Salem v JF Benefit Game

[SpartanOfYore]

Salem leads at half 17-7. Nate Craft hit a 40-yard field goal as time expired for the ten-point margin. Salem's O-line play seems ragged to me; the Spartans have had two or three holding penalties (one was on a receiver), and only mixed success running inside. Beckley has thrown the ball pretty well, for the most part. He's had several nice runs - probably more than Coach M would like to see.

If I had to guess at total yards, I'd say Salem leads about 220 to 85. And 65 of those JF yards came on one TD run; that one play has been it for them. Salem probably led time of possession 19:00 to 5:00. A somewhat questionable fumble at JF's 20 probably kept the margin from being greater. Still, the Cavs are hanging in despite being somewhat overmatched, so hats off to them.

I'll update the score at the end of the third.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

End 3rd: Salem 25, JF 15.

JF gets a 94-yard TD run by Blake, who also had the 65-yarder earlier, against what appeared to be mostly second-stringers on the Salem D. Now 25-22 with 11:34 to play. Looks like almost all 2's in on offense now for Salem. And on D for JF.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

And JF reinserts their starting qb with under 3:00 to play. But time runs out, with Salem ahead 25-22.

Overall, Salem looked decent in the first team versus first team action. However, they did leave fourteen points on the field, with the first half fumble deep in JF territory, and failing to capitalize on second-and-three from the JF seven in the third (Spartans got no points). JF looked a little better than I expected. Fundamentally pretty sound on offense, just no playmakers aside from Blake, who can motor if he gets a good hole.

Much to work on for both teams. But, no apparent injuries on either side, so we'll call it a win-win.

 

[Shabutie]

Salem leads at half 17-7. Nate Craft hit a 40-yard field goal as time expired for the ten-point margin. Salem's O-line play seems ragged to me; the Spartans have had two or three holding penalties (one was on a receiver), and only mixed success running inside. Beckley has thrown the ball pretty well, for the most part. He's had several nice runs - probably more than Coach M would like to see.

If I had to guess at total yards, I'd say Salem leads about 220 to 85. And 65 of those JF yards came on one TD run; that one play has been it for them. Salem probably led time of possession 19:00 to 5:00. A somewhat questionable fumble at JF's 20 probably kept the margin from being greater. Still, the Cavs are hanging in despite being somewhat overmatched, so hats off to them.

I'll update the score at the end of the third.

Ragged was an understatement. First off, the splits are way too tight up front... almost foot to foot. A few players were struggling really bad and the biggest problem was that most of the issues were not the fixable mental mistakes... they were physical. I know the biggest player on the team is a starting OL and is hurt does anyone know if the other guy that was hurt (Looked like the second biggest guy on the team) is a starting OL?

Same story on defense. A few players that are struggling mightily but the rest of the unit is strong.

I feel like Salem will have stronger strengths than they had last year but much bigger and more noticeable weaknesses. Ramsey looks like a surefire FBS player and Beckley looks like a much better runner than last year. He broke a lot of tackles and looked very fast in the open field. All the WRs and TE look very good. At this point Salem might be a better offensive team operating out of shotgun. Fox can block like Alex Ramsey did last year but he isn't the same type of threat carrying the football.

JF obviously does not have the same type of talent as last year but I think they might actually be better on the defensive side of the ball. The defensive line, led by #57 have some ability. I actually thought the OL looked pretty solid as well. I thought they were more sound technically than Salem's OL.

 

[Salemgal]

The other wasn't hurt. Missed a practice this week so coach had him sit out. He is the transfer player from WF.

 

[jbci04]

And JF reinserts their starting qb with under 3:00 to play. But time runs out, with Salem ahead 25-22.

JF didn't "reinsert" the starting QB, he was never out. Only because backup QB was injured early in the week.

 

[shauntclair]

Raise or lower no stock either way. Amherst is the test and the Spartans will have a target on their back all year. Very tough to repeat under those circumstances but after the Lancers it's a relatively easy cruise to a top seed. The rest is up to them. GL.

