SULLIVAN EAST AT ELIZABETHTON

[HighSchoolFanatic]

Football is 90% coaching. Betsy has the talent. There is no discipline. None what so ever. You cant win without that. Im srry but you cant be easy on your players, especially in football. Look @ Lunsford, who said that he'd rather have the kids hate him and have them winning. Cloudland had some mediocore talent at the time of their success, but he dominated the big schools. He could take Elizabethton right now and have them playing against Maryville in the semis. Im srry I admire the man, I believe hes a good ASST, and hes great guy, but Pless has got to go. Yes, people like Shawn, Jason Witten, Andrew Rhinehart, Andy Curtis, Vince Redd, Neal Wandell, Walter Brown, and Lester Bailey do come often. But they have enough talent to win. Rider was good, I was really impressed with him. One of my friends praised Jeff Livingston, while he was a freshman. Last year, they had a lot of weapons. Jeffers, Kennedy, Atkinson, Peterson, Hyatt, Conners, Peters. Along with juniors Preston Smith, Hutch, and Hyder. Elizabethton is struggling big time. If this continues, they must drop to 3A and drop DB and Science Hill, all those games are for gate money. Pick Happy Valley back up, which is just as much gate money and a better closer rival. If it wasnt for their tradition, they would have an 0-10. I wish them the best of luck.

[Slipstream1]

I disagree. If the talent level of the league rose across the board then all we would have is more competition. More competition leads to a better league. A better league leads to a better regional representative. A better regional representative leads to a better chance at a state championship. A state championship region gets statewide respect. Statewide respect would mean more scholarships. Is there something about that scenario that you dislike? Think about it.

 

 

You misunderstand me. I firmly believe that the better the level of competition in the league the better chance to advance and perhaps do something on the state level. But the fans must understand that due to the increased level of play their favorite team might not be 7-0 or 6-1 in the conference every year but might be 4-3 but be better prepared for the playoffs. Would fans accept a 6-4 record as acceptable in a tough league for the top dog? Just trying to get folks to think about it in a different way.

 

I know that Pless did not follow Rider directly but the Cyclone fans keep comparing him to the Rider days. However, I was making a general comment about coaching situations overall and not the Betsy situation. I have no real knowledge about that.

 

HighSchoolFanatic stated that football is 90% coaching. Please, that is a little high don't you think. What about the coach (Michigan, I belive) that had won several state titles and had a successful program but had gone to a new school. After 4-5 games this year he went to the school board had the rest of the season cancelled because he feared for the safety of the players. But he was only getting beat like 40-0 which is not something that I would think is really bad like 80-0. If coaching was 90% why not continue on. You have to have some talent to go with it.

 

I'm done with this thread. I really did not make my comments aimed directly at the Cyclones but maybe it will do them a little good to find out what some of those rising programs in the MLC used to endure.

[HighSchoolFanatic]

I have always admired and respected the Elizabethton school system. But if I was a coach, I would not want to work under David Roper and his system. They need a new football and basketball coach. Watch Two-A-Days on MTV. Look how intensed Coach Propst is. The players dont like him on the field, but you are not supposed to like your coach, therefore you respect him. That is why they a dynasty. Of course they (Hoover) have 3,000 students to choose from, but there is more than one big school. But I like his coahing ethics. I do not care for the language he uses, but it works. You have to have some deep and thick skin to play and coach football.

[compusatman]

You misunderstand me. I firmly believe that the better the level of competition in the league the better chance to advance and perhaps do something on the state level. But the fans must understand that due to the increased level of play their favorite team might not be 7-0 or 6-1 in the conference every year but might be 4-3 but be better prepared for the playoffs. Would fans accept a 6-4 record as acceptable in a tough league for the top dog? Just trying to get folks to think about it in a different way.

 

I know that Pless did not follow Rider directly but the Cyclone fans keep comparing him to the Rider days. However, I was making a general comment about coaching situations overall and not the Betsy situation. I have no real knowledge about that.

 

HighSchoolFanatic stated that football is 90% coaching. Please, that is a little high don't you think. What about the coach (Michigan, I belive) that had won several state titles and had a successful program but had gone to a new school. After 4-5 games this year he went to the school board had the rest of the season cancelled because he feared for the safety of the players. But he was only getting beat like 40-0 which is not something that I would think is really bad like 80-0. If coaching was 90% why not continue on. You have to have some talent to go with it.

 

I'm done with this thread. I really did not make my comments aimed directly at the Cyclones but maybe it will do them a little good to find out what some of those rising programs in the MLC used to endure.

What you are describling is the SEC. On any given Saturday anyone can win. What kind of reputation does the SEC have...the strongest conference in the nation. No one in the SEC goes undefeated normally. If our conference had that kind of competition then each game would be a nail biter. I think fans would see this as a good thing. As far as the 90% thing...I think he is wrong. It is 100%!

Edited October 13, 2006 by compusatman

[compusatman]

I have always admired and respected the Elizabethton school system. But if I was a coach, I would not want to work under David Roper and his system. They need a new football and basketball coach. Watch Two-A-Days on MTV. Look how intensed Coach Propst is. The players dont like him on the field, but you are not supposed to like your coach, therefore you respect him. That is why they a dynasty. Of course they (Hoover) have 3,000 students to choose from, but there is more than one big school. But I like his coahing ethics. I do not care for the language he uses, but it works. You have to have some deep and thick skin to play and coach football.

