Oak Ridge vs Blackman ** STATE CHAMPIONSHIP**

[GCPioneer]

The refereeing has been the talk of the tournament among fans. I watched most of the games this week and have to agree. I feel bad for the kids, to make it this far and then be penalized so much. I saw at least 20-25 fouls called where guys stood still with arms straight up and get called for a foul. But it was consistently bad. I don't know if one team got called more than any other. I think the one short ref in today's AAA contest broke the record for fouls called in a state tournament.

 

Congrats to Blackman and Oak Ridge on a wonderful tournament,

The referees are held to no standard... Yes, I know there is a shortage and it's hard for them to get new referees etc., but if they were held to some type of standard, it'd make a difference. They have the power to be able to hold stuff over the coaches heads.... the coaches have no power whatsoever and if they do complain about the refs then they're a "whiner". Yea, the coaches can also complain to the head of refs in their area, but nothing ever comes out of that and if it does, the coach never knows about it. TSSAA needs to do some serious work in this department.

[terop]

Short guy makes terrible calls every year.

[GCPioneer]

Short guy makes terrible calls every year.

And he makes the same terrible calls around here as well....

[terop]

I always hate when he refs a Memphis team game. He acts like he's never seen a crossover or euro step....

[SweetScience]

Congratulations to Blackman. They took it from my Wildcats. And Blackman looked like the better team throughout one poster said? I don't know about that. We had the lead the whole game until we just literally fell apart at the seams in that 5 minute stretch in the 4th QTR. Awesome job by the Oak Ridge Wildcats. So proud of you boys. I wanted them to win it so so bad it hurt, but their has to be a loser and a winner. 2nd place in the whole state of TN is nothing to be ashamed of, but darnit that gold ball would've been nice to have!!! lol Have a lot of talent coming up still. Frosh team was undefeated this year, so things look good.

[McEwenAlumni]

From an unbiased opinion here, it was one of the worst officiated games I've seen. Bad calls against both teams, the worst was the Intentional foul call against Oak Ridge. Completely incompetent call.

[tradertwo]

Congratulations to Blackman. They took it from my Wildcats. And Blackman looked like the better team throughout one poster said? I don't know about that. We had the lead the whole game until we just literally fell apart at the seams in that 5 minute stretch in the 4th QTR. Awesome job by the Oak Ridge Wildcats. So proud of you boys. I wanted them to win it so so bad it hurt, but their has to be a loser and a winner. 2nd place in the whole state of TN is nothing to be ashamed of, but darnit that gold ball would've been nice to have!!! lol Have a lot of talent coming up still. Frosh team was undefeated this year, so things look good.

I'll have to agree that Blackman probably had the edge in talent, but if OR controls tempo and feeds the post, they probably win. 33 is a beast inside, and kicks the ball out to open shooters pretty well too...the old debate of "did they force us away from what we do, or did we just forget", applies here...Blackman did a good job of quickening the pace, but I thought if OR were more stubborn in trying to set up the half court offense, that they would have been more efficient. When the tempo changed, the OR guards had good success in scoring...when Blackman adjusted, OR didn't, never really focused on the post afterward.

[wingman10]

congrats to the Blaze

[pepvol]

Congrats to Blackman and Oak Ridge both for their great Seasons !!

[CarolinaCrazy]

Hate to admit it, but the 2 referees that made ALL the critical calls in this game, were from northwest Tennessee. I have seen those guys make horrible call after horrible call all year long and they get put in a state championship game....? C'mon now.... the kids deserve better than that!

 

As for the game, it was a very fun game to watch from a neutral perspective. I really though Blackman was the better team throughout the game. Taking nothing away from Oak Ridge though, they're still a very solid team. The freshman you guys have will be a stud for the next 3 years.

 

Ok, before I go off I my yearly rant, I want to say congrats to Blackman. I also want to say what a fun four years it's been to watch Oak ridge play. They've beaten my favorite two teams by an average of probably 25 points per game over those 4 years. They have been the class of AAA basketball in 3AAA, as well as the Knoxville area. They do things the right way, and the rest of our district is striving to get where they are.

