Oneida 49, Oakdale 0 – Oneida returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown on the game’s opening series and never looked back, cruising to a 49-0 district win over Oakdale. The Indians extended their season winning streak to six games and their series winning streak over Oakdale to 20 years. (Prediction was Oneida 49-0)

CAK 49, Scott 7 – CAK scored on its first possession and built a 35-7 halftime lead before hitting cruise control, moving one game closer to a showdown of district undefeateds with Alcoa. (Prediction was CAK 56-14)

Coalfield 49, Wartburg 3 – Coalfield continues to dominate in District 4-A. Tonight the Yellow Jackets proved they can take care of business without getting sidetracked by an old and hotly-contested rivalry. (Prediction was Coalfield 35-12)

Grace Christian 40, Greenback 0 – The worst thing for Grace Christian? Knowing you’re on probation and ineligible for the postseason. There isn’t a Class 2A team in the state — Trousdale County not withstanding — that can come within two touchdowns of Grace this year. The best thing for Grace Christian? They still have a LOT of that talent coming back next year, when they’re very much eligible for the playoffs. Unfortunately for Oneida, the Rams will stand in the way when folks think the Indians might have all the pieces to make a run at the state title. (Prediction was Grace 42-20)

Oak Ridge 48, Anderson County 20 – This one was never really a contest.

Oak Ridge built a big lead early and cruised to a win over an Andy County team that is really hurting for experience. (Prediction was Oak Ridge 35-27)

Stone Memorial 36, Loudon 6 – This one has to be the shocker of the evening. Everyone knew Loudon was down somewhat this year…even though the Redskins defeated a pretty good Lenoir City team to start the season. But Stone has not looked impressive at all…until tonight, at least. I don’t think anyone saw this coming…at least not the lopsided nature of it. (Prediction was Loudon 35-13)

Sunbright 41, King’s Academy 21 – A healthy Sunbright team wins this one a little more easily, but the Tigers proved they can still put points on the board. (Prediction was Sunbright 34-13)

Fulton 13, Gibbs 7 – It was more of a defensive battle than I expected, but the result was pretty much the same. (Prediction was Fulton 33-27)

Other scores worth noting:
Alcoa 36, Kingston 13
Chuckey-Doak 34, Cumberland Gap 27
Grainger 28, Claiborne County 12
Greeneville 46, West Greene 7
Karns 49, Halls 13
Lenoir City 14, Catholic 10
Maryville 40, Bearden 6
Oliver Springs 59, Jellico 0
Powell 42, Hardin Valley 10
Rockwood 42, Harriman 0
Tellico Plains 32, Midway 28
Cookeville 56, Cumberland County 21
DeKalb County 37, York Institute 10

The University of Iowa has been awarded a $5.8 million grant to study migraines in children:

The CTSDMC will serve as the data coordinating center for the study that compares amitriptyline and topiramate, two medications often used to treat migraine in adults but which have yet to be proven effective for use in children.

“There are currently no medications approved by the FDA to prevent childhood migraine,” said Christopher Coffey, Ph.D., UI professor of biostatistics and director of the CTSDMC.

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“The results of this study will have worldwide impact on the decisions made by pediatricians, family practitioners, neurologists and other health care professionals dealing with migraine in adolescents.”

Posted because Dr. Coffey is married to a Scott County native, Beth Cecil.

The second half of the Tennessee high school football season starts tonight. Here are the games worth watching in our area:

1.) Oneida at Oakdale — Let’s be honest: the best thing about going to Oakdale has nothing to do with the quality of football on the field; the games are usually decided by the end of the first quarter. It has everything to do with the hamburgers sold at the concession stand. Oakdale girls basketball coach Fred Snow mans the grill, and his burgers are unofficially voted the best gridiron hamburgers in all of District 4…A, AA or AAA. Good food and the friendliest football fans in Morgan County make the Oakdale road trip a lot of fun.

Someone went and scheduled homecoming tonight for Oakdale. I think we can safely say that it will be a spoiled homecoming. Prediction: Oneida 49, Oakdale 0.

2.) Scott at CAK — CAK’s Charlie High is one of the best high school quarterbacks in Tennessee…if not in all of America. Through the first five games of the season, he’s thrown for more yards than any other quarterback in the nation, and he has a pair of the best receivers in Tennessee to compliment his arm. As a Scott High graduate it hurts to say it, but here’s the reality: Alcoa scored 28 quick points on Scott then quickly called off the dogs, due to one coach having respect for another (Alcoa’s Gary Rankin and Scott’s Tony Lambert are friends in the business). CAK probably won’t be as merciful, and the Warriors are at least as good as Alcoa…at least. Prediction: CAK 56, Scott 14.

