Salem/Lions.
- Thread starter southbottomU
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I repeat. Best football player on field number 11, Chauncy Logan.
Not a close call. JMU got a steal
I repeat. Best football player on field number 11, Chauncy Logan.
Yep but by now I think they know !
Glass game swayed a lot of people a bit too much imo. Glass was probably a bit overrated to begin with so the outcome didn't help. I expected a Salem win and a decently comfortable one at that (14-17 points), obviously the actual outcome was a surprise to maybe everyone but Salem staff and players. People just put too much weight on these games sometimes and opinions of the results swing wildly.
Louisa is disciplined and well-coached but as said, sometimes Salem can get you reeling early and a lot of teams just don't know how to respond. Good amount of size on Louisa, you can see how they had their ground game success against Glass, but that O isn't built on being able to respond quickly and getting down so early just hurt them so much. Even on their scoring drive, it took them a solid six minutes to punch it in and they were down 28-7 at that point, they more or less didn't have the clock at that point in time to mount a comeback even if they played a much better defensive game from then on out.
Louisa is disciplined and well-coached but as said, sometimes Salem can get you reeling early and a lot of teams just don't know how to respond. Good amount of size on Louisa, you can see how they had their ground game success against Glass, but that O isn't built on being able to respond quickly and getting down so early just hurt them so much. Even on their scoring drive, it took them a solid six minutes to punch it in and they were down 28-7 at that point, they more or less didn't have the clock at that point in time to mount a comeback even if they played a much better defensive game from then on out.
Thats a shame too. Louisa has some great looking athletes. Turnovers didn’t help either
Why did Louisa add the I formation to the playbook, only to run it less than 20 times all season? Every time they ran it, they had success. Just one big tease for no reason. I hoped they'd come out in it tonight, and give Salem some of their own medicine and run right at them with #12, #40, and #97, but that's just common sense. Louisa has the same type of players as Salem, but I guess 11 state titles running the I is too complicated. 🤷🏾♂️
There have been the same patterns for four seasons now, and Salem exposed it all neatly in one game:
Lack of real fundamentals. Why did we come out in the same defense that failed against Salem in 2017? Why did we line up head up and not fill any gaps? Why are the linebackers not lined up properly to guard the fullback in the flats, when Salem literally runs that play all the time? Why did we just ignore what's on glaring on Hudl? Amherst defended Salem better. Amherst's defense wasn't their issue. Heck, Cave Spring and Hidden Valley defends Salem better.
Why do we run simple pass routes like curls, quick outs, etc. hardly EVER? With the offense we run, those routes are open all the time and are easy first downs every so often.
Coach Patrick freezes too much and can't get out of his own way. The play calling is so spastic. Coach Fischer's philosophy was to keep it simple. Salem's philosophy is to keep it simple. Patrick is literally the opposite. He doesn't take what the defense gives him until it's too late. He draws up new plays on a whim for no reason, which results in a timeout or penalty. Calls a pass play on 4th and inches when you have hosses up front and Troy Fischer #40. Kicks pooches when the kicker is not good at that, and is better at kicking it deep and can kick it to the end zone. Why let your ego put your players in crappy situations?
Our best talent barely gets used until it's desperation time. Stephen Dean has some of the best hands on the team, but barely gets involved until it's obvious he's needed. Brandon Smith was mostly used to block in 2018 when he should've been all over the field. No one was going to stop him. Never even used at QB until desperation time against EV. There are countless examples like this. I sure am glad our players have been having success making it to college, because otherwise, our talent has been wasted since 2018.
Hats off to Salem. You coached us out of the stadium like I knew you would. Hopefully we have had our fill of humble pie by now, but for some reason, I doubt it.
There have been the same patterns for four seasons now, and Salem exposed it all neatly in one game:
Lack of real fundamentals. Why did we come out in the same defense that failed against Salem in 2017? Why did we line up head up and not fill any gaps? Why are the linebackers not lined up properly to guard the fullback in the flats, when Salem literally runs that play all the time? Why did we just ignore what's on glaring on Hudl? Amherst defended Salem better. Amherst's defense wasn't their issue. Heck, Cave Spring and Hidden Valley defends Salem better.
Why do we run simple pass routes like curls, quick outs, etc. hardly EVER? With the offense we run, those routes are open all the time and are easy first downs every so often.
Coach Patrick freezes too much and can't get out of his own way. The play calling is so spastic. Coach Fischer's philosophy was to keep it simple. Salem's philosophy is to keep it simple. Patrick is literally the opposite. He doesn't take what the defense gives him until it's too late. He draws up new plays on a whim for no reason, which results in a timeout or penalty. Calls a pass play on 4th and inches when you have hosses up front and Troy Fischer #40. Kicks pooches when the kicker is not good at that, and is better at kicking it deep and can kick it to the end zone. Why let your ego put your players in crappy situations?
Our best talent barely gets used until it's desperation time. Stephen Dean has some of the best hands on the team, but barely gets involved until it's obvious he's needed. Brandon Smith was mostly used to block in 2018 when he should've been all over the field. No one was going to stop him. Never even used at QB until desperation time against EV. There are countless examples like this. I sure am glad our players have been having success making it to college, because otherwise, our talent has been wasted since 2018.
Hats off to Salem. You coached us out of the stadium like I knew you would. Hopefully we have had our fill of humble pie by now, but for some reason, I doubt it.
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Been watching Salem for about 40 years. They don't change. They are always fundamental, disciplined, and physical. When they don't have a great deal of talent they are merely good, when they have some talent they are nearly unbeatable. What's really scary is that it doesn't look like it's going to change anytime soon, the jv team went undefeated and so did the 8th grade team.
Good luck to the Lions with their program.
Hope all had safe trip home.
Mac and Bob's was the best part of the trip.
This is what Salem does every year. Make you think they’re not going to be that good in the regular season, then hands out butt whoopings left and right by exposing your every flaw in the playoffs. It’s a beautiful thing to see, but frustrating if you’re not a Salem fan 😂
I remember Highland Springs 13-0 play Annandale 13-0 for the state title in 1978, at Woodson HS in Fairfax, Co. Over 15,000 spectators. A state record capacity that still holds.
Annandale finished #1 in the Country, HS #13
They were ranked #1 and #3 Nationally going into this game. Annandale came from a 13-0 deficit to win 14-13 in the last minute of the game. It was dubbed the 1978 National Championship Game
I don't mind eating crow when I'm wrong. But I did pick the winner and was right on one side of the low scoring prediction. Salem dominated Louisa's heralded DT's. As it always has been, simple fundamental football wins more games than anything else.
Well I know one DT who didn't get Dominated. I heard 97's name called the whole game. This kid had to have had 8 tackles easy. On offense he was blocking players out of the picture. 14 was so upset he got a penalty because this kid wouldn't stop blocking him until the whistle. They should have run behind him. This kid even rushed once for 9 yards and a first down. Even though they were getting blown out this kid was clapping after each tackle and playing with a lot of heart. I don't know about you but I was impressed.
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Keyword, "once". Not saying Spellman should have 10+ carries, but once? SMH.
Fischer should've had a bunch more carries over the course of the season, he could've been an X factor.
Fischer should've had a bunch more carries over the course of the season, he could've been an X factor.
Absolutely. Fisher was running hard early on in the season than they just stopped using him as much. I have no idea why.
Yep, Spellman is a great player and he never quit all night. He has FBS potential for sure.
Not getting 50/50 calls in Salem... I have seen more of these calls go against Salem than for them at home this year.
Saying "they shouldn't expect to get any" is absurd...
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