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Abingdon @ VHS


Bearcat Dad
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Virginia High is in disarray. As a member of Bearcat Nation for 30 years, I have developed a sickening feeling in my stomach that 2018 will go down as the most disappointing season during that time, at least for me. 

Too much ability, not reaching its potential. Friday night’s game against Chilhowie will be viewed by the region as strictly that Chilhowie’s completely dominant, without a thought to the fact that VHS just couldn’t get out of their own way, which is a death sentence against a really good team like the Warriors.

The schedule for the Bearcats does not get any easier, with matchups still against Graham and Richlands to go, as well as this week against the Falcons.

It truly saddens me, but things will not improve for the Bearcats. I feel a more talented Bearcat team in 2018 from 2017 falls from 7-3 to 5-5. 

Abingdon comes to Gene Malcolm and leaves with a convincing win.

 

Abingdon - 40

VHS - 17

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31 minutes ago, Bearcat Dad said:

Virginia High is in disarray. As a member of Bearcat Nation for 30 years, I have developed a sickening feeling in my stomach that 2018 will go down as the most disappointing season during that time, at least for me. 

Too much ability, not reaching its potential. Friday night’s game against Chilhowie will be viewed by the region as strictly that Chilhowie’s completely dominant, without a thought to the fact that VHS just couldn’t get out of their own way, which is a death sentence against a really good team like the Warriors.

The schedule for the Bearcats does not get any easier, with matchups still against Graham and Richlands to go, as well as this week against the Falcons.

It truly saddens me, but things will not improve for the Bearcats. I feel a more talented Bearcat team in 2018 from 2017 falls from 7-3 to 5-5. 

Abingdon comes to Gene Malcolm and leaves with a convincing win.

 

Abingdon - 40

VHS - 17

We've played against both. Very similar teams. I think you are actually a little better. If I'm Va high,  I'm giving the ball to #2 around 30 times this game. Also think that the qb can run all over them.

 

Va High takes this shootout 40-32

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14 minutes ago, jonah58 said:

We've played against both. Very similar teams. I think you are actually a little better. If I'm Va high,  I'm giving the ball to #2 around 30 times this game. Also think that the qb can run all over them.

 

Va High takes this shootout 40-32

That’s one of our biggest issues. In 5 games, #2 has had more than 11 carries, only twice. One of those games was out of necessity because of injury to our freshman RB. Against Battle he had 8 carries(barely won) and another 9 carries against you guys(barely won). He has 4 catches on the year(none of which were designed plays to him, only checkdowns) for nearly 20 yards per catch. He is averaging over 9 yards per run for the season. He was an all-state LB last year and the coaches feel he is more valuable to their defense, which has seriously limited his opportunities on offense. 

Our QB definitely has the ability, but has not shown the confidence in his two years against stronger opponents. The confidence seems even less so far this year, but we keep going to the well, over and over, with the same results. 

I love both of those boys as if they are my own. The distribution of opportunities on offense have been grossly mismanaged between the two. 

I’m in complete agreement with your take. I’ve just lost faith that what you suggest, will happen.

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14 minutes ago, Bearcat Dad said:

That’s one of our biggest issues. In 5 games, #2 has had more than 11 carries, only twice. One of those games was out of necessity because of injury to our freshman RB. Against Battle he had 8 carries(barely won) and another 9 carries against you guys(barely won). He has 4 catches on the year(none of which were designed plays to him, only checkdowns) for nearly 20 yards per catch. He is averaging over 9 yards per run for the season. He was an all-state LB last year and the coaches feel he is more valuable to their defense, which has seriously limited his opportunities on offense. 

Our QB definitely has the ability, but has not shown the confidence in his two years against stronger opponents. The confidence seems even less so far this year, but we keep going to the well, over and over, with the same results. 

I love both of those boys as if they are my own. The distribution of opportunities on offense have been grossly mismanaged between the two. 

I’m in complete agreement with your take. I’ve just lost faith that what you suggest, will happen.

After watching several of your films, I scratch my head wondering why he doesn't get the ball more. He can handle the load I'm sure. Against us he would rip off 8-12 yards and then you guys went into pass mode. I didn't get it.

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2 minutes ago, jonah58 said:

After watching several of your films, I scratch my head wondering why he doesn't get the ball more. He can handle the load I'm sure. Against us he would rip off 8-12 yards and then you guys went into pass mode. I didn't get it.

