FH Quad Recap
- Thread starter Tony54
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I would rather see Morgantown on the schedule. Closer, great game day field, biggest school in WV. They beat Bridgeport last season.
Here ya go. Remember I type super fast
FH got Bridgeport first with the ball. First 10 plays FH had like 4 yards of total offense, not a single first down. Bridgeport gets the ball and blasts FH. Three touchdowns in 10 plays. You could see the new wide-eyed FH players were in shell shock. You could hear the senior Jabril getting on his teammates. The very young and inexperienced line was getting blasted off the ball. What was good to see however was the quick rebound. FH got the ball back for another 10 offensive plays with the first units still in and put 3 touchdowns on the board against the Bridgeport defense. It looked like typical FH football. Then Bridgeport went back to offense and FH put in all the backups. That wasn't pretty.
From there on out the rest of the scrimmage, as always, is a tough read because FH is constantly using different players at every position. The rotation is vast and hard to follow. In fact, the very first possession against Bridgeport, the OL that was in there for FH was not the same OL that was in there for the second offensive series. FH coaches do a fantastic job with how they utilize a scrimmage. They really do not care about the score counting. They are strictly looking at who can play where. On at least a dozen occasions while on the field I had to ask a FH coach the name of the player here or there. Names I am not familiar with yet.
Felt like FH played Clarkson North fairly even. Again, just too much player rotation for anyone to get a great feel of where the team sits this early. One aspect was clear though drawing Bridgeport first, you can see FH was working on three days of practice in pads. Bridgeport has two extra weeks of practice and a prior scrimmage under their belt. That's why it's very difficult for Maryland public schools to open with anything WV. But it's a scrimmage so no one cares. Had this been the season opener, that would not be equal footing.
On that note, Bridgeport is as about as physical of an offense as you will ever see. I was forewarned by the Parkersburg contingent who scrimmaged Bridgeport last week, that their line was big, strong and mostly second year starters. Boy howdie they are good. I don't see the Bridgeport defense however as being so dominant. FH had very good success throwing the ball against them and the Canadian team with a very good QB threw the ball very well against them the entire time. But I believe Bridgeport is the favorite to win a Class 3A title for good reason.
FH got Central last and at that point the mix-match of kids getting in was even more widespread.
If you are asking me for a general read on FH, what we knew pretty much off-season rang true. There are a slew of big time skill players. For as good as Ross and Bender were last season, they are on another whole level now in comparison. Ross knows the playbook now, is a great receiver and his running skills are way, way ahead of his junior year. Bender can move, juke and turn out big runs where a 12 yard run last year can equal a 40 yard run this year. Jabril is Jabril. We got a major scare the second play of the Quad when Jabril went down and had to be helped up while holding his leg. Turned out he tore a great deal of skin off his shin, they bandaged it and he kept playing for a few more series. He's fine, but it was an OH NO moment. No significant injuries for any team today - thankfully.
Two QBs saw rotating action - the senior Cassell and the junior House. I don't wish to make any calls on that battle. Both did well and both have some things to work on. Yes, Willison is at TE. I can see him also playing guard, fullback, DE, DT, LB. He can play any position. In related good news, FH only had one turnover the entire scrimmage (fumble). Ball didn't hit the carpet outside that one time.
The line on both sides is the big question mark. All new faces with a load of sophomores and juniors. Just very raw after three days in pads. This will be a massive work in progress. The good news is they have a good many bodies to work with on the line this year. The first series to open the Quad with Bridgeport was a little scary. Watching them rebound was a very good sign. Pass blocking wasn't too bad either. But as expected, many missed assignments (both from the backs and lineman blocking), not enough physical explosion yet with uncertainty of the assignment. But you can see a good future. Hopefully that development time comes sooner than later. Or yea that's going to be a problem. There was no way to pick out a stand out up front. The senior #70 for FH (came over after sitting out two years at Alco) at left tackle is bigger than I thought. Good size. He started on the DL today and played a great deal on the OL. He is going to help FH quite a bit. They all have a long way to go both individually and as a unit.
FH defense too was using a ton of players in rotation. None of them have been practicing much pass rush yet, not sure who the starting linebackers would be if the season started today. FYI, Younger is over 200 lbs at safety. Yikes, he looks like a prime specimen. If he can get his name out there during the next early summer circuit he can play at the next level. He will pass the eye test for sure, which is half the recruiting game. I look at these concepts as positive in the sense they have some bodies to work with. Like most years, the drop off after those first 15-20 players is very significant like we saw versus Cambridge last year after a 32-0 lead.
