Tennessee Athletics offers student-athletes the opportunity to learn about their individual nutritional needs through sports nutritionist Allison Maurer. Tennessee is one of only four Southeastern Conference schools including Auburn, Florida and South Carolina that employs a full-time sports nutritionist. Maurer works closely with the student-athletes, coaches, trainers and strength and conditioning coaches to help each student-athlete reach their peak physical condition.
Maurer earned an undergraduate degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill. She obtained a masters degree from Georgia State University. “I have always been interested in sports nutrition,” Maurer said. “Coming out of high school I knew what I wanted to do.” Prior to coming to the University of Tennessee, Maurer worked at the University of Colorado as the Nutritionist and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach.
Maurer started at the University of Tennessee as the Nutritionist/Dietician in October of 2007. She emphasizes the importance of collegiate athletic programs having sports nutritionists. “The major benefit is having someone that can focus their entire time to the nutritional needs of the student-athletes,” Maurer said. “At most schools, it is the strength and conditioning coach who does that, but they are so busy working on work-out programs and working with their teams. Someone in my position can really dive in and stay updated and learn about what all is out there.” Maurer adds that the education and training registered dieticians receive is another asset to athletic programs. “If we have a student-athlete with diabetes or someone with chromes disease, we know how to treat those issues, whereas sometime the strength and conditioning coaches or athletic trainers lack the experience in working with those particular situations,” Maurer said. She values her role as a consistent reminder and educator for the student-athletes.
As the only nutritionist on staff, Maurer has the opportunity to work with student-athletes on both the men’s and women’s side, which brings a unique set of challenges. Men and women have numerous differences in how they eat. “With women, food is more of an emotional connection whereas men eat to eat or they forget to eat because they did not think about it,” Maurer said. “That is the main difference in working with men and women. The accountability is also different. I can bank on female student-athletes meeting me every time when they say the will. They like the one-on-one, sit-down environment. On the men’s side, the education is more a question while I’m in the weight room or training room. I go to where I know they’ll be to do most of my educating.”
Training different genders is only part of Maurer’s challenge. She also specifies the nutritional needs for each sport and even different positions within the sports. “It is definitely different for each sport,” Maurer said. “With football, they are going so hardcore almost the entire year, so their needs and their caloric intake are a lot higher than the golf team.“ The practice schedules, duration of games and daily routines vary among sports and require individual attention. “With tennis, their matches could be an hour or three and a half hours so you have to teach them how to continually fuel themselves for them not really knowing what is going to happen. A basketball game is going to be two twenty minute halves, there is no question. Training the student-athletes’ bodies to know what they need is different with each sport.”
In September of 2009, Maurer received a new tool called the bod pod that helps student-athletes best achieve their nutritional goals. The bod pod measures body fat, lean mass, fat mass and caloric expenditure. “This machine shows the student-athletes what they are doing over the course of time. For example, we tested football when they returned from winter break. They were in Atlanta for a week then went home for ten days and were not as active, so this is a great time to take their measurements because now they have six to eight weeks of off-season training that they will do. We will measure them again at the end of training and will be able to see how much lean mass they have increased and how much their body weight had changed.”
Maurer also uses the bod pod to give the student-athletes an idea of where they should be physically. “A lot of people want to think the lower the body fat is the better they are, which is a misconception. Every person has a range. Every position has a range. Defensive backs are usually between 4-7% body fat while wide receivers are usually between 8-11%. I am trying to educate the student-athletes that the ranges are individual specific and that does not necessarily mean they should be at the low or high end of the range.”
The student-athletes have been receptive to the bod pod. “They are starting to get it that they are all not going to be the same.” The bod pod reinforces the work that the training room is doing as far as rehab, reinforces what the strength and conditioning coaches are doing in the weight room and it reinforces what they are doing from a nutritional standpoint.
Maurer capitalizes on her opportunity to educate student-athletes about nutrition. She provides cooking demos and grocery shopping trips. She teaches a nutrition class that all Lady Vols are required to take as freshmen. She has created a grocery list handout with tips for student-athletes about what they should buy. “In the summer, I do a lot of grocery store tours for upperclassmen because going from living in a dorm where they have three buffet meals provided a day to living in an apartment on their own can be a challenge,” Maurer said. Her skills, education and experience in sports nutrition give Tennessee student-athletes additional tools necessary to compete at the highest level while personally being at their physical best.

