East Tennessee and the Forward Pass

[krichunaka]

For what it's worth, our local coaches readily admit that the passing game would be of great benefit, especially during post-season.

 

Unaka has tried, and succeeded at getting better pass production. And Todd Caldwell's through-the-roof numbers prove the same approach is being used at Happy Valley.

 

But a reality check: Unaka lost two heartbreakers, through the air. The scoop and 95 yard return of an errant lateral sealed the deal at Cosby; the interception and runback dashed any hopes in the 14-to-nothing loss to Cloudland.

 

And what of the Happy Valley air assault? The offensive numbers are staggering; "not bad for around here." But how many Happy Valley passes resulted in touchdowns ....for the other team?

 

We have a "Passing League" just before the start of two-a-days; but it - the pass - hasn't become second nature.

 

But the total truth centers on our lack of team speed and athleticism. And in relative terms, we have neither. The mid-state and western teams have it in bunches.

 

And even in the running game, there are only so many Adam Townsends and Charles Lee Guinns to go around. Our City High School, no stranger to post-season success, with either of the two, would have posed bigger problems for the opposition. Add Sky Hicks to the mix and Look Out!

 

Is it a mere numbers game? Nah. Not when considering the air-assault administered the Cloudland Highlanders in Murfreesboro. The Eagles of Ezell Harding ONLY had a trio of superior athletes, but WOW, what a show. Cloudland, even with the great Mark Byrd, simply couldn't keep up. And didn't Cloudland have nearly five-hundred yards in that massacre?

 

Hey, just opening a can of worms. Comments?

Edited November 27, 2005 by krichunaka

[TheJudge]

For what it's worth, our local coaches readily admit that the passing game would be of great benefit, especially during post-season.

 

Unaka has tried, and succeeded at getting better pass production. And Todd Caldwell's through-the-roof numbers prove the same approach is being used at Happy Valley.

 

But a reality check: Unaka lost two heartbreakers, through the air. The scoop and 95 yardlateral return sealed the deal at Cosby; and the interception runback dashed any hopes in the 14 -to-nothing loss to Cloudland.

 

And what of the Happy Valley air assault? The offensive numbers are staggering; "not bad for around here." But how many Happy Valley passes resulted in touchdowns ....for the other team?

 

We have a "Passing League" just before the start of two-a-days; but it - the pass - hasn't become second nature.

 

But the total truth centers on our lack of team speed and athleticism. And in relative terms, we have neither. The mid-state and western teams have it in bunches.

 

And even in the running game, there are only so many Adam Townsends and Charles Lee Guinns to go around. Our City High School, no stranger to post-season success, with either of the two, would have posed bigger problems for the opposition. Add Sky Hicks to the mix and Look Out!

 

Is it a mere numbers game? Nah. Not when considering the air-assault administered the Cloudland Highlanders in Murfreesboro. The Eagles Ezell Harding ONLY had a trio of superior athletes, but WOW, what a show. Cloudland, even with the great Mark Byrd, simply couldn't keep up. And didn't Cloudland have nearly five-hundred yards in that massacre?

 

Hey, just opening a can of worms. Comments?

East TN is mostly mountains. Mountain football is run run run Even in Eastern Kentucky therefore run run run run, The only team I know of that really relies on the pass In the mountains of KY is Williamsburg. I really dont know of that many teams that love to fly the friendly skies in East Tn some do however mix it up quite a lot but the majority is run run run. I say give them lineman some collar greens and cornbread and let em run. Serioudly though mountain football is and always will be run till you stop me.

[krichunaka]

Very good post. And I didn't realize it is very similar in Kentucky. I suppose you have to have, not just a good running team, but a completely Dominant running team.

 

"Fly the Friendly Skies." Now, that was funny. Hilarious.

[hamptonbigdogs]

I kinda agree we need the pass. But the run game got the Hampton Bulldogs to the semi's. It is hard for the smaller schools to go to the spread offense. I tried it in pee-wee and everyone thought I was crazy. Does everyone remember the semi's at Elizabethton I think in 99 that team that beat them run the spread. The boys around here don't have the dedication to play football. So that is why we run the ball. If you had the dedication then we could be like Trousdale. But it has to come from the coaches also. You can't have all three sports its either one or none.

[krichunaka]

It's very difficult to challenge the dedication of anyone who

survives two-a-days; whether it be at Hampton, Elizabethton,

Unaka, Cloudland, etc.. And I don't agree with so many from

the middle and western areas of our great state that they are

better, simply because they are "more dedicated." In fact, I

know that they are not.

