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

[playa_44]

Minford has alot of team speed? I figured they were bout the same speed as the West backfield. Far as physical conditioning, got to give the nod to West. Hope it is as exciting a game as everyone thinks it is going to be. Good Luck to West!

[Bleeding Red]

I dont think the rain effects either team more or less than the other. They are both run oriented. Even though I think Minford has faster kids in the backfield, they run alot of power running plays and quick dives, traps and counters that are pretty fast developing. Carter, Berry and Justice all run up the middle with Berry and Justice more so around the end. They also run some out of a power I formation so footing shouldnt hinder them any more than West.

If the field is not wet I think the team that can sprinkle in successful passing early on will have a clear advantage in the game. Its no secret that both defenses will load up in the box to stop the run and will stay put with that philosophy until they have to worry about their opponents passing game.

Early defensive stops will be crucial in the game as will turnovers.

This game will be two hard nosed football teams trying to run the ball right at the other. This game will be won at the line of scrimmage and turnovers. I give Minford's line a significant advantage over West and both teams have had their run with with the turnover bug this year. I also think West will have more of an issue stopping Minford's group of backs than Minford will have stopping Bricker and Crace. Both teams will move the ball and both teams will score points. I still like Minford 28-14.

[Bleeding Red]

Regardless of the score this game will be very physical. It will be two teams lining up in tight formations run running right at each other. It will embody everything Ohio high school football is known for. Jessie Scott is a huge addition, he will definitely effect the outcome. minford had superior team speed, but the 5-2 is tailor made to stop the Wing-t. I look for this game to be similar in outcome to the slobberknocker back in 2010. Two fairly evenly matched opponents, with chips on their shoulder. West is definitely the underdog and for good reason. But, with 2 weeks to settle into the new lineup they will be as ready as ever. If they win this one, I feel it will be the confidence they need to win out until the burg game. The player who we need to come alive is Justin crace. If he can play like every one on the west side knows he can and carry the load we can win. On a side note, I'm not sure if there is a better place to watch a game than minford, great facilities.

Thanks for the compliment on Minford's facilities.

This may sound weird, but I enjoyed watching games at the old West field better than the new stadium. Obviously the new stadium is nicer but it feels like you are sitting a mile from the action. Same can be said with Valley.....great complex but hard to get into the game when you are sitting so far off the field.

[NewEra]

Minford has alot of team speed? I figured they were bout the same speed as the West backfield. Far as physical conditioning, got to give the nod to West. Hope it is as exciting a game as everyone thinks it is going to be. Good Luck to West!

I would have to say I agree that Minford has more team speed.

[nutronron2012]

Regardless of the score this game will be very physical. It will be two teams lining up in tight formations run running right at each other. It will embody everything Ohio high school football is known for. Jessie Scott is a huge addition, he will definitely effect the outcome. minford had superior team speed, but the 5-2 is tailor made to stop the Wing-t. I look for this game to be similar in outcome to the slobberknocker back in 2010. Two fairly evenly matched opponents, with chips on their shoulder. West is definitely the underdog and for good reason. But, with 2 weeks to settle into the new lineup they will be as ready as ever. If they win this one, I feel it will be the confidence they need to win out until the burg game. The player who we need to come alive is Justin crace. If he can play like every one on the west side knows he can and carry the load we can win. On a side note, I'm not sure if there is a better place to watch a game than minford, great facilities.

Thanks for the compliment on Minford's facilities.

This may sound weird, but I enjoyed watching games at the old West field better than the new stadium. Obviously the new stadium is nicer but it feels like you are sitting a mile from the action. Same can be said with Valley.....great complex but hard to get into the game when you are sitting so far off the field.

I agree 100% about the old vs new west stadium. I have said the same thing many of times. I wish they wouldve just remodeled the old West stadium. That was always a great place to watch a game and it does feel like you're so far away from the field at the new place or at least it does from the visitor side.

[Westfan]

The new setup with all the schools together is a much better setup. But as far as the field alone I agree. The old field had a better environment and more character. Fans were right next to the action. The new field is nice, but lacks character.

[NewEra]

With Minford's playoff odds being at 83% for 6 wins and nearly 100% for 7, I feel this takes the edge off the falcons mentally, and will allow them to be even more successful as well as doing things they need to prepare for post-season play. Playing loose can be both a blessing and a curse, but I expect this young football team to play even better with this potential factor. I expect to see a few more wrinkles added to the offense these next 4 weeks as the falcons expland the playbook and play diversity for the playoffs. Minford can host at 9 wins with a near 100% chance, so the motivations are still going to be high, so I would expect not letdowns from this football team. Go Falcons!

[A-Town Big Dog]

I like Minford here.

[dreamweaver]

Got to go with West as the underdog. Always good to be the underdog and play lights out. West is such a hard working team, it is bound to pay off sooner than not.

[seasick80]

The new setup with all the schools together is a much better setup. But as far as the field alone I agree. The old field had a better environment and more character. Fans were right next to the action. The new field is nice, but lacks character.

If I dont read the "ROCK" I am gonna go insane!!

