EXECUTIVE SPORTS EDITOR:

Greg Pogue | pogue@dnj.com 615.278.5170

Sports
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WEEK 4

C1
NASCAR This Week | C6 Scoreboard | C7
Friday, Sept. 19, 2008

MTSU

ASU has best attack MTSU has faced yet

Red Wolves rushing game 6th in nation
By ADAM SPARKS sparks@dnj.com

ROGER GARFIELD
Staff Columnist

Warrior West has a good hold of things

Football found its way into the halls of Riverdale High this week. Literally. Junior quarterback Cody West and some of his teammates carried footballs from class to class to help combat the fumble woes that have plagued them through the first four weeks of the season. Theres some people thatll come up and pound you just kids in the halls, West said, laughing. Its in Wests nature to laugh, to smile wide. It is a defining characteristic of his magnetic, easy-going personality. It is also the reason he should be able to shrug off his early-season struggles in the Riverdale backfield. Three of the Warriors seven turnovers last Friday at Lincoln County were Wests. He has admittedly not played to his potential. But he also hasnt let the miscues get him down. The first half, I just played terrible, West said. I tried to just keep my head up. I told myself Im not going to have a bad game, and I think I kind of pulled that off. Statistics show he bounced back to have a good second half 71 yards rushing, a touchdown and no turnovers but it was one play midway through the fourth quarter that illustrated Wests resiliency more than any other. Trailing by 13, the Warriors called for a trick play that resulted in an interception. As Lincoln County tried to return the interception at midfield, West sprinted toward the Falcon defender from some 20 yards away. By the time he got there, the Falcon had fumbled. And when refs finally peeled all the players off the scrum for the ball, it was West laying at the bottom of the pile, football clutched firmly. It was a play not typical of a quarterback. But West is far from typical.

Running back Reggie Arnold may be Arkansas States most valuable offensive and defensive player Saturday versus MTSU. The Sun Belts leading rusher is ASUs most dependable offensive weapon, but his ballcontrol will be needed to keep MTSUs explosive offense on the sideline. Thats our job for this game and my job; control the clock and keep their offense off the field so they cant score and get theyll cold, Arnold said. I know (MTSUs) offense is explosive, so the better we run ARNOLD the ball, the fewer chances theyre going to get for big plays. Arnolds objective is wellfounded. MTSU touts the Sun Belts top passing offense, but ASU has averaged a loftier 511 total yards per game. That means MTSUs defensive concerns may be greater than the Red Wolves. This is the best offense weve faced, MTSU defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said. Theres no question. And thats the funny thing about playing so-called big name schools (like Maryland and Kentucky) this year when in reality this is the best offensive football team weve played against. They have the best quarterback weve played against. I dont think there is any discussion on that. (Arnold) is one of the best running backs weve faced. Because of their experience at those positions, they just know what theyre doing.
See MTSU, page C3

DNJ file photos

New era, new rivals

Riverdale, Siegel and Smyrna, Blackman games have developed into gridiron grudge matches
By ROGER GARFIELD rgarfield@dnj.com

On page C4
Capsule previews of tonights games as well as standings and stats

MTSU
N MTSU at Arkansas State
Saturday, 6 p.m. at Jonesboro, Ark. N WGNS (1450-AM), WNFN (106.7-FM)

I Log on to BlueRaiders.com to see Rick Stockstills Tuesday press conference and other MTSU stories and photos.

The high school football landscape in Rutherford County is changing. And so are the rivalries that make the games between these in-county teams so intensely competitive. For years, there was Oakland versus Riverdale. And based on the physicality of the teams Week 0 showdown which Oakland won, 17-6 the Battle of the Boro has not lost any of its luster. There was also Smyrna and La

Coming Saturday
The DNJ covers Week One of the high school football season with its Preps Extra special section

Vergne, the two northern county towns who battled to a 15-13 Bulldogs victory a year ago. They face each other Oct. 17 this fall.

Since the arrival this decade of Blackman (2000) and Siegel (2003), however, there are more dates on the calendar for players and coaches to circle. Two of these newer rivalries take center stage tonight when Blackman visits Smyrna and Siegel plays host to Riverdale. Part of the reason the budding Blackman-Smyrna rivalry has been hotly contested in recent years has to do with the coincidental coaching pipeline between the two schools.
See RIVALRIES, page C4

A wise junior
He looks at football with a mature perspective, one hes trying his best to maintain. Football is fun and itll help get you places in life, but its a learning thing, West said. It makes you stronger, and Ive learned so much already this season. He also realizes what it means to play his position and at his school, for better or worse. Its an unbelievable amount of pressure to put on one of those Warrior jerseys, West said. Theres so much high expectations, and so many people just come out to see us and expect so much. Its a big motivation in a positive way, but it can also be a negative because of the pressure. He has the rest of the season to show how he handles it. But if his positive outlook and his second half at Lincoln County are any indication, West should be looking up with that football clutched firmly. Its just not all about the sport, West said. Its about having fun and learning from it. Im getting better at that.
Roger Garfield is prep editor of The Daily News Journal. E-mail him at rgarfield@dnj.com.