3.) Wartburg at Coalfield — This one should be a lopsided affair. Coalfield is rolling through its 2011 schedule and just might be a contender for the Class A state title, while Wartburg is taking its lumps as it limps through a rebuilding campaign. But you know what they say about rivalries: throw out the stats books and the records. Still, it’s going to be a tough one for the boys from the Capital City of Morgan County to go to the Coal Bowl and win. Prediction: Coalfield 35, Wartburg 12.

4.) Grace Christian at Greenback — The two best teams in District 3-A get together tonight for a game that will decide the district title. Both teams are undefeated. No team has come closer to beating Greenback than Oneida in Week 0, when the Cherokees won 34-31 in overtime. Since then, every game has been a snoozer for the ‘Kees. CAK has had to beat a couple of teams in tight games to remain undefeated…but those games were against CAK and Anderson County. The fact that the Rams won both says plenty about how good this football team is. Greenback is good, but Grace is probably the best Class A team – 1A or 2A – in Tennessee. Prediction: Grace Christian 42, Greenback 20.

5.) Oak Ridge at Anderson County — Cross-county rivals go at it tonight as Gillum Ball hosts the mighty mighty Wildcats. Oak Ridge has had an up and down season, limping into Clinton with a 2-3 record. But they played Powell exceptionally well earlier this season before coming up on the short end at the final gun. Anderson County is also suffering through a rebuilding season. They come in at 3-3 after needing to come from behind to defeat a struggling Halls team last week. A week before that, Andy County was blasted by Powell, 53-16. Oh, and those three losses for Oak Ridge? Each came at the hands of a team that is probably a legitimate top 10 team in their classifications — Powell, Maryville and Farragut. Prediction: Oak Ridge 35, Anderson County 27.

6.) Stone Memorial at Loudon — It has been a rough season for Stone. The Panthers got off to an 0-4 start…and then they needed four quarters to put away Class 1A Sunbright, 20-7. Loudon comes in at 3-2, with impressive wins over Lenoir City and McMinn Central. Last week, the Redskins defeated Sweetwater by a couple of scores. Sweetwater knocked off Stone by the same margin earlier this season. Loudon is clearly the better team. The fact that both of these teams remain on Scott’s schedule is reason enough to pique the interest of local fans as the Redsticks and Plateau Panthers square off tonight. Prediction: Loudon 35, Stone 13.

7.) Sunbright at King’s Academy — When the Tigers lost to Stone Memorial last week, they lost more than their pride. They also lost standout quarterback Jesse England to a dislocated kneecap injury. How well can Sunbright’s offense perform without its No. 1 playmaker? Tonight will begin to answer that question. Fortunately for Sunbright, the opponent is King’s Academy. Prediction: Sunbright 34, King’s Academy 13.

8.) Fulton at Gibbs — Gibbs started off  the season by outscoring its first two opponents 87-0. Since then, the Eagles have won just one of four games. They gave up 49 points to CAK last week after losing to a Gatlinburg-Pittman team they should’ve beaten a week earlier. Fulton rolls in with a two-game winning streak after losing its first three games of the season. Gibbs is still smarting from giving up 53 points to Fulton in a loss last year. Neither team is as good as they were then, but Fulton should still have a slight advantage. Prediction: Fulton 33, Gibbs 27.

Other games worth keeping an eye on:
Alcoa at Kingston (Prediction: Alcoa)
Bearden at Maryville (Prediction: Maryville)
Clinton at Knox Central (Prediction: Central)
Cumberland Gap at Chuckey-Doak (Prediction: Chuckey-Doak)
Greeneville at West Greene (Prediction: Greeneville)
Hardin Valley at Powell (Prediction: Powell)
Jellico at Oliver Springs (Prediction: Oliver Springs)
Carter at Pigeon Forge (Prediction: Carter)
Rockwood at Harriman (Prediction: Rockwood)
DeKalb County at York Institute (Prediction: DeKalb County)
Livingston Academy at Cannon County (Prediction: Livingston Academy)

A National Weather Service special weather statement for parts of East Tennessee:

A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND EAST TENNESSEE TODAY. BEHIND THE FRONT…NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO 25 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS…BEGINNING THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING THROUGH
TONIGHT.

THE NORTHWEST WINDS WILL USHER MUCH COLDER AIR INTO THE AREA AS WELL…AND LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT ARE EXPECTED TO FALL INTO THE 30S IN THE MOUNTAINS…WITH SOME LOCATIONS SEEING LOW TEMPERATURES DROP BELOW FREEZING.

