Cav

I suspect you are right CPA4Ever.

CPA gets their offense un-corked and wins big or Goodpasture wins a close game. Cunningham will break loose and put points on the board. It will not be enough for CPA to play well defensively. They must play offense as well.

Excellent post. For once, a mature analysis of the public/private issue.

Should be a great game. Two talented teams playing at CPA which is one of the finest venues for watching a high school football game in the state. I'll place my bet on Goodpasture. First, as has been noted several times, it's hard to beat a good team twice in one season. Plus, the Cougars didn't play particularly well in the first contest and Cunningham played very little in the second half. Also, CPA continues to have execution problems and continues to play well below their talent potential. Against Fairview, the Lions had five turnovers and eked out an unimpressive victory over a team that possessed a fraction of CPA's athletic assets. Goodpasture comes into the contest buoyant from a hard fought victory over a very good LC team. IMO, Goodpasture makes it 6 wins out of the last 7 meetings. Good luck to both teams.

I join you on that one Matt610. That would be an evening of first class sports entertainment.

Ditto! Congrats to Mason Sharp as well. What a terrific line up for Friday night! Should be a match long remembered by the fans and most especially by the players. To the players: you have worked hard all season and perhaps several seasons to get here. Treasure this opportunity. Excel on every down and capture every tick of the clock for the ages. For no matter where you go in life, good times or bad, success or failure, you will always remember this night. Make the most of it. Good luck to both LC & GP.

Thank you Skippy. I appreciate the kind words.

Huntingdon/USJ

I agree this team has improved greatly and if they continue to improve, a trip to the 'boro is entirely possible. As far as the late 90's and early 2000's, those teams played and dominated DCA, FRA, Ezell, Boyd B., USJ, BGA, and Goodpasture. Those are all 2A teams and above. The 2002 CPA State Champ team was no better in talent, and probably was not as good talent wise, as this year's CPA team. But they were dominate. They were what most people would call a hard nosed football team. As to techniques and finesse, it is virtually impossible to move a linebacker out of a hole with a screen block. I guess my main point is that the program has had and continues to have good talent for a 2A school but under performs. Last year you had the good qb, a large offensive line, an outstanding wide receiver, an outstanding defensive tackle and good size and speed all around. But the team was barely over 500, lost all of its close games and went out in the first round. That's not the legacy this program inherited. Right now there are several local programs that seem to be struggling. All of the Region 5 schools, with the exception of Goodpasture, seem to be down in number of players and fan support. Ezell, East Robertson, DCA and FRA are of special concern although I suspect FRA is due for a turnaround. Just a short five years ago their stadiums were filled to overflowing and the side lines were choked with young players. But now a Friday nite experience in their arena is but a shadow of its former self. For the sake of future generations of players and old codgers like me that love high school football, I hope this CPA team is a rebirth of the program's past. (I hope the same for Ezell, ER, DCA & FRA). But, IMO, that is unlikely to happen unless the coaches, fans and supporters recognize that the program has deteriorated over the last several years and take steps to rectify the same. Good luck to you and your team for the balance of the season.

It's not life or death. But high school football, along with the Boy Scouts, is one of the few remaining programs in our highly feminized culture that is dedicated exclusively to teaching boys to be men. As such it has a lasting impact on most of those who play the game disproportionate to other childhood experiences. The saying "48 minutes of playing time, a life time of memories" is very true. I haven't buckled a chin strap in 4 decades. And yet, at least once a month I awake from a dream where I have been back on the field, lined down across from my rival and once again participating in America's finest masculine training program.

Goodpasture has been inconsistent this year. They opened the season well but then played poorly against some weak teams like FRA. Cunningham is the real thing on both sides of the ball. He showed it again last nite against SC. Last week he was contained by CPA in the first half. (He didn't play much in the 2nd half because of injury). GP's qb, although just a freshman, is very impressive. A lot of people thought his inexperience would be a limiting factor in GP's season. They were wrong. I don't know much about Lewis County except that they have a strong tradition and a lot of community support. I think the game may depend on which Goodpasture shows up. If GP brings their A game, they can stay with most anybody. If not, my guess is Lewis Co. wins convincingly.

Sorry if I upset you CPA4Ever. I've watched the CPA program for over a decade now. IMO, the team has not played up to its talent level for the last several years. I offer the following observations derived from watching films as examples; The limited success of the running game has been due in part to ineffective blocking by the backs. In the past two seasons, lead blocking backs literally used screening or stalk blocking techniques to isolate on linebackers. For several seasons, an inordinate amount of tackles were missed because of a team habit of ducking their heads. (It was a problem again tonite). The running backs have been slow to hit the hole, often fail to follow their blocks, often make less yardage than the line surge and fumble excessively. I'm not saying CPA is not a good team. I'm not saying that they cannot improve to compete in the next four rounds. I am saying that it appears the program is more focused on finesse than football fundamentals. I am saying that the program no longer dominates is opponents as in the late 90's and early 2000's. I am saying the Matt610 is being optimistic when he states that CPA will roll to the state championship. IMO, they're not there yet. But it is only my opinion.

Can't agree with you Matt610. I've seen CPA twice on film and twice live this season. They are a talented team and have definitely improved. The defense adjusted well in the 2nd half tonite. That's the good news. The bad news is that they have almost no running game, an inconsistent offense, and don't play hard nosed football. Their offense can best be described as college level complexity with junior high level execution. Like it or not, the CPA program is but a shadow of its former greatness. IMO, they are not yet ready for the big dance.