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8th Grade Falcons 2007 - Memory Lane
It all started the first Tuesday in June. The Falcons had to replace an entire roster with the exception of two returning players (Chris Spencer & Donovan Miner). The daunting task of competing in the Knox Metro XFL Division and several top notch out-of-state tournaments awaited us. Kids came from several different other programs to make up the '07 roster. After a summer of sweating and competing in a couple "Passing Leagues" (which we were successful in) August was on us before we new it. First came a scrimmage with defending Blount Co Champions, Alcoa Middle School. It wasn't pretty but let the Falcons know we weren't going to compete just b/c of all the past rich tradition. Just a couple days later we traveled to Clinton Middle to square off against the Hawks. Things went alot better and we played more to our potential. So the task of the Metro Atlanta Pre-Season Classic didn't seem as challenging following our second pre-season scrimmage.
For the third straight year we traveled down I-75 South to compete in this highly competitive event. Our first opponent must have remembered last year's results in Georgia b/c they didn't even show up (Atlanta Longhorns). So after a couple hours of waiting, we were then to play the big and talented P.A.S.S. Mustangs. The defense was on and was very stingy throughout the whole game. Once the dust settled we came away with a 13-0 win. The second game of the day was against our our-of-state rival and host of the event Central Dekalb Jaguars (we have faced the Jaguars four times in two years - we were victorious each time but was NEVER easy, it is always a dogfight). As there coach says "we are as tuff as a .50 cent steak". This game would be no different, hard hitting and defense dominated game, the end result was a tie 0-0. We advanced to the championship since we gave up 0 points. C.D. Jags had to win a semi-final contest in-order to get back to us in the finals. As always it was a defensive battle, we moved the ball well but could never punch it in. The "defense" carried the "O" most of the weekend and would do so again as Fred Elder recovered a fumble in the endzone for the Falcons and the games lone score. We came away w/ a 6-0 win and the championship in this highly competitive event.
Just a few days later the Falcons open league play against a very scrappyand well coached Powell Panthers team. After our slow start we came back and were able to tie the Panthers 14-14 in the first league game of the '07 season.
Labor Day weekend the Falcons travel up I-75 North to Louisville, Ky to defend our crown in the Annual River City Classic. Again this year we were paired up against the host team right out of the gate, the P.C.C. Bears were looking for payback from last year's 48-6 pounding. After a Falcons turnover the Bears go up 6-0 and were HYPED up, it wouldn 't take quarterback D-Patterson long to hook up w/ wideout Antonio Stinson to even the score up. The defense remained stingy on the young season and kept the Bears out of the endzone for the rest of the game. We won 27-6 and advanced to Sunday's semi-finals where we won 19-0 in a flag happy game. The championship would match the Falcons up against one of the better teams in all of the U.S. (Sandtown Vikings - Atlanta, Ga). The Falcons first met the Vikings down in Georgia back in '05 where we battled it out twice (each team winning one). This time the Falcons got jumped on early and went into a shell, the Vikings trounced us 40-0 and we took home 2nd place in the event.
After several league games and several big wins the Falcons hit the road again to Birmingham, Ala to play in the 2nd Annual I.Y.F.A. Mid-Season Classic. We were set to play the always tough and scrappy Park West Panthers right out of the gate. As usual it came down to the final play of the game in which the Panthers QB broke free down our sideline only to be stopped twenty yards short of the endzone. We came away with a 19-14 thrilling win. The following day we were to play the Tri-County Americans at their complex. Falcons jumped on the Americans quick and put it out of reach early. Falcons traveled back home with the championship this time.
We wrapped up Knox Metro league play with a 30-0 win over the West Rebels putting us as the #1 Seed heading into playoffs for the fourth straight year. We were matched up against the #4 seeded C.B.F.O. Admirals (who we deafeated 40-0 back in September). This time the Admirals came out ready for war. It was an offensive on-slaught as both teams defenses had no answer for the backs on each team until the very end, C.B.F.O. stood up and shut down our ground game. In the end, the Admirals ended the Falcons season early with a 22-20 overtime win. This would be the first time in five years the Falcons would be denied a chance to play in the Knox Metro Championship Game.
Overall this was a good season, we didn't achieve "the goal" but we did some good things. The 2007 team definitely carried on the rich tradition of our 8th Grade program, we were for the 5th straight year the most feared and talked about team in town in our division. One thing I hope each and every player learned is you must work harder off the game field if you want to achieve big goals. Good luck to all you guys at the next level.
Thanks to all the players who stuck with it and didn't quit. Quitting something is the easy way out, never take the easy we out, "finish the job" - take that quote with you for the rest of your life.
Many players contributed to this team and our success.
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