Logan Football 2013

[93Bulldog]

I love hoops and we have a great time on the basketball forum ... but football can get down right crazy during the fall ... lol ... fans are much more passionate about their teams.

Floyd's "voice of reason" would be a nice added touch if we can get him back over here.

[loganlocos]

FLoyd -

We could ALL use more of the purple hippo in our lives! LOL

You know I can't wait for the pigskin to be back out. Going to be an exciting year for the Chiefs. Excited for Coach Burke and what he will bring to the table for the purple and white. First "new" face on the Chietain sidelines since 1985.

Plus, a couple of strong classes means that LHS should be competitive in the SEOAL. I don't expect Logan to be back on top, but the senior class has a lot of experience and talent and the Sophomores (current freshmen) are a pretty special group. Plenty of reason to be optimistic, but things aren't going to turn around overnight which is what will make it fun.

I know a lot of the current Freshman/Sophomores-to-be were key components on a pretty strong wrestling team. I'll be keeping my eye on the baseball and track teams to get an idea of numbers.

Pfloyd, it'd be great to have you back on the football side. I know it would be great to see you under the Friday Night Lights at Logan Chieftain Stadium!

[93Bulldog]

Pfloyd, it'd be great to have you back on the football side. I know it would be great to see you under the Friday Night Lights at Logan Chieftain Stadium!

I think he avoided the big crowds on Friday nights because of all the autograph signings he had to endure ... maybe you guys can figure out a way to sneak him into the press box Locos so he's not 'bum rushed' by all his fans.

[moonshine]

We might have a security problem if pfloyd is at the games! Lock it down and secure the field! Welcome Back!

[pfloyd]

... the new LHS football T-shirt says " We WILL - Restore order" in reference to the Purple regaining the top spot in the SEOAL again ... Coach Burke was at the high school this week ... I'm thinkin' HE is ready to get things rolling in the Land of the Purple ...

[Auburntgrfan]

Hear is just a thought from someone that does not have a dog in the fight. No negative meanings to the Logan athletes. But I have followed Warren each year since they joined the SEOAL in 86' And watched some pretty good Warren teams get their behinds whipped by Logan. Numbers was possibly the reason at times (Logan is a bigger populated school than the rest of us), better athletes at times ( just a fact of life), the bounce of the ball( sometimes better to be lucky than good), coaching ( hard to argue with Dale Amyx, football and wrestling), are all pluasable possibilities. I heard that at one time Coach Amyx tried to resign and the Logan board would not accept his resignation (if true, quite a vote confidence), don't know if this is the fact or not, but the point being. I have seen at Warren that we have went through times of great kids, hard working, dedicated, just not great talent, or just not enough talented kids. I think every school has seen happen, this can see this at every school. Talent level goes up and down, the ebb and flow of high school athletics. Have seen at our school when the girls were the best athletes at times and the boys at times and at times neither, then an outstanding group of both. Could Logan be going through a period of their athletics being just a little down from the usual? When you have a string of being at or near the top year in and year out, the community as a whole just expects it. Could the kids have gotten complacent and maybe begin to think they just had to show up to win after all we are Logan. Please don't get me wrong I am not putting down Logan's kids, their skill level or work ethic, just putting forth a possibility. Logan has been the team to beat for many years at many sports. And I look for them to be right back there soon. Anyway food for thought, don't really know the whole situation up the road, just throwing something out there. Really mean no dis-respect to Logan, Logan fans or Logan kids, remember you have been talking about teenagers here and who knows what is going on in their lives, what could being distracting them that could affect their performance on and off the court, field, pitch, mat, etc.. Teenagers are wonderous, mysterious creatures after all.

[loganlocos]

... the new LHS football T-shirt says " We WILL - Restore order" in reference to the Purple regaining the top spot in the SEOAL again ... Coach Burke was at the high school this week ... I'm thinkin' HE is ready to get things rolling in the Land of the Purple ...

I've seen some of the players using the "Restore Order" hashtag on twitter. I like it.

I haven't met Coach Burke yet, but I'm excited by what I hear. I think he understands the expectations and traditions of Logan football. Sounds like he is building a strong staff. I think he'll have the best roster since 2010 to work with. The schedule is tough with Lancaster, Loudonville, Nelsonville-York, and Zanesville all possible if not probably playoff teams, let alone Jackson and Gallipolis in the SEOAL who also will be in the playoff hunt.

I know this, if this team can "Restore Order" I think the community is starved for success after being completely spoiled for a few years.

