Ezell Harding, why do that?

[OnlineLC]

WesVols,

 

Lighthouse tried to move to Div II A two years ago but were denied by the TSSAA. I think their application was a little late but if the TSSAA were genuinely interested in High School sports they would have shown some flexibility here.

 

 

Posted by WesVols:

OnlineLC, I agree. And I don't know the politics or technicalities behind what I am about to say, but perhaps Lighthouse should join the Division 2-1A ranks where they could play against squads about their size. They would fare much better against Rosemark, St. Andrews, or Mt. Juliet Christian than they would against Ezell, CPA, or DCA. Again, I don't know what it would take to do this, but from my vantage point it would not be a bad idea.

[ADAD]

I agree with you OnlineLC. The situation at Lighthouse is not good and there appears no hope of them being able to turn it around given that Ezell is only a few miles away and Ezell's tradition will draw the student/athlete.

 

Since Lighthouse is in region 5, the other schools have no choice but to schedule them. Plus, with less then 20 players on the team, I am personally amazed those young men find the will and stamina to hang in there game after game and year after year.

 

Not sure how you could hold a score down in this situation unless you keep the clock running, not throw a pass, and somehow limit the running game.

 

But as I have said before, the players on Lighthouse's team deserve more from life then a memory of playing on a football team and I can only pray they all achieve the personal goals they strive and work to achieve. They are the young people that will earn some breaks in the game of life.

[TheEgoHasLanded]

I am Church of Christ, and I think it is horrible that Ezell did what they did...They got the win, so they need to leave it at that...as far as teams like Celina doing it, that is not the same...Ezell has nothing to prove at all, some of those other schools are sub .500 teams and are probably doing it to build confidence...heck some of those seniors for those small schools are just trying to play as much as possible...these last three or four games are their playoffs (not talking about any team in particular in 1a, I don't follow it).

 

I never enjoyed playing teams that were not very good in the first place...it's hard to get up for, not as many people go to the game, and all you can do is mess up...its a lose lose situation. I don't see how the coach for Ezell can look at the other coach after the game after doing something like that...There are ways of keeping the score down (not passing it, running it, milking the clock, doing simple plays, etc.) If ezell wasn't trying to pad the score, and they scored 71 points...then they are better then any high school team in the country. Ezell should know better then anyone how it feels to get scored on that bad (76-0 to BGA); LOSING THEIR HOMECOMING FOR MANY YEARS AS WELL...I have been to Ezell Harding games when they were bad, and I can honestly say my team would have loved to run the score up against them (we were one of those sub .500 teams at the time so it would have been nice to finally break 45 etc.), But we didn't do it.

 

I don't know much about lighthouse christian, but I suspect that their players, coaches, and parents are good people and don't deserve that kind of embarrassment...and I have been on my share of bad teams, and its really hard to go to school the next day, and hear jeers about that kinda stuff (especially from your friends that aren't even on the team)...and then you gotta go to practice and do it all over again...a lot of times the only fans there are your parents, and maybe even they don't appreciate what you are really going through and how hard it is to do those things, and then still focus on school, God, and maybe even work on the side, etc.

 

I bet Lighthouse has a hard time fielding a team as it is...and getting blown out by 70 points doesn't make things easier...if any players are reading this that have gone through what Lighthouse is going through, don't worry about it...some of us(ESPECIALLY EZELL HARDING!) know what it's like to get made fun of etc.

[just1np]

A year ago I would have jumped all over EH also. But this time around I decided to 'educate' myself a little.

EH did most of their scoring in the first half. I question why they were still throwing the ball in the fourth quarter, but I guess that is their offensive style. I would like to think that they would have went to the ground game after the first quarter (37-0 after one), and try to run the clock out, but apparently running the ball isn't something they like to do. They like to throw the ball, and Lighthouse wasn't strong enough to stop them... ten times.

Here's where I get my info.

http://news.tennessean.com/preps/preps.php...ameid=1301&rc=y

[itzme]

...Not sure how you could hold a score down in this situation unless you keep the clock running, not throw a pass, and somehow limit the running game...

 

I certainly agree with most of your post, except the above statement. Brentwood Academy beat Pope John Paul II 28-9 a couple of weeks ago. What do you think the score COULD have been??

[robjim]

Posted by Gater24:

Why does it matter....ezell took their starters out before the 2 quarter was even over. It was 50 something to 0 at the end of the 1 half....2 and 3 string played the rest. I don't have to stick up for our school anyway..no one likes ezell, we know this, and don't care.

 

It isn't that we don't "like" Ezell, it just that they do not get our respect. You earn respect by giving it. You honor the work that your opponent has done all summer and fall getting ready to play. What a sacrifice all the kids and coaches (and their families) make to play this great game. Lighthouse's hard work and sacrifice is an EQUAL to the hard work and sacrifice that Ezell has made this year, NOT LESS. You set the example; as competition does build character, it also reveals it. Ezell, set an example of what an outstanding program is all about. Be humble in victory and praise your opponent when you are defeated. Give respect and you will receive it.

