smatting

Way to show class in victory . Glaser and his staff coached St. X to the best overall season of any team in the state this year. For whatever reason, they tightened up in the championship game when some critical injuries and uncharacteristic penalties made it apparent that it wasn't going to be another blowout.

Trinity played - and Beatty coached - a great game. He did exactly what I thought he would have to do to beat St. X, and it certainly helped when Curley got knocked out.

I saw a couple of the Trinity players who were very diplomatic after the victory. Too bad the same isn't true of some of their fans.

This season has to go down as one of the most disappointing in the history of Tiger football. Several potenial college caliber athletes, a back that was offered as a sophomore and a QB that had never tasted defeat. Dream senario no doubt. Mix in the feeling by most X faithful that situation over in St. Matthews was chaos and it just couldn't get any better for the Tiger clan. Too bad they had to actually play the pesky game. So now the Tigers must face the fact that Bob Beatty can best Mike with All Americans and without. I would think that the Tiger faithful are uneasy at this time. So Tigers I ask you, is it time for a change?

Tigers - Hold your heads high. You had a magnificent season. I know the pain feels unbearable right now, but time will help you recall that splendid 25-game streak and four years of the pride of playing for St. Xavier High School.

I think that we will be ready for the veer tonight....

 

PRIDE, DISCIPLINE, LOYALTY, ACHIEVEMENT.

It's not so much a matter of "being ready for it" as it is being strong, quick and disciplined enough to stop it. St. X didn't really run as much veer as I form last game anyway. We'll see if they can stop a St. X offense that has also improved substantially since then.

Some of it is a little crazy, but there are also some great choices.

I was all ready to go on a tirade about Nick Schickel from St. X not being on there, and then I saw he was first team! Excellent choice. A good job by the sportswriters to pick up on that - a kid short on talent compared to some of the very top kids, but absolutely the most fundamentally sound DB in the state and one who performed at as high a level as anyone in leading maybe the state's best secondary.

Is this the same as offense :lol: :lol:

Yeah, just British. Plus, he's right.

To discredit the talents that played a role during the Brohm Era is akin to discrediting the talents of the X team, save Vic Anderson. He's amazing, but he needs those holes opened for him, and so on and so on.

I don't think the situations are analogous, necessarily. I think St. X would still have handled Trinity by at least 20 even if Vic had been out for the game. They were simply that dominant up front and defensively. I don't think that Trinity could have beaten St. X in any of the previous years with Brohm's backup starting.

Certainly, Brohm's teams benefitted from a stronger defense then (as well as a relatively much weaker St. X offense). But I still maintain that he was the sine qua non, the one player without whom Trinity would not have been able to win [Edit: I sort of agree with RP about the 2002 game now that he brings it up. That year, Trinity was very strong]. I don't think one such player necessarily exists for St. X, though Anderson is obviously a difference-maker.

I don't think anyone is trying to discredit how good those players were/are. But the point is that this year's group is arguably just as, if not more, talented than that one. What is the biggest difference in their recent offensive performance versus X? There's no Brohm to throw deep outs and slants with an accuracy that no other HS QB I've ever seen could. That completely changed the way teams had to defend Trinity.

It's no cut on their current players or past players.

I guess DeQuese May, TaShawn McBroom, Norb Elbert, Jimmy Murray, Greg Zoeller, Steve Orndorff, Donald Barnett......they were average at best....

 

I've left off some other very talented O-linemen and skill players, and entire defenses....

Trinity offense vs. St. X defense

St. X will try to make this a field position game, like they did last time. The last game was so thoroughly controlled by the St. X defense - which gave the offense short fields repeatedly - that it never even felt like Trinity had a chance.

That said, Trinity does have the best WR group in the state, and a QB who impressed me in September despite the relentless pressure he faced from the St. X front. Will Trinity be able to run at all against St. X? They have the athletes to do it, but if they don't have success and give up the run early, St. X might shut down their passing game again.

