As high school football takes on more of a national flavor, we'll see more and more matchups between schools from different states, and if one takes the time to look at Tennessee high school football schedules, one will find that Tennessee programs not only are riding the wave of intra-state scheduling, but also are taking on some of the best teams other states have to offer.
A look at the composite national rankings for 2005, based on polls from six outlets who provide national rankings for high school football, shows four programs in the national Top 7 who have played Tennessee teams at some point during the past five seasons. Independence (NC), #4 in the 2005 composite rankings, appeared on Austin-East's schedule in 2001. The two teams tied for #5, Byrnes (SC) and St. Xavier (OH), have taken on two Tennessee private schools - MBA (vs. Byrnes in 2005) and Brentwood Academy (vs. St. Xavier in 2002). The nation's #7 team, South Panola (MS), took on two Tennessee schools in 2005 - Germantown and G.W. Carver.
Granted, Tennessee did not fare well in the five aforementioned matchups - 0-5 to be precise - but Tennessee schools have fared well in other out-of-state matchups with top flight regional and national programs over time. MBA holds a 2-1 series lead over Louisville Trinity, including a 17-13 victory over the Shamrocks in 2003 when Trinity entered the game as the #4 team in America according to USA Today. The Big Red also scored a 26-21 victory over highly-rated Jacksonville Bolles in 1999; Bolles is a perennial Florida power, coached by the state's all-time wins leader in Corky Rogers, and was rated the number one team in the country a few years prior to the matchup with MBA in 1999. Christian Brothers scored a nice win over the aforementioned South Panola in 1995, when the Tigers were just two years removed from their first final Super 25 USA Today ranking. Brentwood Academy has also played numerous out-of-state powers, highlighted by a 6-0 victory over Pascagoula in 1988, during a period in which Pascagoula was cracking national rankings with future NFL stars in Terrell Buckley and Shane Matthews.
The previous matchups just scratch the surface when it comes to out-of-state teams played by Tennessee schools. In addition to previously mentioned states, teams from Texas, Ohio, Missouri, Arkansas, North Carolina, Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, and Alaska have made their way onto Volunteer State schedules. And while it is fully reasonable to expect a mixed bag, in terms of wins and losses, when unfamiliar foes are challenged, it is not unreasonable to think that such clashes on the gridiron only help put Tennessee on the national map.
Read this commentary and more at HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL DATABASE.
Friday, December 23, 2005
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Williamson County, TN: More Than Just Where Eagles Soar
There was a time when, if a conversation were taking place about Williamson County, Tennessee football, the talk would center around Brentwood Academy, and few others - if any others at all.
Times have certainly changed.
While Brentwood Academy still remains the king of the county in terms of head-to-head matchups - the Eagles are 20-0 all-time versus county rivals - the emergence of three other programs now makes Williamson County more than a one-pony show.
Three of the past four Division I-5A championship games have included three different schools from Williamson County, and two of those schools have taken home the gold ball. Brentwood High School was the first of the current Division I-5A schools in Williamson County to make the finals, with the Bruins upending the mighty Riverdale Warriors 10-7 in the 2002 finals. Two years later, it was Franklin High School's turn, although Riverdale was able to turn the tables on the Rebels in the 2004 title game matchup, taking the crown 35-7. Most recently, the Ravenwood High School Raptors, in just its third year of varsity football, shocked the I-5A world, outlasting Oak Ridge in the 2005 I-5A finals in a tight, 14-7 contest.
Four other schools round out Williamson County - Independence and Centennial in I-5A, Page in I-3A, and Fairview in I-2A. While these four schools have yet to achieve the lofty status of the other four programs, hopes remain high at these schools. Independence and Centennial, like Ravenwood, are relatively new schools (Independence just fielded its first varsity football team in 2005, and Centennial opened its doors in 1996), and Page and Fairview, while having been around longer than Ravenwood, Independence, and Centennial, are still competitive in their regions, both having compiled overall winning records over the last five years.
