3A semis set!

[gcapride]

Concord Christian joins the District next yr. and though I doubt they are very good right now, how long before they start dominating or competing @ a very high level? Competing for District/Region Championships? Over/ under 4 yrs....? Who knows, maybe they are a "true" Christian private school looking to give students a good quality Christian education with sports as a secondary focus...there are some of those out there:) Only time will tell, I guess.

They are 1A in football, will be in this district in all other sports. They will grow quickly and will most likely follow the same growth pattern as GCA/CAK.

 

Back off on the "true" Christian school stuff. There's no need to make a comment like that, unless you know every aspect of what's going on at every Christian school out there.

[chill]

It is silly comment and the one millionth time it's been said on here. Good luck to all involved.

[JoeDirt]

IF you start a school with the sole purpose of providing the children @ your church and the surrounding community with a quality Christian education, then decide to focus more on the sports aspect and draw in kids from miles and miles away...that is NOT a true Christian school. Sorry, I call it like I see it. Be mad all you want to about the statement...it's truth. We all know how the Christian privates with a sports emphasis work and we all know how the Christian privates with an academic emphasis work...don't be upset because somebody class it like it is. Once again, be happy that you know you all will always compete for championships in almost every sport you participate in yr in and yr out with a school population of what 200??? C'MON man...that's really focusing on a quality Christian education for church members and the immediate surrounding community. That's a LOT of local talent in an area with good $$$ to attend Grace. By the way, how is it that for such a good school with excellent sports programs, does the enrollment stay SO low? That's a rhetorical question as well... because we all know that answer too.

[JoeDirt]

It is silly comment and the one millionth time it's been said on here. Good luck to all involved.

Whether you think it's silly or not or mentioned a million times...maybe a reason it's been mentioned a million times...It's TRUE. Not one to back off. Didn't know you held water for the privates.

[chill]

I don't. It's just pointless to argue the reality defined by the TSSAA. You can keep on about it though.

[gcapride]

IF you start a school with the sole purpose of providing the children @ your church and the surrounding community with a quality Christian education, then decide to focus more on the sports aspect and draw in kids from miles and miles away...that is NOT a true Christian school. Sorry, I call it like I see it. Be mad all you want to about the statement...it's truth. We all know how the Christian privates with a sports emphasis work and we all know how the Christian privates with an academic emphasis work...don't be upset because somebody class it like it is. Once again, be happy that you know you all will always compete for championships in almost every sport you participate in yr in and yr out with a school population of what 200??? C'MON man...that's really focusing on a quality Christian education for church members and the immediate surrounding community. That's a LOT of local talent in an area with good $$$ to attend Grace. By the way, how is it that for such a good school with excellent sports programs, does the enrollment stay SO low? That's a rhetorical question as well... because we all know that answer too.

I understand your points, and I'm sure those things happen at many places. It's my position that you can have both. A good Christian education with good sports programs.

 

To answer your last question, it's tuition. Tuition keeps our #'s down, even though we have the lowest tuition for a private school with sports programs in the Knoxville area. We have 300 in the high school. We don't turn anyone away. As a matter of fact, we advertise and promote the school in an attempt to draw more students to the school. You have your agenda and opinion here, it's just not accurate in this case. I can't speak about other schools, because I'm not there to see how they operate or what their focus is. I'm close enough to this school to know what goes on and how it operates. Been around it a long time Dirt, and I call it like I see it, good or bad about GCA.