I disagree. To be a great coach does not mean one has to be an ######. Many adjectives describe a great coach and many facets are required to be successful, however the perfect coach is one you admire and respect. Someone you would take a hit for. Someone whose words penetrate the concrete of your soul and make your heart pump like never before. Yes, the coach should be tuff beyond comparison but should also have compassion. I don't think there is a standard mould for a great coach but rather many avenues to success. Of the greatest coaches I had as a youth one was a failure in the eyes of the community but he taught me more football technique and more motivational expertise than any other person the rest of my life. The other hated me. He tried his best to make me quit but quit I would not and in the end...he respected me for not giving up and I respected him for pushing me to the edge. A great coach is all these things.

[GLee]

maybe it will do them a little good to find out what some of those rising programs in the MLC used to endure.

 

They do the things that are incompassed by determination and preperation. That takes the coaching as well as the guys on the field buying in to the program. An aggresive program on both sides of the ball with aggressive leadership. It is football. As I said, it is a long list of problems that will have to be addressed and it is not all coaching. And yes, I do believe the personnel is available but they have to be willing to give as a team and led properly.

 

Maybe a thread on coaching, in general, needs to be started?

 

On the game, we might see a new Cyclone RB and I can tell you this. He says he will do "whatever the team needs for a 'W'". This is no different than what we have thought all year and no, it won't make anyone mad and never would have. "Whatever the team needs" is how this kid is made and what he has always been taught. Let'er fly........

[cyclone81]

GREAT POST SKY44 THE MAN WAS AMAZING.HE TAUGHT ME MORE ABOUT BEING A MAN THAN ANYONE I KNOW.HE TAUGHT ME HOW TO CARE AND DEPEND ON MY TEAMATES.WE WENT 9-1 WITH A BUNCH OF GUYS THAT CARED ABOUT EACH OTHER EVEN THOUGH WE WERE FROM VASTLY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.SLIPSTREAM KIDS ARE NOT AS GULLABLE AS YOU THINK,THEY KNOW WHEN COACHES CARE NOTHING ABOUT THEM,FROM EATING SUPPER WITH THEM TO RIDING THE BUS WITH THEM,TO WATCHING FILM WITH THEM.IT CEASES TO AMAZE ME WHY A STAFF WOULD WANT TO CHANGE EVERYTHING ABOUT A PROGRAM THAT HAD TREMEDOUS SUCCESS.YOUR STAMP SHOULD BE HEY I WANT TO BE A WINNER AND LETS CONTINUE.I LOVE CYCLONE FOOTBALL MORE THAN ANYTHING AND I AM TRUELY SADDENED BY THE THINGS THAT HAVE TRANSPIRED AT EHS.BUT I CAN TRUELY SAY I SAW IT COMING GOOD LUCK TO A GREAT BUNCH OF KIDS TONIGHT,TAKE THE FIGHTING THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN OUT OF FIGHTING CYCLONES TO EM TONIGHT,AND MAKE YOUR MARK ON THIS SENIOR SEASON.LOVE YOU GUYS GO CYCLONES

[GLee]

A great coach can turn any program around. When I played for Rider we were in the same conference with Science Hill and DB. And yes, we even handed DB a loss or two, and we did it without any Witten's. (By the way, as I recall, Jason Witten only spent 4 years in high school.)

 

Do we have less talent now than we did then? No. None of us were really anything that special. But were we taught how to play football? Were we well disciplined? Did our coaches have us ready to play every Friday night? You bet. Were there any starters who decided not to play their senior season? You've got to be kidding! Playing for a man like Dave Rider was considered an honor. That's why we gave him everything we had to give and more. We believed that there was nothing greater than being a Fighting Cyclone.

 

Yes, those days are gone. Now we are sitting in the stands. And yes, we still believe. That is why seeing the program as it is today hurts so bad.

 

 

I didn't grow up a Cylcone..........I was a Green Dragon in HS We did not believe that we could lose and we lost very few. Hard work to win is something that is taught.

 

44, that was some fine post and inspiring. I am very proud to have raised my kids Cyclones. P would not have had it any other way because of his love for his brothers (teammates). The fight is not over for this family until the last second of the last game. I was brought up that way and I put that fever into mine.

 

CYCLONE PRIDE!!!

[HighSchoolFanatic]

I disagree. To be a great coach does not mean one has to be an ######. Many adjectives describe a great coach and many facets are required to be successful, however the perfect coach is one you admire and respect. Someone you would take a hit for. Someone whose words penetrate the concrete of your soul and make your heart pump like never before. Yes, the coach should be tuff beyond comparison but should also have compassion. I don't think there is a standard mould for a great coach but rather many avenues to success. Of the greatest coaches I had as a youth one was a failure in the eyes of the community but he taught me more football technique and more motivational expertise than any other person the rest of my life. The other hated me. He tried his best to make me quit but quit I would not and in the end...he respected me for not giving up and I respected him for pushing me to the edge. A great coach is all these things.

 

Thats pretty much what I stated. Good summary all together.

[rvd]

When was the last time EHS beat a team west of Morristown/Newport?

Does anyone know what their record is against teams from that part of the state the past 30 or 40 years?

I was just wondering.

[voice]

Knox Holston in '67 and it seems we had a win over Oak Ridge after that in late 60's early 70's( Goddard era) but I am missing a few years in that time. If I can find it I'll let you know.

[imavol10]

Tonite was a good game all around for the Cyclones. This was a big win. Preston Smith showed me a lot tonite. I knew he was talented, but he really began to show some great leadership.

 

The Defense played exceptional. East couldnt get anything going until the second string came in the fourth quarter.