The Westwood coaching staff made a gusty call Friday night against Chapel Hill in the season opener. And it was not the call to go for the two points and a win with about 20 seconds left on the clock.
The two-point conversion call was not a complete surprise. I have seen that call many times at the high school level as the teams want to go for the win instead of trying their luck in overtime. With the way Westwood was moving the ball on offense, it was not a bad call, it just did not work out in the Panthers' favor.
However, the gusty call that did work out in Westwood's favor was the play before the two-point conversion attempt. It was the screen pass that was called on a fourth down and 15 and the Panthers had to get to the 3-yard line for the first down or into the end zone to get within one point.
That was a do or die call because on the screen pass, the ball only travels a few yards and the rest of the play is up to the ball carrier and the blockers trying to get past the line of defensive players protecting the end zone.
The play call ran through my mind while Westwood took its timeout but I waved it out of my head just as quickly as it came in, thinking it was too risky to try. But Westwood did it and Cameron Shead got the screen pass in the middle of the field, turned around and had three defenders that had him in their sights and were ready to attack. But Shead made a quick cut on the damp turf, got the the outside and scampered into the end zone.
If it was not for the risky play call, Westwood never would have had the chance to make the decision to go for two points or not.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Dogwood Circle Football Magazine
The Dogwood Circle Football Magazine will be hitting the stands on Sunday. The magazine was scheduled to come out on Wednesday, but we got the magazine earlier than expected from the printer so we decided to get it out to the public earlier. Hope you enjoy it.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Six-Man Football
Headed out to Oakwood today on my tour of two-a-day practices in the area and got my first taste of what six-man football is all about. And it has a lot different feel than what I am used to seeing on the football field.
But before I get to that, let me say how nice and courteous the young men at Oakwood were to me. I have the opportunity to sit down and talk to the five seniors on the Panther team and afterwards they thanked me for coming out. Class acts all the way.
As for the six-man football part, I am not sure how to explain it. A mix of the good old days when playing football on the street combined with 7-on-7 football and the a whole lot of hard hitting.
With only six men on both sides of the ball, it makes for an interesting strategy. Watching Oakwood practice, when the offense was on the field, all six players took up an area of a 5 yard by 5 yard box. Oakwood also did some other things in practice, but don't want to give any secrets away since the coaches were kind enough to let me stand around and watch for more than an hour.
I know Oakwood lost two of its top players from last year, but after Tuesday I don't think that will matter much this season. I can tell that the returning players have a great understanding of six-man football and this year the Panthers should make a push for one of the playoff spots.
But before I get to that, let me say how nice and courteous the young men at Oakwood were to me. I have the opportunity to sit down and talk to the five seniors on the Panther team and afterwards they thanked me for coming out. Class acts all the way.
As for the six-man football part, I am not sure how to explain it. A mix of the good old days when playing football on the street combined with 7-on-7 football and the a whole lot of hard hitting.
With only six men on both sides of the ball, it makes for an interesting strategy. Watching Oakwood practice, when the offense was on the field, all six players took up an area of a 5 yard by 5 yard box. Oakwood also did some other things in practice, but don't want to give any secrets away since the coaches were kind enough to let me stand around and watch for more than an hour.
I know Oakwood lost two of its top players from last year, but after Tuesday I don't think that will matter much this season. I can tell that the returning players have a great understanding of six-man football and this year the Panthers should make a push for one of the playoff spots.
Monday, August 3, 2009
First Day of Practice
Got out to the first practices this morning for Westwood and Palestine. This is one of the best days of the year, even if I do have to get up hours before I normally do. It is a new start for every team, no matter what they did last year.
At Westwood, I got there as the team started doing their first individual conditioning workouts. The players had to go from station to station, including rope and ladder drills, agility workout and even running around and over a line of logs. The coaches were working the players hard and it could be seen which guys had been working out this summer and which ones have not. Got to love two-a-days.