T-alum is correct in his appraisal of Trinity's offense, to a degree. Yes, it is probably the most complex passing offense anyone in the state is running. But is it a good one to run at the high school level? I'm still not convinced that it is. Bill Diedrick and Willingham ran a very similar offense at Notre Dame, and it never produced against equal or better competition because of its predictability in the running game and the extreme burden it puts on the QB making reads after the snap as opposed to allowing him to check out of a bad play pre-snap.

Trinity will need Petrino to get rid of the ball quickly to avert the St. X pressure - but he may struggle to complete short slants and other "hot" passes because X's guys collapse the pocket and get their arms up very well, and he is no Manning stature-wise.

If I were Bob Beatty, I would feed X a steady diet of screens and QB runs on rollouts. Try to pound the ball right at them, and throw some quick hitches to the WR when St. X leaves them in single coverage on the outside. Try to get Senn or Orndorff mismatched on a St. X DE by using more motion and shifts. We'll see how much of this he does. To do the same thing he tried to do in game one would doom Trinity in this game.

St. X offense versus Trinity defense

Can Trinity's front seven be competitive? That is the question. They were for literally the first three plays in the first game, then the rest of the contest was the largest mismatch I've ever seen in this series.

The bottom line, IMO, is if Trinity can stop St. X from running to the outside. If the line can allow Mattingly can pick up 5 or so per toss like he did in the first contest, opening things up for Vic to run wild, then the only way Trinity will win this game is with multiple St. X turnovers. If the Rocks can't stop the St. X running game, then X will likely grind this game into a potential 28-7, 28-10 type affair.

If the St. X offensive line brings the same or greater intensity than they did in September, then Trinity will need an absolutely Herculean effort from Switzer, Wood etc. to have a shot.

This should be a good game, likely more competitive than the early-season lopsided affair. I expect Trinity to connect on a few of the deeper passes that they missed on before, and to have a little more success running the ball.

But I think ultimately the St. X offense, defense and special teams will be too much. Trinity is a formidable foe, a worthy adversary for a tough, talented St. X team. I see this one being decided by X's outstanding pass defense and its ability to run the ball in the second half.

Prediction:

St. X 162

Trinity 2

I think it comes down to whether Trinity has the ability to stop the run, and their commitment to running the ball when they have it, even if they go down a score or two early.

I agree completely. Had Trinity not abandoned the run earlier in the year (and last year) they could have averted, or at least lessened, the wide margins of defeat.

They've got to keep trying to run the ball some, even if X stones them early.

No doubt HC would have to have been the favorite! They would have played better against Trinity too, but for the turnovers!

IMO John Hardin and Male were the best public school teams in 4A this year. Bowling Green and Lex Cath both could of given them a run for their money.

Great performance by St. X. Warren Central was simply outmanned and overwhelmed, especially along the lines. St. X came out motivated and firing on all cylinders.

St. X got TDs from Anderson (3), Mattingly (3), Drew Eckman (1) and Alex Kramer on a punt return. Tim Doughtery added two FGs in a bitter cold.

The game will be closer than last time.

I think St. X will still score at least 35-40 points if they don't turn the ball over. Trinity should be able to score this time. I think the outcome will depend on turnovers and if Trinity can connect on deep passes, which they weren't able to do last time.

No predictions yet, other than....PAIN.

The most accurate forecast you will find on the internet. Unlike weather.com, this one uses short-range models. Check it out.

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=Bowling+Green%2C+KY

The link is for Bowling Green. Should be a nice evening, but it'll get chilly when the sun goes down before kickoff.

In the little bit of the Warren Central game that I watched before the St. X - BG early morning affair, I was impressed with their team speed and particularly the running back.

I think their defense will be similar to John Hardin's. But I remember being shocked by how tough the 2003 WC team was along the lines, not just Dewalt. I hope this crew isn't quite that physical upfront, or this game could be very tough.

