LEBANON FOOTBALL

[TheInsideScoop]

Lebanon has struggled to beat traditionally bad teams. To expect 4 to 6 wins in year one with a new coach is absurd. If you win 2-3 games you should be happy and be competitive in the rest. On top of just being competitive hoping that the product on the field is better so you can have the expectations for the future. I could totally understand if lebanon was a powerhouse, but let's be real they are not and have not been able to play with the big boys since the 90s. If Gentry gets the job give him a chance...don't have the crazy goals in the beginning. Building a program back is a process and a process takes much longer than 2-3 years.

You don't get more than 2-4 yrs this day in age.

[GoldenTicket10]

I'm glad I wasn't the only one wondering about those wins.. Its hard to go against the teams that just smoked you... It's way more than coaching .. Jimmys and Joe's make a big difference...mcgavock will be better for sure and Antioch won't be a push over.. Lavergne is the gig I don't understand... They have the kids but yet don't produce... But Lebanon should be happy with maybe two... For the first year

[steelcityroller]

Something to add is that the only options they had for that first game were Trousdale County, Blackman, Oakland and Ensworth. Unless they wanted to travel +2 hours to face somebody from the Memphis area.

 

I think the Trousdale County matchup works for them at this point. Trousdale County is a good program that is close by that will draw a crowd especially at the beginning of the season. Yeah they are a smaller school but nobody will dump on Lebanon if they lose because its a good program that has beaten bigger schools in the past. As long as they aren't getting beat badly. Which they probably won't because most 6A schools are gonna have enough athletes to make it competitive against the small schools regardless.

[steelcityroller]

Other than Coffee County( and that's a maybe)  where do you guys see wins?

 

I don't think anybody is expecting them to win 4 or 5 games this year or even next year.

 

This program went 6-36 the last 4 years with a legendary coach that had over 300 career wins and 7 state championships. So coaching obviously wasn't the only issue. However a coaching change was needed to be made because the players and community had given up.

 

Maybe an older guy like Sam Harp wasn't what this program needed who knows. Maybe they need a younger guy who might be able to relate better to the players. And also in regards to Harp there is difference in 1A and 6A football.

 

Like I said above this is a program that has won 6 games in the last 4 years and most of the losses were blowouts. If they can win 2-3 games and be competitive in a couple of the others that will be a step forward. That is all they should be looking for at this point is just a step forward.

[steelcityroller]

As far as what they can do with that schedule?

 

Mt. Juliet, Wilson Central and Hendersonville are gonna beat them mind as well say every year. And the last 4 or 5 times they played those teams they have usually been losing by at least 3-4 touchdowns.

 

Rossview has been up and down the last 5 or so years. But they are still gonna beat Lebanon handily on a steady basis.

 

McGavock they went 0-2 against them the last 2 years but this will remain a team that they could be competitive against despite those games. They lost 29-0 to McGavock this year. In a game that was 7-0 at halftime. Where they had 4 turnovers and ended up with more 1st downs than McGavock. Turnovers and Penalties kept that from being a closer ball game. They can be competitive against this team.

 

Antioch they went 1-1 against them the last 2 years. They beat them by 20 last year and were up on them 27-8 in the 4th quarter this year before going into collapse mode. Bottom line this is a winnable game.

 

Lavergne has gone 3-7 or worse in 6 of the last 8 seasons. They went 1-1 against Antioch the last 2 years with both being close games. Lebanon played Antioch better than Lavergne the last 2 years. This could be a winnable game at worst a competitive game. This used to be an opponent that Lebanon beat every year. No reason that this can't be a winnable or at least competitive series again.

 

Station Camp isn't as good as the other teams in their region. They have gone 4-6 the last 2 years with wins over teams like Glencliff and Hunters Lane that probably have been about on par with Lebanon. They have shown that they can be better and they can be worse depending on the year. But most of the time they are likely gonna be considerably better than Lebanon.

 

Coffee County has only won more than 2 games in a season once since 2008. The only team they beat last year was 0-10 Tullahoma. They pretty much have been comparable to Lebanon. But I think they have been playing an easier schedule than Lebanon as well. This is a winnable game and at least competitive.

 

Trousdale County is one of the more respected smaller programs in the state. I fully expect them to be one of the top teams in 2A for at least the next 2 years if not longer give how the Jr. High program last looked the last couple years. A few years ago TC moved up and played a series against Gallatin where they went 1-1. So they have shown they can compete with the big teams. I've heard people say well that was one of the best TC teams. Sure. But this Lebanon team isn't as good as Gallatin either. Lebanon should have enough bodies to keep this interesting even though I expect TC to win.

 

So yeah 2-3 winnable games and 2-3 games where they can maybe be competitive. As long as progress is being made fans will be okay with that in my opinion.

[Powerpass]

That's the new Lebanon mentality. Already lost and Off season workouts haven't even been effectively put in place. That's something  you could never say to any winning tradition minded blue devils. and Dumming down the schedule for wins.... my my my long gone are the days!!

Edited December 1, 2016 by Powerpass

[Powerpass]

So you are already counting as a win a McGavock team that beat you 29-0 having only 3 starters returning on offense this year. Yeah OK.

 

Also, Antioch dropped 32 on you.

 

Only the coach is changing. The players remain. Problems are WAY deeper than the coaching office.

actually some what true and false

[Powerpass]

I don't think anybody is expecting them to win 4 or 5 games this year or even next year.

 

This program went 6-36 the last 4 years with a legendary coach that had over 300 career wins and 7 state championships. So coaching obviously wasn't the only issue. However a coaching change was needed to be made because the players and community had given up.

 

Maybe an older guy like Sam Harp wasn't what this program needed who knows. Maybe they need a younger guy who might be able to relate better to the players. And also in regards to Harp there is difference in 1A and 6A football.

 

Like I said above this is a program that has won 6 games in the last 4 years and most of the losses were blowouts. If they can win 2-3 games and be competitive in a couple of the others that will be a step forward. That is all they should be looking for at this point is just a step forward.

i can say this  because i stood on the sidelines and witnessed for myself. they had kids out of place and not prepared in a lot of games, and to have a coach tell a kid that he doesn't fit his offense a few times only for those kids to go to west wilson schools and perform really well .. all i could do is smh.

[bigchief]

actually some what true and false

What exactly would be false?

 

For those of you counting wins before the fact let me remind you:

 

Warren County 31  Lebanon 7

 

Nuff said

[Powerpass]

What exactly would be false?

 

For those of you counting wins before the fact let me remind you:

 

Warren County 31  Lebanon 7

 

Nuff said

lol true....again you get out of it    ..what you put in it

[wonderingcoach]

Have they started interviews? If so, who are they interviewing?

[IKickTheBall]

On my 5th box of popcorn...