Saturday, September 18, 2010

Friday night thoughts, 3rd edition

Coming to you live from the sunny shores of Swan Beach, N.C. ...

I'm thinking Ringgold picked a good year to start 3-0. A real good year.

Why?

I'm not positive there s a truly dominant team in WPIAL Class AAA. Hopewell is 1-2 with Rushel Shell. West Allegheny doesn't have Mike Caputo. There's no Wayne Capers at Charters Valley.

It might be a good year to make a playoff run.

And that's literally what Ringgold did all over Hollidaysburg - run. The Rams picked up 463 rushing yards with 5-foot-6 quarterback Quad Law, looking every but as dynamic as Donte Valentino did at California.

Montour, Thomas Jefferson and West Allegheny are at the head of the Class AAA pack. Maybe Ringgold finds a way to join them.

The Varsity Letters will say this, a win over Greensburg-Salem Friday night makes a Keystone Conference title possible.

* All indications point toward a special season for Beth-Center. They were there before the season and through the first three weeks, all blowout wins. That feeling doesn't change for the favorites in the Tri-County South Conference despite some bad news Friday night against Mapletown.

Senior Jeff Tarley, tied for the WPIAL lead in scoring after two games, suffered a knee injury on a special teams play early in the game. He did not return.

Tarley, a WPIAL Class AA heavyweight wrestling champion and one best of a running back, gave Beth-Center that something extra it didn't have last year on offense. Tarley did not play his junior year.

* South Fayette passed another tough test with a 31-21 victory at Steel Valley. The Lions play Wash High this week and Burgettstown the following. Keystone Oaks lurks in Week 6. The winner of that will win the Century Conference.

* The won-loss record of Chartiers-Houston's opponents isn't exactly extraordinary (Union, Shenango and Serra are a combined 2-6) but that shouldn't be the focus of the Bucs 3-0 start.

Mykel Dorsey has emerged as a playmaker as a runner and returner. Danial Lis is evolving into a dual-threat quarterback that the C-H offense needs from the position. More importantly, the Bucs are young. They might not be ready for Clairton but the playoffs appear a certainty.

Head coach Terry Fetsko told me earlier in the week that C-H has two goals: 1. Host a playoff game, and 2. Win a playoff game. It's been a while for both.

* Not sure why the Peters Township defense couldn't get off the field in a season-opening loss to Penn-Trafford. That hasn't been the case in easy wins the past two weeks.

* My new top four in the Black Hills Conference goes Clairton, Chartiers-Houston, Brentwood and Fort Cherry.

* When's the last time a team that runs a spread offense like Ringgold attempt two passes in a game?

29 comments:

Clairton Alum said...

Clairton 60, Carlynton 6.

Game started off slow, Clairton started off sleepy and, quite honestly, bored again. Carlynton scored first on a broken play after a Clairton fumble. Clairton, quite honestly, got mad and scored 60 unanswered. The no personal foul/unsportsmanlike conduct penalty streak stopped at 11 quarters on a ticky-tack call.

Observations:
Clairton has always played better when they dislike/hate their opponent. In the first game of the season, there was a lot of talk between Washington and Clairton. This talk got Clairton going and their was some animosity there before the game. During that game, you saw Clairton come out and play hard and physical right from the opening kick off. These last two games against Western Beaver and Carlynton have been different. We dont have any type of history or anything in common with those two teams. I honestly believe, despite the last two games being blow-outs, thats why Clairton hasnt played their best and have kind of looked bored on the field.

Now comes Chartiers Houston. Let me tell you, there is A LOT of animosity towards CH from the Clairton Bears. After last years bench clearing brawl that CH started at Clairton...along with some other things...the Chartiers Houston Buccaneers have Clairtons complete, undivided attention. Clairton will be ready Friday night for the Bucs. Clairton will not let up Friday night, no matter the lead. CH will get Clairtons best shot, and that spells a lot of trouble for CH.

Anonymous said...

When did Tarley get hurt, before or after the 70th point?