This should be another fantastic game. I'm so happy that Coach Glaser scheduled away games early against Bowling Green and Lexington Catholic to help prepare the Tigers for the rough road ahead of them. For whatever reason, we just do not perform well when we journey into WKY.

 

Although Warren Central does not have a 6-7 receiver to defend against this year, overall the Dragons are probably a better team than they were in 2003. They returned nine starters on offense and seven starters on defense from last season. In RB Quinton Curry, they have one of the best in the state, plus behind QB Blake Ayres the Dragons have amassed over 2200 yards via the pass. The OL has everyone back from last year and can confront the Tigers with good size.

 

Defensively Warren Central will play a 4-3 and have a very solid rush defense which will challenge the ST. X. vaunted OL and running backs, Vic Anderson and Mike Mattingly. If the Dragons have a weakness, it is in the secondary where they have been burned a lot by the pass. Unfortunately, the St. X. passing attack has been less than stellar this year, so I don't believe that the Tigers can take much advantage of this chink in the Dragon armour.

 

In the past two games the Tigers have performed very poorly in special teams, having two muffed punt returns, one blocked punt, a blocked field goal, and two blocked extra points. This is normally one of the strongest facets of the X attack. Hopefully, the Tiger coaching staff can identify the problem areas and get them back on track before facing Warren Central, or it could spell BIG TROUBLE!

 

Since I have a sister who now teaches for Warren Central (although her son graduated from St. X.), I have a SPECIAL interest in this game. I need to think a little longer before making any predictions, although I don't believe that there will be more than a 14-point spread either way.

Any one of you guys have an opinion or any information about his recruitment and where he might be leaning?

I know he took an official visit to ND this weekend. Do you think he has serious interest in them? Or are UK and/or Georgia the only serious players?

Any opinions from people close to the situation - or anyone at all, for that matter - would be appreciated.

Does anyone know if this is allowed by KHSAA rules or not?

 

I thought the announcer was supposed to be an impartial, neutral party, sort of like an official.

 

Inflection in voice is one thing; but out and out cheerleading is another, the only thing that guy didn't have was Pom Pom's!

I was actually wondering the same thing. I would think that, particularly in a playoff game, this might be against KHSAA rules.

Not that it actually had any impact on the game - I'm just curious about the regulations on this.

and I think that Male and John Hardin could have taken out the kitty cats and WC will send the kitty cats packing!!! opinions differ, have a nice drive down to Bowling Green and come back safe!! :dancingpa

What does this even mean? In some sense, yes, they "could have" beaten St. X. But X won both games, and in reality they were in control of both easily until weird things happened at the end of each.

I think you're dead on on all points. One thing is, I thought Mattingly was pretty effective on the ground, but neither of them was able to break off a big play like in most games. Victor ran the ball incredibly hard and very well.

BTW, this game should have been over without the drama because Mattingly picked up a first down on 2nd and 9, but a mystery spot kept them a yard shy, which led to the false start, etc.

Props to John Hardin's QB - that kid can play.

IMO this game could come down to:

 

O Line blocking for Mattingly and him running more effectively than he did against John H (when he doesn't - PRP, Manual game 1, Bowling Green etc.). This sets up Victor A. who isn't an every down back. Victor is AMAZING, but when Mattingly is "on", the game is St.X's to control (Trinity, second half of FC, Second Manual game).

 

Long pass plays (like - PRP, Lex Cath, Male, John Hardin, FC). All of the teams that put up long pass plays have a great QB that can move around when pressured and make something happen. Manual had a great QB but IMO not one that hurt St.X with the pass, especially when scrambling. Trinity's QB is also a great one but not as capable with this as some of the others ST. X has faced. It's hard to cover a good receiver for this long, in these situations. The schools above also had very athletic receivers. Some of it is coverage errors and some the D line pressure but more I believe the athletic ability and poise of the other teams QB. This keeps the games close.

 

Anyone see this also? How does W. C. stack upto these possible keys?

