Union vs Gate City

[TTownTigers 82]

Wishbone offense is a direct reflection of what he doesn't know about football compared not to me, or other message board posters, but compared to his coaching peers. He played at Graham and Graham (kind of) ran a wishbone offense. At least the formation was wishbone, but very little optioning out of it. The wishbone has been studied and dissected by defensive coaches more than ANY offense in history. It's defense 101, which is why the old wishbone is a thing of the past because teams can stop it.

The triple option (GaTech) is a bit different. Every time I see GC in a wishbone formation, it tells me or reminds me of one thing. Akers hasn't travelled outside of SWVA much and needs much more education on offensive football. He should travel to a coaching camp this summer to Oregon, or California, or South Carolina, Texas, etc and learn more about offense than relying on what he knows. The 80s and 90s have came and gone. If he wants to stay with an option offense or formation, then travel this summer to Atlanta and GT and attend one of P. Johnson's camps. The point is.....he does not have the offensive coaching knowledge to be effective at GC. He could gain it, but it requires traveling in the summer and not watching Graham football tapes from the 90s.

That's only my take and spare me the "you think you could coach better" robotic response. The standard by which a High School coach is measured and evaluated is a comparison to his fellow High School Coaching peers across SWVA, and the rest of the country, not to a message board poster.

[wasp90 11]

16 minutes ago, TTownTigers said:

Wishbone offense is a direct reflection of what he doesn't know about football compared not to me, or other message board posters, but compared to his coaching peers. He played at Graham and Graham (kind of) ran a wishbone offense. At least the formation was wishbone, but very little optioning out of it. The wishbone has been studied and dissected by defensive coaches more than ANY offense in history. It's defense 101, which is why the old wishbone is a thing of the past because teams can stop it.

The triple option (GaTech) is a bit different. Every time I see GC in a wishbone formation, it tells me or reminds me of one thing. Akers hasn't travelled outside of SWVA much and needs much more education on offensive football. He should travel to a coaching camp this summer to Oregon, or California, or South Carolina, Texas, etc and learn more about offense than relying on what he knows. The 80s and 90s have came and gone. If he wants to stay with an option offense or formation, then travel this summer to Atlanta and GT and attend one of P. Johnson's camps. The point is.....he does not have the offensive coaching knowledge to be effective at GC. He could gain it, but it requires traveling in the summer and not watching Graham football tapes from the 90s.

That's only my take and spare me the "you think you could coach better" robotic response. The standard by which a High School coach is measured and evaluated is a comparison to his fellow High School Coaching peers across SWVA, and the rest of the country, not to a message board poster.

Well lets compare because people seem to forget Houseright's last year we were 3-7 and Akers first year 5-6. We have two winning seasons since 2010. I'm not saying Akers is a great coach nor am I gonna say he is a bad coach. So if we use your logic on measuring coaches then there is probably only two or three good coaches in SWVA. People on here want Darren back but they forget he won 1 game at Wise Central and nobody at that time would have said he was a good coach.. He has won several at Abingdon because of the talent level and his ability to coach them up. I admit it does bother me when people get on here and say stuff that isn't true but that's how it is in this day and age. Just my two cents worth.

 

 

 

[mw0729 18]

" I have personally asked kids on the team if Akers cusses them and they said no!"

 

Do you really think they would tell you when asked about their coach????  If you were investigating the allegations then I surely hope you did more than just asked a kid or two?  SMH

Maybe you think calling kids "FAT ASS" is okay and not really cussing them. 

[Deleted Account 5,203]

26 minutes ago, wasp90 said:

Well lets compare because people seem to forget Houseright's last year we were 3-7 and Akers first year 5-6. We have two winning seasons since 2010. I'm not saying Akers is a great coach nor am I gonna say he is a bad coach. So if we use your logic on measuring coaches then there is probably only two or three good coaches in SWVA. People on here want Darren back but they forget he won 1 game at Wise Central and nobody at that time would have said he was a good coach.. He has won several at Abingdon because of the talent level and his ability to coach them up. I admit it does bother me when people get on here and say stuff that isn't true but that's how it is in this day and age. Just my two cents worth.