It remains to be seen the impact the success that the three Division I-5A public schools is having on Brentwood Academy's football program. While Brentwood Academy now has gone nine years without winning a state championship in football, the Eagles have still appeared in six Division II title games, and interestingly enough, provided the only blemish on Brentwood High's 2002 state championship team, as well as Ravenwood's 2005 state title team. Nevertheless, the Bruins, Rebels, and Raptors are proving that there is room for more than one powerhouse in Williamson County.
Read this commentary and more at HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL DATABASE.
Times have certainly changed.
While Brentwood Academy still remains the king of the county in terms of head-to-head matchups - the Eagles are 20-0 all-time versus county rivals - the emergence of three other programs now makes Williamson County more than a one-pony show.
Three of the past four Division I-5A championship games have included three different schools from Williamson County, and two of those schools have taken home the gold ball. Brentwood High School was the first of the current Division I-5A schools in Williamson County to make the finals, with the Bruins upending the mighty Riverdale Warriors 10-7 in the 2002 finals. Two years later, it was Franklin High School's turn, although Riverdale was able to turn the tables on the Rebels in the 2004 title game matchup, taking the crown 35-7. Most recently, the Ravenwood High School Raptors, in just its third year of varsity football, shocked the I-5A world, outlasting Oak Ridge in the 2005 I-5A finals in a tight, 14-7 contest.
Four other schools round out Williamson County - Independence and Centennial in I-5A, Page in I-3A, and Fairview in I-2A. While these four schools have yet to achieve the lofty status of the other four programs, hopes remain high at these schools. Independence and Centennial, like Ravenwood, are relatively new schools (Independence just fielded its first varsity football team in 2005, and Centennial opened its doors in 1996), and Page and Fairview, while having been around longer than Ravenwood, Independence, and Centennial, are still competitive in their regions, both having compiled overall winning records over the last five years.
It remains to be seen the impact the success that the three Division I-5A public schools is having on Brentwood Academy's football program. While Brentwood Academy now has gone nine years without winning a state championship in football, the Eagles have still appeared in six Division II title games, and interestingly enough, provided the only blemish on Brentwood High's 2002 state championship team, as well as Ravenwood's 2005 state title team. Nevertheless, the Bruins, Rebels, and Raptors are proving that there is room for more than one powerhouse in Williamson County.
Read this commentary and more at HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL DATABASE.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
CoachT.com: The 800-Pound Gorilla of TN Message Boards
In case you haven't found it yet (and if you haven't, we'd love to see the sites you're surfing), there is an 800-pound gorilla in the Tennessee high school sports message boards space. And considering how Jim Thompson has cornered the market, this internet operation by no means should be considered monkey business.
Thompson's website, CoachT.com, is the Cadillac of high school sports talk in Tennessee. With upwards of 50,000 registered screen names, and over 1,000,000 posts on the site, there is no other place to go to talk Volunteer State high school athletics that has the reach that CoachT.com has.
Want to trade barbs with rivals from your most despised team? Feel like dropping a note of congratulations to first-time football state champions Davidson Academy, Livingston Academy, and Ravenwood? CoachT.com is the site where you will find an audience - and perhaps a little smack talk in return if you're not nice (and sometimes even if you are).
The Football Boards remain the most popular destination on the site, but boards exist for practically all sports, including bowling and lacrosse, which have a smaller audience but still have a niche of fans who need a place to talk shop.
CoachT.com even offers a board to discuss (bicker about) the infamous "Public/Private Debate". Be warned: come to this board with thick skin, and just remember - whichever side you support is the wrong one!
The site is free to all users, although off-season boards are limited to Plus Members at a nominal fee of $12 annually. A Plus Membership also provides users with, among other items, a Private Message feature and access to the Open Discussion Board - a relatively obscure yet highly informative section of the site.
