Wheelersburg vs Bishop Hartley week #13 Region 17 Final

[athens78]

We get got up in SE Ohio about good football teams and Wheelersburg is for sure one of those. However the cold hard truth is Hartley is just that good. I understand the backing for your team as you should but if you're putting money on it take Hartley. However and given sunday or Saturday.

[4thgoal]

I agree athens78. I think everyone realizes that once you get to week 13 and run into a parochial school such as Bishop Hartley that the odds are stacked against you. At this point, everyone expects Burg to lose by a similar margin as West and St. Clairsville, but as you said....on any given day....who knows. I think Burg has a better chance than they did last year because they are playing better defensively and the kids are a year older/bigger/stronger on the OL and DL. As always, Hartley's goal is to control the clock and grind out long drives and keep the ball out of the hands of our offense. IF we can make a couple stops or be on the receiving end of a turnover, this could be a real game. If our defense isn't able to stop the long drives, it will be a long night. For the Pirates, this will be a game of opportunities and the kids will have to make the most of every opportunity they are given.

GO PIRATES!

[4thgoal]

Division V Regional Finals – Games at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22
Home Team Listed First
Region 15: 1 Canton Central Catholic (12‐0) vs. 3 Youngstown Ursuline (8‐4) at Uniontown Lake Alumni Field
Region 16: 4 Coldwater (11‐1) vs. 2 Findlay Liberty‐Benton (12‐0) at Lima Spartan Stadium
Region 17: 1 Columbus Bishop Hartley (10‐2) vs. 2 Wheelersburg (11‐1) at Chillicothe Herrnstein Field
Region 18: 1 Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (12‐0) vs. 6 West Jefferson (8‐4) at West Carrollton Dayton Outpatient Center Stadium

Division V State Semifinals – Games at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29
Home Team Listed First. Sites announced Nov. 23.
Region 15 vs. Region 17
Region 16 vs. Region 18

[scarlettandgreyhillboy]

oh for GARSH sakes burg goin b looking like theys playin with a eye patch and a pegged leg in this game as there jolly rogers aint goin be so jolly bi half rimes. hartley bi a big score

burg your shoot clock is running down and. here comes you'rns baset ball season witch is a shame cause the burg is the best team in this area and to hit beats that bad dont mak the rest of the schools look vary good

[AHM]

I agree athens78. I think everyone realizes that once you get to week 13 and run into a parochial school such as Bishop Hartley that the odds are stacked against you. At this point, everyone expects Burg to lose by a similar margin as West and St. Clairsville, but as you said....on any given day....who knows. I think Burg has a better chance than they did last year because they are playing better defensively and the kids are a year older/bigger/stronger on the OL and DL. As always, Hartley's goal is to control the clock and grind out long drives and keep the ball out of the hands of our offense. IF we can make a couple stops or be on the receiving end of a turnover, this could be a real game. If our defense isn't able to stop the long drives, it will be a long night. For the Pirates, this will be a game of opportunities and the kids will have to make the most of every opportunity they are given.

GO PIRATES!

Last year Hartley controlled the clock....And broke big long yardage plays. I don't think their goal is to control the clock. Id bet their goal is to score.

Wheelersburg lost an All Ohio QB and WR from last year. Their starting RB (who started last year) broke his leg last week. Hartley is better than they were a year ago. Yet, I love the confidence of the Pirate faithful who say they have a better chance this year than they did last year.

[scarlettandgreyhillboy]

What did hartley loss from last year ahm?

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

WITH EVERY FIBER IN MY BODY, OLE BAIT IS LOOKING FOR THE UPSET FROM THE PIRATES, GOOD LUCK GUYS

[JasonClaytor]

What did hartley loss from last year ahm?

Quarterback, First team all State D lineman, first team all state running back, first team all state DB and quite a few other starters.
This year Hartley got 5 starters back, that missed the playoffs last year because of season ending injuries.

[BigBlueNation]

Seen the mentions of Esteban Weaver above. Nobody gave that Burg basketball team a chance against Hartley and Weaver in the 95 State Semis, but Burg shocked the world that night in Columbus.

It'll take Burg's best game of the season Saturday night to advance for sure, but not impossible like some here are suggesting. Seen a lot of this same kind of message board talk before West beat Youngstown Ursuline in the state semis (think it was '03 or '04). Good luck Pirates*

It was 02 when West beat Ursuline. The Burg has a coach on their staff that was a big part in West's huge upset over Ursuline. Coach Bryson Williams.

[4thgoal]

What did hartley loss from last year ahm?

Hartley had 3 All-Ohio honorees and I am pretty sure 2 of them received D1 scholarships.
Sam Mackowiak (very strong runner who really hurt the Pirates last year), Kalil Morris (Kent State), and Alonzo Saxton (Duke)

[4thgoal]

Wheelersburg lost an All Ohio QB and WR from last year. Their starting RB (who started last year) broke his leg last week. Hartley is better than they were a year ago. Yet, I love the confidence of the Pirate faithful who say they have a better chance this year than they did last year.

I absolutely think we have a better chance than we did last year. The defense is much better, the OL is much better, and there are more offensive weapons. Should we all just get on here and start talking about who will have the better basketball team? I thought the purpose of an internet forum was to voice our opinions and discuss the game. I guess everyone can have an opinion, as long as it agrees with yours?

[BigBlueNation]

Just want to wish the Burg's players, coaches, fans and community the best of luck this saturday night. As I done last year would also like to wish the best of luck to 4 year starting qb at West 2 time soc champ region 15 champ and state runner- up and Burg coach Bryson Williams. GOOD LUCK PIRATES!

