2 hours ago, 9068 said:

As these coaching openings show up on this site you need to apply. You are into analytics apparently. Looked to me like Cooper was in their 4-2-5 scheme quite a bit, but they WON the line of scrimmage which was supposedly the Birds strong point. I thought that the first play called after the roughing the kicker ( can't happen if the ball is tipped....by rule)was a good call. The Cooper kids made a good play. The QB is an excellent player......but how many times had he ever been in THAT situation? Cooper's kids had prepared for that play and read it perfectly. You can blame the coaching staff all you want, but HS kids just can't make in game adjustments like college or NFL guys. The game could have gone either way. It was one of those either team could have won games.

I don't need to be a coach to be able to recognize the futility of trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

Just now, En Fuego Hombre said:

I don't need to be a coach to be able to recognize the futility of trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

It’s also always easy to complain and say what should have happened after the fact. Once again if they had passed more like you suggest and still lost. Then people would complain about how they went away from what got them there, and how could you be dumb enough to pass when ran for over 400 yards before. It’s always easy to complain after the fact, and still no idea if what you suggested would have even led to a different result. Still may have lost doing what you say they should have done. 

2 hours ago, futurecoach said:

It’s also always easy to complain and say what should have happened after the fact. Once again if they had passed more like you suggest and still lost. Then people would complain about how they went away from what got them there, and how could you be dumb enough to pass when ran for over 400 yards before. It’s always easy to complain after the fact, and still no idea if what you suggested would have even led to a different result. Still may have lost doing what you say they should have done. 

I see your point, but how deep into the game should it take to realize that a strategy is not being effective against a particular defense?  After the 1st quarter or half, some adjustment was warranted to try to get the offense some traction.   Now we look forward to next year.  Again.

6 hours ago, En Fuego Hombre said:

This loss is not on the players for failing to make plays.

In the first game, Cooper's Offense passed the ball 88% of their plays, 50 passes to only 7 running plays.  In the Friday game, Highlands defense adjusted to limit the pass game, so Cooper had a much more balanced approach on offense, passing 45% and running 55%, 20 pass plays and 24 running plays.  

In the first game, Highlands ran the ball 79% of the time, 66 runs to 18 passes.  In the game Friday, despite a defensive adjustment by Cooper that was designed to limit the run game, Highlands still had a 72% pass to run ratio, 44 running plays to only 17 passes.  Highlands passed fewer times, despite facing a defense that was softer against the pass because it was designed to stop the run.

Both teams made good defensive adjustments in game 2.  But only Cooper made the adjustments to their offense and that translated into putting more points on the board and a victory, Friday night.

So again, this loss is not on the players for failing to make plays. It is on the staff, for failing to adjust enough to  put those players in a position to make plays.

What defensive adjustments did they make to their 425? 

4 hours ago, barrel said:

What defensive adjustments did they make to their 425? 

They played a 3-4 in game 1 vs highlands.

5 hours ago, barrel said:

What defensive adjustments did they make to their 425? 

 

56 minutes ago, CoachMulvi said:

They played a 3-4 in game 1 vs highlands.

I am not privy to the whole game tape but here is the Highlands highlight reel from Hudl of the first game. Highlands vs. Cooper Highlights Game 1

The defensive structure used Friday night and the defensive structure used in the first game are very similar if not identical. The only real difference is rather than play a standup end, Alexander played a tighter technique with his hand down. From the highlights, Game 1 Cooper had a stand up 5/6 technique, a 1 technique, a 3 technique and a 5 technique. Game 2 Cooper had a hand down 5/6 technique, a 1 technique, a 3 technique and a 5 technique. The back end coverage looks and alignment looks identical. You can call one defense a 3-4 because the end is standing up and one defense a 4-2-5 because his hand is down, but in reality it is the same defense.  

Friday night, Cooper did a good job moving Alexander around up front and caused some problems for the bigger, slower Highlands lineman. 

Game 1

      

Game 2

 

Roughing the kicker can happen, if the player who tipped/blocked the ball could avoid contact or another player other than the player who hit the ball hits the kicker if contact is avoidable. It’s officials discretion. 

