Portsmouth West (2-3) @ Minford (5-0)

[Endzone_Warrior]

No team in the SOC will beat Burg this year as long as they stay healthy IMO.
Seen them against Ironton and Jackson, they are the real deal!

[urban buck]

With Lewis, Ironton WOULD beat Minford by 3 scores, I agree with siderman. I just think it would be an interesting match up, didnt say Minford would win. Without Lewis, it may be more of a game, sure levels the playing field for any team that plays them. Ironton is going to become like playing any other team in the future, that is why I think they need to get in the SOC..another topic.

[Westfan]

I have no vendetta against Minford if that is what you are saying. I'm just being realistic and your looking at it with your homer glasses on. Minford has a good team. But if you think gameplanning would keep you in the game with a healthy Ironton team your wrong. Minford struggled with Portsmouth until half their team went out with injury. Watch the Ironton-Portsmouth game. It looked like women playing men.

Now next year, after Ironton graduates 20 seniors and returns less than 15 varsity players that will change. With Lutz gone, the moveins will stop and they will be like everyone else. As for the burg game. Remember Wheelersburg has a big advantage coming into that game. They change their offense every year and Ironton can't prepare. Ironton has been running the same stuff for 40 years.

[sider]

Went to this instead of my Pirates/NW...hope people do not get mad but not impressed at all by either team. Minford one dimensional unless they throw the out pattern to one guy...and West was just a mess. Did not see much speed as promised, perhaps b/c of field conditions. I really root for Minford's program (when not playing Burg) because I believe coach Daniels has created new atmosphere. Seen Burg few times and have not seen Valley...both teams seem to be scoring at will and I can't see either team tonight keeping up, at least offensively. Hope the Falcons continue to progress and represent the SOC in DIV playoffs. West, get some young guys some PT to give them experience for next year.

Minford is hardly one dimensional. West just had good defense. #14 for Minford will be hard to stop in any game. #28 will also. Minford has some weapons and #75 did his job. West is not a "mess" as you put it. They are young but seem like the seniors they do have are not leading by example. I heard alot of folks express even how they hold themselves, as if they already lost. Never seen a team for Trip do that before. #11 and #4 play to win. Only 3 or 4 seniors start for West so they have no choice but to give the young guys experience. Good Luck to both teams as they go forward. Like to see West beat Valley and like to see Minford win out. I cant wait to see this Burg team that everyone is jawing about. From what I read, they are more one-dimensional than any other team, or should I say Miller dimensional. Both Miller kids make most everything happen. Jackson is waaaaay down this year. Still they may win SOC but I would rather see Minford.

First off, the Burg is not one dimensional. They have Eddie Miller at QB who is doing an outstanding job passing the ball, running the ball, and running the offense in general. They have great receivers in Dylan Miller, Claxon, and Pyles who all do a great job of running their routes and catching the ball. They also have two good running backs in Cowgill and Gifford and when Wade Martin returns that will add another offensive weapon. The defense swarms to the ball and is great at pursuit. Jackson may be down, but they are not "waaaaaay down" and they are huge on both sides on the ball. The Burg just overwhelmed them and they never recovered. Is Ironton down too? The Burg actually outplayed Ironton and if not for the two quick scores by the KO return and the fumble return the Pirates would be 6-0 right now. Wheelersburg's no huddle wears teams down and they will be hard to stop on offense. I haven't seen anyone stop them yet this year, including Ironton, so if you want to beat them you are going to have to outscore them.

Definitely agree. Burg is anything but one dimensional. They run the ball, option, and pass effectively. This combined with the speed that they have makes them very dangerous. They will win the Soc.

[Bleeding Red]

I have no vendetta against Minford if that is what you are saying. I'm just being realistic and your looking at it with your homer glasses on. Minford has a good team. But if you think gameplanning would keep you in the game with a healthy Ironton team your wrong. Minford struggled with Portsmouth until half their team went out with injury. Watch the Ironton-Portsmouth game. It looked like women playing men.

Now next year, after Ironton graduates 20 seniors and returns less than 15 varsity players that will change. With Lutz gone, the moveins will stop and they will be like everyone else. As for the burg game. Remember Wheelersburg has a big advantage coming into that game. They change their offense every year and Ironton can't prepare. Ironton has been running the same stuff for 40 years.

