High school teams off to tough start in preseason
Foregoing of second scrimmage has hurt teams more than it’s helped
Envision yourself as a project manager for two new townhome developments. Both developments need to be completed in two years.
You’re given a year to complete the first development and do so efficiently. However, the demand to bring in new homeowners pushes up the deadline. You now have half the time to complete the second development.
How do you think that will work out?
Welcome to the 2016 high school football season.
With the PIAA revamp of the classification system, going from four to six classes and giving teams the option of foregoing a second scrimmage to start the season a week early, the jury was out on whether an abridged camp and loss of scrimmage would cause concern. The jury is in. The verdict: Teams need the second scrimmage.
“This has been a nightmare for us,” Pottsgrove head coach Rick Pennypacker said. “We do not like not having a second scrimmage. It has been so hard to get everything in and teach the fundamentals of the game in such a short time. There have been more mistakes made this year than any year I have been coaching. Not sure if it’s because we are a young team but we had to spend less time on the fundamentals than any other preseason.
“Moving forward, we will look very closely at doing this again next year. Our AD and I will have a serious discussion concerning this. I worry about kids being in ‘hitting’ shape in such a short time.”
Pennypacker’s words come after a lethargic 18-13 loss to West Catholic in their Week 0 matchup. His team was disjointed. Players were missing assignments, formations were missing players and the team was stuck in neutral offensively finishing with negative-2 yards after the first quarter. Across the sidelines, West Catholic didn’t fare any better. The Burrs finished with 22 penalties for 157 yards, including a sequence where the Burrs committed two block in the back penalties on the same play.
Elsewhere across the PAC offered the same.
Methacton’s young crop of players didn’t benefit from the shortened camp with a bulk of their starting lineup having only one varsity scrimmage under their belt before Upper Dublin put up 41-first half points on them. Norristown was similar. The Eagles couldn’t come back after Pennridge scored 49-first half points.
Upper Perk had players who hadn’t seen live action fill in for starters because of the stifling heat and humidity Friday night delivered (88 degrees at kickoff).
Boyertown, the winning team of that matchup with the Tribe, cooked its three first-half timeouts by 9:28 of the second quarter.
Think the abridged preseason allowed much time to install a two-minute drill? It apparently didn’t for Pottstown, who attempted one in the closing stages of the first half against Sun Valley, only to have time run out on them at the Vanguards’ 25-yard line when the play wasn’t relayed from the sideline in time to get a final snap off.
After Downingtown West nearly overcame a 28-point deficit in the final eight minutes against Perkiomen Valley, Whippets head coach Mike Milano said, “It’s tough to have one scrimmage then go play. In the NFL they get four, we get one. But I’m proud of the effort.”
Say what you will about the football season becoming a year-long commitment. It has. But don’t try to say the second scrimmage isn’t important.
Watch Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending movie “Inception” once and then give a full plot description. It’s near impossible. Now coaches are asked to watch their team once in live contact and devise the best fits in a single two-hour showing. For those coaches with a youth-filled roster, that too is near impossible. Want to install more quirks in your offense and give it a test ride before the season? Good luck. Want to see if your middle linebacker might benefit from playing a SAM or WILL position before the season? Better get your fill in that first scrimmage and during your abridged camp.
It’s not like coaches had any other option, however.
With the season essentially ending a week early, nearly all the teams in District 1 chose to start the season in Week 0. Sure, all teams have been placed on an equal playing field, which is a positive; however, the quality of competition surely fell during the first week because of it. And if ditching the second scrimmage remains a practice in the district, what are the alternative to prepare the teams?
Spring-Ford head coach Chad Brubaker has one, and it’s been done with teams not affiliated with the PIAA.
“I would like to see the PIAA allow us to practice with another team on Tuesday of the week after heat acclimatization with the same hitting restrictions as a normal practice,” he said. “This would allow us to have a more intense, competitive practice. Maybe you could even bring officials into the practice to help oversee it and get them some work, as well. It’s hard to go from practicing against sophomores to competing against equal competition on a Friday night. I think that something like that would better acclimate kids to the speed of a varsity game.”
Fortunately for the PIAA and the teams, they will have an opportunity at a second go-around next year. Let’s see what their response is.
Craziness at Kottmeyer
Thought nothing could top the Downingtown East and Perkiomen Valley finish two years ago in the District 1-AAAA first round? Think again. Two years after Downingtown East came back from a 24-17 deficit in the final six minutes before kicking the game-winning field goal as time expired, Downingtown West was a failed two-point conversion away from nearly overcoming a 28-point hole in the Whippets’ 42-41 loss to PV.
Maybe Kottmeyer Stadium just brings out the wackiness? For any sake, Vikings’ senior quarterback Stephen Sturm is glad his return to Kottmeyer garnered him a victory.
“It’s huge,” Sturm said. “Downingtown, year to year always puts up a good program. I have to give credit to them. They played hard, never gave up and gave us a run for it. It’s huge for our program, it’s a step in the right direction. I look forward to playing other teams like this.”
Golden Boot
Perkiomen Valley kicker Garrett Patla booted four kickoffs for touchbacks and didn’t have any of his seven kicks fall before the 5-yard line.
Stat This
Wanted to see some gaudy stat lines? Look no further than what the annual rivalry of Upper Perkiomen and Boyertown produced.
Upper Perkiomen senior QB Zeke Hallman produced the first 300-yard passing effort by a PAC quarterback this season, throwing for 303 yards and four touchdowns in what ended up being a 34-27 Boyertown victory. His main target Ryan Kendra went nuts, producing a PAC-best 11 receptions for 202 yards, hauling in three of Hallman’s four TD passes.
Boyertown QB Jerry Kapp and running back Hunter Vogels both produced 100-yard rushing efforts. Kapp needed only 18 attempts to rush for 177 yards and three touchdowns, while Vogels needed only six attempts to rush for 115 yards and a score.
Pennridge quarterback Jagger Hartshorn rushed for 187 yards and five touchdowns and passed for 69 more, as the Rams scored seven first-half touchdowns and then rested their starters in the second half in a 49-0 victory over Norristown.
16 Candles
Chester won its first Week 1 contest since the year 2000 by topping reigning Central League champion Haverford, 24-21, Saturday morning.
Offensive Player of the Week
JERRY KAPP, BOYERTOWN » Kapp rushed for leaguebest 177 yards and three touchdowns in the Bears come-from-behind victory over Upper Perkiomen.
Defensive Player of the Week
RASHEED MAY, PERKIOMEN VALLEY »
Coach of the Week
ROB HEIST, PERKIOMEN VALLEY » Heist earned his firstever coaching victory in thrilling fashion.
Quote This
“You just have to be on the mindset that you’re unstoppable, especially when you’re rolling. You just have to be like, ‘You can’t take me down.’ Every time I was running I was like ‘they can’t tackle me, they can’t tackle me.” — West Catholic RB Calil Wortham.