The Commercial Appeal's Pre-season Dandy Dozen Team Capsules

[kwc]

Preseason football Dandy Dozen countdown

4:57 PM, Aug 18, 2015

 

Copyright Associated Press

 

Here is our countdown of the prep football preseason Dandy Dozen. Included are links to preview stories for each team:

 

12. St. George's

11. Arlington

10. Millington

9. Trezevant

8. Germantown

7. Ridgeway

6. White Station

5. Christian Brothers

4. DeSoto Central

3. East

2. MUS

1. Whitehaven

Edited August 21, 2015 by kwc

[kwc]

I want to first say that my hat is off to the Commercial Appeal, and John Varlas, in particular for his ability to go to all of the programs in the surrounding area and write ALL of these capsules and profiles. John had help, but it is a gargantuan task to say the least! MY GOODNESS! The articles that I copied and posted on CoachT are only a FRACTION of all of the articles that were written. Excellent job of coverage of high school football. EXCELLENT!

 

Now, my perception of this pre-season poll John put together. I'd give it a B-. Here's why. It's pre-season, so there is going to be other things that go into rating a program then data. Last year's record, current numbers on the team, returning starters and experienced players, new or existing coach as the HC, ... etc.

 

Well, that being siad ... how on earth do you rate Germantown as the eighth best program in the city in preseason? I don't get where he is coming from with this one. Why do I say this? Well, let's just look at what we know.

 

Past records: You have to go back to 2012, to where they lost to Whitehavn in the quarter finals to see when they were competitive. In 2013, they were 5-5 and missed the playoffs. Last year, in 2014, there were 4-6, missing the playoffs again. So there is that going for them.

 

HC status: This year, they break in a brand spanking new HC who is from another state. So, you got that whole new offensive and defensive systems to teach AND learn, that usually comes with new terminology, new hand signals, new formations, new coaches, new everything. Which abates the development of synchronicity amoungst the team.

 

So you mean to tell me with all of that going on ... you place them 8th in the city? Above Trezevant, Millington, Arlington, and St. George's? Even with Arlington breaking in a new HC ... at least he was last year's OC ... there is no newness issue there, that is a smooth transition, relative to what is going on over at Germantown.

 

Why is Germantown even IN the Dandy Dozen at this stage? I don't think that they should even be listed. There are plenty of other programs that could have been included in the Dandy Dozen beside them. Melrose, ECS, Munford, Central, or even Craigmont to name some off of the top of my head. Even if you are basing this on potential ... I'd go with Lausanne before I would have went with Germantown. Heck, the way the pre-season wrirte ups about the regions were reading, I would have even fanthomed Cordova before I would have mentioned Germantown ... just based upon what I listed above.

 

I don't get it.

Edited August 21, 2015 by kwc