Austin-East @ Elizabethton Quarterfinals

[orange and black]

History has shown that we haven't done well against 4A and larger schools in the playoffs but this year we are where we are supposed to be playing 3A. I would have liked to see those years if EHS played in their 3A conference instead of playing up. I can't wait for this Friday though, never have I looked this forward to a game.

 

You talk about playing up. Greeneville played up too. Prior to this year, Greeneville and Elizabethton would have been in 3A. Since 2000, Greeneville has beat Elizabethton 7 times and only lost once (2004). Maybe Elizabethton wins one or two more games if they don't play up, but they would not have beaten Fulton or Austin-East from 2000-2008, or Catholic from 2003-2008. The best Knoxville teams are better than the best north east TN teams.

First off when did you all ever play up? Second just how many Knoxville schools have players paying tuition? But its good your coming up with all these stats because that tells me your worried and your trying to make yourself believe you can win! Are you a self doubter? Keep thinking that your so much better and the Cyclones have never seen such a team as AE and Ill be the one at the gate waving at you as you head back to Knoxville wondering what the heck just happened! Need I remind you Cyclones have given up only 14 points in one game!Oops that was to a Knoxville team what was I thinking your right we dont have a chance or do we? Call CAK and ask them what they think of Betsy! And for team speed I saw you all play against Knox Catholic and the only thing that impressed me was AE played hard and didnt give up when they were down. So I have no fear AE will bring it the question is do they bring enough!

 

Go Cyclones!

 

R T D

[orangeworker]

First of all i want to say great job last week cyclones, as for all the comments about who has the most speed and who played the toughest and best teams this year thats all in the eyes of the fans cause none of that will matter friday night.It will be a new game either you will win or you go home i guess a lot of austin east fans think if you dont play teams from Knoxville you dont play anybody thats what i hope every player from Austin-east thinks friday night ill bet you they want think that when they get back on the bus to go home. This game will come down to who has biggest HEART and who wants it the most and i know the seniors at betsy want to keep playing.ELIZABETHTON 21 AUSTIN-EAST 14

 

You're right. This game won't have anything to do with scheme, preparation, or talent... just "HEART." I guess this is the first year that Elizabethton has "wanted it the most." I guess Austin-East is out of luck because this year Elizabethton wants to win really bad. I'm sure that Greeneville (in 2008), Daniel Boone (in 2005), Tennessee (in 2004), Cherokee (in 2003), and Morristown West (in 2002) all appreciate the fact that those teams did not "want it the most."

I honestly think AUSTIN-EAST and ELIZABETHTON are both good football teams as for HEART I have watched these seniors play together their entire life they wont quit they have heart. I think both teams have talent if heart doesnt win games and all it takes is talent what wins when they call the winner of a game the under dog. I hope for an injury free game for both teams and good sportsmanship.

[Lawman1]

History has shown that we haven't done well against 4A and larger schools in the playoffs but this year we are where we are supposed to be playing 3A. I would have liked to see those years if EHS played in their 3A conference instead of playing up. I can't wait for this Friday though, never have I looked this forward to a game.

 

You talk about playing up. Greeneville played up too. Prior to this year, Greeneville and Elizabethton would have been in 3A. Since 2000, Greeneville has beat Elizabethton 7 times and only lost once (2004). Maybe Elizabethton wins one or two more games if they don't play up, but they would not have beaten Fulton or Austin-East from 2000-2008, or Catholic from 2003-2008. The best Knoxville teams are better than the best north east TN teams.

If we would have played where we belonged from 1995 to 1999 we would have beat some of those knoxville power house teams you talk about but we didn't so lets just talk about this game coming up friday night.This should be a good game for both teams.They are both athletic and have good speed so come on down to cow town and lets get the party started.

[SECfighter]