[seasick80]

Of course I know this game is at Minford! LOL

[sider]

the 5-2 is tailor made to stop a wing T? actually its tailor made to get run on very easy ive seen minford run this offense 6 seasons now..5-2 is not difficult to scheme against..and honestly if it rains i think it benefits the siders more so since minford has the faster team

Yes, by alignment there are much better defenses to play against the wing-t, but schematically there are very few if any. Typically linebackers key flow, especially in the 4-3 and 5-3. However in the 5-2 the linebacker keys are the guards. In the wing-t the guards will take you to the football everytime, therefore eliminating the aspect of trickery. If that is taken away then it just comes down to match up of blocker vs defender. The 5-2 is very easy to scheme against. It's a seven man box and it gives up the 2/3 hole run. It comes down to who's man is better, the offense or the defense. In the majority of teams that run it (ironton, burg, west) their guy is better. This allows each player to play two gaps, which is tough to deal with as an offensive coordinator.

[noles_fan]

Regardless of the score this game will be very physical. It will be two teams lining up in tight formations run running right at each other. It will embody everything Ohio high school football is known for. Jessie Scott is a huge addition, he will definitely effect the outcome. minford had superior team speed, but the 5-2 is tailor made to stop the Wing-t. I look for this game to be similar in outcome to the slobberknocker back in 2010. Two fairly evenly matched opponents, with chips on their shoulder. West is definitely the underdog and for good reason. But, with 2 weeks to settle into the new lineup they will be as ready as ever. If they win this one, I feel it will be the confidence they need to win out until the burg game. The player who we need to come alive is Justin crace. If he can play like every one on the west side knows he can and carry the load we can win. On a side note, I'm not sure if there is a better place to watch a game than minford, great facilities.

Thanks for the compliment on Minford's facilities.

This may sound weird, but I enjoyed watching games at the old West field better than the new stadium. Obviously the new stadium is nicer but it feels like you are sitting a mile from the action. Same can be said with Valley.....great complex but hard to get into the game when you are sitting so far off the field.

This is the disadvantage of putting a track around the field. It would be nice if all schools had the ability to separate them as some schools have. Then you could move the stands back in closer to the field. I loved the old stadium a lot of great memories from that stadium. One of the best fields as far as playing surfaces in all of Southeastern Ohio!!!!

[fbnut]

Regardless of the score this game will be very physical. It will be two teams lining up in tight formations run running right at each other. It will embody everything Ohio high school football is known for. Jessie Scott is a huge addition, he will definitely effect the outcome. minford had superior team speed, but the 5-2 is tailor made to stop the Wing-t. I look for this game to be similar in outcome to the slobberknocker back in 2010. Two fairly evenly matched opponents, with chips on their shoulder. West is definitely the underdog and for good reason. But, with 2 weeks to settle into the new lineup they will be as ready as ever. If they win this one, I feel it will be the confidence they need to win out until the burg game. The player who we need to come alive is Justin crace. If he can play like every one on the west side knows he can and carry the load we can win. On a side note, I'm not sure if there is a better place to watch a game than minford, great facilities.

Thanks for the compliment on Minford's facilities.

This may sound weird, but I enjoyed watching games at the old West field better than the new stadium. Obviously the new stadium is nicer but it feels like you are sitting a mile from the action. Same can be said with Valley.....great complex but hard to get into the game when you are sitting so far off the field.

This is the disadvantage of putting a track around the field. It would be nice if all schools had the ability to separate them as some schools have. Then you could move the stands back in closer to the field. I loved the old stadium a lot of great memories from that stadium. One of the best fields as far as playing surfaces in all of Southeastern Ohio!!!!

new stadium not one of my favorites but really disliked the old one. All the seating on one side seemed to take something away from the game.

[4thgoal]

With Minford's playoff odds being at 83% for 6 wins and nearly 100% for 7, I feel this takes the edge off the falcons mentally, and will allow them to be even more successful as well as doing things they need to prepare for post-season play.

I agree with you if their only goal is making the playoffs, but if they want to make any kind of playoff run, they need to secure a first round home game. The last thing they need to have happen is to end up travelling to Ironton or St. Clairsville for their first round game.

[nutronron2012]

