Riverview (4-1) is coming off of a 40-37 victory over Huron while Flat Rock (0-5) fell at home to Jefferson by a score of 48-13. The Rams won last seasons game 38-3 but have only defeated the Pirates four times since Riverview entered the league in the fall of 1980.
Riverview’s offense has been impressive and while the RB’s seem to get most of the credit juniors Drew Kroll and Nolan Glime have become a nice QB/WR combination. The defense has still struggled against good offenses but the Pirates still only have one loss.
Flat Rock continues to struggle this season but is still playing hard. The Rams will attempt to shake off the injury bug and try to pull off the upset.
Flat Rock’s first victory in the league series was back in 1983 when the writer of this blog was a skinny kid wearing #12. The wins have been few and far between for the Rams since then. Pick: Riverview 35 Flat Rock 12
I go to Flat Rock High School and I can tell you right now there isn't much talent coming up. I used to play in Middle School, and I can tell you right now, we were poorly coached. Our coaches were afraid to run hitting drills due to fear injury. That can explain the horrible tackling. I have a friend on the team and he says they don't do much hitting.
For some reason we are always the smallest in terms of size. We do have a decent arsenal of big kids at our school, but none of them play because they don't want to go through the losing. It is really sad when you have a 5 foot 5 140lb Junior on the D-Line. That is embarrassing.
Also, please stop criticizing Oestrike. He has nothing to work with. Ratcliffe can't win games by himself he needs 10 other guys to help out.
He was thrown out of the game after the game.
Coach O in FR is building that team. 3-4 years he will have them making the playoffs year in and year out. He has a plan in place and is growing it from the lower grades up. The big thing is that the kids there respect him unlike Pernicky. Kids want to play for coach O.
They did? Please enlighten me to as how they did that three times?
He wouldn't have got ejected had the officials not try to give the game to Huron 3 times.
He was ejected at the end of the game last week.
I'm sorry, I'm out of the loop. Why is Stergalas not on the sidelines this week?
Maybe he should go to an anger management seminar or something.
Stergalas sitting out FR game: You just gave him more time to prepare for SMCC…..
I'll save him the trouble. They are going to run the ball a lot
Yea, I think this debate is getting a little silly. Every offense has produced championships. Of course Bellicheck has had the best QB in the game and Saban has the best recruiting class year in and year out. Your point is noted though.
I believe the original point by someone was was that FR should go back to something more "conventional" so they can hide their lack of talent. Obviously I am paraphrasing. My counterpoint was the spread should allow FR's players to get some space and force teams to adjust a little.
I picked FR last, the coaches in the free press picked FR last. They didn't know what FR was running this year. The end result doesn't change no matter what they run. At least by spreading it the talented players are arguably being put in a better position succeed.
Chris, Can you forward that last post to Bill Belichek and Nick Saban? Let them know they are behind the times and won't be able to beat teams that run the spread. I have been a HL fan for a long time and as good as Milan was last year and as impressed as I am with Jesse Hoskins thus far, Steve Robb had better teams then Milan did last year with his boring old I backfield. As a matter of fact Hoskins quarterbacked teams that were better. He is doing a great job and hopefully continues to get the support.
The spread will take over the Huron League, hopefully Giarmo and SMCC don't take too long to put that in their game or they will fade. If you got speed you can run a successful spread offense. Milan and GI running it, Jefferson, Huron and FR are tinkering with it.
Getting the defense spread out to create one on one tackling is becoming the way it is. Not just in Montague and Ithaca.
You will see a very good spread offense Friday night. I believe the team is located in Milan, MI.
Spread teams with D1 college QB's. Lets not fail to mention that.
-bn
i meant finals not playoffs. Monteque and Ithaca
Pretty sure that SMCC lost to spread teams the last 2 times they were in the state playoffs.
I'm sorry, but the same guy criticizing OC at FR just gets old.
Not enough Huron, CC, or GI talk to hold your interest Chris? You ask for respect amongst posts here on this blog, and comment with boredom posts yourself, twice. Old case of pot calling the kettle here.
Josh Smith runs all over them this friday. It's going to be a blow out.
This flat rock team is a reflection of the fact that the last varsity coach (pernicki or whatever his name was) did not focus at all on building a program on the lower levels. He never did anything with the JV or the middle school and this is the result. These are good kids who give everything they have but most just don't have the experience or the fundamentals. How many seniors do they have compared to last year?
I think the FR coaching staff is doing the best with what they have and FR will come around. I also believe that a lot of people that come on this blog have a great understanding of football and even when a team is struggling they can see the good in what they are doing!
