Rhea County Off Season

[kamerb]

After watching this team against Oxford, I have a few big takeaways:

 

1. We have depth at QB.

 

Zach Pemberton (#7,rising SO.) looked more than capable of managing a game, but still needs to work on ball protection. Logan Hall (#25, rising JR.) is definitely a decent QB that fits the offense well. Still no definite word on Braxton, but I am more confident in the depth behind him. Oakland and Jacoby Stevens, the #1 athlete in the nation that I believe plays safety, will be an even better test of game management capabilities.

 

2. The O-Line can sustain drives.

 

Probably the most depleted unit from 2015, the O-Line is a key factor in how far Rhea County goes this season. After seeing the first, second, and third team lines play, their abilities shone through. Yes, they gave up some sacks, but that is to be expected considering this was the first true live-action they had seen. I was very pleased with their play, even without the production from 2nd team center Colton Edwards (#78, rising SO.) who was out with a leg injury.

 

3. Linebackers were up and down.

 

This unit contained two of the key losses from 2015- Tyler Pendleton and Gavin Downey. Throughout the game, it seemed like the coaches switched around the players in this group more than any other to try and figure out who should go where. They made plays, but also missed a few key plays that could have went for 6 if not for our secondary. I am a tad biased towards this group, but the top performers, in my opinion were OLB Eddie Davis (#20, rising senior), ILB Chandler Kaylor (#42, rising sophomore), and ILB Chase Suttles (#41, rising junior). The weakside linebacker position, to me, was a toss up. #5 played really well, as did Jay Graham (#44, rising junior) and Jared Kamer (#88, rising junior).

 

4. D-Line could be the strongest unit in the team.

 

This one may seem far fetched, but hear me out. The 2-deep at DE looked stronger than it has in a while. Tyler Brown (#51, rising senior) and Bradley Evans (#84, rising junior) look fairly well locked as the starters, but Dakota White (#48, rising junior) and I'm not sure who plays the other side on second team, but they looked solid. The nose position seems well founded with a great rotation and players who can make big plays.

 

5. Running backs are deep and ready to score.

 

Probably the deepest position in talent on the team, the running backs looked amazing during the scrimmage. Mason Stephenson, Eddie Davis, and Cody Bice (Who missed the scrimmage due to an injury) are sharpied in as the starters for their senior year. Christian Simon (#22, rising junior), Chis Sturgeon (#3, rising junior), Gavin Morrison (#24, rising sophomore), and A. J. Velasco (#27, rising junior) got some really good reps as well and proved just how solid the Eagles are behind the three headed monster that is Stephenson, Bice, and Davis.

 

The scrimmage with Oakland on Saturday at Eagle Stadium will show just how well our new/old style offense can move against a well coached defense, such as the one from a 6A powerhouse like Oakland. I look forward to some more spring football and cannot wait to get the 2016 season rolling! I'm feeling like this season could be a great one!

[RCfan]

After watching this team against Oxford, I have a few big takeaways:

 

1. We have depth at QB.

 

Zach Pemberton (#7,rising SO.) looked more than capable of managing a game, but still needs to work on ball protection. Logan Hall (#25, rising JR.) is definitely a decent QB that fits the offense well. Still no definite word on Braxton, but I am more confident in the depth behind him. Oakland and Jacoby Stevens, the #1 athlete in the nation that I believe plays safety, will be an even better test of game management capabilities.

 

2. The O-Line can sustain drives.

 

Probably the most depleted unit from 2015, the O-Line is a key factor in how far Rhea County goes this season. After seeing the first, second, and third team lines play, their abilities shone through. Yes, they gave up some sacks, but that is to be expected considering this was the first true live-action they had seen. I was very pleased with their play, even without the production from 2nd team center Colton Edwards (#78, rising SO.) who was out with a leg injury.

 

3. Linebackers were up and down.

 

This unit contained two of the key losses from 2015- Tyler Pendleton and Gavin Downey. Throughout the game, it seemed like the coaches switched around the players in this group more than any other to try and figure out who should go where. They made plays, but also missed a few key plays that could have went for 6 if not for our secondary. I am a tad biased towards this group, but the top performers, in my opinion were OLB Eddie Davis (#20, rising senior), ILB Chandler Kaylor (#42, rising sophomore), and ILB Chase Suttles (#41, rising junior). The weakside linebacker position, to me, was a toss up. #5 played really well, as did Jay Graham (#44, rising junior) and Jared Kamer (#88, rising junior).

 

4. D-Line could be the strongest unit in the team.

 

This one may seem far fetched, but hear me out. The 2-deep at DE looked stronger than it has in a while. Tyler Brown (#51, rising senior) and Bradley Evans (#84, rising junior) look fairly well locked as the starters, but Dakota White (#48, rising junior) and I'm not sure who plays the other side on second team, but they looked solid. The nose position seems well founded with a great rotation and players who can make big plays.