Ok, so I guess you’re wondering what chocolate has to do with dancing or the beach. The answer is nothing really, unless you’re in the bunker and you need to get out. Still confused? Keep reading.
Most of us who practice usually hit balls at the range. Some of us work on our chipping, very few of us work on our putting, and no one ever works on their sand play. The truth is, once you feel comfortable “at the beach,” life becomes a lot easier on the golf course, and approach shots to the green become a lot less intimidating.
Find a practice bunker and take your sand wedge or your lob wedge into it. Rake yourself a nice patch of sand. Draw a line in the sand with your club, then make another one parallel to it so the lines are about one club head in width apart. Now make lines connecting the first two, making squares, Hershey chocolate squares. You want about 5-6 total. Now make a small dent in the sand with your club head in the middle of each “chocolate” square, this will represent the golf ball.
Now that you are all ready to practice, keep in mind there are several schools of thought on how to play a bunker shot. I find that most players have trouble getting enough height quickly; playing the ball off your front foot will help get the ball up quicker. I use this method for 95% of my shots, the only time I move the ball position to the middle is when I don’t have a big lip to deal with and there is a lot of green to work with, this helps me run the ball out more to the hole.
The other part of my set up that works best for me is having my stance square instead of opening up to the target. I found that most of my shots went left, where I was aimed. By squaring up to the target, my shots flew there instead.
The other crucial part of a bunker shot is leverage in your backswing. Pick the club up quickly with a little shoulder turn, setting the club steeply with your wrists, take it a bit inside and keep your legs quiet. On the follow through, make sure you follow through! Not finishing your swing is probably the biggest mistake most people make. The follow through will give your ball height and direction; it will also keep the momentum of your club moving forward through the sand. Your backswing length will control your distance, so follow through and accelerate, it’s crucial!
Ok, back to the chocolate! This is where you can really hone your skills. Line up your front foot with the first line you drew, the one closest to the green; this will put the ball on the front of your stance. Next, hold your club behind your first chocolate square above the sand, near or over the back line. Now make practice swings, removing your chocolate squares and landing them on the green. Check to see where your square was after each shot, use the remaining squares as feedback for your divots. Was your divot too long or too deep? Did your divot start half way through your square? Keep practicing without a ball, getting the feel for taking the right amount of sand. Now make a new chocolate bar, and place a ball in the middle of each new square. Instead of focusing on the ball (the root of most of our issues), just swing and put your chocolate on the green; the ball will magically land there, too!
If you’re not a chocolate lover, make small circles instead of squares, and take yourself to a “tropical island” instead. Who wouldn’t want a vacation at the beach? Think of this next time you’re faced with a bunker shot on the course, and watch your ball fly safely home on the first try!

In light of recent developments,
it’s a good time to
reflect on Dane Bradshaw
being named captain of the
“Sports Illustrated All Glue
Team” to reward unselfish
players that always put the
team first.

He also could be the poster boy for
hustle and instinct in a victory over a
team with more talent.

Whatever the case, the former Vols
captain could not hide his dismay when a
new year dawned. Before the day was
done, ESPN’s ticker told the story about
four Vols being arrested for weapons,
drug and alcohol charges. It was a black
eye for the program and anyone that has
ever been associated with it.

“Across the board, most athletes spend a
majority of their time idolizing pro
athletes and rappers or music celebrities,”
Bradshaw said. “Sometimes they try and
live both lifestyles and you just can’t do
that. You have to choose one or the other.”

Whether it is a celebrity athlete or a
naïve freshman, it’s tempting to unwind
after a demanding study session or exam.

“Tennessee is such a great, fun school,”
said Bradshaw, who grew up in Memphis.
“Many times you are sitting at home
trying to be disciplined knowing that you
are missing a lot of the fun regular
students are having. In the end, the
sacrifices are well worth the success you
will experience as a team and the fun you
can have celebrating that.”