This is the youngest FH team I can remember in some time. Going to be an exciting year as the schedule is very, very difficult. This team could lose 3-4 games and still be in Annapolis come December. They could also run the table if the line can gel fast enough. I much prefer a difficult schedule with everyone making the playoffs. While on the field at the Quad I recall talking to coaches and we all agreed we were happy to see FH draw the tough teams at the Quad. That's how you learn. It would have done them no good to play a much weaker opponent in this opening scrimmage. The same applies for the regular season. The schedule is well built to get this team ready for the post season. I would never look past any season, this team can win state with a huge load of skill talent. But 2025 and 2026 is going to be real stout. The young players are very good and plentiful.
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Bridgeport and Fort Hill are about as similar a two programs as you can find. That would a a terrific series and rivalry. Bridgeport is certainly one of the favorites in 3A. Their road did get tougher with the last second realignment of Spring Valley in particular. 3A should be the most competitive class in WV with 4 teams(Bridgeport, reigning 2A champ Fairmont, 3A finalist Princeton, and traditional 3A Power SV) all looking like very strong contenders.
Did you happen to notice if Ross spent any time lining up at WR when not in the backfield, instead of on the sidelines. The kid is so scary fast. Just being on the field means you have to account for him.Here ya go. Remember I type super fast
FH got Bridgeport first with the ball. First 10 plays FH had like 4 yards of total offense, not a single first down. Bridgeport gets the ball and blasts FH. Three touchdowns in 10 plays. You could see the new wide-eyed FH players were in shell shock. You could here the senior Jabril getting on his teammates. The very young and inexperienced line was getting blasted off the ball. What was good to see however was the quick rebound. FH got the ball back for another 10 offensive plays with the first units still in and put 3 touchdowns on the board against the Bridgeport defense. It looked like typical FH football. Then Bridgeport went back to offense and FH put in all the backups. That wasn't pretty.
From there on out the rest of the scrimmage, as always, is a tough read because FH every five snaps is using different players at every position. The rotation is vast and hard to follow. In fact, the very first possession against Bridgeport, the OL that was in there for FH was not the same OL that was in there for the second offensive series. FH coaches do a fantastic job with how they utilize a scrimmage. They really do not care about the score counting. They are strictly looking at who can play where. On at least a dozen occasions while on the field I had to ask a FH coach the name of the player here or there. Names I am not familiar with.
Felt like FH played Clarkson North fairly even. Again, just too much player rotation for anyone to get a great feel of where the team sits this early. One aspect was clear though drawing Bridgeport first, you can see FH was working on three days of practice in pads. Bridgeport has two extra weeks of practice and a prior scrimmage under their belt. That's why it's very difficult for Maryland public schools to open with anything WV. But it's a scrimmage so no one cares. Had this been the season opener, that would not be equal footing.
On that note, Bridgeport is as about as physical of an offense as you will ever see. I was forewarned by the Parkersburg contingent who scrimmaged Bridgeport last week, that their line was big, strong and mostly second year starters. Boy howdie they are good. I don't see the Bridgeport defense however as being so dominant. FH has very good success throwing the ball against them and the Canadian team with a very good QB threw the ball very well against them the entire time. But I believe Bridgeport is the favorite to win a Class 3A title for good reason.
FH got Central last and at that point the mix-match of kids getting in was even more widespread.
If you are asking me for a general read on FH, what we knew pretty much off-season rang true. There are a slew of big time skill players. For as good as Ross and Bender were last season, they are on another whole level now in comparison. Ross knows the playbook now, is a great receiver and his running skills are way, way ahead of his junior year. Bender can move, juke and turn out big runs. Jabril is Jabril. We got a major scare the second play of the Quad when Jabril went down and had to be helped up while holding his leg. Turned out he tore a great deal of skin off his shin, they bandaged it and he kept playing for a few more series. He's fine, but it was an OH NO moment. No significant injuries for any team today - thankfully.
Two QBs saw rotating action - the senior Cassell and the junior House. I don't wish to make any calls on that battle. Both did well and both have some things to work on. Yes, Willison is at TE. I can see him also playing guard, fullback, DE, DT, LB. He can play any position.
The line on both sides is the big question mark. All new faces with a load of sophomores and juniors. Just very raw after three days in pads. This will be a massive work in progress. The good news is they have a good many bodies to work with on the line this year. The first series to open the Quad with Bridgeport was a little scary. Watching them rebound was a very good sign. Pass blocking wasn't too bad either. But as expected, many missed assignments (both from the backs and lineman blocking), not enough physical explosion yet with uncertainty of the assignment. But you can see a good future. Hopefully that development time comes sooner than later. Or yea that's going to be a problem. There was no way to pick out a stand out up front. The senior #70 for FH (came over after sitting out two years at Alco) at left tackle is bigger than I thought. Good size. He started on the DL today and played a great deal on the OL. He is going to help FH quite a bit. They all have a long way to go both individually and as a unit.
