Big Games in Memphis ... Week 11 (1st Rnd Playoffs)

[TraderB]

The Whitehaven kids played well and the coaches had them prepared and obviously did a good job last night. Whitehaven was bigger, stronger, and faster as a team than Germantown and to my surprise the Whitehaven coaches did not coach away their advantages. I was also happy to see that Whitehaven is able to consistently make PATs and appears to have the realistic chance of kicking and consistently making FGs from 30 yards in; which at the high school level is acceptable.

 

Now the bad news- though they did not need one last night, Whitehaven does not appear to have much of a passing game. Though there could have been one or two, I do not remember seeing any well-executed passing plays. And though they moved the ball and scored points, the offensive really did not seem sharp. With the exception of a few well-executed running plays, many of the yards seemed to be the result of individual effort, coupled with poor tackling and Germantown being physically overmatched. But again, the Whitehaven coaches obviously knew what they needed to do to soundly beat Germantown, and they did. Good coaching! Congratulations!

 

Fourthree,

 

Before I address WH's passing game, I wonder if you (or anybody else) noticed WH's horrific time-management right before half-time?

 

WH had Germantown pinned on Gtwn's 15 or 20-yard line @ 3rd down and about 7 or 8, with about 1:45 remaining before halftime. WH stopped Gtwn on 3rd down, forcing Gtwn into a 100%-certain punting situation. About 1:20 remained..... Instead of WH calling an IMMEDIATE time-out (the scoreboard showed WH with 3 remaining), they just allowed Gtwn to run the clock all the way down to about 25 seconds or so (and get an intentional delay of game), before punting!! By the time WH got the ball (in excellent field position) via punt, there was barely enough time for 1 play before half-time.

 

HUGE, HUGE opportunity waisted, IMO!!!!!!!!!

 

Failure to call a time-out after that 3rd-down play was completely baffling and totally inexcusable.....How can an ENTIRE coaching staff miss that golden situation?

 

These little things often result in big-game losses!

-----------------------------------------------

 

Anyway....

 

Whitehaven's passing game is definitely not great, as was illustrated in its loss to Melrose. Having seen Whitehaven several times this year, however, I really think that its passing-game could improve vitrually overnite, with the addition of more short passes out into the flat. WH's QB deep-ball is simply not consistent, accurate or effective. As such, it's carries a very low probability of success. He has demonstrated better accuracy with shorter routes.

 

For some odd reason, WH's coaches seem heck-bent upon going for the "homerun," deep ball! It's as if they get too impatient and want to "get it all back" at once, instead of consistently moving the chains. The "dink and dunk" type short passes would help WH's offense sustain significantly more drives and, IMO, score more points.

 

The lack of a credible passing game will eventually come back to haunt Whitehaven. WH's running game is good, but definitely not overpowering. Therefore, as they advance deeper into the playoffs, WH will not be able to just line up and run and run and run....consistently enough to keep the chains moving, and score enough points to emerge victorious.

 

The Whitehaven - Woodale game is going to be verrrrry interesting!

[BMack]

Not necessarily, Germantown won it all in 03' and was very close in 02' and 94'.

 

You are going to say I'm wrong and give me one team as an example? And at that, a team that fed their kids steroids during those years.

A single team proves your argument false, and I can categorical denounce the steroid rumor, as I was a member of the 94' squad and saw no such behavior.

 

Sorry boss, one team does not make my argument false. It takes more than one or two state titles to close the gap between us and Middle Tennessee.

 

I wasn't talking about the 1994 team. I was referring to the 2002-2003 teams. I've had more than one person confirm what went on there. Anyone can see that they don't have the team size that they had 6 and 7 years ago.

[TraderB]

 

Sorry boss, one team does not make my argument false. It takes more than one or two state titles to close the gap between us and Middle Tennessee.

 

I wasn't talking about the 1994 team. I was referring to the 2002-2003 teams. I've had more than one person confirm what went on there. Anyone can see that they don't have the team size that they had 6 and 7 years ago.

 

I agree that West Tennessee has a long, long ways to go -- to catch up with the rest of the State in football dominance. I don't see that gap genuinely closing until our High Schools and their respective "feeder" Middle Schools begin to run the SAME football system! At this point, I really don't think that such a proven, seamless approach is being utilized (somebody please correct me, if I'm wrong).

 

As for Germantown, I doubt very seriously that they will EVER field a team as good as their 2003 State Championship team. The basic reason for this, IMO, is because their talent-pool has been permanently diluted--due to the opening of Southwind HS (just South of Gtwn) and Houston HS (just North).

 

Based on population-shifts and continued Housing developments, I honestly and truly expect Southwind High School to become a dominant football (and basketball) program in the coming years. Of course their coaching staff will play a big part, good or bad.

 

Southwind sits on the South-East edge of Memphis, bordering Mississippi to the South and Shelby County to the East. They are the ONLY school out in that direction! Every kid that eventually moves that (popular) direction will have to attend Southwind HS. That school is destined to become severely overcrowded, within (I'm guessing) the next 5 to 7 years....that means a bloated talent pool.

[BMack]

TraderB, there are a few feeder schools that run the same system as their high schools. It doesn't happen everywhere, but the schools that do it definitely have an advantage.

[Ace5]

Yeah I think most of the county schools do it, but Trader B I think you or KWC said this one time the city schools wont do it because of to many egos.