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Can Albemarle ever regain their Greatness?

Next week is another dead period. Most 7 on 7's are ending up this week.
 
Nothing???? :oops:.

I haven't heard a single person talk about how Albemarle did in 7 on 7's.

I see what's going on here. Everybody keeping on the "Hush Hush" and then Albemarle will come out the tunnel laying "Wood" on everybody in the conference, got it ;).
 
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I've been wondering if there isn't some sandbagging going on down there too, sway. I think they're trying to lull my Red Dogs into complacency so they can put the smackdown on Thomasville in that first game. If I've learned nothing else about the NCC, it's that they can be devious.
 
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It takes a very articulate person to correctly pronounce Albemarle and GREATNESS to say it correctly 3 times in quick succession.
 
Well albemarle will beat chatham and south davidson, who else will they beat? south stanly maybe?
 
The only "Guarantee" that I would give this year for Albemarle Football is that it will be UGLY, Really UGLY!
 
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Well albemarle will beat chatham and south davidson, who else will they beat? south stanly maybe?

South is a toss up..
The only "Guarantee" that I would give this year for Albemarle Football is that it will be UGLY, Really UGLY!

Lol! I agree. We have a very very "Very" young team. This year main seniors seems to be transferring for greener pastures in hopes of a championship...I guess they were "bandwagoning". ol' well.

I wish Albemarle was stuck in 2001, but unfortunately I can't control time...."Yet".
 
Keeping a HC for more than 1 year will be progress.

If Mason controls his temper and plays nice with the boosters, Albemarle will have a fighting chance. I'm not sold on Albemarle but from an x's and o's perspective they will be fine. Keeping the talent on the field will be the hardest part for Albemarle.
 
What else have you heard?
The biggest thing I keep hearing is that we don't have an Oline/Dline or any depth at the position. Our QB is the jv starter from last year. All of our returning skill position starters from last year are either not playing or transferred. Only a few kids show up to summer workouts and aren't very hard workers. We are in essence stuck with a below average jv team. That is about it. It is all very concerning.
 
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The biggest thing I keep hearing is that we don't have an Oline/Dline or any depth at the position. Our QB is the jv starter from last year. All of our returning skill position starters from last year are either not playing or transferred. Only a few kids show up to summer workouts and aren't very hard workers. We are in essence stuck with a below average jv team. That is about it. It is all very concerning.

Yep, that's pretty much my expectation. I said two years ago, "Give Albemarle 2 years, and they will be back to normal", but that statement included a coach that stuck around for more than a season also.

I'll still catch a few games this year, I just need to see some "Real" ball is all I'm saying....
 
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I just don't see Albemarle reaching greatness again any time soon. It all depends on getting the right coach who will stay awhile and rebuild the program. This coming season could be very painful to watch, but hope the kids that do play will hang in and hopefully get better down the road. Go Dogs.
 
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The biggest thing I keep hearing is that we don't have an Oline/Dline or any depth at the position. Our QB is the jv starter from last year. All of our returning skill position starters from last year are either not playing or transferred. Only a few kids show up to summer workouts and aren't very hard workers. We are in essence stuck with a below average jv team. That is about it. It is all very concerning.

Albemarle will flirt with .500, give or take a game. Just my opinion.

I agree. Albemarle could win 4-5 games in the YVC with that QB. He was one heck of an athlete.
 
Will be surprised if AHS wins more than two or three games this year. The team struggled badly last year, the players are learning a new system and adjusting to a new HC for something like the fifth time in six years (which is ridiculous, even for the HS level), and the schedule does us no favors (six road games, four at home, and three very tough OOC games).

I hope the new coach is successful. Don't know anything about him other than what I've read on here, which includes the fact that he's been at NS and WS in the past. Continue to believe that AHS should have looked outside the county for a candidate untouched by all the drama/politics over the last few years, but now that he's here, wish the new guy all the best.

Hope the team conditioning improves this season. Overall team speed last year was a fraction of what it was in the Gaster era. By the way, let's not mythologize Gaster too much. Great coach and a great man, and deserves to be remembered. But he wouldn't want us living in the past. AHS may never return to football glory, but the reason will not be that we couldn't find a clone of Gaster.
 
Been awhile just reading through the comments. Coach Mason I think will do a fine job. Just needs to focus on building a foundation and allow the program to grow. The talent is there at AHS just young this is a transition period as I Believe the incoming freshman and sophomores have a lot of talent and athletic ability but with the football program they need a consistent leader which I believe Coach Mason will be to build and develop that talent. My guess is give them a year or two before judging Coach Mason. After everything AHS has been through they have some stability now something they haven't had in two years and I believe they have some good leadership in the coaching and admin positions that will allow them to maybe not be back to where they were with the state championship runs but definitely better than what they are now. Be patient Bulldogs we are coming back up support the kids but I believe it will come back around.
 
