Scott Cummings the new head football coach at Oak Ridge!

[ADS1]

On 12/14/2021 at 10:09 PM, chs1984 said:

Cleveland has never had any success, on the state playoff level, when competing in the state’s highest class, even going back to the Coach Monroe era in the 3 class days. 

WOW!!!  Might want to research that statement Hoss.  Benny won three state titles in a row in the 1990's, back when there were only three classifications, which included all of the private schools.  

With that being said, I thought that Scott Cummings would be the type of person that could get Cleveland back to where they used to be.  Cleveland is a lot different now than it used to be 20-30 years ago.  I don't know if anyone can get them back.  Personally, I can't stand Cleveland (Crooks), but I really miss our team playing them (hoping TSSAA will put them back in 5A after next season). 

I do think that Coach Cummings will have a lot of success at Oak Ridge. He is a really good coach, and will have tremendous backing. NO EXCUSES!!!   Good Luck to the Wildcats!!!

[osunut2]

11 minutes ago, ADS1 said:

WOW!!!  Might want to research that statement Hoss.  Benny won three state titles in a row in the 1990's, back when there were only three classifications, which included all of the private schools. 

I think the key here is the "state’s highest class." Prior to the first expansion, I think Cleveland made it to the quarterfinals once (1985 I think). They've never made it beyond the 2nd round of the playoffs in their entire history when playing in the highest classification.

[oridgecat]

3 hours ago, SweetScience said:

I noticed Coach Cummings mentioning the possibility of the elementary schools going back to having football teams. I think that would be a great move personally. That brings out the competition between kids, a lot more so than the “East vs West” experiment we’ve been doing for the past 30 years or so. Nothing for certain, of course, but I’m just glad he even mentioned it.

There is no more East and West.  We are down to one team per age group.  7U, 9U, and 11U.  That's it.  Coach knows the importance of the youth league.  He built the West youth football league from the ground up and that league is still thriving to this day.  He also knows the middle schools have to be on the same page with the high school staff.  At least running some common concepts.  The biggest challenge right now is clearly the ability to build a staff.  Right now we have 3 coaches total.  It may take a while, but I'm excited for the direction moving forward.  We got a coach now that is willing to do all parts of the HC job and to run a legitimate year round football program.   

[MidTennFootball]

7 minutes ago, oridgecat said:

There is no more East and West.  We are down to one team per age group.  7U, 9U, and 11U.  That's it.  Coach knows the importance of the youth league.  He built the West youth football league from the ground up and that league is still thriving to this day.  He also knows the middle schools have to be on the same page with the high school staff.  At least running some common concepts.  The biggest challenge right now is clearly the ability to build a staff.  Right now we have 3 coaches total.  It may take a while, but I'm excited for the direction moving forward.  We got a coach now that is willing to do all parts of the HC job and to run a legitimate year round football program.   

If you want to win big, you got to take a hands on approach at the lower levels. Good thing for OR is their problems are fixable (conditioning, development)

[Cactus Jack]

4 hours ago, SweetScience said:

I noticed Coach Cummings mentioning the possibility of the elementary schools going back to having football teams. I think that would be a great move personally. That brings out the competition between kids, a lot more so than the “East vs West” experiment we’ve been doing for the past 30 years or so. Nothing for certain, of course, but I’m just glad he even mentioned it.

I like that too, I remember way back in the day that Elm Grove had a team,  The catch is they need to get the numbers up for all elementary schools to have a team at each age level.

[HTV]

4 minutes ago, Cactus Jack said:

I like that too, I remember way back in the day that Elm Grove had a team,  The catch is they need to get the numbers up for all elementary schools to have a team at each age level.

Numbers are a real problem with most feeder programs these days across the board.  Just not as many kids wanting to play, or better said not as many parents wanting their kids to play for several reasons.  My two older grandsons (7 and 8) are in flag football and hearing some of the things from parents about what will happen when their sons reach the age where they have to play tackle football scares me.  I'm just not sure about the future of football at this point.  

 

Edited December 16, 2021 by HTV

[Cactus Jack]

I watched the interview with Coach Cummings and I liked what I heard, he is definately going to put his own stamp on the program and seems to have a lot of ideas as to what he wants to do, He mentioned getting a good strength and conditioning coach to run the weight room with staff support, that means he is serious about making the players stronger and more durable to avoid injuries, I look forward to meeting him.

[Cactus Jack]

2 minutes ago, HTV said:

Numbers are a real problem with most feeder programs these days across the board.  Just not as many kids wanting to play, or better said not as many parents wanting their kids to play for several reasons.  

 

One thing we had at Elm Grove too was what they called Gray Y football, now it was flag football, which might be a way to get kids playing and learning the game before they get to the contact level, that might get more kids out, who can follow up by playing at the middle schools. 

[HTV]

4 minutes ago, Cactus Jack said:

One thing we had at Elm Grove too was what they called Gray Y football, now it was flag football, which might be a way to get kids playing and learning the game before they get to the contact level, that might get more kids out, who can follow up by playing at the middle schools. 

Yeah.  I am old enough to have participated in that in Knox County back in the day.  It was run by the YMCA.  

Edited December 16, 2021 by HTV

[OldRebel2]

20 minutes ago, HTV said:

Numbers are a real problem with most feeder programs these days across the board.  Just not as many kids wanting to play, or better said not as many parents wanting their kids to play for several reasons.  My two older grandsons (7 and 8) are in flag football and hearing some of the things from parents about what will happen when their sons reach the age where they have to play tackle football scares me.  I'm just not sure about the future of football at this point.  

 

The numbers in the two Maryville youth feeder programs are still very good.  Both 10U programs had full rosters I believe.  However, one of the two county feeder programs is doing real well also.

[HTV]

2 minutes ago, OldRebel2 said:

The numbers in the two Maryville youth feeder programs are still very good.  Both 10U programs had full rosters I believe.  However, one of the two county feeder programs is doing real well also.

Not a surprise at all.  And it's no coincidence, either.   

Consider yourself fortunate.  It's not that way everywhere.  

 

[SweetScience]

3 minutes ago, HTV said:

Not a surprise at all.  And it's no coincidence, either.   

Consider yourself fortunate.  It's not that way everywhere.  

 

Yeah, a huge reason why Maryville has had and continue to have the success they’ve been having for years now.