With a few exceptions, i've watched eastern football become alil old in time. Especially with the open spread offenses of college now. I see our eastern football still playing smash mouth 2 back or wing-t etc just running with 120 lb to 175lb backs. With all the athletes around but it's like the offenses don't take advantage with the kids. Exception of a couple like Havelock who sling it, but it's factual that years ago linemen stayed around 280 - 320 lb so smash mouth was the way ( maybe it's been something in the water for some years now stunting growth). Where's the screen passes (wr,rb etc)?
Eastern Football Play
- Thread starter Tiger_Pride31
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Just think it's more advantageous to prepare the kids for this new era of football
Tho Im a big wing t fan because it's worked for 7 ships, I agree with you. I was watching how many athletes that WRH has this year,and if you isolate them with with screen passes, pitches, short look in passes,it would probly do well at 2a level. But ,you don't change what works you build on it.
I agree to build on it, I just think with all the athletes with speed that very few teams could prepare for it and it would allow for more scholarship looks from the small schools. Your Charlotte area etc schools toss it around getting regular scholarship looks for QB's, WR, RB and defensive CB's, Safety's. Which are our size kids in most 2A and 1A. Havelock has done well with it greatly because no else really sees it all season. Defensive backs don't know how to open hips etc to deal with all the route and no huddle.
Our Clinton team aired it out more than normal last year, with our then first-year coach. But many teams down East have the "If it's not broke, don't fix it" mentality. I live in the Triangle where many of the teams sling the football around, then you have Wake Forest, who plays smash mouth, but they sling it around just enough to keep teams honest. The defenses in this area have a difficult time stopping the run because they don't see it that much from the other Triangle teams.
Well Reidsville is not an Eastern team...and the Rams have run the spread since the fall of 1992 (Jimmy Teagues' first year as coach at Reidsville)…………………….
Last year, SouthWest Edgecombe passed for over 1,000yds for the first time since the 80s. We run and run, and even when it's not working, we still run it. But I think going into last season, we knew that we had to add a different element to keep up with the times. They will tell you that we never had the athletes to throw the ball, but I say we never gave them a chance because of our offensive scheme. And by not being able to practice against an offensive attack, we always struggled against passing teams. If we didn't get to the QB, it would be lights out. We will pass even more this year. I think the coaches are understanding where the pendulum is shifting. I like to see us breaking a big run. But I agree...athletes are getting to be more suited for a spread offense.
From what I've seen SWE has a stud receiver in #11. If yall can get the ball to him and find someone to put on the other side to keep the safety honest. Yall struggled with ND. The spread they run you could tell the SWE kids were not use to seeing it. They threw swings and balls out in the flat to bring the safety up than went deep. If yall can fix that on defense with a good game plan going in. I feel yall could be more competitive with the ND's of the state.
#11 may have another good year this year. He's a senior now, but we did lose our QB. I will say that he was a vertical attack only. He is a basketball player first, receiving all sorts of hoops offers now. His gift is being able to get the jump ball. I'd like to see him run routes, but he's not the quickest guy. ND just hit us in the mouth early and took our entire game plan out. There's nothing to say other than they put foot to cheek and told us to get outta there. I just knew we were gonna win that game. Lol
Lol yall got the run game to get in the red zone just throw it to the goal post and let him do the rest!
Got to be careful what you wish for. I watched SWO win allot of football games playing smash mouth football. Then the cries came from the fans including myself to spread all of that speed and talent around the field, and things will get even better. Well it didn't, in fact it made things worse.
Smash mouth works because no matter what team you have, you can always train in the weight room, you can always instill a tough man attitude. Watched SWO beat some pretty impressive offensive teams from out west just by hitting them in the mouth.
Now after seeing how spread offenses work, I would say eastern North Carolina just do not have the money pouring into the programs to have continual success running the spread. The successful spread offensive teams, generally have seven on seven all year long, and those good camps cost. Also teaching the O-line complicated schemes requires several guys rotating in and out on the line.
I would say when you have a fast athletic team and your from a traditional smash mouth school. Running the triple option is a good option. Maybe more counters.
The ENC continues to produce some top flight D1 recruits playing smash mouth. It might not look pretty, but there is nothing like playing football on Thanksgiving and seeing the air coming up from the players helmet on the line. You know you got some trashed being talked then, and the boys are competing.
Spread offenses are fun when it is working, but it requires year end and out that you have that same type of team. Smash mouth you get the boys in the weight room, instill some hunger, and drive and you got a team.
Smash mouth works because no matter what team you have, you can always train in the weight room, you can always instill a tough man attitude. Watched SWO beat some pretty impressive offensive teams from out west just by hitting them in the mouth.
Now after seeing how spread offenses work, I would say eastern North Carolina just do not have the money pouring into the programs to have continual success running the spread. The successful spread offensive teams, generally have seven on seven all year long, and those good camps cost. Also teaching the O-line complicated schemes requires several guys rotating in and out on the line.
I would say when you have a fast athletic team and your from a traditional smash mouth school. Running the triple option is a good option. Maybe more counters.
The ENC continues to produce some top flight D1 recruits playing smash mouth. It might not look pretty, but there is nothing like playing football on Thanksgiving and seeing the air coming up from the players helmet on the line. You know you got some trashed being talked then, and the boys are competing.
Spread offenses are fun when it is working, but it requires year end and out that you have that same type of team. Smash mouth you get the boys in the weight room, instill some hunger, and drive and you got a team.
