Getting into the Predators Cup - what GNASH's Tier 2 teams must do with four games left, and, farewell to Kevin Whitmire

The GNASH season resumes tomorrow with a few teams practicing, as a briefer-than-normal Thanksgiving break - thanks to Centennial and Hendersonville having to play a makeup game on Monday night - comes to a close.

With two weeks left before the month-long Christmas/New Year's break, the focus turns sharply to Tier 2, where we're on the verge of determining which two teams will be playing in the Predators Conference for January play, and which three teams will fall into the Hine Conference.

By the end of Wednesday night's slate of games, one team could clinch a spot in the Predators Conference, and another team fall into the Hine Conference. We'll go through each's team scenarios by order of their current position in the standings, starting with:

Tennessee Outlaws

The Outlaws were pretty much a safe bet to get into the big show because they have so much depth. They've been at the top of Tier 2 since the season started, and with the exception of a couple of blips on the radar, both of which came against Pope John Paul II-Goodpasture, have been pretty solid and steady. The tier-leading Outlaws are up by four points over the second-place Knights (15-11), and could have themselves a spot in the Predators Conference before their game against Montgomery Bell next Saturday, which is being played ahead of schedule because of MBA having finals. The Outlaws needn't worry about JPII-Goodpasture, but rather, Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central, since there are, after all, two spots up for grabs, not one. The Outlaws have a five-point lead on the third-place Golden Bears, who play JPII-Goodpasture on Wednesday.

The Outlaws' four remaining games before Christmas are as follows:
Wednesday vs. Ensworth-FRA
Friday vs. JPII-Goodpasture
Saturday vs. MBA
December 12 vs. Hendersonville

For the Outlaws, the clinching scenario is simple: defeat Ensworth-FRA on Wednesday, with JPII-Goodpasture beating Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central in the game immediately preceding, and a spot in the Predators Conference is yours, and those games against MBA and Hendersonville become an early look at how you might do against Tier 1 competition. JPII-Goodpasture can beat Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central in either regulation or a shootout, because, even if the Golden Bears completely made up a six-point deficit to the Outlaws over their last three games, the Outlaws have beaten MJ-WC in both of the teams' meetings this season, so, Tennessee owns the head-to-head tiebreaker.

If Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central beats JPII-Goodpasture on Wednesday, then the Outlaws would have to win on Wednesday and Friday to snatch up a spot. I would post all the scenarios, but, I don't think there's any way the Outlaws are going to stumble now.

Pope John Paul II-Goodpasture

The reigning Blue Division State Tournament champions started the season 0-2-1 (a loss to Hendersonville on opening night, a stunning draw against the Outlaws, then a shocking beatdown from Blackman-Stewarts Creek on Halloween), but have since won five of their last six, the only blemish in this run being a 4-2 loss to MBA on November 12, and the biggest result being that vicious 6-1 spanking they gave the Outlaws (with one Russell Morris in the line-up, mind you) two nights later. Since those opening three games, the Knights have really gelled, and are back to playing the type of hockey we're used to seeing them play, a great occurrence after a difficult 2013-14 campaign, albeit with the happy ending. Unlike the Outlaws, who only have Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central to watch, the Knights have both MJ-WC and Ensworth-FRA looming behind them. The Knights are a point ahead of Mt. Juliet (11-10), and three ahead of Ensworth-FRA. The Knights' four remaining games are:

Wednesday vs. Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central
Friday vs. Tennessee Outlaws
December 10 vs. Independence-Summit
December 12 vs. Ensworth-FRA

The Knights can also have a spot in the Predators Conference secured by the end of the week, but, they're going to need some help to do so. First off, the Knights must win both of their games this week, against the Golden Bears and Outlaws, with Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central also losing to Franklin-Oakland on Friday night. They also need the Outlaws to defeat Ensworth-FRA on Wednesday. This entire scenarion occurring would give the Knights a five-point lead over both Mt. Juliet and Ensworth, allowing them clinch a Preds Conference berth at the end of the week. They can beat MJ-WC in regulation or a shootout and still be able to clinch on Friday, since they would then own the head-to-head against the Golden Bears. Otherwise, it looks like JPII-Goodpasture needs to win out (or, at least win three of their last four, with one of those three being against Mt. Juliet), because Mt. Juliet has three very winnable games remaining after Wednesday.

Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central

The reigning Hine Cup champs have a chance to abdicate their throne for greener pastures, but time is running out. They're sandwiched between a hot JPII-Goodpasture and a stumbling Ensworth-FRA, both of whom the Golden Bears have lost a game to. MJ-WC avenged that one loss to Ensworth a week ago last night, but, the Ice Tigers own the goal differential tiebreaker, outscoring the Bears 5-4 over both games. It seems, though, that the Knights are now the bigger concern. The Bears are without Kieran Ogle, now in Detroit, playing for the Belle Tire Selects, but have maintained the core that guided them to the Hine Cup last season, albeit having graduated Shaun Silk. The loss to Ensworth on November 5 stands out, because if that were reversed, Mt. Juliet would be a point ahead of JPII, but, you can't play with the past. The Golden Bears' final four games include a scheduling oddity:

Wednesday vs. Pope John Paul II-Goodpasture
Friday vs. Franklin-Oakland
December 10 & 12 vs. Station Camp-Beech

That's right - the Bears close their pre-Christmas slate with back-to-back showdowns with the Bison. As previously mentioned, the Bears' last three games are winnable, since their opponents have struggled, but beating JPII-Goodpasture in regulation would put them up by a point with three games left, going a long way towards getting that last spot. For Mt. Juliet, their scenario is simple but difficult: they need to win just one of their four remaining games (a win against JPII-Goodpasture must come in regulation, because a shootout win would give JPII the tiebreaker of number of points earned in head-to-head games, having already won the teams' first meeting), with JPII losing all of their remaining games in regulation, and Ensworth-FRA losing three of their last four in regulation.

Ensworth-FRA

The Ice Tigers started out by winning three of their first four, the lone loss coming to MBA on October 30. The trend has reversed, though, and they've now lost four of their last five, the only win in this run coming against Indy-Summit on November 14. Franklin-Oakland and Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central avenged losses to the Ice Tigers the week before Thanksgiving, and now, Ensworth's hopes of getting to the Preds Cup are slowly slipping away. They're seven points behind the Outlaws as of this moment, and, if that gap remains the same after Wednesday, their chances will suddenly take a big hit, because the gap to the Outlaws would be insurmountable, and they would find themselves locked in a three-way battle for the last spot. But the two teams immediately ahead should be their biggest concern. They pretty much need a collapse from both JPII-Goodpasture and Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central. Even worse news for Ensworth is the fact that their first post-Thanksgiving game is against...the Outlaws. Lose that game, with either side winning the JPII-Mt. Juliet game prior, and suddenly, the Ice Tigers need a ton of help. In fact, their remaining schedule is nail-biting:

Wednesday vs. Tennessee Outlaws
Friday vs. Blackman-Stewarts Creek
December 10 vs. Hume Fogg-Page
December 12 vs. Pope John Paul II-Goodpasture

The game against Hume Fogg-Page is pretty winnable, considering the tailspin the PatriKnights are currently in. The game against Blackman is harder to judge. But having to close out with JPII is just brutal. The odd thing is, it's the teams' only meeting pre-Christmas, and it happens to be the last night of play before the long break. The Ice Tigers are only three points behind JPII, but their task of getting that last spot is tall. If they lose to the Outlaws on Wednesday, Mt. Juliet beating JPII in the game before would be the lesser of two evils, because, they would still have a fighting chance. A four-point gap to the Bears is better than a five-point gap to the Knights. Forget about the Outlaws: Ensworth-FRA need to win three of their last four games, with JPII-Goodpasture losing three of their last four in regulation, and Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central losing two of their last four in regulation. It's a tall task, but this is GNASH, and crazier things have happened (Ravenwood-Brentwood winning the 2010 Hine Cup after having only won two games in the regular season, both of which came after Christmas, anyone?).

Franklin-Oakland

The Rebels were the #1 seed in the Hine Cup last year, but got forced out in two games. They finished their season as runners-up to JPII in the Blue Division Tournament. This season, a lack of pucks in the net have put Franklin-Oakland way behind the 8 ball, a shock when you consider how well Dylan Akers has played in net; taking over from Peter Yasso is no easy task. The Rebels have only two wins: against Hume Fogg-Page on November 7, and Ensworth-FRA on November 19. They have no draws, and no shootout losses, meaning, they have only four points. They sit seven points behind JPII-Goodpasture, and if JPII wins on Wednesday night against Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central, or even draws or loses in a shootout, Franklin-Oakland will find themselves in the Hine Conference. What's worse, as their last four games before Christmas show, they have to play a couple of Tier 1 squads; not great news for a struggling team:

Wednesday vs. Hume Fogg-Page
Friday vs. Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central
December 10 vs. Hendersonville
December 12 vs. MBA

The Rebels truly control their own destiny. The game against Hume Fogg is winnable, but they have only one game against the three teams immediately in front of them in Tier 2. Franklin have to tiptoe through a minefield to reach their goal; I'm sorry to say, I don't think they'll make it. They need a complete and total collapse from the three teams in front of them. They need to win out, with JPII, Mt. Juliet, and Ensworth losing every single game they have left. That's how tall their task is. I don't think they can beat Hendersonville; I think it's too late for them to make up ground.

These last two weeks are going to be a lot of fun to watch. Getting to the Preds Cup out of Tier 2 is as simple as following the Al Davis philosophy: "Just win, baby!"