[JoeDirt]

Fair enough gcapride...agree to disagree on some points you make as well. Such as the fact that yeah you all actively promote the school and turn NO ONE away...I'm sorry I don't buy that. It benefits ALL your sports programs, according to the multiplier rule, to keep your #s @ a certain level OTHERWISE Grace would have much more #s by now because you all DO have the lowest tuition of the privates in the area. Also, I do know that just because someone applies to go to school @ Grace and has the $$$ doesn't mean they get accepted...I'm not buying that either. I was born on a Wednesday, just not this Wednesday:) As I've said before...you all are competing for championships in almost every sport you offer yr in and yr out with 300 students and you're telling me they ACCEPT EVERYBODY that applies...:) My overall, though mute point, (yes, Chill, I know complain to TSSAA) is that privates (tons of them across the state now) should participate against each other come tourney time. We'll play in the regular season all you want. You all have MANY built in advantages that publics can't even come close to competing with on a regular basis as well as the fact that TSSAA does a terrible job monitoring cheating (publics and privates both). 90+% of the Tellico basketball team grew up and played with each other from elementary school. The ones that do come in or transfer from somewhere else usually had roots there in the past and have come back for various reasons. It IS NOT a level playing field, BUT we will continue to compete and take our best shot @ assembled AAU teams with all the other advantages afforded to them. Just don't think that MOST people will root for you to be successful...it's like being the "Evil Empire" of high school athletics:) When you all play a public, just know that the vast majority of neutral observers are most likely rooting for you to lose. By the way, this is no shot @ the quality of people you have there @ the school...always been treated well. TSSAA will keep privates in as long as they can because it's all about $$$ for them...not fairness for the schools or kids. The more privates that pop up that want to participate in the public sector, the TSSAA sees $$$. Not changing any time soon...unfortunately.

[JoeDirt]

Hopefully, the District tourney can be completed before Regions and it won't just go to seeding. I bet Grace girls and boys would like to not have to finish the tourney. Go straight to Regions as 1 seeds without really having to do anything...I hope it gets played out. Weather does not look promising though for travel.

[HardKnox]

Hopefully, the District tourney can be completed before Regions and it won't just go to seeding. I bet Grace girls and boys would like to not have to finish the tourney. Go straight to Regions as 1 seeds without really having to do anything...I hope it gets played out. Weather does not look promising though for travel.

you've said a lot of ridiculous comments on here, and I've been trying to decide which one of your rants to refute...then I got to this one, and I realized I didn't need to respond to any of the others. based on this post, it's clear that you do not nor ever did participate in any type of competitive or athletic endeavor.  I PROMISE you our team wants the chance to win a district championship and not just "placed as the #1 seed without really having to do anything".  I guess 11-1 district record means nothing?  Let's say we do get the district tournament in and Grace doesn't win it.  I still say that every single Grace player/coach/fan would still be glad for the opportunity to have competed for the championship rather than not getting the chance at all.  Winning isn't everything.  There are important lessons to be learned by giving your absolute best effort and coming up short.  There are worse things than losing when giving it your best.  Like having a "woe is me attitude and we can't beat you because your kids haven't played together since 6th grade"  Which, by the way, that doesn't fly either.  With maybe one or two exceptions, these kids have been together since 6th grade.  One came in 7th and one in 9th.  Our athletes are really not that much better than most of the teams we play.  Our "advantage" that you like to always talk about, is we don't have to overcome a chip on our shoulder that you and some others can't seem to shake.  I really hope your team doesn't share your very poor competitive attitude.   

[JoeDirt]