The good times may not be over for
Tyler Smith, the team captain that was
dismissed by coach Bruce Pearl. Just his
good times as a UT basketball player.

(Word of advice: Would the Vols coaches
and players please stop referring to scoring
options as “weapons.” At least a couple of
highly publicized weapons are under lock
and key at the Knoxville Police Department.)

Leave it to someone as astute as Dane
Bradshaw to find a silver lining.

“Tyler Smith’s dismissal could be worth
millions of dollars to Wayne Chism in
terms of the NBA,” Bradshaw said recently
on the Enrichment Sports Source (WATE
on Sunday mornings at 11). “Wayne has
gone from being a second-team All-SEC
player to first team.”

The 6-foot-8 Chism has taken over more
leadership and displayed the rare ability to
post up and hit big 3-point shots.

“Right now, Wayne and Patrick Patterson
of Kentucky are the only two players in the
SEC doing that on a consistent basis,” said
former UT coach Don DeVoe. “That’s a
great way to get noticed.”

No matter how things play out as March
Madness approaches, the Vols played
better after the suspensions and a
five-game winning streak featured the
historic upset of No. 1 Kansas in Thompson-
Boling Arena. As coach Pearl pointed
out, the “honor and glory” were restored
to the university.

“Tyler Smith is one of the kinder
athletes I’ve been around,” said Bradshaw,
who played the 2007-08 season in Holland
after graduating with a masters in sport
management. “I don’t know what caused
him to do what he did, but I don’t look at
Tyler as a criminal or threat to society by
any means. I still look at him as a friend
and I am confident he will bounce back
from this and be successful making a
living in sports. Unfortunately, he had to
learn the hard way.

“Many young college kids – not just
athletes – fail to keep the big picture in mind
and think about their future before some
selfish action,” Bradshaw said. “There are
cases where those actions cost them
phenomenal opportunities and their future.”

Bradshaw is moving on, too.

He resides in Knoxville with his bride,
the former Julia Taylor, and jokingly says
it must be true love because they met his
sophomore year and no girl wanted to be
associated with him at that point.

At the request of John “Thunder”
Thornton, who is a long-time UT booster,
Bradshaw was named president of a new
company called “Taxi On Demand.” The
goal is to market a pre-paid taxi card for
college students nationwide.

“I have seen way too many friends and
classmates drive when they have absolutely
no business of getting behind the wheel.
You also hear about cases when girls were
stranded after a bad date and just try to
walk back alone. Maybe they just need a
way out of a difficult situation. So John
Thornton’s son, Johnny Thornton, Jr., came
up with this idea to have a pre-paid taxi
card and I think it’s a great one.”

All in all, Dane Bradshaw is happy to be
safe and sound at home. He has started a
business, gotten married and still has time
to pursue his passion for cooking on a
smoker. During college he helped beat
Memphis in Memphis to give UT its first
No. 1 ranking in men’s basketball. His
team won games throughout the SEC,
Madison Square Garden and Maui. He
even survived a highly publicized ride
down a zip line from the Sunsphere, too.

Nothing against the land of wooden
shoes, but it’s great to be home again.

“I tell people my dream as a kid was to
play for the Chicago Bulls,” said Bradshaw,
who also is available for speaking engagements.
“Well, I ended up in Holland
playing for a team called the Seals… and, yes,
they did a Seals bark during pre-game
introductions. The people there were nice
as can be. The good news was that I made the
game-winning shot in 20 percent of our wins.
The bad news is that we only won five games.”

Thank goodness the memories will last
forever.

For more information about Dane Bradshaw’s
new company, log onto www.
taxiondemand.com. EK

The Tennessee Way

The most valuable person in the Lady
Vols basketball program could be a
former strength and conditioning
coach for Notre Dame’s football team.

Heather Mason, who is in her
seventh year at UT, is the mastermind
behind a rigorous workout regimen
that has drastically improved the
team’s mental
and physical approach.

“We call it the Tennessee Way,”
said Mason, who was promoted
to assistant athletics director for
strength and conditioning last
year. “It is very intense and everyone
is held accountable because of
an extremely disciplined training
style. It’s not the Heather Mason
way—it is the Tennessee Way.”