Finally, a fond farewell to Kevin Whitmire, whom, tomorrow, will move back to his native Texas to start a new job on Monday. His wife and two children will join him after the school year wraps up in Maury County. They've also recently announced that they are expecting their third child. Kevin has been more than vital in helping MTSN get to where it is now. He joined us in September 2009, and has really helped get our GNASH coverage out there. He stepped away in 2011 to take up contract work with KBR in Iraq. He returned in December 2012, and got right back into GNASH coverage. His most recent broadcast with us was the UT-Vandy game at Bridgestone Arena back on March 30. Kevin's most recent broadcasting assignment was the State Wars roller hockey tournament in Fort Wayne, Indiana, back in late July and early August. In addition to GNASH, Kevin also did play-by-play for football and baseball on occasion, and helped me and Craig Jolly call races at Thunderhill Raceway in Summertown. He's a great businessman, and when we had the chance to get GNASH coverage on WAKM last season, he made a big push. He fell short (though, that's more down to the businesses not realizing the benefits of advertising with us, than him), but I'll always appreciate the effort. Kevin: Thanks, and good luck. We're gonna miss you.

GNASH coverage resumes Monday evening with Hendersonville taking on Ravenwood. The schedule for the last two weeks leading up to Christmas is up at MTSNOnline.com.

-Michael Hackney

Are the TSSAA's recent penalties about post-game football brawls teaching an unfortunate lesson?

On Thursday night, MTSN closed out its sixth season of high school football coverage, featuring LaVergne shockingly crushing Siegel 56-23 to nail down its first playoff berth since 2006. In the fourth quarter, after Roshea Grays scored his third rushing touchdown of the night from eight yards out, LaVergne offensive lineman Charlie Heughan and Siegel defensive lineman Isahia Gooch became entangled and started throwing punches at each other, leading to their ejections. The officials were quick to break up the fight, and both teams' coaching staffs did a great job in keeping their sidelines calm.

Earlier in the evening, on the Eastern side of the state, Daniel Boone and David Crockett engaged in battle while shaking hands following another rendition of their classic rivalry, the Musket Bowl. WJHL, a CBS affiliated located in Johnson City, captured three Crockett players pulling a Boone player out of the handshake line, and throwing him to the ground. Multiple Boone players charged in to aid their teammate, and all hell broke loose. A fan who came on to the field was arrested for shoving a cop.

Six days prior, in Memphis, as Hillcrest celebrated a win over Mitchell, a player from the losing team prepared to hit a Hillcrest player with his helmet. A Hillcrest coach stepped in between, took the blow, and twisted his ankle while falling. A brawl which included fans ensued.

All four teams have been banned from the next three postseasons, including this upcoming one, and fines totaling $4,750. They are all appealing the punishments. It's especially unfortunate for Hillcrest and Mitchell, who were going to finish in the Top 2 in District 16-A, earning themselves first-round byes for the Class 2A playoffs.

Siegel and LaVergne will be fined for the fight, since players were ejected, but because it didn't escalate into all-out mayhem, nothing else will come of it. A week prior, we featured Siegel taking on Blackman, where not one, but two scuffles broke out: one during the first quarter on the Siegel sideline, and the other right at the end of the game, when a spearing tackle against Blackman's Jauan Jennings caused tempers to flare. The latter scuffle forced Siegel head coach Greg Wyant to make his team leave the field without shaking hands as a preventative measure. Nothing of note came from either of those two incidents.

That leads to this question: Is the TSSAA sending the message that it's better to fight during the game than after or before? It sure looks like it. Think about the scenarios: in the Hillcrest-Mitchell and Boone-Crockett brawls, the game was over, and everyone was on the field, off the sidelines. Sure, the officials are outnumbered during play, but when the game is going on, they only have to keep 22 players in check. When everyone is brawling, the officials are completely outnumbered, because now, you're talking about close to, maybe even more than, 100 people on the field, all centering around an altercation.

Officials - and quick-thinking teammates - were able to break up the Heughan-Gooch fight without any further incident because it happened while the game was going on, and everyone else was on the sidelines - or in the stands - like they were supposed to be. It may have been in a dead ball situation, but, the game was taking place. Same with the first Siegel-Blackman skirmish the week prior. In the end, both altercations were minor incidents. The Hillcrest-Mitchell and Boone-Crockett brawls overshadowed the game, and, in the case of the latter, made headlines all across the state, even leading off newscasts in the Tri-Cities. It goes from a minor incident to a disgrace, and must be dealt with accordingly, though, banning the four teams from just this postseason instead of the next three is probably a better punishment.

So, lesson learned, high school football programs of Tennessee: if you're gonna fight, do it during a game, not before or after. And to everyone on the sidelines and in the stands, make sure you stay on the sidelines, and in the stands, or else, you risk your team's postseason eligibility.