It is correct for the dominant Knoxville area teams to be able to boast since they have shown (in most cases) they are who you have to go through to become a state champion; however, it is also essential to understand that for anyone in these last 3 rounds of the 2009 TSSAA playoffs to become a state champion the present is what matters. The past successes of programs can only become a positive if the opponent allows fear and intimidation to come into affect. I will say this.. The 2009 Elizabethton Cyclones do not fear anyone and will not be intimidated either. A-E is the most athletic and quickest team EHS has faced this year and will prob be regardless of the outcome. A-E is not the fastest, biggest, most sound, or most disciplined EHS has met. What A-E does is let their playmakers make plays and their defense forces you to throw on them and get the ball running wise sideline to sideline. That is due to their extremely tight 8 man front and man free coverage. If you cant find ways to throw on them and if you do not block # 10 at ILB they will more than likely end up having their way on defense. If you do not tackle them they will gash you easily. # 15 is hands down their most dangerous playmaker to this point and it is evident since he might have the most yards in the nation gained on sneaks. Tackling and Containment are priority 1 when defending A-E. IMO they are not very sound at all as a team, yet they do what they do consistently. You know exactly what you are getting when you play them. They show many tendencies on a consistent basis, but you still have to beat it and they know that. I believe both these teams Friday night will be ready and amped for a battle. This contest should end with a moderately tight score, basically a margin of 3-16 points between the victor and defeated. It is possible for this one to end up being a blowout going either way. That is because empirical evidence has shown EHS is sound on defense, special teams has been good not great this year since the kick coverage has been hot and cold.. and the CAK game was decided largely by missed kicks, which is an anomaly when looking at how good EHS has been at kicking in every other game, the offense has big play ability and does a very good job passing. EHS Glaring Weaknesses in 2009 to this point- Inabilty to run block consistently, Kick Coverage inconsistent as stated above, Turnovers in own territory giving defense short field to work with, and Offense doing a poor job percentage wise at scoring ( Concern based mainly with TDs ) when given good field position. A-E has some of the best big play ability in the state, and that is because of their athleticism and defenses taking poor angles, not shedding blocks correctly, being in the wrong alignments once the play is snapped and going, and sub-par tackling. They play extremely hard and fast to the football on defense and every team should get to the ball like they do. Their run defense has been very good. They are a threat in the return game. They would be undefeated more than likely if they did not commit so many costly penalties and that is a major issue for them. They are above average as a team at tackling which could pose a problem for them. They have not faced a team that is as efficient at passing as EHS is. Some matchups to keep up with friday night.. Which team tackles better, EHS Passing vs A-E Pass Defense, Turnover differential and injuries of course, Clock management leading to half and possibly end of game if close, Possible big plays with special teams, and the most underlooked aspect.. WHO CONTROLS FIELD POSITION THROUGHOUT!!!

[Roadrunner1]

WOW

What fireworks !!! I just got on to check out the scuttle-butt and BAM. This is something else . I tried to read every post , some were even well thought out. Others were shall we say " silly ". I'll think I'll pitch my hat in the ring since everybody else is having so much fun .

Betsy are you for real ? No , I mean really . The post that I read about you guys not beating Knoxville teams , thats true isn't it ? Let's go on tradition . Betsy you've never beaten anyone , lol. Sad but true . I think if I'm not mistaken , Science Hill was your biggest rivalry for many years and they've never beat anybody either . What claim do you have for fame ? Jason Witten . Yeah ok , I'll give ya that one but other than that , I mean my lord get real. Is your whole football tradition centered around that one player ? Seems to be . I wasn't going to open this can of worms but you guys wouldn't shut up . How many state titles have you won ? As I said , get real. I'm trying not to get emotional but my gosh you guys up there are not in the real world . Have you ever seen speed ? Naw , I mean real speed . Not upper east Tn speed but real speed . You guys better be quite or the only bird you will eat on Thanksgiving will be crow. I'm sure the roadrunners look forward to the trip -- it otta be a good one for em !!!!!

[ColumbiaBlueNScarlet]

Traditionally maybe so. But since you chose the present tense verb "are" better, let's go with that...

So, as of the present, your better teams are currently preparing for basketball.

East TN has more teams playing in the 3rd round this year.

6A: Knoxville teams are better. 5A: Knoxville has Anderson County left. 4A: Knoxville is out... Fulton is Knoxville's only annual championship contender in 4A, and they are down this year. 3A: we'll see what happens Friday night. I don't pay much attention to 1A or 2A.

 

Oh, and just keep giving the Cyclones fodder to work with. I'm sure Coach Witten is ready to have his Cyclones lay down and roll over for you.

I never said that the Cyclones are going to lay down. I never said it won't be a good game. I think that Elizabethton fans live in a bubble and don't understand the speed and athleticism that they are going to see from Austin-East's LBs, DL, and OL. Coach Witten has scrimmaged Austin-East. So, he knows what to expect, and I'm sure he'll have his team ready.... but I think the Elizabethton fans (the ones posting on here) are in for a surprise.

[ColumbiaBlueNScarlet]

First off when did you all ever play up?

I never said we played up, but we were one of the smallest 3A schools before TSSAA added another class.

 

Second just how many Knoxville schools have players paying tuition?

I don't know. Austin-East and Fulton don't.

 

But its good your coming up with all these stats because that tells me your worried and your trying to make yourself believe you can win!

I'm not worried. I like to back up my opinions with facts when I can. Plus, that is what you do on a sports message board.

 

Are you a self doubter?

Not at all.

 

Keep thinking that your so much better and the Cyclones have never seen such a team as AE...

Never said that Austin-East is "so much better." I don't think Elizabethton has seen a team that has Austin-East's team speed and physicality.