FH defense too was using a ton of players in rotation. None of them have been practicing much pass rush yet, not sure who the starting linebackers would be if the season started today. FYI, Younger is about 215 lbs at safety. Yikes, he looks like a prime specimen. I look at these concepts as positive in the sense they have some bodies to work with. Like most years, the drop off after those first 15-20 players is very significant like we saw versus Cambridge last year after a 32-0 lead.
This is the youngest FH team I can remember in some time. Going to be an exciting year as the schedule is very, very difficult. This team could lose 3-4 games and still be in Annapolis come December. They could also run the table if the line can gel fast enough. I much prefer a difficult schedule with everyone making the playoffs. While on the field at the Quad I recall talking to coaches and we all agreed we were happy to see FH draw the tough teams at the Quad. That's how you learn. It would have done them no good to play a much weaker opponent in this opening scrimmage. The same applies for the regular season. The schedule is well built to get this team ready for the post season. I would never look past any season, this team can win state with a huge load of skill talent. But 2025 and 2026 is going to be real stout. The young players are very good.
Thanks Todd. As always very informative. Kind of what we thought. I’ve been very impressed with the progress that the line coaches make each year. I just hope they’re ready by week 2🤣Here ya go. Remember I type super fast
FH got Bridgeport first with the ball. First 10 plays FH had like 4 yards of total offense, not a single first down. Bridgeport gets the ball and blasts FH. Three touchdowns in 10 plays. You could see the new wide-eyed FH players were in shell shock. You could here the senior Jabril getting on his teammates. The very young and inexperienced line was getting blasted off the ball. What was good to see however was the quick rebound. FH got the ball back for another 10 offensive plays with the first units still in and put 3 touchdowns on the board against the Bridgeport defense. It looked like typical FH football. Then Bridgeport went back to offense and FH put in all the backups. That wasn't pretty.
From there on out the rest of the scrimmage, as always, is a tough read because FH every five snaps is using different players at every position. The rotation is vast and hard to follow. In fact, the very first possession against Bridgeport, the OL that was in there for FH was not the same OL that was in there for the second offensive series. FH coaches do a fantastic job with how they utilize a scrimmage. They really do not care about the score counting. They are strictly looking at who can play where. On at least a dozen occasions while on the field I had to ask a FH coach the name of the player here or there. Names I am not familiar with.
Felt like FH played Clarkson North fairly even. Again, just too much player rotation for anyone to get a great feel of where the team sits this early. One aspect was clear though drawing Bridgeport first, you can see FH was working on three days of practice in pads. Bridgeport has two extra weeks of practice and a prior scrimmage under their belt. That's why it's very difficult for Maryland public schools to open with anything WV. But it's a scrimmage so no one cares. Had this been the season opener, that would not be equal footing.
On that note, Bridgeport is as about as physical of an offense as you will ever see. I was forewarned by the Parkersburg contingent who scrimmaged Bridgeport last week, that their line was big, strong and mostly second year starters. Boy howdie they are good. I don't see the Bridgeport defense however as being so dominant. FH has very good success throwing the ball against them and the Canadian team with a very good QB threw the ball very well against them the entire time. But I believe Bridgeport is the favorite to win a Class 3A title for good reason.
FH got Central last and at that point the mix-match of kids getting in was even more widespread.
If you are asking me for a general read on FH, what we knew pretty much off-season rang true. There are a slew of big time skill players. For as good as Ross and Bender were last season, they are on another whole level now in comparison. Ross knows the playbook now, is a great receiver and his running skills are way, way ahead of his junior year. Bender can move, juke and turn out big runs. Jabril is Jabril. We got a major scare the second play of the Quad when Jabril went down and had to be helped up while holding his leg. Turned out he tore a great deal of skin off his shin, they bandaged it and he kept playing for a few more series. He's fine, but it was an OH NO moment. No significant injuries for any team today - thankfully.
Two QBs saw rotating action - the senior Cassell and the junior House. I don't wish to make any calls on that battle. Both did well and both have some things to work on. Yes, Willison is at TE. I can see him also playing guard, fullback, DE, DT, LB. He can play any position.
The line on both sides is the big question mark. All new faces with a load of sophomores and juniors. Just very raw after three days in pads. This will be a massive work in progress. The good news is they have a good many bodies to work with on the line this year. The first series to open the Quad with Bridgeport was a little scary. Watching them rebound was a very good sign. Pass blocking wasn't too bad either. But as expected, many missed assignments (both from the backs and lineman blocking), not enough physical explosion yet with uncertainty of the assignment. But you can see a good future. Hopefully that development time comes sooner than later. Or yea that's going to be a problem. There was no way to pick out a stand out up front. The senior #70 for FH (came over after sitting out two years at Alco) at left tackle is bigger than I thought. Good size. He started on the DL today and played a great deal on the OL. He is going to help FH quite a bit. They all have a long way to go both individually and as a unit.
