Beech at North Side-Semifinals

[olddevil]

I saw Beech early in the year and was very impressed with their team,especially Jalen Hurd who had a record shattering night. I still feel that he is the best running back that I have seen on the high school level over the last 50+ years. That night he was unbelieveable!

This past Friday,I witnessed an equally impressive performance by Adam Craig,Northside Quarteback. He is one fine football player. He has an extremely strong arm and can accurately make all the passes. He is an excellent runner: shifty, Intelligent and fast( not as fast as Hurd but fast enough). Beech will have problems containing him! He is surrounded by a small but very good cast. The tail back is very fast and strong. There are 3 or 4 very fast recievers who can catch the ball.North Side put up 45 points on a big and fast Ridgeway team.

Defense, though scrappy, was no match for a Ridgeway team that seemed to have all the pieces: tremendous size, a good QB, and a speedy TB ( the leading rusher in Memphis ) I expect that they, North Side, will have the same problems with Beech and their explosive offense.

I expect a shootout highlighting two of our state's best players. It could be a Hershel Walker versus Johnny Mansiel kind of night. I plan to be there to witness it.

Edited November 19, 2012 by olddevil

[MSURacer]

I'll be at this one. Cannot wait to see it.

[cubs]

I saw both teams play and this is what I gotta say. Beech's defense is a 5-2/5-3, with a good nose tackle #64. With that being said, North Side will be able to throw the football, run the football both with Craig and Maxwell. The NS defense will be a tough one to decide. They have been a good rush defense, usually giving up about 14 points per game, until Friday 10/16 which they give up 42 points. Back to the offense, NS has a spread offense, containing great recievers that has tremendous speed and hands. Do not be surprise if you see Craig break out a 50 yard run. This game will be to the last wire, if NS defense can force a stop and force a turnover I will half to go with the Indians. FYI North Side fans are nuts a lot of alumni people are starting to come and other schools in Jackson are coming as well.

 

People who look at Ridgeway record and think 8-3 coming into Friday will be a blowout. NO! The Roadrunners played Whitehaven, the Tigers are ranked 25 in the country lost that game 63-34. Louisville Miss, they are one of the top teams in the Magnolia State. And Houston, dont know how they lose to them.

 

I also do believe that, Adam Craig and Orlando Johnson got robbed in the East/West game. And Adam got robbed by Mr. Football.

I maybe wrong, but I think Johnson has more rushing yards than Hurd this year. And Craig, in the 2 full seasons he was a starting quarterback (SO. and SR.) his record is 25-1. Only loss, came to Ridgeway, when the Roadrunners had 5 SEC D-1 players to the team.

[cubs]

I apologize, no Johnson does not have more RUSHING YARDS than Hurd.

[FactsOnly]

It is hard for a team to separate itself from the others this time of the season. The talent, coaching, preparation and support is often not the distinguishing factor. The distinguishing factor is often some issue that is extracurricular to the game itself. An example being the squirrel in the 2011 MLB playoffs, and more recently, Dooley's punishment by Vanderbilt over comments he made last year (I guess that it's hard to distinguish teams on that end of the spectrum as well).

 

The point is this: Adam Craig's being overlooked for post season awards is a situation rife to be used by him and his teammates to show the Mr. Football people their error. We'll see what he does with it.

 

I'll get in bigger trouble with the Northeast people for saying this . . . so, I'll say it anyway. Beech's defense can give up 6-7 touchdowns as good as anyone left in the playoffs. They could not contain Henry County's QB (fast and shifty), nor Northeast's QB (fast, pounder). I think Adam Craig may add more dimensions to contain than they've seen. When Olddevil calls a player fine with an accurate arm, intelligent and fast, then he is something to behold. Compounding this with the second paragraph above, to me, gives Northside (did I type that right? Northside, Northeast, Northwest, kids running around worried about the North Pole . . . I can't keep it all straight) a significant advantage.

 

All this depends of course depends on Jalen Hurd not deciding to take matters into his own hands.

Edited November 19, 2012 by FactsOnly

[cubs]

It is hard for a team to separate itself from the others this time of the season. The talent, coaching, preparation and support is often not the distinguishing factor. The distinguishing factor is often some issue that is extracurricular to the game itself. An example being the squirrel in the 2011 MLB playoffs, and more recently, Dooley's punishment by Vanderbilt over comments he made last year (I guess that it's hard to distinguish teams on that end of the spectrum as well).

 

The point is this: Adam Craig's being overlooked for post season awards is a situation rife to be used by him and his teammates to show the Mr. Football people their error. We'll see what he does with it.

 

I'll get in bigger trouble with the Northeast people for saying this . . . so, I'll say it anyway. Beech's defense can give up 6-7 touchdowns as good as anyone left in the playoffs. They could not contain Henry County's QB (fast and shifty), nor Northeast's QB (fast, pounder). I think Adam Craig may add more dimensions to contain than they've seen. When Olddevil calls a player fine with an accurate arm, intelligent and fast, then he is something to behold. Compounding this with the second paragraph above, to me, gives Northside (did I type that right? Northside, Northeast, Northwest, kids running around worried about the North Pole . . . I can't keep it all straight) a significant advantage.

 

All this depends of course depends on Jalen Hurd not deciding to take matters into his own hands.

[Vol74]

All this depends of course depends on Jalen Hurd not deciding to take matters into his own hands.

 

I firmly expect to see Mr. Hurd on defense Friday night. With Northside's stout passing game, I don't see any way around it.

[commodores16]

Why doesn't Jalen Hurd play defense?

[FactsOnly]

I firmly expect to see Mr. Hurd on defense Friday night. With Northside's stout passing game, I don't see any way around it.

 

uh oh

[Vol74]

Why doesn't Jalen Hurd play defense?

 

Hurd does play on defense from time-to-time. We have primarily used him on offense this year though as our defense has done a great job at stopping the opposition. It appears that Northside has a great passing game, so Hurd's height and speed may be more of a necessity this week.

Edited November 19, 2012 by Vol74

[jordanwilliams53]

North Side has a ton of momentum going into this game. As soon as I saw The 10-0 Beech up at the top a part of me knew that they would be playing in this game. I have not seen much on Beech, but it appears that they have a offense that likes to run it right at you, and smack you in the mouth. With the speed they have at running back, it could be another shootout. Last Friday in the Quarter Finals, BOTH teams were in "Shootouts" coming down to the wire. In my opinion I believe Ridgeway was better then Clarksville North-East (Saw North Side play them week 0 at Clarksville W22-21) From the film I have seen on Beech and from the North Side games I have watched all season long, I can tell you that North Side High School is the place to be this Black Friday!

 

With this being a day after Thanksgiving day, it wouldn't surprise me to see sloppy play by either team, I believe the team that :

1) PREPARES right this week

2) Makes the DEFENSIVE plays needed

and

3) Leaves it all on the field will win this game!

 

That being said, see you Friday Night!

[cubs]

The one thing that scares me from Beech the most. I heard reports that Jalen Reeves-Maybin was playing in the Quarterfinal game against Beech with a torn labium. It that is true and he is there offense. Then how can they stop a 3-Dimension offense than a 1 dimension offense?