Lions' offense continues to roar with new talent
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It sounds like Louisa's "O" is at or maybe slightly ahead of where they were at this point last season (especially through the air). Defensively, how would you rank them compared to last year's squad?
The offensive line still needs some more consistency, but they are still tweaking and moving some players in and out there (more depth than last year), so I hope/expect things will improve.
The defense is better than last year's. The main difference is the incredible speed in which they fly to the ball and gang tackle, and they're getting more defensive TDs already. Fewer weaknesses overall, most of the front 7 would be "the stud" for other teams. There have been a couple of mental breakdowns you'd expect from a young team, but nothing worrisome. Brandon Smith has much more help than I expected, and they give more looks on defense now. It's fun to see him coming off the edge a bit. Noah Robinson is another stud who has made great plays on both sides of the ball, with some big hits from the CB/Safety spots. I expect offers to blow up for him soon. Adrian Williams from Courtland is the exact piece they needed on the defensive line.
The defense is better than last year's. The main difference is the incredible speed in which they fly to the ball and gang tackle, and they're getting more defensive TDs already. Fewer weaknesses overall, most of the front 7 would be "the stud" for other teams. There have been a couple of mental breakdowns you'd expect from a young team, but nothing worrisome. Brandon Smith has much more help than I expected, and they give more looks on defense now. It's fun to see him coming off the edge a bit. Noah Robinson is another stud who has made great plays on both sides of the ball, with some big hits from the CB/Safety spots. I expect offers to blow up for him soon. Adrian Williams from Courtland is the exact piece they needed on the defensive line.
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They got challenged for a while against Albemarle last week, and will be again tonight and next week at Powhatan, mentally a tough place to win at. Albemarle did a good job of slowing down our running game until late in the 2nd qtr, and also in the 3rd. What was great to see was Louisa's response on defense with their 2 TD picks, and Robinson's plays on offense.
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I'm still a big believer that defense wins championships, so if it continues to play out as it has, I can definitely see Louisa in the thick of it come December. Defensive speed and discipline are the "it" factors late season. Even so, gotta give the offense some credit as well, since it becomes exponentially more difficult to match up defensively with "O" weapons evenly spread on the ground and through the air. I agree with you that O-line consistency is extremely important too. Despite what some other posters have said about absence of play-makers, I think that has been one of the biggest issues with Salem so far.
When I think of being "challenged", that means it's a pretty close game going into the 4th qtr. I don't see that happening.
I can see Chancellor making EV sweat a bit, but ONLY if their defense improves. The offense has some good pieces and should be able to move the ball and score, but it won't matter if they can't slow EV down.
The Triple option could make a team sweat a little bit but I don't see chancellor giving EV any worries in their future matchup. You are right about Louisa speed tho. They have the fastest defense I have seen in a long time. Very physical too. Best team in the region right now.
I agree 100%. I watched Salem's Northside and Blacksburg games on YouTube, and the O line was the main issue I saw. I thought the defense was fine against Blacksburg. Salem still has a few studs out there, like Pinello, Close and Cardwell, and that's all most teams need to be able to build around. The secondary will come around. I won't hear any fat ladies singing until after Salem is officially out of the playoffs. They're still pretty dangerous, but can't afford anymore injuries.
My hope with Louisa by the end of the regular season is to be able to confidently say their defense can take over playoff games if the offense isn't potent enough, but we'll have to see how the next few games go, and see the secondary get tested some more. They really look like they're good friends off the field and play for each other, and no cockiness. Defense was the glaring issue against Salem last year.
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What I also like about Chancellor is their heart and scrappiness. Haven't seen that from many Battlefield teams lately. They aren't going to go down without throwing some punches, which is what EV needs to see. Courtland showed a lot of progress and fight in the Louisa playoff game last year, but just wore down. This year's Courtland is completely different.
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I disagree! Courtland isn’t any better imo they just didn’t impress me what so ever
Receiver Noah Robinson's midseason highlights
Louisa_Lions_Athletics@LC_sportslife
Please take a moment and check out Noah Robinson, a Junior WR/DB at @LC_sportslife. Very good hands and route running and a high football IQ. Did I fail to mention his 3.8 GPA?! There’s talent in Central Va, ESPECIALLY at @LC_sportslife. LET’S GO NOAH!!
Louisa_Lions_Athletics@LC_sportslife
Please take a moment and check out Noah Robinson, a Junior WR/DB at @LC_sportslife. Very good hands and route running and a high football IQ. Did I fail to mention his 3.8 GPA?! There’s talent in Central Va, ESPECIALLY at @LC_sportslife. LET’S GO NOAH!!
