Guest Blogger: Former State Football Champion Talks from Hawaii of Historic Opportunity in Front of Indians
By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on November 25, 2014
By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on November 25, 2014
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C.D., Great article. The beginning of your article made me think of an article I read in our local newspaper a few days ago. Then again, the article I read a few days ago made me think of Bridgeport. You'll know what I mean when you read it below. Maryville is the dominant high school football team in Tennessee. They are ridiculously good. The best team in NE Tennessee (Science Hill High School in Johnson City) went down there this past weekend for their playoff game. I thought Science Hill was really good and had a real chance to beat Maryville. I saw SH play a few weeks ago and felt like they were pretty well coached, big, fast, and physical. Well they went down to Maryville and got demolished 45-0. So yeah, what makes Maryville so good? Turns out, most of the same stuff that makes Bridgeport so good now and so good in the past. See below:
What makes Maryville one of the elites? November 17th, 2014 10:52 pm by DOUGLAS FRITZ What makes Maryville, Maryville? That was the question asked to Jesse Smithey, the former prep sports editor of the Knoxville News-Sentinel who has experienced a close look at the Rebels’ football program through the years. Science Hill will travel to face Maryville in Friday’s Class 6A state quarterfinals. It will be the Hilltoppers’ first journey this far in 20 years. It’s the polar opposite for the Rebels. Maryville’s success rate is dramatically different from everybody else. Head coach George Quarles has won more games over the last 10 seasons than any coach in the United States — and it’s not even close as Quarles is basically a full season ahead of everybody else. So how does a team put together a record of 157-5 with seven state championships over 10-plus seasons? Smithey broke it down into parts Monday afternoon. 40 percent (coaching staff) At the top of the list is Quarles, but it’s more than just him. It’s a group of assistant coaches Smithey said are really second to none. “For the most part, the staff is made up of former head coaches,” said Smithey. “And it’s really some of the better coaches around. They have a wealth of knowledge. “Quarles doesn’t have to micro-manage anything. He doesn’t have to worry about each component of the game. It’s a finely tuned machine every year.” 25 percent (community support/feeder programs) “Kids grow up wanting to be a Maryville football player,” said Smithey. “And the community supports the younger programs and makes sure they are done the right way. The middle school/junior high teams are mainly condensed versions of the high school level. “Everything works together for a common goal, which is winning a championship.” 20 percent (skilled athletes) Maryville doesn’t overwhelm opponents with a parade of Division I athletes. This year’s team has one legitimate big-time prospect in 6-foot-6, 250-pound linebacker/defensive end Dylan Jackson, a University of Tennessee commitment. “It’s not a matter of having better athletes,” said Smithey. “They just have unbelievable football IQ. These guys know more Xs and Os than the typical high school football player. “Sometimes athletically Maryville has no business being on the field with a Blackman, Oakland, or even (Knoxville) West. But it’s the coaches dictating and exploiting matchups.” 15 percent (tradition) “Tradition is certainly important,” said Smithey. “I’ve talked to players who didn’t want to play football anymore after they left Maryville. They grow up in an environment where football is their life from the time they are 5-6-7 years old. Once they’ve won a championship and fulfilled their destiny, they’re ready to move on. “They grow up in an environment where they expect to win. They feel pressure to be a Maryville football player, and meet a certain standard. And that has grown to epic proportions where being a state runner-up might be seen as a failure.” So when will Maryville cease being Maryville? Smithey said it hinges on the coaching staff. “I think Maryville will always win at a high level,” he said. “The community will do what it needs to do. But if Quarles left, it wouldn’t be the same. Eventually a domino will fall, and there will be a ripple effect. I just can’t predict when.”
Posted by Gary Lhotsky
Nov. 25, 2014 at 9:21 PM EST
EXCELLENT GUEST ARTICLE!! You have an incredible memory C.D.!! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!
Posted by Carl Correll
Nov. 25, 2014 at 4:57 PM EST
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