Been awhile just reading through the comments. Coach Mason I think will do a fine job. Just needs to focus on building a foundation and allow the program to grow. QUOTE]

Did they find an assistant coach?

I was impressed by last years 8th grade squad. They have some really good talent there, they just needed a coach (Not knocking the current). My main question is "Work Ethic". One person on here already said that they work ethic was poor at this point, but they probably contamination from the previous coach, and if Mason is anything what you guys say he is....I see a lot of kids being benched from the previous team and letting the freshman and sophomores taking the torch. We already lost our starting backfield...but I wasn't really impressed with that anyways....ol' well.
 
If the players are not coming out because of a coach they have never played for they do not need to be on the team.

He did coach at WSHS a few years ago. Not sure if there was a season he did not show up.

I feel confident that he is the best football mind in the system. How that will translate to the HC position and the program we will see but the bottom line is Albemarle is not a job that elite coaches with championship resumes are going to flock to. Many Albemarle fans have a hard time accepting or believing this.

I truly think the Albemarle mystique began to crumble the night Davidson Day rolled into town and the AHS fans laughed at them...until the first offensive play.
 
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If the players are not coming out because of a coach they have never played for they do not need to be on the team.

He did coach at WSHS a few years ago. Not sure if there was a season he did not show up.

I feel confident that he is the best football mind in the system. How that will translate to the HC position and the program we will see but the bottom line is Albemarle is not a job that elite coaches with championship resumes are going to flock to. Many Albemarle fans have a hard time accepting or believing this.

I truly think the Albemarle mystique began to crumble the night Davidson Day rolled into town and the AHS fans laughed at them...until the first offensive play.

Btango I am quite sure you didn't see or hear of the resumes that were received based off your response. AHS is a great place to coach and the coaching staff there is beginning to take shape with great men and women leading the way. Like I said it will be a year or two and you will see a huge improvement at AHS. Coach Mason will do fine but like a lot of coaches who come in when a school is in a transition period he has work to do. It's very difficult to turn around a program in a year but he can start with the foundation now. Year one is about building the foundation and gaining the trust of parents, students, community, and alumni. Year 2 you look to build on that foundation. Fact is the freshman and sophomore class is very talented and athletic IMO when they become seniors and juniors you will see AHS extremely competitive across the board.

Back to your comment I would have to respectfully disagree.
 
If Mason is a "Hard" (you know what) I'm riding with him. Gaster didn't play no games either...that's exactly what Albemarle needs, someone to put a foot up their butts and tell them to "Go get it". North Stanly and West Stanly ain't nothing but a bunch of cry babies. I bet if Gaster went to either of those schools, they would have fired him too...gtfoh...
 
If the players are not coming out because of a coach they have never played for they do not need to be on the team.

He did coach at WSHS a few years ago. Not sure if there was a season he did not show up.

I feel confident that he is the best football mind in the system. How that will translate to the HC position and the program we will see but the bottom line is Albemarle is not a job that elite coaches with championship resumes are going to flock to. Many Albemarle fans have a hard time accepting or believing this.

I truly think the Albemarle mystique began to crumble the night Davidson Day rolled into town and the AHS fans laughed at them...until the first offensive play.

Things got really tough after Akins left. When Akins became HC in 2010, he had been at AHS for 16 years, knew the school and community well, and had a ton of coaching experience. The program was still on autopilot, but Akins had the chops to keep it going. Very disappointing when he left for SW Randolph. Pretty obvious that his departure caught the admin off guard.
 
If the players are not coming out because of a coach they have never played for they do not need to be on the team.

He did coach at WSHS a few years ago. Not sure if there was a season he did not show up.

I feel confident that he is the best football mind in the system. How that will translate to the HC position and the program we will see but the bottom line is Albemarle is not a job that elite coaches with championship resumes are going to flock to. Many Albemarle fans have a hard time accepting or believing this.

I truly think the Albemarle mystique began to crumble the night Davidson Day rolled into town and the AHS fans laughed at them...until the first offensive play.
In reality that Albemarle team that played Davidson Day at Albemarle was not a very good team. The teams before that could have played with Davidson Day and and even beat them as well as bigger public schools. Give Mason a chance to prove what he can do. If the players don't want to come out and play for him and the school they don't need to be on the team like you said Btango.
 
I agree Dogs9. I think the title teams could have moved the ball and ate away the clock. The first couple of teams would have probably got some big yards and put up high point totals.

I do not think any team would have contained their offense too much. As much to do with DD's skill talent and a scheme AHS teams have not dealt with.
 
