Spartansfan

Hi dou....it was good to see the Trojans visit WS. It looks to me like both teams are on course for a playoff run. (Assuming players stay healthy) You're correct...the int was against our 1st team O, and the long pass/run after that was vs our 1st team D. I think both teams saw some good in what they did, yet also have to improve in some areas. Good luck with the season Trojans...hopefully we can visit you again in the playoffs.

Aug 21...Briarcrest Aug 28...Ridgeway Sep 4.....@Whitehaven Sep 11...CBHS Sep 18...East Sep 25...OPEN Oct 2.....@MUS Oct 9.....@Melrose Oct 16...@Central Oct 23...Hamilton Oct 30...Mitchell Should be an interesting year. Every team except Central and Hamilton made the playoffs last year and are expected to be contenders in '09.

no...we fielded the kicks at the 5 to 10 yard line. He had one kickoff go out of bounds around the 30, so we got that one at the 35 on the penalty. Point is...he was kicking fine, just not into the end zone. the out of bounds kick was aimed to be shallow and towards the sideline. It just went a bit too far to be caught in bounds.

Thanks for your kind words. My perspective is pretty simple. I know how hard the players for WS have worked over the past few seasons. I also see the desire to win, the disappointment after a loss. It's the team I support. It would be safe to reason the other teams making playoff runs have also worked very hard to reach their goals. Only one team gets to win the last game. It doesn't diminish the effort of the organization nor the effort of the young men that sacrifice many hours of hard work to attempt to reach the ultimate goal. Teams that continue on deserve credit for their effort. It isn't easy.

Punting was fine. So were the kickoffs. It really wasn't that cold out either. He was getting the ball inside the 10, usually around the 5. Our kicker was doing his normal distance as well. The coverage of Franklin's special teams was good, so no need to kick away from anyone.

Franklin does have a very solid kicking game. Bt We saw no kickoffs make it to the endzone last night. No wind, so that wasn't a factor. Off night?

Thanks for your support millingtonfan, but I think it's time to give Franklin their props. They showed up and played their game. We were in good shape. The players were up, loose and ready. We simply lost to a better team last night. I could go down a list of excuses and things we coulda, woulda, shoulda done better. But this is more about what Franklin accomplished and less about us not trying to do what we've done to get this far.

I understand your post is directed to millingtonfan. But I do want to comment on the topic. Franklin played a great game, hats off to them! They executed very well, and were very consistent in their play. They are obviously well coached. I can't predict an outcome of next weeks matchup simply because I know nothing of Oakland. I would suspect it will be competitive since Oakland is from the central area, and seemingly, the central area has a system figured out to keep seeing success in 5A football. The confidence 6-5A has is justified with the records posted in these playoff games. I don't believe the central area has all the talent. What I witnessed last night wasn't about one person having amazing talent. Yes, Ford is pretty fast. Once he got around the corner on us, he was gone. Your QB showed a great amount of poise and accuracy on his passes. But the key to your success is in your O-line. When your blocking broke down, the plays broke down. When blocking was good, the play had success. For WS, our inside running game wasn't working. That forced us into a passing game, and trying to get to the outside with screens and such. Franklin's defense was very disciplined with staying put and not allowing all of the side to side movement to get people out of position. Normally, that is one thing we use to our benefit. When the defensive players get out of position, our running backs have space, and can exploit that space to our benefit. But it didn't work last night. That's a credit to Franklin's defense and their preparation. The blueprint for success seems consistent whether it's Franklin, Indy from last year, or Ravenwood from the year before. Those are the times I've witnessed 6-5A football. And all three teams, even with their individuality, seems to have the same recipe for succeeding. We have a young team at WS, and while we are disappointed to lose the game, we are happy to have gotten into the semi finals. It's into the offseason for us. Perhaps we can build on where we are now and get back next year!

I didn't want that issue to lay around too long because I knew you have spoken very favorably of MUS this season. Looks like your impression of them was on the mark too! Thanks for the well wishes. We'll be heading east Friday morning to get the show going.

biznazz, take a look at post #44 on page 4. It gives an idea of who to watch for WS. I'd be more specific, but I don't have the info. Our coaches have shown some flexibilty in the sets we use, and I haven't got the inside info. I'm a great spectator, not much of a coach or analyst. /popcorneater.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":popcorneater:" border="0" alt="popcorneater.gif" />

If I read it correctly, TraderB was referring to another post questioning why the game wasn't on TV, and he called it a travesty. And it was....these games should be on the tube. We have hundreds of channels of junk, and can't serve the communities with a good football game.