Yes, there are other Tennessee high school sports talk sites on the internet - each with their own merits - but CoachT.com is the 800-pound gorilla with a stranglehold on Tennessee high school sports message board activity. And with no signs of letting up any time soon, Jim Thompson just might be driving the competition bananas for some time to come.
Read this commentary and more at HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL DATABASE.
Thompson's website, CoachT.com, is the Cadillac of high school sports talk in Tennessee. With upwards of 50,000 registered screen names, and over 1,000,000 posts on the site, there is no other place to go to talk Volunteer State high school athletics that has the reach that CoachT.com has.
Want to trade barbs with rivals from your most despised team? Feel like dropping a note of congratulations to first-time football state champions Davidson Academy, Livingston Academy, and Ravenwood? CoachT.com is the site where you will find an audience - and perhaps a little smack talk in return if you're not nice (and sometimes even if you are).
The Football Boards remain the most popular destination on the site, but boards exist for practically all sports, including bowling and lacrosse, which have a smaller audience but still have a niche of fans who need a place to talk shop.
CoachT.com even offers a board to discuss (bicker about) the infamous "Public/Private Debate". Be warned: come to this board with thick skin, and just remember - whichever side you support is the wrong one!
The site is free to all users, although off-season boards are limited to Plus Members at a nominal fee of $12 annually. A Plus Membership also provides users with, among other items, a Private Message feature and access to the Open Discussion Board - a relatively obscure yet highly informative section of the site.
Yes, there are other Tennessee high school sports talk sites on the internet - each with their own merits - but CoachT.com is the 800-pound gorilla with a stranglehold on Tennessee high school sports message board activity. And with no signs of letting up any time soon, Jim Thompson just might be driving the competition bananas for some time to come.
Read this commentary and more at HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL DATABASE.
Division II-AAA: Parity, Not Parody
Memphis University School captured its second state title in Division II-AAA, triumphing in the finals with a revenge-laden, 31-27 victory over archrival Christian Brothers. The victory and state championship give the Owls back-to-back 11-1 records and two gold balls in the highly competitive "Super 7" (nominations still being taken to account for the addition of Briarcrest in 2005) since 2004.
However, detractors still exist, questioning the "validity" of a state title earned in a league of only eight teams.
Yet, a closer look at league data suggests that Division II-AAA, while short in numbers, is long in talent and parity, and, despite a relatively short road to championship glory, is no laughing stock.
During the past four years, the Division II-AAA champion has suffered at least one regular season loss, compared to the first five years of the league, when four of the five champs finished with undefeated records. While some may point to a deterioration in the quality of the league, others will point out the league is becoming much more balanced, with the perennial leaders coming back to the pack a notch, and the teams annually near the bottom of the pack stepping up their level of play. And all the while, the teams are still keeping pace - and then some - with their Division I counterparts.
Father Ryan, which has struggled since capturing the inaugural "Super 7" title in 1997, is showing signs of improvement, and with former Oak Ridge coach Bruce Lussier now at the helm, the Fighting Irish, despite going winless in Division II-AAA in 2005, still managed some quality non-league wins, including an impressive victory against defending Division I-5A runner-up Franklin. Baylor, the only member of the original "Super 7" not to have appeared in a "Super 7" championship game, flexed its muscles in the 2005 playoffs, avenging a Week 10 loss to five-time champion MBA with a 16-7 win in the 2005 quarterfinals over the Big Red.
On the top end of the league, MUS became the ninth state champion in nine years of the league to sweep its Division I opponents. Overall, the league has performed admirably against its upper level Division I brethren, winning over 75% of its games versus opponents from Division I-5A and Division I-4A. The list of opponents defeated include three Division I-5A champions and one Division I-4A champion - and all by "Super 7" teams which did not win the title in that given year.
All said, despite the emergence of an undefeated champion since 2001, Division II-AAA is still holding its own. And while the road to the Division II-AAA state championship is still a short one - there are only so many bracket possibilities with only eight teams - the quality of the teams in the league is measured by its results on the field, and those results continue to be impressive.
