TSSAA strips Signal Mountain of its six wins

[signalbirdie]

I normally do not post, but I have been keeping a close eye on these threads and do have a few thoughts. First, my heart goes out to the young man and his team mates, especially the seniors. Most of them will not have the opportunity to play at the next level and for their last season to essentialy end like this has to be devastating. My second thought is that this could be a teachable moment for them. In life sometimes small mistakes have far reaching consequences and that is a hard lesson to learn at such a young age, but hopefully the team and those around the program can learn from it and be better for it. Third, the timing of the punishment was unexcusable, but is par for the course for the TSSAA. Good luck to the Eagles for the rest of this season and I look forward to coming to the Mountain for next seasons Polk game.

 

 

Thanks Polk, thoughtful post. Have a broken-hearted senior, gettin mighty tired of hearin he and his teammates bein called cheaters. BTW, you have a nice place to play a football game, good atmosphere, good food, good team, just wish we could have enjoyed it more. We'll be there next year rootin against ya.

[MountainTroll]

I normally do not post, but I have been keeping a close eye on these threads and do have a few thoughts. First, my heart goes out to the young man and his team mates, especially the seniors. Most of them will not have the opportunity to play at the next level and for their last season to essentialy end like this has to be devastating. My second thought is that this could be a teachable moment for them. In life sometimes small mistakes have far reaching consequences and that is a hard lesson to learn at such a young age, but hopefully the team and those around the program can learn from it and be better for it. Third, the timing of the punishment was unexcusable, but is par for the course for the TSSAA. Good luck to the Eagles for the rest of this season and I look forward to coming to the Mountain for next seasons Polk game.

 

Thanks. We're trying.

[MountainTroll]

The baseball coach is now getting the attention on the Free Press comments. Some have been deleted, it's been written. I have zero idea, the same as most, about any of these situations now being discussed with that sport.

 

Me neither. I'll look into it. Do know Bumper is a good guy, and I think hope most of his peers like and respect him.

He was Red Banks coach, and I know they are po'd that he left Red Bank for Signal. I know last year, one of his really good players at Red Bank, who lives on Signal, I believe. He initially stayed at RB when Signal opened, then transfered to Signal when Bumper came up here. He came up thinking that T$$AA had given approval for a hardship waiver. Turns out they hadn't, and he lost his senior year. As I understand, he was/is a great baseball player. Sucked. Don't know who screwed that one up. Obviously, RB was and still is mad that they lost a coach and a good player.

Edited October 10, 2011 by MountainTroll

[MountainTroll]

I'm confused. You stated your AD was at the meeting where the TSSAA said they were made aware of the violations on 9/22. That is when you sit out the player. You don't wait til they come to the school on Oct 6th. Its hard for me to believe that someone connected with the school, players, coaches, administrators, parents and etc didn't know anything about this issue until Oct 6th. Even if its just a rumor, it needs to be investigated to prevent these problems. I hate it for the kids and community. I don't think it will hurt the kids who are good enough to move on and play college ball. The recruiters know who they are.

 

The principals and AD's pulled Childress aside, away from our AD, and asked him to investigate. None of them nor Childress said a word to our AD at the meeting. Until 10/6, wethought everything was okay. We checked the wrong freakin box on the transfer form. We're stupid. We're learning. Childress just didn't handle it the way they have handled other eligibilty investigations. That's what I am upset about.

 

Sorry bout the earlier comment about reporters being cur. Seems like the way this was handled differently from other investigations could be a good article for you.

Edited October 10, 2011 by MountainTroll

[binns37388]

The principals and AD's pulled Childress aside, away from our AD, and asked him to investigate. None of them nor Childress said a word to our AD at the meeting. Until 10/6, wethought everything was okay. We checked the wrong freakin box on the transfer form. We're stupid. We're learning. Childress just didn't handle it the way they have handled other eligibilty investigations. That's what I am upset about.

 

Sorry bout the earlier comment about reporters being cur. Seems like the way this was handled differently from other investigations could be a good article for you.

I guess I'm still confused. Why was your AD at this meeting? Was this a meeting for every AD in the state? If not, she had to know at that point, there was something wrong. I don't know if I would blame TSSAA for not notifying Signal Mtn until Oct 6th. The question is why did the schools that reported the problem, not report it to the TSSAA until 9/22.