Joey Niklas said...

I for one likes what Char Houston has to offer on offense. Unlike 2 years ago(when I saw them last) they ran a glorified wildcat. Against Shenengo they ran an offense similar to Springdale. It almost reminds me of a Wing-T out of the shotgun. The Bucs also has a decent passing game out of this formation. If the Bears get caught over-pursuing the Bucs can make them pay for a nice gain. #24 has some decent speed. For the Bucs to win they have to find themselves in a track meet. The Bears D is too good for that to happen. But there is alot to like out of Char Houston.

Fball fan said...

So happy for the weekly "Clairton is God" recap. Not sure what we'd do without the recap of the intricacies of why a 60-6 game was what it was. Zzzzzzzz.

mike_kovak said...

Tarley was hurt early in the game. Coach Ed Woods pulled his starters at 36-0.

Anonymous said...

is there any word on how long tarleys out

Sarcastic Sword said...

Ringgold's spread is so much different than they typical spread offense....Matt Humbert said from the day he was hired that he was his offense was going to be run-oriented. Besides being in shotgun formation, nothing Ringgold does on offense that would be similar to a pass-happy spread...That was what Ringgold did last yr - 3 and 4 WR - pass 75% of the time...I will say that for a young coach, Humbert is following that old coaching axiom that says you design a scheme based on your personnel - not be married to a scheme and fit your players to it..He was witness last yr to a pass-happy spread and how ineffective that offense was for his players (former coach Lloyd Price was the one who wanted to be pass first, pass second, then pass some more...)..No need to pass when the OL dominate the line of scrimmage....and you have skill players who can fly....Great job so far Coach!

mike_kovak said...

I spoke with Coach Woods on Sunday and there will be an MRI today (Monday) on Tarley's knee. No matter the results, Tarley is out against Carmichaels.

prexie said...

things that make you say duh. why dont we see brower get the ball on offense? what happened to the slant patterns that worked so well in week 2? when a kid drops a pass but the play was there, why dont we go back to it. where is misdirection,play action, jet sweeps, end arounds.we have to get better on offense.kids get dejected when you cant get first downs. i know they have to block and do their jobs but we look anemic.south fayette then keystone oaks not going to be easy. stop the run,run,pass,punt mentality and use what you got its not rocket science.thanks for letting me spew.

Axel said...

The unwritten rule as a football coach is that you score as many points as possible before halftime. BC scored 63 in the first half and, apparently, used mostly jv players after the 5th TD. Instead of bashing BC, why not look at the Mapletown program which barely has enough students in the school to field a team. Why don't they co-op with another school like many of the Beaver county schools have done in the past?

Clairton Alum said...

ahhh...fball fan. I was wondering where the Clairton bashers were. I am sure we will see a few later this week with CH coming to town. If you dont like it, dont read it my friend.

Anonymous said...

Who designated Beth Center the Tri-County south favorites?? and How did they come up with this assumption?? As far as I'm concerned you can't start out number one when you were beat last year by Monessen, who rule the T.C.S. Alabama started out number one because they won. Not because some reporter guessed that since Ohio State looks promising they will be favored. Get it straight, last years champs are still undefeated and until that changes, Greyhounds are the team to beat.

Anonymous said...

I for one enjoy Clairton Alum's P.O.V. He keeps it very professional, something not many do on a blog site where you can remain anonymous. Keep it up Clairton Alum

Anonymous said...

to quote larry the cable guy: arguing who should be the favorite in the TCS at this point in the season is like wiping before you poop, it just doesnt make sense. Monessen has 0 quality wins and their opponents have a combined record of 2-7. Beth Center has a 1/2 or maybe a 1/4 of a quality win if you can call it that over Frazier and their opponents have a combined record of 3-6. the TCS is the worst conference in the smallest class. at this point the only thing BC and monessen have are potential. Until they beat someone of consequence outside of the TCS in the playoffs this year it doesnt matter which team is #1, they are interchangeable.

prexie said...