Mike Glaser- St.X undefeated! This team returned only 3 starters on both offense and defense and played a killer schedule.(Bowling Green, Lex.Cath.,Highlands, Trinity,Manual,Male,PRP)

Absolutely. Glaser has never been given enough credit for molding his numbers into a Band of Brothers, teaching them how to be men, and loving them like a father - all the while putting together this year and last a 25-game win streak with the toughest schedule in the state, regular season and playoffs. Sounds like a Coach of the Year to me!

I agree. Last year, I thought Beaumont was the better player, and he still is likely more impressive all-around since he is able to go both ways and play basically every snap on offense.

But I think Anderson is now the better offensive player. His balance allows him to break more tackles than Doug does, and I think he is just a slight step quicker and faster in the open field.

Just my personal opinion. I've seen Anderson play four times this season (Highlands, Trinity, Male and Manual), and I've seen Beaumont four times (Shawnee, PRP, X and Manual) and I think that Victor Anderson is the better, more complete offensive player.

I have a feeling we could bring more fans the J H, since they are still a new comer....

 

Wing T scares me

What makes me feel a little better is that X already prepared last week for Manual's Wing T. While I'm sure there are differences in this variant, the extra week of prep against a similar system can't hurt.

Could someone name ANY back from any part of the state (not named Shaun Alexander)

Who has Been an impact at a major D1 school in the last 20 years?

Eric Shelton.

X and T think of the future with mass subs. This and going deep in the playoffs every year is a huge advantage to their success. Other teams have 2nd string but never use them other than in practice. Get them in the games and grow your program.

There's a problem in your post. The "T" shouldn't be there next to "X," certainly not after watching the St. X-Trinity game this year.

But about the game...

St. X certainly isn't overlooking JH. The film of the Male-John Hardin game got their attention in a hurry. Apparently they had guys easily pulling away from Beaumont on long runs, and that's indicative of some scary, scary speed.

The key in this one will be St. X's ability to control the clock. If they can chew up long drives on the ground and finish them with touchdowns, it'll keep the potent JH attack off the field and allow X to win in a tight one.

After checking some stats (in another thread) These 2 teams are a lot alike:

Avg points scored...X 37.5 per game ....JH 37.7 per game

Avg Points allowed....X 12.58 per game......JH 14.3 per game

Rush yds per game.....X 251.7 per game.......JH 282.8 per game

Rush yds allowed .....X 98.5 per game........JH 102 per game

Pass yds per game....X 92.1 per game......JH 97.1 per game

Pass yds allowed X 125 per game.........JH 83 per game

Total Offense...........X 343.9 per game.....JH 380 per game

Total Defense...........X 223.6 per game....JH 185.3 per game

 

All the above stats except the points scored and allowed do not include both these team's last playoff game. JH's defense stats will go down after the Male shootout.

 

These 2 teams play alike...they both love to run and play good solid D. X has the advantage of playing most of the top ranked teams in the state. They have had a very tough schedule, remained undefeated, and boast the top ranked run defense and scoring defense. JH has a very solid defense as well...but they did let Male run free. They did win the game though.

 

It will come down to the line...like most games...How big are the JH lineman? Can they match up against the man mountains on X's O-line?

Your final question is the key. I think this matchup will depend on how strong and capable NH's lines are, and/or whether they are able to "get up" two weeks in a row to face another talented foe. I think any team who can beat X will not only have to have the skill guys, but will also have to play an exceptional game along both lines to slow the Tigers rushing attack down and move the ball on the ground against St. X.

St. X's pass defense is simply too good for them to be passed on very well, and their rushing attack, which has been consistently strong of late when both backs are healthy, is almost impossible to stop unless the defense is very talented in the front seven and plays a great "out of their minds" game.

The motivated Tigers that came out against Trinity and Manual will be a load for anyone.

49 points against Male! how many did Male score against the Kitty Cats!! I like JH in this one.

 

JH - 35

Kitty Cats - 21

Yeah, cause as you know, the "Kitty Cats'" offense really struggled running the ball and scoring points this year against quality teams. :lol: