D-B SPRING PRACTICE-Lets get it going !

[compusatman]

Bud said, "The point I am trying to make is not about DB or South because their playoff outcome is the same whether first or 3rd round, both will lose to the Knoxville or west of Knoxville area. South is blessed to be able to stay in upper east TN for a few rounds unlike DB who must play an athlete loaded team from Chatt or etc in the 1st round."

 

I have nothing against Bud. I agree with him on the fact that football in the Knoxville area is better than Northeast TN. I, however, disagree with him when he says that South losing in the 4A semifinals is similar to DB losing in the first round of 5A. He said both will lose to knoxville or west of knoxville area team. South played Maryville, a team that had a 74 game winning streak. A lot of those wins were against schools from all across the state. They beat Knox Central and Powell when both of them had stronger teams. They beat Hillsboro in the state championship game on a number of occasions. They beat Memphis Melrose and Red Bank. South isn't the only team in the state that hasn't defeated in Maryville's long streak. Actually prior to Hillsboro, the one team that broke the previous streak was from what many consider a weaker part of the state...Mo West defeated Maryville in 2003 and 2001.

 

Maryville more often than not was the best team in 4A and many would consider them to be in the top 3 in the state regardless of classification. McMinn Co. or William Blount on the other hand were 4th place teams from Region 2 5A. I'm not saying they were terrible, but I'm saying they were clearly not the best from that area. They were teams that DB should've beat. We truly don't know how South would fare against some of the other Knoxville schools until they play them. So far, the two teams west of Morristown that they have played in the past 15 years or so were Cleveland and Maryville, both of which were on impressive runs winning state title after state title.

 

I may sound critical of DB, but I don't hate them. I want them to make it far in playoffs because historically they have been the premier team in this area. They are a team that others should strive to emulate. I think Coach Stubbs even said on the radio one time that when he took over as HC at Tennessee High he wanted to model the team after DB.

 

My main argument is that when DB loses, it is rarely to a team that is better than them. They lost to McMinn Co. last year, twice to Willaim Blount in the playoffs. They lost to Karns one year. A 5-3 Tennessee High team defeated an 8-0 DB back in '97. Usually if they beat Oak Ridge in the regular season, they lose to them later on in the playoffs. Farragut was the better team back in '07. What about Red Bank or Riverdale? Wasn't DB very close to beating one of those teams one year. This doesn't seem to be a recent occurrence.

 

Bud...it's a valid point he has here.

[THSVikings2004]

OK. I can't disagree with the numbers explanation. I can't argue with the facts. But prior to Stacy coming to South the sports program in general and especially football had been in a landslide for a long time. I knew people with great athletic children that in their Soph year were bailing out, dropping out, and generally becoming crackheads. They had no motivation to continue to sacrifice for a losing proposition. Why? My explanation and which is my explanation for everything is coaching. A team has a winning tradition it's because of coaching. A team has a losing tradition it's because of coaching. A team has a mediocre' tradition it's because of coaching. Souths' boys and expecially girls basketball teams are a prime example. If you hear the routines of ultra successful programs (i.e. Maryville for example) you will cringe at the level of intensity they train on a daily basis year round. Some say it's fantacism. Whatever. I say practice makes perfect. And yes, that is not enough. Outright talent is a positive. But it is a recipe and to be ultra successful all ingredients of the recipe must be adherred to. I think Lane Kiffin will be a prime example. Maybe he is just a BS artist. But just maybe he is for real. I think it is safe to say that Phil Fulmer had become complacent. I think NET is in the middle of a transitional period. I think we are tired of being labeled weak. You wanna do something about it? It takes more than CoachT. But at least we are starting to agree on some things. But I think that to agree that we are tapped and become complacent with what we have is worse than adherring to Timothy Leary's teachings. Bud is a realist and he is correct in what he says. But are we going to let it go at that? That my friends is the question. How much more will it take? And are we willing to do whatever it takes? I think that on a personal basis a current or potential parent of an athlete needs to think about how far they are willing to go to make it better. Again, I think it is time for communication. I'm not saying to intimidate the coaches but the time to sit and accept the status quo is making me nausious. I am currently in the middle of a situation that is an example of this and I can tell you I don't like being held hostage. All children have a talent be it music, wit, drama, atheltics, acedemics etc. And to watch while their talent goes to waste is a discusting feeling. Especially when you have previously esperienced what it feels like to strive for perfection and see the destination therof.

 

 

I agree with you in regard to coaching. I think Don Woods is an excellent example as well. Prior to him becoming the head coach Morristown West was decent, but they losing about 4 games a year and only had about 40 or 45 players coming out. After he took over, the roster grew to 100+ players, they made 3 semifinal appeareances and one state championship appearance. Don't get me wrong, they had some very impressive players to help them get there but he was a valuable ingredient to their success. Since he left, I believe Mo'West will slowly resume their previous form. They continue to have about 100 players coming out, but they've averaged 5 losses per year since he left.

[BatmanDB]

GC is putting on a football clinic this summer for Kingsport kids going into the 3ed ,forth,fifth and sixth grades.A lot of the DB greats will be there to help.It's allways fun to see the young kids wearing DB shirts and how they look up to the big boys,so I know this clinic will make a lot of kids happy.I don't have the dates in front of me,but the cost is normal for a good camp.I'm sure they would do something to help the kids that have parents who can't afford the camp.I thought going back to the coach visiting all the players homes last week was pretty neat,and give GC an "A " for that,because to be honest,I wouldn't have took the time to do it if I was a coach.I wouldn't want to hear all the crap about little Timmy,Bobby, Ect,and their playing time.

[SarahPalin2012]

GC is putting on a football clinic this summer for Kingsport kids going into the 3ed ,forth,fifth and sixth grades.A lot of the DB greats will be there to help.It's allways fun to see the young kids wearing DB shirts and how they look up to the big boys,so I know this clinic will make a lot of kids happy.I don't have the dates in front of me,but the cost is normal for a good camp.I'm sure they would do something to help the kids that have parents who can't afford the camp.I thought going back to the coach visiting all the players homes last week was pretty neat,and give GC an "A " for that,because to be honest,I wouldn't have took the time to do it if I was a coach.I wouldn't want to hear all the crap about little Timmy,Bobby, Ect,and their playing time.

 

I have a rising 6th grader and would like to know more about this camp. Is there info on the school athletic dept. web page? If not who could I call?

[BatmanDB]

I have a rising 6th grader and would like to know more about this camp. Is there info on the school athletic dept. web page? If not who could I call?

 

 

 

It's june 15-17 and you could contact coach at gclark@k12k.com or call the coaches office.I'm sure he would love to have all the future players be there.There will be a camp for the next age group up in july

[SarahPalin2012]

It's june 15-17 and you could contact coach at gclark@k12k.com or call the coaches office.I'm sure he would love to have all the future players be there.There will be a camp for the next age group up in july

 

With more than a hundred boys turning out for the very first camp, I think Coach Clark had to be pleased. I hope the camp catches on and gets bigger and bigger every year the way the Jason Witten camp has.