Read this commentary and more at HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL DATABASE.
However, detractors still exist, questioning the "validity" of a state title earned in a league of only eight teams.
Yet, a closer look at league data suggests that Division II-AAA, while short in numbers, is long in talent and parity, and, despite a relatively short road to championship glory, is no laughing stock.
During the past four years, the Division II-AAA champion has suffered at least one regular season loss, compared to the first five years of the league, when four of the five champs finished with undefeated records. While some may point to a deterioration in the quality of the league, others will point out the league is becoming much more balanced, with the perennial leaders coming back to the pack a notch, and the teams annually near the bottom of the pack stepping up their level of play. And all the while, the teams are still keeping pace - and then some - with their Division I counterparts.
Father Ryan, which has struggled since capturing the inaugural "Super 7" title in 1997, is showing signs of improvement, and with former Oak Ridge coach Bruce Lussier now at the helm, the Fighting Irish, despite going winless in Division II-AAA in 2005, still managed some quality non-league wins, including an impressive victory against defending Division I-5A runner-up Franklin. Baylor, the only member of the original "Super 7" not to have appeared in a "Super 7" championship game, flexed its muscles in the 2005 playoffs, avenging a Week 10 loss to five-time champion MBA with a 16-7 win in the 2005 quarterfinals over the Big Red.
On the top end of the league, MUS became the ninth state champion in nine years of the league to sweep its Division I opponents. Overall, the league has performed admirably against its upper level Division I brethren, winning over 75% of its games versus opponents from Division I-5A and Division I-4A. The list of opponents defeated include three Division I-5A champions and one Division I-4A champion - and all by "Super 7" teams which did not win the title in that given year.
All said, despite the emergence of an undefeated champion since 2001, Division II-AAA is still holding its own. And while the road to the Division II-AAA state championship is still a short one - there are only so many bracket possibilities with only eight teams - the quality of the teams in the league is measured by its results on the field, and those results continue to be impressive.
Read this commentary and more at HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL DATABASE.
The Best High School Football Program in Tennessee is...
After hours upon hours of painstaking research, the results are in. We've looked at the all-time records, we've looked at state titles - mythical and otherwise. We've looked at every piece of information available to analyze. And the answer is now clear.
The best high school football program in the state of Tennessee is...
Brentwood Academy.
And Dobyns-Bennett.
And Maryville.
And MBA, Oak Ridge, and Riverdale for that matter.
OK, so much for waffling, but when it comes down to picking the "best" program in the state of Tennessee, it's just too difficult to do.
Sure, in all reality, there are probably 300 or so programs that could be eliminated from contention for one reason or another, but the point remains there are easily five to ten programs worthy of serious consideration for top billing - each with its own positive and negative attributes.
Let's take an alphabetical look at six programs that we have isolated as worthy candidates (and this is certainly not a be-all, end-all list, but these six programs boast a list of accomplishments not easily rivaled by any other six programs in the state):
Brentwood Academy. With an all-time winning percentage over 82% and nine TSSAA state football titles since the program's inception in 1970, Brentwood Academy remains one of the state's most talked-about programs, on a variety of levels. Detractors will point out the school's relative lack of success in Division II since 1997 (0 titles, but 6 championship game appearances), but the Eagles' accomplishments on the field prior to 1997, which includes impressive wins over quality out-of-state competition, may serve the test of time. A Division II football title would certainly serve the Brentwood Academy program well, and with Carlton Flatt - the state's all-time wins leader - at the helm, that elusive Division II title may come very soon.
Dobyns-Bennett. Forty-five years. That's how long it's been since the Indians captured its last state title in 1960 (excluding a 1964 title claimed by the school), one of 13 titles the school claims. However, the school's recent lack of success in the state championship department by no means diminishes what Dobyns-Bennett has accomplished in 84 years of football. Dobyns-Bennett remains the state's all-time wins leader with 682 wins, and has a significant cushion over the field. With a prideful, well-supported program and what are still quality teams being produced on an annual basis, the Indian program rightfully can lay its claim as one of the Volunteer State's best.
