WK13 Ironton vs. The Burg

[BuckeyeBlood]

The only advantage Wheelersburg has is kicking game. Irontons staff has been to back-to-back state championships so I don’t understand the coaching advantage. Ironton was down 5 starters last week and had a freshman at QB. Portsmouth was 8-3 going into the game with losses against Fairland by 1, Waverly by 1 and Ironton by 27. Does Wheelersburg win last Saturday night if they started a Freshman at QB. Also how much does that change the play calling. Irontons freshman seemed to have problems getting the snap so I’m sure that went into the play calling as well.

BTW. Wasn’t there talk on here awhile back that many thought Portsmouth would/could beat Wheelersburg this year. Why is it now that win by Ironton Saturday night down that many starters and freshman QB all of a sudden not a good win.

I don't think Portsmouth would have beaten Burg this year. If you go with common opponents, Portsmouth lost to Waverly why'll giving up 30 some points. Burg held Waverly to 14 and totally shut down there passing game. Waverly was able to run the ball once Burg took the pass away. I don't think Portsmouth would have been able to run the ball.

Ohh so you’re saying Burg struggled in the playoffs with West, meanwhile Portsmouth spanked West week 2. So therefore Portsmouth would have spanked Burg in the playoffs? Literally meaningless to compare common opponents. Lol

[MrFirstTake]

It doesn't matter about past teams on either side of the field. What matters is the 2021 edition of the Wheelersburg Pirates and the Ironton Fighting Tigers. Both have had great seasons so far and their ups and downs. It is amusing to me how folks have said Coach Pendleton gets out coached. He has taken you to a title shot the last 2 years. Where was you before him and after Coach Lutz? And to say Coach Woodward of the Burg gets out coached is amusing as well. He gets every ounce of talent our of every kid on the team. These are both great ball clubs. This is what makes Southern Ohio football great. The chance to watch a game with 2 of the best around the state.

I hope your not saying this because I said burg has a coaching advantage I have never once on this forum said either of these two coaches have been out coached

[FIDO]

Both coaching staffs are pretty darn good or else they wouldn't be where they are. I would say the Burg appears to have gotten better, while the Tigers seem to have stalled somewhat offensively. I'd bet a ribber steak the disparity in score will not mirror week 1. One score or less will be the difference and the winner a toss-up. My guess is Burg by 3 because of their kicker.

[art_vandelay]

With a freshman at QB, Ironton's offense looks pretty similar to Burg (run-first, pass when needed). Burg's QB looks more of a threat to run though. I look for a shortened game with both offenses playing it safe on the ground, and both defenses stacking box, daring the other team to throw. Game will be decided by whichever team wins the turnover battle. Most Burg people I've talked to believe Ironton was obviously better the first time around, just not 5 touchdowns better due to Burg's turnovers. Burg also looks to be a different team now than from that night. Glad this game is happening so we can find out.

Prior to the season, not many people expected Burg to still be playing at this point, while everybody expected Ironton to be. That puts any and all pressure/expectations on Ironton.*

[522Pirate]

I don't have to try, you've seen the posts just like I have. The posts speak for themselves. Burg has ALL THE HOUSE MONEY! And I've heard a lot of wheelersburg fans say the 1st game was a fluke! Burg fans have said this game will be different! Burg has accomplished a lot this season by beating Waverly and capturing the conference crown! I've heard Burg nation say the OVC conference is weak compared to the SOC and this game will be different. Good luck ironton, sounds like you're going to need it.

Ha! “heard a lot of Wheelersburg fans say…” Who? Two or three posters on here? Lol

[MrFirstTake]

With a freshman at QB, Ironton's offense looks pretty similar to Burg (run-first, pass when needed). Burg's QB looks more of a threat to run though. I look for a shortened game with both offenses playing it safe on the ground, and both defenses stacking box, daring the other team to throw. Game will be decided by whichever team wins the turnover battle. Most Burg people I've talked to believe Ironton was obviously better the first time around, just not 5 touchdowns better due to Burg's turnovers. Burg also looks to be a different team now than from that night. Glad this game is happening so we can find out.

