I realize this post assumes CAL wins next week. I'm willing to take that chance. That being said, I am comparing these two teams THROUGH THEIR SEMI-FINAL GAMES since CAL has one more hurdle. I had three teams in this conversation until last night, the third being this year's Mayfield team. Now it's just these two. This is entirely fact-based, but...CAUTION!! Before reading this, you may need to put on your orange and brown glasses. :-)

 

The case for CAL

1. Dominant front seven, with Wright always lurking at free safety for errant passes.

2. Big, tough offensive line.

3. Above average QB.

4. Two RBs that are not spectacular, but good, solid high school RBs.

5. They will have the best player on the field on offense, and on defense.

6. Big play ability on offense - hello Milton Wright.

7. Good wins - two versus DeSales, by a total of 12 points, 30-point win over Central, 24-point win over Mayfield.

8. Bad losses - not a bad loss, but a four TD margin to 6-A Simon Kenton.

Highlight - Dominant performance against defending champ and undefeated Mayfield.

 

The case for DeSales

1. Tough, experienced offensive line.

2. Do it all, dual threat QB.

3. Practically unstoppable RB Dylan Byrd (think Trajon Bright but faster)

4. Numerous WR with great hands.

5. Dominant DE in Bryant Pirtle.

6. Fastest defense I have seen - speed everywhere.

7. Good wins - at 5-A John Hardin with Matt Elam, at 5-A power (then) Warren Central, at CAL in the playoffs, at Murray in semifinals.

8. Bad losses - none. Only loss was to CAL in regular season. 27-24 game where Colts were minus three on turnovers, including a fumble at the two in the 4th quarter.

 

Highlights....here's where I give the edge to the Colts. Their schedule is filled with great wins.

1. Scrimmages...blah. However, DeSales POUNDED Meade Co 23-0. That would be the same Meade County that played for the 6-A championship that season.

2. The John Hardin team's only other loss was in the 5-A semis to....HELLO!...Bowling Green. That was BG's 44th win in a row on their way to their 5th straight championship. They beat John Hardin 33-28, the same margin that the Colts won by. John Hardin was probably the second best team in 5-A that year.

3. Warren Central - the Dragons lost in double OT in the 5-A semi-finals in 2013. The Colts traveled to Bowling Green and beat them by two TDs.

3. CAL in the playoffs. Three weeks earlier, CAL played Male in the regular season finale. Male had beaten X and Trinity twice each, averaging 33 points against X and 28 points against Trinity. Against CAL's stingy defense, they managed only two field goals in a 6-0 victory. Three weeks later, DeSales, who scored 24 points in the first game between the two, beat that CAL team 34-0.

4. Murray - the Tigers had played a tough schedule that included a 3-point loss to 5-A finalist Graves Co. They also played Mayfield, Owensboro Catholic, and Caldwell County twice. DeSales made the trip to Murray and dominated from the start. They led 38-0 after three quarters. DeSales' defense allowed only four first downs, and there was a running clock the entire fourth quarter - in a state semi-final game. They headed to Bowling Green winning the previous two games by a combined score of 72-0.

Murray's coach: "Their quickness was evident on both sides of the ball, but especially defensively." Regarding Dylan Byrd: "He's got a gear that we just don't see around here. We thought we had gone up against some good backs, but this guy was different."

 

So....I realize I tilt in one direction here, but nothing I said was inaccurate. That being said, I give the edge to DeSales in this 2-A mythical match-up.

Do have to remember that in that CAL-Male matchup that CAL lost 6-0, CAL's star QB Nathan Christmas broke his collarbone on the very last play on a Hail Mary. He was out for the playoffs and he was probably the best player on that CAL team. Those teams are pretty even though. I think CAL 2016 has more star power than that Desales team, but that Desales had good talent level in every spot.

Do have to remember that in that CAL-Male matchup that CAL lost 6-0, CAL's star QB Nathan Christmas broke his collarbone on the very last play on a Hail Mary. He was out for the playoffs and he was probably the best player on that CAL team. Those teams are pretty even though. I think CAL 2016 has more star power than that Desales team, but that Desales had good talent level in every spot.

 

Fair point. Very fair point. That kid was excellent. His presence would have definitely affected the zero part of that score, but it didn't affect the 34. That Colts offense was simply unstoppable.

Way ahead of yourself here

Way ahead of yourself here

 

I'm all ears, Snake. Who am I missing? I know MF has only been in 2-A two of those five years, and several of you guys mentioned that this was the best Mayfield team since at least 2010. Are you thinking of a Mayfield team or someone else?

No but to be considered the best you have to win the title and CAL hasn't done that...yet

No but to be considered the best you have to win the title and CAL hasn't done that...yet

 

Excellent point. I touched on that briefly but THAT would be a shocker.

Excellent point. I touched on that briefly but THAT would be a shocker.

 

I've been shocked before.

I think it's worth pointing out that from 2013-2014 Desales went 28-2 with the only two losses to CAL in the regular season both years. What a run. I believed and still firmly believe both those Desales teams could have went toe to toe with any team in the state.

I think it's worth pointing out that from 2013-2014 Desales went 28-2 with the only two losses to CAL in the regular season both years. What a run. I believed and still firmly believe both those Desales teams could have went toe to toe with any team in the state.

 

Maybe

I hope Danville's kids read this and get some extra motivation from it. Talk about a premature, disrespectful thread...

Please note Averagejoesgym that none of the talk is coming from CAL football families but others. We are just enjoying our ride with this team and coaching staff and enjoying the moment! As a parent to beat both Desales and Mayfield back to back is euphoric, as both are great teams and programs.

No but to be considered the best you have to win the title and CAL hasn't done that...yet

 

I've been shocked before.

 

Amen brother!

Good resource for discussions like this is calpreps.com. Here is how they rate these teams:

 

2016 CAL ................ 42.3

2013 DeSales .......... 41.2

 

Call it a toss up and we will never know who wins on a given night. They play 10, the series is 5-5.

 

When I look at games like this, I look at the team's best players. The team with the best top individual players wins more often than not. Rate the top 3-5 players on each team. Does either team have an edge there? Who are the D1 players on each team, if there are any?

Good resource for discussions like this is calpreps.com. Here is how they rate these teams:

 

2016 CAL ................ 42.3

2013 DeSales .......... 41.2

 

Call it a toss up and we will never know who wins on a given night. They play 10, the series is 5-5.

 

When I look at games like this, I look at the team's best players. The team with the best top individual players wins more often than not. Rate the top 3-5 players on each team. Does either team have an edge there? Who are the D1 players on each team, if there are any?

 

Definitely a more suitable post if CAL wins next weekend. If that's bad form, I apologize. Not trying to be disrespectful. I just found myself thinking about this on my way home last night. But since the horse is out of the barn....

 

CAL's five....not sure. Obviously Wright, Paulson, Carr. Not sure of spelling - Olfsaka, and would need help on the 5th. First two are D1 no doubt, Carr probably as well as he is only a sophomore.

 

DeSales - Byrd, Roush, Pirtle, Price (OL) debatable after that due to balance. Byrd is at KY Wesleyan (size kept him from D1). Roush is at WKU, Pirtle was offered by WKU and some others, currently a dominant JUCO force. Price is at Morehead.

 

Wright would still be the best player on the field, and I agree there is value in that. I just look at how DeSales did against high quality opponents in 5-A and 6-A that season, and the playoff run was just overwhelming.