Upper East Tn. Football

[Lost Old Dad]

As to the 'population' right now the two fastest growing counties in Tn also just so happen to have the two teams that are going to the 5A final. Franklin from Williamson County and R'dale from Rutherford County. Want some 'Yankees'? LOL

 

The ONE thing I have seen this season when it comes to matching up with R'dale is teams tire before they do. Maybe it is their weight program, and maybe it is that their coaches work their butts off in the off season.

 

Take last night for instance. Oak Ridge played a really great game, but they tired as the second half wore on. Not the kids fault because they are just human.

 

Also I have noticed that WAY too many kids are forced to play BOTH ways instead of two squad football. Think about how many good lineman you have seen that do not really get a break in the game because they have to play both offense and defense.

 

People ask 'why' is R'dale so good. It is simple they work everybody HARD and just reload with the younger players they bring along during the year. Folks keep saying that R'dale has a "cupcake" schedule. Try playing in this region some time and schedule folks like Dickson County and Lincoln County some time. Also know that when you get as good as R'dale that you will have a VERY large target on your back and feel the hate coming at you from across the state. This is used to motivate the players as they know that EVERYBODY wants to BEAT them.

 

For myself I would LOVE to see R'dale play both DB and OR during the year as it will make ALL the teams better. Last night OR gave R'dale a very good wake up call as did Cookeville the week before. Schedule a couple of really tough teams during your season because it will make your total program better for it when it comes to playoff time.

 

Is R'dale totally unbeatable? NO, but to do it you are gonna have to work HARD!

[HotDigetyDog]

Sorry Pain Train but I have to go against you and go with wacco on this. I actually live just outside Nashville but work in Kingsport. I plan on moving the rest of my family here in the spring. I have a son that will start at Robinson Middle next year. I played football all thru High School and three years in college, so I know a little about football. I took an interest in Dobyns Bennett mainly because thats where I'd like my son to attend. He's been playing football for 4 yrs. and he loves it.

I attended a couple games at DB at the first of the year, then took in all the playoff games with some friends of mine. DB has a great program and great coaches, but when the Indians hit the playoffs I did see a difference. I understand that Region 2 was stronger than usual, and that had something to do with it. DB's defense played very good in all games I saw, but it suprised me how one dimensional the offense played. In the Oak Ridge game the run was there the whole game but Oak Ridge had the pass snuffed out. Yet DB kept throwing, like that was all they could do. Then there was the McMillen kid who had a killer game the week before but never got his number called in the Oak Ridge game. And also Peeler, whos mad with the screen pass or even running out of the backfield. It was almost like the coaching staff lost their game plan somewhere on the interstate and forgot who some of their best players were. Now DB fans don't think im bashing the team or coaches. Im just telling you what I saw in the games I attended. DB has a great program and fans. The only other time I saw them play was at Riverdale a few years ago. If it wasn't for a freek play and some turnovers in that game you'all would probably of won 5A that year. Oh and that new Alumni center is very nice and will help the athletes a bunch.

Edited November 28, 2004 by HotDigetyDog

[possumcop]

Lots of good and bad theories being presented here folks, but if you want to know what is wrong with football, schools, all sports in general, test scores, etc., just listen to yourselves!!!!! I really don't want anyone jumping in the middle of my crop like paintrain did to waco, but the truth sometimes hurts and we don't like to hear it. If you don't face the truth, then you are no better than the perverbial ostrich with its head in the sand.

 

WE ARE rural Appalachia that has been left behind the rest of the country and all we know how to do is ###### about it and try to find excuses for ourselves. The middle and west parts of the state are so up and coming in all facets of industrialization and employment that it rubs off on the schools. The demand for excellence by the parents far exceeds what we are willing to settle for in poor ol East Tennessee. Sure we have K-town, Chattanooga, and the fabled Tri-Cities but what about the rest of East Tennessee, a welfare ruled section of the state that leads the country in marijuana farming and meth labs. You are only as good as your competition and a few good teams scattered over a hundred miles apart will not build up the integrity of the overall football scene in East Tennessee. When we raise the bar ourselves and cut out the petty politics and apathy that rule our rural counties then and only then will East Tennessee start to improve on many things and football will improve right along with the bettering of our society in general.

 

If you aren't convinced then compare us to other Appalachian areas an ask, why do all our teams schedule games with teams from Va., West Va., and Southeast Ky.

Because many of them are no better off than us and we schedule them for the W on the schedule. It is easier to schedule a winning season than to depend on what some schools and communities provide in physical bodies and an attitude toward hard work and dedication necessary to build a top notch program, and other poor rural areas provide us with a mirror image to see ourselves and schedule games.

 

BTW I apologize for not mentioning Blount/Maryville/Alcoa as a football hotspot but geographically they are part of the greater K-town area.

 

Edited November 28, 2004 by possumcop

[highschoolfbfan]

It's true what Waco said, I know Tennessee High is a good football team but I want them to be better prepared when they may face a team like Maryville again.

 

They said we had the athletes to win, but you need more than just the athletes, you need guidance and discipline, and yes competition.

 

Let's take a look at East for a second.

 

One of their elementary schools, Weaver, hasn't had a team in several years. A middle school that goes into East, Mary Hughes also doesn't have a football team. If they want to play they have to go to Bluff City. How can they execute properly with the majority of their players only having about 2-3 years experience in football before varsity rolls around?

825455346[/snapback]

 

Sullivan East is in the process of building a new field house with a large weight room. With the sucess that the football team enjoyed this year (10-2) more player should come out in the years to come. They also have a great coaching staff led by Ralph Nelson.