2:21 PM… I totally disagree with your statement about the spread offense and not needing “special athletes”. If you’re going to run the spread offense you need the following athletes to show up on the 1st day of practice. First you need a QB that is a Running and Throwing threat. He has to be able to be effective on the zone read option. Next you need a RB with Excellent vision as the zone/spread attack will open holes usually on the back side of the play. Almost never is the zone running plays successful on the play side. Next you better have at least 2 WR’s that can block the perimeter as well as being deep threats on every single play. Finally and most importantly you need your offensive line to completely understand inside and outside zone blocking concepts and have time to become a complete unit. Very hard to do with high school kids in a year or two.
You sound like these college coaches at the clinics with their selling points on the spread… athletes in space… one on one matchups…don’t need dominate players etc…
Why do most small schools in Michigan run the veer or full house (I call it Bay City) T or even the Delaware wing T? It’s because you can get away with smaller athletes. Down blocking (blocking at angles) and kicking out at the point of attack is a viable way to move the ball for most teams.
But… no matter what you run… if the other team has better athletes then you’re in for a long night. It’s Not about the X’s and O’s… it’s about the Jimmy and Joes!
This is just my opinion from my 20+ years of coaching high school football at a school with 1200+ kids. We’ve run the zone/spread and I’m telling you unless you can recruit those special athletes it’s very hard to be successful with that offense.
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I love how everybody equates not running the spread as running the ball down someones throat. Last time I checked you can run Jet sweep and now passes (all that FR runs anyway) out of the wing T or Pro sets and give yourself options to throw the ball. I don't disagree with anything you said about the spread but don't get on here and talk as if nobody else knows football.
Correction, that would be the 7th coach in 15 years if Oestrike left.
I am a former coach, and college player who comes from a program that runs the spread offense.
It is becoming more popular at the high school level across the state and nationally.
I am not sure who posted the info that you need to have "Special Athletes" to run the spread, nothing can be farther from the truth.
It is designed to give teams the opportunity to operate in open space and try to create open field tackling scenerios for defenses. If you know football, you know that is the toughest thing for defensive personel to to (open field tackling) and create more 1 on 1 conditions.
I do not think a small school like a FlatRock is going to be be able and line up and run the ball down people's throats and push people around. They have not been able to do so for 35 years. They generally are smaller than other schools and players they line up with.
I think the head coah is on to something and has done some homework.
I don't know him real well, but certainly do not know why he would want the Flat Rock job to begin with.
I see the guy in the summer, he works his ass off, leave him alone or you will be looking for your 6th head coach in the past 15 years real soon.
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I really don't think they'd win with any scheme. You're telling me if they ran their stuff from last year they'd be righting the ship? Those kids are weak and need to lift…their tackling is pathetic for 2 reasons..they're un athletic and they have zero experience.I think the scheme fits to get the athletes that they do have in space..you're telling me if they ran the T formation or wing T they'd move the ball? No way.
I will agree with two things..they need to find coaches who know what the heck they're talking about. Seems like he is doing everything like pernicki used to do.. If he doesn't change that then there won't be a change at FR..i'd say to give it time..if anyone can or is willing to do it, it is him…they have a solid 8th 9th grade class..you'll see some change in a few years..
Radcliffe and Newell are as good of athletes as anyone in the league. That offense spreads people out in order to take advantage of the athletes that you have or don't have.
FR could line up in any other offense ever invented and would still be 0-5. That is a fact!
It's funny but sentiment never changes, when you win it's the kids, when you lose it is the coach.
It doesn't matter what the sport is. The fact is, most people won't attend a game after their kid(s) graduate. The loud mouths simply make it tough for people while there kids are involved then they disappear.
What you meant is no coach from those ranks would win with the lack of talent and that scheme. FR does not, has not, and will not have the athletes on a year to year basis to run that offense. He needs to figure out a way to move the ball that doesn't require being really athletic. Ball control and having your team focused and prepared to defensively stop anyone is the only way to right the ship in FR. Not saying he can't get it done, but he'll have to start surrounding himself with a staff that knows what they're doing.
Give Flat Rock's "Golden Boy" a chance..if he doesn't have it turned around in 3-4 years then the criticism can start..i understand you don't like him or disagree with what he is doing, but come on FR is brutal pal. There isn't a coach in the league, state, college ranks, or NFL that would win with that group..
I'm have never been the Flat Rock's Golden boy but thanks for the gesture!
I heard they are bringing back Ed Hochuli from the NFL in case Stergalas goes after the officials again. Post game will have a boxing ring for the riverview coaches to square off again
I think if you remember correctly the same FR coach, outcoached Stergalas 38-3 with equal talent..nice try
Flat Rocks golden boy can do no wrong!
keep the hate coming!!no one has to out coach flat rock you derelict they don't have a lick of talent.
He isn't allowed in the parking lot!
Not at all, he can out coach flat rock from the parking lot.
How much does it hurt Riverview not having Stergalas on the sidelines Friday?
Their two best lineman. Their top 2 QB's… #4 is banged up, but will play. welcome to FR being in the HL..stergalas shows no mercy
whos injured for flat rock?