Maryville & Tuition Students

[GovMan]

First of all ... from the outset ... let's make one thing clear -- this is not a "Maryville's recruiting players slam" ... are we clear on that?

 

Now, having said that, I think it is common knowledge that the quality of football, quality of coaching, and quality of education at Maryville normally results in some members of their team being tuition students from outside of the city limits. If, as I understand, the City begins to reduce the number of tuition spots available, will this have a "felt impact" on the football team?

 

Just curious as to what you Rebel fans think. The first person that starts cussing me or throwing rocks at me for throwing out the old "you've got all our best county players" can just shut up. I'm not whining. Actually, I'm dealing with the issue in my own family even as I write this post.

 

GovMan

[JohnPaul]

according to 4AFAN, maryville gets all the athletes because of their success. then he says central recruits, i guess being ranked as high as #2 in the stae is not a success.

[Guest snagglepus]

YOU KNOW WHAT MAKES ME SICK?

 

It's when people are so blind. It's not hard to be ranked No. # 2 when you travel around every little league ball field and RECRUIT 7th and 8th graders to come play ball for you. I just don't understand how a school, a community, an organization can defend someone when they know what he is doing is illegal and ridiculous.

Does the joke know how many people look at him in disgust and humiliation.

[redandblack63]

It is common knowledge that Central recruits. As snagglepus said they lurk around every little league field in Knox County looking for propects. But what makes their recruiting so bad is they but down other programs in an effort to make themselves look better. To compare Maryvile and Central is an insult to Maryville. They do allow tuition students to come to their school outside of zone but if I understand correctly they have a waiting list and being a good football player does not move you up the waiting list. By the way if Central was ranked #2 they were obviously over rated based on their play-off performance. As I have said over and over again Central will get their hand caught in the cookie jar and it is sooner than they think.

[mhs]

No offense taken GovMan. Actually Maryville has been trying to cut back on tuition students a few years now because there are more and more living in the city and they are running out of room. They have raised the tuition cost for one, and possibly cut back on the number they will take. And there is a waiting list with no specifications regarding athletics are any other things. I know Joei Fiegler at Alcoa tried to get in and the list was too long. He told me that. I heard Josh Lawhon at William Blount also tried but that is just what i heard so i cannot be sure. As far as affecting athletics probably no more than it already is. And the post that said our success increases tuition requests is probably true also. I think our success right now is that we have so many kids interested in playing, and our coaches. We could not dress all our freshmen at the end of the year in the playoffs because we ran out of uniforms. Big numbers are important. Talent is too of course but the more you have the better your chances. Take Heritage as an example and this is not a slam on them. But with their numbers they should have many more kids out than they do. There roster is probably smaller than some 2A schools.

[Rebelsman]

I know the team pretty well, and I am not aware of any tuition students that started or played a significant role on the football team. Most of those guys have been there since elementary school (they could have paid tuition all along, which would excuse any athletic recruiting theory) or moved in from outside the county. Some of you guys a little closer to the program may correct me.

 

Most people that go to Maryville go for the overall experience. Primarily academics. I made sure I lived inside the city limits before my children were school age. I did that for only ONE reason, Maryville City Schools. They demand excellence in everything they do. Academics highest grade in the state. Band and Choir are excellent with a large participation. Drama is wonderful. Great debate team and forensics team. The list goes on and on. Finally, great athletics.

 

Many of the teachers and administrators are MHS alumni. They experienced the same atmosphere when they were there and understand what is expected of them from the community.

 

[Edited by Rebelsman on 12-10-02 3:02P]

 

[LordInfamous]

The only way to not pay tuition at Maryville is to live in Maryville. If you live in Alcoa, or outside of Maryville you have to pay 1600 a year to make up for what your family does not pay in Maryville city tax. Maryville kids can go to BCS for free because they pay the county tax (many people leave and go to County schools). But also you have to take test and go on a waiting list to get into Maryville I don't believe this is an easy process because if it was then Maryville would be stakced with kids like Lawhon, Figler, Wroblowski, McMahan, and others. Thanx for seeing things the way they are 4Afan. Maryville takes pride in doing things the rightway, plus we have an admisnistrator on the TSSAA board (Lynn Brown) and the last thing he needs is for the school to screw up.

[GovMan]

I think it would be a stretch to say that no tuition students started or played a major role on the team. Now as far as that fact that they may have been there since elementary school, that very well could be.

 

I'm pretty close to Josh Lawhon. I'm not sure what finally led to him sticking with William Blount. I don't know if his parents attempted to get him in at Maryville and failed, or if he decided to go to WB to stay with his peers from his elementary/middle school. I do know that his little brother, John, has transferred to MHS (tuition student) after starting the year at William Blount. He's a freshman who's a great athlete and yes, a great academic student as well.

 

I hope George stays put as coach ... the only move I'd want to see him make is to Willy B!!! (just dreamin').

 

GovMan

[LordInfamous]

Yeah Lawhon is my friend and I remember seeing him and his family in the Maryville office meeting with Messer during the beggining of his Freshman year. I saw John at the West game and that made me happy that he was at Maryville. Its just the place to be.

[flyinpro]

All of my kids go to Maryville go for the overall education experience. #1 Academics. I do not live in the city therefore I paid for them to attend. The school demands excellence in everything they do. Academics get some of the highest grades in the state. Great programs and teams and teachers. Am I bad because I want the best for my kids. My sons past and present have played and contrubited to the success to the football program this and past years. The list goes on and on. I know about the Lawhon kid and him asking his parents to put in the Maryville school for the football among some other reasons mentioned above. A few WB people/fans talked to his folks like dogs over it. The kid will do well in the system and if he develops like his big brother did and will play at the next level after MHS. That won't happen at WB. The county programs are broke and what is an athlete to do??

[LordInfamous]

Little John will do fine in Maryville they will challenge him more in the classroom and on the field. I talked to one of my old friends who left Maryville to go to WB and now his little brother goes to Maryville. He told me that his little brother said that he could have played at WB for 4 years and not accomplish anything, but he transfered to Maryville and his first year there he got a ring. I had a friend who trasfered to WB for half a day, he said he got there and was put in a class where the teacher spent 90 minutes yelling shut up, then his next class he said was much the same. I have talked many county kids who were turned off especially by East Blount high (heritage), they say its like a circus. I am not here to bash the county, I just want to let some of my uninformed friends no about whats goin on in the county so people in Dixon Springs, Eagleville, Afton, Bolton, Montreat, Cold Springs, Watertown, Union City, Old Fort, Sparta, and other out of the way places no whats up.

[Edited by LordInfamous on 12-11-02 11:44A]

[gobigred]

flyinpro,

 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with your decision to offer your children the best possible options for a high school education. No one can legitimately criticize you for making that choice. Ideally, every parent would do the same if they had the resources available.

 

In the eyes of the public schools that operate under strict zoning rules, Maryville has advantages in their ability to attract athletes. Because of the ramifications of the recent vote of the TSSAA membership, it is possible that schools like yours that allow out of zone students to pay tuition and participate in sports will see some sort of upgrade in classification level.

 

The quality of the Maryville academic and athletics programs will ensure continued success regardless of the classification they play in. A move up in classification might actually benefit the school in the long run.