DUNBAR. Have you ever seen them play Fort Hill. Fort Hill cannot run the ball consistently. Now if Fort Hill had a short passing game. I personally think we win those games.And then the Ravens showed how much you can dominate with a good running game! Just pulling your strings Tony, the bottom line is when you're better than your opponent, you're just better. This upcoming season should be a great one.
I don't believe that one coach on the staff has any inclination to change what they've been doing for their entire coaching lives. Remember, a lot of these guys were under the previous coach so it's not like they decided to play this way on their own, they've just continued it. I also don't think they believe you are right. I think they feel passing is just bad and too many bad things can happen so win almost every game, win state titles, and do that by doing the same thing you always do. Does it really matter to them if they lose to Dunbar or Bridgeport...if they can still win a state title then no.DUNBAR. Have you ever seen them play Fort Hill. Fort Hill cannot run the ball consistently. Now if Fort Hill had a short passing game. I personally think we win those games.
When teams have great coaches and players that are of equal skill you can’t run the ball on every play.
I love the coaching staff, but if want to beat Bridgeport and Dunbar. We will need to mix in a short passing game to keep them honest
Dunbar has already proven this to be true.
DUNBAR. Have you ever seen them play Fort Hill. Fort Hill cannot run the ball consistently. Now if Fort Hill had a short passing game. I personally think we win those games.
When teams have great coaches and players that are of equal skill you can’t run the ball on every play.
I love the coaching staff, but if want to beat Bridgeport and Dunbar. We will need to mix in a short passing game to keep them honest
Dunbar has already proven this to be true.
Running teams win championships, but I would like to see FH come up with both a short game and a deep threat where four or five receivers are downfield. Unfortunately, they have been one or two linemen away from being able to pass block against a good defensive rush. The good news is that they may have that line in the next couple of years.
Dunbar is not a good example when we are talking about a passing attack, or lack of one for FH. In FH's only win, we beat them with a running attack, we also won the line of scrimmage that year. In 97, I thought that both lines were pretty evenly matched, but Dunbar had two outstanding backs, I forget the one guy's name, but the other was Tommy Polley. Both were one man shows. Even though we lost that one, that was probably one of the hardest hitting high school games I ever saw.
Last year our line was very young, plays needed to be quick. As this year's line matures, I'd be willing to say that we should expect an improved passing attack.
BTW, I love this Playoff system. Otherwise, we would probably never see these matchups with teams the quality of Dunbar and Bridgeport.
I hope you’re not right about that. How much skill does it really take to complete a few screen passes a game.I don't believe that one coach on the staff has any inclination to change what they've been doing for their entire coaching lives. Remember, a lot of these guys were under the previous coach so it's not like they decided to play this way on their own, they've just continued it. I also don't think they believe you are right. I think they feel passing is just bad and too many bad things can happen so win almost every game, win state titles, and do that by doing the same thing you always do. Does it really matter to them if they lose to Dunbar or Bridgeport...if they can still win a state title then no.
Patuxent was a one man team who graduates this year. Dunbar did more to beat themselves than patuxent did to beat them. Patuxent will be good for 1A standards but they’re going to be no where near name to fear.I hope you’re not right about that. How much skill does it really take to complete a few screen passes a game.
Is it really too much to ask to mix in seven or eight screen passes a game just for the sole purpose of being able to run the ball consistently.
I don’t know if it’s true or not but but patuxent is supposedly moving down to Fort Hills class next year. Watch the game on NFHS with Dunbar. They were able to beat Dunbar because they could complete a few passes in between run plays.
I would highly disagree that we do a good job throwing the ball. If you watch the Dunbar game, I think we threw two passes and one of them was to a Dunbar linebacker with no Fort Hill player even close.. in games that are very close and the defense puts 11 people up near the line the screen pass here and there really loosen things up.Patuxent was a one man team who graduates this year. Dunbar did more to beat themselves than patuxent did to beat them. Patuxent will be good for 1A standards but they’re going to be no where near name to fear.
It’s been pretty well documented that the number of pages in the playbook is determined but the experience of the line. FH does a good job of throwing and throwing often (for their standards) when they have a good experienced line and a competent QB. FH had neither this past year but you seen the playbook start to open up in the playoffs with the TE/HB screens to younger.
Every team has their own quirks but every season for the past 4 seasons has ended with a title so it’s hard to argue with results.
How many passes do you think Bridgeport is going to throw next year? If there's a team that throws even less than FH, it's the Indians. And they've lived by it for years of domination. I wonder if their fans sit around talking about why they don't throw more passes
I'm with you. You can't not have a short passing game, need one and then decide to try to put it into action in real time, that's not preparation. I don't see us beating Dunbar or Bridgeport because we'll have an experienced line, that's not enough.I would highly disagree that we do a good job throwing the ball. If you watch the Dunbar game, I think we threw two passes and one of them was to a Dunbar linebacker with no Fort Hill player even close.. in games that are very close and the defense puts 11 people up near the line the screen pass here and there really loosen things up.
the reason we beat Mountain Ridge in the playoff game a couple years ago is because on the last drive we finally threw a swing pass that went for about 15 to 20 yards. That pass was open all night. Once we threw it, we were able to run the ball with success and ultimately made the field goal on the last play of the game.
I’m not talking about throwing the ball down field I’m talking about completing swing passes or slant passes or bubble screens. This is the kind of plays that middle school teams can complete..
Someone mentioned coach Appel. I remember going to the Sherando game at Sherando. We could not run the ball and we’re losing at halftime. In the second half Nathan Graves threw the ball just enough to open up the run game and we won that game
. I love the coaching staff, but I stand by what I’m saying. It would be extremely difficult to beat Martinsburg, Bridgeport, Dunbar, and teams like these without a few high percentage passes to loosen up the run game.
I understand what you’re saying and for the most part, I do agree. For the record, I’ve said it before that I love this coaching staff, and they are definitely the reason this team won a state championship..For the record, I have nothing against throwing in a screen pass... or five a game...it's just crazy how much we talk about the things FH does wrong on the heels of yet another state title. "But those titles are against Northern and Mt Ridge...we can't beat the Martinsburg and Dunbar's"...okay, but we aren't playing them for titles.
You don't throw the baby out with the bathwater for the sake of a couple games here and there when your playing a super team of players from all over Baltimore or a perennial power twice FHs enrollment. You perfect the game you're going to play all season and match it up against the team you're playing.
FH throws in an occasional pass here and there. They always have. And as someone else mentioned as this line got better late in the season they did it more. But Coach Alkire's mission is not to put a team in place that can beat the Dunbar's and Bridgeports each year, or to build a team around winning 1 or 2 big season games...it's to put together a state championship team. And he's been doing pretty well. Just a different viewpoint.
what really beat Fort Hill was the fact that we sold out to stop the run and they threw right over top of us for all of their touchdowns. One was a quick pass to the side and he broke away.Jabril had 132 yds rushing against Dunbar. Total team rushing was around 180 yds. The turnovers are what beat FH that game.