Cherokee at Mitchell
- Thread starter BravesGWY
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Mitchell had some big boys on last years' team and will return almost all of them. The Mountaineers return their entire starting offense from last season, which includes 4 All-Conference performers. The key matchup in this game will be how well the Cherokee defense is able to slow down Mitchell's multiple-wing attack. It won't be easy as QB Ben Young put up 270+ yards through the air against W. Wilkes on Friday night. The Braves will need their defense to play big and cause some turnovers like they did against Trinity to have a chance in this one. It will be asking a lot for this young Braves team to go out and get a win against a Top 10 team on the road!
A game like this will determine if we close to be back or if we still have a long way .... If we do it's crazy to think we have 5 ol or dl that fresh or soph and a fresh tailback and a soph qb .... If the learning curve is fast they might be ahead of schedule but if they get taken to woodshed then we will know how far they off ...
Gonna be a very, very tough game for Cherokee. I saw Mitchell last year and they were extremely talented and return basically the entire team!! I just want to see the Braves go out and play like they did last night, good, sound, fundamental football, win or lose!!
Go Braves!!!!!!!
Go Braves!!!!!!!
Mitchell does return pretty much everyone from last year and I look forward to the matchup of our lines as I have heard Cherokee has a large line also. The 2 biggest hogs come in at 6'7" 320 and 6'3" 290, and the rest ring in at 260, 240, and 220 and also our tight end is around 6'3" 240. It's the biggest line we've had in a while or maybe ever, I think they are a little better in pass protection than run blocking as they are not quite mobile enough to stay out in front of backs for to far, but I don't think the qb was hardly even touched on pass plays Friday night. We opened up the passing game Friday night more than we have in several years I guess just due to the qb being a little more comfortable in the system as a sophomore now as well as a tall fast receiving group to throw to. The defense was strong up the middle all night but did give up a few outside runs, the secondary played pretty well and picked off a couple passes. I definitely don't expect to roll over Cherokee as I know they are a team on the rise and will play with a lot of heart, I think it may be a little closer than some people may think.
Hey Mitchaneers1, how does this Mitchell team stack up to the team that gave Albemarle all they wanted a few years ago in the 1AA Western Final?
Have to agree with folks above that this will be a very formidable challenge for the Braves as Mitchell along with Hendersonville and Mountain Heritage are considered to be the top 3 teams in the WHC this year....
Believe it or not, Andrews had probably the biggest line in the state about 4 years ago. 6'8 325... 6'3 300... 6'4 340, 6'2 295' and 6'0 280. Not the most talented line but that was the year they made it to play Murphy in the 3rd round
This team probably has more overall talent, but that team had more heart and desire to win than maybe any team we've had, plus that team had an electric player in Juggy Hughes at qb that you could almost guarantee would get you 150 to 200 yards a game rushing whereas this team could be any combination of about 5 players that could have a huge night. This line is much bigger, but that line was more athletic. That team was probably like 90 percent run team where I could see this team being more 60 run 40 pass. They really are quite opposite in about every way, but if this team could play with as much heart as that team they might could rival them, but it's way to early to put those expectations on them just yet.
They return all 4 running backs from last year, with preseason all state rb/lb Dalton Beaver getting the majority of the carries, but the other backs will be worked in quite often, none of them are extremely fast but they all run differently, Beaver is a patient runner and follows his blockers whereas Cy Thomas is just looking for someone to hit when he runs. Trey Carson is the main guy at receiver, he is 6'4" and according to the iwana preview last year runs a 4.4 40, he led the team Friday with around 150 yards and a couple tds. Justin Greene has a chance to be special at receiver also, and the other receivers are solid as well. The qb is just a sophomore, but he started all last season and he has a big arm, he's still a little off at times and I'm sure being so young will still make some bad decisions at times, but he looked much more comfortable Friday night than last year. He is a capable runner but look for him to pass before he runs.
I've stood next to a legit 6'8 dude, former Murphy Bulldog Blake Millsaps (R.I.P.) and the dude you're talking about (Devore). I don't care what he measured at during basketball season with sneakers on, he isn't 6'8.
I'm not trying to be a dick but this is the second time you've exaggerated an Andrews' lineman's size this week. You said the transfer from Ohio was 6'5, when it said plain as day in the pigskin preview that he's 6'2. Sorry to be such a stickler for details but I don't like it when people exaggerate the size of their players.
Here is the official listed height and weights of the 2011 Andrews offensive line you were talking about being the biggest in the state 4 years ago:
#41 5'8 210 - #52 5'11 210 - #55 5'10 210 - #58 5'6 175 - #61 6'2 250 - #66 6'0 265 - #72 6'2 225 - #74 6'0 260 - #76 6'3 325 - #77 6'0 235 - #78 6'5 290
That's a big line, especially for a 1A school, but not as big as you quoted and not the biggest in 1A football that season. I'm not picking on you Chandler, just would like the legit player measurables, not gross exaggerations.
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You sure know how to demoralize a man!! Could you just give us just one weak spot that we might explore!!