Its all about winning now for veteran Bulluck

Individual accolades secondary for LB
By JIM WYATT Gannett Tennessee

TITANS
and Samari Rolle became his role models. He wanted to be a Pro Bowler just like them. He took pride in becoming a one-man tackling machine. But in what seemed like the blink of an eye, the gang was broken up thanks to a salary cap shakeup. And while Bulluck had great accomplishments in the years

NASHVILLE When Keith Bulluck entered the NFL back in 2000, he was a little selfish. Although he was a firstround pick on a winning team, he wasnt playing much. Priority No. 1 was to change that,

though it required patience. He didnt become a starter until his third season. Then his mission was to be mistakeBULLUCK free. Veterans around him Eddie George, Steve McNair, Jevon Kearse

t h a t seemed to pass so N Tennessee q u i c k l y, vs. Houston s o m e Sunday, Noon thing was at LP Field in Nashville missing. N Ch. 5 (WTVF) N 103.3-FM (WKDF) Now in his ninth NFL season, the Titans linebacker has a much different perspective on whats most im-

TITANS

portant to him, and it has far less to do with individual accomplishments than team goals. He came to that realization several seasons ago, but as each year goes by its become clearer. At this point in my career it is all about winning and helping the young guys get to where I am and get them to see the big picture, Bulluck said.
See BULLUCK, page C7

Inside
NHL I C2
Preds face questions at forward as camp begins

Coming Tomorrow:
Full coverage of tonights area prep football games The DNJ previews Saturdays MTSU-Arkansas State matchup

UT I C3
Vols must control running game vs. Florida

U.S. Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger has done all he can to put together a team that will end Europes three straight victories in the Ryder Cup. Now its up to the players and their putters.

SCOREBOARD
AL Batting Leaders
Pedroia, Boston Ordonez, Detroit Mauer, Minnesota Kinsler, Texas .326 .326 .324 .319 For the big picture, check out the Scoreboard

High Schools I C5
Riverdales volleyball team takes on visiting Oakland

page C7
Page editor: J. Patrick Keenan

AZINGER

See page C2

Continued from page C1

ASUs most potent poison comes on the ground, where it ranks sixth nationally at nearly 300 rushing yards per game. The attack is threetiered, at least. Arnold, a 5-foot-9, 220-pound junior tailback, leads the conference at 117 rushing yards per game. When he sat out most of ASUs 83-10 win over FCS-member Texas Southern, backup freshman Derek Lawson raced to 209 yards. Corey Leonard is also among the leagues best running quarterbacks. The ASU trio makes up half of the Sun Belts top six rushers in terms of average yards per game. Theyre so good, I dont know if youre going to stop the run completely, Diaz said. But we have to make them earn every yard and certainly no big chunks, no big plays. And the added challenge this week is that their quarterback can scramble, and weve had trouble with that in the past. ASU padded its rushing totals with a 441-yard outburst against inferior Texas Southern, but its numbers are still legitimate. The Red Wolves rushed for 255 yards in an upset of Texas A&M and 191 yards in a loss to Southern Miss.

Theyve run the ball against good teams, and so this is a huge challenge for our defense, MTSU coach Rick Stockstill said. I think this is the best running attack our defense has faced this year. Added Diaz: They walked Texas A&M up and down the field. They actually shouldve scored over 30 points because they left a bunch of points on the field in the red zone. MTSU knows of Arnold as a bruiser, but he has added speed and some wiggle to his repertoire. Thats not the best news for the Blue Raiders. Yeah, the past couple of years Ive been a physical runner, a bruiser, Arnold said. But I worked hard in the offseason to become more of a home run threat, and Ive had a few big plays. Im not settling for just getting to the secondary anymore. I want to take it all the way.
Adam Sparks, 615-278-5174

Continued from page C1

Blackman coach Bobby Wells spent most of his coaching career as an assistant at Smyrna, while first-year Smyrna coach Matt Williams was the defensive coordinator at Blackman the previous three seasons. Said Wells: Its not real comfortable for either one of us, because somebodys going to come out on the short end (tonight). Said Williams: Theres a lot of coaches and players over there I still care a great deal about. ... Its gonna be a little awkward, but after kickoff, itll probably go away. More connections The players have a familiarity with one another, as well, although theres no room for awkwardness when theyre trying to lay a hit on a former teammate or family member. Smyrna senior lineman Tyler Eady will face both tonight. He has a cousin, as well as a handful of former youth league teammates, that play for Blackman. In fact, Eadys dad, Mike, and the father of Blackman junior DeShawn Smith, O.J., used to coach young Tyler and DeShawn when they played in the Smyrna youth league together. DeShawns dad and my dad have been best friends since they were kids, Eady said. There are other similar relationships between the Blackman and Smyrna schools because of the proximity of their community borders. While Eady tries to approach each opponent the same, he says the connections add a little extra motivation. I think its somebody we always want to beat because theyre in our region, and especially cause coach Williams comes from there, Eady said. So we definitely want to beat them bad. Sign of the times In Murfreesboro, Siegel senior Chuck McCord and his fellow Stars will try and make history tonight by