 

 

 

He won several at Abingdon because Nick Freaking Colobro.  Why do people fail to realize that Reed has done NOTHING without Colobro being the de facto HC?  Give Reed 2 more years and Abingdon will be back to the dung heap whence they came.

 

This isn't directed at you, but at the legion of crybaby GC fans that enjoy wallowing in their own self-pity.  I hope they fire Akers and hire Reed.  Every team needs a homecoming game...

[sup_rbeast 296]

Given what I've seen of GC's talent level this year, IMO the only thing they have to take advantage of is decent size on the O and D lines. In that scenario, the best option is grinding the ball with a 3 back offense, using clock, and hoping for the best. That strategy works well in 1A, but you gotta be pretty damn good to sustain success with it in 2A. GC may not have a good coach, but as I said before, the talent level on this squad is very low as well. Seriously, though...they had a really hard time filling the HC spot, and seemed to approach the hiring with due dilligence. If Akers were indeed gone, what makes you guys think a top flight HC would be willing to come to GC? Furthermore, where are the highly talented players going to come from?

[wasp90 11]

18 minutes ago, mw0729 said:

" I have personally asked kids on the team if Akers cusses them and they said no!"

 

Do you really think they would tell you when asked about their coach????  If you were investigating the allegations then I surely hope you did more than just asked a kid or two?  SMH

Maybe you think calling kids "FAT ASS" is okay and not really cussing them. 

Oh but what you say is a fact. Yes I do believe these kids because I have known them for several years. 

[TTownTigers 82]

1 hour ago, wasp90 said:

So if we use your logic on measuring coaches then there is probably only two or three good coaches in SWVA.

 

 

 

Who is "we"? I am not sure who " we" is. You can measure a coach how you wish and "only two or three good coaches in SWVA" are your words, not mine.

What I wrote was.....coaches are compared to one another, not measured against message board posters. With that written, most would agree its not just about overall record (as your post implied) but its about the talent you have to work with and the record. GC has a touch more talent than Rye Cove or Bland or Hurley or Central, etc. Do you really think Bland County is ever going to win in football or be a powerhouse? No offense Bland fans, but the talent isn't there regardless of who coaches.

I repeat, running a wishbone offense or formation in 2017 suggests how little a coach knows about offense. If you could poll 1000 coaches on offense and defense across the country, I feel an overwhelming majority would agree the old wishbone is a joke in today's time (only my opinion, no way to tell). I can tell you this, its a bad sign. Now.....triple option like GT, that's different, but complex. It's almost as complex or requires as much attention to detail as the single wing in that you need to get that started in the little leagues, or in junior high. What GC has ran this year is nothing resembling a triple option. The wishbone formation only allows the defense to place another corner or safety in the box against an already slow-run oriented team.

It's absolutely comical for the year 2017 to have a team like GC in a wishbone formation. it requires very little defensive preparation for the opponent and again, it shows how little Akers knows about offensive coaching. He's relying on what he learned in the 90s in which the wishbone was already outdated then. It suggests very little learning offensively after his entry into the Coaching profession. Like playing, coaching is also a lifelong or career long learning process like most professions. This post is only one old dudes opinion. As Billy Joel said, "you may be right, you may be wrong."

[sup_rbeast 296]

14 minutes ago, TTownTigers said:

Who is "we"? I am not sure who " we" is. You can measure a coach how you wish and "only two or three good coaches in SWVA" are your words, not mine.

What I wrote was.....coaches are compared to one another, not measured against message board posters. With that written, most was agree its not just about overall record (as your post implied) but its about the talent you have to work with and the record. GC has a touch more talent than Rye Cove or Bland or Hurley or Central, etc. Do you really think Bland County is ever going to win in football or be a powerhouse? No offense Bland fans, but the talent isn't there regardless of who coaches.