8 hours ago, Builder1214 said:

 

I am not privy to the whole game tape but here is the Highlands highlight reel from Hudl of the first game. Highlands vs. Cooper Highlights Game 1

The defensive structure used Friday night and the defensive structure used in the first game are very similar if not identical. The only real difference is rather than play a standup end, Alexander played a tighter technique with his hand down. From the highlights, Game 1 Cooper had a stand up 5/6 technique, a 1 technique, a 3 technique and a 5 technique. Game 2 Cooper had a hand down 5/6 technique, a 1 technique, a 3 technique and a 5 technique. The back end coverage looks and alignment looks identical. You can call one defense a 3-4 because the end is standing up and one defense a 4-2-5 because his hand is down, but in reality it is the same defense.  

Friday night, Cooper did a good job moving Alexander around up front and caused some problems for the bigger, slower Highlands lineman. 

Game 1

      

Game 2

 

Great post and from looking at similar film that’s what I see. Moving Alexander to an interior DL is something Cooper has done throughout the year. Having him standup I think is a new wrinkle they added this year to be able to drop him into coverage into the boundary. I would guess they came to conclusion that rushing him was more beneficial as the season went on. 
 

Cooper has been running the same defense for years past a few adjustments. The front in is typically divorced from the backend. I don’t know if they still are but they used to be very TCU/Patterson in what they do. The backend I’m sure didn’t change much between the two games if it changed at all. Typical split field coverage. In past years you saw them work more out of a nickel grouping. 
 

From watching the game they appeared to just do a much better job fighting the down blocks, squeezing and playing off the puller. 

17 hours ago, En Fuego Hombre said:

Now we look forward to next year.  Again.

Nothing wrong with looking back on this season to relish some of the finER moments produced by the players & coaches (from any squad / all teams).  There were certainly many for the BirdIEs / they had a great year.

Respect to the noted coaches & players.

Best of Luck to The Jags de Cooper on Saturday

13 hours ago, Builder1214 said:

 

I am not privy to the whole game tape but here is the Highlands highlight reel from Hudl of the first game. Highlands vs. Cooper Highlights Game 1

The defensive structure used Friday night and the defensive structure used in the first game are very similar if not identical. The only real difference is rather than play a standup end, Alexander played a tighter technique with his hand down. From the highlights, Game 1 Cooper had a stand up 5/6 technique, a 1 technique, a 3 technique and a 5 technique. Game 2 Cooper had a hand down 5/6 technique, a 1 technique, a 3 technique and a 5 technique. The back end coverage looks and alignment looks identical. You can call one defense a 3-4 because the end is standing up and one defense a 4-2-5 because his hand is down, but in reality it is the same defense.  

Friday night, Cooper did a good job moving Alexander around up front and caused some problems for the bigger, slower Highlands lineman. 

Game 1

      

Game 2

 

They played mostly 4-3 #33 is a weak side linebacker.

9 minutes ago, MaddenCurse44 said:

They played mostly 4-3 #33 is a weak side linebacker.

You can call it whatever you want. It’s the same defense. 

It’s not a 43. It might be semantics but it’s a 425 with 33 being their “Dog” or nickel. 

12 hours ago, Breds82 said:

Roughing the kicker can happen, if the player who tipped/blocked the ball could avoid contact or another player other than the player who hit the ball hits the kicker if contact is avoidable. It’s officials discretion. 

By rule a tipped ball negates roughing the kicker correct? You could only rule a personal foul which does not include an automatic first down in NFHS rules. If the ball was tipped as the Cooper coach indicated in a podcast(with an official who would not answer lol) the call was incorrect. Never saw an official give a tipped ball signal but the video was not the best.

11 minutes ago, barrel said:

It’s not a 43. It might be semantics but it’s a 425 with 33 being their “Dog” or nickel. 

Whatever you want to call it, it seemed to work. Scheme is important....... players are more important. They have some really nice players on both sides of the ball.

38 minutes ago, 9068 said:

By rule a tipped ball negates roughing the kicker correct? You could only rule a personal foul which does not include an automatic first down in NFHS rules. If the ball was tipped as the Cooper coach indicated in a podcast(with an official who would not answer lol) the call was incorrect. Never saw an official give a tipped ball signal but the video was not the best.

What's the name of that podcast? I'd be curious to listen.