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By OldSchoolLion · Posted
Last night, I watched American Heritage Plantation play Chaminade-Madonna. According to their rosters on Maxpreps, below is a breakdown of their starting O-lines. CM's O-Line 6'1" 280 Senior 6'2" 320 Junior 6'4" 300 Senior 6'5" 300 Sophomore 6'6" 300 Sophomore CM also had a 6'2" 270-pound junior playing fullback. AHP's O-Line 6'1" 280 Senior 6'1" 285 Senior 6'2" 315 Sophomore 6'4" 325 Senior 6'6" 295 Junior Despite the enormity of CM's line and a HUGE blocking back, one of the top-rated rb's in the state or possibly the country could do nothing against AHP's athletic D(save one play) and got caught behind the LOS numerous times. What's wrong with this picture? I think a problem is that these OL are holding way too much weight and/or don't know how to use their weight effectively. There is a reason FL's production of top-tier offensive linemen lags disproportionately behind our production of skill players, , and last night's game was a good example. On one play I remember CM's 320-pound junior lineman trying to pull and this "tiny" AHP D-lineman took him out so easily and put the big young man off balance. Even if he had not been touched, there is no way he could have helped with that play because he was so slow. It was a bit shocking to see a "small" school with the line the size of CM's, especially when one considers that 3 of them were underclassmen. Sophomore linemen weighing 300 or more pounds? Where are we going folks. Is the future 350-pound hs O-linemen? When a 15/16 year old is already 300+ pounds, how much room does he have to grow into his frame? I mean, is he going to be 400 pounds as a senior in college? These kids would be so much more effective down at 250-275 pounds.15-20 years ago, , that's we typically saw, and those O-lineman could pull. Today, many of these 300-pound lineman I see in FL cannot move effectively enough to handle an athletic DL like we see on many of the top-ranked teams. Sure, a huge line on a 3A team is going to bully a lot of small school D's. But it is a completely different ball game when they face an elite D like either of those teams last night displayed. IMO, it is greed. People want that "college size" now, rather than let the kids grow into their frames. I guess the justification is that magical college scholarship that awaits. What coaches and parents do not realize is that what they are doing to these teenagers can have long-term impacts on their health, especially kids of an ethnic background that predisposes them to heart disease, diabetes, etc. This is not me talking, folks. I have had this discussion with my cardiologist, who happens to be a big football fan. "Aw, he'll lean up in college." The damage can already be done from a health perspective. All in the name of winning and/or a college scholarship. I remember reading an article about NFL linemen who struggle with their weight after their careers. Their metabolism gets used to holding all that weight and does not like giving it up. Not too long ago, a lineman might spend 5-10 years out of life at 300 pounds in his career (while in the NFL). Now we have kids who, if they have an NFL career, could be spending 15-20 years (hs, college and pros) at 300 or more pounds. Doesn't make a difference? How about the difference between smoking 5 versus 20 years? Time of health-risk exposure clearly raises the odds of long-term consequences. How difficult will it be for someone whose body has been at 300 pounds for 20 years to live the rest of their life at 225? I would imagine very difficult, except for someone who is extremely disciplined concerning diet and continuing to work out. I am not saying we should go back to the dinosaur days of 175-pound linemen. It's all about moderation. Some coaches are drinking the Kool Aid that they need a 300-pound line to win a state title. And they are neglecting to educate these kids and parents about the risk involved for some kids to maintain such a weight. I speak from personal experience on this topic. Back in college, I had the metabolism that allowed me to hold a lot of weight and still have abs. I kidded myself thinking because I could see my abs I was healthy. My blood tests told a different story...revealing major issues with my heart. I learned the hard way that the "outside" doesn't always tell what is going on inside our bodies. -
Perspective, I will try to answer your questions. 1. The reason why officials seem to hesitate to blow their whistles is because the whistle very rarely ends the play itself. Usually, the result of the play, such as a runner running out-of-bounds or a receiver making a catch on the ground. In those type of situations, a defensive player is not going to make a tackle or hit an offensive player after that action just because a whistle did not blow. Forward progress can be tricky, and it is usually better to wait to blow the whistle, and then determine the result of the play instead of blowing a whistle immediately which automatically ends the play. 2. The coaches teaching the players to play to the whistle is incorrect, and most officials would urge coaches to stop teaching that phrase. The result of the play ends the play, not the whistle unless it is an inadvertent whistle. 3. By the letter of the rule the officials do not have the authority to send out a player to the sideline. However, there is an understanding among coaches and officials of the idea of a penalty box, meaning an official can point out to a coach that one of his players is getting out of control, and needs a 'cooling off' period without drawing a penalty. The player then can come back into the game at the coaches discretion. I do not know of one high school coach who has every declined this arrangement. 4. That sounds like a blown call by the officiating crew. -
I was looking forward to that Chaminade v Cocoa matchup this season. Hopefully they had a home n home setup -
The Bloodhounds are a bit unsettled at QB, so Lake Gibson's stout defense was too much. Assuming Lake Gibson is able to play Lakeland next week (a big assumption with Covid), LG might ought to be a slight favorite. Lakeland has been completely shut down since Sep. 8, and won't be able to do anything until Tuesday of game week. -
By OldSchoolLion · Posted
Thad Franklin got hurt late in the game. AHP has a very athletic defense that owned CM's big O-line. You would think Thad Franklin on a rainy night behind that O-line would be able to score, but no. CM's O-line needs work on blocking. CM is a very formidable team in 3A. But I do not think the Lions have the firepower on offense to be considered one of the best teams in the state amongst all classes. Both teams have quick D's that will give offenses trouble. AHP's offense needs some reps.
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