William Blount vs Bearden

[strongx]

No....I have been told that they are taking the Seniors, it is a regular Varsity game.

Does anybody else think its odd to take srs to a game like this? Why would you sit a youngster and play a sr in this game? Maybe just play the srs on special teams? Same old stuff.

[GovFan]

Well I don't think the coaches want the seniors to leave on a sour note and this is their last chance at a win. Also it may depend on which players HVA uses on the field. Also there are a lot of underclassmen starters so they will be on the field anyways. All of the other underclassmen will have plenty chances to be on the field next year if they don't get much playing time Saturday. JMO. 

[strongx]

Govfan - I can see that side of it. After all, it is only a game and it could be a reward(?) to the srs if they could come away with a win. (Truthfully, I don't understand any of that. But to be respectful, I will even assume you are right.)

 

IMO - Here is the potential problem with that: The govs have always lost good young players by not including them enough in the program's goals. By "lost" I mean they either quit completely, quit until they are a sr, or quit working hard but continue to be on the team (sometimes even the worst). Maybe this staff is different and all the young guys are happy. Maybe they are fine with sitting on the sideline, waiting their turn, on a 2-8 team in an after season fundraiser game (I would understand it more on a 8-2 team that is moving into the playoffs). Or maybe they say - hmmm, I can sit around and not show up for workouts the next year or two and still get to play when I am an upperclassman because coach plays upperclassmen.

 

Hopefully, I am wrong. The gov coaches know a lot more about football and coaching than I ever will. I have just seen it happen to a lot of good athletes at wb, and I think the program needs all those athletes fully invested.

 

Good luck Saturday. It sounds like a good cause. I hope everyone stays healthy.

[wb85]

Said it before and will continue to say it.....Greenback was good because of the assistants that Ridge surrounded himself with. Made him look like a good coach.

You may be right but I don't see it. Greenback lost 3 games this year they should have won with those Ridge assistants. Ridge will be fine if people will give him a little time. IMO

[GovFan]

You may be right but I don't see it. Greenback lost 3 games this year they should have won with those Ridge assistants. Ridge will be fine if people will give him a little time. IMO

Boom!!! Nail on the head. Need to give him at least 2 more years to fully put his system in place. I believe Ridge is smart enough to turn this program around. Hopefully some of his inexperienced coaching staff will learn from this years mistakes. All coaches start somewhere and I'm sure most started with a record like ours. Remember, we were only about 25 points from having a 7-3 record. It will get better. He has been here LESS than a year.

[Governm]

I know the conventional wisdom is you gotta give a coach atleast 3 years to get his system in place but I am not so sure in this situation.

The facts are:

Ridge finished 2-8 , worse then gregory ever did. Gregory got us 3 wins every year. What makes is even worse is the fact that he did it with a very talented team. This team had more talent then gregory ever had! This was also a lighter schedule then we have had and the district was down. Do you think the district is going to stay down? No! its going to get a lot tougher. So how can we have any confidence that Ridge can get it done?

[jake]

I know the conventional wisdom is you gotta give a coach atleast 3 years to get his system in place but I am not so sure in this situation.

The facts are:

Ridge finished 2-8 , worse then gregory ever did. Gregory got us 3 wins every year. What makes is even worse is the fact that he did it with a very talented team. This team had more talent then gregory ever had! This was also a lighter schedule then we have had and the district was down. Do you think the district is going to stay down? No! its going to get a lot tougher. So how can we have any confidence that Ridge can get it done?

 

Ridge will be there as long as he wants to be there, so you might as well have confidence that he will get it turned around.

[BarneySox2007]

I pull for all the schools in Blount County but the county system sometimes is it's own worst enemy. When I think of William Blount they remind me of the Everett Bulldogs so much it isn't even funny. They come up with a team maybe every seven years or so and go through one coach after the next in hopes this will be the one. Now for Heritage, they remind me of that school that no longer exist called Maynardville Red Devils. You could always count on opening your little Peek'Size Football Guide every year and look at all the teams and they would be 0-10 or 1-9 every year.

[Governm]

Ridge will be there as long as he wants to be there, so you might as well have confidence that he will get it turned around.

Well I hope he does get it turned around but I kind of doubt he will after seeing this season . Everything was in place for him to have a winning season and he didn't get it done. So how can I rationally think that things are going to be any different next year or the next? The district is going to be alot tougher next year, alot tougher. Bearden and Lenoir City were gimme games and they couldn't even win those games. So how can we expect them to compete in and win those games next year when they will surely be back to normal? Also people seem to be confident that Heritage will be better in the coming years, what if they beat us? I don't even want to think about how bad things could be..

[erell38]

Well I hope he does get it turned around but I kind of doubt he will after seeing this season . Everything was in place for him to have a winning season and he didn't get it done. So how can I rationally think that things are going to be any different next year or the next? The district is going to be alot tougher next year, alot tougher. Bearden and Lenoir City were gimme games and they couldn't even win those games. So how can we expect them to compete in and win those games next year when they will surely be back to normal? Also people seem to be confident that Heritage will be better in the coming years, what if they beat us? I don't even want to think about how bad things could be..

What talent did you guys have? Think about it and get back to me... Seriously 91, you continuously refer to all the talent at WB and I wanna know where it is because I sure didn't see what you are perceiving them to have... I saw a bunch of kids fighting their tails off on Friday nights getting after people and not giving up... Now that is the two occasions that I saw them play...but I did not see all these great athletes that you speak of...just an opinion but I don't see them...

[BarneySox2007]

Heritage started eight seniors on one side of the ball and nine on the other the two times I watched them play. I also watched the JV and Freshman team and they had two plays, sweep right and sweep left. That's when I made a decision it's going to be a while before things are any better for that program. I also got surprised the night William Blount and Heritage played so close. Then when they played Maryville I'm going to be honest with you, that was a shocker compared to the team I watched in the Jamboree against Alcoa. Not sure if injuries came in to play or they just plain gave up but I got all my questioned when they came out and lined the team out to one side of the field and the QB and center on the other in the Maryville game three times in a row.  I knew then all I needed to know and I can understand your concerns Governors91.

[Governm]

What talent did you guys have? Think about it and get back to me... Seriously 91, you continuously refer to all the talent at WB and I wanna know where it is because I sure didn't see what you are perceiving them to have... I saw a bunch of kids fighting their tails off on Friday nights getting after people and not giving up... Now that is the two occasions that I saw them play...but I did not see all these great athletes that you speak of...just an opinion but I don't see them...

we have the talent to be alot better than we have been. Im not saying we have state championship talent or anything , im saying we have the talent to be a respectable program that makes the playoffs most years. Look at what meadows was able to do while he was here. He won us 5 + plus game every year and made the playoffs. That is where the Govs need to be.The Govs had a huge line, good receivers , a great rb,and a decent QB this year. With the talent they had there is no excuse for them being 2-8