Why is Maryville HS so Good?

[volfan2024]

I think if Rutherford County could pick the all stars of our county vs the Blount County all stars I think we would never lose. Thats my understanding of the difference between the two county's. Maryville has no zone in their county but Rutherford county does. So really if that is the way it is I have no respect for Maryville High School. This is coming from a guy that has had several kids graduate Maryville College.

 

[JokermanVol]

They dominate because:

1. The passion for football in Blount County. Kids dream of playing for Maryville and Alcoa. Heritage and WB, not so much. There's no other area in the state that has the passion for their teams like BC.

2. As others have mentioned, most of their team has played in the same system since grasshoppers.

3. By and large, solid middle class schools win in the upper levels of TSSAA. Maryville is a very good school academically that totally fits that bill.

4. They recruit, primarily getting the best players from the county. Rarely, but sometimes, an Alcoa kid ends up at Maryville.

5. Students are willing to pay tuition to attend Maryville. You don't have to live in the city to go to Maryville. And it's not just kids outside the city but still Blount County who can do this. There are kids who live in Knoxville who go to MHS.

6. They have a good coach, granted there are a ton of guys who could win big in that program. You're always going to have the best team there. Obviously that doesn't guarantee winning, especially on the HS level, so GQ's level of success cannot be totally attributed to that.

A couple other things:

Maryville is not a small school, as a poster above said.

There are zones in Blount County. If you live in Alcoa you're zoned there, city of Maryville to MHS, and the county kids go to either Heritage or WB. If a student is kicked out of MHS or Alcoa, they can attend Heritage or WB. I suppose a student living in Alcoa or the city of Maryville could choose to attend HHS or WB (not sure why they would though).

It wouldn't matter if they played in middle TN or out west, they'd still win every year. Their program is head and shoulders above any other public school in the state.

In the 90's, when there were only 2 HS's in the Boro, it was claimed that baseball players were funneled to Oakland and football guys to Riverdale. Oakland had a run of baseball titles and Riverdale was the 5A football team for about a decade.

 

[bowlinggreenvol]

It appears a couple of posters on here know what they are talking about. Maryville does not recruit. They play with the kids that come out for football. If you move to Maryville so your kid can play there, then okay. That's perfectly legal. What people hate is that Maryville is a small school that plays at a high level every year. They do have the best coaches...in high school football...anywhere. Check their record over the last 15 years. Did you know the starting QB and a starting DB were suspended for the year back in Oct?

CGQ is the man and many have tried to hire him away. Maryville is blessed to have him.

Small school? Doesn't Maryville play at the highest classification in the state? Classification is based on student body population.

 

[biggestvols]

Middle TN and East TN couldn't be more different. When thinking of Middle TN you have to consider all the private schools and where and how they get their players. If Maryville competed for top athletes with teams like Ensworth, BA, CPA, Libscomb, BGA, FRA, Father Ryan, PJP, Harding and MBA (to name a few), there would be no Maryville dynasty. Their best players would play on scholarship at a private school. East TN just can't compare bc they only have 3 or 4. I haven't even named several middle private schools.

If Maryville played in Middle TN, they would not be the same.

 

[volfan102455]

Small school? Doesn't Maryville play at the highest classification in the state? Classification is based on student body population.

Population wise Maryville is a 5A school that decided to move up. They have over a thousand students so they are NOT a small school.

 

[volfan102455]

They dominate because:

1. The passion for football in Blount County. Kids dream of playing for Maryville and Alcoa. Heritage and WB, not so much. There's no other area in the state that has the passion for their teams like BC.

Agree that there is a lot of passion there but disagree that there are not other areas with the same passion. You need to attend more games in other parts of East Tennessee. There is a host of schools that could say that "Kid dream of playing for .... " and all those .... would not be Maryville or Alcoa.

 

[Jax_Vol]

Quarles is a better recruiter than John Calipari

 

[volfan102455]

It wouldn't matter if they played in middle TN or out west, they'd still win every year. Their program is head and shoulders above any other public school in the state.

I believe there are regions / districts in the state that are stronger top to bottom than others. That doesn't imply that the best of those are necessary the best in the state - just that the regions are tough and any team would find a good level of success in the playoffs.

If Maryville played in one of those year over year, they would not have the record they have. Over time those teams come to find what it takes to beat you and take advantage of the weaknesses. And every team has a weakness. Not saying they would not have winning records but they wouldn't win out every year.

 

[TuVol4u]

Rumor says they do a lot of heavy recruiting inside and outside of the county lines to secure great players. Never heard this before until last night from UT grad.

I think the problem is, especially for you, sour grapes.

Btw from your other post, Maryville College in of itself has little to do with the actual city of Maryville. You wanna talk about "recruiting out of county/state at MC?" Besides its apples to oranges. I went to both Maryville High School and Maryville College and it felt as if I wasnt even in Maryville because everyone i talked or hung out with was from out of state at the college.

