MADISON—James Monroe compiled only 63 yards on offense, but took advantage of 10 Scott turnovers to improve to 3-1 on the season.
Taylor Robertson ran for a nine-yard touchdown in the first quarter for the early lead, but the Skyhawks answered with a touchdown of their own.
That only lasted for seconds, with Nick Kisiel returned the ensuing kick for an 81-yard touchdown. James Monroe added its final score late in the half on a 15-yard scoring pass from John Ballengee to Tanner Tuggle.
James Monroe picked off six passes and recovered four Scott fumbles on a wet night in Boone County.
James Monroe (3-1), which reportedly has 39 passing yards and 24 through the air, will travel next Friday to Wyoming East.
I didn't get to go are listen to this one, but I don't think we've ever one a game uglier than this. 63 yds of offense and one by 2 TD, boy Scott's gotta be feeling pretty crumy right now. No lie, last year we had our worst defensive performance in a win in school history, Jordan Roberts ran for over 250 yds, fortunatly Taylor Robertson ran for 355 and the Mavs won a 55-32 shootout. What a difference a graduation made.
What stuck out to me was the turnovers, how in the world do you throw 6 interceptions in a game? Obviously our secondary has made some improvement. Offensively, we've gotta start getting into the end zone because this isn't going to cut it forever. Who'd have though at this point in the season we would have only scored at least 20 one time, and we'd be 3-1. Honestly the last 3 games have all been pretty ugly one way or the other but at least they've been wins. We've just got to keep improving, it's not going to get any easier from here.
The next 2 games at Scott and W East are huge for James Monroe are huge as far as the playoffs go. G. East and Bluefield are going to be very tough games to win down the road, and I'm not fooled by Mt. View's bad start either. The only reason I'm not panicking about the close games with Oak Hill and Pikeview is that Robertson and Ballengee did not play for most of the 1st one and any of the second, our center, Gravely was hurt against Pikeview too.
The next 2 are winable games, tough ones, but winable. If we win both, we'll probably be in the playoffs, if 1-1, it'll be close, if we lose both, we'll probably have to win out from there and it'll very very hard to do so.
I've been working on my house too, definetly need to talk with that contractor and get some advise. Looks like whoever was living there is probably living right as well.
Didn't go to this one, listened to it on the radio. It wasn't as close as the final score showed. Toylor Robertson ran for over 50 yds and a score in the first quarter with an ankle injury, he was walking on the sidelines later. QB John Ballengee threw for over 50 in the 1st half before going out with a believed "minor concussion". Nick Kiesel was over 100yds rushing, and ALOT of players played on both sides of the ball for the Mavericks.'
JM lead 34-8 after 3 qts, until the offense had some misfires and Oak Hill's passing game got on fire, I can remember the name but one receiver for Oak Hill caught all 3 long td passes to make it a game, Coach Newberry has some major work to do with the secondary. Other than the the defense played very well, big improvement over last week, the O&D lines thourougly out-played them which was the major concern coming in. Good to get the first win, still alot of work to be done though.
I think Bluefield has a chance. The Private Schools aren't nearly as good as the public schools. Bluefield has an excellent chance in this one, IMO....(They are private, correct?)
I'll remember that when Wheeling Central wins I believe their 5th strait championship this year in another blowout.
I'm wondering if this season doesn't turn out like many in Monroe Co. have hoped, will the JM coaching staff abandon the new look offense and embrace the Single Wing again?
It won't come back with Donnie Jackson as coach. I'm still kind of neuutral on the whole single wing arguement. The positive is that most years it fits the personell well, and the kids seemed to pick up on it fast. The negative is that if someone adjusts to it, which can be done, it's succeptable to being completely shut down.
As far as the success the last 3 years, it has as much, if not more to do with the defense. Alot of people forget that if not for some timely defensive and special teams plays against Magnolia, we wouldn't have went to Wheeling, they had it figured out coming in.
The offense we have now will eventually work, it's just a matter of time before the line catches on, but I think it will happen. Hopefully not, but if we have similar problems against Oak Hill, I won't be as optomistic.
Several people said this would be a good measuring stick as to where we were in the rebuilding process. Well, James Monroe was weighed, measured, and definetly found wanting.
Bottom line is there front 7 strait up whipped ours. When you return 2 1000 yd rushers and can barely crack the line of scrimmage, and your opponent rushes for well over 300 yds, you know you've got some work to do up front.