A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM CROSSING THE APPALACHIANS TONIGHT WILL ALSO BRING A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS TO PORTIONS OF THE AREA…MAINLY FOR ELEVATIONS AT OR ABOVE 3000 FEET. ONLY LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED…WITH A DUSTING TO A HALF INCH POSSIBLE IN THE HIGHEST PEAKS.

In preparation for the weekend, it might be noteworthy to check on the record temperatures.

For Oct. 1 (Saturday), the record low in Oneida is 31, set in 1974. For Oct. 2, the record low is 30, set in 1980.

Those records should be safe, but we are going to be quite chilly as October rolls into town this weekend. The National Weather Service is currently predicting a low of 40 Saturday morning and a low of 39 Sunday morning, with highs of 60 and 63 Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Those numbers are probably going to bust, if conditions are favorable. The latest GFS model run projects a low of 40 Saturday morning, a low

of 34 Sunday morning and a high of 57 and 59 Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

With a breeze Saturday (10-15 mph sustained winds and gusts to 20 mph), it’s going to feel downright cold.

If the start of October is a sign of things to come, it may be an early winter. But the start of October probably isn’t even a sign of things to come later in October. If I were a betting man, I’d say most of October will be warmer than normal. Signs are muddled, but there’s evidence to support that theory. And, in fact, the GFS is projecting a return to slightly above-average temps (in the mid 70s) by early next week.

CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish, muckraker extraordinaire, published a column yesterday with revelations from former Tennessee basketball assistants Jason Shay and Steve Forbes that they are not happy with their former boss, Bruce Pearl.

In essence, Pearl received a $1 million buyout from UT and landed plush job with H.T. Hackney, while Forbes and Shay stayed in coaching (at the junior college level in Florida) and went from making six-digit salaries to making $60,000 and $20,000, respectively.

They aren’t happy about that.

Today, Knoxville News Sentinel columnist Mike Griffith followed up with a column of his own which clarifies things a bit (and, unlike Parrish, Griffith gets Pearl’s take on the matter). But it remains clear that Forbes and Shay aren’t happy with their former boss.

Among other things? The two former assistants are upset that Pearl is still in his $2.6 million home while they’re struggling to sell their Knoxville homes, and they’re upset that he has taken vacations to Florida and Boston while they’re struggling to make ends meet through their new gig as junior college coaches.

It isn’t difficult to feel a little sympathetic for the former assistants and their plight. They went from very good jobs on one of the most successful coaching staffs at the SEC to coaching junior college for peanuts.

But what is Pearl to do? Turn down the job? Move out of his home? Not take vacations? Just to make sure he doesn’t step on the toes of his assistants?

Some might argue that Pearl wound up getting better than he deserved after being forced from coaching by the NCAA for lying to investigators. And maybe he did. But the bottom line is that Pearl is where he is because a.) he’s a good coach; even if he hadn’t taken the Hackney job he would have taken the NBADL job in Texas making a half-million per year and b.) he’s seen as an asset.

H.T. Hackney is a for-profit corporation. So while personal friendships may have played a role in Pearl’s hire, there are lots of friends who don’t wind up with cozy front-office jobs with one of the nation’s leading retailers. Chances are, if H.T. Hackney didn’t think Pearl’s hire would benefit their company, he wouldn’t have been hired. Chances are, if H.T. Hackney had thought Forbes or Shay would benefit their company, they would’ve been hired.

Pearl is where he is and they’re where they are because he was the head coach and they were the assistant coaches.

Parrish’s muckraking piece reads as though Pearl threw his former assistants under the bus.

But did he? Griffith’s piece revealed that Pearl had declined a request from UT to fire one of his coaches, and that he lobbied for the assistants to get the severance money that they did get — however little that might have been.

The assistants tell their story from the perspective of being forced to go down with their boss because he lied about a photo that was taken at his home. It’s important to note, however, that the two assistants were interviewed before Pearl was interviewed. They lied before Pearl lied. Unless Pearl asked them to lie — which seems unlikely, considering none of the coaches were aware the photo was going to be shown until just before the interviews began — Forbes and Shay made their own decisions to lie.

In other words, Pearl was canned because he told a lie. Forbes was canned because Forbes told a lie. Shay was canned because Shay told a lie. There are consequences for choices, and each man made choices he now regrets.

Did Pearl get better than he deserved when he landed a good-paying job in Knoxville? Maybe he did (I’d argue the opposite, but opinions are opinions…). But that has nothing to do with Shay and Forbes and what precipitated their terminations at UT.

Sometimes you gotta place blame where blame belongs.

(Former assistant Tony Jones, who took a high school coaching job at Alcoa and thus is also making pennies on the dollar compared to what he made at UT, doesn’t blame Pearl. It’s telling about the integrity of Parrish that Jones is the one assistant coach whose thoughts were not included in the CBS story.)