Maryville. The superlatives are endless for the Rebels. Maryville just captured an unbelievable sixth state title since 1998, and tenth overall (including a 1964 title claimed by the program). The program will enter its 80th year of football in 2006, and has logged enough wins over its impressive history to rank fourth in the state in all-time wins. George Quarles, who has orchestrated five state titles of his own since 1999, is widely regarded as one of the finer offensive minds in the state. Tireless questions about the benefit of open zones and the school's desire to play up to the Division I-5A level continue to follow the program, but the Rebels have demonstrated tremendous discipline and will-to-win that would likely benefit them on any level of Tennessee high school football.
Montgomery Bell Academy. One has to go all the way back to the 19th century (1899) to find the origin of the Big Red football program. Such longevity has led MBA to eight TSSAA-recognized state titles (plus five the school claims from the early 20th century) and 633 wins, which places the school in second place in all-time wins in Tennessee. MBA had a significant dry spell (0 titles) between the implementation of the playoff system in 1969 through the 1996 season, but five Division II titles and a very difficult schedule over the years (MBA is the only Tennessee school to have played Valdosta (GA), the nation's all-time wins leader, and the Big Red scored impressive wins over nationally-ranked programs in Bolles (FL) and Trinity (KY) in 1999 and 2003, respectively) solidifies MBA's place as one of the state's elite programs.
Oak Ridge. Eight state titles, including a mythical national championship in 1958, and over 540 wins place the Wildcats among the state's top programs. Oak Ridge needs just one state championship over this decade to give the Wildcats at least one state championship in every decade since the 1950s. Oak Ridge just missed out on an opportunity to extend the championship-every-decade-since-the-1950s streak with a loss to upstart Ravenwood in the 2005 Division I-5A finals, and the Wildcats' current 14-year drought of state titles is the longest in the school's history since the 1950s, but with what is always a solid nucleus of talent, Oak Ridge is always a threat to add a ninth state title to the ledger.
Riverdale. Murfreesboro keeps growing and growing, and the wins keep piling up for the Warriors, despite the opening of various new schools in Rutherford County over the past couple of decades. As with Brentwood Academy, Riverdale has been playing football only since the early 1970s, but still has managed to amass 309 wins and a 75% all-time winning percentage. Riverdale's nine state title game appearances over the past 13 years is unprecedented on the Division I-5A level, and the Warriors have four state titles to their credit over that period and recognition from various national rating services. Coach Gary Rankin has been instrumental in the success of the program and will ensure that the Warriors remain among the state's high-profile programs in the years to come.
Of course, there are plenty of other programs in the state with impressive credentials; for example, Alcoa (7 titles) and Trousdale County (6 titles) proved their merit once again in 2005 in the lower levels of Division I and have programs that are certainly worth mentioning when discussing the state's best.
So, take your pick on which program is the "best". There's really no wrong answer, and regardless of your answer, Tennessee has quite a few programs of which to be proud.
Read this commentary and more at HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL DATABASE.
The best high school football program in the state of Tennessee is...
Brentwood Academy.
And Dobyns-Bennett.
And Maryville.
And MBA, Oak Ridge, and Riverdale for that matter.
OK, so much for waffling, but when it comes down to picking the "best" program in the state of Tennessee, it's just too difficult to do.
Sure, in all reality, there are probably 300 or so programs that could be eliminated from contention for one reason or another, but the point remains there are easily five to ten programs worthy of serious consideration for top billing - each with its own positive and negative attributes.
