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Sat..Play-Offs

We can all agree it's a down year for D2 absolutely, but this is the second year in a row Friends has come away with a first round win against a perceived "better opponent." Next week will definitely be their test.
 
This is why DIAA has to look at the current system (at least from a D2 standpoint) and see that it's not exactly working. Tower Hill and Friends both had home games when neither team really played a true Delaware schedule (Tower got roasted by DMA earlier this year and couldn't keep up with Howard last night, so we saw what happened).

Friends meanwhile has coaching and discipline going for them with some limited athleticism. They should be playing other D2 schools and at least a mediocre D1 (Delcastle, Charter and Polytech immediately come to mind), but until DIAA puts some things in place, this is what it is.
 
No disrespect to Lake players or coaches because they had a good year and went 8-2 and should be proud of that. On the flip side could have easily been 4-6. 1 point win against St Marks, 2 point win over Woodbridge,5 point wins over Delmar and Laurel.
 
I've only posted one other time in this forum. That was the most one-sided game I have ever witnessed!! Officials had Lakes fate sealed before kick off!!! Did Lake play their best?? No they did not...b$!@%#it penalty calls were a bigger problem! SMH
 
Disappointment for Lake.

People respect Friends. Great coach and a good team. Just hate their schedule.

If St. Mark's played friends schedule they'd be playing today .
Lake was not well prepared for today. They were sloppy and undisciplined - at least 3 late hit penalties, numerous fumbles. How do you come out for a tournament game and look like it's the first game of the season?! Tattersall, however, had Friends sharp and ready. Nothing spectacular, but everything solid. Nice play calling for them too. Bottom line, Friends was ready, Lake was not!
 
This game came down to preparation and discipline. Lake looked to have better athletes but Friends executed. Good luck Quakers.
 
The ultimate coaching mismatch today.
Lake players fell victim to a flat out better coach. The good coaches have an answer when plan a and b are stopped and then there is Lake's coach. Everybody that was at the game layed witness.
 
you cant blame the coach for the kids mental errors and fumbles. I am sure the coach preached not to fumble and make penalties... Coaches can take blame for bad decisions or play calling.. but fumbles and penalties rest solely on the players shoulders.. IMO
 
DMA 7-6 at the half. In my opinion it is a pretty evenly matched contest with neither offense really able to get untracked.
 
Penalties and turnovers didn't lose that game a lack of offensive creativity and back up game plan when the running game was stopped them by putting 9 in the box did. Penalties if anything show a lack of discipline which again falls on the coaches.
 
you cant blame the coach for the kids mental errors and fumbles. I am sure the coach preached not to fumble and make penalties... Coaches can take blame for bad decisions or play calling.. but fumbles and penalties rest solely on the players shoulders.. IMO
I agree ravensrooster. Whether it was the home field advantage or mental preparation, the Quakers were poised and dominating on the offensive line and made some big plays on defense. My point is that the Quakers will need to take that approach with them on the road next week to beat an even better football team.
 
This is a year in Division II where anything can happen. I had a hunch Woodbridge was going to beat DMA because the Seahawks really hadn't had a true tough test. St. Georges better watch out.
 
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Key plays in the DMA game were a defensive pass interference call on 4th down allowing the final scoring drive to continue & a dropped pass on DMA's last drive which appeared to be a catch from my vantage point. I was told later by some fans with a better view that indeed it was a drop.
 
Looking through the program I found that the Woodbridge teams consists of 23 freshmen & sophomores. Could be a force for a few more years.
 
Lake coach is just not a very good coach. I'm sure he is a good person but as far as coaching he is routinely overmatched. He is a blame the refs first type and not a I need to do better type.
 
Sure would like to see a lot of these Freddie Johnson naysayers try to run a team. The man caught a bad draw this year - NO way should Lake, a conference champion, been on the road.
 
