The silence from RedNeckDave and Krakow is comical

[Magnum]

No showing up from them after taking a tail kicking from MY West Rebels.

Now it is time to beat Cleveland again.

Heck, West could be the Cleveland Browns.

[Rudedog]

Yer Coalfield bunch ain't doin to bad either!

[TNCOWBOY]

None of these minor league teams can touch Maryville so it makes no difference.

[Rudedog]

Fulton probably could.

[TNCOWBOY]

You know what Rude? You are right there. I saw Greenville last week. They have some just incredible athletes. Not a very big team mind you but the fastest high school team I have ever seen.

Now, I am not like Gramps or some others that really know and see a lot of high school football. But all I am saying is that I left Greeneville last week thinking they were a lock to add to those championships won years on the scoreboard.

And then they get destroyed by Fulton. I was told Greenville had a number of turnovers but still. Fulton has to be an incredible team.

[gramps]

Nov 23, 2013 11:38:20 GMT -5 TNCOWBOY said:

You know what Rude? You are right there. I saw Greenville last week. They have some just incredible athletes. Not a very big team mind you but the fastest high school team I have ever seen.

Now, I am not like Gramps or some others that really know and see a lot of high school football. But all I am saying is that I left Greeneville last week thinking they were a lock to add to those championships won years on the scoreboard.

And then they get destroyed by Fulton. I was told Greenville had a number of turnovers but still. Fulton has to be an incredible team.

And Fulton won without it's 2K yard rusher, Daryl Rollins-Davis, who missed the game with a leg injury.

Fulton is really loaded with talent all over the field.  They have at least one legit D1 prospect in every single unit (except kicker) that they put on the field, and multiple D1 prospects in most of those units. On top of that, they are one of the most well coached teams you will see play.  Just a great and very tightly knitted staff.   

All the respect in the world from me for George Quarles and the Maryville program, but this really is a year that they don't want to play Fulton. 

Greeneville is a very good program, but they also benefit record wise from playing in an area in Upper East Tennessee that doesn't produce a lot of football talent, and that is very much in evidence once those teams get in to the playoffs and have to play Knoxville area teams.  Greeneville just doesn't have any competition in that part of the state. 

 

[TNCOWBOY]

Greeneville won titles (plural) in this decade, Gramps. All due respect but that East TN argument is intellectually lazy.

[gramps]

Nov 23, 2013 15:27:13 GMT -5 TNCOWBOY said:

Greeneville won titles (plural) in this decade, Gramps. All due respect but that East TN argument is intellectually lazy.

You misunderstood my point.

Outside of Greeneville Upper East Tennessee football is not very good.  UET teams have had little success in playoffs once they have to play Knoxville area teams in the playoffs.  That's not my opinion.  That's what the game results say.  Look at playoff records for D-B, Science Hill, Tennessee High, and a few of the other schools in UET.  Those records don't lie. 

Greeneville is a good program, one that enjoys some of the same advantages that a few Knoxville area schools do (Oak Ridge, Maryville, Alcoa) in that it is a city system that can bring in out of zone students.  Their history of bringing in transfer students to bolster what they have is legendary in both football and basketball.  Coach Ballard does a good job at Greeneville playing within the rules as they exist.  But playing schools in district such as Grainger, Claiborne, Cumberland Gap, Chuckey and Doak, and West Greene in district certainly does allow for easy wins and it doesn't help them get ready for the type of teams they are going to see in the playoffs. 

As for East Tennessee high school football, it is pretty solid.  Other parts of the state - Rutherford County, a few Memphis Schools, Sumner County, and pockets in West Tennessee just to name a few are very good football areas, too, but the 8 or so county area around Knoxville definitely can hold its own. 

[TNCOWBOY]

Your point on cherry picking players is a good one. In that respect, Greeneville is more like Dobyns Bennett than anyone.

Just leaning on UET is terrible is a garbage argument I stand by. Nobody in Knoxville can beat anyone in Rutherford Co outside of Maryville. It's all relative. There are gimme wins in every district.

[gramps]

Nov 23, 2013 17:45:23 GMT -5 TNCOWBOY said:

Your point on cherry picking players is a good one. In that respect, Greeneville is more like Dobyns Bennett than anyone.

Just leaning on UET is terrible is a garbage argument I stand by. Nobody in Knoxville can beat anyone in Rutherford Co outside of Maryville. It's all relative. There are gimme wins in every district.

I agree with you on gimmes, but Greeneville's district is just plain awful, other than Greeneville.  That's not their fault.  Just fact. 

And they have scheduled some bigger schools, such as Morristown West, but their luck was that Morristown West was awful this year.  Again, not their fault.  Again, point being that they don't see real athleticism until they see the Knoxville area teams. 

Rutherford County is unique in that all of the schools are big (6A) schools and they have some really good coaches in that county, too.  Knox County, with its low pay and its rules against booster clubs supplementing coaches makes it difficult to attract and retain top coaching talent.  Again, not excuses.  Just the way it is.  I'm glad my kids are grown.  I'd have a really hard time sending them to Knox County public schools right now. 

That said, this year Knoxville West (5A), Fulton (4A), and Grace Christian (2A) are schools that have a legit chance to win their classifications.  Throw in Webb in D1A and that is potentially half of the state champions potentially being from Knox County.   That's pretty strong.  

And any way you look at it, outside of three or four programs, UET just doesn't have good football.    

 

[TNCOWBOY]

Didn't know the booster club rule. That's just about dumb as hell.

Rutherford is amazing. When I moved there it was Oakland and Riverdale and that was it. Now you have the two new ones plus Smyrna. They are in discussion for yet another school for the county.

I remember when Rankjn was at Riverdale they and Smyrna were probably the two best teams in the state for a few years.

[TNCOWBOY]

Didn't know the booster club rule. That's just about dumb as hell.

Rutherford is amazing. When I moved there it was Oakland and Riverdale and that was it. Now you have the two new ones plus Smyrna. They are in discussion for yet another school for the county.

I remember when Rankjn was at Riverdale they and Smyrna were probably the two best teams in the state for a few years.

[Magnum]

Gramps, I noticed the local 1A team still in, is not in your list.

I guess since they have to play the Northeast Alabama/Northwest Georgia/SouthPittsburg Pirates this Friday, they are not a favorite.

If they don't do it this year, they never will.

[gramps]

Nov 23, 2013 23:51:07 GMT -5 Magnum said:

Gramps, I noticed the local 1A team still in, is not in your list.

I guess since they have to play the Northeast Alabama/Northwest Georgia/SouthPittsburg Pirates this Friday, they are not a favorite.

If they don't do it this year, they never will.

Great program, Mag, but I would definitely consider South Pitt the favorite to get to Cookeville from the East bracket. 

But you are right - if they are going to get there this is the year to do it. 

[Magnum]

No doubt. NortheastAL/NorthwestGA is always the favorite to get there from the East bracket in 1A.

But they have to come to The Switch this week, and we are at full strength.

Maybe we can get the Marion County coach to send us a copy of the playbook he stole from them.