Congratulations Smyrna

[collegeboi06]

yes congrats to smyrna...played a great game.....u earned it.......was wondering why yall kept trying to score at the end to run the score up even though yall didnt even end up scorin...i know that doesnt matter but i am happy for yall......at least the gold ball stays in middle tn where it belongs....to ravenwood, my alma mater, i am very proud of yall.no one expected yall to be here......u are a great set of football players and this year was exciting.....

[HSsportsfootball]

GREAT GAME!

 

 

 

I am just shocked. Not that Smyrna won state, but how they won it. No one believed they would be here, not even me. I am just overwhelmed on how much pride, intencity, and heart that Smyrna has played with in the playoffs. Its crazy. Smyrna don't listen to the "classless" bull crap. They are hatin'. Ya'll deserve every moment to celebrate. But again, I am just overwhelmed because the way Smyrna has played the playoffs is what football is all about. Thats whats so great about the game. Smyrna proved that with heart, you can do it. I've always wanted to be part of team like that...

 

 

 

 

Congratulations Smyrna!

Edited December 3, 2006 by HSsportsfootball

[CoachGonyeaTemp]

[donathan5507]

I lost any respect I had for the Smyrna program at the end of the game. You've just won the 5A state title--an improbable feat. You've just defeated the defending state champs after beating undefeated Ooltewah and top-ranked Riverdale in successive weeks. You have INCREDIBLE fan support in that stadium. Seriously...two of the upper deck sections were basically filled.

 

GO AND CELEBRATE WITH YOUR FANS!

 

They're the ones that stuck with you through that 49-0 defeat. They're the ones that have been there since the beginning.

 

But instead, the players made it a point to IMMEDIATELY (before even receiving their championship hats) run and taunt Ravenwood's fans. Why? Because they chanted to Josh Crouch that it was "all his fault" in a previous game?

 

That's a very mild chant, especially considering some that I've heard (from my own fans, nonetheless). Because Josh Crouch simply lost his cool at the first matchup, you go over there, take your helmets off and point to the scoreboard? You just won. Take a picture. Hug a teammate. Celebrate and enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Don't waste those precious moments taunting fans that aren't even vulgar or obscene in any way.

 

Absolutely classless. The Ravenwood fans had every right to pelt those players with anything they could find to throw.

 

On the subject of the football game, Smyrna was hands-down the better team and demonstrated that throughout the game, in all facets. Sonny Gray played another near perfect game, Rodriguez Wilks was the Offensive MVP on the biggest stage, Hendricks ran absolutely wild (213 yards), Josh Day was just...dominating, Josh Crouch played a stellar game..Heck, even Sonny Gray boomed a 51-yard punt.

 

Three bad things happened for Smyrna: the two fumbles and the missed PAT. The missed PAT didn't matter too much and they overcame the two fumbles as good teams do.

 

Smyrna is the undisputed 5A state champ and they absolutely deserve it.

 

To Ravenwood: don't ever let anyone tell you that you failed. You went from a 1-3 start to the biggest stage, something no other team can say. You ended your season in Murfreesboro and lost to the best team in 5A football. You won 4 straight games on the road as a 4 seed and played inspired ball all season long. I know it's cliche to say that the Raptors need to hold their heads up high, but they absolutely do. To go to 2 consecutive state championships in only four years of varsity football is phenomenal. A bright future lies ahead for all of you.

 

Ultimately, hats off to SMYRNA--the one and only state champion. And hats off to Ravenwood for one whale of a season.

[McNine4MVP]

First of all congrats to both teams on a great season. Brian Rector is one heck of a coach and the Raptor community should feel lucky to have him. You guys bounced back from a tough start to show the heart of a champion throughout the rest of the season. To be honest, the Raptors have been in do-or-die situations since Week 5 and have pulled off some cardiac kid comeback feats to stay alive. Ravenwood pulled off some great last minute wins against Antioch, Hunters Lane, and White Station in these playoffs.......tonight they just didn't have the juice left to mount a comeback.

 

On to Smyrna.....All I can say is WOW!!! That was a pretty dominating performance from about the 5:00 mark of the second quarter on. I want to personally apologize to Phillip Shadowens for a comment I made about a month and a half ago. I commented that I thought Shad was a 7-3 or 8-2 coach with 9-1 or 10-0 talent. I was wrong to say that and you have made me eat my words the past three weeks. I know how sweet this must be for him, considering he's been a Smyrna guy his whole life, and he's suffered the frustrations of coming up short. I just want to offer my congrats and let him know that he has shut me up!!!!