Let's take an alphabetical look at six programs that we have isolated as worthy candidates (and this is certainly not a be-all, end-all list, but these six programs boast a list of accomplishments not easily rivaled by any other six programs in the state):
Brentwood Academy. With an all-time winning percentage over 82% and nine TSSAA state football titles since the program's inception in 1970, Brentwood Academy remains one of the state's most talked-about programs, on a variety of levels. Detractors will point out the school's relative lack of success in Division II since 1997 (0 titles, but 6 championship game appearances), but the Eagles' accomplishments on the field prior to 1997, which includes impressive wins over quality out-of-state competition, may serve the test of time. A Division II football title would certainly serve the Brentwood Academy program well, and with Carlton Flatt - the state's all-time wins leader - at the helm, that elusive Division II title may come very soon.
Dobyns-Bennett. Forty-five years. That's how long it's been since the Indians captured its last state title in 1960 (excluding a 1964 title claimed by the school), one of 13 titles the school claims. However, the school's recent lack of success in the state championship department by no means diminishes what Dobyns-Bennett has accomplished in 84 years of football. Dobyns-Bennett remains the state's all-time wins leader with 682 wins, and has a significant cushion over the field. With a prideful, well-supported program and what are still quality teams being produced on an annual basis, the Indian program rightfully can lay its claim as one of the Volunteer State's best.
Maryville. The superlatives are endless for the Rebels. Maryville just captured an unbelievable sixth state title since 1998, and tenth overall (including a 1964 title claimed by the program). The program will enter its 80th year of football in 2006, and has logged enough wins over its impressive history to rank fourth in the state in all-time wins. George Quarles, who has orchestrated five state titles of his own since 1999, is widely regarded as one of the finer offensive minds in the state. Tireless questions about the benefit of open zones and the school's desire to play up to the Division I-5A level continue to follow the program, but the Rebels have demonstrated tremendous discipline and will-to-win that would likely benefit them on any level of Tennessee high school football.
Montgomery Bell Academy. One has to go all the way back to the 19th century (1899) to find the origin of the Big Red football program. Such longevity has led MBA to eight TSSAA-recognized state titles (plus five the school claims from the early 20th century) and 633 wins, which places the school in second place in all-time wins in Tennessee. MBA had a significant dry spell (0 titles) between the implementation of the playoff system in 1969 through the 1996 season, but five Division II titles and a very difficult schedule over the years (MBA is the only Tennessee school to have played Valdosta (GA), the nation's all-time wins leader, and the Big Red scored impressive wins over nationally-ranked programs in Bolles (FL) and Trinity (KY) in 1999 and 2003, respectively) solidifies MBA's place as one of the state's elite programs.
Oak Ridge. Eight state titles, including a mythical national championship in 1958, and over 540 wins place the Wildcats among the state's top programs. Oak Ridge needs just one state championship over this decade to give the Wildcats at least one state championship in every decade since the 1950s. Oak Ridge just missed out on an opportunity to extend the championship-every-decade-since-the-1950s streak with a loss to upstart Ravenwood in the 2005 Division I-5A finals, and the Wildcats' current 14-year drought of state titles is the longest in the school's history since the 1950s, but with what is always a solid nucleus of talent, Oak Ridge is always a threat to add a ninth state title to the ledger.
Riverdale. Murfreesboro keeps growing and growing, and the wins keep piling up for the Warriors, despite the opening of various new schools in Rutherford County over the past couple of decades. As with Brentwood Academy, Riverdale has been playing football only since the early 1970s, but still has managed to amass 309 wins and a 75% all-time winning percentage. Riverdale's nine state title game appearances over the past 13 years is unprecedented on the Division I-5A level, and the Warriors have four state titles to their credit over that period and recognition from various national rating services. Coach Gary Rankin has been instrumental in the success of the program and will ensure that the Warriors remain among the state's high-profile programs in the years to come.
Of course, there are plenty of other programs in the state with impressive credentials; for example, Alcoa (7 titles) and Trousdale County (6 titles) proved their merit once again in 2005 in the lower levels of Division I and have programs that are certainly worth mentioning when discussing the state's best.
So, take your pick on which program is the "best". There's really no wrong answer, and regardless of your answer, Tennessee has quite a few programs of which to be proud.
Read this commentary and more at HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL DATABASE.
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