I'm not piling on, but Manual had a chance to win this game. I realize they are rebiulding and no one picked them, but they had a chance in this game. I actually thought the QB had scored on the first run. They said he stepped out on the four. Three cracks would have scored in my opinion and I was right there behind the endzone. Then to turn around and allow X to score with seconds left in the half. I think that Coach Nichols is sometimes too clever by half.

 

TOO CLEVER BY HALF??? What does that mean? Do you actually think that it was Nichols out there missing a tackle that allowed a RB scamper downfield for a score? Get real!!!

 

Just man up and say that after 6 games that Manual MAY BE a surprise to some. Many of you (LSURock included) gave little or no chance for Manual to compete this year. Now it is coaching again that MUST be holding Manual back. I would love to see another coach, after Nichols, succeeed and take them to the next level. With the situation being what it is, I do not see anyone having even as much success as Nichols.

 

"Hey they have a 'Magnet' program, they must get ALL the kids they want......blah,blahblah! They have 750 male students and almost half of them are there for the Performing Arts or MST program, now how many of those boys are going to be studs on Friday nights?

 

Just keep knocking the guys that get something done (with what they have) and keep pounding your chest as the "best" that ever was or will be! Whatever floats your boat!:thumb:

You're missing the point. My contention is that sometimes coach Nichols choses the hard way (maybe to make a point, I don't know) when the simple way might work. Two years in a row he let the Rocks come back into the game by insisting on throwing the ball late when it was obvious the rocks couldn't stop the ram's running game. Friday was similar at the goal line against X. Even when they were down in the fourth, they continued to pass when it was obvious that it wasn't going to work in those conditions. I didn't criticize the kids on the team. They played their hearts out.

He'll never get it brother. We like Manual, I hope they succeed, Nichols is a good coach, but sometimes his emotions get in front of this head.

You're missing the point. My contention is that sometimes coach Nichols choses the hard way (maybe to make a point, I don't know) when the simple way might work. Two years in a row he let the Rocks come back into the game by insisting on throwing the ball late when it was obvious the rocks couldn't stop the ram's running game. Friday was similar at the goal line against X. Even when they were down in the fourth, they continued to pass when it was obvious that it wasn't going to work in those conditions. I didn't criticize the kids on the team. They played their hearts out.

 

I can see your point Rock, just stating that while not many gave Manual a "snowball's chance in Hades" to win this season, there has to be some credit to what the team has accomplished. As hard as it may be for some, some of that credit does need to be given to Nichols.

 

And to counter Rockpride, I do get it "Brother", there are some here that have just as much emotion in posting the negatives about Nichols and the staff. Maybe some of that emotion comes from things that transpired after a game 2 years ago concerning "VideoGate" or just plain rivalry stuff as the games have been fairly competitive in recent years.

 

As I agree that there were times that the pass did help stretch the field for the Manual offense, the conditions did contribute greatly to our inability to beat X with speed. (On the run as well). It was a good defensive effort by St. X on the goal line. While I still believe the pass was a TD we were facing 4th and goal from less than a yard. The X defense aligned with 3 defenders to our weak side and took away a play that should have gone easily for a TD.

It was a good game with breaks going for and against both teams. The muddy conditions slowed everyone down. Vic had 3 outstanding runs with Manual defenders in the right position to make the tackle....Vic made some outstanding moves...aided by the mud....

 

Coach Nichols had absolutely squat to do with that. He called the right defense...as Ram players were there to stop the play.....He called the right plays on the goalline also....the pass play was open and caught...just a shy short (according to the refs)...and the run play like mentioned went to X's weak side...but X defenders stepped up on that play....

 

I fail to see how Manual's coach made mistakes in this game. Passing the ball, and sweeps is what both teams started doing when the middle of the field became very muddy. Manual was successful with dive plays, before the rain took its toll, not sweeps. Coach Nichols adjusted to the weather conditions and called plays that gave his team the best shot to win.

Just one note in all this.

Coach Nichols call the Defense, Coach Weiter calls the offense.

I didn't bring this up earlier becuase I couldn't think of a way to post it without it sounding to me like I was blaming Coach Weiter for something, which i am not.

I think Coach Weiter did a good job, and posted after Xman85's post because he said what I couldn't express myself.

 

Just those of you crediting or discrediting Nichols for play calling please rememeber that he very seldom makes a call on offense, he trusts Coach Weiter to not only call the plays but also come up with the offensive game plan. The 2 of them confer on things like wether to punt or go for it on 4th and short and things like that, but usually Weiter has full rein on offense.

 

I've had the pleasure of being in the box near Weiter for most of Manual's games the last 4 years and I enjoy hearing him call plays and see how they work. You see on NFL games commentators talking about how coaches are often thinking a play or 2 down the road and that was really illustrated Keenan's senior year, as the ball is being snapped on a play Weiter is already telling our O-line coach down on the field to get a certain package of players together for the next play, often calling out players by name and where he wanted them.

