Ensworth-MBA Battle of the Unbeatens

[moose]

I am glad that people are not saying it was poorly officiated or some other excuse. MBA and EHS played very well and with the exception of a few pushes by both teams it was a very clean and intense hard hitting game. That game was not only great because of the stakes and history but also because it was high scoring fast paced game which worked in Ensworths favor because of their wide spread athleticism. MBA is fairly young as is EHS so it should continue to be competitive for years to come. Spencer Wise played a very good game as did Hooper Paty. MBA was very physical but they seemed to be getting ahead of themselves. Early on all they wanted to do was try and throw people on the ground which can be good but it was not the case tonight. Tavarres and Orleanes (who was dubbed by the announcer Double-O D) both had outstanding games. Orleanes showed a whole lot of speed and power trucking more than one defender. Tavarres is so elusive and quick, the MBA defenders simply couldn't get a hold on him. A lot of that can be attributed to the blocking. Mostly by the O-Line (which I think gained a lot of respect tonight) but also by receivers blocking down field. Really fun game to watch and a great atmosphere to be a part of. I do think the first match up was a better venue simply cause MBA stands accommodated more people, I think a lot of people were deterred from coming because of the seat shortage. Good game to both teams, it would be really wild if they face each other in the championship. Can MBA pick themselves up and beat BA?

[KWoodroof]

However, What do you say about 522 yards on the ground? 638 yards of offense?

 

1. You'll give up a lot of yards in a game where you very seldom bring down the ball-carrier on the first hit.

2. Most Ensworth completions were underthrown, with the receivers' coming back to the ball against a pass defense providing quite a cushion. It happened enough times that I suspect it was planned.

3. On those occasions where the ball was thrown to a reciever, the Ensworth receivers outfought the MBA coverage from the ball.

4. Speed kills, and MBA's "late hit a game" penalty is getting old and was very costly tonight. Once a season, it's aggressiveness; you live with it. Last week, the officials were inept if not biased (and that's a card I've NEVER played before). At this point, it's a very damaging pattern.

 

The bottom line is that Ensworth is a very talented and well coached team. The last thing they needed was MBA's help.

[matback]

Just wondering, do you have that website?

 

post # 6 on this thread provides a link that I went to and the video quality was excellent.

[Antwan]

Officially,

 

 

Ensworth

Orleans Darkwa: 28 carries, 348 yds, 2 TD

Tavarres Jefferson: 20 carries, 174 yds, 4 TD, 6-8 passing, 116 yds

Jacob Carter: 3 rec, 80 yds

Michael Dunn: 2 rec, 26 yds

Matt Reed: 1 rec, 10 yds

522 RUSHING YARDS

116 PASSING YARDS

TOTAL: 638 YARDS

 

MBA

Spencer Wise: 4 carries, 27 yds, 20-31-1, 302 yds 4 TD

Tanner: 11 rec, 169 yds, 2 TD

80 RUSHING YARDS

302 PASSING YARDS

TOTAL: 382 Yards

 

 

Notes: Orleans' two TDs came off runs of 99 yds and 80 yds.

 

I was very impressed with Spencer Wise. Great scrambler. Throws well on run.

 

However, What do you say about 522 yards on the ground? 638 yards of offense?

 

Great game - great atmosphere.

 

 

638 yards on a very good MBA defense. That's incredible. Ensworth just became the team to beat in DII. It will be scary how good they will be in the next few years.

[TransplantMom]

I believe Coach Bowers has been aiming for this game since the day he left MBA.

 

The soft early schedule keeps the boys healthy and allows them to focus on making a big splash when they play a traditional DII team. I don't think this is happenstance but is part of the plan. Once they have proven that they can beat a BA or an MBA, the schedule will get more challenging.

 

Ensworth has nothing to lose and everything to gain tonight.

 

If they lose, a bunch more 9th and 10th graders will appear on campus next year to make them more competitive. A friend of mine has a son at Ensworth. His middle school team won the league championship 3 years in a row, but only 4 kids from that team are still playing football. Newer kids came in and took their positions.

 

 

 

Sorry, Cloudofdust, but I respectfully have to correct your last quote there and hopefully you can correct your EHS friend whomever he/she is. My son DOES play for EHS and has been there since kindergarten. Ensworth middle school never was the league champion until two years ago when they finished with their best record ever so there never, ever has been any "3 years in a row" champion. And there are way, way more than 4 kids on the team now from the lower school.

[ehstiger09]

Very exciting game, both teams played great. The duo of Jefferson and Opoku-Darkwa proved to be too much for the MBA defense to handle. I was also impressed with Spencer Wise and the MBA passing game, but the fact that MBA could not establish a running game against a good Ensworth defense really hurt them. Before the game there was a lot of disrespect for the Ensworth football team, but i think it was because people didn't want them to be this good this early in their program's history.

 

THE TIGERS ARE FOR REAL!

[Redtwin]

Sorry, Cloudofdust, but I respectfully have to correct your last quote there and hopefully you can correct your EHS friend whomever he/she is. My son DOES play for EHS and has been there since kindergarten. Ensworth middle school never was the league champion until two years ago when they finished with their best record ever so there never, ever has been any "3 years in a row" champion. And there are way, way more than 4 kids on the team now from the lower school.