I repeat, running a wishbone offense or formation in 2017 suggests how little a coach knows about offense. If you could poll 1000 coaches on offense and defense across the country, I feel an overwhelming majority would agree the old wishbone is a joke in today's time (only my opinion, no way to tell). I can tell you this, its a bad sign. Now.....triple option like GT, that's different, but complex. It's almost as complex or requires as much attention to detail as the single wing in that you need to get that started in the little league in junior high. What GC has ran this year is nothing resembling a triple option. The wishbone formation only allows the defense to place another corner or safety in the box against an already slow-run oriented team. It's absolutely comical for the year 2017 to have a team like GC in a wishbone formation. it requires very little defensive preparation for the opponent and again, it shows how little Akers knows about offensive coaching. He's relying on what he learned in the 90s in which the wishbone was already outdated then. It suggests very little learning offensively after his entry into the Coaching profession. Like playing, coaching is also a lifelong or career long learning g process like most professions.

It takes more than a year to proficiently run any offense...especially older, 3 back offenses. They have nuances that require repetition. That being said, upon hiring a coach at the high school level, it is my belief that you have committed a minumum of 3 years to that coach. It takes every bit of that  for him to mold the team into what he wants, and it takes the powers that be every bit of that long to know exactly what they have in the hire.

[TTownTigers 82]

26 minutes ago, wasp90 said:

Oh but what you say is a fact. Yes I do believe these kids because I have known them for several years. 

Scary, scary world we live in when we are missing the forest and only seeing trees. Meaning, who gives a giant Cleveland Steamer if Akers "cusses the kids." Dear God people, what is wrong with you? I hope he cusses more at the "kids." Did you ever notice how when a 16-17-18 year old makes a great play and boom, he is called a "young man?" When its something possibly negative on that young persons part, we immediately call them a "kid." Harry Fry never cussed, but would talk to you like you were a third rate South Philly pimp when you messed up. Literally, screaming. I have no problem whatsoever if Akers "cusses at kids." My concern is...the xs and os, the chessgaming of football which is where he's lightyears behind a Houseright, or Mance, or Turner.

[TTownTigers 82]

4 minutes ago, sup_rbeast said:

It takes more than a year to proficiently run any offense...especially older, 3 back offenses. They have nuances that require repetition. That being said, upon hiring a coach at the high school level, it is my belief that you have committed a minumum of 3 years to that coach. It takes every bit of that  for him to mold the team into what he wants, and it takes the powers that be every bit of that long to know exactly what they have in the hire.

I agree. I also feel Akers should have at least 3 years.  

[goose111874 967]

15 hours ago, jarhead24219 said:

Gate City always gives us fits, close for awhile then we break in the passing game

Gonna have to find a QB before we get the passing game going.  I think I'm the only Union fan who has noticed how bad the offense looks right now.  I keep hoping we go to Qualls but he seems to be the third choice.

[Grapeape 259]

3 hours ago, mw0729 said:

"gotta have the players is what it's all about". 

LMAO

A freakin little league coach can get more out of these players than Akers/staff is right now.  Maybe because you practice in full pads on Thursday or you let a starter miss two practices each week and he still starts.  Cuss your players and allow kids to cuss you back until you get your feelings hurt so you kick one off.  This season is over for these poor kids who have busted their butts.  Sad situation. Thank you Roberts school board and "committee".   What a joke 

This is a FACT. I'm all about building mental toughness through conditioning, but there is a right and wrong way to do it. The health of your players has to be a consideration. It currently isn't, and that's why GC's injured list is so long. It's not like the bum was a former college player, ex military, or some other hard boiled background. Dude was a kicker in high school, period. Never caught a pass, never threw a block, never made a tackle IN HIS LIFE. This bum had never once himself attempted what he asks his players to do. Dude thinks he's Glenn Carlock when the toughest work he's ever put in was on some country club tennis court.

To compete offensively, teams must have a spread component. Turner will throw it all over the field and then jump in the T to bleed the clock. Collier and Gose at GC were racking up yards by alternating between  spread and power formations. Apparently, in 1A, D lines just blow up the field without reading the blocks because the bum is teaching his lineman - who have plenty of talent - to not block the down lineman. No respectable coach is going to let the o line have a free shot at their backers; D lineman are taught to squeeze and read from the time they're babies. When the o line try to release to backer they get jammed, LBs go unblocked, and the play is DOA. It would take about one Monday practice to switch to a base blocking scheme and correct the problem.

It's true that the W/L record since 2010 isn't great, but the offense was lit with 2 all state QBs vs the most brutal schedule in the state.