Same thing happened against Chilhowie Friday night. Same thing happened against Battle. Same thing happened against Tennessee High. 

I can be the first to admit, that I’m not qualified to coach at this level. With that said, I can tell you what I’ve seen in 2A West football over the last 3 1/2 seasons. Offense means success, period. There have been one or two teams in that time that have had stifling defenses. Last year’s Union team, for example. They also had one of the top players in the entire state, who touched the ball on every single offensive snap. 

Our defense has taken many steps back from last year, while returning a lot of the players that were there last season, including our all-state LB. We have given up 30 points to Tazewell, 42 points to Tn. High, 37 points to Chilhowie, 27 to you guys, and 13 to Battle. Needless to say, there are some struggles there. We have a golden opportunity on offense, to move the ball on ANY defense in the region, and it is just simply not being taken advantage of. 

It’s ok though. I still love the Bearcats, I stand behind the coaches and players alike. I, like so many others, scratch my head at some things that happen on Friday nights, but none of those guys are professional coaches. They believe they are doing what’s best.

I have a personal relationship with most of the VHS coaches and players. Most of them know who I am on this board. I don’t hide behind my screen name. They know I would state my opinion directly to them, exactly how I type it out on this board. I strongly disagree with how certain things are being handled this season, but they are paid to make those decisions, not me. I still consider them friends, and I love those boys that strap it up every Friday night.

My opinion is just that we will continue to be average, with the way things have been going this season. If we know anything as VHS football fans, it’s how to spot “average”. The disappointing thing this year, though, is we actually have talent.

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Sometimes coaches find themselves in a position where they are too stubborn to win. I've been there before and I see it with several teams now. It's "this is the way I want things to be for us to win" rather than "this is what it takes to win". It's easy to fall into that trap.

Think about Union last year. Game 3 the 2 year starter at QB goes down. Turner has two choices there.... keep things the way he pictured them to be when the season began, stick to what he would like to do, OR adjust and do whatever it takes to win. This is what makes him such a good coach. Instead of struggling with qbs that really couldn't fit the bill.... he changed things up and rode Mitchells shoulders as far as he could go.

Sometimes we have to adjust in a way that doesn't fit with what we planned from the start, if we are not too stubborn to win.

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16 minutes ago, jonah58 said:

Sometimes coaches find themselves in a position where they are too stubborn to win. I've been there before and I see it with several teams now. It's "this is the way I want things to be for us to win" rather than "this is what it takes to win". It's easy to fall into that trap.

Think about Union last year. Game 3 the 2 year starter at QB goes down. Turner has two choices there.... keep things the way he pictured them to be when the season began, stick to what he would like to do, OR adjust and do whatever it takes to win. This is what makes him such a good coach. Instead of struggling with qbs that really couldn't fit the bill.... he changed things up and rode Mitchells shoulders as far as he could go.

Sometimes we have to adjust in a way that doesn't fit with what we planned from the start, if we are not too stubborn to win.

Agreed

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I agree the Bearcats have talent. I wonder if the loss of Amburgy is a factor? I think It will be closer than many people think, but depth for Abingdon will win it. 

 

Abingdon 42

VHS 28

I will see the Bearcats in a couple weeks at Lebanon. Don't underestimate the youthful pioneers, they night just suprise and make it closer than it should be. 

 

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44 minutes ago, Pioneer pride said:

I agree the Bearcats have talent. I wonder if the loss of Amburgy is a factor? I think It will be closer than many people think, but depth for Abingdon will win it. 

 

Abingdon 42

VHS 28

I will see the Bearcats in a couple weeks at Lebanon. Don't underestimate the youthful pioneers, they night just suprise and make it closer than it should be. 

 

I don’t believe him leaving has been a factor at all. We are running the exact same offense, with the same type of play calling as last season, with the same results, so far. He is a really nice guy, but our offense stunk against solid teams last year as well. We were competitive against teams last year because of our defense. Which was only ranked second in the region, behind Union. This year, our defense has not been nearly as good.

Our base offense is 4 wide, single back spread, with RPO. Our entire offense completely revolves around our QB. 

We were shutout in the second half against Tazewell, scored 7 in the first half against Battle, scored 7 in the second half against Tn. High, and were shutout for 3 and a half quarters against Chilhowie.

Our passing game is connecting for WELL under 50% completion percentage. People see what the newspaper reports, and believe our passing game was the only way we could move the ball, because yardage is the only thing usually reported. 