 

Now the RANT!!! The referees where absolutely horrible. The intentional foul on Henderson for reaching in on the out of control player from Blackman, who ultimately ran over Davis for a charge, then was over ruled by the other ref was the turning point in the game!! That one incompetent call, took the gold ball out of Oak ridges hands. Oak was up 8 at the time, if it's a charge we get under control and probably hold on to win. But, they get two fts,then hit a shot to cut it to four. Of all the horrible calls I saw this week, this was the most crucial one at the most crucial time. Just a travesty to work so hard for four years. From progressing from sub state to state to the finals!!!! Do u know how hard that is to do? Then this moron dismisses all that summer sweat with one blow of the whistle!! Just crazy.

 

As for our area, which is Knox ridge and Knox south. It starts at the top. These guys running these associations are just as incompetent. If you aren't in the click, you don't get good assignments, plain and simple. They have guys in each association that have been there 10-15 years and there still doing Jv ball. After that long they should at least tell them their never gonna make it to the varsity level. But no, the string them along with a hall of fame game and tell them their close, but it's a sham. They just don't have enough to cover the games plain and simple.

 

They have maybe 10 from each association that does some small time college ball, like Johnson university, hiawassi, etc, and they think their the next teddy valentine!! They do a high school game and they think it's beneath them. They blow calls because the college rules and the high school rules are different. They tee coaches up for questioning there crappy calls, same with players. Their mechanics are horrible because they are different for each and then sometimes they forget where their at and have arms and legs going everywhere during a call and look like their having a stroke!!!

 

Until changes are made at the top, it won't get any better. I know for a fact in other states each official is graded by former officials and assigners. But not in Tennessee. Also, it's all political who gets to go to state each year. It's a buddy thing that's all. In other states, when the playoffs start at the district levels, each school is sent a list of officials and each coach crosses one off until they get down to the three that are going to ref their games. That way u get three complitant guys or gals to call the games. That Henderson call should be shown at every association meeting across the state on what not to do in the state championship game. Ok, I'm done. Thanks for letting me vent.

[tradertwo]

Ok, before I go off I my yearly rant, I want to say congrats to Blackman. I also want to say what a fun four years it's been to watch Oak ridge play. They've beaten my favorite two teams by an average of probably 25 points per game over those 4 years. They have been the class of AAA basketball in 3AAA, as well as the Knoxville area. They do things the right way, and the rest of our district is striving to get where they are.

 

Now the RANT!!! The referees where absolutely horrible. The intentional foul on Henderson for reaching in on the out of control player from Blackman, who ultimately ran over Davis for a charge, then was over ruled by the other ref was the turning point in the game!! That one incompetent call, took the gold ball out of Oak ridges hands. Oak was up 8 at the time, if it's a charge we get under control and probably hold on to win. But, they get two fts,then hit a shot to cut it to four. Of all the horrible calls I saw this week, this was the most crucial one at the most crucial time. Just a travesty to work so hard for four years. From progressing from sub state to state to the finals!!!! Do u know how hard that is to do? Then this moron dismisses all that summer sweat with one blow of the whistle!! Just crazy.

 

As for our area, which is Knox ridge and Knox south. It starts at the top. These guys running these associations are just as incompetent. If you aren't in the click, you don't get good assignments, plain and simple. They have guys in each association that have been there 10-15 years and there still doing Jv ball. After that long they should at least tell them their never gonna make it to the varsity level. But no, the string them along with a hall of fame game and tell them their close, but it's a sham. They just don't have enough to cover the games plain and simple.

 

They have maybe 10 from each association that does some small time college ball, like Johnson university, hiawassi, etc, and they think their the next teddy valentine!! They do a high school game and they think it's beneath them. They blow calls because the college rules and the high school rules are different. They tee coaches up for questioning there crappy calls, same with players. Their mechanics are horrible because they are different for each and then sometimes they forget where their at and have arms and legs going everywhere during a call and look like their having a stroke!!!

 

Until changes are made at the top, it won't get any better. I know for a fact in other states each official is graded by former officials and assigners. But not in Tennessee. Also, it's all political who gets to go to state each year. It's a buddy thing that's all. In other states, when the playoffs start at the district levels, each school is sent a list of officials and each coach crosses one off until they get down to the three that are going to ref their games. That way u get three complitant guys or gals to call the games. That Henderson call should be shown at every association meeting across the state on what not to do in the state championship game. Ok, I'm done. Thanks for letting me vent.

Same guy T'd up both coaches in a previous game...he's famous for being a "Barney" in our area, and never calls a game without one or two incidents where he creates situations that completely halts the game in order for him to be more "significant".

[CarolinaCrazy]

Well said!!!