bucfan64

Teams currently scheduled to appear at the Rameys Classic are as follows;

Northwood

Twin Valley

Grundy

Hurley

Appalachian Christian Academy

Theodore Roosevelt High (out of D.C.)

Ervinton High School

Northumberland (out of Chesapeake)

The line up currently consists of a few locals, and 2 out of area schools. Oak Hill B team had to drop out due to the games conflicting with exam schedules. East Ridge Ky, also dropped out and Elizabethton Tn. had to drop out due to a scheduling conflict. This is the reason for the local teams being added currently. The planned format is to have at least 4 SWVA teams, one Tennessee Team, a W.Va. Team a Ky Team and one private school.

Schools already requesting entry into the '05 schedule are;

Shelby Valley (Ky.)

Oak Hill B (private)

Elizabethton Tn

Mt. View W.Va.

However, no one has signed a letter of commitment as of yet for the '05 season.

This tourney is going to be well sponsored and well organized, our corporate sponsors are very involved and they are interested in promoting the tourney as the best in SWVA. The ground work is being laid and hopefully this tourney will take off and prove to be just that.... the best in SWVA!

I see where you are coming from and understand what you are trying to say. But playing little league and throwing a few hail mary's with no technique coaching doesn't make one an experienced quaterback. Jeremiah and any other QB in SWVA is going to have trouble making proper reads from time to time especially with an offensive line whose play was absolutely horrible.

I agree in regards to the TV defense, it lacked cohesion and direction. The kids need to learn a system and stick to it, that is the plan this year. I will be taking the D, and hopefully the kids will be able to learn their techniques and their positions and we can stay in something and learn the details of the defense.

If you don't think numbers matters then you are highly confused. There is a HUGE difference from 200 to 350 students to select from, you usually end up with 12 to 14 more players and your 8th grade and j.v. team is allowed to play more games and get more practice time as a unit. This helps develop the players and the strength of the program. I have worked at schools with 1,300, 800, 400 and 200 students. NUMBERS makes a difference in turnout!

As far as assistants and volunteer assistants, TV will have 4 volunteer assistants this year and 5 paid coaches that should help some especially when we go to our individual groups. I don't understand why coach H doesn't want more help, but that is none of my business. If I were the head coach I would be very critical of who my assistants were, it is very hard this day and time to find loyal assistants who aren't trying to undermine a coach or stab him in the back. Perhaps this is Coach Halls thinking. I am in no way saying that you would do this I am just explaining some of the reasons for not accepting outside volunteer help.

As far as special teams I agree, very few teams put enough of an emphasis on special teams. When I coached at Marion High School, we spent the first half hour every day working on special teams fundamentals, needless to say the special teams helped us win a few close games, especially with those inside the 30 field goals.

Enough rambling.........

The Rameys Classic Holiday Tournament still needs one more team to fill it's bracket. The tournament will run from December 13th until December 18th. Each team is guaranteed 3 games. The Tournament will be held at Twin Valley High School. For more information please contact Brian Moore at 276-259-7818 or email me at

coachmoore@twinvalleypanthers.com

I agree with what you are saying in regards to the right attitude to win a game. I like to put it this way, everybody wants to win but very few are willing to do what it takes to keep from losing.

The fact that our QB made some bad reads isn't due to lack of preparation, we reviewed pass skeleton every single practice for at least a half an hour. The kid was young and had the tendency to go to a receiver that he thought was more sure handed, that isn't always the best decision, but it was his first year at the position.

As far as Honaker goes, I can tell you anything about them, I coached there from 2000-2003. TV does similiar preparation techniques and drills as they do. The one advantage that Honaker and haysi have over TV and Hurley is numbers and continuity on the coaching staff. I am just an assistant, and like many other assistants there are times when you want to do something one way but the head coach wants it done another way. The head coach has the final decision. For example, the East Ridge game you referred to, just maybe Coach Hall wanted to keep pounding away and was playing more for pride and trying to keep the score close, he might have thought that airing it out could lead to a more lopsised defeat.

I am not defending the action, I am just making a point that it may not be the guy calling the offense, it may be the head coach putting reigns on him. I don't see a lot of value in losing by 12 or 40 a loss is a loss, and I agree with you that you need to do whatever it takes to try to pick up the win. But sometimes by playing a good opponent close in a game and not getting waxed by them, proves to be motivational tool down the line, a measuring stick if you will.

I like to see diversity in an offense, some folks believe in doing one thing and doing it very well. For example having about 6 or 7 base plays and running them to death but with pinpoint accuracy. This is predictable and it is easier to defend. I myself like to create a variety of formations with a core group of base plays but at the same time be able to make the defense think about where to line up or adjust. Have a sophisticated passing game, just in case the running game isn't working or simply to keep them from putting 9 or 10 in the box. In may case the head coach doesn't hold this view, he holds to the more conservative approach. I can't tell him what to do and neither can coach Halls assistants tell him what to do.