Prior to the season, not many people expected Burg to still be playing at this point, while everybody expected Ironton to be. That puts any and all pressure/expectations on Ironton.*

Who are not many people?? And everybody? At the end of the day if you ask the kids and coaches in both programs they will tell you they not only expected to be here but put in the work to be here as well so all this house money/expectations and pressure is irrelevant because fans on a forum talking can’t put pressure on a team they can only do it to themselves and I’m sure that’s exactly what they want both teams is to have that pressure on them to win.

[True tiger fan]

Wylie is out for the rest of the season due to injury.

That is correct Wylie is done for the season.

Horrible. And it changes this game dramaticaly. 1 freshman qb. If Im burg i hit him all night. Late hits & all. The freshman isnt developed physically yet and if im burg I attack him.

Are you an Ironton fan???? Apparently not. A freshman gets thrown into the mix and you are telling the opposing team to attack him? Shame on you.

[RBH23]

That is correct Wylie is done for the season.

Horrible. And it changes this game dramaticaly. 1 freshman qb. If Im burg i hit him all night. Late hits & all. The freshman isnt developed physically yet and if im burg I attack him.

Are you an Ironton fan???? Apparently not. A freshman gets thrown into the mix and you are telling the opposing team to attack him? Shame on you.

Nothing nefarious in what he was saying. “Attack” doesn’t mean physically assault or purposefully try to hurt the kid. It’s about putting pressure on the kid and forcing him to make plays to beat you.

I’m sure the Burg coaching staff is aware he’s a freshman and will scheme accordingly.

[yabbadabbadoo]

Burg has to put them in 3rd and long situations to force Ironton to throw, but who knows. He could be on the money and burn Burg if they aren't careful.

Everyone knows Ironont is just going to line them up, probably go two TE's and run, run run. Burg will have to watch stuffing the LOS and not get caught watching the paint dry. Oops, wrong sport. Lol

[True tiger fan]

Horrible. And it changes this game dramaticaly. 1 freshman qb. If Im burg i hit him all night. Late hits & all. The freshman isnt developed physically yet and if im burg I attack him.

Are you an Ironton fan???? Apparently not. A freshman gets thrown into the mix and you are telling the opposing team to attack him? Shame on you.

Nothing nefarious in what he was saying. “Attack” doesn’t mean physically assault or purposefully try to hurt the kid. It’s about putting pressure on the kid and forcing him to make plays to beat you.

I’m sure the Burg coaching staff is aware he’s a freshman and will scheme accordingly.

Late hits or anything. Braden will play how he was taught. Mike Burcham is his grandpa.

[trojandave]

Haven't watched Wheelersburg this year, but have seen Ironton twice. The Fighting Tigers can throw if they need to......the first TD vs. Portsmouth in the playoff game was about a 30 yard pass to Ty Perkins. IHS looks to be a team that heavily emphasizes the running game, and they have several good backs to execute that game plan. What surprised me in the playoff game was that Ironton didn't overwhelm Portsmouth with that running game as the Trojans did a very good job of containing that aspect. Going into the game, I thought the Fighting Tigers had a clear edge on the O-line and would have their way with the PHS defense. But it didn't turn out that way. Portsmouth made Ironton work the whole night.

From what Ironton posters have said numerous times, the QB situation has been unsettled almost all season. I thought the FR looked good vs. PHS, and threw the ball very well. But Ironton's struggles on offense, generating only 17 points was not just an Ironton thing. Portsmouth deserves a lot of credit for their effort on D.

I think the biggest obstacle for Wheelersburg will be.......can they solve Ironton's defense, which I believe is the best in Region 19. The Burg has an outstanding kicker from what I've read, but they have to get close enough for him to make an impact. Driving the ball 50-60 yards on the Fighting Tigers consistently will be a real challenge for the Pirates. Conversely, it could turn out that way for Ironton's offense.