[VikingShip]

Well I'll admit I thought Tennessee High would give Maryville a game. But by halftime I was a believer. We are so far behind their program its not even funny. I agree we need to schedule some teams in the Knoxville area. I don't think our coaches had any ideal the level that Maryville plays at. Like someone said before, WE have great athletes, but they need guidence. It was like Maryville new exactly what we were going to do on every single play. And we couldn't even slow down their second string. I think this year is a wake up call to the area coaches. They need to start steping out of the area and playing some "real" football teams. People are getting tired of being embarresed in the playoffs.

[THSVikings2004]

Sullivan East is in the process of building a new field house with a large weight room. With the sucess that the football team enjoyed this year (10-2) more player should come out in the years to come. They also have a great coaching staff led by Ralph Nelson.

825455535[/snapback]

 

Yeah he's a good coach but I disagree with him when he starts playing QB's both ways.

[bigbadblue]

Try making a NE Tenn all-star team and you will understand why programs like Riverdale and Maryville are so successful. If you move to Knoxville and your son plays football, you are going to send him to Maryville. Same with Nashville and Riverdale.

[highschoolfbfan]

Yeah he's a good coach but I disagree with him when he starts playing QB's both ways.

825455792[/snapback]

 

Good point, but with so few athletes to pick from you have to put the best in key postions. Justin Hicks will play both ways next year.

[SectionGG]

One of the problems has been created by the TSSAA. When you play teams from within your own region(s) to get to the semi-final round is bad! The old setup in the mid 90's was a good. A team would play teams from across the state getting to the semi-final round. Example: Upper Northeast teams would play Knoxville area teams in the 1st round, Chattanooga area teams in the 2nd round and Middle Tenn. teams in the 3rd round. I know the TSSAA did it to make money, but you knew where your team was a lot earlier in the play-offs.

[amos]

I am very familiar with upper East TN football and the Knoxville area. The fact that Johnson Co., Unicoi, etc. can play up to AAAA instead of where they belong hurts others like TN High. Kids are going to believe they are great when they are pounding those far inferior teams. Elizabethton is just way down, that was not a good team I saw play TN High in the Quarterfinals. East, Boone, South, etc. just don't have the speed in their communities to be competitive without schedule these weak opponents. Sull. East's schedule is horrible and that's the only reason they won so much. It has little to nothing to do with coaching although I hear Nelson is a good coach. TN High has the coaches and would flourish with the number of skilled players Maryville has. Please don't argue that TN High has the athletes b/c they don't. The short #9 RB for them is a nice player but would he start at Maryville, Knox Central, Powell, Knox West, even Carter. They have five of those. I'm not trying to criticize the kid just give the facts. Knoxville area schools have more team speed. The fact is that a team such as Carter who really wasn't even competitive could go up to Region 1 and finish first or second because of team speed. They beat Morristown East and Mo. East beat Greenville. Knox West pounded Carter and finished 5th in the Region. That's not all telling but just one example. D-B has athletes and coaches and now facilities AND THEY WIN. maybe not state championships but they are successful vs. good opponents in AAAAA.

The bottom line is athletes and strength of schedule.

[THSVikings2004]

I am very familiar with upper East TN football and the Knoxville area.  The fact that Johnson Co., Unicoi, etc. can play up to AAAA instead of where they belong hurts others like TN High.  Kids are going to believe they are great when they are pounding those far inferior teams.  Elizabethton is just way down, that was not a good team I saw play TN High in the Quarterfinals.  East, Boone, South, etc. just don't have the speed in their communities to be competitive without schedule these weak opponents.  Sull. East's schedule is horrible and that's the only reason they won so much.  It has little to nothing to do with coaching although I hear Nelson is a good coach.  TN High has the coaches and would flourish with the number of skilled players Maryville has.  Please don't argue that TN High has the athletes b/c they don't.  The short #9 RB for them is a nice player but would he start at Maryville, Knox Central, Powell, Knox West, even Carter.  They have five of those.  I'm not trying to criticize the kid just give the facts.  Knoxville area schools have more team speed.  The fact is that a team such as Carter who really wasn't even competitive could go up to Region 1 and finish first or second because of team speed.  They beat Morristown East and Mo. East beat Greenville.  Knox West pounded Carter and finished 5th in the Region.  That's not all telling but just one example.  D-B has athletes and coaches and now facilities AND THEY WIN.  maybe not state championships but they are successful vs. good opponents in AAAAA. 

The bottom line is athletes and strength of schedule.

825456111[/snapback]

 

I agree with you to a certain extent. Unicoi and Johnson county have no business in 4A; it hurts them and the teams that play them.

 

But Tennessee High, as well as other teams, have athletes but it takes more than a few great athletes to win. Tennessee ran into a team that has several more athletes that play as good as they do and even better. Yes, coaching has something to do with it. If your team does the same thing in a bad situation it hurts your performance.

Edited November 28, 2004 by THSVikings2004

[STARSNBARS]

They went to the Semifinals to face Maryville I don't remember the score but it was close, then the next year they met again and I think Maryville won like 42-21.

825455252[/snapback]

 

 

In '97 Maryville won at Elizabethton 42-21.

 

The '98 Elizabethton team was a year older and a lot better at the line of scrimmage than '97, imo. The score of that game was 20-16 at Maryville. Both the Wittens played on that team and they had a good supporting cast.

 

Knox Central won at Elizabethton in '99 and the score was pretty close the best I recall.

 

The 2000 D-B team was probably the second best in the state that year behind Red Bank. I believe they had to play at Red Bank and they were close, losing only by 7. Red Bank mauled Riverdale in the snow at the Boro the following week 28-7, to win the 5A title.

 

Go Rebs.