"IF"

If, ifs ands & buts were candy and nuts. We would all have a merry Christmas.

 

They are always there when you lose. Pikeville had them after they lost to Paintsville earlier in the year. Nothing wrong with wondering what might have been. The key is not one person has knocked Pikeville or said they weren't the better team on Thursday night.

I already can't wait for next year.

I'm not sure a couple of players would make up 21 points. I know, it was only 14, but, 7 of those was when the game was in hand and out of reach in the waning moments..

Class A will be fun next year.

the first 2 of those 7 Mayfield was a significantly better team, the 3rd was one play/call away from a bw win, and the other 4 the offense has been steered by a qb who panics when one little thing doesn't go "according to plan". BW just hasn't been the best team in 1A in those matchups, because the opponent they were playing was. (except for Frankfort that one year. idk how that happened). The best team has been winning, that team just has not been Beechwood.

 

Beechwood has lost most big games, including Frankfort in 13 due to one thing. A BIG BA back (mayfield, Frankfort and now Pikeville) and no answer. The other thing is not having an answer when they can control our playmaker. If someone else could have stepped up, it would have taken pressure off Slusher. People are saying Pikeville controlled slusher-- and they did. Funny thing is that he still had over 200 all purpose yards.

 

On Stringer... I'm Sorry, but I can't think of a Big game where Stringer made a difference. We have lost All Big Games the last two years with him in there. I think he's talented, but to me he is easy scout. Come out and lay a hit on him and he either shuts down, get frustrated and commits personal fouls or both. I may be wrong, but I have been trying to think of one game where I thought he was the difference and I can't do it.

Edited December 7, 201510 yr by Old Sports Dad

So a few days have passed and I still keep thinking about something. I haven't heard a lot, but it seems that most don't share my opinion about the play call on the 3rd and 1. I think it was a flashback to OC getting too cute. I felt like your best shot was to give the Ball to Slusher and let him pickup the yard. I know they reduced his yards, but at that point, I felt like Pikeville didn't have an answer to prevent him from gaining 2 or 3. He was the best all around player in the field and Hergott took the ball out of his hands for what turns out to be a turning point in the game.

The QB that has thrown for 7000 yards, 100 TD's and 450 completions "panics". I think you were watching the wrong team.

 

Grant it, a lot of the big game "panics" were often related to just having to deal with a good defense making good plays, it just seemed especially that in that game, IMO the offensive line did one of their best jobs of the year maintaining the pocket protection, but the QB was attempting to scramble out of the safe zone of the pocket many a time before he had given the WR's ample time to make their cuts, thus to him it appeared they were always covered, and as the game continued in that manner, the thought of them always being covered and necessity to scramble grew until at the end of the game the pressure of a close game lifted and the QB began bending the defense to his will, resulting in a TD in less than 3 minutes. just my opinion. but this kid is still amazing for what he has accomplished. just tough that we are human beings and aren't capable of performing our best every day.

Beechwood has lost most big games, including Frankfort in 13 due to one thing. A BIG BA back (mayfield, Frankfort and now Pikeville) and no answer. The other thing is not having an answer when they can control our playmaker. If someone else could have stepped up, it would have taken pressure off Slusher. People are saying Pikeville controlled slusher-- and they did. Funny thing is that he still had over 200 all purpose yards.

 

On Stringer... I'm Sorry, but I can't think of a Big game where Stringer made a difference. We have lost All Big Games the last two years with him in there. I think he's talented, but to me he is easy scout. Come out and lay a hit on him and he either shuts down, get frustrated and commits personal fouls or both. I may be wrong, but I have been trying to think of one game where I thought he was the difference and I can't do it.