 

 

Transplant Mom,

 

Do you have any idea how many of the starters on the EHS varsity team played for the elementary school team in 5th and 6th grade?

[bluedevil]

Transplant Mom,

 

Do you have any idea how many of the starters on the EHS varsity team played for the elementary school team in 5th and 6th grade?

 

I'm not sure of that number. It may be more than you think, but many of those kids play for MBA now as well. I CAN tell you that my son was a starter for EHS last year and he had never set foot on a football field until he came to Ensworth high school in the 9th grade. Obviously not a "recruit". Just a kid who enjoyed getting to learn a new game and had the opportunity to participate and learn from a great coaching staff. He chose Ensworth for the academics/extracurriculars/progressive environment, etc. His football experience was just icing on the cake.

[KWoodroof]

Very exciting game, both teams played great. The duo of Jefferson and Opoku-Darkwa proved to be too much for the MBA defense to handle. I was also impressed with Spencer Wise and the MBA passing game, but the fact that MBA could not establish a running game against a good Ensworth defense really hurt them. Before the game there was a lot of disrespect for the Ensworth football team, but i think it was because people didn't want them to be this good this early in their program's history.

 

THE TIGERS ARE FOR REAL!

 

I'm not on Nashville, so I don't see all of the things that perhaps you do. I don't get a sense that there's the rampant disrespect for the Ensworth program that you're suggesting. Everything I saw in the print media suggested that at the MBA end, there was a keen understanding of Ensworth's strong points. In a lot of cases, this board is a pretty poor indicator of sentiment, since it's been taken over by a lot of trash-talking children who are incapable of an adult discussion of two oustanding football programs.

 

About the only statement I would quiblle with is the opening statement re: dynasties...you have to win something to be a dynasty. Ensworth hasn't done that yet. That takes nothing away from their win last night; to use a favorite, but very dangerous old chestnut, they handed us our heads on a platter. But it is just one win, in much the same way that the CBHS win was just one win. If you take the gold ball this year, you still won't have a dynasty yet, although you'll have a start.

 

I question whether you can rightly call MBA a dynasty. True, we have several state championships since the split, but the size of the division cheapens them a bit in my eyes. No slur to my alma mater, but it is the champiosnhip of a very small league spread out over the state. Further, in all the years of state playoffs prior to the split (i.e., from 1969 until recently), MBA never won a championship on the field. At this juncture, Maryville is the only team I'd call a dynasty.

 

For the time being, MBA and Ensworth and BA will have to be content with just being really outstanding programs, which is hardly cause for hair shirts, weeping, wailing, etc.

[bluedevil]

I'm not on Nashville, so I don't see all of the things that perhaps you do. I don't get a sense that there's the rampant disrespect for the Ensworth program that you're suggesting. Everything I saw in the print media suggested that at the MBA end, there was a keen understanding of Ensworth's strong points. In a lot of cases, this board is a pretty poor indicator of sentiment, since it's been taken over by a lot of trash-talking children who are incapable of an adult discussion of two oustanding football programs.

 

About the only statement I would quiblle with is the opening statement re: dynasties...you have to win something to be a dynasty. Ensworth hasn't done that yet. That takes nothing away from their win last night; to use a favorite, but very dangerous old chestnut, they handed us our heads on a platter. But it is just one win, in much the same way that the CBHS win was just one win. If you take the gold ball this year, you still won't have a dynasty yet, although you'll have a start.

 

I question whether you can rightly call MBA a dynasty. True, we have several state championships since the split, but the size of the division cheapens them a bit in my eyes. No slur to my alma mater, but it is the champiosnhip of a very small league spread out over the state. Further, in all the years of state playoffs prior to the split (i.e., from 1969 until recently), MBA never won a championship on the field. At this juncture, Maryville is the only team I'd call a dynasty.

 

For the time being, MBA and Ensworth and BA will have to be content with just being really outstanding programs, which is hardly cause for hair shirts, weeping, wailing, etc.

 

Very well put, as always, KWoodroof> I enjoy reading your insightful comments. (seriously). What a fun football weekend in Nashville! On to Vandy/Auburn....

[gbo]

Transplant Mom,

 

Do you have any idea how many of the starters on the EHS varsity team played for the elementary school team in 5th and 6th grade?

 

 

 

Yes i do

Michael Dunn-WR/DB

Watson Sweat-OL

Matt Reed-WR

Myers Beard-LB/FB

 

Those are the only starters on the EHS varsity football team who played for the 5th and 6th grade team at Ensworth.

That is 4 starter out of 22 starters so...looks like EHS and Coach Bowers are going out and getting the players he wants. But anyways EHS played a great game and won the game at the line of scrimmage. The game really showed how big of a loss it was for the Defensive line at MBA to lose starter Reuben Thomas to a ACL injury as well as Joseph Sloan to the same injury. The O line for MBA also not having starting Center Owen Lipscomb and losing Tackle Clark Benton early in the game as well as Joesph Sloan at TE with his catching ability and blocking. EHS now is the team the beat and they won't be sneaking up on anybody anymore. After watching the game, I would put Tavaress Jefferson and Orleans Darkwa as the best Duo of players in the state...they are Electrifying.

[615football]

Center Teddy Reeve and Receiver/corner back Richard Bowers also start. Freshmen year about 50 kids come from the middle school come and 50 kids come from other schools.