In a poll of area football coaches earlier this year, it became apparent that they agree with Stephen Hargis, our longtime prep sports veteran, who has called more than once for the TSSAA to move the BlueCross championship series somewhere other than its current location at Tennessee Tech.
Many like the idea of finding some way to return it to Middle Tennessee State. Some suggested Vanderbilt and the University of Tennessee, and some even mentioned UTC's Finley Stadium. The latter might be a pretty good idea -- newer than Tech's stadium and with more seating.
Of course much about the TSSAA these days is based on finances and geography, and the move in recent years has been to find a geographical center for state championship events.
I must say, though, that while my feet ached from standing on the sidelines of Tech's artificial turf field, Tennessee Tech is a wonderful host and the folks in Cookeville do a bang-up job. Now for the left-handed side of that compliment: I can't believe the TSSAA would charge $8 for parking -- or allow someone else to charge that -- and I think it's atrocious that the TSSAA is charging $12 per person for its state championship football series.
That complaint comes on top of the infuriating fact that the TSSAA takes a very unreasonable 50 percent of the gate from every game in the eight-classification football playoff series. And beyond that, the state charges $5 per player from every team for its catastrophic insurance.
And I'm sure Bernard Childress and the rest of the gang at the TSSAA have tired of people repeatedly pointing out those facts.
- Congratulations to both McCallie and Ralph Potter, who have reunited. It will be good to have Ralph back in Chattanooga. Yet to be honest, I didn't know if such a reunion could or would happen. There were those who said Ralph had burned too many bridges when he left a few years ago for Brentwood Academy. Maybe some folks realized he was right.
Also, congratulations to Marion County for landing a quality football coach in Mac McCurry. I have come to view him as a class act after watching him in action this past season as Signal Mountain's defensive coordinator. It looks like that chore at Signal Mountain may now fall to Bumper Reese.
- One of the best emails I received this year was passed on by Junior Johnson, the former Soddy-Daisy basketball player who is involved there again because his wife coaches at the school.
It involved a speech read by Roane County principal Jody McLeod at a football game earlier this year. Here's what Junior says was heard over the public-address system:
"It has always been the custom at Roane County High School football games to say a prayer and play the national anthem, to honor God and country. Due to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court, I am told that saying a prayer is a violation of federal case law. As I understand the law at this time, I can use this public facility to approve sexual perversion and call it 'an alternate lifestyle,' and if someone is offended, that's OK.
"I can use it to condone sexual promiscuity, by dispensing condoms and calling it 'safe sex.' If someone is offended, that's OK. I can even use this public facility to present the merits of killing an unborn baby as a 'viable means of birth control.' If someone is offended, no problem. I can designate a school day as 'Earth Day' and involve students in activities to worship religiously and praise the goddess 'Mother Earth' and call it 'ecology.'
"I can use literature, videos and presentations in the classroom that depict people with strong, traditional Christian convictions as 'simple-minded' and 'ignorant' and call it 'enlightenment.' However, if anyone uses this facility to honor God and to ask Him to bless this event with safety and good sportsmanship, then federal case law is violated.
"This appears to be inconsistent at best, and at worst, diabolical. Apparently, we are to be tolerant of everything and anyone except God and His commandments. Nevertheless, as a school principal, I frequently ask staff and students to abide by rules with which they do not necessarily agree. For me to do otherwise would be inconsistent at best, and at worst, hypocritical. I suffer from that affliction enough unintentionally. I certainly do not need to add an intentional transgression.
"For this reason, I shall 'render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's' and refrain from praying at this time. However, if you feel inspired to honor, praise and thank God and ask Him, in the name of Jesus, to bless this event, please feel free to do so. As far as I know, that's not against the law -- yet."
Junior went on: "I'm told that one by one, the people in the stands bowed their heads, held hands with one another and began to pray. They prayed in the stands. They prayed in the team huddles. They prayed at the concession stand and they prayed in the announcer's box."
As Junior wrote, "The only place they didn't pray was in the Supreme Court of the United States of America -- the Seat of 'Justice' in the 'one nation, under God.'"
Things I thought about writing and didn't get around to:
Didn't see the quarterback at Calhoun, but for my money Signal Mountain's Reese Phillips is the best local prospect for colleges looking for passing quarterbacks -- 71 percent completion rate, almost 1,900 yards in just 10 games from a wing-T offense and 20 TDs with just four interceptions. It doesn't hurt that he's a shade over 6-foot-3 and weighs 215 pounds. He's been invited to the U.S. Army national junior combine in San Antonio in January, and I feel sure that any number of schools will join Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Duke and Tennessee in pursuing this youngster.
There were a handful of quality kickers around the area who will graduate this spring, but a kicker to definitely watch is North Jackson's Cesar Diaz. He's got a lanky-looking build and he's a soccer player with an accurate and strong leg.
Another quarterback to watch -- he played mostly tight end and defensive end this past season -- is Red Bank's Hagen Wilkey. He'll be a senior next fall.
Looking for running back/receiver/defensive back types? Stop at South Pittsburg and check out Demetric Johnson. And if you're looking a couple of years down the road, then take a gander at Jijuan Lankford.
There's a sophomore lineman/wrestler (C.J. Baker) at East Ridge who will be drawing attention in the years to come. And this is as good a place as any to mention that Tim McClendon, the Signal Mountain senior running back/linebacker, has decided to give wrestling a shot.
Among players who will be missed next year are Baylor tackle Barrett Gouger and linebacker John Tipton, Soddy-Daisy running back Cedric Edwards, Red Bank DB/receiver Deres Benn, McCallie lineman Tye Youngblood and running back Daniel McClure, Signal Mountain running back/linebacker Zach Bowman and versatile Brainerd player Maleek Rooks.
Last time I checked, Matt Reilly, the outstanding senior receiver at Notre Dame, had no college offers. He might not be quite as fast as Joel Bradford, but he's close, and he is similar in build to the UTC standout who played at McCallie.
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765.