The winner of this game will most likely have to complete some passes downfield. Both teams will be hard to run against. By the way, Ironton has an outstanding kicker too. His extra points went out into the parking lot past both endzones and he looks to have the leg to hit a 40 yarder or maybe farther.

[522Pirate]

How is ironton’s punter? As good as 80 is for Burg kicking fg’s he has been even more of a weapon punting.

[DaWoodSoldier]

From a Wood fans perspective. I mean this with all do respect, Ive watched all 7 Burg/Wood games over the years, this appeared to be the least talented Burg team the Wood has played. Wood had 19 1st downs and over 400 yds of offense and played 2nd half without Tingle and turned it over in Pirate territory twice. Burg couldnt run the football with much success at all. All 3 Burg TDs were on big plays and credit Burg for executing them, but truth is they were pretty limited offensively. Probably at best 4th best defense Wood saw all year(and the Wood's schedule wasnt great by any means)

With that said, hats off to the Burg for winning the game for thats all that matters. Much respect for the Burg program. They always compete and play the game hardnosed and gritty. I wouldnt dare count out the Burg in any football game. BUT unless Ironton has really, really, really fell on hard times this game shouldnt be close. I am certainly not saying it wont be or the Burg cant/wont win, but Ironton is the clear favorite here. Good luck to both teams. Hopefully both can be healthy as possible and remain so to whomever wins and moves on.

[The Nature Boy]

No Mr First Take I commented about the coaches and both teams because as usual some posters are comparing past teams. Thats in the past. The only thing that matters is what happens this Saturday night. I also am disappointed about posters talking about whether kids made it to a D1 school or not. What does it matter. As long as they get a good education and get to play college ball, who cares. Don't throw rocks at kids for getting to better themselves and play some ball while achieving that.

[RBH23]

Haven't watched Wheelersburg this year, but have seen Ironton twice. The Fighting Tigers can throw if they need to......the first TD vs. Portsmouth in the playoff game was about a 30 yard pass to Ty Perkins. IHS looks to be a team that heavily emphasizes the running game, and they have several good backs to execute that game plan. What surprised me in the playoff game was that Ironton didn't overwhelm Portsmouth with that running game as the Trojans did a very good job of containing that aspect. Going into the game, I thought the Fighting Tigers had a clear edge on the O-line and would have their way with the PHS defense. But it didn't turn out that way. Portsmouth made Ironton work the whole night.

From what Ironton posters have said numerous times, the QB situation has been unsettled almost all season. I thought the FR looked good vs. PHS, and threw the ball very well. But Ironton's struggles on offense, generating only 17 points was not just an Ironton thing. Portsmouth deserves a lot of credit for their effort on D.

I think the biggest obstacle for Wheelersburg will be.......can they solve Ironton's defense, which I believe is the best in Region 19. The Burg has an outstanding kicker from what I've read, but they have to get close enough for him to make an impact. Driving the ball 50-60 yards on the Fighting Tigers consistently will be a real challenge for the Pirates. Conversely, it could turn out that way for Ironton's offense.

The winner of this game will most likely have to complete some passes downfield. Both teams will be hard to run against. By the way, Ironton has an outstanding kicker too. His extra points went out into the parking lot past both endzones and he looks to have the leg to hit a 40 yarder or maybe farther.

You’re exactly right about the key to this game being Burg O against Ironton D. Burg will not be able to grind out long drives against Ironton but will have to make some plays through the air.

[RBH23]

From a Wood fans perspective. I mean this with all do respect, Ive watched all 7 Burg/Wood games over the years, this appeared to be the least talented Burg team the Wood has played. Wood had 19 1st downs and over 400 yds of offense and played 2nd half without Tingle and turned it over in Pirate territory twice. Burg couldnt run the football with much success at all. All 3 Burg TDs were on big plays and credit Burg for executing them, but truth is they were pretty limited offensively. Probably at best 4th best defense Wood saw all year(and the Wood's schedule wasnt great by any means)

With that said, hats off to the Burg for winning the game for thats all that matters. Much respect for the Burg program. They always compete and play the game hardnosed and gritty. I wouldnt dare count out the Burg in any football game. BUT unless Ironton has really, really, really fell on hard times this game shouldnt be close. I am certainly not saying it wont be or the Burg cant/wont win, but Ironton is the clear favorite here. Good luck to both teams. Hopefully both can be healthy as possible and remain so to whomever wins and moves on.

