The Waves went into the Tiger’s den last Friday and came out battered and bruised with a 15-26 loss. Turnovers proved to be costly for the Waves. This Friday night is the game. The game that, as a player, you circle on the calendar at the start of the season and promise to give your all for those on the hill; those that wore the green & white before you. This Friday, the Waves travel to Greenback (6-3, 3-2) for a big district show down. These 2 schools, these 2 communities, have stood the test of time among school consolidations and restructuring and are all that remains of “the old district”. Can the Waves offense reclaim its shine that it showed earlier in the season and put up big numbers and the W against the ‘kees? Or will Greenback repeat last year’s thumbing of the Waves?
The last pick of the season has 4 of the panel members tied for first, all with a record of 7-2. Boo Narramore and Fro Sears each stand at 6-3. It’s very possible we have a tie for the coveted SORSN Pick Panel Championship. As a tie-breaker, we are proposing the closest one to guess the number of square hay bales hauled during the month of August on Larry Tilley’s farm as the winner.
Lady and gents, make your final pick.
Steven Sears:
The last game of the regular season brings yet another tough challenge for the Greenwaves. They travel to Loudon County to face my most hated rival, Greenback. Both teams have a 6-3 record coming into this game and I’m sure both teams want to end the regular season on a high note. Midway will need to once again play smart, turnover free football if they want to pull out the “W” this week. Although I caught a little negative feedback last week with my Rockwood pick, I am once again going to try my reverse psychology technique this week in hope that this week it will actually work. Greenback 28 Midway 22.
Kyle Canup:
Really was hoping the Waves would have won last week and reeled in a County Championship. Not sure when Midway has had that title. Unfortunately the Wave couldn’t shake some errors and picked up another loss. This week Midway plays a really solid Greenback team and with the right play Midway could take a win right before the playoffs. Hopefully Midway gets a win here for their seeding in the playoffs and field advantage. I think Greenback takes this one in a close game of 28-24.
Also Barry Narramore has been a reference on my resume for a long time, so don’t let him fool you into thinking he doesn’t like me because it’s completely opposite. I do keep my one bullet in my shirt pocket as well.
Amber Johnson:
I think the last regular season game is going to be another close one. Unfortunately I don’t think Midway will be able to overcome Greenback’s home cooking. Greenback squeaks it out.
Ralton Emory:
The only thing good about Greenback is the corn maze.
Although, I think the Waves are capable of winning this game, I think they are also fatigued from the long, grueling season. Hopefully, we can pull it together and improve the playoff positioning.
However much it pains me, I must pick Greenback.
Bad Team 28, Good Guys 27
Barry Narramore:
Tough loss for the Greenwaves last Friday, but we were in the game till the last minutes! Nobody quit and that can be a problem late in games with the Tigers.
This week is Greenback! Years of memories for this rivalry! Greenback has a good team and Midway will not be the favorite but here is where I pick up a game over my fellow pick panel members! Midway 28 Greenback 21
Michael Rose:
Ahh, the last of the remaining old district 3-A rivals in the regular season finale. No Charleston, no Vonore, no CAK, Webb, Catholic or KCOTs anymore(anybody remember those being district?). All of those schools are either consolidated, moved up/changed classifications, or non-existent. The Waves and the Cherokees remain.
Flashback to the good old days of Midway versus Greenback, Branson versus Satterfield, Hayes versus McCollum, where football rivalry bled over to basketball rivalry, which bled to girl’s basketball rivalry. If you grew up in the eighties or nineties, this was the game on the calendar that you circled year in and year out, a game where the district title would be decided, a home playoff berth would be on the line, and some good old fashioned rural route pride was at stake. The winner would get to host Lookout Valley or Whitwell or the like, and the loser, well, the losers consolation prize was the long winding trip to the coldest place in the southeast in late November, Copper Basin or the dreaded haul to the fireworks and original high school football recruiting capital of Tennessee, South Pittsburg. Raise your hand if you ever rode a yellow school bus to one of those places. Raise your hand if you would ever volunteer to do it again. I didn’t think so, no matter how well Ms. Sybil’s bus driving used to be.
Midway and Greenback was a good old fashioned lay it on the line, play to the echo of the whistle, never quit type of rivalry. A little chippy at times? You bet. A little salt in the wound on occasion? Sure thing, even with the coaches. Did it make both teams better to compete at their best and to use each other as a measuring stick in small classification sports? Absolutely. It was generations of South of the River Woodys, Moores, Roses, Narramores, Bransons, Adcocks, Colliers and many others against upper Loudon County Satterfields, Titlows, Berrys, and Kilpatricks. It was you-got-me-this year; I will see you in basketball or count-the days-till-next-season type of game. It was, is and should be a Tennessee and Alabama kind of rivalry. Ask anybody 30 or younger from either side of the fence whom on the schedule that they would rather beat, and I would bet the frequent response would be Grace. Ask anybody 30 or older and odds are that you are going to hear Greenback or Midway quite often.
Lately, like Tennessee and Alabama, the rivalry hasn’t been very competitive and that’s disappointing for Green fans. Wave fans would like nothing more to see Midway return to some of the previous years and take down the Cherokees on a regular basis. I just don’t see it happening this Friday night, but hopefully those days are not far away. However, me or anyone else on the panel picking Greenback doesn’t excuse the Green team from laying it all on the line this week. Green shirted generations before you expect it, and I am sure anyone on the panel would trade a pick panel win for a Midway victory any time. Go Big Green.
| Amber Johnson | Barry Narramore | Kyle Canup | Steven Sears | Ralton Emory | Michael Rose | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 0: @ Tri-Cities Christian | Midway | Midway | Midway | Midway | Midway | Midway |
| Week 1: Whitwell | Midway | Midway | Midway | Midway | Midway | Whitwell |
| Week 2: Bye | ||||||
| Week 3: Hancock Co. | Midway | Midway | Midway | Midway | Midway | Midway |
| Week 4: @ Tellico Plains | Midway | Midway | Midway | Midway | Midway | Tellico |
| Week 5: @ Sunbright | Midway | Midway | Midway | Sunbright | Sunbright | Sunbright |
| Week 6: Harriman | Midway | Midway | Midway | Midway | Midway | Midway |
| Week 7: Grace Christian | Grace | Midway | Grace | Grace | Grace | Grace |
| Week 8: Meigs Co. | Midway | Midway | Midway | Meigs | Midway | Midway |
| Week 9: @ Rockwood | Midway | Midway | Midway | Rockwood | Rockwood | Rockwood |
| Week 10: @ Greenback | Greenback | Midway | Greenback | Greenback | Greenback | Greenback |
| Standings: | 7-3 | 7-3 | 7-3 | 6-4 | 7-3 | 7-3 |