This game is already grabbing headlines. A couple of write-ups in the AC-T on Cherokee vs. Mitchell
Briggs has high praise for Mitchell
Young-Carson connection strong for Mitchell
Briggs has high praise for Mitchell
Young-Carson connection strong for Mitchell
Mbd fan not starting anything.... but as far as I'm concerned the pigskin preview is not always right. It's more of a estimated guess instead of particulars. The pigskin does not come and measure out each player nor do they weigh the players. Devore is bigger than 6 foot 5 maybe not quite 6 foot 8 but is definitely bigger than 6 foot 5. And he definitely weighed over 290. Those previews are before the year starts. With that being said, alot of the players try to beef up during the season. Sorry Mbd fan but the guy is legit bigger than you think... don't care what thr preview said
I know the guys personally mbd... not throwing it in your face, this is just all clean fun and talk.... I went to school with them and was in the weight room with them and had fitness testing with them.
Except they get their information from the coaching staff, who usually does the measurements you're talking about witnessing. But I don't think anybody ever takes the measurables listed for high school kids as totally accurate, anyway, and I don't see how any of this matters 4 years later (but for the record, I'd put the huge lineman from a few years back you're talking about at 6-6 or so).
This I agree on, Murphy's offensive line looks slow this season and part of that is that a few of them are honestly too big
I'm not saying he wasn't over 6'5 when he graduated, but you weren't talking about him his senior year, you were talking about the 2011 Andrews line and he was a 10th grader then. Like I said, I've stood next to Devore and he probably is 6'6, so obviously he grew another inch between his sophomore year (2011) and senior year.
This is a fascinating topic, so I'm curious who is the tallest athlete to ever compete in the SMC? I've seen quite a few who were 6'6 and a couple others that were 6'7 : former Bulldog Brandon Dockery and former Yellow Jackets Andrew Brown and Joesph Chilton, were all 6'7. The kid from Cherokee a couple of years ago (can't remember his name) was supposedly 6'8 and former Bulldog Blake Millsaps was 6'8 barefoot. Have there been any others that tall or taller over the years?
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I dunno mbd fan. Maybe the kid from Cherokee youre talking about that transferred to swain? Greg Tisho that went and played at Tennessee? He was about 6'5 or so. Good athlete just didn't keep the grades up in college
Did swain not have a player in the 90's about 6'9". He was a bb player, soccer goalie and pitcher. Can not remember his name. Franklin had Lee Scruggs who was 6'11"-7'. Ryan Davis played with Chilton and was about an inch taller. Years ago Mountain View (way back yonder) had a couple of big kids, icenhauer and ? Both 6'5-6'7". Casey Jones played OT at Hayesville in the 90's. 6'8" went on to play at Carson-Newman.
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You're right about Burleson...don't think anybody in the entire state, much less WNC, has come close to his height since.
Lee Skruggs, the 6-11 guy from Franklin, ended up playing at Georgetown and for the Asheville Altitude in the NBDL, and is probably the tallest from WNC in the last two decades or so.
As for the SMC, Gary Roper from Andrews was listed at 6-7 when he went on to play at UNC. Tallest overall I can think of was a foreign exchange student Highlands had around 2002 who was at least a legit 6-9, but he wasn't too much of a basketball player.
Lee Skruggs, the 6-11 guy from Franklin, ended up playing at Georgetown and for the Asheville Altitude in the NBDL, and is probably the tallest from WNC in the last two decades or so.
As for the SMC, Gary Roper from Andrews was listed at 6-7 when he went on to play at UNC. Tallest overall I can think of was a foreign exchange student Highlands had around 2002 who was at least a legit 6-9, but he wasn't too much of a basketball player.
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John Cannon that played basketball for Heritage a few years ago was also listed at 6'11", he went to Georgia his first 3 years, but transferred to UNCA last year and will play his senior year there this year. We see Tommy Burleson out eating lunch in Newland quite a bit and it is still shocking to see someone that big walk in no matter how many times you see him, they listed him at 7'4", but he says he was only 7'2", I've stood beside him and Cannon before and it sure feels like Tommy is way more than 3 inches taller than Cannon.
I think Georgia listed Cannon at 6'10, so I guess Scruggs at Franklin and Brad Daughtery at Owen may be the tallest since Burleson.
It seems like Madison always has a couple really tall kids on their basketball team, didn't they have a 6'9 kid and a 6'8 kid on their team a few years ago?
Another big team was Pisgah when they won a state title, they had Robinson who was 6'8 and another kid that was 6'7
Andrews had Creasman and the Baxter kid about 15 years ago, I think one was 6'5 and one 6'6.
The Jackets always have at least one or two 6'5/6'6 types on their BB team. Hayesville has the tallest team in the SMC nearly every year.
Cannon was the biggest I can remember lately he was a big one. Mitchell size up front will be a major advantage for them. Would be a huge upset if they lose this one.
Jonathan Whitson was the other big guy on that state championship Pisgah team. He was 6-6 and later became Brevard College's all-time leading scorer. He was really the center on that Pisgah team, as the 6-8 guy, Robinson, was more of a 3-point marksman wing. In fact, Robinson went on to set WCU's career 3 point shooting record.
The biggest overall frontcourt on a basketball team from the mountains that I can think of is TC Roberson's 2002 3A West regional runner-up team that had Christian Moody, who was 6-8 and went on to be the starting PF at Kansas, alongside Aaron Creasman, who was 6-9 and played at UNCA.