That’s a fair assessment. Burg O is not nearly as dynamic as teams from the past. As for the D, they do well against one-dimensional teams but struggle with teams that can pass and run; especially the pass as we saw against Ridgewood.

[SciotoCfootball]

Will there be any sort of live stream for this game? I am in Columbus, but would love to watch.

Unless its not allowed for games going forward im sure someone will stream it. Wouldn't be too far of a drive for MyTownTv and whoever does the Burg games.

[yabbadabbadoo]

From a Wood fans perspective. I mean this with all do respect, Ive watched all 7 Burg/Wood games over the years, this appeared to be the least talented Burg team the Wood has played. Wood had 19 1st downs and over 400 yds of offense and played 2nd half without Tingle and turned it over in Pirate territory twice. Burg couldnt run the football with much success at all. All 3 Burg TDs were on big plays and credit Burg for executing them, but truth is they were pretty limited offensively. Probably at best 4th best defense Wood saw all year(and the Wood's schedule wasnt great by any means)

With that said, hats off to the Burg for winning the game for thats all that matters. Much respect for the Burg program. They always compete and play the game hardnosed and gritty. I wouldnt dare count out the Burg in any football game. BUT unless Ironton has really, really, really fell on hard times this game shouldnt be close. I am certainly not saying it wont be or the Burg cant/wont win, but Ironton is the clear favorite here. Good luck to both teams. Hopefully both can be healthy as possible and remain so to whomever wins and moves on.

Burg has played like that in a nutshell all year. The defense is a bend but don't break attitude. They have hit big play after big play in key moments of the game.

Truth be known, Burg had a LOT of unanswered questions coming into this season. QB was going to be new. O-line was going to be playing Sophomores. RB was in question. Defense lost a lot. For Burg to be where they are is a huge testament to how well the coaches at Burg prepare there team week in and week out.

One thing that is instilled in every athlete that plays a sport at the Burg. Everyone of them is made to believe that they are going to win every game they play. Doesn't matter who the opponent is. They walk out on a field or a court believing they will win today. How many teams do you know that have been able to do that in every game over the years??? Burg hasn't had a losing regular season in football since the 1960's. The worst record they have had since that timeframe was 5-5 and even in that year they still made the playoffs.

Ironton should be the favorite here based off of what they did in game one and what they did this season, but I can guarantee you that all week the Burg coaches will be telling their players that yes, you can win this game. Put that first game out of your mind and go out and prove you belong in this game.

[MrFirstTake]

No Mr First Take I commented about the coaches and both teams because as usual some posters are comparing past teams. Thats in the past. The only thing that matters is what happens this Saturday night. I also am disappointed about posters talking about whether kids made it to a D1 school or not. What does it matter. As long as they get a good education and get to play college ball, who cares. Don't throw rocks at kids for getting to better themselves and play some ball while achieving that.

I agree with all the talk of the coaches and teams of the past has nothing to do with today. And I only give burg slight edge in coaching because I feel they have years on the ironton staff and have coached in just as many or more probably big time games definitely not knocking this staff from Ironton I believe what they have done is Great not just the two back to back state championship runs but just how hard the kids play and how much commitment they’ve made to changing Ironton around

[MrFirstTake]

Will there be any sort of live stream for this game? I am in Columbus, but would love to watch.

Unless its not allowed for games going forward im sure someone will stream it. Wouldn't be too far of a drive for MyTownTv and whoever does the Burg games.

I believe if the ohsaa doesn’t decide to broadcast on spectrum local stations are allowed to live stream the next few rounda