Two top ten teams in Class 3A, Belfry and Russell, have opening week byes. Several other schools around the state also aren't kicking off until next weekend. What are the positives of an open first week? What are the negatives? How many teams purposefully sit the first week and how many are open because that's the way the schedule fell?

Not sure...Pendleton County has done this the last 2 years. During our football preview tonight on PCRO, I'll ask Coach Burgemeir about it.

It allows you a chance to get another scrimmage in.

Haywood loves the Week 0 scrimmage for Belfry.

 

As much as I have followed Belfry though I cannot really figure out exactly why? Maybe @Watusi has a theory or knows something?

 

Here are my guesses:

- For the brunt of the past 30 years the Pike County Bowl has been Belfry's "official" kickoff to the season. Haywood is a man of tradition and predictive patterns. Maybe he just likes the tradition of opening in the PCB?

 

- Belfry did play in Week 0 for a handful of years against Prestonsburg and it did not got well at all. The Pirates looked rough and made numerous mistakes and lost those games.

 

- Loyalty may play a part. For the longest of times Belfry scrimmaged the same teams every year. Raceland, Boyd County, Hazard. Now they are going to Richlands every year for a Jamboree event. Haywood and Hazard's Coach Dixon are good friends and they do a lot together (7 on 7), for a long stretch Hazard was the team they scrimmaged in Week 0 until the Bulldogs had to pick up a Week 0 game.

 

- My most logical guess is simply Haywood has a plan for how he likes to bring his kids along in his system and uses two scrimmages to evaluate position battles and build reps in a controlled manner without having to take an "L". It also gives him flexibility like this year that if he has a bunch of minor injuries from Summer that he can ease his players into Week 1 and give an extra week to be ready

 

- The only other thing that sticks out is I simply don't think he likes the "BYE" week during the season. Maybe he feels like he can rest his players and get healthy between District Play or the first Round of the playoff when typically Belfry overmatches the team? Maybe he feels like Belfry is always going to improve and the train will roll downhill and a BYE interrupts it? I just dont know and have often wondered it myself

It allows you a chance to get another scrimmage in.

With who? Everybody else is playing.

I would never question one of the greats like Coach Haywood but I can't for the life of me see how this is beneficial in any way. Having a bye week later in the year especially strategically placed during your most difficult stretch seems to ensure you have ample time during the season to catch your breath, mend injuries and go watch your later opponents play. Just preference I guess.

With who? Everybody else is playing.

There are more teams that scrimmage week 0 than you might think.

I would never question one of the greats like Coach Haywood but I can't for the life of me see how this is beneficial in any way. Having a bye week later in the year especially strategically placed during your most difficult stretch seems to ensure you have ample time during the season to catch your breath, mend injuries and go watch your later opponents play. Just preference I guess.

 

After thinking of it more the only other thing I can come up with that makes the most sense to me is is gives you 12 guaranteed games of live reps instead of 11 and it benefits the program potentially a little more long term.

 

What I mean by this is the kids who benefit the most seemingly are the underclassmen, Freshman, and JV. A Haywood scrimmage is a revolving door of players and I would say that the 2nd and 3rd string probably play more than the Starters.

 

Let's assume the "average" 3A program plays 12 total games including the playoffs. In those 12 games how many times do you think the 2nd String or the JV will get to see reps vs. a Varsity Defense? Maybe 7 Quarters?

 

Of those how many would come during a running clock situation? I would say most if not all. So those 7 Quarters are more or less condensed down to in essence 5 or 6 Quarters of action vs. someone else's 1's

 

A scrimmage lets you control the pace. If you need to take time to correct something you can.. also in running clock situations you have to further condense your playbook to avoid further embarrassing your opponent. When you factor in Belfry typically is playing 14 or 15 games instead of 12, and also add the extra scrimmage time. I would say the typical Belfry team is getting in upwards of 9-10 Quarters where their reserves are able to match up against opposing 1's

 

I would still prefer playing Week 0 and getting that bye personally, but then again Coach Haywood has won more as Head Coach in practice this week than I have my entire life... so I will defer to his philosophy HAHA

Let's assume the "average" 3A program plays 12 total games including the playoffs. In those 12 games how many times do you think the 2nd String or the JV will get to see reps vs. a Varsity Defense? Maybe 7 Quarters?

 

Of those how many would come during a running clock situation? I would say most if not all. So those 7 Quarters are more or less condensed down to in essence 5 or 6 Quarters of action vs. someone else's 1's

 

A scrimmage lets you control the pace. If you need to take time to correct something you can.. also in running clock situations you have to further condense your playbook to avoid further embarrassing your opponent.

 

I would still prefer playing Week 0 and getting that bye personally, but then again Coach Haywood has won more as Head Coach in practice this week than I have my entire life... so I will defer to his philosophy HAHA

First we're on the same team here, but couple things:

1. Belfry is no "average" 3A team. Would be interested to see just how many #s wise is off this weekend and then of those how many are not your average team, but more elite. For a less than average team it is much worse to get the bye this early because you are very likely thin in many areas and time to heal injuries is HUGE not to mention catch your breath and hit it more refreshed again. Case in point would be Warren Central this year with their thin roster. Can you imagine getting a bye this week and then asking 25 to 27 guys to go 10 weeks straight against larger teams that are getting a bye in there somewhere before they meet you! WOW NELLY!!!!

2. I agree that scrimmages let you control the pace of thing, but can't practice do the same thing? Big T doesn't even scrimmage. Was told they prefer to just do that themselves during their overall practice season. Works for them.

3. Again in the end it's what works for you. Works for Belfry so by all means keep the train on the track and going, but that's only because that's the way they've been successful at it. Don't think many can say the same thing. :thumb:

It guarantees you an additional game, regardless. And I do think it allows you a chance to get more meaningful reps before the games count. Although, I really doubt that it's that extra scrimmage that makes Belfry who they are.

 

 

For me, I'd much rather have an open week somewhere in that week 6-9 window. Because you know everybody is getting tired, everybody is getting worn down. Take a week, reset, work on the basics and then come back the next week refreshed and ready to roll.

Beechwood takes their bye in week 0. In Beechwood's case I think it is a very simple explanation.

 

One, as stated above Beechwood gets an extra scrimmage before real play starts against good competition so they can fine tune the team. There is always turnover on a high school team so an extra game to get ready is a good thing.

 

Two, I am not knocking anyone just stating facts. In district play Beechwood usually has dominated at least two if not all three of their district opponents. That means the starters are playing about one half in perhaps three straight games late in the season. Anything they might try to change up in a bye week can be changed up and then used against live competition in one or two of those district games. Any player that might benefit from a week off, just go ahead and sit them and the team should be just fine.

 

Finally, you keep the routine going with no breaks from game 1 to hopefully a championship battle.

There are more teams that scrimmage week 0 than you might think.

 

There are 23 teams with a Week 0 bye, which is just over 10%. That number surprised me a bit. I wonder how many of those teams will scrimmage this week?