Friday, October 19, 2012
Goose Creek Memorial vs. Friendswood - October 19, 2012
Tonight, the 5-1 (2-1) Friendswood Mustangs celebrated their homecoming and hosted the Goose Creek Memorial Patriots 3-2 (1-2). The was the first ever meeting between the two schools.
Homecoming activities first - The Homecoming Queen is Jillian Bergeson. The Football Sweetheart is Anna Griffith. Anna received a standing ovation when she was named Football Sweetheart, and anyone who knows her, or knows of her, will know why.
My first thought when I saw the team tonight, even before the kick off, was that the team was in the black pants again. I have said from the first time I saw the team wearing black pants - the blue and black uniforms are bad juju. And while we did win tonight, there were several aspects of the game that need work. I'm not sure if I didn't notice before because of the style of play we've been facing, or if this is a problem that is getting worse instead of better.
Before I get into all the details, let me hand out some props to some of the players who made good things happen tonight. Wood, Montalvo, Williams, Dooley, Bertlesman, Vandersyphen, Longbotham, Hill, Vail, Camarillo, Alexander, King, Wenzel, and Langston.
The Mustang offense played well most of the time tonight, but I think our coaches need to sit down and come up with a plan B, C, D, E & Plan F. Having 3 of the top rushers in the district on your sideline, and with the news that Wood made over the first few games of the season means that everyone knows how to stop our offense. If the O-Line can't open holes for Wood, and the ball carriers can't get around the opponents-D-line, our offense is going no where. Wood is getting better at the passing game, but he's not consistently accurate enough to depend upon that aspect of the game. Wood has earned a majority of his yards by running up the middle, then moving to the outside. That strategy isn't working anymore. Wood is a great athlete, he is agile, faster than many other players and can jump over obstacles, but he can't make a hole to run through. He needs the rest of the offense to block for him and create the necessary holes. That actually goes for anyone who's carrying the ball. Longbotham has become the little engine that could. I don't think the boy knows how to stop; and that's a good thing. Vandersyphen is one of the most agile players I've seen. But none of them can win alone. Our offense needs to work on becoming more diverse. That said, tonight, they did what had to be done to win the game. There was one trick play that worked (we haven't seen many trick plays this season). Wood pass the ball (laterally) to Williams, who passed it back to Wood. They passed the ball almost the width of the field each time. Wood was able to make it to the end zone, but a penalty called the play back.
There were too many penalties tonight as well. I think our team was get frustrated. I know it's hard to stay calm when things aren't going well, but you have to. That's when mistakes are made.
Now to the Mustangs inconsistent defense. For as long as I can remember, our defense has struggled to defend against the pass, and it's an issue that seems to be getting worse instead of better. It seems that the strategy is to be sure to give the opponent as much room as possible to catch the pass, then try to stop him from running to the end zone. This is a stupid strategy, for many reasons. How many first downs and yards has the team given up by doing this? The answer is too many. And how many points have been given up, I don't even want to count. I understand wanting to prevent pass interference calls, however, . . . . At one point this evening, One of the Mustangs who was lined up to defend a receiver ran away from the receiver toward the quarterback. This left 1 Mustang to defend against 2 receivers. I think anyone can see this problem with this set up. We're just lucky that the pass was dropped. And if he thought that the Patriots were going to run the ball, he needs more practice at reading an offense. I think it was fairly obvious that the Patriots were going to pass the ball. Camarillo usually does the best job of all the Mustangs at defending against the pass, but . . . . And Camarillo and Longbotham both do a great job of getting to the receiver after he has the ball, but again; but . . . .
I do however, need to give props to Dooley for recovering 2 fumbles tonight. And props to everyone who helped make those fumbles happen.
How many interceptions have the Mustangs caught this year? How does that compare to years past? How many opportunities did the Mustangs have for an interception? And hoe many of those opportunities did a player make the attempt? These number would be very telling.
If they don't already do it, the coaches need to go over the game film with the players. I think they all would be surprised if they paused and measured just how open the receivers are. That kind of defense will get crushed at The Rig next week.