Thanks for the kind words 71pops! I was wondering how Smyrna racked up 35 points against Ravenwoods defense. They were pretty dominanting in the 2nd half in our game. Hopefully everyone stays healthy between WS and FHS so the winner (pulling reeeal hard for WS) can bring it in the final game! Everything I've read about FHS makes them look like the real deal. And with the exception of one game, they have been unbeatable. I'm looking forward to the trip, and it'll be nice to experience some playoff football from the middle of the state. It should be a great atmosphere. If anyone wants to jump onboard the Spartans bandwagon, just grab some green gear and come on over! /thumb[1].gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":thumb:" border="0" alt="thumb[1].gif" />

I don't think it's that complicated. I do know there is a great deal of consistency that needs to be developed. Keep in mind, I'm not referring to field goals. I'm keeping htis to extra points. The long snapper has to snap it with a certain degree of accuracy. The holder (probably the key guy here) has to catch the ball and place it consistently in the spot that was designated, and at the correct angle. The kicker is supposed to hit a spot, and start his approach at a specific time. If he waits for the holder to spot the ball, it's too late. If the hold is one angle one time, another angle the next, you lose reliability. If the holder puts it down in a place that is off the established mark, the kicker won't hit the ball properly, resulting in a pop up, or getting it blocked, or going off to one side. The key is to get the practice in and having someone that has experience in the proper techniques is a huge help. It's work and time involved in getting it to be a consistent score. But you don't need size or speed or any special abilities, other than the discipline required to get it done the same way every time. I guess my point is that the answer isn't that hard. But it does take work to get it done right.

I have no doubt that they could have a reliable kicking game in place for next season if they'd get it started this coming summer during workouts. It simply isn't that hard for the kicker due to the short distance of the kick. The hardest part would be to develop the timing and consistency with the holder. They have to train and work as a team. Feild goals are a different story due to increased distance requiring stronger and more accurate kicks. I just can't imagine a coach that's good enough to get his team to the playoffs can't see the importance of establishing this phase of the game. And with the following Melrose has (and Fairley too) I can't understand why the parents haven't held the coaches accountable.

I'd be willing to bet that my son could team up with a QB for the holder, and in a month or two have enough time to develop a consistent kicking game that would at least get the extra point issue solved. This has to be a problem the coaching staff just doesn't see as a high priority. Yet I can't imagine how after the losses they've had and most can be attributed to the lack of an extra point.

CONGRATS MUS!!!!!

Hi TraderB....I've been puzzled by this same problem also. Seems to me that the problem is an easy fix IF the coaching staff decides it's important to them. One easy way to fix it is to make friends with the soccer coach. I don't know how some of these schools you listed are situated for soccer teams. But usually you can find a strong leg with knowledge of how to kick a ball in a given direction. Then during the off-season, they practice kicking a football. At WS we had a soccer player for one year. The next season was just a player that wanted to kick for us. He received some coaching from someone that had experience kicking in college. Then he practiced. This year we have 2 kickers. again, coaching and practice. The really strange part of this issue is that for extra point conversions, it doesn't take THAT good of a kicker because you don't need much distance. You just need consistency. That should be pretty easy to develop. The harder part is field goals. Distance, aiming needs to be better, etc The last part of this kicking puzzle is they need a holder. Preferrable one guy that stays with the kicker. Timing is huge, ball placement and lean is huge. If the holder can't be consistent, the kicker will probably lack reliability.

I don't know if home field really helped WS in '06 or Millington in '07. I'm glad I didn't have to make a 3+hr drive! /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> But Ravenwood and Indy both had a very strong fan base show up. It didn't appear to negatively affect the players either. And yes, it would be very gratifying to get a West Tn team past a semi-final game for a change! But I guess when we put the pieces of the puzzle together to build a strong enough program that can beat a Central Tn team, then it'll happen. Only one team wins their last game of the season. The rest have to be content with getting as far as they did. I'm just glad we have playoffs instead of going off a rating system like NCAA does.