 

I knew that Smyrna had some superior personnel outside with Wilks being a mismatch for whoever was guarding him, whether it be Scott Ford or George Tanifan. Sonny does a good job of adjusting protections and making sight adjustments on the fly and he took advantage of some favorable matchups. Then late in the game Antoine was just ripping off 10 yards a carry. Smyrna's O-Line was great for the most part, picking up the blitzes off the edge (Maceo did a great job of picking up rushers as well) and plowing holes in the run game. I really think Rod's kick return was the biggest play of the game. Ravenwood had all the momentum and that just took wind from them that they never got back. Josh Day is a flat out player.....13 tackles, 2 sacks, and a pick in the red zone......that's how you got to work. Add to that great plays by Josh Crouch and Will Martin, and you have a Smyrna win.

 

On the postgame celebration, I DO agree that what Smyrna did immediately after the game was a little bush league......................HOWEVER..............I heard some of the things that Ravenwood's student section was saying and I bet that Josh Crouch and Company (along with some of the trash that was posted in here for the last two months regarding JC) just had a moment of Sweet Emotion running through them. I hope stuff like that does not become common place, but I do sense a trend of fans at all levels of play becoming too condescending towards players. Whether it be the Detroit-Indiana Artest melee, Mike Vick shooting the bird at some rowdy fans, the Dodgers fight at Wrigley a few years back...................I just think fans at all levels should probably back off a little.

 

I'm gonna let that slide because I understood the raw emotion and the storylines behind it, but a lot of people watching on TV and in the stands don't know this stuff and it can look bad.

 

Congrats to Smyrna and hand in there to Ravenwood, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Just ran into a better squad with better horses tonight.

Edited December 3, 2006 by McNine4MVP

[donathan5507]

Fair enough McNine...you always have some good insights.

 

I personally didn't like that, nor did I like when Hendricks walked into the endzone...I thought Kes Carter had every right to take him down (and maybe even throw a punch).

 

I can understand why Smyrna did it, I just didn't like it...especially from Sonny Gray. But I guess he was just standing up for his teammate and friend Josh Crouch...who is actually 100% class, despite what some may think.

 

Oh well, I guess they won the gold ball and they can do whatever they please.

[live2succeed]

Oakland needs to get some mohawks next year. Yeah well we only lost to the State Champions by 6 points and had a almost won. lol

haha yea maybe it will help ya'll. Heck, I say blackman and siegel go with the mohawks to. Maybe they will win next year to. I got it...tagline for mohawks

 

MOHAWKS...HECK YES!!!! THE ONLY WAY BAD TEAMS WIN!!

[riverdaleman]

yes congrats to smyrna...played a great game.....u earned it.......was wondering why yall kept trying to score at the end to run the score up even though yall didnt even end up scorin...i know that doesnt matter but i am happy for yall......at least the gold ball stays in middle tn where it belongs....to ravenwood, my alma mater, i am very proud of yall.no one expected yall to be here......u are a great set of football players and this year was exciting.....

iN MY OPINION THEY WERENT TRYING TO RUN UP THE SCORE THEY WERE RUNNING up the middle AND no one was there the kid isnt gonna just fall to the ground but they ran a play up the middle and it was ahuge gap and at that time they needed first downs so you try to move the chains and kill the clock but i didnt see and running up of the score

[donathan5507]

iN MY OPINION THEY WERENT TRYING TO RUN UP THE SCORE THEY WERE RUNNING up the middle AND no one was there the kid isnt gonna just fall to the ground but they ran a play up the middle and it was ahuge gap and at that time they needed first downs so you try to move the chains and kill the clock but i didnt see and running up of the score

 

Agree completely.

[jmu031]

Way to go SMYRNA!!!!

 

Best game of the weekend by far.

 

Congrats to both teams for outstanding seasons.

 

All I can say is that I can't wait to defend that championship next year!

[Dist11fan]

Congratulations Bulldogs on a great season and victory against our Raptors tonight. I remember our first gold ball last year and know how great it feels for you tonight. It was fun being one of the final two teams from among the 32 that started this journey a month ago.

[bama09]

SMYRNA 2006 5A STATE CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!