Whether it involves running
Gate 10 at Neyland Stadium, going
to the indoor football practice
facility, pushing grocery carts
on sleds with up to 200 pound
weights or flipping tires to a semi-
truck, the timed workouts have
brought a sense of urgency and
competitive spirit. Players don’t
want to become the weakest link
and can accomplish results they
never dreamed possible.

“I might tell you that Heather is
the best I have ever worked with
in this area,” Lady Vols coach Pat
Summitt said. “Bodies have changed and minds have gotten
a lot tougher mentally.”

It all started last March after an embarrassing loss to
Ball State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
It was the first time that UT failed to reach the second
round, much less advance to the Final Four.

Right after that loss, players were asked to make a commitment
to get better. After something of a boot camp
atmosphere, they emerged much
stronger. There are several key
components in this new resolve.

“They invested in this program
in the summer,” Summitt said.
“They were just pouring sweat
and that developed a mental
toughness and attitude this group
did not have a year ago. It’s the
reason we are playing as well as
we are right now.”

Players encouraged each other
and the bonding experience led
to a better team concept. It was
a strength and conditioning
perfecta.

Mason, 33, is a volleyball
standout and was the team’s captain
at the University of Cincinnati
in 1998. She spent five years
at Notre Dame and was the top
choice among three candidates
recommended by long-time Lady
Vols trainer Jenny Moshak.

“Jenny found her,” Summitt
said. “Heather was by far the
most impressive. I wish more people could watch her
train our team. They would go, ‘I am not believing this.’
She just does not let anyone take shortcuts. She’s always
saying there are no shortcuts to success. With Heather,
there’s accountability the whole way.”

Just imagine how players feel when they go to a grocery
store and push a shopping cart. It’s a far cry from
the grueling timed sprints on artificial turf with 100 to
200 pound weights in the buggy. Former UT football
strength and conditioning coach Johnny Long brought
the concept to the Vols. It is a
great way to improve ankle and
knee strength and hip power.

“It’s also a mentality to go as
hard as you can for as long as
you can,” Mason said. “Iron will
doesn’t break and neither does
our will.”

A sign on the wall—and a
quote from Albert Einstein—is
an indication of the unique
approach. “The definition of insanity
is trying the same thing
over and over and expecting
different results.”

There are several areas and individual success is
rewarded, often with less wind sprints.

It can be as bizarre as flipping a semi-truck tire to
improve the squatting technique, pushing sleds with
weights that range from 45 to 90 pounds or a 50-yard
dash down and back. Players also experienced the
“mano on mano” approach of tug-of-war.

When everything was finally over, Sydney Smallbone
emerged as the Iron Will Champion. Angie Bjorklund
finished second. Former Webb School standout Glory
Johnson displayed the most improvement.

“Glory is such a phenomenal athlete,” Mason said.
“She has so much physicality and is so gifted athletically.
Where she gained was in her approach mentally.
She might have been tempted to shut it down mentally
before. She was really challenged in the eight inches
between the ears. We call it ‘neck up training.’ The
training really benefited her mentally.”

Alicia Manning was another winner in mental
toughness. Briana Bass improved her communication,
thanks to the Tennessee Way.

“We embraced it,” Mason said. “Absolutely.”

She could be the MVP for all Lady Vols.

Heather Mason responds with a slightly embarrassed
laugh.

“That’s awful nice,” she said. “I have not heard that,
but thank you. We just put our head down and go to
work. That’s all we know.” EK

Chuck Cavalaris is a freelance writer in Knoxville.

Between odd jobs around the house,
football trips around the South, a birthday and
vacation, it’s easy for Steve Caldwell to wonder
where the familiar faces have gone.

Phillip Fulmer still lives nearby in Blount
County and is working with an investment
company and moonlighting with CBS Sports.
Former UT defensive coordinator John Chavis
landed a similar job at LSU. Fellow defensive
line coach Dan Brooks is at Clemson and
secondary coach Larry Slade’s at Louisville.
Among the offensive staff, Dave Clawson is the
new head coach at Bowling Green. Greg
Adkins and Stan Drayton are at Syracuse,
Latrell Scott’s at Virginia and Jason Michael is
with the San Francisco 49ers.

