I posted this in a thread that just got deleted on the 4A board, so I'd like to see if anyone can offer their thoughts. I don't expect much, though, since this board is so quiet. Someone said 4A state champion Salem would struggle with 6-5 Orange, and it had me thinking about how much talent Orange has that doesn't translate to state level winning. I said:
Salem would put 50 on Orange by halftime. Orange doesn't hit the weights enough, and aren't disciplined enough. Salem would punk them on the opening drive and that would be all she wrote. Orange has the size and talent to compete with anyone in the state, ONLY if their work ethic and culture changed dramatically. If you looked at screenshots or short clips of them without knowing anything else about them, you'd think they were a perennial state power. But alas, they aren't.
Orange is in away white here. #15 is one of their RBs/LBs:
Orange is in home blue here:
They need to play how they look. I know @GilliamRatings would agree. So I'd like to hear more about what's going on over there. They haven't done much since 2005, when they had Bradley Starks at QB (went on to play WR at WVU with Pat White, and is an Orange assistant now), and went 8-2 and sadly missed the playoffs. They are a 5A one-school county (but Woodberry Forest is right next door in Madison), so they don't have to deal with redistricting. A few years ago they started a pay-to-play system for students to participate in sports, but I don't think that's the true cause of their struggles. I'm also not sure if they still have that.
The way I feel is, they don't need top-shelf talent (besides former standout lineman Asa Chapman) to be better than they're showing today. To me, it's all about the linemen. You put Salem's or LC Bird's linemen with Orange's skill players and run the same schemes Orange runs today, they'd be a state title contender every year. As can be seen in the screenshots, they are huge up front, and had two 235 lb running backs who were strong and fast. They also keep speedy receivers with size and hands, and a good QB. This year, defensively they also were huge at most positions. In preseason, their head coach touted their front seven as their best in years. But they always got pushed around.
I just hate to see talent wasted, and wonder what's going on over there. Do they just not care that much? Is their work ethic as bad as I think? Dare I ask, is it simply coaching? They should be on the map every year. They should always win, at the very least, a playoff game or two in 5A, and at the most, compete for titles. They should be blitzing through their schedule. Their short string of putting up 50-60 points in games this season, they should be doing to everyone. There are 8U to 14U AAU youth teams based in Orange that have won NATIONAL titles, but the kids aren't all from Orange. They are the Orange Stingers and here is their site: http://www.eteamz.com/ocstingers/ So it's not as if these kids are growing up without football or haven't seen winning teams. Any thoughts?
Salem would put 50 on Orange by halftime. Orange doesn't hit the weights enough, and aren't disciplined enough. Salem would punk them on the opening drive and that would be all she wrote. Orange has the size and talent to compete with anyone in the state, ONLY if their work ethic and culture changed dramatically. If you looked at screenshots or short clips of them without knowing anything else about them, you'd think they were a perennial state power. But alas, they aren't.
Orange is in away white here. #15 is one of their RBs/LBs:
Orange is in home blue here:
They need to play how they look. I know @GilliamRatings would agree. So I'd like to hear more about what's going on over there. They haven't done much since 2005, when they had Bradley Starks at QB (went on to play WR at WVU with Pat White, and is an Orange assistant now), and went 8-2 and sadly missed the playoffs. They are a 5A one-school county (but Woodberry Forest is right next door in Madison), so they don't have to deal with redistricting. A few years ago they started a pay-to-play system for students to participate in sports, but I don't think that's the true cause of their struggles. I'm also not sure if they still have that.
The way I feel is, they don't need top-shelf talent (besides former standout lineman Asa Chapman) to be better than they're showing today. To me, it's all about the linemen. You put Salem's or LC Bird's linemen with Orange's skill players and run the same schemes Orange runs today, they'd be a state title contender every year. As can be seen in the screenshots, they are huge up front, and had two 235 lb running backs who were strong and fast. They also keep speedy receivers with size and hands, and a good QB. This year, defensively they also were huge at most positions. In preseason, their head coach touted their front seven as their best in years. But they always got pushed around.
I just hate to see talent wasted, and wonder what's going on over there. Do they just not care that much? Is their work ethic as bad as I think? Dare I ask, is it simply coaching? They should be on the map every year. They should always win, at the very least, a playoff game or two in 5A, and at the most, compete for titles. They should be blitzing through their schedule. Their short string of putting up 50-60 points in games this season, they should be doing to everyone. There are 8U to 14U AAU youth teams based in Orange that have won NATIONAL titles, but the kids aren't all from Orange. They are the Orange Stingers and here is their site: http://www.eteamz.com/ocstingers/ So it's not as if these kids are growing up without football or haven't seen winning teams. Any thoughts?
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