Over at Palestine, got there in time to see some team offensive drills. The Wildcats were going through their base offensive formations and plays and looked sharp doing so, even though cannot tell everything until those pads come on and they start hitting on Friday.
Will continue the updates on two-a-day practices as I travel across the Dogwood Circle area this week.
At Westwood, I got there as the team started doing their first individual conditioning workouts. The players had to go from station to station, including rope and ladder drills, agility workout and even running around and over a line of logs. The coaches were working the players hard and it could be seen which guys had been working out this summer and which ones have not. Got to love two-a-days.
Over at Palestine, got there in time to see some team offensive drills. The Wildcats were going through their base offensive formations and plays and looked sharp doing so, even though cannot tell everything until those pads come on and they start hitting on Friday.
Will continue the updates on two-a-day practices as I travel across the Dogwood Circle area this week.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Pitchers needed, inquire with Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers once again enter the second half of the season looking like they are in contention for the AL West crown. And while the Rangers of the past of welted away with the August heat, this year's squad looks like they can be right in the thick of things with the Angels and possibly the Mariners until the end. That is if the Rangers will make a move to their pitching staff.
The downfall of the Rangers could be because of their starting rotation. While the Mariners have the best staff in the West and the Angels staff continues to get healthier, the Rangers starting rotation has been a roller coaster ride.
Kevin Millwood and Scott Feldman have been the two bright spots in the rotation, however neither can be considered a No. 1 ace, which both Los Angeles and Seattle have. Millwood started off the season great and is 12th in the league in ERA but has struggled as of late, losing three of his last four decisions. The worry on Millwood is the innings he already has put on his arm. He has thrown an AL high 130 innings and Millwood has only pitched over 200 innings once in the last five years. Can his arm stand up as the innings continue to mount and the Rangers make a push.
Feldman has had an impressive season, especially after not being two impressive his first four years with the Rangers. Feldman came into this year with seven career wins and a 4.97 ERA. In his second year as a starter, he has already surpassed his career win total (8-2 this season) and has a 3.83 ERA. But Feldman has never pitched 150 innings in a season (he is at 96.1 at the break) and has never pitched in the pennant stretch.
The Rangers also have Vicente Padilla, who has a decent 4.53 ERA but can he get through the rest of the season without another injury. Tommy Hunter has been a nice fill in but he has only started four games, is 1-1 with a 2.35 ERA, not enough of a sample to know what the Rangers are going to get the rest of the year. Then the combinations of Matt Harrison, Derek Holland and Dustin Nippert have done nothing to really help the winning cause in Texas.
The Rangers need to be players in the trade market for a pitcher if there are any hopes of making the playoffs for the first time in this decade.
The trade market for a pitcher is not very big with so many teams in contention, but there may be some names out there and of course the big one is Roy Halladay, and this is where the Rangers should make a play. First off , Halladay is not just a rental player as he has another year left on his contract. And the Rangers have the farm system to be able to possibly give the Blue Jays enough for the ace. The Rangers may not get the chance to get Halladay, but if they do they cannot balk at it. A few years back, Texas had a chance to get Josh Beckett from the Marlins, but did not want to give up Hank Blalock. How many would make that trade now? The Rangers are going to have to take some risk because they cannot be content to stay where they are and hope their pitching staff will magically get better down the stretch, especially through the hot and humid months of July and August.
The downfall of the Rangers could be because of their starting rotation. While the Mariners have the best staff in the West and the Angels staff continues to get healthier, the Rangers starting rotation has been a roller coaster ride.
Kevin Millwood and Scott Feldman have been the two bright spots in the rotation, however neither can be considered a No. 1 ace, which both Los Angeles and Seattle have. Millwood started off the season great and is 12th in the league in ERA but has struggled as of late, losing three of his last four decisions. The worry on Millwood is the innings he already has put on his arm. He has thrown an AL high 130 innings and Millwood has only pitched over 200 innings once in the last five years. Can his arm stand up as the innings continue to mount and the Rangers make a push.