After UT’s rare football coaching upheaval,
Steve Caldwell is the last man standing…
without a job. It’s odd considering his expertise
about defense, a track record of recruiting
excellence and unwavering loyalty. Somebody
is going to get one heck of a football coach
when Steve Caldwell lands on his coaching feet.

“Well, it’s just one of those deals,” said the UT
assistant for 15 years. “When you’re a position
coach that turns 54, it’s not all that easy to find
work.” After a little more thought, he added,
“But, yes, it sort of surprised me, too.”

It’s easy to overlook just how many lives are
altered when a coaching change occurs. This is
certainly true with Fulmer’s multi-million
dollar departure and Lane Kiffin’s multi-million
dollar arrival. Regardless of whether a change
was justified, dozens of lives will never be the
same. All sorts of good Tennessee people have a
new wardrobe that features purple and gold, a
deeper shade of orange, red, yellow or blue.

Steve Caldwell was left holding a ladder
propped against his gutter. He whistles while
doing yard work and sweats out a long overdue
phone call.

“I am not bitter about it,” he said. “You have
to accept change as a part of life and move on.”

But what about the coaches that
contributed to a defense being ranked
No. 4 in the country after the 2008
season?

“It hurts because you know we had a
good staff and you know we were
successful,” Caldwell said. “We won a
lot of games together and several of us
have great friendships.”

But the Vols had two losing seasons
in four years and a change was made.

Caldwell tries to look at his situation
as a blessing, but it’s been difficult. This
is the first time in 40 years that he hasn’t
been on the field as a player or a coach.

There are only so many other things a
non-coach can do. The former
Arkansas State linebacker and defensive
end hopes to return as a coordinator
and wants to coach about 10 years. A lot
depends on what coach Fulmer decides
to do. Caldwell had a chance to join
Bobby Petrino’s new staff at Arkansas in
December of 2007 and didn’t do it. He also had
a chance to be Petrino’s defensive coordinator
at Louisville. Some other interesting possibilities
are on the horizon.

One thing’s for sure: Leisa Caldwell has just
about run out of driveway or deck space for her
husband to pressure wash. (Truth be known, he
tends to get a little carried away with a pressure
washer.) There’s only so much painting and
landscaping, too.

Steve Caldwell is an excellent coach and
football is in his blood. Someone else can rake
leaves or clean gutters.

“Hey, it hasn’t been all bad,” said Caldwell,
who will receive his salary from UT for one
year as long as he reports other sources of
income and doesn’t take another job. “I am
getting to spend a lot of time with my
grandkids and children. I haven’t been able to
do nearly as much of that as I would like for the
past 30 years.”

He found time to visit preseason practices at
Kentucky, Louisville, Ole Miss, Arkansas and
LSU along with the Tennessee Titans and
Cincinnati Bengals. He wanted to learn
something at each stop and work contacts in
the coaching fraternity. Although he was born
in Missouri and grew up to dislike Arkansas
football, he faced a predicament in Fayetteville.

“They gave me a Hog hat and Arkansas
t-shirt to wear during practice,” he said. “That
part was weird because I never really cared for
the Hogs much at all.”

Of course, he doesn’t like being out of
coaching, either.

“Hopefully, come December, I will be
working somewhere,” coach Caldwell said. “My
wife is getting tired of having me around the
house all the time and I’m not very good as a
carpenter. I’ve had just about all of the home
improvement and yard work I can stand.”

From all of the scouting reports, Leisa
Caldwell feels the same way. She also knows a
great football coach when she meets one.EK

Chuck Cavalaris is a freelance writer in
Knoxville. Send comments or story ideas to
chuck.cavalaris@suntrust.com. Chuck can
also be reached at (865) 692-6950.

While the megapixels and decibels are destined to rise dramatically, Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton can hardly contain his excitement about the countdown to arguably the most anticipated UT football season in school history.
Renovations at Neyland Stadium will continue to be a work in progress this season, but the view is going to be better than ever for the Sept. 5 season opener against Western Kentucky and then a week later against UCLA.