[loganlocos]

Hear is just a thought from someone that does not have a dog in the fight. No negative meanings to the Logan athletes. But I have followed Warren each year since they joined the SEOAL in 86' And watched some pretty good Warren teams get their behinds whipped by Logan. Numbers was possibly the reason at times (Logan is a bigger populated school than the rest of us), better athletes at times ( just a fact of life), the bounce of the ball( sometimes better to be lucky than good), coaching ( hard to argue with Dale Amyx, football and wrestling), are all pluasable possibilities. I heard that at one time Coach Amyx tried to resign and the Logan board would not accept his resignation (if true, quite a vote confidence), don't know if this is the fact or not, but the point being. I have seen at Warren that we have went through times of great kids, hard working, dedicated, just not great talent, or just not enough talented kids. I think every school has seen happen, this can see this at every school. Talent level goes up and down, the ebb and flow of high school athletics. Have seen at our school when the girls were the best athletes at times and the boys at times and at times neither, then an outstanding group of both. Could Logan be going through a period of their athletics being just a little down from the usual? When you have a string of being at or near the top year in and year out, the community as a whole just expects it. Could the kids have gotten complacent and maybe begin to think they just had to show up to win after all we are Logan. Please don't get me wrong I am not putting down Logan's kids, their skill level or work ethic, just putting forth a possibility. Logan has been the team to beat for many years at many sports. And I look for them to be right back there soon. Anyway food for thought, don't really know the whole situation up the road, just throwing something out there. Really mean no dis-respect to Logan, Logan fans or Logan kids, remember you have been talking about teenagers here and who knows what is going on in their lives, what could being distracting them that could affect their performance on and off the court, field, pitch, mat, etc.. Teenagers are wonderous, mysterious creatures after all.

Good post. And I think you bring up some good points.

Without a doubt, Logan hasn't had the talent on the roster in 2010, '11, and '12 that we had throught most of the 2000s. All you needed was the "look test" to figure that out.

But more importantly, I think you were right about the complacency that hit the program. Despite the talent that kids like the Conrads, Derek Harden, Matt Mong, Bryce Bumgardner, Cameron Kiger, Lucas Wright, Pat Angle, Mason Mays, and Bobby Russell brought to the table, it was the WORK and dedication these young men put in that separated them and made them special.

I think there was a lot of a feeling that by putting on the uniform, teams were going to fear Logan. That went away, and once its gone, its hard to get back. That's the biggest challenge for the staff and the seniors. To restore the intensity, effort, and dedication that THOSE teams had. When that is back, Logan will compete in the SEOAL again.

[pfloyd]

... when you AREN'T as talented you HAVE TO do the fundamentals right - tackling, blocking etc... as Locos pointed out not only were the folks he mentioned talented BUT they also worked THEIR butts off while EXPECTING the same from everyone around them ... Logan HAS TO get their "mojo"/"swag" back ...opposing teams have to know that a Logan TEAM is going to bring it on DEFENSE - gang tackling, linebackers who will punish running backs, a nose guard who may be undersized but who will "out quick" you/get into the back field/disrupt running plays/harass the QB all night AND put the QB on his butt - EVERY PLAY ... a defense that does it right fundamentally, by the book - players who KNOW their "position" fundamentals, a defense that makes offenses pay for their mistakes, punishes the opposing team again "by the book" not with cheap shots ...Logan defensively has to take away/not give up "the BIG play" ... I KNOW all of this is a given if ANY team is to be competitive BUT ALL of the areas I mentioned have NOT been part of Logan Football the last 3 seasons ... opponents/the Logan "faithful" could always expect the Purple & White to get it done DEFENSIVELY - EVERY Friday night - the Logan Defense is what will set the tone for a successful season - Restore Order ...

[93Bulldog]

Floyd ... I was up in Logan in the fall ... watched little ol Nelsonville-York demolish Logan 50-0 ... defense was definitely a problem my friend - one that needs to be addressed first and formost, IMO.

[pfloyd]

... 93dog - I believe I read in the LDN that the Logan D last season gave up 35 ppg! -THAT ALONE was un-Loganlike and unacceptable , THAT ALONE puts your record in the ".333" arena ... the Logan "faithful" HAS TO SEE something that MADE Logan Football of the past out of the 2013 Purple - DEFENSE ...IF the Purple Fans see something that reminds them of the "Ghost of Logan Defenses Past" - the fans will get excited, the Purple WILL get some of those elusive "Ws" vs the "good" teams on our pocket schedules ...

[93Bulldog]

Floyd ... two things I remember (and then didn't remember) during some of my battles with the dredded Chieftains ... (1) From my TE position I was suppose to chip the DE, and then deliver a 'crack-back' block on linebacker Brian Lambert ... needless to say it didn't go very well and he ran right over top of me ... (2) playing fullback a year later I took a handoff, cut up field and took off toward the endzone - I glanced to my right (thinking I was in the clear) and was flattened by Tom Smith, who had been sprinting (unevaded) for about 20 yards before contact ... I can't be for certain - but I'm pretty sure I woke up sometime around X-mas ... lol

The Chieftain D was tenacious back then - and was pretty darn good against my Gregory led Athens teams back in 2002, 2003 ... not sure how long it will take to get back to being a great team/program - but from what I seen last year - it might take a little while.

