Venice vs Columbus

[Zachk1003]

So from what I saw venice will play Columbus don't know if it will hold up or not but if it does then I should HEAVILY consider heading down to venice to see it never been to venice before and haven't seen Columbus ever would like this to change if it is venice vs Columbus 

[DarterBlue2]

3 hours ago, Zachk1003 said:

So from what I saw venice will play Columbus don't know if it will hold up or not but if it does then I should HEAVILY consider heading down to venice to see it never been to venice before and haven't seen Columbus ever would like this to change if it is venice vs Columbus 

It will be Venice vs Columbus and Venice will, indeed, host. Great place to watch a game. Decent sized visiting section and large home side. I am sure there will be a packed house. My advice is get there early. Venice will be the favorite (rightly), but their D can be scored on and Columbus, though not as good as last year, is gritty. So, victory by Venice is not assured. Could end up being a great game. 

[Jullian]

Zack you followed the Columbus Western game with me. Western controlled that game for 3 qtrs. 2 blocked FG’s(one for a TD). Wildcats a 2cd down at the 1 yd line, fumbled then had a penalty, ended up getting a FG. Western goes up with a minute to go in the half 14-7. Wildcat player gets called for a selfish unsportsmanlike penalty. They kick from their 25. Explorers drive from their 40 & with 7 seconds remaining kick the FG. 

All this to say, if a team allows a team like Columbus to STAY IN THE GAME, they will find a way to win. I don’t see that happening with Venice! Columbus strength is their LB’s & DB’s. Incredibly quick & talented. 

[Jullian]

Just now, Jullian said:

Zack you followed the Columbus Western game with me. Western controlled that game for 3 qtrs. 2 blocked FG’s(one for a TD). Wildcats a 2cd down at the 1 yd line, fumbled then had a penalty, ended up getting a FG. Western goes up with a minute to go in the half 14-7. Wildcat player gets called for a selfish unsportsmanlike penalty. They kick from their 25. Explorers drive from their 40 & with 7 seconds remaining kick the FG. 

All this to say, if a team allows a team like Columbus to STAY IN THE GAME, they will find a way to win. I don’t see that happening with Venice! Columbus strength is their LB’s & DB’s. Incredibly quick & talented. 

*2 blocked kicks for Explorers

[ExplorerHomer2]

12 hours ago, Jullian said:

Zack you followed the Columbus Western game with me. Western controlled that game for 3 qtrs. 2 blocked FG’s(one for a TD). Wildcats a 2cd down at the 1 yd line, fumbled then had a penalty, ended up getting a FG. Western goes up with a minute to go in the half 14-7. Wildcat player gets called for a selfish unsportsmanlike penalty. They kick from their 25. Explorers drive from their 40 & with 7 seconds remaining kick the FG. 

All this to say, if a team allows a team like Columbus to STAY IN THE GAME, they will find a way to win. I don’t see that happening with Venice! Columbus strength is their LB’s & DB’s. Incredibly quick & talented. 

Was an wild final quarter. Hats off to the Western QB who threw a couple dimes into double coverage to make the long plays. I was not expecting this outcome, but you are right: defense gives us a fighting chance most games. And our kicking game is strong. But Venice is another animal. I'm gonna stay pessimistic on this one as it seems to be working for my guys. LOL Thinking a similar outcome to the last visit we had in Venice - 35-7 range.

[Mike E]

12 hours ago, ExplorerHomer2 said:

 Thinking a similar outcome to the last visit we had in Venice - 35-7 range.

If it is going to be a game, Columbus is going to have to score. Only IMG Nat'l and CCC have slowed down the Venice offense at all.  Prefaced with the fact that Peacock doesn't like to punt, ever. But, I can't recall Venice punting more than 10 times all season. 

[ExplorerHomer2]

1 hour ago, Mike E said:

If it is going to be a game, Columbus is going to have to score. Only IMG Nat'l and CCC have slowed down the Venice offense at all.  Prefaced with the fact that Peacock doesn't like to punt, ever. But, I can't recall Venice punting more than 10 times all season. 

Agreed. And this is the least productive offense (against quality opponents) we have had in years. We have found ways to win, but got trounced by STA who is probably comparable to Venice. 

Quarterback play is what has held us back. And that has been getting progressively better. In fact, the one measure of common opponents gives me some hope it won't be a blowout: MNW. No lie, we actually had that game against the Bulls at Traz. Dropped TD pass by our 4* receiver was the difference maker in that loss.

Other than that, I think the last minute win over a quality Western helps the kids to believe in themselves heading into Venice. Still thinking something like 35-7 Venice is likely. I will see how banged up we are in our key positions when I see the guys on Monday.

[DarterBlue2]

47 minutes ago, ExplorerHomer2 said:

Other than that, I think the last minute win over a quality Western helps the kids to believe in themselves heading into Venice. Still thinking something like 35-7 Venice is likely. I will see how banged up we are in our key positions when I see the guys on Monday.