Go ahead and get the popcorn ready. Rocky Top is going to have one of the best big-screen TV’s in the land.
The new $4 million video board with more than 4,500 square feet is almost four times larger than the Jumbo Tron with 1,260 square feet. While portions of the new scoreboard will be used for statistics, graphics and ads, it has stunning replay capability. At roughly 127 feet long and 37 feet tall, the new scoreboard will be connected to more than $750,000 in high-definition cameras and digital equipment.
It can light up the sky like a fireworks show.
“It’s top of the line—wow,” Hamilton said. “I am looking forward to watching Bugs Bunny cartoons with my kids on Saturday mornings.”
They would have to make room for more than 100,000 fans eager to watch some of the best football in the country.

The arrival of brash new coach Lane Kiffin—and his outstanding staff—has spawned more excitement and interest in the 2009 season. Regarded as a tireless worker, Kiffin’s main job is to supervise the recruitment and development of championship caliber student-athletes.
The football program is in a rebuilding mode, much like the 80-year-old stadium. The seemingly endless work is in the second phase of a projected $200 million renovation that looks 75 years down the road.
The work is vital to maintain—and possibly save—the historic place that bears a general’s name.

“We’ve said all along that our goal is to have Neyland Stadium remain the centerpiece of our program for a long, long time,” said Hamilton, who announced the project four years ago. “That means bringing it up to speed on all fronts, from seating to technology and ascetics and accessibility and amenities for our fans.”
“It’s been a fabulous place ever since we’ve been here and they continue to improve it,” Kiffin said. “This is a great place for our players and our fans.”

The pageantry of UT football can feature a third generation of tailgating to the Vol Navy or a child’s first game.
The crowds help UT take in about $4 million per game in ticket sales and concessions. It is sound business to build more luxury suites and upgrade concourses, restrooms, concession stands or souvenir shops.
Along with the construction of several levels on the West Side above Phillip Fulmer Way, fans will appreciate improved access. Seven staircases have replaced scissor ramps. There are a couple more elevators on the West Side and two more are in the works. Club levels are being added and the upscale “Tennessee Terrace” should open in 2010.
It is a jaw-dropping undertaking.

“This massive renovation is retro-fitting Neyland Stadium,” said Scott Carter, UT’s associate athletic director in charge of sales for luxury suites at the stadium and arena. “We are going to provide Vol fans with seating options that are usually only found in newer NFL stadiums. It will truly provide our fans with the best seat in the house to watch the Big Orange.”
Almost half of the 1,800 seats in the Tennessee Terrace already have been sold. It will be in areas that are currently sections RR through WW. The cost is $3,000 per seat, plus a one-time gift of $2,500 and the money helps defray renovation costs. For details, log onto www.tennesseeterrace.com. You also can contact Scott Carter or Amanda Horvath at (865) 974-1218. Long-time UT associates McCarty-Holsaple-McCarty handled the design and Rentenbach is the general contractor.
The familiar Neyland Stadium sign has been taken down until the work is done. Once the season is over, extensive brickwork will replace the plywood that has brown paint. The popular Gate 21 area also will have a strikingly new look for 2010.

Regardless of how the construction shapes up, the Vols are going to put on a different type of hard hat. After some of the most physical pre-season practices in recent memory, UT wants to build some momentum—and confidence—going into the Sept. 19 test at Florida on national TV.
The Vols have eight home games and hope to rebound from a 5-7 record. The Ohio Bobcats will visit Neyland Stadium on Sept. 26, followed by Auburn (Oct. 3), Georgia (Oct. 10), South Carolina (Oct. 31), Memphis (Nov. 7) and Vanderbilt (Nov. 21).
The other road games will be at Alabama (Oct. 24), Mississippi (Nov. 14) and Kentucky (Nov.28).
Kiffin turned 34 on May 9 and is just the third head coach at UT in past 33 years, following Phillip Fulmer and Johnny Majors.
“I’m not promising you how many wins or how many championships—I can’t do that,” Kiffin said. “But I want the Tennessee family to know this: No one is going to outwork me as a head coach and no one is going to outwork our staff. That’s the promise I am giving you. The wins will come after that.”
Game Times: Kickoff has been set for Western Kentucky (12:21 pm, WVLT), UCLA (4 pm, ESPN) and Florida (3:30 pm, WVLT).