Maybe the purple lost its MOJO when they abandoned the HILLTOP???

[pfloyd]

Maybe the purple lost its MOJO when they abandoned the HILLTOP???

... interesting that you would bring that up concerning the Hilltop ... obviously the new digs are awesome , one of the best in Ohio for a high school venue BUT there is something about playing on the Hilltop - when the entire community was within walking distance of THE home of the Purple, all of the homes on the Hilltop that were "tailgate" locales every home game, the intimacy of the old stadium - nothing like it, nothing in the modern era of new stadiums can equal the atmosphere created for Football Friday Night on the Hilltop, the pfloyd house was 1 block away from the Hilltop Stadium! - I can close my eyes and still hear the band entering the stadium from the Market St. side, the sound of the Victory Bell I could hear sitting on my deck after all of those Purple "W's" ... I can even recall the taste of the dogs & burgers that Logan Locos/2old/Mrs. 2old grilled up before the home games ... you are right on the money about "something" being lost when LHS moved off the hilltop out to 328 ... mojo? maybe ... Logan DID lose some of what made Logan football so special - the Hilltop ... great memories from a great era in LHS football ...

[93Bulldog]

Everything you loved about the Hilltop Floyd ... I feel the exact same way ... except its the opposite ...

I LOVED it ... but I HATED it ... lol

Gallia Academy (a.k.a. Memorial Stadium) still has the same 'feel' to it ... it's a lot like the Hilltop with the surrounding houses ... but it too is about to be a part of history and will no longer host games ...

[dazed&confused]

The WILL to win is sometimes greater than the WAY to win. It is part coaching, part talent, part hard work but the WILL is what seperates the last few years' teams from those that preceeded it. Coaches have to set the tone that nothing but winning is acceptable. There are no ribbons for trying. But mostly the players have to look in the mirror. It is beyond working out. It is beyond film study. It is beyond practice. Those things are all necessary. Slogans are nice. But what is needed is the WILL to win when winning seems improbable. It is doing the things you don't think you can do. Making the tackle! Getting that first down! Looking across the field and seeing the doubt in the opponents eyes! When the team does that again, when losing is not an option, when finding a way when there is no way becomes the the only way, this team will win again. Does it matter more than anything? Is it in you?

[Flatulence]

I read a lot of the stuff that is said on here, but dazed and confused has it correct. Everyone WANTS to win - let's take that as a given. Then it comes to the will to prepare to win - this brings forth willpower and self-discipline. However, there is one more step - it is when you are out there competing and hurt like hell, feel like your legs will not take another step and your mind is telling you "one more time, one more time, one more time." And somehow, someway you do it. That is what separates winners from champions. Over 40 years of coaching i have seen this happen many times - many times. There are those who have this and when you get a full team that has this lookout. I have witnessed teams with great athletes - many going on to play college ball - yet when they play a team with the intangibles that somehow come up with "one more time" they get their butts whupped .

As a coach it is what I look for in athletes - some have it and use it, some have it but are afraid to use it because they do not want to stand out, some have it and do not use it because it is not cool, and some have it but have never wanted to bring it out. It is up to the coaching staff to somehow bring this attitude to the forefront. That is the art of coaching.

[pfloyd]

... great post Flatulence ... those athletes of whom you speak have "IT" - that WILL to win , to push thru, to find a way to get it done for TEAM and yes for THEMSELVES ...just like in life what separates those who "do it" and those who "don't" is that those who "do it" AREN'T afraid to fail ... and you are absolutely on target - coaching is more than knowing the X's and O's of ANY sport there is an ART to coaching - being able to "bring out" the will to win attitude in ALL of your athletes on your team ... knowing that "one size" does not fit all in how you bring out THE "attitude" in the athletes on your team ...

... as a past coach myself for 20 years and an "observer" of all coaches in all sports I learned to admire those coaches who could and still do bring out THE attitude in their athletes, motivate their athletes - yourself Fraun, Coach Amyx, Coach Robinson ... I have great respect for how each them were/are able to brought out/bring out the "IT" factor in kids ...

[pfloyd]

... with Coach Burke being the head coach who are his assistant coaches ???

[C-Bolt]

pfloyd, Steve Harris is the strength and conditioning coach,Tom McCurdy Defensive Coordinator? Thought I heard Walsh would be sticking around, but not sure about that one.I Have not heard of any others yet.

[pfloyd]

... thanks C-Bolt ... I guess I DID know about Steve Harris & McCurdy ... haven't heard about any volunteer coaches or position from last year being asked/or wanting to be on Coach Burke's staff ... thanks again for the info ...