 

5. Running backs are deep and ready to score.

 

Probably the deepest position in talent on the team, the running backs looked amazing during the scrimmage. Mason Stephenson, Eddie Davis, and Cody Bice (Who missed the scrimmage due to an injury) are sharpied in as the starters for their senior year. Christian Simon (#22, rising junior), Chis Sturgeon (#3, rising junior), Gavin Morrison (#24, rising sophomore), and A. J. Velasco (#27, rising junior) got some really good reps as well and proved just how solid the Eagles are behind the three headed monster that is Stephenson, Bice, and Davis.

 

The scrimmage with Oakland on Saturday at Eagle Stadium will show just how well our new/old style offense can move against a well coached defense, such as the one from a 6A powerhouse like Oakland. I look forward to some more spring football and cannot wait to get the 2016 season rolling! I'm feeling like this season could be a great one!

Great evaluation!

The offensive line play was a pleasant surprise, I really thought this group might struggle a little at first, due to graduation but they appeared to be deep, strong and more than capable to move people and open up holes for the backs. Also agree about the QB situation, looks like the Eagles will have at least two guys that can manage this offense. Looking forward to Saturday.

[Rhea Co.]

After watching this team against Oxford, I have a few big takeaways:

 

1. We have depth at QB.

 

Zach Pemberton (#7,rising SO.) looked more than capable of managing a game, but still needs to work on ball protection. Logan Hall (#25, rising JR.) is definitely a decent QB that fits the offense well. Still no definite word on Braxton, but I am more confident in the depth behind him. Oakland and Jacoby Stevens, the #1 athlete in the nation that I believe plays safety, will be an even better test of game management capabilities.

 

2. The O-Line can sustain drives.

 

Probably the most depleted unit from 2015, the O-Line is a key factor in how far Rhea County goes this season. After seeing the first, second, and third team lines play, their abilities shone through. Yes, they gave up some sacks, but that is to be expected considering this was the first true live-action they had seen. I was very pleased with their play, even without the production from 2nd team center Colton Edwards (#78, rising SO.) who was out with a leg injury.

 

3. Linebackers were up and down.

 

This unit contained two of the key losses from 2015- Tyler Pendleton and Gavin Downey. Throughout the game, it seemed like the coaches switched around the players in this group more than any other to try and figure out who should go where. They made plays, but also missed a few key plays that could have went for 6 if not for our secondary. I am a tad biased towards this group, but the top performers, in my opinion were OLB Eddie Davis (#20, rising senior), ILB Chandler Kaylor (#42, rising sophomore), and ILB Chase Suttles (#41, rising junior). The weakside linebacker position, to me, was a toss up. #5 played really well, as did Jay Graham (#44, rising junior) and Jared Kamer (#88, rising junior).

 

4. D-Line could be the strongest unit in the team.

 

This one may seem far fetched, but hear me out. The 2-deep at DE looked stronger than it has in a while. Tyler Brown (#51, rising senior) and Bradley Evans (#84, rising junior) look fairly well locked as the starters, but Dakota White (#48, rising junior) and I'm not sure who plays the other side on second team, but they looked solid. The nose position seems well founded with a great rotation and players who can make big plays.

 

5. Running backs are deep and ready to score.

 

Probably the deepest position in talent on the team, the running backs looked amazing during the scrimmage. Mason Stephenson, Eddie Davis, and Cody Bice (Who missed the scrimmage due to an injury) are sharpied in as the starters for their senior year. Christian Simon (#22, rising junior), Chis Sturgeon (#3, rising junior), Gavin Morrison (#24, rising sophomore), and A. J. Velasco (#27, rising junior) got some really good reps as well and proved just how solid the Eagles are behind the three headed monster that is Stephenson, Bice, and Davis.

 

The scrimmage with Oakland on Saturday at Eagle Stadium will show just how well our new/old style offense can move against a well coached defense, such as the one from a 6A powerhouse like Oakland. I look forward to some more spring football and cannot wait to get the 2016 season rolling! I'm feeling like this season could be a great one!

I'll add another group the tight ends. Yes we have Jared Edwards, but having a second option in Kaylor will be a big help. Especially if teams start double teaming Edwards in coverage. Tight end play last Friday looked very solid.

 

I knew coming into spring that the linebacker positions would be the most interesting position to watch with the mentioned losses of TP and Gavin. TP was a machine and great leader, and that is hard to replace. At the same time that is why spring football is so important to help find the next guy to fill that roll. I think we will be fine at linebacker but we just need to find out who.

 

The running back position is very deep and talented indeed. Even with Bice out last Friday Simon did a pretty good job of filling in for him. Eddie Davis and Mason are primed to have big years this up coming season. Plus having so many young running backs makes me feel pretty good about future seasons to come.

 

Also I know we are missing some guys from spring sports like Braxton and Cooley. Which congrats to those the baseball team on a huge win last night. But I noticed some rising sophomores like Ezell, Samples, and Garmany not on the sideline Friday.

[kamerb]

I'll add another group the tight ends. Yes we have Jared Edwards, but having a second option in Kaylor will be a big help. Especially if teams start double teaming Edwards in coverage. Tight end play last Friday looked very solid.

