and this board is almost dead. My eldest son and I like to play Coach and discuss how to "fix" or improve a team. So I'm putting it out there, if you were the Head Coach at Mt. Ridge, what would you do to right the ship. I know what I would do and it would not have anything to do with trying to run the Spread. In their worst years of running the bone, they were more productive than they are now.
Two days before kick off
- Thread starter bleedred
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If I were the coach at Mt. Ridge I would fire myself and revamp most of the staff.
If you are looking for X's and O's the obvious choice would be to go back to the bone and play smash mouth football. Obviously the finesse spread offense isn't working.
If you are looking for X's and O's the obvious choice would be to go back to the bone and play smash mouth football. Obviously the finesse spread offense isn't working.
I would have the following schedule
Hancock
Petersburg
Northern Garrett
Southern Garrett
Meyersdale PA
Berkeley Springs
Berlin, PA
Clear Spring
Preston County WV
Game 10, I would schedule Hope for Hyndman Soccer Team
now in 3A If I went 10-0 I would probably make the playoffs but at 9-1 and playing the schools I scheduled I would probably not make the playoffs
but My record would look very good
Seriously I think they should go back to the bone and scrap the spread because they will never have the speed to do it correctly.
Playing Alco and FH who see teams with major talent and speed play Alco and FH all the time and still can't beat them and then Mountain Ridge tried to run the spread with less athletes and less speed and tried to compete just won't happen very often. Make the offense to fit the skill of the kids that ya have.
Have fun and see ya at Derby Day!!
Hancock
Petersburg
Northern Garrett
Southern Garrett
Meyersdale PA
Berkeley Springs
Berlin, PA
Clear Spring
Preston County WV
Game 10, I would schedule Hope for Hyndman Soccer Team
now in 3A If I went 10-0 I would probably make the playoffs but at 9-1 and playing the schools I scheduled I would probably not make the playoffs
but My record would look very good
Seriously I think they should go back to the bone and scrap the spread because they will never have the speed to do it correctly.
Playing Alco and FH who see teams with major talent and speed play Alco and FH all the time and still can't beat them and then Mountain Ridge tried to run the spread with less athletes and less speed and tried to compete just won't happen very often. Make the offense to fit the skill of the kids that ya have.
Have fun and see ya at Derby Day!!
I have to agree with most of what everyone has already said. I can understand the team and coaching staff wanting to attempt to go to a spread like offense and attempt to keep up with the ever changing football landscape. But you have to have the correct personnel in order to run that offense. They don't have the athletes to run that offense so they shouldn't be running it.
As far as the coaching goes, even with the past three years at Mountain Ridge, DeVore is still well over .500 as coach at Mountain Ridge/Beall. He didn't just forget how to coach. I would say that it is the coach's job to put his kids in the best position to win/succeed and if they continue putting kids in situations that aren't their strengths then I would have to say he isn't doing it correctly. He has earned the right to walk away when he is ready. Hopefully it can all be turned around. As a fan, I will always be there, but it would be nice to watch some wins VERY soon.
As far as the coaching goes, even with the past three years at Mountain Ridge, DeVore is still well over .500 as coach at Mountain Ridge/Beall. He didn't just forget how to coach. I would say that it is the coach's job to put his kids in the best position to win/succeed and if they continue putting kids in situations that aren't their strengths then I would have to say he isn't doing it correctly. He has earned the right to walk away when he is ready. Hopefully it can all be turned around. As a fan, I will always be there, but it would be nice to watch some wins VERY soon.
If I were the coach up there, I would never deviate from offenses that can make use of the athletes available. Everyone would love to run the spread or even pro style offenses, but this is small school football we are talking about here. We aren't in Texas. So wishbone offense or wing-t offense is what I would run. At the end of the day, you're far more likely to have the personnel for those offenses than you are to have a spread attack in this area. Fort Hill could possibly run the spread some years. But other than them, I don't see how you can tell me these teams have the athletes year in and year out to justify that kind of shift in offensive attack.
After returning to the bone, I'd then work on the enthusiasm of myself and my coaches. Seems like Roy is burned out and never seems excited anymore.