[MountainTroll]

I guess I'm still confused. Why was your AD at this meeting? Was this a meeting for every AD in the state? If not, she had to know at that point, there was something wrong. I don't know if I would blame TSSAA for not notifying Signal Mtn until Oct 6th. The question is why did the schools that reported the problem, not report it to the TSSAA until 9/22.

 

This was some regularly scheduled, routine "Administrators' Meeting in Hamilton County". One of the schools, Sequatchie County, benefits greatly from us vacating so many wins. They are in our district. Their principal is on the Board of Control.

Edited October 10, 2011 by MountainTroll

[binns37388]

This was some regularly scheduled, routine "Administrators' Meeting in Hamilton County". One of the schools, Sequatchie County, benefits greatly from us vacating so many wins. They are in our district. Their principal is on the Board of Control.

So you're talking about Sequatchie Co. I guess that sets the stage for an interesting Sequatchie Co-Signal Mtn game in a few weeks. The reason I'm asking all these questions is because I do have a sports talk show in Coffee Co and Coach Price left Coffee Co to take the job at Signal Mtn. Scott Shasteen and myself broadcast Tullahoma football games. There is a lot of interest in this story in our area. Do you think Signal Mtn will try to run up the score on Sequatchie Co?

[MountainTroll]

So you're talking about Sequatchie Co. I guess that sets the stage for an interesting Sequatchie Co-Signal Mtn game in a few weeks. The reason I'm asking all these questions is because I do have a sports talk show in Coffee Co and Coach Price left Coffee Co to take the job at Signal Mtn. Scott Shasteen and myself broadcast Tullahoma football games. There is a lot of interest in this story in our area. Do you think Signal Mtn will try to run up the score on Sequatchie Co?

 

What do you think?

 

 

You may not know the geography. Sequatchie County line borders Signal's zone. When Signal opened, some kids who live on the mountain and had been attending Sequatchie, switched to Signal. Really pissed them off. We've beat them three years running, and now we are in their district. Still some mountain kids going to Sequatchie. Would have been a big rivalry game anyway, but this takes it to the next level.

 

You know Coach Price from Coffee County. He usually isn't one to run the score up, but he's been taking crap since he came to Signal, and this eligibility thing, accusations of cheating and recruiting is about to wear him out.

 

The kids know Sequatchie was one of the main parties, and they want some revenge. I just hope they can stay composed and execute. They are all devastated, as was evident in the Polk game, but I think they will be up for this one.

Edited October 10, 2011 by MountainTroll

[rlh]

You're a bigger pile than I thought you were. You give us credit when you have no option.

Rumors yes. For your information, T$$AA has already looked at all of the transfers. All legit, except McClendon. And that was stupidity on our part.

You trying to tell me that if a good football player transfered to South Pitt legally and said he wanted to play football that Grider would tell him to get lost? Give me a break.

As for the last part of your post. Any kid that wants to transfer to Signal Mountain legally is welcome, whether he plays football or fiddle or tiddly winks. We don't go out trying to get these kids, but if they want to come we try to make them welcome. Ask all the transfers that are up here and not playing any sports or engaging in any extracurricular activites. There are lots of em.

 

I always have had an option. Go take your own pile over the the Greenville vs SM thread and the Polk County thread. As far as Grider goes, I suspect he would raise more than an eyebrow if he had a kid wanting to play that had to ride by multiple school zones to get there.

Edited October 10, 2011 by rlh

[MountainTroll]

I always have had an option. Go take your own pile over the the Greenville vs SM thread and the Polk County thread. As far as Grider goes, I suspect he would raise more than an eyebrow if he had a kid wanting to play that had to ride by multiple school zones to get there.

 

Well ... yall just got 3 zones, and Marion County is open zone; so, it's easy for him. And then there's always Hemlock.

[rlh]

Someone at Signal checked the "wrong" box whether it was intentional or a mistake. Someone should have verified the address for which school he was zoned for given the way the pairings are done. In addition, the HCBE should have pointed that out on the paperwork. As far as if it was S.C. that turned them in, that was a chicken little way to do it if it was them. I suppose there AD could have called your AD and had SM self report.

[rlh]

Well ... yall just got 3 zones, and Marion County is open zone; so, it's easy for him. And then there's always Hemlock.

 

Its not really open zone in the true sense open zone is used. And there is a procedure for it. Hemlock is in the SPHS zone. It is the closest, so close it doesn't even have a bus route.

 

Edit: Jasper (a.k.a. Marion County High) think they are a county wide school.

Edited October 10, 2011 by rlh