Continued from page C1

That to me is more about what it is all about. I still want to get this defense an MVP, but it is more about getting a ring, and bringing all the guys with me. All I want to do is win games and do everything I can to make that happen. Bulluck, 31, has certainly done his part over the years, leading the Titans in tackles five of the past six seasons. Hes currently third on the franchises all-time tackle list, has 16 career interceptions, and just last week scored his sixth career touchdown, albeit on special teams. More than anything else, Bulluck has been reliable. Sunday hell start his 100th consecutive game, the longest active streak of any Titan and the fourth longest among NFL linebackers. Bulluck takes great pride in the streak because it means hes been there for his teammates. Keith is one of the most dependable players on this football team, defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch said. You can always count on No. 53 being out there on Sundays. If the Titans are playing, hes going to be on that field making plays to help us win. Counting his blessings Since taking over as the full-time starter in 2002, Bulluck has started every game 99 in the regular season, five in the playoffs. While other linebackers selected in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft Brian Urlacher (Bears) and Julian Peterson (Seahawks) are still enjoying NFL success, players including LaVar Arrington and Rob Morris are out of the league. As for the secret to his ability to remain injury-free, Bulluck said: I pray before every game to get through safe. But he has to work at it, too. Bulluck increased his offseason training, although he still has the same routine. He spends time in California, Florida and Arizona working out with the same trainers and other NFL athletes, in addition to the time he spends in the Titans offseason program. He has to be blessed, too, cornerback Cortland Finnegan said. Not a lot of guys can say theyve played that long and the way Keith plays without getting hurt. Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz called Bulluck a consummate pro who is more motivated now than ever.

He sort of hit us when we were going to the playoffs every year ... and it was almost like he took it for granted, Schwartz said. Then when we started losing and went through some tough years I think it made him appreciate the good times more and made him realize it wasnt the way it was always going to be. Team player The good times are definitely back for the Titans defense. After being at or near the bottom of the league in defense in 2004 and 2006, the Titans finished fifth last season and are second after two games this season. The Titans have quality players at every defensive position, which wasnt always the case when Bulluck had unheard-of tackle totals like 180, 171, 171, 150 and 161. Those totals might make his 109 last year look like hes slacking off, but thats hardly the case. I am sure it was difficult on Keith for a stretch because he saw all those guys he played with and had all the success with all go out the door, and he was sort of like the last of the Mohicans, Schwartz said. But slowly weve been able to surround him with better players and not only does he have confidence in himself, he has confidence that those guys can get their job done. There was a part of Bulluck who enjoyed making so many tackles. His numbers are down through two games hes sixth on the team with 11 tackles but hes OK with that. The days of worrying about that kind of stuff are gone. I just know and understand football. When you have two All Pros in front, including a defensive tackle who is unblockable, how are you supposed to make 14 or 15 tackles a game? Bulluck said. I am not making as many tackles, but we are winning more games. If it was three or four years ago, yeah it might have bothered me. But at this point in my career I dont care, and I still find a way to make my plays and contribute on this team.

beating Riverdale for the first time in his schools six-year existence. I want to be a part of the first class to ever beat Riverdale, said McCord, a tight end/defensive end. I want to be a part of that, and my other senior brothers feel the same way. McCord says his biggest rival is Oakland, because so many of his former teammates at Central Middle like Precious Valentine, Sam Bass and Chanz Boyd currently star for the Patriots. McCord also acknowledges Riverdale as an emerging rival of Siegels, although with the growing parity in Region 4-5A, he says virtually all games must be treated like rivalry games. (Riverdale) is a real important game because it would be a big win in the region, McCord said. And thats every game this year. Its a good year theres a lot of teams competing out there, and the timing makes it really even. You dont have just one team thats going to run over everybody. Riverdale junior quarterback Cody West feels the same way. Things are changing, West said, and everythings evened out more. I dont think that the past really should matter. While games like the Battle of the Boro arent disappearing by any means, the most heated rivalries of the future are still unknown. And in this era of change, it may be awhile before theyre entirely clear. I think it kind of varies from year to year, Siegel coach David Watson said. The main thing is, you can tell a big difference when its an in-county game. The intensity of the (Week 0) Smyrna game was far more than Glencliff, Centennial and even Wilson Central. ... Theres always the OaklandSiegel rivalry, but I think sometimes it gets a little overbuilt. (The players) get up just as much to play Blackman and Riverdale and Smyrna as they get up to play Oakland.
Roger Garfield, 615-278-5168