Dawson is not going to drop passes all night long. Neither are they going to miss passes. Dawson is ranked #1 in the state for a reason, and it's not because the don't take advantage of every opportunity given by their opponents. You can bet that Dawson will make Friendswood pay for every mistake they make, whether it's a mistake in execution or strategy. And the one thing I do not want to listen to all night next week is that screaming Eagle. Last year, that eagle screeched every time Dawson scored or earned a first down. That was like fingernails on a chalkboard and we heard it way too many times last year. I truly hope that the players and coaches do everything necessary to shut that thing up, Or better yet, just make sure it doesn't make any noise all night long.
I will be at The Rig cheering for the Mustangs next week. Will you?
Tonights boxscore
Goose Creek 0 7 0 0 7
Friendswood 0 14 0 10 24
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Friendswood Mustangs vs. Texas City Stingarees October 12, 2012
Last night, the Friendswood Mustangs traveled to Texas City to take on the Texas City Stingarees. The Mustangs entered the game 5-0 (2-0) and Texas City entered the game 3-2 (1-1). I think everyone expected this to be a night that Texas City sought revenge for their one point loss to the Mustangs last year that sent the Mustangs to the playoffs and forced Texas City to end their season earlier than they had hoped. Many people said that this would be the game for second place on the district. I was hoping that they were wrong, and they still may be, but it looked as though they were right.
Before I get to my thoughts on the game, let me hand out some well deserved "atta boys". Some of the players who made good things happen last night were Wood, Faulk, Faulk (yes, there were two Faulks who played well), Bertlesman, Hill, Vandersypen, Montalvo, Camarillo, and the "Brian Cushing award" goes to Longbotham.
Friendswood did not have the game they were hoping for last night. I wish I could say that our offensive line didn't play up to their usual standard, or that our defense didn't do what they needed to, and leave it at that. Both of those statements are true, but there was something else going on last night. I wish I could put my finger on it, but something was off. Vail & Wood were not in sync on all of their snaps, and it wasn't just one snap that was bobbled or low. Holes were not opened they way they usually are. Players did not block for the ball carrier they way they usually do. I'm not sure . . . Maybe there are some players who were sick; or maybe some of them pulled an all-nighter cramming for school on Thursday night (and if that's the case, shame on whoever put them in that position); maybe they didn't prepare for this game the way they should have; or maybe they came to Texas City with a chip on their shoulder (and if so, it's a good thing the Stingarees knocked it off before the Mustangs travel to The Rig in two weeks). I'm not looking to make excuses for the Mustangs. Texas City has a good football team and they played well last night. After what they did in Pearland last week, everyone expected them to come out and play hard for a full 48 minutes last night. But I wish I knew why the Mustangs weren't playing as well as they can. I'm not trying to make excuses for poor play. I'm just saying that there was something else going on as well.
Friendswood still struggles with a weak (almost nonexistent) secondary. This is a problem that seems to have gotten worse over the last few years instead of better. It took a "play" by a determined Friendswood sophomore to bring our defense to life near the end of the first quarter (maybe the beginning of the second). And they played better for the rest of the game afterward. This play led to Longbotham's "Brian Cushing award.". After being hit so that his helmet came off, Longbotham continued to play and was the only Mustang to chase down the ball carrier (I think it was one of the Foremans) to prevent a touchdown. Longbotham didn't know that there was a penalty for an illegal block that was bringing the ball back anyway. And he received a personal foul for continuing to play without a helmet. But he obviously was doing everything in his power to prevent that touchdown. I heard later, from a reliable source, that when Longbotham's helmet came off, it didn't even come unbuckled. When he went back to pick it up, all the straps were still secure. I wish I'd seen that hit. But that brings up an interesting real world application issue. Obviously, it's incredible dangerous for players to be playing without helmets. But when a helmet is knocked off during a play, what should happen? If the play continues, and the player removes himself from the action, the team who hit a player hard enough to cause that is rewarded by having one more active player on the field than it's opponent. Another player cannot be substituted in during the play, and if he could, he would not be in the right place to be effective. However, allowing the player to continue to play without the helmet puts him at risk of serious injury. So, what to do? I disagree with the ruling made last night - a personal foul (15 yard penalty) against the player who no longer has a helmet. His lack of helmet was not his fault, and with the straps still being secure while the helmet was on the ground, it would appear that he did nothing to put himself in that position. Would a personal foul penalty against the player who caused the helmet to come off be more appropriate? That would discourage players from giving those kinds of hits. But would "dirty" players "accidentally forget" to secure their helmets before a play to "draw the foul"? Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.