Feldman has had an impressive season, especially after not being two impressive his first four years with the Rangers. Feldman came into this year with seven career wins and a 4.97 ERA. In his second year as a starter, he has already surpassed his career win total (8-2 this season) and has a 3.83 ERA. But Feldman has never pitched 150 innings in a season (he is at 96.1 at the break) and has never pitched in the pennant stretch.
The Rangers also have Vicente Padilla, who has a decent 4.53 ERA but can he get through the rest of the season without another injury. Tommy Hunter has been a nice fill in but he has only started four games, is 1-1 with a 2.35 ERA, not enough of a sample to know what the Rangers are going to get the rest of the year. Then the combinations of Matt Harrison, Derek Holland and Dustin Nippert have done nothing to really help the winning cause in Texas.
The Rangers need to be players in the trade market for a pitcher if there are any hopes of making the playoffs for the first time in this decade.
The trade market for a pitcher is not very big with so many teams in contention, but there may be some names out there and of course the big one is Roy Halladay, and this is where the Rangers should make a play. First off , Halladay is not just a rental player as he has another year left on his contract. And the Rangers have the farm system to be able to possibly give the Blue Jays enough for the ace. The Rangers may not get the chance to get Halladay, but if they do they cannot balk at it. A few years back, Texas had a chance to get Josh Beckett from the Marlins, but did not want to give up Hank Blalock. How many would make that trade now? The Rangers are going to have to take some risk because they cannot be content to stay where they are and hope their pitching staff will magically get better down the stretch, especially through the hot and humid months of July and August.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The All-Star blunder
Another installment of the MLB All-Star game tonight and once again, another All-Star blunder by those who run the show at MLB. Like the recent past, this year, the All-Star game "means something", or at least that is what we are trying to be brainwashed with. As we all know, the league that wins the All-Star game gets home field advantage in the World Series - and that is the All-Star blunder for the ages.
No All-Star game should have any impact on the rest of the season. This is suppose to be an exhibition game of the best of the best in the league but there should not be a price tag on the result. But after the "debacle" in Milwaukee in 2002 when the All-Star game finished in a 7-7 tie in 11 innings. The result of the game came from poor managing, where pitches were only used for one inning each and by the 11th, both teams were out of pitchers. But instead of just saying, this was a one time thing and making changes to make sure that a game would not be tied again, like adding more pitching, the brass of MLB decide to do the worst thing possible - make the game mean something.
The game is suppose to mean having fun, seeing Albert Pujols face Roy Halliday and other great matchups. But the problem in both those names and the other top names are going to be out of the game by the fourth inning, meaning they have no bearing on the final results, when it actually means something.
When Pittsburgh's Zach Duke is pitching to Baltimore's Adam Jones late in the game, are either player going to be thinking about, I need to do something so we can host the World Series this year? There are playing late in the game that should not have any bearing on where the World Series is going to be played now having that bearing.
Major League Baseball used to decide who hosted the World Series by switching off each year with NL one year and AL the next. That makes no sense, but it is still better than what we have now.
Take a page from basketball or hockey, the team with the best record hosts the World Series. That is how baseball does it with the divisional and league series, so why not the World Series.
While fans are allowed to vote on who plays in the All-Star game and players do not even go more than two or three innings during the game, than the All-Star game should have no deciding factor on anything to do with the rest of the season.
No All-Star game should have any impact on the rest of the season. This is suppose to be an exhibition game of the best of the best in the league but there should not be a price tag on the result. But after the "debacle" in Milwaukee in 2002 when the All-Star game finished in a 7-7 tie in 11 innings. The result of the game came from poor managing, where pitches were only used for one inning each and by the 11th, both teams were out of pitchers. But instead of just saying, this was a one time thing and making changes to make sure that a game would not be tied again, like adding more pitching, the brass of MLB decide to do the worst thing possible - make the game mean something.