After returning to the bone, I'd then work on the enthusiasm of myself and my coaches. Seems like Roy is burned out and never seems excited anymore.
I'd go single-wing, seriously. It's easy to learn, conforms to average skill players, and perhaps the biggest advantage is other teams never see it, therefore with only one-week to prep hard to scheme. I know a team that's been running it for years with great success, including state championships. Defense in the box must play zone and not try watching the ball to stop it (easier said than done).
Here's a video highlighting the single-wing
Here's a video highlighting the single-wing
You speak being over 500 as good. Is that a good record for Mt Ridge? Especially playing some smaller 1A schools
If you are asking if that is a good record for what we should expect from them then absolutely not. The last three years have not been at all fun to watch. But if you are asking if I think an over .500 record would be good for this year them I would say absolutely. Have to start somewhere. And with the numbers they have as well as not many returning starters then I will say we can absolutely be happy with a 5-4 or 6-3 in 2015.
I think that Mountain Ridge's schedule is fine. They are a 2a school. In order to compete with other 2a schools they needed to upgrade the schedule. They have finally started to do that in some other sports too.
I think that Mountain Ridge's schedule is fine. They are a 2a school. In order to compete with other 2a schools they needed to upgrade the schedule. They have finally started to do that in some other sports too.
beall02, you're such a hypocrite!!! You get on hear, and the WV Board, and try to call out Fort Hill on their scheduling. And now you state that you see nothing wrong with Ridge's schedule. You even go so far as to say that they are upgrading! Let's see, Ridge drops Jefferson (7-5) and Juniata (who won 9 games last year), and picked up John Marshall. John Marshall hasn't had a winning season since 2009. That's not an upgrade to me.
I don't know how anyone can be happy with a 500 record, all the area teams are smaller than MR. I was just trying to understand
I am a Ridge fan, and I for one have been discusted at the quality of program the Ridge has been putting out on the field the last couple of years. I know there has been some key injuries the last couple of years, but that is part of the game. With me being from The Crick I never had the privilege of playing for any of the coaches on the current staff. Don't get me wrong some on this staff have had some great success, but something has to be going on that only 22 kids are on the varsity roster. A school their size should have more interest than that. I really don't know what the solution is. Here's to hoping they can turn things around and become competitive once again in the near future. Sorry for the long rant.
1.) I have NEVER gone on this page, nor the WV board and EVER called out Fort Hill's schedule. I have never even said ONE negative thing about Allegany's or Fort Hill's schedule. The only thing bad I have ever said about their schedule was the fact it has to be tough not knowing if a school is going to have a program and the possibility of losing a game right before the regular season started. With that being said, Todd has been amazing at getting replacements last minute. And as a reminder, I was the one that praised Fort Hill's tough 2015 schedule, posts that are readily available on this board if you take the time to read them. And that was before they replaced Avalon with Curley. My response to that news was how difficult that stretch of games was going to be for the Sentinels. I can only assume you have come to this opinion based upon the fact that I posted on the WV board that Martinsburg had the same open date that Fort Hill was now looking for a game. That was an attempt to help Fort Hill pick up a game. I have no fight in the Bulldogs/Sentinels playing or not playing a game.