Now, to the aspect of the game that should never have happened; was wrong in every way; and should not be tolerated - unfair officiating. The officiating last night was not as poor as the playoff game between Friendswood and Dawson a couple of years ago, but it was obviously biased. Waiting seconds after a player was down to blow the whistle, and then declaring a fumble long after the ball carrier was down? Watching one team repeatedly cross the line of scrimmage and leaving the flag in the ref's pocket? Allowing pass interference? Watching obvious holding and doing nothing about it? There were several times during the game that I wish we had the NFL's replay, zooming, and slow motion capabilities. If so, those officials would no longer be working in high school football. It was terrible. And what was also upsetting was our coaches reaction to the poor officiating. I know that we all try to teach our kids to respect authority, and that booing or arguing with officials is wrong. But what does it teach them when we don't stand up for them? It looked like of the of the players felt like his coaches wouldn't do it, so it was his job to make the officials aware that he was being illegally held during a play. I'm not sure what Friendswood ever did to any of the officials to cause them to blatantly dislike Friendswood, but it became obvious a few years ago, and while it has gotten better, it still shouldn't be happening at all. There is absolutely no excuse for unfair or poor officiating.
But, I must also give credit to the way the Mustangs handled the bad calls. They never gave up. They continued to play hard and work to win. It would have been very easy to throw in the towel, but they never did. Good job boys.
The next game is Friendswoo's homecoming. The Mustangs will host the Goose Creek Memorial Patriots. I am hopeful that the team will not be sidetracked by all the homecoming activities and think that becuase Goose Creek doesn't have a good record, they are not worthy of adequite preperation. The Mustangs cannot overlook the Patriots and start thinking about Dawson. The rest of the season must be taken one week and one team at a time. I'm sure that the coaches and players will work to fix whatever problems the players were struggling with last night, Let's see some real Mustang football this week.
Friendswood 7 7 7 0 21
Texas City 21 14 21 7 63
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am watching the game and "taking notes" by twittering during the games. I am at each game with at least one of my kids, if not both. Sometimes, my husband is able to attend with us and sometimes I have other family with me as well. My football education is from attending high school football games for 30+ years and sitting between my dad and my grandpa for the first 12 of those years. I was 3 when my parents bought my first season ticket. I missed 2 home games from the time I was 3 years old through junior high, and started traveling (not missing a single game) during high school. I started taking my kids to games before they could walk and have been taking them ever since.
Before I get to my thoughts on the game, let me hand out some well deserved "atta boys". Some of the players who made good things happen last night were Wood, Faulk, Faulk (yes, there were two Faulks who played well), Bertlesman, Hill, Vandersypen, Montalvo, Camarillo, and the "Brian Cushing award" goes to Longbotham.
Friendswood did not have the game they were hoping for last night. I wish I could say that our offensive line didn't play up to their usual standard, or that our defense didn't do what they needed to, and leave it at that. Both of those statements are true, but there was something else going on last night. I wish I could put my finger on it, but something was off. Vail & Wood were not in sync on all of their snaps, and it wasn't just one snap that was bobbled or low. Holes were not opened they way they usually are. Players did not block for the ball carrier they way they usually do. I'm not sure . . . Maybe there are some players who were sick; or maybe some of them pulled an all-nighter cramming for school on Thursday night (and if that's the case, shame on whoever put them in that position); maybe they didn't prepare for this game the way they should have; or maybe they came to Texas City with a chip on their shoulder (and if so, it's a good thing the Stingarees knocked it off before the Mustangs travel to The Rig in two weeks). I'm not looking to make excuses for the Mustangs. Texas City has a good football team and they played well last night. After what they did in Pearland last week, everyone expected them to come out and play hard for a full 48 minutes last night. But I wish I knew why the Mustangs weren't playing as well as they can. I'm not trying to make excuses for poor play. I'm just saying that there was something else going on as well.