 

[pcken]

The other wasn't hurt. Missed a practice this week so coach had him sit out. He is the transfer player from WF.

Transfer? That's a shocker. Lol

 

[Shabutie]

Transfer? That's a shocker. Lol

You show up and post in a Salem thread yet you didn't even respond to the Pulaski scrimmage thread... interesting.

 

[1MoreHokie]

Pulaski fans being endlessly bitter over the Ramseys is the best.

 

[close2salem]

Salem is fine. It was a good scrimmage. They will have film to watch and adjustments to make. I would make a few changes in personnel in certain positions, but that's just my opinion. Remember last year's preseason game with JF? Salem "lost" it and became state champs. Really this game was just a good practice to fine tune and adjust before the season starts.

 

[freeatlast2013]

Transfer? That's a shocker. Lol

Here we go again with the eighth grader .

 

[mike salem]

End 3rd: Salem 25, JF 15.

JF gets a 94-yard TD run by Blake, who also had the 65-yarder earlier, against what appeared to be mostly second-stringers on the Salem D. Now 25-22 with 11:34 to play. Looks like almost all 2's in on offense now for Salem. And on D for JF.

JF didn't look bad for only returning 2 starters. They have pretty good lines, not surprising given Christmas' strength training background. DT #57 was in the backfield a lot disrupting plays. I think JF will be competitive for the top 3-4 with Amherst, Brookville, and Heritage. I'll put Rustburg in there, but I think they'll end up just behind these guys.

Salem will go to work trying to correct mistakes, evaluate players, and try to find the best fit.

 

[southbottomU]

The question that I have is was Salem up 25 to 7 and then substituted allowing the scrimmage to get close or did Jefferson Forest outplay Salem's first team after the score was 25 to 7

 

[jbci04]

The question that I have is was Salem up 25 to 7 and then substituted allowing the scrimmage to get close or did Jefferson Forest outplay Salem's first team after the score was 25 to 7

Both teams played with "starters" until the early 4Q and the score never changed with 2nd and 3rd teams in during the 4Q, although JF missed a few opportunities (dropped TD pass and fumble in Salem territory on a good drive).

 

[southbottomU]

Sounds like the very thing I and some other Salem fans were worried about is materialising ----- interior line play on both sides of the ball. I am sure Salem will make big strides the next few weeks and as the season progresses, but sometimes it's not the X's and O'S but the Johnny's and Joe's that determine your fate.

 

[jbci04]

It's hard to judge a team based on a single game but I would say Salem lacks depth. QB is talented and so are the 2 RB's. Kicker is good. Also saw the JV game the day before and they were not very impressive. The Amherst game is going to be a good one and a great test for both teams.

JF needs to find their offensive identity. Once they do that they will learn to win without having to score 60 points a game.

 

[mike salem]

The question that I have is was Salem up 25 to 7 and then substituted allowing the scrimmage to get close or did Jefferson Forest outplay Salem's first team after the score was 25 to 7

The legitimate score was 25-15 for the starters. Beginning of the 4Q Salem substitutes the whole defense to 2's, JF had 1's in for a 89 yd run by #25. On defense JF substituted in gradually on defense and with around 8 minutes to go I saw #57 for JF come out. He was the last of the starters I saw on the field. He had a very disruptive night!

Anyway 25-15 was the starter's score. (I went back to check my notes, 2 Salem defenders were switched after it became 25-7 also)

All in all, JF impressed me considering they only returned 2 starters. #57 DT was a handful and was in the backfield a lot. #25 RB Soph for JF had some nice breakaway speed.

Salem had some good shining spots and a few things to work on as well. OL did a pretty good job overall, but Beckley had about 5 scrambles on the night, meaning he was getting pressured more than normal. DL did a good job overall, but had a couple of breakdowns on long runs. They will evaluate, see what they did right and wrong, and be prepared for next week.