All I know is that Minford is 6-0 going into Northwest and should come out 7-0. And yeah your verbiage shows that you have a chip on your shoulder. In the past several years, myself and alot of other Minford fans have went to Valley, Burg and West playoff games and supported the other SOC II schools in post season play. I dont think its too much to support the other SOC II schools instead of being sour grapes and trying to put down a team that just beat yours.

West wouldnt have even scored without our DE getting tackled by a lineman while in pursuit of the RB in the West backfield on the long run that set up the West TD. He almost took our DE's jersey off as he tackled him from behind. One of the most obvious holding penalties I have ever seen. Watch for yourself when the game comes out on watchthezone.com. You cant miss it.

It looks like your schedule will be wide open week 11 so maybe you can come out and support the team if we are playing.

And I think you will see a competitive game when Ironton faces Oak Hill. Ironton doesnt have a stellar defense. Oak Hill will put points on the board and will create fits defensively for Ironton.

Anyhow, good luck to your Siders the rest of the season.

[marshallman]

By being one dimensional I think he means the QB does all the passing and is the leading rusher on the team. D. Miller is the main WR. But the burg has no rushing attack if E.Miller doesn't run the ball. Stop him and you stop the offense.

[SPAMONY]

By being one dimensional I think he means the QB does all the passing and is the leading rusher on the team. D. Miller is the main WR. But the burg has no rushing attack if E.Miller doesn't run the ball. Stop him and you stop the offense.

much easrier said than done..... no one has yet!

[SOCMAN05]

Last time I checked Burg lost game one ! Burg can be beat and good coaches will know how to prepare for them .

[Bo_Diaz]

Last time I checked Burg lost game one ! Burg can be beat and good coaches will know how to prepare for them .

Preparing for them is one thing... Stopping them is another. With the talent level around the area being what it is, I'd say that shutting down Burg's O will be tough. No matter what scheme or system coaches throw at them.

[BigBlueNation]

The entire conference is young. I see Burg, Valley and Minford getting better the next few years. Not sure about West. They looked small and weak up front and lacked speed. They do have good linebacker play.

West will be right there with them. We will be smaller but will be far from weak we have a outstanding weight program that is second to none. The one linebacker that had the most tackles is just a freshman #58. We have several kids moved up from the jv and are now starting varsity. The freshman team just lost their first game to Burg and the jv is undefeated and has not been scored on, so we will be fine. Was just wandering why Minford cancelled their jv and freshman games this week with West.

[Bleeding Red]

The entire conference is young. I see Burg, Valley and Minford getting better the next few years. Not sure about West. They looked small and weak up front and lacked speed. They do have good linebacker play.

West will be right there with them. We will be smaller but will be far from weak we have a outstanding weight program that is second to none. The one linebacker that had the most tackles is just a freshman #58. We have several kids moved up from the jv and are now starting varsity. The freshman team just lost their first game to Burg and the jv is undefeated and has not been scored on, so we will be fine. Was just wandering why Minford cancelled their jv and freshman games this week with West.

That linebacker saved alot of plays from getting into the secondary. He is gonna be a good player.

Minford also shored up their LB group by putting a freshman #30 in during the Oak Hill game. Oak Hill was having alot of success from the power I and #30 went in and nearly turned the defense around by himself at LB. #30 for Minford had alot of tackles and made alot of good plays at LB again last week vs West.

The entire SOC II is young and this conference should make waves for the next several years.

No idea why Minford canceled the games. You got me on that one.

[noles_fan]

Ironton would beat minford by at least 3 td's, if not more.

It's a different level and mentality of preparation vs higher level teams. Minford will be ready to bring their best game and game plan, mentally, coaching, and physically if they play Ironton/ St Clairsville. The team that sleep walked through the West game will not be the team who shows up week 11-13. If you think these kids are going to be as up and focused mentally vs. a 2-3 West team on homecoming night than they would against a say 11-0 St. Clairsville team you are kidding youself. No disrespect to west at all with this post, it's just reality, it's about the psychology of a player, the dynamic of when, where, and what is at stake at the time of kickoff, the coaching staff knowing if they need to push the envelope, etc. So many different things go into different match-ups. You will see an example of this as West will be more focused IMO vs. Valley. Similar to what we saw Friday at Minford when West competed and had chances to beat Minford and lost 17-6. At the end of the day, most of the time, talent will overcome it, so if Ironton or St. Clairsville beats Minford by lets say 35-21, 28-21, etc we will know. But you take the same Minford team from friday, and line them up it would be more of a 35-7 type ordeal. West will have this dynamic, in which will result in a 7 to 14 point game vs. Valley IMO, if not a win. Minford, Burg, and Valley would all play closer if not compete/win vs. Ironton or St. Clairsville than West would because of this dynamic.

