Does Loudon finally get some respect?

[volfan5]

Nice analysis Chancey but I thought CAK (in 07) was the best team we played in 2a that year for sure. I believe that CAK beats Goodpasture by 2 touchdowns with their passing attack. Would have been a good matchup. I don't think any of those Loudon teams could have won any titles. They may have made it to the finals in 05 but I also think Goodpasture would have beat them by 2 or 3 touchdowns.

 

The 09 Loudon teams is probably better on the offensive and defensive lines than any of their last teams. I just don't think they don't have the big play type guy on the offensive. They have several very good player but not any big time runners like Hawkins. # 5 is a very tough player and the quarterback looks like a very good player but he really doesn't have the great receiver to throw too. Well that's just my two thoughts. Good luck to Loudon.

[ChaunceyGardiner]

That is a pretty accurate analysis of the past few years.However, I think Loudon was the second best team in the state in 2005.Even though Alcoa shut us out twice we still averaged 33 points a game.Goodpasture gave up 55 to Alcoa and having watched that game I feel Loudon could have beaten them.Anyway, just my opinion.

 

That's what makes message boards like this fun. We can all have our opinions and agree to disagree without being disagreeable. Obviously, both Loudon and CAK have excellent programs, or this discussion wouldn't even be happening.

 

I saw some of the great Loudon teams of the '70s play under Chig Ratledge and realize the tradition of Loudon High School football. In fact, I even worked at the Loudon Maremont plant for three years in the late '70s, so I saw several of their games when they were below championship level but still outstanding.

 

CAK is a much newer school but has already established a championship tradition in soccer (forgive me if I left out other championships - I am just more aware of CAK's soccer success). Given that the school just hired Farragut's baseball coach, it is just a matter of time until CAK wins a state championship in baseball, too.

 

Good luck to both in football. Remember that nobody stays on top forever. In 2002, Alcoa went 3-7, with all wins coming against winless opponents. No 2A playoffs that year. Though Alcoa is unlikely to drop to that level again any time soon, there will be times when the talent level is lower. It always happens in schools with smaller enrollment.

[ChaunceyGardiner]

Nice analysis Chancey but I thought CAK (in 07) was the best team we played in 2a that year for sure. I believe that CAK beats Goodpasture by 2 touchdowns with their passing attack. Would have been a good matchup. I don't think any of those Loudon teams could have won any titles. They may have made it to the finals in 05 but I also think Goodpasture would have beat them by 2 or 3 touchdowns.

 

The 09 Loudon teams is probably better on the offensive and defensive lines than any of their last teams. I just don't think they don't have the big play type guy on the offensive. They have several very good player but not any big time runners like Hawkins. # 5 is a very tough player and the quarterback looks like a very good player but he really doesn't have the great receiver to throw too. Well that's just my two thoughts. Good luck to Loudon.

 

Again, I can't say that you are wrong about the 2007 CAK team. That's the beauty of these message boards - there is no definitive answer. CAK had a balanced offense with the usual strong passing game, this time supplemented by the power running of Kolinsky. My main reason for picking Goodpasture over CAK was the Webb-CAK game, won 42-14 by Webb on CAK's home field. The offenses run by Webb and Goodpasture were very similar. I just think Goodpasture was a bad matchup for CAK. If CAK had been matched up with Donelson Christian Academy that year in the finals, I believe CAK would have won.

 

DCA beat Goodpasture head-to-head, but even as region cochampions with a win head-to-head over Goodpasture, DCA was shipped to the east and Goodpasture to the west. I'm not sure why things were done that way, but it is possible the tiebreaker formula used by the TSSAA forced it to happen. So, DCA had a much tougher draw in the semifinals (Alcoa) than did Goodpasture (Trenton Peabody). Alcoa demolished DCA and Goodpasture easily beat Peabody. As the brackets were constructed, with no Alcoa, CAK would have hosted DCA in the semifinals, and probably would have won. That would have set up the finals matchup with Goodpasture. You and I disagree on what would have happened had these two teams played in the finals.

 

If DCA had been sent west and Goodpasture sent east, Alcoa would have beaten Goodpasture in the semifinals, and DCA likely would have beaten Peabody and reached the finals.

 

Still, if there were no Alcoa, CAK would have met Goodpasture in the semifinals with the game at CAK. The home field advantage might have been enough to tip the scales in favor of CAK. Then, CAK would have matched up with DCA in the finals - a winnable game.

[originalSC3]

I made the trip up to watch Loudon and Alcoa Friday. I was impressed with Loudon. You guys have a real good team over there.

 

[Govolsknox]

Loudon abosolutely deserves alot of respect! Even before the Alcoa game, I felt like they were being overlooked a bit. And certainly after the Alcoa game! I will say (and said before the game) that Loudon was catching Alcoa at the right time after a very emotional victory over Maryville, and Alcoa hadling Loudon easily the last few years. I think they unintentionally came in a little emotionally flat and perhaps underestimated Loudon.

 

I think it's easy to underestimate both Loudon and CAK because they play in the same region as Alcoa. One obvious difference is that Alcoa has a state championship caliber team every year in the last 5 while CAK and Loudon have had arguably one or two years that they might could have taken it all if there wasn't the 400 lb. gorilla known as Alcoa. IMO, CAK in 2007 was the second best team in 2A. In 2008 I would put CAK in the top 5 but not second, due to inconsistency. Some weeks they looked like a championship caliber team and some weeks they didn't. For whatever reason, CAK had it's worst game of the season against Webb in 2007. In 2008, I believe CAK had their worst game against Loudon. By worst game, what I mean is that CAK was capable of playing with both of those teams and didn't perform anywhere near their capability. That has to change for CAK to take the next step.

 

As far as Loudon this year, I am extremely impressed with their offensive and defensive lines. This is a very good team, and IMO there's no telling how far they could go in a different region.

[a-town1408]

I find it ironic that all the loudon people are talking about the respect they deserve since they only got shut out by 21 against alcoa. I dont believe that being shut out the last three times that we have met should mean that loudon deserves a lot of respect. Maybe that is why we beat them every year because they think that they should get respect after getting shut out by 21. Again this is only my opinion but at Alcoa we would never claim that we deserve respect after taking some of the beatings that we took from Maryville. We would let that fuel our fire to go on and get better each game which resulted in 6 gold balls since 2000. I played football for alcoa and I would never be telling anyone that I deseved respect if I just took a 21 to 0 beat down. But again that is only my opinion. I believe that you get respect when you win or you lose in a close game not getting shut out by 21. Maybe a seven point game loudon could claim some respect but not 21-0. I believe if they meet again it will be another shut out and possibly a 42-0 shut out. But i guess we will have to see.

[automatic]

I agree with you a-town1408 that we don't need to ask for respect.Loudon's past record and three state championships speak for themselves.Being close is not what we're looking for.

 

PS: I hope we get that chance at a rematch!!1

[flyingblind]

Anybody that has played Louden in the past several years can't help but respect them. I really believe if Alcoa wasn't in the mix, that maybe one or two of those gold balls that are in their trophy case would be at Louden or CAK. Again anybody who dosen't respect them haven't played them, I'm just glad my alma mater finally got out of that district.

Very true. The year the Hawkins kid was a senior, and the 2007 CAK team were both talented teams that could have at least played for the State Title if Alcoa wasn't in the picture.