 

[jbci04]

The legitimate score was 25-15 for the starters. Beginning of the 4Q Salem substitutes the whole defense to 2's, JF had 1's in for a 89 yd run by #25. On defense JF substituted in gradually on defense and with around 8 minutes to go I saw #57 for JF come out. He was the last of the starters I saw on the field. He had a very disruptive night!

Anyway 25-15 was the starter's score. (I went back to check my notes, 2 Salem defenders were switched after it became 25-7 also)

JF scored on the first play of the 4Q. It was 2nd or 3rd down. If Salem took out "all" of their defensive starters in the middle of a series that's their own fault. (how can they substitute ALL when they only have 40 or so players??) I wouldn't discount the 4Q TD....

 

[mike salem]

JF scored on the first play of the 4Q. It was 2nd or 3rd down. If Salem took out all of their defensive starters in the middle of a series that's their own fault. I wouldn't discount the 4Q TD....

The beginning of the 4Q Salem substituted the whole defense, it didn't matter what down it was! That was the game plan, period. I have no problem with JF playing their starters however long they wanted. A question was asked and I answered it. Evaluate that however you choose.

 

[southbottomU]

JF scored on the first play of the 4Q. It was 2nd or 3rd down. If Salem took out "all" of their defensive starters in the middle of a series that's their own fault. (how can they substitute ALL when they only have 40 or so players??) I wouldn't discount the 4Q TD....

You need to put your fan glasses away for a moment and try to evaluate in a more reasonable manner. I remember your post from last year----- they were mostly centered around one theme --JF is too explosive for anyone to handle and therefore unbeatable. That evaluation did not turn out to be correct. My evaluation of Salem at this moment is that they are very beatable by at least three teams on their schedule--especially Amherst. I do think they will get better as the season progresses and barring injuries, should be quite competitive come playoff time.

 

[mike salem]

JF scored on the first play of the 4Q. It was 2nd or 3rd down. If Salem took out "all" of their defensive starters in the middle of a series that's their own fault. (how can they substitute ALL when they only have 40 or so players??) I wouldn't discount the 4Q TD....

I don't understand your "all" or ALL emphasis. However you want to emphasize it, literally every defensive Salem starter that was playing at the very end of the 3Q came over to the sideline and a whole set of 11 new guys came in to the game to start the 4Q. What does 40 players have to do with it? They only need 11 on the field at one time!

 

[jbci04]

You need to put your fan glasses away for a moment and try to evaluate in a more reasonable manner. I remember your post from last year----- they were mostly centered around one theme --JF is too explosive for anyone to handle and therefore unbeatable. That evaluation did not turn out to be correct. My evaluation of Salem at this moment is that they are very beatable by at least three teams on their schedule--especially Amherst. I do think they will get better as the season progresses and barring injuries, should be quite competitive come playoff time.

You are probably thinking of someone else. I never said anything like that.

I agree with totally with your evaluation. Salem is beatable. JF hung with them despite not having their offense clicking well, with 20 new starters. Like I said the Amherst game will be a great test for both teams.

 

[Shabutie]

The question that I have is was Salem up 25 to 7 and then substituted allowing the scrimmage to get close or did Jefferson Forest outplay Salem's first team after the score was 25 to 7

JF had a very good drive (There best one of the game) to cut the lead to 25-15. They used a lot more leads and power in this scrimmage compared to last year. Used a lot less of the option. Salem got the ball back and had a long drive to the JF 3 yard line and Beckley missed an open Tucker on 4th down to stop the drive. JF took over, ran one play and then it changed to the 4th quarter. Salem subbed all 11 player out and JF had a long TD run the very next play.

 

[Salemgal]

JF scored on the first play of the 4Q. It was 2nd or 3rd down. If Salem took out "all" of their defensive starters in the middle of a series that's their own fault. (how can they substitute ALL when they only have 40 or so players??) I wouldn't discount the 4Q TD....

To your 40 comment. We could have 80+ on out sideline too if our coach let players be on the sideline for Fridays if they sell all their sport cards too.