You can't just bash a team and then say no disrespect and make it all better. And if your kids aint up for every game and are "sleep walking through them" so you say then that is a direct reflection on your coach. I for one have nothing but respect for coach Daniels he is an outstanding man on and off the field so I am sure he would only expect the best from his kids. So maybe it is possible that West just played with Minford. And enough about this Homecoming crap the football players dont really have a lot to do with it anyway they go out hand out some flowers, it aint like they have to practice for it all week. That being said lets call it what it was a good ball game between to evenly matched teams and nothing more!!!

[SPAMONY]

i agree a good game but how exactly is being held scorelss (17-0) til a late 4th quater score evenly matched???

[Westfan]

i agree a good game but how exactly is being held scorelss (17-0) til a late 4th quater score evenly matched???

We moved the ball. Well at times. They threw for more yards, but we threw it pretty well. We drove the ball deep in to their territory and couldn't finish where they did.

[NewEra]

i agree a good game but how exactly is being held scorelss (17-0) til a late 4th quater score evenly matched???

We moved the ball. Well at times. They threw for more yards, but we threw it pretty well. We drove the ball deep in to their territory and couldn't finish where they did.

True, but honestly not at one point in the first 3 quarters did I think West was going to score. I didn't mean sleep walk, I guess a better way to put it would, be the mental preparation would and will be different vs. a Ironton/St. Clairsville team, from a players point of view.

[dreamweaver]

Wow new era, cant you just shut up.? You make yourself look ridiculous. Obvious you must never have been an athlete.

[Westfan]

True, but honestly not at one point in the first 3 quarters did I think West was going to score. I didn't mean sleep walk, I guess a better way to put it would, be the mental preparation would and will be different vs. a Ironton/St. Clairsville team, from a players point of view.

So minford was so dominant that they don't go for a 4th and one deep in West territory. Instead settling for a field goal with your first points? Or they didn't feel threatened when West drove the length of the field easily down close to the red zone before penalties backed us up. I hope the rest of minford isn't as arrogant. How dare they think they have to prepare for the same team that totally embarrassed you the year before.

[Westfan]

Wow new era, cant you just shut up.? You make yourself look ridiculous. Obvious you must never have been an athlete.

Arrogance won't let him.

[Ol_BoyMF]

To me Minford may have the best team I have seen THEM have in years. Could make some noise post season and I for one hope they do. But right now, it has been close games with Oak Hill, Piketon and now West. West had better stats than Minford. Defensively West STOPPED the run game. 14 had several GREAT catches which without him, the game may have been different. It wasn't though and Minford is undefeated and that is great! But to say they played flat and otherwise what?? You won isnt that enuf or are you really making excuses for why you didnt win bigger?! Do you beat your chest when you type too?lol..All that, I wish Minford the best of luck going forward and hope they win out and make a deep run in the playoffs.

any team through 08-11 would beat this team handily anyone that is in the coaching staff now that was on there a few years ago will tell you that

[NewEra]

To me Minford may have the best team I have seen THEM have in years. Could make some noise post season and I for one hope they do. But right now, it has been close games with Oak Hill, Piketon and now West. West had better stats than Minford. Defensively West STOPPED the run game. 14 had several GREAT catches which without him, the game may have been different. It wasn't though and Minford is undefeated and that is great! But to say they played flat and otherwise what?? You won isnt that enuf or are you really making excuses for why you didnt win bigger?! Do you beat your chest when you type too?lol..All that, I wish Minford the best of luck going forward and hope they win out and make a deep run in the playoffs.

any team through 08-11 would beat this team handily anyone that is in the coaching staff now that was on there a few years ago will tell you that

I dont know about any team through 08-11, but the 2010 team without question. The only difference I see is the potential ceiling for the passing game and a spread attack is higher in my opinion, if Minford figures out how to use all of the athletes. I have said it once, and I'll say it again, Josh Parsons needs to get time at wide. I feel Matt Joyce could contribute as well, similar to what we did with Lloyd in the 2010 with jet sweeps and screens.