Columbus will lose if it comes down to raw talent. But if they stay close, I would not at all be surprised if they pull the upset. Certainly, it would behoove Venice to take the Explorers very seriously. I believe the final score will be something like 24-17 Venice. But I would not be surprised if Columbus prevails by less than a TD. 

[Longtime Observer]

Columbus is challenged offensively; Venice is challenged defensively. Venice 42-21.

[topnotch305]

3 hours ago, ExplorerHomer2 said:

Agreed. And this is the least productive offense (against quality opponents) we have had in years. We have found ways to win, but got trounced by STA who is probably comparable to Venice. 

 

Quarterback play is what has held us back. And that has been getting progressively better. In fact, the one measure of common opponents gives me some hope it won't be a blowout: MNW. No lie, we actually had that game against the Bulls at Traz. Dropped TD pass by our 4* receiver was the difference maker in that loss.

 

Other than that, I think the last minute win over a quality Western helps the kids to believe in themselves heading into Venice. Still thinking something like 35-7 Venice is likely. I will see how banged up we are in our key positions when I see the guys on Monday.

Columbus scored a TD against back ups with less than a min left. And NW left points on the board as well. This one will probably get ugly. Columbus defense ok but offense can't go score for score with Venice. 

[JDHoss]

I've seen both play, and it was a common opponent in Miami NW. I'll go with Venice by 3+ scores. Their defense is suspect, but their offense is spectacular. You'll enjoy going to a game at Venice. Nice stadium with plenty of seating, and good concessions, or plenty of dining options if you want to eat at a restaurant before the game. 

[Longtime Observer]

I do think Lake Mary has a shot at Venice. Much of what Venice does offensively is based around forcing screw-ups (jumping offsides; not getting lined up properly; getting caught in bad coverages etc) by the defense. Lake Mary aren't world-beaters athletically on defense, but if they can avoid giving up the cheap yards, they can fare no worse than more athletic, but less disciplined, defenses. I can imagine LM winning a 42-38 type game, should the matchup happen.

[DarterBlue2]

3 minutes ago, Longtime Observer said:

I do think Lake Mary has a shot at Venice. Much of what Venice does offensively is based around forcing screw-ups (jumping offsides; not getting lined up properly; getting caught in bad coverages etc) by the defense. Lake Mary aren't world-beaters athletically on defense, but if they can avoid giving up the cheap yards, they can fare no worse than more athletic, but less disciplined, defenses. I can imagine LM winning a 42-38 type game, should the matchup happen.

That's the key sentence right there. Not the most athletic defense, but the front 7 is hard to run on because they line up well and are relatively disciplined. Their secondary is a bit of a weak spot, but it has improved over the course of the season, and their offense is capable of scoring against any defense. 

If they come into the final on a high note (I am assuming both Venice and Lake Mary win which is not a certainty in either game, but it is the most likely scenario), I could see Lake Mary winning in a very high scoring game, particularly if Grubbs has the kind of night he's capable of.

This Venice team is very capable, but it's not the 2021 version of Venice which I though was likely the best team in state that year. It's more akin to last year's team with the exception that their feature runner this year is as good as it gets in high school football. Find a way to limit him, and you reduce the number of scores you are going to give up by a large factor. 

[JDHoss]

4 hours ago, Longtime Observer said:

I do think Lake Mary has a shot at Venice. Much of what Venice does offensively is based around forcing screw-ups (jumping offsides; not getting lined up properly; getting caught in bad coverages etc) by the defense. Lake Mary aren't world-beaters athletically on defense, but if they can avoid giving up the cheap yards, they can fare no worse than more athletic, but less disciplined, defenses. I can imagine LM winning a 42-38 type game, should the matchup happen.

That's a good point. When we saw them play Miami NW, I couldn't tell you how many substitution infractions and offsides penalties that the Bulls had. 

[Mike E]

15 hours ago, Longtime Observer said:

I do think Lake Mary has a shot at Venice. Much of what Venice does offensively is based around forcing screw-ups (jumping offsides; not getting lined up properly; getting caught in bad coverages etc) by the defense. Lake Mary aren't world-beaters athletically on defense, but if they can avoid giving up the cheap yards, they can fare no worse than more athletic, but less disciplined, defenses. I can imagine LM winning a 42-38 type game, should the matchup happen.

I know  you like to beat the "get them to jump" drum. I think (old brain misses stuff now and again) that there have only been 2 jumps by the opposing D during the playoffs. It is as much about keeping the D from timing the snap as anything else. It isn't any different than just about every team Venice has played this year. Venice does play fast, but there isn't anything wrong with that. Just as other teams will run out the play clock to try and slow things down.  All that said, Lake Mary is the 1 team that I have been keeping an eye on all season because I think they are the only one that can keep up as well.