occhs football

[ocucsf]

Gibson county-unified county team called junior pioneers, (3a)..union city 1 school (1a)...Dresden 1 school (1a).....Crockett county 1 school(4a)....westview 1 school(3a)....Haywood Co 1 school (4a)....dyersburg 1 school (4a)....Ripley 1 school (4a)....Covington 1 school (4a).....

[ocucsf]

Halls 1 school (1a)...Brighton 1 school (5a)....Mumford 1 school (5a)..

[justaOCfan]

So, all these have only 1 school feeding them, or is it 1 combined team from other schools put together?

Edited October 5, 2010 by justaOCfan

[ocucsf]

One school with the exception of Gibson county that unified one team out of several small schools. But the point being that all or most teams we play have one team not several.

[Purple & Gold Standard]

justaOCfan posted :

 

"Our kids put in MUCH hard work prior to Jr. high to get where they were. I wish I had a buck for every eye opener they ran as youth league players. I still remember one mother in particular sitting on top of the hill flashing her headlights at the football field. Each time she did I would add another round! lol Those were great kids and great parents, and definitely great days for me. I wish they were running those drills at the high school level."

 

I remember that as wel...LOL !!...But you look at the guys left playing from that team...Think of the guys that are the best tacklers,the most physical on the team...Think of one of the hardest licks laid this year by a Rebel and he doesn't even play defense...They got that from those hot August days hitting each other...Actually learning the RIGHT way to form tackle, the way Right way to block (LOW MAN WINS !!)Ask Hammer Hardin or Dylan Trout how many times they have heard that...

 

And you wonder why we can't score from the 10 yard line in...

 

As for numbers on other teams...I looked at the OC roster before the season and on the varsity alone there were 21 or 22 kids with addresses within Union City...I'll say this without any hesitation...I can name 10-11 kids walking the halls during football season at Union City right now that played on the freshman team my son did at UC...If those guys were playing, plus mine and another that went back to Obion Central who is starting for the Rebels, were with Union City now, they would be undefeated and #1 ranked...I have no doubt about that...That's the problem you have with open zones...Probably is what is going on in places like Covington...

[ocucsf]

Or if all those kids just went to oc and played football, would be even better!

[Tornadopride]

It would help the county program in many ways to have one football team when it comes to the Jr. Highs. Now, what about those that are good enough to play on the way the system is now but if you have one team...many would be left out. Those are the parents that will speak up and not allow this to happen. Another thing is money. This is tough times for school boards. Convencing them to let something like this happen...tell them it could save money might work?

 

Bottom line......Lake Road School is probably the largest of the 4 jr. high schools....right? Black Oak being the smallest. What the county school board hould have done is have saved all tax payers of this county money by building one county jr. high school....we have one county high school...what is the difference. Then we would be talking about a one school jr. high...but there again, those folks in their smaller communites think their kid deserves a school near by. Kids are bused all over from the county to one high school...why couldn't it have been done for one jr. high ? Just a thought. Until then, about every 6 to 8 year, the county high school football program has had its troubles. Just look at boys basketball....it has not been the same since Whitby left. Probably wish you had Whitby back.

 

I also think if the folsk continue to leave coach jackson alone, he will aventually get the program on a level where you can get regional wins each year.

 

We can all have our opinions on this board. I still say the 4 jr. high programs feeding one high school, some folks having community chips on their shoulders, my kid needs to play more than that kid because of who he is attitude does help matters at ALL. Parents do not get in the way at union city...never have...never will. In ANY sport. This has been a problem in the past at OCCHS and in some areas continues. I know, I have folks tell me this that have kids in the Jr. highs and Senior High teams and schools. No matter what level Union City has ever been on.....for many many year, can and have competeted in all sports no matter what size school U C is. The county can' t really say that other than the girls basketball program and Whitby's year at O C. Good Luck. We all want these kids...all kids county/city...it doesn't matter to excel. Afterall, we all live together in this area. Good place to live and grow a family.

Edited October 6, 2010 by UCGRAD

[justaOCfan]

One school with the exception of Gibson county that unified one team out of several small schools. But the point being that all or most teams we play have one team not several.