Whatever you say Knox...panties in a wad about truthful comments. By the way, you made my argument for me when you said MOST of them have been together since Middle School...that's the good AAU age to start building a team right? Then, if you don't have ALL the pieces you pick up another 1-2-3 high school age to fill the gaps:) Grace athletes aren't any better...maybe not ALL of them, BUT you really don't believe that ignorant comment do you...C'MON MAN!? So, it's not about the Jimmies and Joes and it's ALL about the Xs and Os huh? So, having a 6'7, 6'5, 6'3, 6'3, and several others over 6' and a bench of kids that can actually play doesn't have anything to do with why Grace wins? Same for their football team, baseball team, girls volleyball team, girls softball team, etc..? They don't have a chip on their shoulder and that is why they're successfull...lol. Don't have woe is me attitude...you must not have read my previous post about we will COMPETE against the AAU teams and take our best shot. I can GUARANTEE you our kids aren't scared of Grace kids. In fact, their chip lies with wanting to beat them every chance they get because they all know how it works too. I DIDN'T say winning was everything. Although Grace seems to emphasize that in their enrollment process:) All my point was about is a level playing field...not winning is everything. You need to check yourself on that one. Instead of throwing out baseless accusations against ME, why don't you refute what I said above? Once again, agree to disagree. Usually when people get mad about a topic, it means a nerve was hit...the truth nerve. I'm not "mad" about Grace being in the public sector...just think there is a better way to level the playing field for children's athletics...key word being children's. We ALL know life isn't fair, but this is something that could be changed and made better for children. No hard feelings about it. We will play who TSSAA tells us to play because that's how it works. It doesn't mean there is not a better way OR that I can have an opinion about it. I'll rephrase my post above you quoted...I bet the Grace coaches would rather not play it out and go in as 1 seeds...just MY opinion and last time i checked this is a message board FULL of opinions. Some popular, some not...It just makes sense for them because they have NOTHING to gain. I apologize if you felt I insinuated the KIDS didn't want to play. Hopefully the tourney will play out.

[ZOA9]

Fair enough gcapride...agree to disagree on some points you make as well. Such as the fact that yeah you all actively promote the school and turn NO ONE away...I'm sorry I don't buy that. It benefits ALL your sports programs, according to the multiplier rule, to keep your #s @ a certain level OTHERWISE Grace would have much more #s by now because you all DO have the lowest tuition of the privates in the area. Also, I do know that just because someone applies to go to school @ Grace and has the $$$ doesn't mean they get accepted...I'm not buying that either. I was born on a Wednesday, just not this Wednesday:) As I've said before...you all are competing for championships in almost every sport you offer yr in and yr out with 300 students and you're telling me they ACCEPT EVERYBODY that applies... My overall, though mute point, (yes, Chill, I know complain to TSSAA) is that privates (tons of them across the state now) should participate against each other come tourney time. We'll play in the regular season all you want. You all have MANY built in advantages that publics can't even come close to competing with on a regular basis as well as the fact that TSSAA does a terrible job monitoring cheating (publics and privates both). 90+% of the Tellico basketball team grew up and played with each other from elementary school. The ones that do come in or transfer from somewhere else usually had roots there in the past and have come back for various reasons. It IS NOT a level playing field, BUT we will continue to compete and take our best shot @ assembled AAU teams with all the other advantages afforded to them. Just don't think that MOST people will root for you to be successful...it's like being the "Evil Empire" of high school athletics:) When you all play a public, just know that the vast majority of neutral observers are most likely rooting for you to lose. By the way, this is no shot @ the quality of people you have there @ the school...always been treated well. TSSAA will keep privates in as long as they can because it's all about $$$ for them...not fairness for the schools or kids. The more privates that pop up that want to participate in the public sector, the TSSAA sees $$$. Not changing any time soon...unfortunately.

If anyone thinks that private and public schools are playing on a level playing field they are out of touch with reality. If you think it is bad in the revenue sports, it's even more difficult on public schools in the non-revenue sports.  Private schools dominate the non-revenue sports such as volleyball, cross-country, tennis, & golf in the Class A/AA division. Privates should not be allowed to participate with Public in these sports period. They have way to many advantages over public school students in these sports (private lessons, trainers, club teams, etc) that most public school students will not have. I was at the Girls Class A/AA Cross Country Region 2 meet this past fall and the top 14 finishers, 12 were from private schools. Only 2 public school runners were in the top 14, one finishing 7th the other 11th.  By the way, the one that finished 11th did not qualify to run in the state meet as only the top 10 individual finishers qualify and came from a public school that probably will never have another runner finish that high again thus denying a chance to run in a state meet. In non-revenue sports privates should not participate with publics in tournament play......... if you have a split here then yes the playing field is leveled IMO.

[TFL]

Hey JoeDirt, just because your bears have never beaten Grace doesn't mean that they are invincible. The tigers have beaten them 5 out of the last 6. Maybe Harriman will beat them tomo and you guys will get another shot, I would rather avoid them!