FH defense too was using a ton of players in rotation. None of them have been practicing much pass rush yet, not sure who the starting linebackers would be if the season started today. FYI, Younger is about 215 lbs at safety. Yikes, he looks like a prime specimen. I look at these concepts as positive in the sense they have some bodies to work with. Like most years, the drop off after those first 15-20 players is very significant like we saw versus Cambridge last year after a 32-0 lead.
This is the youngest FH team I can remember in some time. Going to be an exciting year as the schedule is very, very difficult. This team could lose 3-4 games and still be in Annapolis come December. They could also run the table if the line can gel fast enough. I much prefer a difficult schedule with everyone making the playoffs. While on the field at the Quad I recall talking to coaches and we all agreed we were happy to see FH draw the tough teams at the Quad. That's how you learn. It would have done them no good to play a much weaker opponent in this opening scrimmage. The same applies for the regular season. The schedule is well built to get this team ready for the post season. I would never look past any season, this team can win state with a huge load of skill talent. But 2025 and 2026 is going to be real stout. The young players are very good.
Todd thanks for the update. Lots of good info. About what I thought after losing the entire lines.
I got a bad case of COVID about 3 and half weeks ago. Only at about 85% still from an energy stand point. Whew! I was zapped when the Quad was over. It was hot, not overly hot, but enough that I was drained. Went straight home and snoozed the rest of the day away so didn't get to type until today. And I was bitter about the Florida State loss that thankfully I never got to watch. Oh well.
There is something about being around kids and coaches (at all levels) that makes me feel good. Guess it's in the blood. But that is my happy place as an old man now. Glad football is here.
I will add that Zack Alkire is one of the most easy coaches to get along with. He allows others he trusts to do their thing, never a worry. Easy going in the best way. It's always a joy to spend a great deal of time with all the Quad coaches. I find all of them just to be good people with great football stories to share. The Central Coach Chuck Alston had to be 6'8 and 280 lbs. Played at Marshall with Randy Moss. Great conversation eating pizza together. Central wasn't too bad actually. I was concerned given their won/loss record the past few years. But they held up just fine. Coach Phares at Bridgeport is an intense dude but very personable. Kind of reminds me of former Frostburg State coach Fitzgerald. He could get me to run through a brick wall. They are so physical with everything they do. Maybe on another post I will share a couple of great stories from Coach Phares on this day. Now I pull for Central, Bridgeport and Clarkson North the rest of the season.
I also saw that St. Frances Varsity (who was supposed to be at the Quad again) actually played a real game at North Allegheny and only lost 20-22. Also Riverdale Baptist smacked Conwell-Egan Catholic 56-3. Curious to see how they stack up with McNamara and Good Counsel the next 3 weeks.
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That was ST Francis B team. Their varsity beat Pittsburgh Central Catholic 44 - 16.
I understand FH is a wing-T based offense. But what Bridgeport runs offensively is out there. Before the Quad started I asked all coaches if they wanted their QB live or one hand touch. Coach Phares at Bridgeport said, "C'mon Todd, we don't use a quarterback."
They line up 3 running backs and one of them gets the snap. I knew that but it was still something you never hear a coach say. LOL
St. Frances uses the terms Varsity and National. Not A and B. I just go by their terminology.
The Varsity is who attended the Quad (or B team if you wish). They consist of 90% freshman and sophomores. But you could never tell when they get off the bus. Future 4 and 5 star kids.
Oh and for the record, Riverdale Baptist turned down the chance to play either St. Frances team after I set the game up. Riverdale felt they would not get anything out of those match ups. OK is all I can say.
I did not pay much attention to the split end. I saw the senior #4 (Ranker) lined up there quite a bit. It seems Ross is still catching passes as a wing/halfback/slot guy. But I think that is what helps get him open more. Although we did not see hardly any spread at the Quad. Not that I remember.
The single wing is a real blast from the past. It looks like hell when bad teams try to run it, but Bridgeport executes it at a level that makes it beautiful to watch. In this era of cookie cutter football where most everyone is running mostly the same stuff, it’s refreshing to watch teams like the Bridgeport and fort hill that go against the grain.
I agree. Of note, the Winged-T is 80% single wing plays so from a base concept stand point, very similar....and unfamiliar to most.
Morgantown beat Parkersburg this weekend and play Bridgeport next weekend, Maddox Twigg who played in the local youth league then went to Morgantown had surgery before the game and won’t be playing for a while. Does anyone know of what happened to him?
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