#276 Minford (5-0) 107.5
Ranked #30 of 123 in Division IV, #6 in Region 15
Overall strength-of-schedule 0.311, #569 toughest (of 719)
Division IV strength-of-schedule 0.348, #96 toughest (of 123)
Win total probabilities: 6W-1% 7W-13% 8W-49% 9W-31% 10W-5%
Harbin projections (ranges): 6W-12.9(11.4-14.6) 7W-14.6(11.4-18.8) 8W-16.6(12.6-22.9) 9W-20.2(17.0-24.7) 10W-24.0(21.7-26.5)
Playoff probabilities: 6W-83% 7W-99% 8W-99% 9W-100% 10W-100%
Home game probabilities: 6W-1% 7W-8% 8W-38% 9W-93% 10W-100%
Seed projections (ranges): 6W-#7 (#4-#out) 7W-#6 (#3-#out) 8W-#5 (#2-#out) 9W-#3 (#1-#6) 10W-#3 (#1-#3)
Projected 17.30 Harbin points (divisor 100), projected #4 seed (best #1, worst out)
Playoff chance 99% (control own destiny), 54% chance of a home game (control own destiny)
Playoff chance 99% with a win this week, and 98% with a loss
1st round opponents: Harrison Central (Cadiz) 32%, Johnstown-Monroe (Johnstown) 23%, Martins Ferry 18%, Piketon 10%, St Clairsville 5%
Week 1: Won 40-0 H vs #645 Rock Hill (Ironton) (0-5, D5 R19), pick: W by 13
Week 2: Won 38-19 A vs #519 Wellston (2-3, D4 R15), pick: W by 5
Week 3: Won 19-14 A vs #433 Piketon (3-2, D4 R15), pick: W by 10
Week 4: Won 41-14 H vs #434 Portsmouth (1-4, D4 R15), pick: W by 10
Week 5: Won 20-19 H vs #346 Oak Hill (4-1, D5 R19), pick: W by 5
Week 6: H vs #450 Portsmouth West (West Portsmouth) (2-3, D5 R19) 82% W (16 pts)
Week 7: A vs #719 Northwest (Mc Dermott) (0-5, D4 R15) 99% W (40 pts)
Week 8: A vs #166 Wheelersburg (4-1, D5 R19) 75% L (11 pts)
Week 9: H vs #523 Waverly (1-4, D4 R15) 91% W (23 pts)
Week 10: A vs #181 Valley (Lucasville) (5-0, D5 R19) 71% L (10 pts)
Pre: 95.6 (#433, #59 in D4, divisor 100, berth 25%, home 6%, proj. out) 4W-8.4H-1% 5W-10.6H-6% 6W-13.1H-38% 7W-15.4H-83%-#6 8W-18.1H-99%-#4 9W-20.6H-100%-#2
Week 1: 99.3 (#371, #47 in D4, divisor 100, berth 42%, home 15%, proj. out) 4W-7.7H-1% 5W-10.1H-2% 6W-12.6H-26% 7W-15.1H-76%-#7 8W-17.7H-98%-#4 9W-20.6H-100%-#2 10W-23.7H-100%-#2
Week 2: 104.6 (#306, #37 in D4, divisor 100, berth 69%, home 31%, proj. #4 seed) 5W-9.6H-2% 6W-12.3H-26% 7W-14.9H-79%-#7 8W-17.8H-99%-#4 9W-20.7H-100%-#3 10W-23.9H-100%-#2
Week 3: 104.6 (#308, #35 in D4, divisor 100, berth 76%, home 23%, proj. #6 seed) 5W-9.9H-4% 6W-11.7H-20% 7W-14.1H-68%-#8 8W-16.7H-98%-#5 9W-20.0H-100%-#4 10W-23.3H-100%-#2
Week 4: 106.7 (#283, #32 in D4, divisor 100, berth 87%, home 29%, proj. #6 seed) 6W-11.3H-23% 7W-13.4H-71%-#8 8W-16.3H-99%-#5 9W-19.8H-100%-#4 10W-23.5H-100%-#3
Week 5: 107.5 (#276, #30 in D4, divisor 100, berth 99%, home 54%, proj. #4 seed) 6W-12.9H-83%-#7 7W-14.6H-99%-#6 8W-16.6H-99%-#5 9W-20.2H-100%-#3 10W-24.0H-100%-#3

[NewEra]

Absolutely agree. I do not look for this Minford team to be complacent I was just stating what I found to be interesting on http://www.fantastic50.net/Ohio_Berths.php

[urban buck]

No disrespect intended because I think Minford has a fine team this year. Just not sure why the Minford vs Oak game was tied at 2 touchdowns and then we are talking about all this team speed Minford has.

[nutronron2012]

No disrespect intended because I think Minford has a fine team this year. Just not sure why the Minford vs Oak game was tied at 2 touchdowns and then we are talking about all this team speed Minford has.

Maybe Oak Hill has team speed too. We'll all see how much team speed Minford has in the next 5 weeks

[Bleeding Red]

Oak Hill is definitely not a slow team. Offensively they run more of a power type system but defensively they are strong, quick and fast. I was really surprised with how fast Oak Hill's linebackers and DE's were. Oak Hill's defense reminded me alot of Ridgewoods defensive quickness in 2009 with more meat up front on the line.

I wouldnt say that Minford is as fast as they were in 2010 with Butcher at QB and Piquett at RB. Slone was the FB that year and Austin Carter is real comparable to how Slone ran the ball between the tackles. Berry and Justice arent as fast as JP Piquett was, but Justice has way quicker feet and cuts on a dime. Berry isnt a blazer but he can break tackles and get in the open and he isnt easy to run down at nearly 200lbs. JP Piquett's little brother Grant also plays RB and he is probably as fast as his older brother once he gets around the end.

I think Minford's offensive line is far better than what they had in 2010 though. They are helping an already good backfield look really good!