 

Only a casual glimpse demonstrates the superior team

speed and athleticism of the remaining teams; and in all

classifications.

Now, are all the players on all those teams faster because all of

them work harder than all of the players on all the teams no longer

playing? Hardly.

 

Instead, let's put forth the absurd notion that they are faster because,

surprise, surprise, they are faster. They are also big, strong and

physical, but so were the Bulldogs. The defeat of the Bulldogs at the

hands (and fast feet) of Trousdale County was a case of superior

talent, and specifically, team speed.

 

Oh, and yes, T C has a Great Coaching Staff, but do we really believe

that the Hampton staff couldn't compete with Hampton

....with the Trousdale County players?

 

And dare we ask ourselves why the University of Tennessee started

the now-very-common trend of offering football recruits the opportunity

to run track, rather than participate in football spring training?

 

The Need for Speed!

[blue14devils]

I kinda agree we need the pass. But the run game got the Hampton Bulldogs to the semi's. It is hard for the smaller schools to go to the spread offense. I tried it in pee-wee and everyone thought I was crazy. Does everyone remember the semi's at Elizabethton I think in 99 that team that beat them run the spread. The boys around here don't have the dedication to play football. So that is why we run the ball. If you had the dedication then we could be like Trousdale. But it has to come from the coaches also. You can't have all three sports its either one or none.

[/quote

If you played in Region 4 you wouldnt have ever got close to the semis, much less the playoffs. Just my opinon.............Go Yellow Jackets aka.FCS

Edited November 28, 2005 by blue14devils

[unakafan07]

I kinda agree we need the pass. But the run game got the Hampton Bulldogs to the semi's. It is hard for the smaller schools to go to the spread offense. I tried it in pee-wee and everyone thought I was crazy. Does everyone remember the semi's at Elizabethton I think in 99 that team that beat them run the spread. The boys around here don't have the dedication to play football. So that is why we run the ball. If you had the dedication then we could be like Trousdale. But it has to come from the coaches also. You can't have all three sports its either one or none.

 

true, but i dont think teams have to go away from what they do best.. in hamptons case, the power run.. but you hafta be able to mix it up more.. someone at the unaka games was saying we should throw the ball 20plus times a game, i checked the box scores the next 2 wks, other than HV, the team that threw more lost! they were prolly behind and had to throw..

 

However; i think throwing around 10 times a game with a real good running attack, at least will "keep the defense honest" .. example in the hampton v. unaka game, UHS was playing a 6-3 until the TE caught a seam pass for a big play, that backed us out of that defense..

 

but i think krich has pretty much hit the nail on the head.. most teams around here have one maybe 2 great athletes.. they are usually put at RB (and why not, the rb has around 20 touches, even in the spread a wr wont have that many) HV had the personell this year to pull it off, several good wr's and lowe at fb/rb..

[splainshornets]

I think this is a Upper East TN, small school problem.

[creekbank]

Passing hasn' alway came easy for TC as most may think I went to Trousdale in the seventys and basically we ran the power style of running with the wing-t offense.Coach Clints dad was the coach at the time and he insisted on the running game which were probally around 80% of our offensive plays we had good qbs like Billy Linville, Danny Joe Gregory and Coach Clint himself just to name a few.

But they led an running offense first and passed mainly when absolutly nesessary to gain first down yardage when things went wrong most fans would say why, we should have stuck with the running game? In the mid to later eights Coach Satterfield reconized that teams across the state seemed to be installing new passing phases of the game and in order to keep up TC started with more passing routes and learning different ways to beat coverages.Coach Clint being a former qb himself caught a lot of flack from the fans when things didn't go well.

Even though with a lot of critisim he did not give up on believing that a passing game installed with a good running game would prosper at the high school level among 1a teams. I.m not saying he invented this belief or nothing like that just that it took a lot of trial and error on coaches and players alike to get to the point that TC is at now. I most definitly think that defining a passing game for East TN teams would be a very good thing to say the least you already have the material for a great running game I saw a Hampton team that had a lot of size and with no doubt could develope into a great pass protection offense with a great running game to boot.

It won't just happen over night it takes a lot of practice, patience,and faith.I think that attending passing camps is a great place to start developing qbs along with study of films learning opponents weaknesses and strenghts on passing situations is a must first hand.But It can be done give it a try i believe it will help in the long run. P.S. thanks for the great hospitality Hampton you guys are a class act.

[krichunaka]

I think this is a Upper East TN, small school problem.

 

Well, sorta; but not really.

