[TheBoz]

I have to believe Middlesboro is the favorite, but no one could be playing worse with the talent they have than Middlesboro. They have under achieved for the past several years, including when they beat us last year. Pineville will have a shot if they can control the ball. Thoughts on this colossal match up of super powers?

[HCS]

I've always argued it's a fantasy that Middlesboro had any talent the last three years. They have a couple of athletes, but their junior high teams were some of the worst I'd seen a few years earlier, so they weren't football players, it was clear. They should be getting better this year, but even those teams were pretty thin and a couple of injuries could wipe them out.

[TheBoz]

But you really don't know anything about football other than the middle school was bad so the high school should be bad as well. Maybe they don't have coaches on either level? But make no mistake they are big and athletic and under achieving when this was suppose to be the year of the Jacket.

[HCS]

Who said it was supposed to be the year of the Jacket? If they don't win as young players they usually aren't going to win when they get older. You could see that years ago, which is why I said five years ago they were in for some bad football on the high school level.

[NextGeneration]

Middlesboro gets the win. HCS, I have heard this for sometime and my question is when does a coach need to take athletes and develop them and put them in the best position to win? Not to mention that we have had several transfers over the past few years. Cumberland Gap has fallen on hard times and we have gotten some of their best players and even before that players from TN have come in. So your argument is not all what we had then. Did you see the Harlan game?

[HCS]

Sounds like more players coming in from losing programs. Adding average to bad players at one school to average to bad players at another school doesn't add up to a good team.

[TheBoz]

Middlesboro gets the win. HCS, I have heard this for sometime and my question is when does a coach need to take athletes and develop them and put them in the best position to win? Not to mention that we have had several transfers over the past few years. Cumberland Gap has fallen on hard times and we have gotten some of their best players and even before that players from TN have come in. So your argument is not all what we had then. Did you see the Harlan game?

Exactly, thank you. Who said it was the year of the Jacket, all of the Jacket faithful that USED to post on here. This was the year of the turnaround.

[TheBoz]

Sounds like more players coming in from losing programs. Adding average to bad players at one school to average to bad players at another school doesn't add up to a good team.

Even bad teams have good players , you just continue to look at middle school scores and box scores and say they are supposed to be bad.

[NextGeneration]

HCS, quick question. Bell Co. middle school was terrible with these same players they have now in high school. Worse than Middlesboro. Please explain.

[NextGeneration]

Still waiting.

[Gitback Coach]

Last team with the ball loses?

MHS - 22
PHS - 14

[BellCo18]

IF the Jackets can pull out a miracle in this game and win. Enjoy. It's your last win of the season. Pineville does have more W's than the Jackets. 😉

[BellCo18]

Middlesboro has the athletes. Period. Sebastian leads the state in tackles. Plain and simple. It's the coaching that's not there. Randy showed that when he was coaching Middlesboro that they can still be good. Admin canned him for a alumni. Now karma is biting them hard for that. 😂

[OldJacket]

Lions by 6

[NextGeneration]

Still waiting on HCS? Bell Co takes the worse middle school team they have had in 20 or more years and riding 3-0 number 6-7 in 3A , why?

[HCS]

Sorry, I'm not sitting by the computer waiting to answer you. I have to work some, too.
I saw a terrible Bell middle school team two years ago. Last year's team was much better. It seems they were pretty competitive three or four years ago. They were never even close to being as bad as that Middlesboro team I saw a few years back.
I'm sure coaching has something to do with it, especially with Dudley back in town.
I'm not defending the current Middlesboro coaching staff. I don't know anything about them. My point was I knew they would be bad for years and they have been.

[NextGeneration]

Middlesboro beat them , Bell had 13 players and canceled practice till school started . They were as bad or worse. COACHING, you hit the nail on the head. Just because you are bad in middle school doesn't have to hold over. You may have had a bad middle school coach. Did you see the Harlan game?

[HCS]

No, I was at the Harlan County game.
I've been on the record as saying Middlesboro would/should show improvement this year. The past two classes were the worst, from what I saw when they were younger.
I'm not talking about the freshmen classes. It takes a while for that to show up. One bad class can be overcome, but Middlesboro had two or three bad ones.

[NextGeneration]

If you have not seen us this year that would explain it. We are big and very athletic. NO reason for this type play when you see this team other than they are underachieving.

[jacket-pride]

For whatever reason you all are severely over complicating this thing. Good coaches make bad teams average, average teams good, good teams great. There is no denying the fact that talent in Middlesboro is and has been down by tradinial standards for about 5-7 years now. However, there is enough talent here to be at least average. By that I mean we should beat the harlans, pinevilles, clay county, Claiborne county, on the schedule and we should compete and steal a few from the south laurel, Paris, and Williamsburg from time to time. With a good coach the talent we have should equal 5/7 wins every other year and you SHOULD be able to see improvement in the kids other than them getting a year older each season. What we are seeing is and average talented team underachieving and being a bad team. We're not winning a state championship or winning this district with nick Saban at the helm but we should be much better and compete much more often than we are now. Until something changes this is the product we will continue to get. But make no mistake about It there isn't numbers in the school or talent on the field to make us a good/great team right now. It's that simple no more no less.

[NextGeneration]

That is what I am trying to say. 5-7 wins with this talent. Not 1-2. But to say we have zero talent and should not beat those you said is dead wrong. �� HCS seems to know different.

[Truthhurts]

Pineville will give Middlesboro all it wants maybe pull out the upset! Remember a few weeks ago Clairborne County could no way beat Middlesboro.... And they killed them.... Wagoner is not a good linebacker making all his tackles 4-6 yards past the line of scrimmage. Been the best linebacker wouldn't be Mike on any other team!
PHS 35
MHS 14

[jacket-pride]

i hope we can win this game I know we should. If I were betting money I'm gonna say Pineville wins 28-35

[NextGeneration]

Middlesboro wins BIG!!!! 38-6....if not a win Clean house on Saturday night. Martin and his brother takes over until they are fired at end of season. hh: Hearing this discussion with the Board.

[RicFlair]

Exactly, thank you. Who said it was the year of the Jacket, all of the Jacket faithful that USED to post on here. This was the year of the turnaround.

Lost starting QB in week one in a game where they were having a lot of offensive success against a "good" bell county team. Week 2, new QB in the veere and the ball hit the ground, ALOT, sometimes that happens. Week 3 nearly beat a very mediocre 4A team in a sloppy game both ways, just wasn't good weather for football at all. Week 4 get a win that was more lopsided than the scoreboard showed. Pineville has 2 or 3 good years in the last 30 and all of the sudden their fans are looking down on programs.

[RicFlair]

Still waiting on HCS? Bell Co takes the worse middle school team they have had in 20 or more years and riding 3-0 number 6-7 in 3A , why?

Because they haven't played anyone

[Truthhurts]

Keep Fighting for your job Zach you haven't stopped fumbling. How many Senior years are you gonna ruin? Is 4 not enough for you? It's time for excuses to stop. Please enough is enough.

[Truthhurts]

Is it true the parents have started a petition to have Massengill removed? If so do u have to be resident to sign or Alum or how does that work.

[Mountain Lion 4 Life]

I think it will be a tight game but I will take my Mountain Lions at the end of the night.

[NextGeneration]

Because they haven't played anyone

Really, let's take a look at this schedule, Claiborne, Clay and Harlan Ind. I think you missed my point, we haven't either and 1-3 . Almost giving Harlan game away.