I agree with some of that. I do know a team in SWE's conference that started out last season with the spread. They were one questionable ref call from knocking off Kinston. The sophmores had ran the spread in JV with alot of success went 6-2. They played well against that Kinston team. Had one bad game the following week. It came apart when the coach tried to put the juniors and seniors in the line and skill positions trying to do what the sophmores did. I applaud the coach early on changing the playbook for the athletes he had in the sophmores but pressure from the boosters of not playing the upperclassmen and them not being athletic enough to run the spread was the demise. Back to the same old 3 yards and a cloud of dust. They would have won more than 3 games and made the playoffs last year if they would have stuck with it in my opinion. Now that same sophmore class is now juniors with a new coach and running the wing t. Projected to be last in the league. So much for being innovative. 
Here in 1A-2A schools most teams don't have tons of athletes like 4A schools do. Plus alot of coaches like running ball. When OL execute their blocks for backs,it like art work watching them play. If your team is not as talented as team you are playing,you can control clock,and have a better chance not giving up as many offensive positions to other team. JMO. Fairmont had couple years ago a team that spread,and the kids to catch it,QB to get them the ball,fun to watch them play. Football if played by fundamentals is greatest game in sports!!
Questionable call at Kinston? Shocker. Called our 2pt conversation in OT no good even though film shows we broke the plane in the Eastern championship a few years ago. Hmph. Must be something in that Kinston air...I agree with some of that. I do know a team in SWE's conference that started out last season with the spread. They were one questionable ref call from knocking off Kinston. The sophmores had ran the spread in JV with alot of success went 6-2. They played well against that Kinston team. Had one bad game the following week. It came apart when the coach tried to put the juniors and seniors in the line and skill positions trying to do what the sophmores did. I applaud the coach early on changing the playbook for the athletes he had in the sophmores but pressure from the boosters of not playing the upperclassmen and them not being athletic enough to run the spread was the demise. Back to the same old 3 yards and a cloud of dust. They would have won more than 3 games and made the playoffs last year if they would have stuck with it in my opinion. Now that same sophmore class is now juniors with a new coach and running the wing t. Projected to be last in the league. So much for being innovative.
I think there were well over 100 ND fans waiting to get in at 6pm. We didn’t know the gates didn’t open until 6:30. Thankfully they reconsidered and opened the gates for us around 6:10.
Definitely missed out on hundreds of dollars in concession revenue though. We left in plenty of time to eat, but a lot of ND folks showed up hungry only to pass by an unopened concession stand.
I don’t know if ND will be in the east or not this year, with Oak Grove being a little further east and potentially a qualifier in 2AA, it could bump North to the west.
But if you get Ledford or Oak Grove coming to you in the future... plan for the same! They’ll bring a bunch too!
Always loved smashmouth football 3 yards and a cloud of dust but present day it is beneficial to be more balanced.
I was there because it was the closest playoff game to me on that particular friday night. I was impressed how well yall travelled most teams in the east couldn't get a quarter of that amount for a home playoff game in 2A or 1A. Those visitor bleachers were packed full of passionate ND fans. Met alot of great people and had some good conversations with some ND folks. Hats off to you guys yall are first class.
It was indeed nice to see those bleachers full. We travel well, and I like it when others support their teams in the same manner. When we played at Kinston for the Eastern championship, we outnumbered the home team. A chance to go to the state championship, and there was hardly anyone there for them. It had to be disheartening for the team. Undefeated and no one was paying any attention.
You’re right. It is hard to understand what the difference is. I guess travel has something to do with socio-economics... but also with community. If you take a WinstonSalem/ForsythCounty school who is doing really well... They won’t all travel well. (EF and WF probably will)... i think a lot of it has to do with a lack of community. They don’t go to school together for the years before high school.
Old alumni flock to ND games because they went there any so many still live there. Their kids went there and many of them have grandkids, nephews, neighbors... etc. With an open border, it is likely that your neighbor’s kids don’t go to the same school that your other neighbor’s kids go to. It’s different. Bad in my opinion, but maybe there is a point somewhere that I’m missing.
Maybe our young families in the east move to North Davidson lol. That may explain how they found Pinetops lolo.
On a serious note. Alot of families have found a way out of Edgecombe and counties like it in the east for better opportunities like Raleigh and westward by the time their kids reach high school.
Just speaking on the WRH front, we have ran the wing-t ever since Jack Holley installed it in 1982( or 83). It’s an offense that has always worked very well for us because typically we are a smaller sized team and don’t have the big uglies like a typical mountain team. Being a smaller team keeps our guys more focused on their run blocking schemes than trying to hold blocks longer for pass protection. We have never had the mass to do that. We have to rely on our quick athletic personnel to gain any advantage possible. I think we did try the spread in the 08 season that was a disaster. We finished 2-8 I believe. The next year Coach Price comes in and reinstalls the wing-t and boom, state champions in his first year(09) with us with mostly the same players against an awesome Mt. Airy team that had won like 30 something games in a row. Won the state again the next year against a very good Murphy who also runs the wing-t and a truly legendary Coach Gentry. I think you have to run the offense that fits your personnel(and works) rather than just trying to follow the trend.
Thats exactly right. You have to have exceptional athletes to run the spread and you have to have players on the line that understand things like how to set the pocket and have tackles in addition to guards that also have the ability to pull out on runs and screens. It takes players that have played together for awhile in that system to be efficient. You won't see alot of wedge in the spread. The wing t is still a great offense to get kids together and play some ball.
It's not about style, it's about how a coach gets his team to run it.
In the 2003 State Title game, SWO tied 10 other schools in the record book with ZERO yards passing, but won 20-14 over undefeated defending State Champs Burlington Cummings (who were labeled "The Greatest Show on Turf" and had a 23 game winning streak going. I'll take Smash Mouth.
I remember those East Central slobberknockers. We lost at Clinton 7-0 in 2000 and won 7-0 at WRH later that same year.
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