Team or Story of the Year

[Purple & Gold Standard]

Now that the season is in the rear-view, what are your thoughts on a team or player or story that you would consider to be __________ of the year ??....

 

My vote for Comeback Program of the Year would be the Obion County Central football team......

 

A little history....Back in 2006 the Rebel football team had just completed a 6-4 season..It was Darren Bowling's 4th and what turned out to be his final season in Troy....He later took the job as head man at Dyersburg High School where he finished his one and only season there at 10-2..He then became head coach at Union City where he has accumulated a 22-4 record and won a State Championship this year...For whatever reason, Bowling staying at Obion Central was considered a long stint as a coach at the school...There has not been much stability there....In comes the search committee for a new coach to replace Bowling...The folks at OC pick their man....For the life of me I can't think of his name...Not real surprising, he didn't make it 4 days as coach...If I remember right he was hired on a Wednesday or Thursday and resigned on a Monday, reportedly after a confrontation with a fan at a basketball game after he was hired....Another search finds Jason Driggers...So in 2007, the Rebels hit the field after losing a coach and 16 seniors...The Rebs were not a very good football team in 2007...They ended up 0-10...They scored only 68 points while giving up 485..Not one game would be considered close...Enter 2008...Another coaching change...Coach Driggers returned to be on the staff at Jackson South Side...Another search for a coach is needed...This time the administration find a guy from Missouri...Shawn Jackson was hired to coach the Rebels...During 2008 the Rebels showed improvement..They didn't win a game but they did score 155 points while giving up 450...Another 0-10 season which meant this program entered 2009 on a 20 game losing streak...Over the offseason coach Jackson made some much needed improvements to the facilities and continued his tough off-season regiment...

 

Fast forward to 2009....The Rebels opened the season with a big win over Fulton County, Ky...The Pilots aren't considered a Kentucky powerhouse but when you haven't won a game in two years does it really matter??...This Rebel football went on to finish 6-4 and made the 4A playoffs...They went down to Memphis and played Fairley where they played a very good game..They had the lead late before the Bulldogs went on won 34-28...So the Rebels ended their season with a 6-5 record..Not very good to the powerhouse programs in the state but real good to the fans at Obion Central...

 

This offseason needs to see the OC administration do whatever is necessary to keep Jackson as head coach...Stability is a big thing in sports...Jackson has interest in the program back...He plays a fun brand of football that the kids enjoy playing...He has kids wanting to play football again at OC...

 

What your thoughts on some of the big stories of 2009 ??

[formerblazer]

Character or whatever you want to call it of the year goes to Sullivan South. I'm pretty sure most people heard the story about them this year and the loss of one of their players during their season opener. They could have laid down, we all know that, yet they made it to the 4th round of the playoffs. Hats off to that group of boys, community, and coaches who had to deal with all that was involved with that.

[GWAVE1]

Character or whatever you want to call it of the year goes to Sullivan South. I'm pretty sure most people heard the story about them this year and the loss of one of their players during their season opener. They could have laid down, we all know that, yet they made it to the 4th round of the playoffs. Hats off to that group of boys, community, and coaches who had to deal with all that was involved with that.

That is one of the top stories for sure. The story about the young man living in the South Pitt pressbox for a couple of weeks and the way Beech came out of nowhere to win the district and state championship are my others.

[Purple & Gold Standard]

formerblazer...For those young men at Sullivan South to continue on after that ordeal is a testament to their character....

 

GWAVE1...I heard that story as well..Hard to believe that could happen nowadays and nobody know for so long...

 

This does happen though...I've heard of one other instance of that type of thing in our area of the state..

[onefortheteam]

I would like to nominate Arlington. Arlington has been playing varsity football for 3 years. In 2007, their first year of varsity, they went to the playoffs due to a forfeited schedule by Bolton. In 2008 they went 1-9. This year, they went 10-0 in the regular season, winning their first district title, and beating several teams for the first time ever. A 9 game turn around is unheard of, add in that it happened in their 3rd year of varsity football and only the 6th year of being open.

[Rebeltothecore]

Sullivan South Rebels get my vote. I'm a parent and I know what I and we as a family went through, and I can only imagine what the boys, especially the Seniors and the other close friends on the team went thru every day, every practice and every game. Although Jake Logue is with us in the hallways, was with us in the stadiums, and in the field house, he is still very much missed. They think of him every day. And---the way the Logue parents came to every game (missed only one game), even though they had to be in great pain, they wanted to be where it was "familiar" with people they were familiar with doing what was "familiar" on Friday nights----showing support for the players, giving them the strength to go out and keep playing. And---not to mention how this impacted Know West players and how they displayed their love for their Rebel brothers, as well as love and sentiments from all over the state. It has been one of the most tragic seasons (probably the most tragic), but it has, without doubt, been the most amazing season as well. Jake Logue, an amazing young man, who left an amazing legacy at Sullivan South.

[LeatherBalls]

Character or whatever you want to call it of the year goes to Sullivan South. I'm pretty sure most people heard the story about them this year and the loss of one of their players during their season opener. They could have laid down, we all know that, yet they made it to the 4th round of the playoffs. Hats off to that group of boys, community, and coaches who had to deal with all that was involved with that.

That is one of the top stories for sure. The story about the young man living in the South Pitt pressbox for a couple of weeks and the way Beech came out of nowhere to win the district and state championship are my others.

 

I'm not familiar with the South Pitt story. Could you please clue me in on this or give me a link or any information about this. This story sounds amazing.

[JC5]

i would like to nominate jefferson county. the team started off 0-4 and could have laid down at that point and let themselves end up 0-10. they ended up winning 5 of their last 6 games beating cocke county(49-7), morristown east(21-14), seymour(7-3), south doyle(28-14), and murdering a good cherokee team 41-17. the 10-3 loss to morristown west could have gone either way and was really a season breaker for them. jeff only just missed a wild card spot in the 6A playoffs and ended the regular season hot and could have made a run in the playoffs had they made it.

 

GO BIG BLUE

 

i have great respect for the sullivan south team that overcame such a seemingly insurmountable obstacle in the loss of a teammate. you guys are amazing

[jrpfhs21]

I will have to give the comeback team of the year award to Columbia. Although they did drop a division and weren't playing the same Wilco opponents, they were able to have a very solid year.

[sarahpalin]

I will have to give the comeback team of the year award to Columbia. Although they did drop a division and weren't playing the same Wilco opponents, they were able to have a very solid year.

agreed solid year, but if they were still stuck with the wilco boys they would have had losing record

[rigger101]

Character or whatever you want to call it of the year goes to Sullivan South. I'm pretty sure most people heard the story about them this year and the loss of one of their players during their season opener. They could have laid down, we all know that, yet they made it to the 4th round of the playoffs. Hats off to that group of boys, community, and coaches who had to deal with all that was involved with that.

That is one of the top stories for sure. The story about the young man living in the South Pitt pressbox for a couple of weeks and the way Beech came out of nowhere to win the district and state championship are my others.

Team Story has to be BEECH!

[rigger101]

FB please link the story about the young man living in the press box.