Week 5 Chesapeake @ West

[SSU Grad]

I knew this was coming.

Jealousy will destroy any hope of this team making the playoffs. When your number is called, run as hard as YOU can and the rest will take care of itself. The kids on this West football team don't need this type of CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#8 touched the ball 7 or 8 times last night and nearly 200 yards of offense scored 4 td's. Don't be a player hater. As an outsider looking in, if it wasn't for him this team would most likely be 0-5. How's that for your senior year?

[Cameron34Crazie34]

Thanks for saying that. I wanted to say everything you said but you said it for me. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT GRADE YOUR IN, Plain and simple, get the ball to your best back.......!

[fanatic23]

Pendelton break 1,000 yet?

He should be he gets the ball about every play

Murphy had more carries last night 8 for 11 yards. People can blame it on the blocking but pendelton is able to break tackles. He gets hit at the line of scrimmage every play and still manages 10 yards per carry. IMO Murphy would make a heck of a fullback with his blocking ability. Then I would feed pendelton 25-30 carries a night. I hope the west boys just focus on the game and not let thier jealous parents get in thier head.

[SSU Grad]

Great point. Remember when Cantrell's role was changed from featured back to blocking back. His unselfishness carried West all the way to the State Championship. That's what playing as a "TEAM" is all about.
IMO Triplett needs to nip this problem right now (If it is a problem) by letting the kids know exactly what their role is going to be and what is expected of them in this role. You simply can't not hand the ball off to the play maker just to make everyone else happy. Play to win and quit stat watching. The only stats that count in the end is the W's and the L's

[sportsfan43]

I knew this was coming.

Jealousy will destroy any hope of this team making the playoffs. When your number is called, run as hard as YOU can and the rest will take care of itself. The kids on this West football team don't need this type of CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#8 touched the ball 7 or 8 times last night and nearly 200 yards of offense scored 4 td's. Don't be a player hater. As an outsider looking in, if it wasn't for him this team would most likely be 0-5. How's that for your senior year?

so now,not only is he the best player on the team, he is the ONLY player responsible for their wins

Murphy is a great kid and would never bail on his team, but, I wouldnt blame him if he did

[SSU Grad]

Key Phrase " Most Likely". You have to score points to win. Until last night, he had provided about 95% of the offensive fire power. Can you honestly say that this team would have won any games without #8. I am not bashing the other players, I am simply making a point that the he must be the featured back if this team wants to win on a consistent basis. He "has" to have the majority of the touches. You win by getting the ball into the hands of your play makers.

[osu 77]

If you want to talk about playing as a team Ratliff had all day to throw the ball. That is Right, these guys don't run the ball they play as a team.

[SSU Grad]

#3 threw the ball very well, the line blocked good, and the receivers made plays. They will need to do this to continue to be successful. Hopefully it will create more running room for the backs. One of the problems has been the D stacking 10 or 11 in the box. This hurts a shifty runner like #5. #8 running style is not affected as much by this. By spreading the field with a serious pass threat West will be tougher to beat and it plays into the individual strengths of many players, not just one or two

[Westfan]

Both players are good. I agree with what others have said, it is about the team, not how many yards you get. West has a chance to be really good at the end of the year, but if they want to meet their potential, it's going to take the seniors leading the team like the seniors did last year.

This kind of stuff does nothing but cause problems. Making negative posts isn't going to do anything but cause problems. And I agree, the Coach needs to address this if their is a problem. Don't let people/posters from other schools (like the burg fan on this thread) antagonize you. Let the season play out. Seniors only have 5 regular season games left. If they want another Gold Football and a trip to the playoffs forget about carries, yardage, and all the other bull that doesn't matter.

One other thing I would ad is if you've ever heard coach talk about his team, even last year with all the seniors, he always praises Murphy. He probably praises him more than any player on the team. He says he's a great running back and defensive end.

