[NextGeneration]

Happy New Year to all!

Jackets lose quiet a few skill kids. 2018 is just another of the last 3 years.

On another note, some of the most disturbing news a Jacket fan can receive is being discussed by those in charge. Middlesboro Football is considering dropping from District play. Jacket fans can toss that around for a few days and IMO this would conclude the total collapse of this once very proud program. IF TRUE, what else can be said, we have to go in a different direction and not let this happen. Thoughts?

[OldJacket]

Sad and disturbing...

[footballfever]

It would be tough. 2nd year of 2 year contracts. Have buy out of 3 district contracts and no way they find games to replace.

[bigscreen]

It will mean a fire sale for our football program. The team on top of the hill and the team over the hill will take all of our players with nothing like the playoffs to play for they will leave in droves. This is the easiest way to drop football without dropping it.

[E's Army]

Whose idea is this?

[NextGeneration]

Board member told me, said the Coach.

[PRIDE101]

This can't be true, if so, surly some Middlesboro alum can do something to change this. This is a death sentence to a program.

Interested in knowing if anyone has done this and even made it back to a district championship game.

[Football_Maniac]

Rumor has it there is one board member spouting off about a lot of things and very inaccurate on almost everything she says and does to the point of overstepping her bounds and losing her position on the board. Can’t imagine Middlesboro dropping from district play especially with the potential of being back in single A in two years. Danville loses a lot as does LCA. I would think Somerset may be the front runner. 3 years removed from an 0-10 season. New alignment may see several mountain schools moving classifications.

[NextGeneration]

That worries me, since this board member is a man and relative. So that is 2 now. Not good.

[OldJacket]

Sounds like you need to replace some board members followed by a administration change...

[NextGeneration]

This just makes me wonder, who is running this place and do they have a clue about anything sports related?

[Truthhurts]

Massengil will be around a long time. There is a group of citizens that are trying to get rid of him but the super is there to collect retirement and not make any big waves.

[Gitback Coach]

I’ve never seen things lower in the crater—on the one hand, a change makes sense.

On the other, I think those responsible for the current state of the program should be the ones to clean it up, if that’s possible.

[WILDCAT NATION]

Rumor has it there is one board member spouting off about a lot of things and very inaccurate on almost everything she says and does to the point of overstepping her bounds and losing her position on the board. Can’t imagine Middlesboro dropping from district play especially with the potential of being back in single A in two years. Danville loses a lot as does LCA. I would think Somerset may be the front runner. 3 years removed from an 0-10 season. New alignment may see several mountain schools moving classifications.

Danville and LCA will both still be very good. The issue is Somerset will be better and all 3 will be really good and nearly equal. That keeps M'boro right where they are for as long as they are in this district. If this is even a solid rumor Log Mountain will get every good player they have and effectively put a wood screw in the Jackets coffin lid.

[WhyLie]

Danville and LCA will both still be very good. The issue is Somerset will be better and all 3 will be really good and nearly equal. That keeps M'boro right where they are for as long as they are in this district. If this is even a solid rumor Log Mountain will get every good player they have and effectively put a wood screw in the Jackets coffin lid.

You can hear Ole Dud’s laugh as it echos through Log Mountain all the way to the Crater.

[plantmanky]

Dropping out of district isnt a bad thing. Its not like they were going to win, or even compete in their district anyways. Lots of good things can come of this. Now, probably should be for 2 years of the next 4 year cycle to honor current contracts.

[HCS]

What teams have thrived after dropping out of district play?

[NextGeneration]

Dropping out of district isnt a bad thing. Its not like they were going to win, or even compete in their district anyways. Lots of good things can come of this. Now, probably should be for 2 years of the next 4 year cycle to honor current contracts.

Nothing good can come from it. NOTHING! For this team they would be lucky to field a team if they did. You don’t have to win district , at this point this community would be happy to go 500. That is scheduling and competing with some class A schools. There is only one answer , replace anyone that pushes for it and hire someone that doesn’t want to quit and will fight and work harder to win.

[trooperman]

Massengil will be around a long time. There is a group of citizens that are trying to get rid of him but the super is there to collect retirement and not make any big waves.