Go to Hudl and search the recap film against Chilhowie. Look how Hudl breaks down our big plays on offense. Pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, run, pass, pass, pass, pass, run. Now, take a look at the film, and of the 10 passing plays, count how many passes traveled more than 5 yards in the air. Only two did.

Those two were deep balls thrown up for jump balls. Now, this all looks good, and it is. Except, the final stat line of our passing game was 12-27 for those 204 yards. Of the 15 incompletions, 2 were intermediate routes that were dropped, and 8 balls went more than 25 yards in the air, most of which were batted down, WAY off the mark, and one that was intercepted in the end zone. 

We had 5 trips into the red zone that resulted in exactly one TD, which was scored when the game was already out of reach, on a 10 yard RUN by our backup QB. Our pass to run ratio in those 5 drives AFTER reaching the red zone, was over 3:1.

My point in all of this is, this has been our offensive approach for 16 consecutive games, since the beginning of Amburgey. We have a record of 10-6 in those games. We have 3 “Quality” wins out of those 10. They all came last year against Abingdon, Chilhowie, and the regular season game against Marion. In the 6 losses, they were all against “Quality” opponents(Tn. High x2, 2017 Marion in the playoffs, 2017 Graham, 2017 Richlands, and 2018 Chilhowie)

In 3 “Quality” wins our passing game produced 5 total TDs(out of 11 total for the team) with 5 turnovers(all by the passing game)

In 6 losses to “quality” teams, our passing game is responsible for 4 total TDs(out of 9 total scored by the entire offense) with 14 turnovers(all by the passing game)

We refuse to change anything, play calls or personnel, so the results will not change.

 

To tackle the other part of your comment, after your prediction, you are correct. The Pioneers may very well make the game closer than it should be. It has happened to us all year long.

When you keep touching the hot stove eye, you will continue to get burned every time. It’s been the story of our offense since the beginning of the 2017 season.

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Bearcat Dad...I’ve been a Bearcat a few years longer than you. I’ve just come to accept that VHS is not and will not be a football school. Sure, they will  have good teams every now and then. Sure they well have some absolute studs on occasion. Milton Franklin and Darrayl Wilson come to mind.   But it is just a fact that VHS is a baseball school. I’ve been hoping to see an evolution to a total sports school for almost 40 years. It ain’t happening my friend. Enjoy the good teams when they happen but don’t expect it yearly. 

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3 hours ago, Bearcat Bob said:

Bearcat Dad...I’ve been a Bearcat a few years longer than you. I’ve just come to accept that VHS is not and will not be a football school. Sure, they will  have good teams every now and then. Sure they well have some absolute studs on occasion. Milton Franklin and Darrayl Wilson come to mind.   But it is just a fact that VHS is a baseball school. I’ve been hoping to see an evolution to a total sports school for almost 40 years. It ain’t happening my friend. Enjoy the good teams when they happen but don’t expect it yearly. 

You are spot on! No better way to describe VHS. If I could like your post twice, I would! 

I have no ill feelings toward the baseball program. I played in it, and my son is getting ready to enter his 4th year as a starter in the program.

Like you though, I foolishly hope/hoped that it would become a total sports school. It’s just not in the cards, I guess.

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I went there for one year and graduated from there.  From my limited experience, the culture just wasn't there.  The guys played football because they wanted to play and kill time till baseball got there. Same with basketball.  The culture was baseball focused.  Now, with the days of year round travel ball and fall ball, I just figured it was just that much more the case.  

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5 hours ago, SW_VA_boy said:

I went there for one year and graduated from there.  From my limited experience, the culture just wasn't there.  The guys played football because they wanted to play and kill time till baseball got there. Same with basketball.  The culture was baseball focused.  Now, with the days of year round travel ball and fall ball, I just figured it was just that much more the case.  

Doesn’t Chandler Davis coach football at VHS? He is the coach of one of the premier travel baseball programs in the South (Dirtbags). Maybe he can recruit a few of those boys to the gridiron?!?

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If we come out and play like we did last week, we definitely aren't getting the W tomorrow night

If we can get back on track, we certainly have the talent to beat Abingdon for the 2nd straight year, but my money is on the former, unfortunately

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Congrats to the Falcons tonight. They made a couple of more plays than we did. Unfortunately, it was the same old story for the Bearcats. The offense struggled, even with all of the extra chances the defense provided tonight. Time to move on to the next one!

Good luck the rest of the way

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