West High School football coach Scott Cummings was getting ready to leave for summer vacation when a friend said hello at McGhee Tyson airport.
“Good luck in the SEC South,” the friend said.
The tone conveyed an ominous message: “You’re going to need it.”
The Rebels were dealt one of the toughest hands when the TSSAA revamped districts for the next four school years.

District 4 includes 5A schools West, Catholic and Lenoir City along with 6A schools Maryville, Bearden, Farragut, Heritage and William Blount.
Although the classifications will be separated for the playoffs, a team must finish first in its grouping to receive an automatic bid. Based on overall records, the other teams in the top half of the standings will be eligible for “wild card” bids. In theory, several more teams could qualify for the playoffs than actually get in.

“The district is so incredibly hard and it’s really unfortu•nate,” Cummings said. “Put us in 90 percent of the districts across the state with most schools being the same size and we truly could win them. We are shooting to win this one, too. We won’t back down from anybody, but we’ve already played in a very tough region.”
West has lost to perennial state power Maryville in the playoffs the past two years. The Rebels had the longest active winning streak in the country—74 games—snapped in the 2008 Class 4A state title game. Catholic won a state title. Farragut and Bearden both made the playoffs.
The TSSAA board of directors approved the controver•sial “Z-plan” by a 5-4 vote. It is supposed to reduce travel costs for all sports, but many coaches don’t see it that way.

The split classification system may be flawed because strength of schedule is not a factor. A team that finishes 6-4 against stronger competition could miss the playoffs because a team in another district goes 7-3 against weaker competition.
“Crazy, huh?” Cummings said.

There is a 21-minute video about the new playoff format on www.tssaa.org.
“I have totally adopted a wait-and-see attitude toward the new playoffs,” said Jim Thompson, who has the popular website called coacht.com. “It is just complicated enough that I can’t judge it until I see it in action at the end of this first season. Hopefully it will add some needed excitement to the post-season.”

The TSSAA video is informative, but the material tends to bog down in complicated explanations. It’s almost like trying to figure out a tax return in April.
“It is not as compli•cated as it looks,” said South-Doyle’s Clark Duncan, who is a long-time coach and administrator. “It will help some districts, but for us it will be a big expense traveling to the upper East Tennessee area.”

The prevailing opinion seems to be the needs of many sports outweighed the needs of a few football programs.
“I understand the new districts, but it was confusing initially,” said Bearden athletic director R. Scott Witt. “Our district is a gauntlet, but I am confident that we will be successful with all of our programs in a very tough district.”

Neighboring District 3 has 6A schools Oak Ridge, Karns and Hardin Valley Academy, along with 5A schools Knox Central, Halls, Powell, Anderson County and Campbell County.
“I really like this district format better because now all sports play the same teams,” said Halls athletic director Jason Webster. “Before it was confusing because football had a ‘region’ while the other sports were in a ‘district’ with different schools. For example, Karns was a district game for Halls in every sport except football. The new system only gets complicated at playoff time in football. During the season, it is not bad.”
Powell athletic director Mark Majors has some simple advice for coach Matt Lowe.

“I told Coach Lowe he had to win all of his games so we didn’t have to worry about it,” Majors said. “After this season, when we have it all figured out, the TSSAA will change it again so I try not worry about it.”
Map Quest: The ultimate destination has changed along with the format. The TSSAA Board of Control voted to move the BlueCross Bowl state championship games to Cookeville for the next two years. All eight title games, including Division II, will be played at Tennessee Tech. The Division I games had been played at MTSU since 2000 and Division II since 2005.

TV Timeout: There will be more high school football on television in East Tennessee than ever before.
MyVLT will broadcast the new “Rivalry Thursday” games at 7 pm. Mark Packer will do the play-by-play with analysis by Stanton Stevens and Austin Price. Heather Harrington is the sideline reporter. Their coverage will feature a camera on a 15-foot blimp.
Comcast-CSS will continue to broadcast games on Friday nights at 7. Russell Biven and Todd Kelly will be in the booth.