I must admit that while I was at Honaker, coach Hubbard became very understanding and open to any suggestions and ideas that his assistants might have had. This is a head coach/assistant coach relationship that is needed to be successful in football. Hopefully, both the TV program and the Hurley program can overcome the obstacles and develop what is needed to be successful.

By the way this year I will be doing the defense and I am looking forward to the challenge. I feel that this was our weakest area last year. What side of the ball did you feel was the weakest at TV and if you will answer the same about Hurley.

out!

I recall the formation that you are referring to and we did call a timeout to explain this to the kids. We also discussed it at halftime and made a proper adjustment. The kids failed to move into that adjustment early in the 4th quarter and Coach V, called a timeout again to explain this to them. I am not going to point fingers at anyone, but if coach V, says run the ball we run, if he says pass the ball we pass. He is the boss and whatever he says goes. We made some mistakes last year that should be attributed to being a new staff of coaches. None of the coaches were even hired until 14 days before two a days.

I have worked with coaching staffs that were organized under new coaches and once the continuity developed things improved and that is what I expect this year at TV. Let Hurley line up in some similiar formation or some gadget formation this year and we will be prepared. I have been given the assignment of coaching the defense, and I have done so on the double AA and single A level for 8 of the last 14 years. Hopefully, we can develop that continuity that is needed by assigning coaches to the right position and getting them to work together.

I'm not arguing with you, I too enjoy the banter back and forth. You have to remember that Coach V was a first year coach and although I didn't agree with everything he did, I stand behind him 100%, because right now TV needs loyalty, commitment and discipine.

Do you feel that Hurley has a chance to reach the D2 playoffs this year? If there schedule hasn't changed I think that they have an excellent shot at making it this time around.

In regards to the establishing a ground game against Hurley, It was the game plan, but our line play had been so lethargic all year long and Hurley started putting 9 and 10 in the box and the backers were keying every move that Booker made. We tried to offset that with some quick and short routes. As far as passing the ball over the middle. The QB made some bad reads. Yes, we went over the middle, but with a 3 deep secondary, we try to force the corner and safety into a situation. For example (If we are in a pro right formation, we will run a short out route with the right side slot, this should occupy the DB or leave him wide open, the OLB can't cover that quick out route from where he is playing, we will then run the tightend on a flag route, behind the corner or DB who is covering the out route, this forces the DB to make a decision, he can't play both of them, then if the safety tries to move over and cover the flag route we will drag the backside split to the middle of the field to fill the safety spot, in other word we are forcing 2 to play 3, the QB made the wrong read several times, he is young and that is to be expected. If you can visualize just some of what I am talking about, you will realize that it is the correct and most accurate way to attack the zone, although it is only one simple package of routes. Every pass route that we ran last year, and I mean every route was designed to creating an either or situation for the db's or the safety, it is up to the QB to make the correct decision, and in many cases he did just that. Hope this has explained some things and has been of help..

out!

I agree with most of the your post, however, I take offense to the comment about TV not having any coaches or somtething to that effect. I am one of the TV coaches and have coached HS football for 14 years and have served as an assistant to 6 different head coaches at 5 different high schools, I have coached on the staff of 3 region chapions and have coached in one state finals, I know what it takes to get there, and I can tell you first hand the situation at TV is much better than it was a few years ago, and it is improving. Amd with that comment, I am not putting down Coach D, he had small numbers and very little help, he finished one season with only two assistants, it was these things that hurt his teams as well as a lack of discipline. Although, the TV coaching staff is overall a young and inexpereinced group, especially on the varsity level. The time that is put into preparation is above average. Last year I alone averaged 6 to 8 hours of video and prep time on Sundays alone. The program was in rough shape and it will take a while to develop a program with some continuity and discipline. Winning will come once we get this current group through the weight program for a couple of years. Will TV ever be able to compete with Honaker and Haysi? Who knows for sure, but the overall product will be better as the next few years go on. We have softened up the schedule in order to compete with smaller schools and hopefully it will have a positive effect on the turnout as well as the morale of the players and community. Hurley did a wonderful job last year and they now have the kids believing in themselves, I commend Wayne Hall on the job that he has done over at the cliff.

The biggest change in TV football will come from the use of the weight room. Currently there are a few dedicated athletes in the weight room and the numbers are increasing. On average 18 player are lifting weights regularly and although the numbers look good it is the underclassman who are making the efforts. Only time will tell, as far as my BDD analysis, without a standings . I see it shapin up this way.

Haysi will probably be the team to beat, they didn't lose too many seniors and they have a good nucleus returning

Honaker will be better than many expect and they do have Haysi at home.

Hurley ,Wayne Halls bunch will be much improved and are still very young. They could very well sneak up and upset Haysi or Honaker. This bunch could find a spot in the Division II playoffs. A playoff trip may come down to the TV game

Twin Valley- Should win a few this year and be playing competitively with Hurley and smaller schools. If the Panthers can develop an offensive line, 4 or 5 wins just might get them into the Division II playoffs. A trip to the playoffs may come down to who wins the Hurley game

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