The recruiting problem with your argument is really just "fan speak" saying my supposedly superior athletic team cant beat a team full of "blount county recruits". And this is giving you the benefit of the doubt they even recruit.

 

[volfan2024]

I'm just really messing with you guys. I like Maryville High. Quaryes (sp) could probably win with half the talent that comes in. That said, as far as Rutherford County goes, this year in baseball the number 2 and 3 AL Cy Young vote getters were David Price Blackman and Sonny Gray Smyrna, both Rutherford County schools.

I think back in the day when Riverdale High School dominated football with Rankin there,Alcoa coach, and dominated the state, the zoning was not in place I think.

 

[TuVol4u]

I'm just really messing with you guys. I like Maryville High. Quaryes (sp) could probably win with half the talent that comes in. That said, as far as Rutherford County goes, this year in baseball the number 2 and 3 AL Cy Young vote getters were David Price Blackman and Sonny Gray Smyrna, both Rutherford County schools.

I think back in the day when Riverdale High School dominated football with Rankin there,Alcoa coach, and dominated the state, the zoning was not in place I think.

It can even be said Alcoa always had the talent compared to maryville. Especially ~ 5 years ago when alcoa was beating maryville, but since its a smaller school with many kids playing several positions they dont have the depth to always win.

 

[Volview]

Rumor says they do a lot of heavy recruiting inside and outside of the county lines to secure great players. Never heard this before until last night from UT grad.

If it's recruiting, then were are all the Maryville players in division 1 football?

 

[bowlinggreenvol]

If it's recruiting, then were are all the Maryville players in division 1 football?

How many kids in east TN are D-1 talent to begin with? Maryville isn't loaded because the region isn't loaded.

 

[Pappy]

Rumor says they do a lot of heavy recruiting inside and outside of the county lines to secure great players. Never heard this before until last night from UT grad.

if they are recruiting, why aren't they going after D1 candidates? these are just disciplined kids who believe in a system and execute.

 

[ruger1234]

As somebody who grew up in Blount Co. It's no secret that GQ is the best coach in the state. He's the reason they're so good but, they do take a lot of players from the county. I'd say 3 out every 5 good players from a county school, end up going to the City. Simply because they think they won't get college looks if they don't play for a good team. The county schools could field 10x better teams if everybody stayed where they should be.

Thread winner! WB and Heritage have also had a few solid coaches. Even with good coaches they rarely field competitive teams. If you watch a WB or Heritage vs Maryville game the difference in the athleticism is obvious.

Funnel the best players from a county with a population the size of Blount county into one high school. Add in good coaching and you have a dynasty.

 

[allvol123]

Rumor says they do a lot of heavy recruiting inside and outside of the county lines to secure great players. Never heard this before until last night from UT grad.

Lol. This is old as dirt.

 

[ruger1234]

If it's recruiting, then were are all the Maryville players in division 1 football?

Not saying they recruit but, the D1 players that come out of Maryville is probably 10x what has come from WB and Heritage combined.

 

[Roustabout]

I think if Rutherford County could pick the all stars of our county vs the Blount County all stars I think we would never lose. Thats my understanding of the difference between the two county's. Maryville has no zone in their county but Rutherford county does. So really if that is the way it is I have no respect for Maryville High School. This is coming from a guy that has had several kids graduate Maryville College.

Huh?
Alcoa is in the same county as Maryville and they win and play for state almost every year. Plus there are two other county schools. So, yes there are zones. If you're in the Maryville city limits you're zoned for Maryville. If in Alcoa, Alcoa. If not, you are zones for either William Blount or Heritage.

If you think you could beat Maryville, Alcoa, Heritage and WB more power to you.

 

[Roustabout]

Not saying they recruit but, the D1 players that come out of Maryville is probably 10x what has come from WB and Heritage combined.

This is just a bald assertion.

I'm an Alcoa parent and despise Maryville. But, they coach em up from the time their in diapers. Plus, people intentionally relocate to Maryville so their kids can play there. Look at Guillermo who is the starting center at Clemson. If you think his parents would've taken a move here without a powerhouse football team, think again. He graduated and they relocated within the year.

Stop this whiny bull****.

 

[ruger1234]

This is just a bald assertion.

I'm an Alcoa parent and despise Maryville. But, they coach em up from the time their in diapers. Plus, people intentionally relocate to Maryville so their kids can play there. Look at Guillermo who is the starting center at Clemson. If you think his parents would've taken a move here without a powerhouse football team, think again. He graduated and they relocated within the year.

Stop this whiny bull****.

Not really, WB and Heritage rarely graduate a football player headed to a D1 college on a football scholorship. Maryville on the other hand does so almost every year.

 

[Roustabout]

Not really, WB and Heritage rarely graduate a football player headed to a D1 college on a football scholorship. Maryville on the other hand does so almost every year.