Not a whole lot of good things from this game. Some observations are that Jackson needs to run more twin-back sets than spread until the o-line settles down. Logan Ray had a good night @ WR, making big catches on both scoring drives, setting up his own FG on the last one. John Ballengee looked descent at QB, when he had time to throw. Taylor Robertson for some reason looked lost at QB when we ran the spread.
We "should" beat Oak Hill next week, looks like they're worse than us, then we've got Pikeview at home, we've got those 2 games to get it together before big road games at Scott and Wyoming East. Definetly picked a bad year to schedule Wayne as the first game of the year.
Or having a few James Monroe players hang a black dummy over their field goal post in 2006.
Once again I didn't see that and I was there. Seriously doubt the players had anything to do with that-if it happened. Bluefield did a pretty good job hanging themselves in that game as I remember.
As far as the practice field at Graham, shoot, we had some guys from Narrows take a truck and do dounuts on the field when I was in school, which is minor compared to what they've done to Giles before, this stuff happens everywhere.
Try to leave the artificial turf alone though, I'm pretty sure the penalty for that is being crucified next to the scoreboard.
What kind of plays are you all running since the coaching changes?
Im sure some of you have seen the scrimmages and Im curious...
I didn't make it to any of the scrimmages, but we're running several different formations, Shotgun-spread, Wing-T, Strait-T, Pro-set. In the practice I pretty much saw everything but the wishbone and the single wing.
As far as the scrimmage, alot of people were saying the Jackson wasn't going to open up the offense very much there since he figured we'd be heavily scouted. If they lost to Shady, that is a cause for concern, but it was just a scrimmage, and Shady may have a good team, I don't know.
We've still got 2 weeks to get it together, looking forward to playing Wayne, alot of questions will be answered that evening I'm sure.
Overall we looked alright. John Ballengee took probably 95% of the snaps, so barring something unexpected, that's 1 questions answered. As far as our passing game, we've got some work to do, but I've certainly seen alot worse, we're miles ahead of where we were this time last year.
As the running game goes, the big ? as expected is the O-line. Depending on how quickly these guys learn, this has the potential to be a very good offense.
On defense, the D-backs should be good, but the front 7 is very green. Nick Keisel and Lee Triplett started has year at OLB/DE, and will return some experience, but like the offense, the linemen have little experience.
One major loss has been DJ Robinson. Due to circumstances beyond his control, he will likely be at Beckley. Didn't know DJ personaly, but know some friends of his, seems like a good young man. DJ, we'll miss, God bless, and best of wishes for you.
As far as the team, Wayne will be a big challenge, if we win that one, I'll be feeling pretty good.
(3) the elephant in the room that no one seems to want to talk about, at least in the US media is the whole issue over the US's plan to start putting a missile defense system in Russia's back yard...I wonder how American's would feel if Russia decided to put one in Canada? Hmmmm....
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Or Cuba...oh, wait, they already tried that...
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Sorry, there's a big difference between missle defense, and ballistiv missile's, the Cuban missile crisis has very little similarity to this.
I actually saw Independence run that exact formation against James Monroe in the 2006 playoffs, but only for a few plays, there QB would've went to the hospital if they'd ran it much longer. JM won that game 56-8 I believe.
If I'm not mistaken didn't Oak Hill try something like that Against Bluefield a few years back? Didn't Bluefield win like 61-16?
I could see someone like Pikeview or Montcalm trying this, but in this area, the spread and single wing are probably the most "radical" offenses you'll see ran effectively.
He did it for a year or 2 when the school started in the mid-90's. I can tell you, they were alot better then than now.
Best thing about Wallace is he absolutely doesn't take part in the political BS that has plagued JM and Pterstown for decades. The best players will play, and crying kids and and parents will be told to take a hike, but maybe not in those exact words.
It's just across the line above Giles Co. on Powell Mntn Rd. About 10-15 minutes out of Rich Creek. Once you get off 460, thurn left on the old 460, and Powell mntn rd is on the right about 1/2 from the intersection. MOST people in Rich Creek could tell you where it is if you need directions as well.
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SWVA Pick'em Week 8
in Pick 'em and Fantasy Sports
Posted
Blacksburg 28 Cave Spring 10
George Wythe 26 Holston 18
Pulaski Co. 35 Hidden Valley 20
Richlands 20 Bluefield 17
Clintwood 21 Gate City 20
Radford 25 Giles 24
Christiansburg 31 Salem 24