Manchester @ Colonial Forge
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Manchester is the real deal!! Forge will have their hands full this year.
I’ll be interested in seeing how Manchester reacts to a team hitting them just as hard as they hit. They’ve punched teams in the face all year,but no one has punched back. CF hit them back last year,and I expect will do it again this yr. the question now remains....can Manchester get over that obstacle. This is the first of 3 MUST SEE games for either of these 2 teams. I’m hoping that Highland Springs plays Henrico Saturday,so I can see both,but it looks like Mother Nature is gonna get us again next Saturday.
No dice on Highland Springs-Henrico Saturday... This game is being held on Friday at 1PM... announced today.
If Man bottles up CF's run game they match up well against CF's pass game. CF defensive front will have it's hands full and they will be the difference if they can apply pressure. I suspect this is going to be a close game.....or a Manchester blow out win. North Stafford gave CF all they could handle and I don't think NS could do the same to Man. Gonna be a good one to follow this weekend.
That’s perfect too! Thank you!
NStafford has the #1 rated RB in the nation. They are the only team to score twice on HS’s defense all yr. Expect a close,great game like last yr.
Same NS team and player that got blown out by Ponax earlier this season, which they have a chance to get revenge on Friday. I am not uneducated on these teams. Like I said. Close or Man in a blowout.
And the same Ponax team that Forge beat 35-0, goes both ways...North is a very hard team to gague because they’re so talented but so inconsistent..regardless this game will be very tough to call either way. Man’s talent is probably superior at the top however I think Forge can balance that with more depth, experience in bigger games and if weather holds up home field
No rain expected til mid Friday evening. That’s why Henrico and Highland Springs moves their game to 1pm Friday.
I have to disagree only because Ponax is a triple option team with almost zero pass game. I think NS is a decent comparison to Man because they are athletic and diverse on offense...where Ponax is not. The fact the NS challenged CF is why I think Man has a chance to run away with the game. CF's defense and DL specifically is where I think the game will be decided. If CF's front dominates they win.
I know this was a long time ago, but Manchester came to Virginia Beach to scrimmage Ocean Lakes. A couple of things I saw which surprised me:
B. Clark was not that accurate compared to the O. Lakes QB. He's big and has a lot of weapons but his mechanics weaken as he gets the slightest pressure and he over throws or puts the ball in the ground often.
Neither team could penetrate the other's OL, but Manchester was able to open some holes for their running backs once the Lancers started playing at a hurry up pace. But most of that success seemed to be due the OL's linebacker's poor reads and being out of position to fill a gap.
Ocean Lakes had a lot of success throwing down the middle of the field.
I think the reason Colonial Forge has success vs Manchester is because they play very sound, fundamental defense. Their linebacker play is top notch. And they can find ways to exploit a team's weaknesses. The issue will be if the Eagles have the athletes to keep up with Manchester in open field and special team plays.
B. Clark was not that accurate compared to the O. Lakes QB. He's big and has a lot of weapons but his mechanics weaken as he gets the slightest pressure and he over throws or puts the ball in the ground often.
Neither team could penetrate the other's OL, but Manchester was able to open some holes for their running backs once the Lancers started playing at a hurry up pace. But most of that success seemed to be due the OL's linebacker's poor reads and being out of position to fill a gap.
Ocean Lakes had a lot of success throwing down the middle of the field.
I think the reason Colonial Forge has success vs Manchester is because they play very sound, fundamental defense. Their linebacker play is top notch. And they can find ways to exploit a team's weaknesses. The issue will be if the Eagles have the athletes to keep up with Manchester in open field and special team plays.
I see where Ford is #1 RB in the State, but which site has him 1 in the Nation?
It's all about level of competition. There is a reason Forge is #1 and Manchester #2. The same was said last season, and Forge won handedly. Dominated them.
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There are lots of teams that felt they could match up with Colonial Forge's passing game on paper and film. Three starting upperclassmen WRs who are track guys with very good hands who just simply outruns the secondary, and with the state's highest rated passer (QB), Madden Lowe. And North Stafford is no slouch; I'd be careful in that comparison. Colonial Forge is North Stafford's rivalry game, and North Stafford gets up for that game. They've only lost to Colonial Forge (11-0) and Massaponax (11-1) this season; will play Massaponax again next weekend. That one Massaponax loss is to Colonial Forge 35-0. North Stafford has the #1 RB recruit in the nation (Devyn Ford, Penn State). Colonial Forge held him to 18 attempts for 29 yards. And where Manchester has continued to pile on opponents, Colonial Forge's coach doesn't believe in this philosophy and usually gives the game to backup players in the 3rd quarter; so, don't be fooled by the score run-ups. And if Manchester does beat Colonial Forge, it will be a nail biter; you don't blow out Colonial Forge in their stadium; probably nowhere. And one last thing, when both Colonial Forge and Massaponax were both 7-0 or so, before they played, Massaponax players were quoted in the local newspaper as saying nobody runs on them...3 days later, Colonial Forge's Ernesto Bowen #35, 264 rushing yards. Manchester may very well win, but they'd better be in for a battle because the Forge will bring it to them for four quarters.
