners out classed the MBA receivers so much that they manned up right in their face on most ever play, knowing that they could never blow past them. The offensive line stopped blitz after red-dog. MBA is not a bad team - they were just very good.

[rollredroll]

That being said...MBA wouldn't have scheduled them if some of the top 5a teams would play them. They wouldn't go out of state. They go out of state because the best competiton within the state will not play them. The same can be said for others of the Super 7. Coach Rutledge said that very thing in the City Paper interview a few weeks ago. It's too bad it is that way. I don't see any solution in the near future.

825722142[/snapback]

 

Antwan, you and I are, at times, on different pages, but not on this one. You are right, and fans would probably be disappointed to hear about at least one of the Tennessee 5A schools that declined the opportunity to participate in this game (if anyone wants to know, call Rick Regen, who put this game together).

 

On a side note, it will be interesting to see who replaces Byrnes on MBA's schedule, as this was a one-and-done deal. I've heard rumors that Louisville Male may be a potential candidate.