Union City plays host to Trenton

[goldentide]

Wow dude that is early. I will meet you around 7:00 if you want to and bearcat lets hook up and shake hands. As far as BS Im really not trying to sell anything about Keylon's condition. Im saying now and will say it until I see him on the field he wont play. Honestly.

 

Lol, I take it pretty seriously. I'll come by after warmups are over which is usually around 7:05 or so.

[goldentide]

GT you seem to be infatuated with the status of Hyde...personally I think you guys win even with Hyde playing,,,,seems as though you fear playing UC if Hyde is able to go....just relax and come friday you will finally get your answer...as for you LC folks you will just have to wait and see

 

I don't fear his playing, but unlike most I expect him to play. He played last year and we lost by two. He played two years ago and we won.

[BigSwo]

well Im sticking to what Ive been aying all along. He wont play. Im about half inclined to agree with Orangefuzz. Im not completly convinced we can win with or without him.

Edited September 27, 2012 by BigSwo

[goldentide]

well Im sticking to what Ive been aying all along. He wont play. Im about half inclined to agree with Orangefuzz. Im not completly convinced we can win with or without him.

 

I'm confused by your comment Swo. The talk all summer and preseason was how GREAT UC was going to be with an unstoppable offense and a much improved defense. The Huntingdon game was as strange as our McKenzie game, as it stretched over two nights. Who knows how high school teenagers will handle that? Then you lose to last year's state runner up who is currently undefeated and second ranked and likely because the best player in the district missed most of the game. Why the pessimism? You have lost me.

[BigSwo]

I'm confused by your comment Swo. The talk all summer and preseason was how GREAT UC was going to be with an unstoppable offense and a much improved defense. The Huntingdon game was as strange as our McKenzie game, as it stretched over two nights. Who knows how high school teenagers will handle that? Then you lose to last year's state runner up who is currently undefeated and second ranked and likely because the best player in the district missed most of the game. Why the pessimism? You have lost me.

Its like this. You're right I've been riding on high with these boys and been pumping them up. But the facts dont lie. The facts are this,These boys dont like getting punched in the mouth. Simple. If there is a back on the opposing team that runs the ball with authority and couple that with a strong O-line they just fold. Now you are right. The two teams we lost to are good teams. And there were unusual circumstances surrounding both games. But in both games they simply quit. Not for the whole game but long enough for the opposing team to get a large enough lead to put the game away. This is where heart comes in. Im not saying they dont have any heart at all . Its just that it dont kick in until its too late. We have the athletes and we have the abilities to play with anybody.But we dont have the right skeems to explode and overtake a strong team. In both these games we mounted a come back but both come backs ended with turnovers. and when they turned the ball over the heart left about as quickly as it came. I'm hoping Im truely hoping that this issue with Hyde gives these boys a rallying point. An Alamo of sorts. An inspiration that can only come from within the team. .In 09 those guys saw a crisis in mid season just like these guys are facing. Josh Nicks went down with an injury and had to sit out a game. We lost that game to TCA. Ateam we wuold have killed the week before. Then came a horrific tragedy when a former player had an accident with a gun and subseqeuntly killed himslef. That incident brought those guys together and they did not lose again and won the State Title. I am in no way trying to say that this tragedy is in any way equal to the situation this team is facing. Im saying that they must find a way to gel. Im hoping this is it. If they can come together and unite behind this cause then we can be unstoppable. Something has to happen or we will be just like orangefuzz says. 5-5 or 6-4 team who will be out of the playoffs by the second round. Im not drinking the koolaid until we beat Peabody and the beat LC and beat Humboldt at the end of the season. We have to go undfeated the rest of the way. This can only come from the team. Now is the time. Its almost too late.

