learningthegame

I am personally a fan of 3-4 football, or if you want to be technical a high school fifty. I insist my scheme is 3-4, however, for two reasons, 1) personnel - I am not going to use two skinny lumbering flat-footed "ends" out side of my tackles, instead I would use to LB types who are nasty and can run 2) I will not use two five techniques and read, I slant and blitz and manuveur the guys into optimal positions. I feel with a variety of coverages and several fronts (eagle, combo fifty/eagle, 6-2, and even a 4-3 for pass rush) it has the potential to reak havoc. Not every coach likes this system. I recently had a conversation with a coach that prefers 4-4 over 4-3, 50, and 3-4. Others I have talked with feel the 4-4 is antiquated, not versatile enough. Of course the 3-3 stack and the 3-5 are becoming the defense of choice. I am wondering once again from those of you who have shared your knowledge: 1. What would you run? 2. Please offer constructive criticism on the 3-4, 50, 60, 4-3 and 4-4 if you would like.

There was a Linebacker that played for Smyrna in the late 90's and 2000 that went to TSU but got badly injured and decided to quit name Billy Spann. I would be hard pressed to believe alot of Smyrna ball players were too much better than him.

I appreciate those of you who have responded and while I think I could have forseen some of the answers I do believe everyone is sincerely stating their point, and doing it quite well I might add. There is one certain point that seems to stand out to me more than the others. I believe two or three of you made it, the neccessity of the passing game in the Wing-T. I believe a Riverdale fan said it best that Riverdale while having some defensive struggles late, as well as some special teams issues throughout the year, was probably weakened most by their inability to throw the ball with accuracy and consistancy. The fan mentioned that he believed that the repititions necessary in developing a stellar passing game must have been neglected. This is puzzling to me because I think it is fair to say that Riverdale is staffed by expert coaches who are both capable and passionate, but this point about the passing game seems elementary. In my recent research concerning Wing-T football I have heard one phrase more than any other, "you have to be able to pass the ball make the Wing-T run." I have heard Tubby Raymond state this in his DVD/Book series, I have heard Denny Creehan (probably the best coach in football) say the same, Bruce Cobleigh a master of the Wing-T, and when I coached defense on a Roger Holmes team I saw his offense throw alot, a whole lot. Did I perhaps misunderstand Tubby Raymond, and those other great coaches. Is the Wing-T's success solely based on the effeciency of the passing game.

I have heard several hundred people say that no 5A football team has ever won the state title running the Wing-T. In fact, they often mention the struggles Riverdale has had in the playoffs since Coach Aydelott, an obviously good coach, installed it at Riverdale. I have recenlty grown fond of the Wing-T and am wondering if the problem with 5A Wing-T teams is the Wing itself or could it be contributed to other things. I really would like to hear some peoples opinions on this who know what they are talking about.

Is Gallatin football going to be strong with Cody Matthews at the helm? And are any of the current coaches going to take positions eleswhere. i.e. head coaching jobs or coordinator positions?

Who will replace the Offensive Coordinator? and is there any possiblity Coach Joslin would ever return to Gallatin? Also who is coordinating his defense?

I think all this verbal sparring is somewhat pointless. Fact is Station Camp is a really good football team that doesn't match up well with Pearl Cohn. That is not to suggest that Station Camp has to lose, but it is reality. The last time the two teams played the score could have gotten way out of hand if the QB for Pearl Cohn would have spotted #85 (wide receiver) and thrown it his way. He was open every time, and I do mean every time. In Station Camp's favor, however, Coach Hollingsworth is as good a coach as you will find in this area. In addition his staff of Coaches Dupree, Shoenbacher, and Walker are equally as good in their responsibilities. Their struggle is finding a way to contain and defeat a spread offense full of great athletes. In the last game they chose to temporarily morph their defense, which is normally a 50 read, into a hybrid 3-4 with both Ends walked out on the slot receivers. In hind sight this may have not been the best approach to defending the spread. The weakness is that it puts a great deal of pressure on the five guys in the box, while not allowing the kids to put much pressure on Pearl's offense. In the last game when SC made their adjustments they brought a fourth guy on the line and moved one of the LB's to an interior lineman. This allowed the kids to have more success pressuring the QB and stopping the run game. This week if they have made the right adjustments (and I am sure they have) and can find a way to sustain a drive, SC might just take this one. If they do it will more than likely be low scoring affair but who knows, maybe they rock PC??™s world. Pearl Cohn does have the one thing that is hard to deal with when running the Wing-T, speed. The Wing by design is a system based on ???smoke and mirrors???. But a good 4-3 team who walks an extra man into the box is too hard to ???fool.??? However, if SC can establish its passing game early, walk that man out of the box and run its base plays 34G, 42 special (buck sweep), and the inside reverse (Sally). This will be a great ballgame. No predictions??¦??¦.

Coach Calvin Short of Gallatin High School. I had the good fortune of having played for Coach Short from 1991-1993. During that time Coach Short led his teams to a 38-3 record and Two trips to the Clinic Bowl. One of which we were severely beaten by an outstanding Oak Ridge team filled with great players and coaches alike. Some of which I have had either the opportunity to play with in college or the privilige of coaching with on a high school staff. He also, one year later led the Green Wave to a State Championship over the Clinton Dragons in 1992 (which was his third title). As a player I saw Coach Short like many of us see our fathers in our youth. I of course had the deepest respect for him, yet seemed to think that he was a little behind the times and not really all that progressive. As I have grown into manhood however, I have come to appreciate the timeless virtues of organization, structure and discipline that were the pillars of his illustrious career. Day in and day out for the better part of three years my days were filled with carefully crafted routines built on simplicity and tradition. Our off season workouts, spring and summer practice and of course our incredibly disciplined, highly structured and thoroughly organized regular season practices were as good as I have ever seen. In addition, as I have had the privilige of coaching with great coaches who were unsuccessful in their attempts to beat Coach Short, I have developed a new found respect for his preparation skills and his overall coaching acumen. In fact, even Coach Roger Holmes, who I was told recently won a share of the 2A state title in Georgia, once told his staff at Beech about the difficulty of scheming against Coach Short. (I was on that staff along with two others who had either played for or coached with Coach Short.) It actually suprised me because my view of Coach Short at that time was that he was not particularly savvy as far as it pertained to play calling and schemes. Since then, however, I have reviewed in my mind and both in film study the methodical way in which he prepared his teams, and have been very impressed. And I can honestly say that in my two years as a starter I never saw anything from opposing teams that in the least bit suprised me, offensively or defensively. I will finish with this, I am really glad that I played for Gallatin and particularly for Coach Short. I have since taken a moment to express my appreiciation to him, for the fond memories of having been a Green Wave and for the in the way in which he led his teams. I of course do and will continue to do things a bit differently than he did, but I often find myself doing and saying things that I know he taught us. I look at it as building on the foundation he laid, and it was a good foundation. You don't win three state titles on accident!!!!!