The game is suppose to mean having fun, seeing Albert Pujols face Roy Halliday and other great matchups. But the problem in both those names and the other top names are going to be out of the game by the fourth inning, meaning they have no bearing on the final results, when it actually means something.
When Pittsburgh's Zach Duke is pitching to Baltimore's Adam Jones late in the game, are either player going to be thinking about, I need to do something so we can host the World Series this year? There are playing late in the game that should not have any bearing on where the World Series is going to be played now having that bearing.
Major League Baseball used to decide who hosted the World Series by switching off each year with NL one year and AL the next. That makes no sense, but it is still better than what we have now.
Take a page from basketball or hockey, the team with the best record hosts the World Series. That is how baseball does it with the divisional and league series, so why not the World Series.
While fans are allowed to vote on who plays in the All-Star game and players do not even go more than two or three innings during the game, than the All-Star game should have no deciding factor on anything to do with the rest of the season.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
No snub for Kinsler
Since the All-Star rosters were announced Sunday, there has been a small outcry for the snubbing of Texas Ranger second baseman Ian Kinsler.
While Kinsler still has a shot to be an All-Star depending on how the fans vote for the final spot, he did not deserve to be named to the team. Despite having a stellar start to the season, Kinsler has cooled down considerably and is now the third best second baseman in the American League behind Boston's Dustin Pedroia (who was voted to the All-Star starting lineup) and Aaron Hill (who was picked over Kinsler).
Kinsler got out of the 2009 gates faster than any other player and that is what the outcry is about. During the first month of the season, he was on fire, hitting .322 with seven home runs. During that span, he had a 6-for-6 game against Baltimore and had nine multiple hit games in the month.
But since that time, Kinsler has come back to reality and coming into the series against Seattle, is hitting a season-low .252. After the first month of the season, Kinsler has only eight multiple hit games after having nine in the first month alone.
Pedroia was the opposite of Kinsler, getting off to a slow start, but has been much more consistent than the Ranger second baseman. Pedroia only had five multiple hit games in April, but since then, he has tallied 22 multiple hit games.
Even with Pedroia edging out Kinsler in the fan voting, Toronto's Hill may be the best second baseman in the first half of the season. Hill has a higher batting average and OPS (on base plus slugging percentage) than the other two second baseman and has matched Kinsler in the home run department and trails the Ranger by one RBI.
Maybe it was Hill who got snubbed as he should be the starter for the AL with Pedroia on the bench. But in the end, Kinsler is where he should be, still battling to make the All-Star team.
While Kinsler still has a shot to be an All-Star depending on how the fans vote for the final spot, he did not deserve to be named to the team. Despite having a stellar start to the season, Kinsler has cooled down considerably and is now the third best second baseman in the American League behind Boston's Dustin Pedroia (who was voted to the All-Star starting lineup) and Aaron Hill (who was picked over Kinsler).
Kinsler got out of the 2009 gates faster than any other player and that is what the outcry is about. During the first month of the season, he was on fire, hitting .322 with seven home runs. During that span, he had a 6-for-6 game against Baltimore and had nine multiple hit games in the month.
But since that time, Kinsler has come back to reality and coming into the series against Seattle, is hitting a season-low .252. After the first month of the season, Kinsler has only eight multiple hit games after having nine in the first month alone.
Pedroia was the opposite of Kinsler, getting off to a slow start, but has been much more consistent than the Ranger second baseman. Pedroia only had five multiple hit games in April, but since then, he has tallied 22 multiple hit games.
Even with Pedroia edging out Kinsler in the fan voting, Toronto's Hill may be the best second baseman in the first half of the season. Hill has a higher batting average and OPS (on base plus slugging percentage) than the other two second baseman and has matched Kinsler in the home run department and trails the Ranger by one RBI.
Maybe it was Hill who got snubbed as he should be the starter for the AL with Pedroia on the bench. But in the end, Kinsler is where he should be, still battling to make the All-Star team.
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