[sup_rbeast 296]

I have a question for the GC folks on here...and it comes from the impression that I get that tou guys don't like the AD or, in general, the administration. Let's say Akers were gone...what vetting would you guys suggest be done any differently than it was when Akers was hired...and who exactly should do the vetting and hiring? 

[Grapeape 259]

4 minutes ago, sup_rbeast said:

I have a question for the GC folks on here...and it comes from the impression that I get that tou guys don't like the AD or, in general, the administration. Let's say Akers were gone...what vetting would you guys suggest be done any differently than it was when Akers was hired...and who exactly should do the vetting and hiring? 

A lot of guys won't agree with this and that's fine, but my answer is:

No vetting necessary. Hire Jeremy Houseright as HC and let him run the D. Gary Collier and Chad Gose would come back to run the O. Warner could come back and help with D; hire 2 more guys to help clean, paint, and do laundry. 

[Leatherhead Larry 530]

3 hours ago, mw0729 said:

"gotta have the players is what it's all about". 

LMAO

A freakin little league coach can get more out of these players than Akers/staff is right now.  Maybe because you practice in full pads on Thursday or you let a starter miss two practices each week and he still starts.  Cuss your players and allow kids to cuss you back until you get your feelings hurt so you kick one off.  This season is over for these poor kids who have busted their butts.  Sad situation. Thank you Roberts school board and "committee".   What a joke 

Hang on there a sec. Sometimes players miss practice all week trying to heal up or they are sick. And taking it easy through the week trying get healthy and playing on Friday is fine in my book. No matter how good the backup is, nothing replaces a good starter. It happened to me my senior season and happened to someone im very close to this past week. (Without him fighting through an injury Friday and wanting to play, GC wouldn't of had a center, guard, or wherever they would have put him to start. Luckily he is a jack of all trades on the o-line and doesn't complain where they put him). Goes for Collier last season, he took beating after beating last year. He would be Wed or Thurs before the kid could get around and by Friday he was able to play. Your top players are gonna play on Friday night. BUT if a kid is skipping school/practice, you shouldn't play at all. You shouldn't even travel with the team or be on the sidelines. 

[TTownTigers 82]

I think it's inappropriate to call a coach a country club bum. It is irrelevant as to whether he was a kicker or all American or never played. Ask Mike Leach. He's been successful and never played. I don't know about what kind of "work" he's put in or done or not done.

I think it's fair to judge acoach on his outcomes, actions, technique, etc. But, theres a huge leap in that and literally calling a coach names.  That's uncalled for. 

A coach could have been raised in lower Manhattan in a 67 story Penthouse, the son of a multi millionaire, and only been a manager on a football team, but be effective. Vice versa...one could have been a superstar in High School and bench press 400 lbs, and be ineffective. Those things are irrelevant.

[mw0729 18]

Completely agree LHL about missing to heal your starters.   But I was not referring to that situation at all. They have one that has missed one day about every week since he transferred in.  Missed two days last week  and at least one the week before not due to injury.  

[BigWinners 1,643]

2 hours ago, goose111874 said:

Gonna have to find a QB before we get the passing game going.  I think I'm the only Union fan who has noticed how bad the offense looks right now.  I keep hoping we go to Qualls but he seems to be the third choice.

Because the offense isn't bad. It's one dimensonal but far from bad. When you're rushing for 350+ yards per game on more than 5ypc, that's not bad offense in any shape or form.

Union is incredibly one dimensonal right now and against better teams it's very tough to win being so one dimensonal but the offense is not bad.

[wasp90 11]

3 hours ago, TTownTigers said:

Who is "we"? I am not sure who " we" is. You can measure a coach how you wish and "only two or three good coaches in SWVA" are your words, not mine.

What I wrote was.....coaches are compared to one another, not measured against message board posters. With that written, most would agree its not just about overall record (as your post implied) but its about the talent you have to work with and the record. GC has a touch more talent than Rye Cove or Bland or Hurley or Central, etc. Do you really think Bland County is ever going to win in football or be a powerhouse? No offense Bland fans, but the talent isn't there regardless of who coaches.