[Tornadopride]

I personally think we are seeing a lack of being able to coach some good kids. Bowlin has to buckle his chinstrap and get the attention of his players. I feel we make NO adjustments much at all, especially on defense. I'm not giving up at all. But by the same deal, we have to have kids who will step up and be leaders and that has not happened. Keylon , he is now hurt and someone else has to do it whether it be Rutland, Shanks, Barnes, Lewis ? Union City has tons of talent but if that is not applied, and these are 16, 17 and 18 yr old kids we are talking about, we are not going far into the playoffs and will finish 1 - 3 the last four games with a win over South Fulton. You also need to look at ouir coaching staff. We have new assistant coaches each year whether that is good or bad. Yes, going into the season, we all we talking smack and the only smack that is going on right now is our team getting "smacked" by teams of equal or better than us. We have to get mean and until...until our kids decide to tackle and knock the _ _ _ _ out of someone, then it is not going to be a long playoff year. In 2009, we had team leaders, several of them and started with the Q B, then nicks, then Worley , Arnold and many others, we do not have that showing right now. As for Keylon playing, I don't think he will and I think they will take their chances without him this game and get him ready for Lake Co, much more important. It just so happens that our schedule was a good one if the teams weren't down...O C, Wayne Co for example. I think in combo, the 4 wins we have , those 4 teams have 8 wins among them. We are scoring some points but giving up to many on the other end. We have to play trenton close to come out good. They could come in and spank the Purple and Gold around also, very good chance of that. I just hope our kids show up, gut check for sure. My gut feeling is we don't have Keylon Friday, loose to Trenton, he comes back and we win out, against Lake Co, South Fulton and Humboldt.

Edited September 27, 2012 by UCGRAD

[bearcat22]

Very interesting and deep information from BigSwo and UCGRAD. I have great respect for both of you for your comments. I'm not nearly as close to our program as you seem to be to yours, but I appreciate the honesty reflected in both of your posts. We have some huge questions on defense, much like you seem to about yours. I moved here about ten years ago so my roots aren't as deep here as yours are there but I love high school football and I follow our team. Over the last ten years I have seen much more bad than good here in Trenton. I have been energized recently with the coaching change and excitement that followed it. We have problems here that can't be fixed in a year but we are so much better this year in many ways. I hope our coach stays but that hasn't been his pattern. We need for someone like him to truly BUILD a program here. A win over UC would help our guys because after the schedule we've played we need some wins. While we could've beaten Milan and Huntingdon, and were tied with Dyersburg at the half, those teams were all better than we are. We need to win out but that starts with UC and I can't wait.

[BigSwo]

Hey bearcat. Are you coming to the game Friday? If so I would like to meet you and shake hands. I will be there about 7:00 and will be at the flagpole just inside the gate. I like to meet fellow coachters and put a face with a name.

[orangefuzz]

I'm confused by your comment Swo. The talk all summer and preseason was how GREAT UC was going to be with an unstoppable offense and a much improved defense. The Huntingdon game was as strange as our McKenzie game, as it stretched over two nights. Who knows how high school teenagers will handle that? Then you lose to last year's state runner up who is currently undefeated and second ranked and likely because the best player in the district missed most of the game. Why the pessimism? You have lost me.

have you watched UC play deffense or attempt to tackle

[BigSwo]

have you watched UC play deffense or attempt to tackle

Thats it right there. I was barking about this very thing in the preseason. Now its a reality. We have the athletes but something is missing. I will sum it all up right here Coach Kennedy as D-coord. He knew how to coach defnse. He knew how to fire those kids up. If we are talikng leadership then the first place you have to look is the coaching staff.

[bearcat22]

Hey bearcat. Are you coming to the game Friday? If so I would like to meet you and shake hands. I will be there about 7:00 and will be at the flagpole just inside the gate. I like to meet fellow coachters and put a face with a name.

 

I sure hope to be. I travel with my job and I'm currently out of town but I hope to be back. If I am I'll see you at the flagpole.

[bearcat22]

Thats it right there. I was barking about this very thing in the preseason. Now its a reality. We have the athletes but something is missing. I will sum it all up right here Coach Kennedy as D-coord. He knew how to coach defnse. He knew how to fire those kids up. If we are talikng leadership then the first place you have to look is the coaching staff.

 

I have some friends in Huntingdon who said y'all were big up front on defense and very athletic in the secondary. They also said what I already knew, that you were big up front on the offensive line with a battering ram at fullback and a tough running QB. It sounds like a pretty good problem to have.