In reality that Albemarle team that played Davidson Day at Albemarle was not a very good team. The teams before that could have played with Davidson Day and and even beat them as well as bigger public schools. Give Mason a chance to prove what he can do. If the players don't want to come out and play for him and the school they don't need to be on the team like you said Btango.
Unless my memory is failing, didn't we go to round 4 of the playoffs the first year that we played DD in 2013, and got beat 66-6? We then lost to Central Cabarrus 68-32 in game 2. West Montgomery then beat us 51-14 I would say that is a pretty talented team for a small 1a team. Talent wise 2014 was less talented than 2013 and 2015 was even less talented than both teams, by far. 2016 will be even less talented than all of the above and we are playing a top five 3a school in game 2. Let the good Lord get us through the first two games. But for us to be so bad in 2013, we sure did go pretty far in the playoffs and win 11 games. Oh how standards have changed.
 
Unless my memory is failing, didn't we go to round 4 of the playoffs the first year that we played DD in 2013, and got beat 66-6? We then lost to Central Cabarrus 68-32 in game 2. West Montgomery then beat us 51-14 I would say that is a pretty talented team for a small 1a team. Talent wise 2014 was less talented than 2013 and 2015 was even less talented than both teams, by far. 2016 will be even less talented than all of the above and we are playing a top five 3a school in game 2. Let the good Lord get us through the first two games. But for us to be so bad in 2013, we sure did go pretty far in the playoffs and win 11 games. Oh how standards have changed.

I agree that the 2013 Albemarle team was still a talented small 1A team. In fact, I'd make an argument that they were as talented as the 2012 team. The big issue with the 2013 team was that they went away from their basic defensive set. There were some other changes that puzzled me with that team. Talent-wise, they were as good as the 2012 team, but coaching-wise, I think there was a drop that year.
 
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Unless my memory is failing, didn't we go to round 4 of the playoffs the first year that we played DD in 2013, and got beat 66-6? We then lost to Central Cabarrus 68-32 in game 2. West Montgomery then beat us 51-14 I would say that is a pretty talented team for a small 1a team. Talent wise 2014 was less talented than 2013 and 2015 was even less talented than both teams, by far. 2016 will be even less talented than all of the above and we are playing a top five 3a school in game 2. Let the good Lord get us through the first two games. But for us to be so bad in 2013, we sure did go pretty far in the playoffs and win 11 games. Oh how standards have changed.
Yes that team did make it to the 4th round of the playoffs that year but they beat Chatham Central in round one 63-0 after they beat them 79-0 in the regular season. They then played Union Academy for the second time and beat them 62-21. They then played South Robeson a team that had lost six games that year and beat them 29-20. They also played South Robeson the year before in the playoffs and bet them 63-0. They lost 53-21 to Murphy which was the only good team they faced in the playoffs that season. I stand by my statement that that team was not nearly as good as the teams had been in the past.
 
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2012 is when Smith took over and everything went to the $!#%* after that, discipline etc you name it.. I blame the parents too hell...

Let's see what Mason brings to the table. If @btango says is true about him being the best in stanly county knowing the x's and o's, then let's see what he brings to the table. I will adamantly admit that we are still a far cry from what we used to be. I have never seen a program hit dirt like that from 4A-1A that wasn't already rolling around in the mud...crazy.
 
Yes that team did make it to the 4th round of the playoffs that year but they beat Chatham Central in round one 63-0 after they beat them 79-0 in the regular season. They then played Union Academy for the second time and beat them 62-21. They then played South Robeson a team that had lost six games that year and beat them 29-20. They also played South Robeson the year before in the playoffs and bet them 63-0. They lost 53-21 to Murphy which was the only good team they faced in the playoffs that season. I stand by my statement that that team was not nearly as good as the teams had been in the past.

2013 team sucked! They beat absolutely nobody! They wanted that championship handed to them and Murphy said "Nope"..
 
2013 team sucked! They beat absolutely nobody! They wanted that championship handed to them and Murphy said "Nope"..
Sway, Most of the time I agree with most things you say but the 2013 team didn't suck. They would have beat Murphy in good conditions. They had great athletes.
 
What scares me about this coming season is we will be putting a bunch of freshmen and sophmores on the field against other teams with juniors and seniors. This can be scary, but don't think we have any choice. Most of last years seniors either are not playing or have transferred.. The group this year will have to grow up fast. Understand they are a tight knit group and they will have to be to weather this season. They may surprise me and I hope they do. We are totally rebuilding our program and it may be painful, so all the bulldogs fans need to show up on fri night and support them. Go Dogs....
 
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Agree with where you are coming from Susan, but you have to remember that Albemarle, once a sough after job for coaches is no longer that way. They are not lined up to coach at Albemarle any longer, with the exception of Russell Stone who would have been the best thing since Jack Gaster, but the school board and administration turned their nose up at him. We are still paying the price for beating the hell out the county schools and will continue to pay........
 
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