I repeat, running a wishbone offense or formation in 2017 suggests how little a coach knows about offense. If you could poll 1000 coaches on offense and defense across the country, I feel an overwhelming majority would agree the old wishbone is a joke in today's time (only my opinion, no way to tell). I can tell you this, its a bad sign. Now.....triple option like GT, that's different, but complex. It's almost as complex or requires as much attention to detail as the single wing in that you need to get that started in the little leagues, or in junior high. What GC has ran this year is nothing resembling a triple option. The wishbone formation only allows the defense to place another corner or safety in the box against an already slow-run oriented team.

It's absolutely comical for the year 2017 to have a team like GC in a wishbone formation. it requires very little defensive preparation for the opponent and again, it shows how little Akers knows about offensive coaching. He's relying on what he learned in the 90s in which the wishbone was already outdated then. It suggests very little learning offensively after his entry into the Coaching profession. Like playing, coaching is also a lifelong or career long learning process like most professions. This post is only one old dudes opinion. As Billy Joel said, "you may be right, you may be wrong."

I'm talking about Gate City when I say we. I refer to Gate City as we since I've lived here most of my life and also played for Gate City. Other than that I really don't care what you think. It's obvious you know it all when it comes to offense and coaches. 

[TTownTigers 82]

1 hour ago, wasp90 said:

I'm talking about Gate City when I say we. I refer to Gate City as we since I've lived here most of my life and also played for Gate City. Other than that I really don't care what you think. It's obvious you know it all when it comes to offense and coaches. 

LOL, there it is, the old "you know it all when it comes to offense and coaches." My Lord, my entire premise was to prevent the predicted response which is........a message board poster or fan can give praise and critique, but coaches are compared to other coaches, not message board posters." Yet......you just can't help yourself can you? 

If you don't care what I think, then why respond? Why did you type any words? Obviously, your do care.

Once again, what I think, what I know, what I don't know, what you know, or any of that as it relates to the coaches at GC is irrelevant. You do understand I pointed this out in my first post?  The standard by which Akers is/will be judged is a comparison to his fellow coaching peers at the High School Level across Virginia, not a comparison to you or me. Therefore, your attempt at shifting the argument into a dilemma as to whether Coach Akers knows more than the message board poster is a waste. That will not allow him to be at GC for 25 years or to be gone in 1 year.

If you disagree with me. I respect that. Tell me why you disagree and give reasons why you feel Coach Akers is doing a solidjob, average, or not good, but for Gods sake, be more mature with the argument than simply attacking me because you disagree. Your better than that.

P.S. Same here, Class of 83 GC. As for your "we" comment referring to GC, you must understand that YOU don't speak for everyone in GC. People have different opinions on the subject. Did you get the town together and come up with a "we" consensus? The answer is no, your didn't, and that's why I called you out on the "we" comment.

[goose111874 967]

1 hour ago, BigWinners said:

Because the offense isn't bad. It's one dimensonal but far from bad. When you're rushing for 350+ yards per game on more than 5ypc, that's not bad offense in any shape or form.

Union is incredibly one dimensonal right now and against better teams it's very tough to win being so one dimensonal but the offense is not bad.

I shouldn't have used bad but we've not exactly went against a good defense yet either. 

[BigO 316]

5 hours ago, UVAObserver said:

He won several at Abingdon because Nick Freaking Colobro.  Why do people fail to realize that Reed has done NOTHING without Colobro being the de facto HC?  Give Reed 2 more years and Abingdon will be back to the dung heap whence they came.

 

This isn't directed at you, but at the legion of crybaby GC fans that enjoy wallowing in their own self-pity.  I hope they fire Akers and hire Reed.  Every team needs a homecoming game...

Dung heap?  A little strong coming from you, no?

[TTownTigers 82]

1 minute ago, BigO said:

Dung heap?  A little strong coming from you, no?

I think Akers needs 3 years. Colobro is the man, but remember, Colobro also didn't coach offense at Abingdon. Abingdon turned it around and better on both sides of the ball, but keep in mind, the offense picked it up as much as the defense.