2.) The Mountain Ridge schedule for the most part is a schedule of a team that is attempting to compete despite the fact they are the only 2A school West of Hagerstown in Maryland. And last time I checked, Boonsboro, Smithsburg, Catoctin, and so on and so forth are not looking to schedule ANY Allegany County team. Frankfort, Northern, Allegany, Fort Hill and Keyser are almost must schedule games for Mountain Ridge. You have no excuse to not schedule those teams if you are MR. If you throw Hampshire in there, that only leaves four other games to schedule. The only issues I have with the Miners' schedule currently would have to be Northern AND Hedgesville. I think that they could definitely upgrade those two games. But I can understand why they still have them on the schedule, especially Northern. Let's compare Mountain Ridge's schedule from the first year in 2007 to this year. John Marshall I believe is an upgrade over Sidwell Friends. I would have liked to see them keep Jefferson here but JHS wanted to play better competition and a team closer to home on the years they would have to travel that week. The only case that I can see them downgrading would have to be in Week 2, they faced Catoctin in the first two years of existence but now have Hedgesville there. But as I said above, I would not be disappointed to see them change this, but I can also see why they would keep them. The next four weeks have had the same opponents from year one. Allegany, Hampshire, Frankfort, and Northern. While I could put an argument for taking Hampshire and Northern and replacing them with stronger opponents for several different reasons it just makes more sense to have those two stay there. The first two years they had Berkeley Springs on their schedule. Then Riverdale Baptist replaced the Indians the following two years. Since then they have replaced them with teams such as Wheeling Central, Monnessen, Juniata and Chestnut Ridge. All four of those teams are an upgrade over B. Springs and Riverdale Baptist in my eyes. They replaced Southern in Week #8 with Spring Mills. Most years, and I believe almost every year for the foreseeable future the Cardinals will be an upgrade over the Rams. It is true however that Southern dropped MR. But it is also true that they could have replaced them with a much different team then Spring Mills. Week #9 has been Fort Hill since year one and that is all that has to be said about that. They have also replaced Calvert, who they played in Week #10 the first two years in existence with Keyser. And yes it is true that Calvert could have a year every once in a while that could be great, but overall, Keyser is a better team year in and year out. The only thing that could be said about the Mountain Ridge schedule is that since they are a Maryland Class 2A school they could dump the smaller schools like Fort Hill, Allegany, Northern, and Frankfort and replace them with schools that are bigger. But as I stated earlier in this post, there aren't too many 2A schools within a reasonable distance for Mountain Ridge to play. And let's not forget that it takes two to have an agreement.
3.) Mountain Ridge did not drop Jefferson. The Cougars dropped the Miners' in hopes of upgrading their schedule. Maybe to cut down on travel expenses as well. I don't know about that. Juniata dropped Mountain Ridge off their schedule right before the season started not the other way around. They were looking forward for the return trip from them to Frostburg. I didn't like the pick up of John Marshall and I said that earlier in this post. And the last time they had a winning season was 2006 not 2009. The Monarchs were 2-8 in 2009.
4.) As I stated in my earlier response to the question of am I happy with an over .500 season and should we as Mountain Ridge fans be happy with that? I and MOST Mountain Ridge fans are not happy with an over .500 season. We want to reach the playoffs every single season and compete for the region and then State Championship. But as I sad earlier, when you are coming off of 0-10, 3-7 and 2-8 seasons, an over .500 season would be a step forward. That is what this program needs. Hopefully a 5-4 or 6-3 in 2015 will get the program back to the expectations of the fans quickly.
I have no problem at all taking criticism. Have never had such a problem. And if I have ever said something that has offended someone on this board I have apologized. If you come at me with statements, please come at me with true facts to back up those statements. I have nothing but respect for the Fort Hill and Allegany fans, players and communities.
I would like to see a schedule similar to this:
@Jefferson
Catoctin
@Allegany
@Musselman
Frankfort
@Hampshire
Boonsboro
@Spring Mills
Fort Hill
@Keyser
You could make an argument to keep Northern on their considering the distance between the schools. If so, I would take Boonsboro off and put Northern in their place. But I have to admit. I really like the idea of this schedule.
@Jefferson
Catoctin
@Allegany
@Musselman
Frankfort
@Hampshire
Boonsboro
@Spring Mills
Fort Hill
@Keyser
You could make an argument to keep Northern on their considering the distance between the schools. If so, I would take Boonsboro off and put Northern in their place. But I have to admit. I really like the idea of this schedule.
I 100% agree with you CrickRat23. The fact that this team only has 22 Varsity member this year is alarming to be honest with you. A school that size should easily have 35+. I would have never thought four years ago that the program would be in the state that they are currently in. And coming off of the past three seasons they are coming off of. I do also join you in hoping that it gets turned around quickly.
Maybe because it is a high school in an artsy fartsy college town where soccer has become king.
I do agree that Mt. Ridge is a soccer school, but for pete's sake there should be a little more interest in football. Especially when you look back at some of the past traditions from the schools combined. Now granted the schools were not power houses year in and year out, but they did produce some pretty good teams and some pretty good athletes.
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