Sounds like that what the last super did, except he made waves by ruining the tradition rich football program. Heard he was taking his big retirement, selling his house and getting out of town. Don't see how they can drop out of the district, but I guess nothing would surprise anyone down that way. Really sad to see mboro football in such a mess.

[Fly Like a Duck]

What teams have thrived after dropping out of district play?

Lawrence County did it in the late 80's and became the winningest program in the entire state during the 90's.

Pulaski County in the mid/late 90's right before Hines took over.

I believe Casey County had before Stoney took them over for his first stint back in the late 90's. That program has been significantly better the last 17-18 years than it was before.

Those are just off the top of my head.

[Fly Like a Duck]

Pulaski was out of district the same time as Lawrence through much of the 80's and into the early 90's.

[Real Badman]

What teams have thrived after dropping out of district play?

Lawrence County in the 90's

[Real Badman]

A lot of good things. Mborro will do better out of district play. Anyone with any football sense can see that. Bell and Pineville can consolidate, and still get beat by 30 against Danville and LCA. Mborro has nothing to be ashamed about. Drop out, get 20 wins in 2 years. Come back with a built program.

[NextGeneration]

A lot of good things. Mborro will do better out of district play. Anyone with any football sense can see that. Bell and Pineville can consolidate, and still get beat by 30 against Danville and LCA. Mborro has nothing to be ashamed about. Drop out, get 20 wins in 2 years. Come back with a built program.

The only difference is two large county schools with enough kids and class A schools to win games. Now give me an example of a small independent school with two other schools within 6-7 miles and one of the best recruiters in the state on Log Mountain just waiting. Not to mention we have not been able to compete in one of the weakest class A districts , we are playing most all of them. I have to completely disagree that anything good can come from this situation. The problem is take a look at the kids we are playing with, we should win against the class A schools we are playing with good schedules that would be 7-3 to 6-4. It is obvious what is needed here. Until the work ethic by all involved and the kids want to play for someone and can be motivated to work for that someone it will not change in or out of district. So how does 1-9 in the district and 1-9 out of the district change other than not getting to compete in playoffs?

[plantmanky]

Nothing good can come from it. NOTHING! For this team they would be lucky to field a team if they did. You don’t have to win district , at this point this community would be happy to go 500. That is scheduling and competing with some class A schools. There is only one answer , replace anyone that pushes for it and hire someone that doesn’t want to quit and will fight and work harder to win.

Read your own post. The good from it is that instead of going 0-3 and getting your brains beat in, just to play one extra game in playoffs where you get the rest of the brains you have left removed from your body.

Drop the district, go schedule teams you can at least compete with, rebuild your program.

Or just close the program down.

[Rommel]

When is this suppose to happen? That will leave a bunch of teams with only 9 games. Bad deal for sure.

[bigscreen]

Pulaski was in a much different situation, they were in an area which is growing....the crater,not so much. Our Jackets will bleed players faster than a patient in a leech clinic. Goodbye Yellow Jacket football. Maybe the other sports will benefit like Barbourville does in basketball by not having football

[Gitback Coach]

Waaaaay back in 2013, I was very much opposed to the decision to fire a head coach who had just finished 9-3 . . . for countless reasons.

But never in my wildest dreams could I have envisioned the dumpster fire that this once proud program has become. I'm at a loss. Soccer, anyone?

[Predator/Prey]

With:
Bell County
South Laurel
Danville
LCA
Somerset

5 games that will have to go. Who do you play? Last 3 years they are 4-6 against against the weakest programs you can schedule in that area of KY and TN. With a record of 4-29 ? From what I hear, they are looking to do it this year. Minimum have to have 2-3 games. Who?
I know Bell and South are not in district but why would you play them and drop from district?

[Gitback Coach]

If the Jackets go non-district, their schedule (ideally) might include:

Thomas Walker (VA)
Claiborne County (TN)
Cumberland Gap ((TN)
Jellico (TN)
Pineville
Harlan
Lynn Camp
Clinton County
Berea
McCreary Central
Jackson County

They could likely compete with most of those programs within a reasonable distance from the crater.