 

[mike salem]

You need to put your fan glasses away for a moment and try to evaluate in a more reasonable manner. I remember your post from last year----- they were mostly centered around one theme --JF is too explosive for anyone to handle and therefore unbeatable. That evaluation did not turn out to be correct. My evaluation of Salem at this moment is that they are very beatable by at least three teams on their schedule--especially Amherst. I do think they will get better as the season progresses and barring injuries, should be quite competitive come playoff time.

I believe that was jfcav1 you're thinking about.

 

[jbci04]

I don't understand your "all" or ALL emphasis. However you want to emphasize it, literally every defensive Salem starter that was playing at the very end of the 3Q came over to the sideline and a whole set of 11 new guys came in to the game to start the 4Q. What does 40 players have to do with it? They only need 11 on the field at one time!

I did doubt that they changed all 11 but I looked at the video and it appears you are correct.

With that said, JF was substituting offensively, rotating about 5-6 RB's all game and, for the record, 25 was not a "starter". Like I said, they need to find the right mix offensively to get everything in sync.

 

[jbci04]

To your 40 comment. We could have 80+ on out sideline too if our coach let players be on the sideline for Fridays if they sell all their sport cards too.

Even if all of Salem's JV dressed there wouldn't be 80 players.

The requirements are much higher than that to be on JF's sidelines.

 

[mike salem]

I did doubt that they changed all 11 but I looked at the video and it appears you are correct.

With that said, JF was substituting offensively, rotating about 5-6 RB's all game and, for the record, 25 was not a "starter". Like I said, they need to find the right mix offensively to get everything in sync.

I see #25 is a Sophomore, his performance was the best of the bunch! I know #3 & #6 got some carries as well as others, but #25 had the most success.

I was impressed with their performance considering they only return 2. I expect them to finish in the upper half of the Seminole, fighting with Amherst, Brookville, Heritage, and maybe Rustburg might sneak in there too. Seminole is the best in the area and a top district in the state, top to bottom.

 

[jbci04]

I see #25 is a Sophomore, his performance was the best of the bunch! I know #3 & #6 got some carries as well as others, but #25 had the most success.

I was impressed with their performance considering they only return 2. I expect them to finish in the upper half of the Seminole, fighting with Amherst, Brookville, Heritage, and maybe Rustburg might sneak in there too. Seminole is the best in the area and a top district in the state, top to bottom.

This year will certainly be a struggle for JF. Seminole district is loaded this year and there are no easy games on the schedule. Every Friday night will be a grind. If they play hard and believe in themselves they can do well.

 

[mike salem]

Even if all of Salem's JV dressed there wouldn't be 80 players.

The requirements are much higher than that to be on JF's sidelines.

There are 83 on the roster, but usually only 45 or so will dress out for Varsity. (43 last night with 3 not in uniform, but on the sideline)

 

[mike salem]

This year will certainly be a struggle for JF. Seminole district is loaded this year and there are no easy games on the schedule. Every Friday night will be a grind. If they play hard and believe in themselves they can do well.

OOD Magna Vista will be a tough test & Staunton River is a good team and a county rival. I don't expect PH to be quite as good as last year. Fleming will probably be about the same.

 

[close2salem]

JF scored on the first play of the 4Q. It was 2nd or 3rd down. If Salem took out "all" of their defensive starters in the middle of a series that's their own fault. (how can they substitute ALL when they only have 40 or so players??) I wouldn't discount the 4Q TD....

The plan is to play 2nd string defense/offense the 4th quarter period. It builds depth in your program. I think it's great the 2nd string had an opportunity to play against JF's 1st string offense. It's a great skill builder. Yes, Salem defense needs to work on some things, but you have to remember this was a game for coaches to try things out. They can see what works and what doesn't after watching film. A real game situation is very different.

 

[shauntclair]

Unbelievable. Just unbelievable thread.

 

[Shabutie]

Unbelievable. Just unbelievable thread.

What is unbelievable about the thread?