My column this week:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”

That’s from the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, guaranteeing U.S. citizens the right to practice their religion, and the right not to.

Here lately, it seems the right to practice is being trumped by the right not to.

Case in point: the tiny town of Westmoreland, Tenn. (pop. 2,100). Four football coaches there are in hot water with school system administrators for taking part in a prayer with players.

The coaches didn’t lead the prayer…nothing like that. In fact, they didn’t say anything.

Their offense? They bowed their heads while a player prayed.

According to school system administrators, allowing employees of the schools to bow their heads during a student-led prayer could be mistaken as a school endorsement of religion.

It’s hard to blame Sumner County school officials for being a little skittish when it comes to matters of religion. It’s been only five months since the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the school system alleging a pattern of school-endorsed religious activities ranging from displaying a cross on a wall to graduations being held at churches to the school board meetings opening with prayer.

Coaches at Westmoreland didn’t do any of those things. They silently bowed their heads as a student prayed.

Who knew that a head-bow could be so offensive? The coaches weren’t disciplined, but they were “educated” on school policy. In other words: “Don’t let it happen again.”

In rural Tennessee, prayer comes so naturally that it is seldom questioned. Ballgames start with prayer, graduations end with prayer, meals are blessed by prayer. I’ve seen avowed atheists bow their heads during an invocation at football games…not out of respect for a God they don’t believe in, but out of respect for their friends and neighbors who do believe in God.

But if the ACLU has its way, even something so simple as a respectfully bowed head is a violation of the political doctrine of separation of church and state.

Most Christians would agree that no one should be forced to take part in religious activities, whether they’re at school or elsewhere. And many, if not most, would agree that religion is best left out of the curriculum. Religious theology is better taught at home and in the church than in public schools.

Spend any amount of time objectively reading the historical writings and speeches of America’s founding fathers and it becomes clear that ours is a nation

that was founded by Christian men on Christian principles. But the founders also weren’t negligent of the fact that the very growth of the New World was owed to the religious intolerance back home. Hence, the wording of the First Amendment that specifies both a freedom of and freedom from religion.

But in the rush of the ACLU and others to separate church and state, that very constitutional right is being trampled for the ones who do wish to exercise their religious beliefs. Telling teachers that they cannot mention God or the Gospels to their students is no longer satisfactory. Public school educators are now being told they must check their religious beliefs at the door, if the Westmoreland case is any indication.

If telling a coach that he cannot bow his head while a student prays isn’t “prohibiting the free exercise” of religion, what is?

To Christians, a bowed head or kneeled knee during prayer is a fundamental practice. If a Jewish teacher were told by a school system that he could not wear a kippah, would that be deemed offensive and struck down? If a Muslim teacher were told by a school system that she could not wear traditional Islam headdress, would that be deemed offensive and struck down? To a Christian, at least the protestant denominations with which I am familiar, not being allowed to bow his head for prayer is just as offensive as the various traditions of Islam and Judaism.

Those are rhetorical questions, of course. We know the answers: not only would such requirements be disallowed, but — and this is the height of irony — the same ACLU that lobbies for things like no head bowing in Westmoreland would defend the right of those teachers to wear their traditional religious garments.

Which leads to another rhetorical question: in a nation where Christianity is the predominate religion, why are Christians the only worshipers who it is acceptable to offend?

Or, put another way, why do Christians sit idly by and allow it to happen.

We all know that Alabama is above breaking the rules, but misery loves company so, what the heck. Sportswriter Clay Travis:

On August 28th, 2011 Alabama running back Trent Richardson was pulled over for speeding in Chilton County, Alabama. The Crimson Tide star was going 85 in a 70 and the officer noted that he blamed the “large rims” on his vehicle for the speeding violation. What was the vehicle? A 2011 GMC Yukon which retails for in the neighborhood of $40,000 a year even without the added expense of new rims.

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Raise your hand if it makes sense that an ”unemployed” athlete at Alabama with two children, no job, and a non-wealthy family could afford a brand new SUV. Put your hands down Alabama fans. Trent Richardson could be flying in his own private jet and you’d talk about how it’s perfectly reasonable for him to avoid traffic this way.

For the rest of us Richardson driving a brand new SUV raises an awful lot of questions.

According to the National Weather Service’s records, the last time the temperature in Oneida dropped into the 30s was May 8, when the overnight low

dropped to 39.

If the GFS computer model is correct, 30s may be back by this weekend. Here is the latest model output statistics for the northern Cumberland Plateau. This weekend’s projected high/low temps are highlighted: