SEO Football. Pros and cons

[Orange and Brown]

What do you think the diffences are between SEO football and the rest of Ohio.
Good or bad?
What can be done to help it?

[Orange and Brown]

I feel like we don't tend to through as much as teams from outside our region. I could be wrong. Then there is that hole transfer thing. In citys like columbus, Cleveland, and cincinnati the schools are close together so kids can move around to the school they want.

[eagles73Taylor]

I explain it this way, I went to school in the early 90's at Ashland University on a scholarship to play football. I played high school ball at Piketon on a 500 team. I was 6'5" 250 lbs offensive tackle and middle backer. When I arrived on campus I was just as good as everybody else, I was redshirted my freshmen year, made travel team soph, started the next three years and earned all league honors my 5th senior year.

The differences were, I was the only player from my school to go to college to play, the only one close really and those that I played with in college werent always the star standout on their teams. They were sometimes the best player but rarely, I was one of only 3 SE ohio players on AU's roster. They would talk about a stud on their team going to Michigan, or Akron or someplace big time.

So I use that as an example, those of us in SE ohio are just as good athletically, but there just isnt enough for each school to compete always on the big stage. This isnt all of it, but it sure is a big part. IMO

[Orange and Brown]

I explain it this way, I went to school in the early 90's at Ashland University on a scholarship to play football. I played high school ball at Piketon on a 500 team. I was 6'5" 250 lbs offensive tackle and middle backer. When I arrived on campus I was just as good as everybody else, I was redshirted my freshmen year, made travel team soph, started the next three years and earned all league honors my 5th senior year.

The differences were, I was the only player from my school to go to college to play, the only one close really and those that I played with in college werent always the star standout on their teams. They were sometimes the best player but rarely, I was one of only 3 SE ohio players on AU's roster. They would talk about a stud on their team going to Michigan, or Akron or someplace big time.

So I use that as an example, those of us in SE ohio are just as good athletically, but there just isnt enough for each school to compete always on the big stage. This isnt all of it, but it sure is a big part. IMO

That makes sense. I also have issues with defense. I would make an estemated gues that 70% of SEO teams run the 5-2 It is good for stopping the run, but makes it a little hard to stop the pass.I really think that if more teams would go to a 4- or 3-4 they would be better off. I have watched between 10 and 20 games out of our region and the 5-2 wasn't used that much if at all.

[awesomepossum]

Numbers. Coaching.

[Orange and Brown]

Numbers. Coaching.

Those to!

[someoverkill]

the game has evolved, but very few schools in SE Ohio have evolved with the game. I agree with previous posts, similar game plans for competitioon in SE Ohio. However, come playoff time, it is the spread offense and matching up all over the field. That is hard to simulate in just one week of practice. I see teams similar in size to SE Ohio over in Western Ohio. The MAC schools like Versailles, Coldwater, Maria Stein, St Henry, etc. They have a great mixture of run and pass.

Another big issue is scheduling. When schools are afraid to schedule teams of greater strength than them, they rarely get better. When programs advance and get better, instead of their peers wanting to get better with them, they simply drop them from their schedule for lesser opponents. I won't say that a school from SE Ohio won't ever win the football title again, but the days of programs like Wheelersburg and ironton advancing far into the playoffs, year in and year out, are over. Unless those programs are willing to change their mentality.

[Orange and Brown]

the game has evolved, but very few schools in SE Ohio have evolved with the game. I agree with previous posts, similar game plans for competitioon in SE Ohio. However, come playoff time, it is the spread offense and matching up all over the field. That is hard to simulate in just one week of practice. I see teams similar in size to SE Ohio over in Western Ohio. The MAC schools like Versailles, Coldwater, Maria Stein, St Henry, etc. They have a great mixture of run and pass.

Another big issue is scheduling. When schools are afraid to schedule teams of greater strength than them, they rarely get better. When programs advance and get better, instead of their peers wanting to get better with them, they simply drop them from their schedule for lesser opponents. I won't say that a school from SE Ohio won't ever win the football title again, but the days of programs like Wheelersburg and ironton advancing far into the playoffs, year in and year out, are over. Unless those programs are willing to change their mentality.

I agree with that statement. well said, but I do think that we will catch up with rest of the state. A lot of schools are starting to schedule bigger and better schools. It will take some time though.

[awesomepossum]

Many teams in southern ohio need to learn to air it out a little.. Since we aren't blessed with the greatest numbers due to the smaller schools, and size, teams need to work with what they have instead of trying to rely solely on smashmouth football. Its ok to have the hardnosed attitude, but you have to go with what works.

[awesomepossum]

the game has evolved, but very few schools in SE Ohio have evolved with the game. I agree with previous posts, similar game plans for competitioon in SE Ohio. However, come playoff time, it is the spread offense and matching up all over the field. That is hard to simulate in just one week of practice. I see teams similar in size to SE Ohio over in Western Ohio. The MAC schools like Versailles, Coldwater, Maria Stein, St Henry, etc. They have a great mixture of run and pass.

Another big issue is scheduling. When schools are afraid to schedule teams of greater strength than them, they rarely get better. When programs advance and get better, instead of their peers wanting to get better with them, they simply drop them from their schedule for lesser opponents. I won't say that a school from SE Ohio won't ever win the football title again, but the days of programs like Wheelersburg and ironton advancing far into the playoffs, year in and year out, are over. Unless those programs are willing to change their mentality.

Fear may be a factor, but I believe tradition is another factor, outside of conference play and traditional area rivalries, there isn't much room for teams to work with in scheduling.

[Orange and Brown]

the game has evolved, but very few schools in SE Ohio have evolved with the game. I agree with previous posts, similar game plans for competitioon in SE Ohio. However, come playoff time, it is the spread offense and matching up all over the field. That is hard to simulate in just one week of practice. I see teams similar in size to SE Ohio over in Western Ohio. The MAC schools like Versailles, Coldwater, Maria Stein, St Henry, etc. They have a great mixture of run and pass.

Another big issue is scheduling. When schools are afraid to schedule teams of greater strength than them, they rarely get better. When programs advance and get better, instead of their peers wanting to get better with them, they simply drop them from their schedule for lesser opponents. I won't say that a school from SE Ohio won't ever win the football title again, but the days of programs like Wheelersburg and ironton advancing far into the playoffs, year in and year out, are over. Unless those programs are willing to change their mentality.

Fear may be a factor, but I believe tradition is another factor, outside of conference play and traditional area rivalries, there isn't much room for teams to work with in scheduling.

That is true to. The Trimble game is the biggest game of the year and it doesn't help our points at all. But there is not on player coach, or fan that would want to see these 2 teams quit playing each other. me included

[Orange and Brown]

Another problem I see is that teams around here play for week 11, Good programs in the rest of ohio play for the state title. We need to change our mindset. Our kids need to be taught that just making the playoffs isn't the end. We need to teach them not to be satified with week 11 or 12.

[hilltopkid]

I explain it this way, I went to school in the early 90's at Ashland University on a scholarship to play football. I played high school ball at Piketon on a 500 team. I was 6'5" 250 lbs offensive tackle and middle backer. When I arrived on campus I was just as good as everybody else, I was redshirted my freshmen year, made travel team soph, started the next three years and earned all league honors my 5th senior year.

The differences were, I was the only player from my school to go to college to play, the only one close really and those that I played with in college werent always the star standout on their teams. They were sometimes the best player but rarely, I was one of only 3 SE ohio players on AU's roster. They would talk about a stud on their team going to Michigan, or Akron or someplace big time.

So I use that as an example, those of us in SE ohio are just as good athletically, but there just isnt enough for each school to compete always on the big stage. This isnt all of it, but it sure is a big part. IMO

That makes a lot of sense. I had a similar experience, although at another small college and 2-3 years ahead of you. Now, my school isn't considered SEO.Liberty Union is in the MSL. There are only 3-4 FB players in the history of LU that made it all 4 (or 5 for me)years of college and stuck it out.

I'll give an example from another standpoint, however, it pretty much just backs up Eagles73's comment. I coached at the college I played at for 7 years. Being from Central Ohio, when it came to recruiting, I was given Cols area and south of 70 , East of Dayton, covering the entire SEO area. I could go to a Columbus school, or say a school like Licking Valleyand they always had 2-3 kids that had the ability to play D2-D3 and usually one w/ great talent. Then, when I would hit the southern part of the state, I would have to go to a lot more schools to get the same amount of prospective student athletes I got from 1-2 central/northern schools.It even gets more noticable the farther north you go. I remember watching North Royalton and evaluating a kid they had. They were loaded with good players, but I'd never even heard of them, and they were around a .500 team.
This may sound stupid, but I think from central Oh up, there are more exceptional FB players per square mile.
I think philosophies and playcalling have something to do with it to more times than not.Another thing is competition throughout the season.

[Orange and Brown]

I think the talent is here but I think there is not enough of it. Most schools in SEO between 1 and 3 kids who could play say tailback at the varsity leval. In Columbus there may be 4 or 5. So those kids in Columbus need to work that much harder to start. I'm not saying that the kids in SEO don't work hard, I'm saying motivation can do a lot for you. When there is more compition for a position then you will work harder for it.
Also the bigger the schools more often than not the more players so guys don't have to go both ways all the time or not at all.

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

Some things as a fan that I have noticed.
The teams in other areas face better competition and can do this without all of the travel.

In a lot of other areas the offensive seems more advanced then in the Southern, Ohio area,

It seems that even in the smaller schools in other area they have more boys participating in football then in the Southern part of the state.

More coaches of the staff is another thing I have noticed

Better stadiums(newer)