Friendswood still struggles with a weak (almost nonexistent) secondary. This is a problem that seems to have gotten worse over the last few years instead of better. It took a "play" by a determined Friendswood sophomore to bring our defense to life near the end of the first quarter (maybe the beginning of the second). And they played better for the rest of the game afterward. This play led to Longbotham's "Brian Cushing award.". After being hit so that his helmet came off, Longbotham continued to play and was the only Mustang to chase down the ball carrier (I think it was one of the Foremans) to prevent a touchdown. Longbotham didn't know that there was a penalty for an illegal block that was bringing the ball back anyway. And he received a personal foul for continuing to play without a helmet. But he obviously was doing everything in his power to prevent that touchdown. I heard later, from a reliable source, that when Longbotham's helmet came off, it didn't even come unbuckled. When he went back to pick it up, all the straps were still secure. I wish I'd seen that hit. But that brings up an interesting real world application issue. Obviously, it's incredible dangerous for players to be playing without helmets. But when a helmet is knocked off during a play, what should happen? If the play continues, and the player removes himself from the action, the team who hit a player hard enough to cause that is rewarded by having one more active player on the field than it's opponent. Another player cannot be substituted in during the play, and if he could, he would not be in the right place to be effective. However, allowing the player to continue to play without the helmet puts him at risk of serious injury. So, what to do? I disagree with the ruling made last night - a personal foul (15 yard penalty) against the player who no longer has a helmet. His lack of helmet was not his fault, and with the straps still being secure while the helmet was on the ground, it would appear that he did nothing to put himself in that position. Would a personal foul penalty against the player who caused the helmet to come off be more appropriate? That would discourage players from giving those kinds of hits. But would "dirty" players "accidentally forget" to secure their helmets before a play to "draw the foul"? Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.
Now, to the aspect of the game that should never have happened; was wrong in every way; and should not be tolerated - unfair officiating. The officiating last night was not as poor as the playoff game between Friendswood and Dawson a couple of years ago, but it was obviously biased. Waiting seconds after a player was down to blow the whistle, and then declaring a fumble long after the ball carrier was down? Watching one team repeatedly cross the line of scrimmage and leaving the flag in the ref's pocket? Allowing pass interference? Watching obvious holding and doing nothing about it? There were several times during the game that I wish we had the NFL's replay, zooming, and slow motion capabilities. If so, those officials would no longer be working in high school football. It was terrible. And what was also upsetting was our coaches reaction to the poor officiating. I know that we all try to teach our kids to respect authority, and that booing or arguing with officials is wrong. But what does it teach them when we don't stand up for them? It looked like of the of the players felt like his coaches wouldn't do it, so it was his job to make the officials aware that he was being illegally held during a play. I'm not sure what Friendswood ever did to any of the officials to cause them to blatantly dislike Friendswood, but it became obvious a few years ago, and while it has gotten better, it still shouldn't be happening at all. There is absolutely no excuse for unfair or poor officiating.
But, I must also give credit to the way the Mustangs handled the bad calls. They never gave up. They continued to play hard and work to win. It would have been very easy to throw in the towel, but they never did. Good job boys.
The next game is Friendswoo's homecoming. The Mustangs will host the Goose Creek Memorial Patriots. I am hopeful that the team will not be sidetracked by all the homecoming activities and think that becuase Goose Creek doesn't have a good record, they are not worthy of adequite preperation. The Mustangs cannot overlook the Patriots and start thinking about Dawson. The rest of the season must be taken one week and one team at a time. I'm sure that the coaches and players will work to fix whatever problems the players were struggling with last night, Let's see some real Mustang football this week.