 

Ill be the one at the gate waving at you as you head back to Knoxville wondering what the heck just happened!

I look forward to your hospitality.

 

Need I remind you Cyclones have given up only 14 points in one game!

Please refer to my 5th reply.

 

Oops that was to a Knoxville team what was I thinking your right we dont have a chance or do we?

Never said you didn't have a chance... we'll see Friday night.

 

Call CAK and ask them what they think of Betsy!

I'm sure Austin-East doesn't care what CAK thinks. Austin-East is not CAK.

 

And for team speed I saw you all play against Knox Catholic and the only thing that impressed me was AE played hard and didnt give up when they were down.

Knoxville Catholic has good team speed too. Their OL and DL is not as fast and athletic as Austin-East, but their skill players have pretty good speed. Austin-East is a different team than they were in their 4th game of the season. Remember that Austin-East has a lot of sophomores that play. So, they were young early in the season. They have gotten better every week, and I think they are peaking at the right time. Friday will be interesting.

 

So I have no fear AE will bring it the question is do they bring enough!

That's the question from your point of view. The question from my point of view is: Does Elizabethton bring enough? It will be interesting to watch on Friday night.

[ColumbiaBlueNScarlet]

You're right. This game won't have anything to do with scheme, preparation, or talent... just "HEART." I guess this is the first year that Elizabethton has "wanted it the most." I guess Austin-East is out of luck because this year Elizabethton wants to win really bad. I'm sure that Greeneville (in 2008), Daniel Boone (in 2005), Tennessee (in 2004), Cherokee (in 2003), and Morristown West (in 2002) all appreciate the fact that those teams did not "want it the most."

I honestly think AUSTIN-EAST and ELIZABETHTON are both good football teams as for HEART I have watched these seniors play together their entire life they wont quit they have heart. I think both teams have talent if heart doesnt win games and all it takes is talent what wins when they call the winner of a game the under dog. I hope for an injury free game for both teams and good sportsmanship.

I didn't say that talent alone wins games; I was just making the point that "HEART" alone doesn't win games either. You say that these seniors have heart and won't quit. If that alone wins games, then Elizabethton would be undefeated. Both teams will want to win on Friday. The team that executes the best and makes fewer mistakes on offense, defense, and special teams will win.

[Cycloneballa3]

Cyclones win

 

#57

 

#26

 

#33

 

#10

 

#79

 

#59

 

#25

 

#27

 

#11

 

#9!!!!!

 

#13

 

#14

 

#2

 

#36

 

#81

 

#58

 

#50

 

#19

 

These guys have worked their butts off and wont quit. Cyclones win big. 35-7

[ColumbiaBlueNScarlet]

Cyclones win #57 #26 #33 #10 #79 #59 #25 #27 #11

#9!!!!! #13 #14 #2 #36 #81 #58 #50 #19

These guys have worked their butts off and wont quit. Cyclones win big. 35-7

Austin-East has worked hard, and Austin-East won't quit.

 

I see you changed your prediction from Elizabethton winning 28-14 to Elizabethton winning 35-7... why the change?

[Lawman1]

WOW

What fireworks !!! I just got on to check out the scuttle-butt and BAM. This is something else . I tried to read every post , some were even well thought out. Others were shall we say " silly ". I'll think I'll pitch my hat in the ring since everybody else is having so much fun .

Betsy are you for real ? No , I mean really . The post that I read about you guys not beating Knoxville teams , thats true isn't it ? Let's go on tradition . Betsy you've never beaten anyone , lol. Sad but true . I think if I'm not mistaken , Science Hill was your biggest rivalry for many years and they've never beat anybody either . What claim do you have for fame ? Jason Witten . Yeah ok , I'll give ya that one but other than that , I mean my lord get real. Is your whole football tradition centered around that one player ? Seems to be . I wasn't going to open this can of worms but you guys wouldn't shut up . How many state titles have you won ? As I said , get real. I'm trying not to get emotional but my gosh you guys up there are not in the real world . Have you ever seen speed ? Naw , I mean real speed . Not upper east Tn speed but real speed . You guys better be quite or the only bird you will eat on Thanksgiving will be crow. I'm sure the roadrunners look forward to the trip -- it otta be a good one for em !!!!!

Maybe we will start that tradition this friday night it has to start some time.Roadrunner1 you people think your the only ones to ever see speed and i think thats funny and by the way we are happy for jason witten he is a great athlete and a great person so just keep him out of this thread.Tennessee high was our biggest rival not science hill and that shows how much you know about betsy.I guess will see friday night if a slow cyclone team can beat a speedy AE power house team out of knoxville.

[Lawman1]

Time to go to work and i think ill tell shawn to get ready because the speedy roadrunners are coming in here so fast he will miss them if he dont look real quick.