I stand corrected. I thought the QB from Man is the highest rated passer? 30 TDs. No INTs. ND commit.
757, great write-up. You are spot on the sound, fundamental, and may I add very disciplined defense. And they don't usually always start fast because they are in fact gauging what a team is doing until they get going in the second quarter or so. And the coaches will draw up plays on offense to take away some of the athleticism that Manchester brings; and I'm not too sure that Manchester "out athletes" Colonial Forge anyway. And if Manchester is used to getting a ton of scoring or field position from opponents' weak special teams play, I can almost guarantee that Colonial Forge will give up 10-15 yards every time to keep the ball out Manchester's playmakers' hands "before they ever get burnt" based on film study, and rely on that dominant defense to hold them.
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Loyal, you are correct. I should not have said state, but after relooking, the local commonwealth district. And even North Stafford's QB Jamir Boyd has taken that over playing one more game (bye) than Lowe. Can't argue with Manchester's QB's stats; very dominant.
CF is the #1 in the state for a reason. Outstanding players on both sides of the ball. Maybe the only thing we are disagreeing with is the potential of Man winning the game handedly, in the event that the CF DL does not disrupt the backfield, which they are plenty capable of doing. But my opinion is if they don't pressure Man's QB and Man's defense makes CF one dimensional it could get away from CF fast. Gonna be a fun one to follow.
Agree. Will be a fun one. Hope you can make it. I wouldn't miss this for the world.
I'll be traveling from the Richmond area. What is the best time to get there and will the gate sell tickets early?
SportsJunkie 32, I wouldn't get to Eagles Stadium parking lot later than 6:15. I always arrive 45 minutes before kickoff to ensure a park and to avoid the crowd, as it will fill up quickly starting about 6:30. It is my understanding that you'll be able to purchase your tickets from either of the two windows as early as an hour and a half before kickoff. I wouldn't recommend that unless you just want to hang out for a while, as 45 minutes or so will still give you that opportunity, and to take in pre-game sites and sounds and to find your "premium seat" Lol. If you're on the Lancers side, of course, there is nothing premium about those seats. The visitors side seating is not huge, so getting early to get a better seat is recommended. And it will be cold over there, and the temp will dip as the game goes; dress warm and bring your stadium seat / cushion.
Not to be combative of your assessment but I believe B. Clarke has thrown 28-TD's and ZERO INT's. I can tell you that I have seen his receivers drop balls this year bc he actually lasers it too hard for them to even catch it. I have noticed that a lot of times the receivers seem to be on the wrong page. Don't expect for CF to have a ton of success running against the Manchester D-line. If they really want they just put Beamon and Will Pritchard on the D-line together. Also, they have a power offense where Beamon is lead blocking. Manchester has 8 skill players that will play on the next level. The Lancers are a BIG TEAM and have size on every level offensively and defensively. K. Clarke is a dynamic playmaker and can go yard anytime he touches on offense, defense or special teams. The fact is... Manchester has not played a 4 quarter game yet. In most cases 2 quarter is all it went. I hope this is a close game but I will take Manchester by 28pts. You have to score 40 points to stay in the game with the Lancers. I don't know if CF can do that. The one Caveat is... If they play on a sht field that could change things.
I've seen Manchester quite a bit this season and I agree they can score points but you'd like to think at this point defenses are top notch and the teams that can grind out wins tend to win in December. All in all, I'll say 31-28 Manchester.
I hear ya man... but the thought of Manchester only scoring 2x each half and tacking on a field goal somewhere is hard to imagine. If it is close... I think it would be in the 40's. But you never know... here we are expecting an offensive explosion and we may get a defensive battle. How do you guys feel that CF and Man are compared to OS and OL? Are all 4 pretty evenly talented or is there a definite pecking order? My gawd we haven't even talked about Westfield yet. Class 6 is loaded
That's the scary part about Class 6. The first matchup between WF v Madison could've gone either way(17-15 @Madison) but I believe WF wins comfortably this go around.
