Maroon Beech

Liberty Creek is a new school here in Sumner County. The majority of their players will be freshmen mixed in with a few Sophomores, Juniors & Seniors kids rezoned from Beech, Gallatin & Station Camp. They are opening with about 600-700 students and are not in a Region (District in Kentucky) for 2022. They will be slotted into D1 (public) Class AAAA for the 2023 season. They have benefited from a County rule that allows any rising 9th grader in the County to enroll at Liberty Creek (there is no out-of-zone allowed in Sumner County). New Head Coach is a long time coordinator at Beech. Facilities at this new school are impressive.

Due to a shortage of officials, the Tennessee Board of Control passed a resolution that schools would be required to play on Thursday so that all games each week can be satisfactorily covered. The state office must only reschedule one game for each school although up to 20 total games could be moved each week. This will be in place only for the 2022 season and a proposal for football scheduling in subsequent years will be presented at the next Board meeting. Schools will be informed by mid-March if they have a game that is moved and when that will be. They also cited safety concerns as officials that had retired from working on the field and were now clock operators were being pressed back into service due to the shortage.

We travel to #2 ranked Summit (Spring Hill, TN) tonight to play the defending Class 5A Spartans. University of Kentucky commits Destin and Keaton Wade will be hard to stop! Like Beech, Summit moved up to 6A this season. Oh my! ?

Battle of Division 2 (Private), Class 2A (3 classes in private league) power Lipscomb Academy (Trent Dilfer coaching) vs. Division 1 (Public), Class 6A defending State Champion Murfreesboro Oakland. LA took a 21-7 lead into the 2nd half but Oakland roars back with 22 straight points to win 29-21.

Hendersonville is 6A. The top 6A programs in TN are usually Maryville, Memphis Whitehaven, Ravenwood (Franklin) and Murfreesboro Oakland. Summit (Spring Hill) with UK commits Destin and Keaton Wade moved up to 6A after winning the 5A State Championship last year. They will be in the mix. We play Hendersonville Friday night and it will be our only game against a Wing-T team. As I’ve said before, looks simple to defend but if you aren’t used to playing against that offense it can be a challenge.

Hendersonville’s loss to Oakland was there first regular season game.

Hope South Warren softens Hendersonville up, as we have to travel crosstown to play them in Week #3. Should be really interesting to see the Commandos attempt to defend a good passing attack. Their Wing-T offense looks simple to defend, but if you're not used to playing against that offense, it can be a challenge.

Usually not one of the stronger teams in Division II, Class 3A. When Pope John Paul II (Hendersonville) opened about 20 years, it hurt Ryan. They are still a good program, but not at the level of Brentwood Academy, Montgomery Bell, etc. Ensworth has also fallen off the last couple of years. However, they are still good.

My son played his first varsity basketball game last night here in TN. While there are restrictions on crowd size, wearing masks, etc., we are proceeding as planned. However, our Sumner County school system has reinstituted the 50% classroom/50% virtual learning in high and middle schools this week (1/2 of kids go Monday & Thursday, half on Tuesday & Friday, Wednesday is virtual learning). Elementary schools are still 100% in classroom. We've had a few teams drop out of the football playoffs but we are still playing in the quarter-finals this Friday (with 35% crowd capacity). Some teams have played with as many as 30 kids missing from their rosters. Keeping are fingers crossed!

Keeping our fingers crossed here in TN. We missed two games due to COVID problems with our team during September. Metro Nashville did not play for the first 5 weeks of the season. Four of the other five teams in our Region (District in Kentucky) were from Metro Nashville. We picked up a game to replace the one we missed with the Metro opponent so we ended up playing eight games in total. Actually more than I thought we would get to play. To my knowledge no one in Middle TN has cancelled a playoff game (yet). However, COVID numbers are increasing!

In Tennessee, the TSSAA takes 50% of the gate at all playoff games (25% to each of the participating schools). Home team pays for security and cleanup, visiting team pays for their own travel costs. In football, that is a big deal that takes big $ from the schools!

Four technicals on us. Don’t think we’ll be back again.

That is correct!

I think you nailed it Guru. So many options for entertainment. We have been blessed with a strong program so our attendance has remained good even with internet radio broadcasting the games. However, the TSSAA (the KHSAA here in TN) is proposing reducing the number of Division 1 (public schools) Classes from six (instituted in 2009) back to five under the argument that the additional class has reduced playoff attendance. Still trying to figure that logic!

Same with us. We have five bays. Home coaches/Visitor coaches/PA & Clock Operator/Home video crew/Home internet broadcasters (that's me). If TV covers our game we (Home broadcasters) have to crowd (and I mean crowd!) into the bay with the video crew. Visiting radio/internet is in the stands. In our biggest game of the season the visiting radio crew rented a scissors-lift and broadcast from the track on the visitor's side.

Been broadcasting for more than 10 seasons and I've had to broadcast from the stands (even the back of a pickup truck) several times. Four of the five other teams in our Region (Districts in KY) are from Metro Nashville and they just do not have facilities to accommodate. We've also had to give up our own broadcast booth at home when a TV station comes in to broadcast. When our stadium was built in 1980, there was not even a local radio station carrying the games. With the use of internet broadcasting, things have changed!

South Hopkins High School (merged into Hopkins County Central) was the Tomcats. If memory serves me correctly, the Girls teams were Lady Tomcats.

Always thought Highland Home High School (Alabama) Flying Squadron was unique.

Two Metro Nashville schools with unique mascots: Whites Creek High School Cobras, Hillsboro High Burros.

Texas definitely has some “different” nicknames. Amarillo High Sandstorm, abbreviated to Sandies. Plainview Bulldogs but aka Angry Red (“‘Nuff said”). Odessa Permian Panthers aka Mojo. Pampa Fighting Farmers. Amarillo Palo Duro High School Dons.

I have a friend whose son is a freshman football player there. Hate that this is happening!

Ant; We scrimmage Oakland this morning. Nine D-1 prospects?

Harry; Many thanks. Updating our stadium. Just a thought ....

Does anyone have an example of hedges used to border a high school football field in KY (example: Sanford Stadium @ Georgia)?

West Hopkins (closed) were the Rebels.