 

I knew coming into spring that the linebacker positions would be the most interesting position to watch with the mentioned losses of TP and Gavin. TP was a machine and great leader, and that is hard to replace. At the same time that is why spring football is so important to help find the next guy to fill that roll. I think we will be fine at linebacker but we just need to find out who.

 

The running back position is very deep and talented indeed. Even with Bice out last Friday Simon did a pretty good job of filling in for him. Eddie Davis and Mason are primed to have big years this up coming season. Plus having so many young running backs makes me feel pretty good about future seasons to come.

 

Also I know we are missing some guys from spring sports like Braxton and Cooley. Which congrats to those the baseball team on a huge win last night. But I noticed some rising sophomores like Ezell, Samples, and Garmany not on the sideline Friday.

I agree with the tight end play. Edwards and Kaylor looked monstrous at the position, and Bradley Evans, Dakota White, and Jared Kamer looked like solid backups. Having that depth at tight end is huge in the new offensive set that we are running this season.

 

I am not sure about the situation with Garmany and Ezell, but Samples played in the scrimmage. He may have been wearing a different number that still had the player who wore it last year's name on the back.

 

I am definitely looking forward to the scrimmage on Saturday. All of the exposure that Oakland is getting from the upcoming Michigan satellite camp and the time they spent at Tennessee's facilities in Knoxville should definitely have many eyes watching the Patriots when they travel to Evensville on Saturday.

Edited May 18, 2016 by kamerb

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[BigOwl]

Did the Oakland scrimmage take place?  If so how did it go?

[Rhea Co.]

Did the Oakland scrimmage take place? If so how did it go?

Oakland is for real this year. I didnt remember the exact score but I think it was like 49-30 Oakland varsity. Oakland's offense was very impressive. They have a lot of play makers and plenty of speed. Rhea's defense is still developing they should be fine come next fall. Rhea's offense again for being in the new full house formation, did a decent job against Oakland's defense. Eddie Davis looks like he is primed for a big season this fall. I think the offense will be very good next fall especially since we missed Bice Braxton, and Cooley all spring and Edwards the last week. We have plenty of depth in the back field and the O-line was a nice surprise considering how much we lost.

 

Both Oakland and Rhea have some good looking JV teams. Both teams look like they have some depth and talent coming up.

 

Also the JV player for Rhea that was injured Shy Ezell, he is doing ok. He dislocated his hip but no fracture thankfully. He will be out for a while but should make a full recovery.

 

A couple things for Rhea going into the summer.

 

Who will be the WR? We need a WR to help take some pressure out of the box and help the passing game. I mean we have two very good looking TEs in Edwards and Kaylor but who is going be be the guy on the outside.

 

Who is going to be the kicker next fall? We have had a pretty good run of kickers and punters for about the last decade, but whose going to be the guy next fall.

Edited May 24, 2016 by Rhea Co.

[kamerb]

I was very impressed with the way our offense moved the ball on Oakland. They had a great defense, so it spoke volumes for how well our offense will do come football season.

 

Wide receiver is currently wide open (no pun intended), and the battle for the starting job will most likely be between Colby Prigmore (Sr., #80) and Jaden Austin (Jr., #4). Austin played JV defense the entire scrimmage and had an interception. Both are fast and should provide good depth. An even better scenario would be if Darius Moses, an upcoming senior who ran track, joined the team and was placed at WR. He is possibly going to join in the summer.

 

My prayers definitely go out to Shy Ezell and his family. He is a great athlete and I hope he has a speedy recovery.

 

The kicker position is facing something it hasn't faced in the entirety of Mark Pemberton's time in Evensville. We have no proven starter. 2013, we had Maerki. 2014, we had Hatlem and Buffenbarger. 2015, we had Buffenbarger. 2016? We have no kickers with varsity experience, but Hayden Frasier (#1, SO.) and Dakota White (#48, JR.) both had prior experience kicking for the freshman and JV teams, and White and Jawan Martin have been fairly decent at punting.

[RCfan]

I was trying to watch both the JV and Varsity scrimmages and 49-30 Oakland is what I counted as well. I don't know the JV score but it seemed both offenses scored quite a bit. The Eagle defense is a work in progress and will improve by this fall however Oakland was impressive. They are big, fast, athletic and well coached and may sneak away with the big gold ball this season in 6A. I was really impressed with their balance on offense, when you have that many athletes in a balanced attack you can be really hard to handle. The Eagles offense moved the ball well most of the time as they adjust to a new set. It will be interesting to see how this offense evolves over the summer as we approach the season opener at Baylor. There are enough athletes on this team to find a capable receiver, however I am a little concerned about the kicker position.

Edited May 25, 2016 by RCfan

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As far as a punter, I believe Chandler Kaylor was slotted as the backup punter last year, as a freshman.  I would imagine he would be a viable candidate for the job.

As for a kicker, it will be interesting to see how it turns out.

GO EAGLES!!!