[Jolly P(irate)]

I do believe Burg is better than last year. Especially at the LOS. I understand Hartley is "The Favorite" here to most. However, Burg has been able to control the LOS in almost every game and dominate. I know you Hartley posters will bring up Jackson here. But wait, this will be a challenge for W'burg. Not saying it can't be done. If anyone can do it, it will be this team. Great group of kids and a head for the game. These kids play hard and ALWAYS FIND A WAY!

[Bulldog]

The Pirates absolutely have a chance to win this game. It would be an upset but upsets happen all the time. I don't see Hartley taking the Pirates lightly because they are a good team and Hartley takes no team lightly.

Hartley has lost 6 games over the past 4 seasons. Here's the list:

2011 - Kenton - regional final (Kenton losses in the state final)
2012 - Clinton Massie - state semi final (Massie is state champ)
2013 - Coldwater - regular season (2012 D-V champion)
2013 - Coldwater - state championship
2014 - Muskegon Central Catholic - regular season (2013 MI state champion)
2014 - Coldwater - regular season (still alive for a 3rd consecutive title)

Does Wheelersburg add their name? Kenton is the only team on the list above that was not a state champion the year they beat Hartley or a defending champion - state runner up is still really good. There can only be a handful of teams that have a better track record over the past 4 years (senior class) than Hartley. Coldwater, Marion Local and Clinton Massie are certainly on the list. I'll be the first to admit that last year means nothing much less the prior 3 years. I'll point out that this year 5 or 6 really good teams other than MCC and Coldwater have had their chance to make the list and they did not.

[High Plains Drifter]

Good luck to Wheelersburg!! You got this!!

[d-5]

"Find a Way"

[chiefs]

The Pirates absolutely have a chance to win this game. It would be an upset but upsets happen all the time. I don't see Hartley taking the Pirates lightly because they are a good team and Hartley takes no team lightly.

Hartley has lost 6 games over the past 4 seasons. Here's the list:

2011 - Kenton - regional final (Kenton losses in the state final)
2012 - Clinton Massie - state semi final (Massie is state champ)
2013 - Coldwater - regular season (2012 D-V champion)
2013 - Coldwater - state championship
2014 - Muskegon Central Catholic - regular season (2013 MI state champion)
2014 - Coldwater - regular season (still alive for a 3rd consecutive title)

Does Wheelersburg add their name? Kenton is the only team on the list above that was not a state champion the year they beat Hartley or a defending champion - state runner up is still really good. There can only be a handful of teams that have a better track record over the past 4 years (senior class) than Hartley. Coldwater, Marion Local and Clinton Massie are certainly on the list. I'll be the first to admit that last year means nothing much less the prior 3 years. I'll point out that this year 5 or 6 really good teams other than MCC and Coldwater have had their chance to make the list and they did not.

This is a pretty solid post. Wheelersburg will throw a hard hand, but on top of Hartley's strengths what sets apart the Hawks from the Pirates (or really, any other Region 17 contender for that matter) is the battle test BH has gone through. Of the ten teams Hartley has played in the regular season, all except Ready & St. Chuck's would have a pretty legitimate shot at winning this region. But of course, we're talking about hypothetical situations. The "advantages" aside, Wheelersburg is certainly a fine football team, for all of the Scioto County and a few Lawrence County teams the Pirates are the best team they'll face all year. Wheelersburg would likely go 2-8 if they played BH's schedule. Certainly, the "if they played X schedule" rationale doesn't mean diddly, nor should it, but Hartley has a lot more of what Wheelersburg probably doesn't have as much in order to have gone 8-2 in that slate: speed, strength, and sound. Whether its beating Thurgood Marshall and Luers in a speed race or fast and strong MF and Beechcroft. Not to say that the Pirates are soft and slow, but Hartley's fast guys are strong and their "strong" guys aren't slow either. The Hawks are stacked and weeks one through 10 they've been preparing to climb Mt. Everest by climbing Mt. McKinley as a warm-up. Now that they've scaled the first few stories, the air is getting thinner in week 13. How they respond to potential mistakes and the Pirates making them pay for their mishaps sets the tone whether or not they're going to reach the peak and win the state title in Columbus come December.

[wobycat]

Last year burg was a finesse team. This year the pirates are tough as nails. Now the Jackson game is the indicator of hawk fans judgement, that's not a good indicator. 2 reasons.

1. There's a added incentive in that game. Coach hall is from burg and was trounced the first two times they played. Jackson played the most physical game in quite awhile and burg was not ready. Even with all that opportunity was there for burg to stay in it.

2. Scheme change. After that game pirates changed their scheme, and got a player back from injury. They have been a brick wall since.

This may or may not prove to be relevant in this game. But I promise you burg will be in the game til the end. And just might schock the all star team.

[Bulldog]

This is going to be a great game. It could be billed as the brick wall meets the jackhammer.

[Jolly P(irate)]

This is going to be a great game. It could be billed as the brick wall meets the jackhammer.

It will indeed. Don't know about your bill because a jackhammer always wins. That aside Burg will come to play. They won't roll over. What separates Burg from the rest of the teams in our area is the fact that they never stop playing. They always believe they can find a way to win. I agree with the battle tested part. Burg's only test was Jackson and they were ill prepared. That won't happen again tho. They play assignment football and are dang good at it. These boys have started off with a great practice today. The intensity is high and the energy even higher. These kids will hustle and win lose or draw they will not give in. WE ARE THE BURG!