 

I was talking to a St. X parent today and we both found it funny that 2 Trinity posters were calling out Nichols for offense (in a Manual / X thread), and the St. X parent was even next to one of those same Trinity guys behind the non-scoreboard endzone and mentioned that Nichols didn't call the Offense only to repeatedly hear that guy and his group second guess the offensive play calling.

Just one note in all this.

Coach Nichols call the Defense, Coach Weiter calls the offense.

I didn't bring this up earlier becuase I couldn't think of a way to post it without it sounding to me like I was blaming Coach Weiter for something, which i am not.

I think Coach Weiter did a good job, and posted after Xman85's post because he said what I couldn't express myself.

 

Just those of you crediting or discrediting Nichols for play calling please rememeber that he very seldom makes a call on offense, he trusts Coach Weiter to not only call the plays but also come up with the offensive game plan. The 2 of them confer on things like wether to punt or go for it on 4th and short and things like that, but usually Weiter has full rein on offense.

 

I've had the pleasure of being in the box near Weiter for most of Manual's games the last 4 years and I enjoy hearing him call plays and see how they work. You see on NFL games commentators talking about how coaches are often thinking a play or 2 down the road and that was really illustrated Keenan's senior year, as the ball is being snapped on a play Weiter is already telling our O-line coach down on the field to get a certain package of players together for the next play, often calling out players by name and where he wanted them.

 

I was talking to a St. X parent today and we both found it funny that 2 Trinity posters were calling out Nichols for offense (in a Manual / X thread), and the St. X parent was even next to one of those same Trinity guys behind the non-scoreboard endzone and mentioned that Nichols didn't call the Offense only to repeatedly hear that guy and his group second guess the offensive play calling.

 

Thats funny, he was plenty critical as well (PM me so I can confirm who we are talking about). To your point, almost no coaches in large programs make the calls on defense or offense. But they do take responsibility. You mentioned that Coach Nichols confers on short yardage situations, isn't that what most of the comments were about?:lol:

Thats funny, he was plenty critical as well (PM me so I can confirm who we are talking about). To your point, almost no coaches in large programs make the calls on defense or offense. But they do take responsibility. You mentioned that Coach Nichols confers on short yardage situations, isn't that what most of the comments were about?:lol:

Not short yardage, but wether to punt or go for it.

Pete,

 

You know what you are right about that, Nichols may have given Weiter autonomy in the decision making, but like anything else sometimes the head coach needs to step in and control the game. Manual has lost games that they should have won, everyone knows that. Who gets the blame? The head coach, everytime.

It was a good game with breaks going for and against both teams. The muddy conditions slowed everyone down. Vic had 3 outstanding runs with Manual defenders in the right position to make the tackle....Vic made some outstanding moves...aided by the mud....

 

Coach Nichols had absolutely squat to do with that. He called the right defense...as Ram players were there to stop the play.....He called the right plays on the goalline also....the pass play was open and caught...just a shy short (according to the refs)...and the run play like mentioned went to X's weak side...but X defenders stepped up on that play....

 

I fail to see how Manual's coach made mistakes in this game. Passing the ball, and sweeps is what both teams started doing when the middle of the field became very muddy. Manual was successful with dive plays, before the rain took its toll, not sweeps. Coach Nichols adjusted to the weather conditions and called plays that gave his team the best shot to win.

 

Man, I might start to like you with a post like this!:thumb:

PeteW, don't waste your breath brother, he will never get it!

^ excellent synopsis, that was my take as well... I am so happy that I decided for this game instead of the Male/PRP game. Another thing....St. X's kicking game still has a TON of work to do.

St.X put coverage teams have been very good. In fact you can see a picture of great coverage in the Trinity game that resulted in a fumble that was not called by an out of position ref in this weeks Voice Tribune at time in the game 0-0 that would have completely turned the game around. Sometimes you get the calls and sometimes you don't. I think the Tigers are due some good calls soon.

In fact you can see a picture of great coverage in the Trinity game that resulted in a fumble that was not called by an out of position ref in this weeks Voice Tribune at time in the game 0-0 that would have completely turned the game around. Sometimes you get the calls and sometimes you don't. I think the Tigers are due some good calls soon.

This is too good to be true.

St.X put coverage teams have been very good. In fact you can see a picture of great coverage in the Trinity game that resulted in a fumble that was not called by an out of position ref in this weeks Voice Tribune at time in the game 0-0 that would have completely turned the game around. Sometimes you get the calls and sometimes you don't. I think the Tigers are due some good calls soon.

Just a bit of advice. When you state something like "would have completely turned the game around" conclude with IMO. That way you don't come off as a wanna be psychic.:lol:

Just a bit of advice. When you state something like "would have completely turned the game around" conclude with IMO. That way you don't come off as a wanna be psychic.:lol:

My bad I meant to say COULD! honest mistake. Insert could and it changes the context to what I was trying to say. A tiny little break sometimes COULD change a game.