 

Most mid-state and western fans aren't aware that there are a total of THREE Single A schools east of Greeneville; and only a couple more this side of Knoxville. In fact, Hampton is back on the bubble, which will probably leave ONLY Unaka and Cloudland. So, yes, Single A ball in Upper East Tennessee is playing against the odds.

One humble sportswriter feels strongly that the best answer is a "for football only" consolidation with Cloudland, Unaka and Hampton (Yeah, like that's gonna happen!). They wouldn't have to travel past Bristol to find a game. Well, not until the playoffs.

This thread began more in response to several of the local fans suggesting that Hampton should throw the ball more. Well yes, of course. But try throwing against a team that can consistently pressure your quarterback by rushing four, leaving SEVEN pass defenders.

 

This Trousdale team is Very Good. They will probably soon be crowned State Champions. I don't think that Hampton, could have been successful trying to out-score them.

[hamptonbigdogs]

Passing hasn' alway came easy for TC as most may think I went to Trousdale in the seventys and basically we ran the power style of running with the wing-t offense.Coach Clints dad was the coach at the time and he insisted on the running game which were probally around 80% of our offensive plays we had good qbs like Billy Linville, Danny Joe Gregory and Coach Clint himself just to name a few.

But they led an running offense first and passed mainly when absolutly nesessary to gain first down yardage when things went wrong most fans would say why, we should have stuck with the running game? In the mid to later eights Coach Satterfield reconized that teams across the state seemed to be installing new passing phases of the game and in order to keep up TC started with more passing routes and learning different ways to beat coverages.Coach Clint being a former qb himself caught a lot of flack from the fans when things didn't go well.

Even though with a lot of critisim he did not give up on believing that a passing game installed with a good running game would prosper at the high school level among 1a teams. I.m not saying he invented this belief or nothing like that just that it took a lot of trial and error on coaches and players alike to get to the point that TC is at now. I most definitly think that defining a passing game for East TN teams would be a very good thing to say the least you already have the material for a great running game I saw a Hampton team that had a lot of size and with no doubt could develope into a great pass protection offense with a great running game to boot.

It won't just happen over night it takes a lot of practice, patience,and faith.I think that attending passing camps is a great place to start developing qbs along with study of films learning opponents weaknesses and strenghts on passing situations is a must first hand.But It can be done give it a try i believe it will help in the long run. P.S. thanks for the great hospitality Hampton you guys are a class act.

I agree, it doesn't start over night , but when your a small school and most of the kids play basketball or baseball it can not happen over night. That is what I was taking about dedication. For example most of Unaka boys played basketball and lived in the gym and watched film and went to camps and there coaches was die hard basketball nuts that didn't leave from film until the next morning that is why they won state and yes they had talent. But if a kid works hard enuff the talent will come. For example Adam Townsend gave up basketball and baseball to lift weights for football. Now for say if all the football players only played football and lifted weights and went to camps I am for sure they would win state just not enuff talent or kids to go around its how bad you want it.

[hamptonbigdogs]

It's very difficult to challenge the dedication of anyone who

survives two-a-days; whether it be at Hampton, Elizabethton,

Unaka, Cloudland, etc.. And I don't agree with so many from

the middle and western areas of our great state that they are

better, simply because they are "more dedicated." In fact, I

know that they are not.

 

Only a casual glimpse demonstrates the superior team

speed and athleticism of the remaining teams; and in all

classifications.

Now, are all the players on all those teams faster because all of

them work harder than all of the players on all the teams no longer

playing? Hardly.

 

Instead, let's put forth the absurd notion that they are faster because,

surprise, surprise, they are faster. They are also big, strong and

physical, but so were the Bulldogs. The defeat of the Bulldogs at the

hands (and fast feet) of Trousdale County was a case of superior

talent, and specifically, team speed.

 

Oh, and yes, T C has a Great Coaching Staff, but do we really believe

that the Hampton staff couldn't compete with Hampton

....with the Trousdale County players?

 

And dare we ask ourselves why the University of Tennessee started

the now-very-common trend of offering football recruits the opportunity

to run track, rather than participate in football spring training?

 

The Need for Speed!

Okay (Krich) speed does kill. The spread offense kills to. It takes lots of hours to perfect a offense like that and that is dedication. I for one love the coaches at Hampton and Mike Lundsford is a great add on. But them boys down state is about three levels above us. I have been around football for along time and I tried to come up with a thousdand ways in my mind to stop that offense. They are just that good! I myself didn't think they had that much speed compared to Hampton they just out played us or out coached us. First of all was you at the game and if you was did you just watch it or try to break it down. I myself tried to break it down and they looked just like the Colts, but better. Let me hear some more I like this topic.