[SSU Grad]

One other thing I would ad is if you've ever heard coach talk about his team, even last year with all the seniors, he always praises Murphy. He probably praises him more than any player on the team. He says he's a great running back and defensive end.[/quote]

Exactly. I just hate seeing people complain about a player who has done nothing but make his team much better.

[sider]

I agree, when you have a running back as good as Pendleton you have to get him the ball...Murphy is a good one in his own right, but football is a game of "what have you donefor me lately" and here lately Pendleton has been making big plays, and carrying West to some wins...I'm sure if Murphy was having the success he would be getting the ball more, maybe he will later on in the year, when teams key on Pendleton, Murphy has very good hands he could utilized as a receiver to help open up running lanes...anyway, I hope it doesn't discourage Mark, everyone has rough patches, I'm sure he will get his success, he just needs to hang in there, and keep helping his team win games...

[5steelers]

I agree, when you have a running back as good as Pendleton you have to get him the ball...Murphy is a good one in his own right, but football is a game of "what have you donefor me lately" and here lately Pendleton has been making big plays, and carrying West to some wins...I'm sure if Murphy was having the success he would be getting the ball more, maybe he will later on in the year, when teams key on Pendleton, Murphy has very good hands he could utilized as a receiver to help open up running lanes...anyway, I hope it doesn't discourage Mark, everyone has rough patches, I'm sure he will get his success, he just needs to hang in there, and keep helping his team win games...

yes I say Pendleton has been running really well but see how good he is with Murphy not blocking so much its more than just yards and TD without the line ? Wander how well Murphy would do if he had just few blocks a game....Well to say about his success he is a senior he needs his this year, its always been about what grade your in unless your Father is a coach..I say good luck to both of them and the whole entire team.

[Westfan]

All the backs have to block for each other with the line for it to work. It is a TEAM game. Both players giving it their all will make both and the TEAM better. It is about the TEAM. And in the end the TEAM matters. Both have god given ability to play the game. Both are fortunate to have played with other talented kids. This is why they have won throughout their playing years. Their has been alot of kids go through that school that haven't been so fortunate. In the end, I would look in the mirror and say do I want to win or am I worried about my accolades. But these kids are just that kids. They don't understand and won't until their about 25. Then it will make sense that they could have did better and gave it their all. But of course then it will be too late. Right now their's 5 games left in the regular season. West can either play as one and win a Gold Football and play week 11, or they can worry about accolades and credit and not reach their potential.

By the way. What about the linemen that block for them both? How many carries do they get? How many Yards? Touchdowns? They don't touch the ball unless they tackle it or jump on it. How much credit do they get? Just the coach talking about them on Saturday morning and the accasional good job? Why do they bust their butts? Because of the love of the game and the satisfaction of giving it their all and winning.

In the end both of these guys will have the opportunity to play college ball if they want to. If they bust their behinds and play hard. College scouts will watch these games.

I would hate to be a friend or relation of a player and put that kind of bull in their head. To not do your best. But it happens all the time. What kind of life lessons are you teaching. Quit or not give it your best everytime life gets hard? Rediculous

[Westfan]

Football wise, the best comparison of this I can think of is the 2002 team. West qualified for the playoffs in 01 and 02. They went 10-0 in the SOC II during that time. The team was very talented but they never gelled for whatever reason. West was going to play at #2 seed New Lexington after West barely qualified for the playoffs as the #7 seed. IMO, West was heading for a loss at New Lex if things stayed as they were.

Up until that time, Justin Cantrel was kind of the primary back and Jeremiah Lens barely ran the ball as he was mostly a receiver. During that week, Cantrel told them he wanted to block for Lens. The rest is history. West blasted New Lex, Coshocton, Portsmouth, and Youngstown Ursuline (all higher seeds) on their way to the State Title game. Cantrel gave up his own stats for the TEAM. He sacrificed for the TEAM and the TEAM succeeded. Now you talk about that run and people say how good a back Lens was, and he was. But the reason that team won was the horses up front and Cantrel sacrificing his own stats for the team.