Friendswood 7 7 7 0 21
Texas City 21 14 21 7 63
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that I am watching the game and "taking notes" by twittering during the games. I am at each game with at least one of my kids, if not both. Sometimes, my husband is able to attend with us and sometimes I have other family with me as well. My football education is from attending high school football games for 30+ years and sitting between my dad and my grandpa for the first 12 of those years. I was 3 when my parents bought my first season ticket. I missed 2 home games from the time I was 3 years old through junior high, and started traveling (not missing a single game) during high school. I started taking my kids to games before they could walk and have been taking them ever since.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Santa Fe vs. Friendswood October 5, 2012
Last night, the Friendswood Mustangs hosted the Santa Fe Indians at Henry Winston Stadium. Santa Fe came into the game 0-4(0-1) and Friendswood came in 4-0(1-0) after a record setting game against Galena Park with a scoreboard that more closely resembled a basketball game than a football game.
First off, some of the players deserving "atta boys" are Jordan Wood, Colin Faulk, Sam Longbotham, Jonah Vandersypen, Michael Hill, Michael Montalvo, Slade Holle, Ryan Bertlesman, Walker Williams, Garrett Wenzel, Anthony Makransky, and Sean White. I have no doubt that there are other players deserving of "atta boys", but I didn't see everything that everyone did. So, if you played last night, give yourself a pat on the back.
Each week, Friendswood gets better about penalties. Last night, I counted 8 penalties. And only 2 of those were against Friendswood. The entire team is improving. Our defense was able to swarm the ball carrier regularly. The pass coverage is also improving, though it's still not quite as good as it was about 4 years ago. Santa Fe didn't throw the ball much, which may be why I didn't notice Camarillo's pass coverage, but I did notice Makransky. He did well. Our defense is still playing too far off the receivers, then trying to race them once a receiver has the ball. This can work against a team on slugs. But anyone with speed will waltz right past us. One thing our defense did do well last night against the passing game was preventing the ball from getting to the receivers. More than once, passes were batted down and nearly intercepted.
Our offense was on fire again last night. So much so, that many of the back up players played the second half. In fact, I didn't see Jordan Wood set foot on the field during the entire second half. I saw immediately that Faulk was in at QB for the second half, but I thought Wood might work on is free safety skills; you know, just for fun.
I am very much looking forward to next week's game. Friendswood will travel to Texas City to take on the Stingarees.
Santa Fe 0 0 0 14 14
Friendswood 21 21 20 0 62
First off, some of the players deserving "atta boys" are Jordan Wood, Colin Faulk, Sam Longbotham, Jonah Vandersypen, Michael Hill, Michael Montalvo, Slade Holle, Ryan Bertlesman, Walker Williams, Garrett Wenzel, Anthony Makransky, and Sean White. I have no doubt that there are other players deserving of "atta boys", but I didn't see everything that everyone did. So, if you played last night, give yourself a pat on the back.
Each week, Friendswood gets better about penalties. Last night, I counted 8 penalties. And only 2 of those were against Friendswood. The entire team is improving. Our defense was able to swarm the ball carrier regularly. The pass coverage is also improving, though it's still not quite as good as it was about 4 years ago. Santa Fe didn't throw the ball much, which may be why I didn't notice Camarillo's pass coverage, but I did notice Makransky. He did well. Our defense is still playing too far off the receivers, then trying to race them once a receiver has the ball. This can work against a team on slugs. But anyone with speed will waltz right past us. One thing our defense did do well last night against the passing game was preventing the ball from getting to the receivers. More than once, passes were batted down and nearly intercepted.
Our offense was on fire again last night. So much so, that many of the back up players played the second half. In fact, I didn't see Jordan Wood set foot on the field during the entire second half. I saw immediately that Faulk was in at QB for the second half, but I thought Wood might work on is free safety skills; you know, just for fun.
I am very much looking forward to next week's game. Friendswood will travel to Texas City to take on the Stingarees.
Santa Fe 0 0 0 14 14
Friendswood 21 21 20 0 62
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)