 

 

Oh I agree that all but GC have one team, but in one school, not 4. If GC jr. pioneers ar the gauge for what combining does for the next level, that would be a definite no-no. GC football is worse than OC football. So, in looking at the others listed, they all have one school. They do not have the territorial or logistical issues that OC has. To my knowledge, nost areas have 1 jr. high or middle school and one high school. At most, some have a city and a county system, but not several county schools. The OC school system is somewhat unique for this area.

 

Where do you see the biggest issue with the high school team being? Is it comraderie? Is it unity? I don't see those as the issue myself. If they are, then why are we exacerbating that issue by segregating offensive players from defensive players. To me, you put your best 11 on the field on both sides of the ball. If 16 of your players are the best, then you play 16, not 22.

 

What I see as losing games is relatively simple. A lack of overall team speed and a lack of adjustment on the defensive side of the ball. I see defensive lineman constantly over run the play in the backfield. You can't put your head down and bullrush when you should be working on containment. How do you stop that? Easy, gap control. Stand up the blocker and read the ball. Giving up a 2 yard gain after a hit at the line is better than a 12 yard gain with the safety making the tackle because the lineman is 7 yards in the backfield. Why does the off tackle counter work so well against the Rebels? Because it is painfully obvious that the linebackers are not cross-reading backs. Everyone is going to 1st movement of the ball. Results = 300+ yards rushing for our opponents. Covington ran the same play as Crockett with the same results. Another issue is tackling. A few Rebels make good hits, aggressively playing. Others are grabbing at jerseys or grabbing high to ride down the runner. I see some defenders standing still waiting for the back to come to them. Results = 300+ yards rushing for our opponents. And perhaps the linebackers should pick up that back that slips out of the backfield and into the flats. They should realize if he runs at you then turns away without blocking you, there's a reason for that. I'm not saying the defensive coach isn't good. I'm not saying the linebackers aren't. I know these kids and their abilities. What I'm saying is something isn't right there. It has to be scheme, assignment, or personnel. Fix the issue.

 

I see receivers running crisp routes. I see a running back that is beyond average. I see an offensive line that has done an excellent job in my opinion. As a coach, if I score 30 points I don't expect to lose. Yet we do.

 

My rant has taken me away from the immediate subject, but with purpose. I don't feel the Rebels lost games this year from not having a combined jr. high team. The issues I see are issues that must be fixed at the current level. I can't see the fix for these issues being at jr. high. I agree there are advantages, but I don't think it would fix the issues I'm seeing every Friday night.

[justaOCfan]

To UCGRAD... How old are you? Not being facetious in asking, just curious. I'm 46 and went to school at Dixie. I can tell you that when the county began talking about consolidation, things got real ugly real fast. To have combined all the jr. highs would have meant putting Dixie, Troy, Obion, Hornbeak, Rives, Woodland Mills, Cloverdale, Kenton, and South Fulton under one roof. Myself, I would have liked to have seen an elementary and a middle school. As it is, I thinkk we are lucky to have gotten to where we are. There are about 1600 students between Lake Road and Ridgemont. I figure about the same if you combine Hillcrest, Black Oak and South Fulton along with the few in the Kenton Special School District. Now we are talking about 3200 kids in one school if they were all combined. That's tough, and busing would be as well. Not saying it couldn't be done, but it wasn't. Oh, and the county doesn't have one high school, it has two. I'm not so sure that they shouldn't be combined as well. But, it is what it is.

 

I can remember when I was in school, Union City's school parking lot was full every day. Nowadays, it is less than 1/3 full. Enrollments at UC and OC used to be much closer. But I don't think you can compare the 2 currently in what competition they play against at the regional level. I think Coach Jackson has done a good job adjusting his offensive scheme to work with current players. Too many coaches are too stubborn to modify their offense to fit personnel. The defense needs work whether it's a scheme, coach or player issue. When that is corrected, the Rebels will compete day in and day out. I know there have been issues with parents in the past and some still exist, but I don't think the coaching changes the last decade have been associated with that. I think Hill, Bowling, and Driggers all had there reasons for leaving, but I think they all had the support they needed.