Thanks cam6. I actually understand the position most of the posters take. Since they're mostly located in central Tn, and either fans of FHS, or played them, they have a grasp of how good they are. And history is on their side also. I asked Coach Rutherford if it was worth wasting the gas to make the trip. Looks like we still plan on limping in. /biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" /> I agree that any team that makes it this far is worthy of respect. The mistakes normally dictate the outcome. I've got no doubt we need our "A" game. But whatever the outcome, we will enjoy the ride this season has provided. I know I have pulled for every team that comes out of Memphis in their pursuit of winning state. My son and I went to the Millington/Indy game last year. One of these years, a West Tn team is going to sneak in to the semi's and win it for a change. I really thought Millington was going to be that team last year. Thanks for the support, it is appreciated!

Brandon Hayes is the rb that was referred to by millingtonfan2007. He's human, so I don't look for him to carry Franklin's defense into the endzone everytime he touches the ball. /wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" /> But he does have good moves and runs with a purpose. He is one of those types that will finish his runs by going forward. He has some good technique and it has served him well this year. He can make people miss, and has good speed. He wears #1 or #23 depending on the uniform we wear. Julian Burton is another quick and elusive runner. He's #4, and runs hard. He poses problems for defenders in the passing game, since we normally line him up as a receiver. Our QB, Marino, #17, is a sr. This is his 1st year starting, but has done well managing the game for us. He's a pretty good passer, keeps a cool head. Defensively, #44 is our marque player on defense. Fred Harvey is the type that has his motor going nonstop. He tends to either make the play, or makes the guys around him better by his presence. Our secondary is solid, and we have a good pass rush. The defense has been pretty consistent all season. The offense had the most adjustments to make this year due to the new coaching staff and a different offensive philosophy as well as alot of youth. I think our strength is the diversity of what we can do. I'm hoping we can find somethings that will work against Franklin's d.

It sounds like Franklin has all the pieces in place. Normally, the team that controls the line of scrimmage wins the game, and it sound like Franklin wins that battle more than not. I think one factor that looks to be on Franklins side is their experience. We are still growing and learning. If we put together a complete game, I feel confident we can compete. if we make youthfull mistakes, we could be in for a long game. Glad you can find it to pull for a team from your region. I'm that way too.

Last year WS played Millington in the quarter finals. Millington had a couple of rb's that lit us up pretty bad. Of course everyone made the assumption that Millington would have similar success when they met Indy in the semi's. There were a couple of times Millinton's backs got loose, but for the most part, Indy kept them in check well enough to win the game. I know we have some good rb's, and given some space to run, they can get after it! But I also know as we get deeper into the playoffs the opponents tend to get better and these wild running plays that victimize a team one week, doesn't neccessarily mean the next game will see similar results. I do suspect we'll see some good runs by both teams. Is Ford more of a power back? Or does he have the speed and moves to run away from the defense?

I haven't been to one either. After last seaons game, I found myself wishing I had gone to it. So if I can make this one, i'll be there. Here's hoping you reconsider!

How does Franklin rate compared to last seasons Indy team.....or Ravenwood from the year before? It's hard to visualize how good a team is with nothing to compare them to. And someone posted about a runningback carrying 5 Brentwood defenders down the field....I don't think that would accurately represent what Franklin does on a consistent basis. Otherwise, they would have blowout Brentwood.

Thanks for bringing up that memory! /dry.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=" We felt good about our chance to move into the championship game the way the 1st half went. Ravenwood kinda stomped on us in the 2nd half though. Comparing the team of 2 years ago to this one is truly an apples/oranges comparison. The team we had 2 years ago was more experienced in some key positions. We had a totally different coaching staff running a pro set type offense. We were more predictable, but we executed very well. (at least until the 2nd half of the Ravenwood game) This year we run a spread offense. It's more aggressive in the play calling, perhaps less predictable. We've had some inconsistencies that are a result of players learning new positions, a new system, and also we have fewer seniors on this team. Our defense is more aggressive than 2 years ago. I really can't assess Franklin, but based on teams I've seen from region 6 in the past couple of years, it's safe to assume we will need to protect the ball and have one of our best efforts to win this one. But we're used to that underdog role. Anytime we've gone up against a quality opponent, we've been the 'dog.