It was during the preseason scrimmages so that's early in the season. Time for improvement but has Clark had any real pressure all season? Ocean Lakes plays good but not Great Defense & they did seem to effect his throwing motion. I was surprised as anyone to see how off the mark his passes were.
What Ocean Lake had a problem stopping the was the Lancer's hurry up run game. That's when Manchester moved the ball and scored. Otherwise, even with some short field positions, the Dolphins were forcing 3 & outs & field goal tries.
Fair point... I would say not tremendous and continually but in pockets. Manchester in seasons past.... was a much better second half passing team than in the first half. It took a quarter or two to get their timing routes down. This year they have just overpowered due to premium talent. I mean you are not wrong on this... that Manchester hasn't really even been in a scuffle yet. So who knows. I do disagree that B clarke is inaccurate. He may have been against OL during that scrimmage but his body of work shows he is an accurate passer. He is a big kid that hurts teams equally running the ball.
Are you taking CF or Manchester? Who you got?
My gut tells me Manchester gets over the hump vs CF but it's going to be close. I tend to trust that Clark,, who likely has grown up within their system, vs the CF QB that just transferred in over the summer. (less natural muscle memory to rely on when things get tough).
No guarantees that Westfield will get past J. Madison either. The Warhawks are the only team which has played the Bulldogs close enough to end their winning streak. I'd only give Westfield a 3 points spread in that game. Whomever comes out of Region D should be favored over C.
No guarantees that Westfield will get past J. Madison either. The Warhawks are the only team which has played the Bulldogs close enough to end their winning streak. I'd only give Westfield a 3 points spread in that game. Whomever comes out of Region D should be favored over C.
How do you figure CF is #1 in the state?! If it’s by MaxPreps....they’ve had 7 teams from the state at #1 during the season,including Salem in Week 1,and OSmith. So...what makes CF #1?! Until someone beats WF....THEY are #1in D6! #1 in the ENTIRE STATE is completely argumentative!
I don't figure. MP does. I understand that it's subjective based on their algo, but many use that site for info. I agree with you that #1 is decided by last team standing.
Do you really think Highland Springs is the 428th best team in the country?! WF is in the 500s! They do their rankings by some kind of stupid math formula based on the number of recruits you have and what level recruit you have,not results!
Top 5 in the state:
Westfield(4yrs undefeated!)
HIghland Springs(3 back to back)
Indian River(beat OSmith 2 weeks ago)
Oscar Smith(beat’n 3 in a row by WF and lost to IR)
Colonial Forge(gotta beat OS)
You apparently do not like being agreed with. I'm here on this thread to talk about CF and Man and base my opinion on the teams they have played this season and how I think this game will go.
I don’t mean to be argumentative. I was just saying,don’t trust MP. I think Man & CF are as evenly matched as possible. This game could come down to SpTms,discipline(penalties),and which can take care of the ball better. 28-21 Manchester
The CF and Manchester game will definitely be an interesting one. Massaponax said nobody runs on them either...and 350+ yards later they're 11-1 as opposed to 12-0. And CF is probably not close to matching Manchester in size, but as far as speed, discipline, scheme, fundamentals, and smarts, I'll role with the Forge, especially at home where the Green Wall is ruthless. And if Manchester is used to getting cheap special teams points, points by multiple turnovers, etc., and like last season, that's not going to happen. I did some math yesterday, and although Manchester has played one more game than Forge (bye first week), Manchester's opponents have an overall record of 54-79 this season; Forge 61-49. Forge DOES play for 4 quarters, and plays a quality schedule every season. I predict by the 3rd quarter, we will see how this level of competition has prepared both teams.
I think this game will produce the state champ in 6A. Looking forward to seeing how these 2 teams match up and who comes out on top.
Level of competition probably has a bit to do with it. It's not bullet proof way of doing it, but they have to use some type of power ranking formula. It'll all play out on the field. And, you're right, until somebody beats WF, they hold the belt in my opinion; and I'm a CF guy.
Loyal, I hope you're right; but man, that WF and OS are the contenders until proven otherwise.
I am torn between going to this game versus the North Stafford/Massaponax game on Friday night.
Yeah but this is misleading bc Hermitage & Riverbend ended up being abysmal this year. They are usually more than solid. Also, add in a 0-10 GW every season those numbers get skewed. They also obliterated some solid teams. They were head and shoulders better than anyone in Richmond except HSHS.
Are you taking Colonial Forge as well? What you got the score being?