Way to leave out an important part. I didn't deny that Maryville puts players into D1. The poster said that because they do this they must recruit. No proof. Just an unfounded claim.

 

[ruger1234]

Way to leave out an important part. I didn't deny that Maryville puts players into D1. The poster said that because they do this they must recruit. No proof. Just an unfounded claim.

:lolabove:


Are you drunk? You responed to MY post, and no where in that post did I say they recruited. They get the cream of the crop from within Blount county and some move in from out of county. Only a full retard would be dumb enough to believe Maryville is so good because they "coach them up".

lol:

 

[Roustabout]

:lolabove:


Are you drunk? You responed to MY post, and no where in that post did I say they recruited. They get the cream of the crop from within Blount county and some move in from out of county. Only a full retard would be dumb enough to believe Maryville is so good because they "coach them up".

lol:

Apologies for not clarifying. Are you saying there have been no allegations of recruiting in this thread. I've responded to several posters in this thread.
No they don't get the cream of the crop. They develip the cream from when these kids are barely out of diapers. Alcoa has some of the best athletes and I don't know of one kid recruited from Alcoa. Do you?
Over the past 20 years I personally know several Maryville families who have kids who play in college. I know two who play at Air Force right now. Those two I've known since they were in 3rd grade. What you are alleging has nothing to do with it. They were both raised in the city of Maryville. The one kid grew up being a ball boy for the HS team. He isn't a super athlete by any stretch, but coming up in that system and getting the coaching from early on made a HUGE difference in gettinger to play at that level. It's not just Quarles coaching. It starts much earlier.

The county schools have never been all that good and there is actually a pretty good reason.
I think it has more to do with communitty, or the lack thereof. Townsend used to field some tough teams back in the day. Now, kids from all four corners of the county are bussed in from outside their communities (where there used to be local HS). A kid who lives at Top of the World probably isn't fooling with football practice when he lives 40 minutes away. There are plenty of good potential players in the outlying communities, but if they dont get connected to football early then they dont develop. Look at what Maryvile and Alcoa do when these kids are in elementary school. What about kids in Walland, Rockford, Friendsville, Townsend, Louisville, etc. Are you saying they have comparable programs from elementary, intermediate to middle school?

So, yes a lot of it has to do with how they coach em up. But it's not just Quarrles. WB, Heritage, and Maryville have similar enrollment. There is nothing magic in the city water.

 

[ruger1234]

Let me be clear, Maryville has top notch coaches and support from the community. But so do lots of other High schools in Tennessee. Coaching alone can't explain the disparity between Maryville and most other public schools in Tennessee.


Look at the way Maryville has dominated both Heritage and WB. Similar to the Vols dominance over Kentucky and Vandy. The Vols dominate those two because of better athletes. I've been to many Maryville vs WB and Heritage games, the difference in the athleticism is striking. If there is no magic in the city water then how is it that Maryville always have the best athletes?

This all started in the seventies when rec league football stopped at age twelve. For most students in the county that meant no football during their eighth grade year. Maryville kept them playing because they had a junior high team. Lots of the better players in those days left their county schools for Maryville so they wouldn't miss a year of football. Once the perception that Maryville was the place to win and possibly get noticed by colleges was established, winning football was only a dream for WB and Heritage.

The distance argument just doesn't hold up and there are some good rec league teams in the county.Look at Sevier County, they are going to the state finals but they don't compete with Maryville for players. The problem is those stand out players from fairview and southside often end up playing for Maryville.

 

[Roustabout]

Here is the problem. You are basing this solely on you watching a few games. Sorry but that isnt an objective standard. Rec league hardly compares to what a kid who grows up through intermediate and middle school in the Maryville and Alcoa system experiences. Just go watch those teams play and you tend to see the same results. Kids who start playing for the Little Rebs are going to get developed with better coaching and training, than compared to some kid playing in Walland.

The lines aren't arbitrary.
You either live in the city or you dont. Maryville and Alcoa take a limited number of tuition students but this has been looked into and no impropriety has been found. My daughter is a tuition student at Alcoa and doesn't play a single sport.

FWIW, there are parts of Fairview that are in the city limits. My brother-in-law lived on one street and his neighbors (they share a back yard border) street is Maryville city.

Just from the 2014 state championship team, i can probably name about 8-10 kids that started who i've known since they were in elementary school. They were all kids who grew up playing since they were knee high to a grass hopper. Nothing super special about them. I would go to the track at the middle school for morning runs and those kids would be there in the middle of the summer at 8:00 in the morning going through summer workouts. If you think Heritage is doing the same, i'd bet you're wrong.

The changes you are talking about precede Maryville's dominance by many years.

FWIW, Alcoa, considering their enrollment (less than half of Maryville i believe), has had comparable success. I never hear these allegations lobbed at them.