[Chakra20]

I was prolly one the few people that were at this game last night and if you saw what i saw then you would understand. Lighthouse definately has some challenges because of school size and having Ezell right down the street. The first point i would like to make is that they only gave the ball to ANtoine twice the entire game and he was on the sideline before the half and so was AJ. ANtoine touched the ball twice and scored twice , one being called back.

 

Secondly they are gonna throw the ball no matter what the score is. The score is nothing but a number whether you win by 1 or 100 its still a loss/win. People use this when there are close games why not blowouts. They were up 30-0 in the first quarter.

 

Lastly they dont have anyone left on schedule until the play-offs Jo Byrns and FRA are all they have left and they should win both games handily. SO we shouldnt give our guys game time especially the seniors for the rest of the season and go inot the play-offs having not played a competitive game for nearly 2 months. Before you snap at it really think about it.

 

Lighthouse really has no business in division 1 ball they are absoluely terrible. Its funny you guys come out of the woodworks oin this when noone from Ezell has said one thing about just it was just ugly. I didnt see any of you guys jumpin down CLoudlands throat when the got on here bragging about a 64-6 vistory just in the past few weeks.

 

Of coarse i think they did all their scoring in the first half but i think that has alot to do with their second stringers no being capable of scoring and Ezell's are. Anyways all that said i still think they could have kept the score down some to save the "digniity" of the other team but this is football.

 

I guess if Lighthouse would have been able to put Ezell deep in their own territory more than twice the entire game they could have went for that yardage record.

[TheBoredGuy]

Posted by Chakra20:

 

Secondly they are gonna throw the ball no matter what the score is. The score is nothing but a number whether you win by 1 or 100 its still a loss/win. People use this when there are close games why not blowouts. They were up 30-0 in the first quarter.

 

I do not agree with this at all. The score certainly does matter. You can't tell me that it's no more embarrassing to lose 71-7 than 24-23.

[ELA]

Posted by Chakra20:

Lighthouse really has no business in division 1 ball they are absoluely terrible.

 

Interesting quote... where would you have them play? Division 1-A is designed for the weakest teams, not the teams like Ezell has been lucky to field for the past two seasons! THERE IS NO LOWER PLACE FOR A NON-FINANCIAL AID SCHOOL TO PLAY!

 

I'm not going to question the play-calling, or score! I just wanted to comment about your quote.

[Edited by ELA on 10-12-02 7:58P]

[Edited by ELA on 10-12-02 8:00P]

 

[phishhead]

It's interesting that a "Christian" school would show so little respect and sportsmanship towards an opponent (another Christian school at that). Let's see, the message is what? "If you can humiliate a lesser foe, by all means do it". Is that the message? I would think that putting up 30 points in the first quarter would have given an indication as to whom was better. Was it really necessary to score another 40?

I would have been far more impressed with the integrity and values of this "Christian" school if they had ran the ball against them. The link given earlier said they only ran the ball 17 times on the night. So they obviously were trying to run up the score.

What goes around, comes around.

[VolunteerGeneral]

I agree with Chakra on this. I`ve seen games like this and while on the surface it may look like they ran up the score, the fact is it could have been much worse. Itzme should have never started this thread to begin with. He wasn`t even at the game and had no idea of the circumstances. He merely jumped to conclusions IMO. Last year USJ had similar numbers on TCA. And believe me, USJ held the score down. In that game, there were numerous returns and especially interceptions that led to a lot of quick points. USJ would have scored 60+ in the first half when a referee blew his whistle as time was running out before halftime. The defensive man intercepted another pass and was never tackled as he ran for a score. TCA`s coach even said that USJ showed mercy on them. There is nothing wrong with letting your second and third teams run the offense. I know Lighthouse works hard (at least I suppose they do), but so do the 3rd teamers on Ezell`s team. They too should have the opportunity to do their best and perform.

What Cloudland did to Jellico was the exact same thing. They put up 62 in one half! What was the need for that. The only difference is that Ezell`s bench was able to score a couple of touchdowns and Cloudland`s wasn`t. Did Cloudland just take a knee the entire second half? I don`t think so. If any of the plays they ran had broken open, they would have scored 69. The purpose of itzme`s post was to flame Ezell.

And please don`t take me wrong...Cloudland did nothing wrong just as Ezell did nothing wrong. This is just something that can happen when a really good team, such as Ezell or Cloudland has to play a very weak one. Week after week coaches instill in their players to play your hardest. I sincerely doubt that it would be proper to tell a third stringer who finally gets into a game to go in and not try to hard.

[VolunteerGeneral]

Posted by phishhead:

It's interesting that a "Christian" school would show so little respect and sportsmanship towards an opponent (another Christian school at that). Let's see, the message is what? "If you can humiliate a lesser foe, by all means do it". Is that the message? I would think that putting up 30 points in the first quarter would have given an indication as to whom was better. Was it really necessary to score another 40?

I would have been far more impressed with the integrity and values of this "Christian" school if they had ran the ball against them. The link given earlier said they only ran the ball 17 times on the night. So they obviously were trying to run up the score.

What goes around, comes around.

 

 

Fishhead....Here`s your opportunity to chastise Cloudland, since they put up 62 first half points on Jellico. Was that necessary? Or is it just private schools that run up scores?