the university of farragut

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I agree with this post. While Tommy Pharr and Buckner are good coaches. Farraguts feeder system is great. The Thunder Baseball Academy is one of the best area travel baseball organizations and almost all those kids play for Farragut.

 

Sorry RR, but that may have been true 5 years ago. Thunder travel ball is way down except for the older high school age kids and a 15U team that is very good. But that team has players from all over including Seymour, Hardin Valley, Powell, South Doyle, and even William Blount. There are some other very good organizations in Knoxville who are feeders to lots of Knox County schools - including Farragut.

 

They do have a good rec league program that promotes the kids to play both league ball and some travel ball. That something the powers at Maryville Little League discourage for some insane reason! Maybe it will take away from the football?

 

The schools that currently has the brightest future are Powell and Bearden. Both of them have some very good players moving through their programs in the next few years. Powell's are already fr/sophs and Bearden's are a little behind that. But if the coach isn't able to manage the increase in talent, it will all be a waste anyway. GO REBELS!

[FARRAGUTADGRAD]

Sorry RR, but that may have been true 5 years ago. Thunder travel ball is way down except for the older high school age kids and a 15U team that is very good. But that team has players from all over including Seymour, Hardin Valley, Powell, South Doyle, and even William Blount. There are some other very good organizations in Knoxville who are feeders to lots of Knox County schools - including Farragut.

 

They do have a good rec league program that promotes the kids to play both league ball and some travel ball. That something the powers at Maryville Little League discourage for some insane reason! Maybe it will take away from the football?

 

The schools that currently has the brightest future are Powell and Bearden. Both of them have some very good players moving through their programs in the next few years. Powell's are already fr/sophs and Bearden's are a little behind that. But if the coach isn't able to manage the increase in talent, it will all be a waste anyway. GO REBELS!

 

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. Farragut has 11 underclassman playing significant roles on this year's team. Sure, losing Delmonico and Pfeifer will definitely be a huge blow and they may not ever have a run like they have the past 4-8 years, but they'll still be in contention for district/region every year because Buckner is still a great coach. A lot of people choose to forget he took a Bearden program from the shadows of Farragut, and turned them into a state tournament team in a few years.

 

That brings me to my next point, I just don't see Bearden being successful while Jack Tate is the coach. He may be a nice guy or whatever, but he is just not a good high school baseball coach. A few days ago against Maryville, I watched him bunt his #3 batter with 2 on and no outs in a one run game. They're also losing their 2-4 hitters, and Ty Hill who are their best hitters by far this year and the only ones batting respectively over .300.

 

I agree with you on Powell though, they should be dangerous the next few years with all their young talent. Although I'm not that familiar with Powell, I have heard some rumors that one of your best players will not be eligible next year because he will be 19. Any truth to that?

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ADGRAD,

 

I know nothing about the local high school coaches, just a little about the players. FHS does play several young players who are already very good. I agree with you, they will continue to be a contender for many years, just maybe not a favorite every year. IMO - some teams play to win, others play expecting to win, and others play and hope to win. It is usually not very hard to see which group a team fits into, and most champions definitely play to win. With the young players, sometimes they just expect to win. The young ones at FHS might have to learn the difference as they go thru the tourney. They definitely have a good shot to win it all again!

 

Haven't heard about the elder statesman at Powell. It wouldn't surprise me for that to happen at alot of places in the coming years. More parents of young kids are holding their kids out of school until they are older. Those parents likely don't know the rule regarding 19 year old seniors. Both sad and funny.