I hope Akers is the coach at GC for a minimum of 3 years, then a decision made for a change or a stay for the long haul. I think thats fair for any Higj School Coach.  My critique or concerns have been the xs and os, the wishbone, and this being far, far more of an issue than the overall record.  GC brought much of this on itself if it doesn't work out. Why?  In an interview, your get to know a person and questions such as, what kind of defensive sets do you like? What kind of offenses do you prefer or run, etc? These questions come up along with tons more that are not just football related and when the answer...."wishbone" was given, not just alarm bells, but airplane engines should have went off in the administrators head.

Again, he may turn it around. Only time will tell and I hope he does. I know this, there should absolutely be zero changes made at the end of this season. That would be wrong in my opinion.

[wasp90 11]

59 minutes ago, TTownTigers said:

LOL, there it is, the old "you know it all when it comes to offense and coaches." My Lord, my entire premise was to prevent the predicted response which is........a message board poster or fan can give praise and critique, but coaches are compared to other coaches, not message board posters." Yet......you just can't help yourself can you? 

If you don't care what I think, then why respond? Why did you type any words? Obviously, your do care.

Once again, what I think, what I know, what I don't know, what you know, or any of that as it relates to the coaches at GC is irrelevant. You do understand I pointed this out in my first post?  The standard by which Akers is/will be judged is a comparison to his fellow coaching peers at the High School Level across Virginia, not a comparison to you or me. Therefore, your attempt at shifting the argument into a dilemma as to whether Coach Akers knows more than the message board poster is a waste. That will not allow him to be at GC for 25 years or to be gone in 1 year.

If you disagree with me. I respect that. Tell me why you disagree and give reasons why you feel Coach Akers is doing a solidjob, average, or not good, but for Gods sake, be more mature with the argument than simply attacking me because you disagree. Your better than that.

P.S. Same here, Class of 83 GC. As for your "we" comment referring to GC, you must understand that YOU don't speak for everyone in GC. People have different opinions on the subject. Did you get the town together and come up with a "we" consensus? The answer is no, your didn't, and that's why I called you out on the "we" comment.

I simply said we were 3-7 and 5-6. By we I meant GC football not the wholetown but thank you for reminding me that I don't speak for whole town. As usual on a message board there is the grammar police. Class of 86 did we play together?As for the wishbone I don't particularly like it but in 2010 we won running the T and teams have won the state running the single wing recently. I think as long as you have the talent and execute you can win with any offense. Have a good night.

[TTownTigers 82]

12 minutes ago, wasp90 said:

I simply said we were 3-7 and 5-6. By we I meant GC football not the wholetown but thank you for reminding me that I don't speak for whole town. As usual on a message board there is the grammar police. Class of 86 did we play together?As for the wishbone I don't particularly like it but in 2010 we won running the T and teams have won the state running the single wing recently. I think as long as you have the talent and execute you can win with any offense. Have a good night.

No grammar police here. I'm a coal miner for most of my life and not a scholar.  I like the wing T. You can throw or run out of it. I like about any offense other than the wishbone. Dude, might as well run power eye. We aren't fooling people with a wishbone formation. Defenses have evolved dude. The 80s have came and long gone. Single wing is a separate beast unique only to a few. If you ask any football fan or coach at the college level, they will tell you option offenses today are at least triple option because of what it requires the defense to do. It's almost UNHEARD of (still exists, but rare) for a team to run the old wishbone. It is a direct and scary reflection of what Akers doesn't know about offense. There is really zero explanation for a team running the wishbone instead of the triple option. There are zero advantages with the wishbone over the triple option, but much more advantages with the triple option. Why is he running the wishbone? Because he was taught it at Graham years ago and it is all he knows. That's why I'm concerned.  He hasn't learned enough about offense to run anything else. My older brother played at TN. High and coached at Emory and Henry as an assistant, then at Memphis as an assistant long before Fuente was there and when it was still Memphis St. 

Look, I think Akers has done an excellent job on discipline, fitness, and the leadership aspects of running a program. I've wrote this before. I have praised and critiqued. My ONLY critique has been the offensive system. It's outdated, and it's concerning about underlying xs and os knowledge. I want GC to win just like you. I also want Akers for a minimum of 3 years...at least 3.