Its funny to listen to people bash clairton. I just hope clairton can not let success get to their heads. as for the greyhounds, their jv team got destroyed by wash high and i think they had alot of starters playing. they cannot beat the elite teams in single a. final note, any game clairton plays during regular season will be zzzzzz

Anonymous said...

i have no problem with people supporting their teams...but monessen folks how quickly you forget about your team getting TRUCKED two years in a row by the two elite teams in class A, Rochester and Clairton. This year, you come out and play 3 of the worst teams in class a and have a 3-0 record and now you want to sing their praises? Come'on man...

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with you prexie even the clairton players are getting bored with these games, thats why I think they have been starting out slow for their last two games

Anonymous said...

i'm sorry clairton alum but the bench clearing brawl was started by clairton.

Clairton Alum said...

Anon, would you like to see the video? Would you like to see...I believe it was #55 for CH...taking off his helmet and swinging wildly at every Clairton player he could find in the middle of the field? That is what started the fight. Would you like to take a look at how many times your CH players went after the knees and ankles of every Clairton player they could with chop blocks and dirty plays that were never called? I have watched it quite a few times. I guarantee the Clairton players have watched it too. Get ready for Friday night.

Anonymous said...

How can you take a person who says "Trucked" serious....

Watergate said...

Clairton alum. I am just curious to know if you have ever played this sport. Your posts kind of remind me of a fantasy football geek who lives through the accomplishments of others. We know Clairton is good. Athletes don't need "fuel" to perform at their best. If they plan on repeating as state champions, they can't rely on history to determine their effort.

Clairton Alum said...

@ watergate...

I have played this sport as well as many other sports. I have also coached and officiated many other sports. That said, I didnt realize that was a pre-requisite for discussing football on a blog site. My apologies.

I have been around Clairton sports and Clairton football for quite some time. I know a thing or two about this town and how these athletes perform and what motivates them. The thing that motivates schools like Peters Township or Cannon McMillian arent the same things that motivate athletes from say Clairton or McKeesport. Quite frankly, Clairton plays better when they are mad, when they have a chip on their shoulder, when they have been disrespected. Those types of things "fuel" Clairton.

And I am not in a fantasy football league (at least not this year) and I most definitely do not live vicariuosly through anyone. I come on here to give my team some positive talk and talk about other issues in the area with Mike and others. Like i tell everyone else, if you dont like what I have to say, dont read it :-)

Anonymous said...

anon 9/21 2pm:

would you prefer i use the word(s) crushed? demolished? destroyed? embarrassed? obliterated? smashed? shown up? outplayed? blown out? I mean just tell me and ill use whatever word you can understand.

Anonymous said...

@clairton alum.
i would actually like to see these tapes you are talking about. put them on youtube.

Anonymous said...

in 5 games against clairton and rochester in 2008/2009, the monessen greyhounds were outscored 168-0. In the 3 games Clairton played them they were outscored 137-0. Lets break that down. Thats 137 points in 12 quarters. Thats 137 points in 144 minutes. Clairton scored almost 1 point per minute every single time they played them. Keep beating up on geibel and mapletown...good job.

Joey Niklas said...

Anon Sep 21, 2010 8:33 PM and C-town Alum,

That brawl is last years news so stop worrying about it. C-Town Alum, don't let yourself get caught up in arguments like this. You represent Clairton very well and better than me most of the time.

prexie,

Thank you for sticking up for Clairton.

I hope to make it out to the game on Friday. Its fun when my hometown takes on the town I grew up in. Here's hoping for a clean game that Clairton wins by 50. lol

Clairton Alum said...

You're right Joe. Point taken. Maybe I'll see you Friday.

Anonymous said...

so you aren't putting the tape online anywhere?

Joey Niklas said...

anon,

Let it go. That was last year. We debated this enough last year. In case you forgot there is a game this Friday. Lets talk about the game. #24 looks to be a decent back. Your QB Lis has solid legs and throws fairly decent. I'd like to how ya'll match up this Friday.