 

If you really want to see an uprising, think about what would happen if UC as a city were to shut down their high school. Counties are required to operate schools, but to my knowledge cities aren't. Imagine OC, UC and SF all being combined. Would that save money? Would it be feasible? Don't know and probably never will see it. But I think that there is a percentage of folks in this area that are here or remain here because they don't want their kids in a large school. They want small town life and that's a part of it. I know I liked my kids attending at Ridgemont and gave them each their choice of high schools. Each chose OC. I attended OC for 2 years but did not graduate from there. My high school had over 4000 students in it. I would never want that for my kids. I myself came back here because I wanted the small town life. Though there are those that just want to make sure Little Johnny gets to play, there are some that just want to keep that small town atmosphere, which includes a small school for their kids.

 

Also, as I asked someone earlier, what is the purpose of jr. high sports? Although it is the feeder program for the high school, is that the purpose or a dividend? I think most will tell you that is a dividend. It has a different purpose. Not saying I agree with either side, but I know both sides have valid points.

Edited October 6, 2010 by justaOCfan

[ocucsf]

Its about little Johnny at the Jr highs right? Jr pioneers beat lake road, don't know the score, and they beat Ridgemont last night 22-8. So if little Johnny was on an All 8th grade team would little Johnny be happier this morning than he is right now? And yes I think if they were all learning the correct way to tackle, and training better, and not learning four different things at there own schools. It would pay dividends on Friday nights. Not to mention playing those earlier mentioned schools in Jr high your not so shocked at the speed you play against in high school. But it all goes back to the physical training little Johnny would get if a unified program Were in place to make sure he got the proper training in Jr high to make little Johnny successful in high school, because after all little Johnny is the main concern here, to make sure he has what He needs to be successful. If he does then the rest is up to little Johnny.

[ocucsf]

Just for kicks, research the national bench press average for incoming freshman. Its like 115-125 depending on what site you read from, little Johnny's average is between 85-95, so little Johnny is atleast a sophomore before he is equal to incoming freshman at most 4a schools of our size. So you look at little Johnny on the sidelines on Friday night wondering why he isn't playing because he was such a Good tackler in Jr high, playing against 6,7,8th graders, little Johnny is physically not ready to be put on the field in a successful situation, so whether we combine or not there are some issues that need to be addressed and fixed at Jr high level because we all want little Johnny to play in high school and be successful.

[redbirdfan]

I've read everyone's take on this subject and everybody has made some perfectly valid points. My take on this is that it's a numbers game as with previous posts on here stating that one big middle school in the county would present a problem. The reason there is more kids at certain schools was set in motion over 30 years ago when the Powers That Be decided that consolidating the K-8 schools at the time would be good but it wasn't in the center of the communities where the kids were. That's why enrollment numbers are so different over the past 10 years between OC and UC high schools. You have two middle schools (one on Lake Road and the other on Highway 45) built just minutes outside of Union City. Instead on consolidating Kenton and Rives into Ridgemont which was what intially was called for, the schools actually consolidated Rives and whatever kids wanted to come out of Union City. The same could probably be said for Lake Road which was the first school consolidated back in the 80's that was supposed to combine Dixie and Woodland Mills. Numbers continue to climb- those UC students go on to Central and it's back to a numbers game. Black Oak combined the Cloverdale/Elbridge communties with Hornbeak/Samburg and Hillcrest has the Obion/Troy kids. South Fulton wasn't to be touched(that's the way they wanted it by the way) and thus you had 2 high schools in the county as Kenton lost their high school and most of the kids there early on were going to Gibson County .

 

I know everyone on this post has a passion for OC football and wants them to do well, just like I do, but again you have to look at the numbers and if students where to attend school where they actually live. OC would be a lean 800-900 student body with the best athletes in Jr.High getting more playing time in high school and even Union City would probably have the numbers to play 2A in the current format and would be much more competitive(although they've been doing well in 1A with a state title in football and a couple in basketball) but my point is that if Union City kids were going to Union City schools, they would have more numbers and the OC system would not be constantly adding more room and space and expanded schools built around 25 years ago or so to accomidate more students that live in the city limits of UC..

 

Just my take, which with 50 cents might buy ya a cup of coffee..