 

I would have agreed on the stringer topic in past years, but this year it seemed that the tough BW football mentality had finally broke through to him and he was playing some of his toughest, best football before receiving what haunts hs football players nightmares in a knee injury. He would've have made though a much greater difference more than anything as a safety. After he was hurt, there was a noticeable lack of size in the defensive secondary, and without size against daric pugh? good luck. I think in the end you need a good offensive line or that RB is nothing though, it was a necessity with small defensive backs for the DL to make plays, and they were getting blocked better than almost any other game of the season and once pugh could escape the 5 yard box, no good technique from small db's could stop pugh from pointing the crest of his helmet toward the inzone, eyes down and charging forward like a bull in mexico city.

Do they really lose a lot? I would say they lost more talent (in quantity) from 2014 to 2015. Losing Brett Slusher will be a huge hit. I don't think he missed a game his entire career. Having to replace a 3.25 year starter at QB will also be an issue but several of the seniors on this 2015 team were backups in 2014 and they performed well in 2015. This 2015 team also has a good number of underclassman playing so its reloading more than rebuilding.

 

I would agree. Every time there is a large graduation of starters everyone assumes rebuild, but never forget those kids that got the starters and themselves better everyday by facing against them in practice. And with Beechwood's coaching staff? the tigers always return, and never doubt the youngsters, sometimes it just takes that chance to start to really see them grow into a great team.

So why was Beechwood ranked # 1 all year?

 

because they were considered the best through great talent and a tough schedule that they continued to be successful at. Pretty simple to understand really if you apply any amount of intelligence.

because they were considered the best through great talent and a tough schedule that they continued to be successful at. Pretty simple to understand really if you apply any amount of intelligence.

 

 

Tough schedule. It's the weakest Beechwood schedule in a long time..

I would have agreed on the stringer topic in past years, but this year it seemed that the tough BW football mentality had finally broke through to him and he was playing some of his toughest, best football before receiving what haunts hs football players nightmares in a knee injury. He would've have made though a much greater difference more than anything as a safety. After he was hurt, there was a noticeable lack of size in the defensive secondary, and without size against daric pugh? good luck. I think in the end you need a good offensive line or that RB is nothing though, it was a necessity with small defensive backs for the DL to make plays, and they were getting blocked better than almost any other game of the season and once pugh could escape the 5 yard box, no good technique from small db's could stop pugh from pointing the crest of his helmet toward the inzone, eyes down and charging forward like a bull in mexico city.

 

Tough schedule. It's the weakest Beechwood schedule in a long time..

 

I was going to make the same comment.

 

In the toughest opponent of the year vs Cov Cath Stringer had 12 carriers for 43 yards.

 

But in his defense they did not have another back with a different kind of style that would compliment his!

Tough schedule. It's the weakest Beechwood schedule in a long time..

 

I agree and really hope they add a couple more tough games. I know that are stuck in a horrible district but maybe a decent team from Cincy or getting Highlands or Simon Kenton back on the schedule. I would rather play tough teams and learn, even if its a loss, than playing Some team where its a 50-0 bore at halftime which you get nothing out of it.

Come on, please. Blaming a loss on injuries is bad enough, but, then throwing in a kid who's not even on the team is worse. Every school has good athletes roaming the halls that could be playing and doing really well, but, opted to not play for whatever reason. Also, it's the 15th game of the season. You don't think Pikeville had some injuries, nics, bangs and bruises and not everyone playing at 100%. In 1 breath, you say take nothing away from Pikeville, then in the next you say had we been healthy, we likely win. Weather meant or not, that's exactly what you did, you took credit away from the Panthers. I know you were trying to be politically correct, but, honestly, you took credit away and layed blame instead of giving them the credit they deserved.

 

You really missed the point. Even if healthy Pikeville probably wins 6 or 7 out of 10. But you have to admit Pikeville would have been hard pressed to win it if They did not have the starting full back and running back on top of a middle linebacker. Pugh is really good and Pikeville would not have been near the team without him in my opinion.

I agree. Not really talking about the team with the most talent it's the team that had their talent healthy! As far as talent Beechwood, Paintsville and Pikeville had that covered. Just woulda like to have seen how it shook out with the top 3 1A teams all being healthy, however it takes talent , hard work, heart and also a little luck to pull off a state title! Long hard season with many obstacles!