Sure would like to see a lot of these Freddie Johnson naysayers try to run a team. The man caught a bad draw this year - NO way should Lake, a conference champion, been on the road.

That's not an excuse for routinely being out coached every single time he's made the playoffs. His scheme sucks and doesn't win come playoff time. You could put the 3 best players(all 3 were some of best RBs this state has seen) he's ever coached on the same team(Bryant, Flamer, and Cornish) and they still wouldn't win a championship because of his unwillingness to change the offense. It's highly predictable and doesn't work against good coached teams. It doesn't matter if this game was on the road or at home.... Lakes fans represented that team greatly yesterday(probably had more fans than WF). The team was just outcoached again. Did the players play a perfect game? Of course not, but the lack of execution on offense is mainly on the coaching. Obviously the game plan wasn't working. Well that's where the good coaches do something called "adjust". All day there was a mismatch with 6'3 #85 Cameron Lewis over a kid for Friends that looked 5 foot. Most coaches would spot this advantage and try to make something out of it. No, the kid gets no targets whatsoever and is basically a decoy all game. Freddie's son Noah is a very good runner but looks lost when he has to pass. Well hello, when you only do it once in a blue moon, I'd be lost too. Freddie is a great guy no doubt and knows how to build a winning culture but come playoff time, it's a whole other story due to his predictable offense and lack of adjustments.
 
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I couldn't agree more. You can't run 95% of your offense plays into nine man boxes and expect to win. The numbers just don't work. Friends played a zone but the safety was like 5'9" still a huge size advantage for Lake against either matchup. He has to hire on offensive coordinator. I also agree with smack the qb was a good runner but his passing mechanics stunk. He couldn't come off his first receiver and under threw everything a sign of bad footwork. I am not blaming the kid, if your Dad is the o coordinator and you live with him, which I am assuming he does, wouldn't that be all you worked on. His son is underdeveloped as a qb and that again points back to him. He can be the greatest guy in the world but we are talking football, he was badly out coached again yesterday.
 
All fair criticism. I don't blame the Lake fans for being disappointed. 2 straight seasons of 1st round exits. Being one dimensional on offense is a risky game. Sussex Tech had the same issue. If the game was at Lake it probably would've been the same outcome.
 
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Sure would like to see a lot of these Freddie Johnson naysayers try to run a team. The man caught a bad draw this year - NO way should Lake, a conference champion, been on the road.
I think most of the people on this site forget or aren't aware that a lot of the most qualified coaches in the state don't coach in high school or even at all because of work responsibilities. For the most part, most high school coaches are generally high school teachers because the hours and times of practice, the hours don't mesh with most people's work schedules. There are no 9-5ers available to coach in high school. There are coaches that are assistants, who never played the sports they are coaching. There are plenty of people in the stands that are qualified to coach high schools teams that can't afford to make it happen because of job choices and financial obligations to their families.
Bad draw and not at home are excuses for poor X's and O's. I explained in earlier posts. Woodbridge and Howard were lower seeds on the road (Well Howard not really on far away from home) and they aren't making excuses and Tower Hill beat Friends.
 
Its a different word today, Coaches seem to be fair game for criticism and lack the respect they used to be afforded.. parents and kids today seem to think they are entitled and have a say.. I don't envy any coach today having to deal with the parents like they do now...

As well as many of these kids seem to think they don't have to listen to the coaches.. Particularly the kids whom parents bash the coach in their presence.. Honestly for the little pay and all the drama they have to deal with I don't know why anyone would want to coach or referee for that matter.. They must really love it is all I can say and that is enough reason to respect them IMO

I wont do it.. I have been asked many times to get back into coaching as well as officiating and too me its just not worth all the BS... I love the kids its the parents and fans that make it not worthwhile
 
I stopped coaching because of my job, I'm not a teacher and it just became too much. To be a coach you can't listen to the criticism of fans, parents or people on message boards. I never had many issues in football. Baseball was a different story.

I've posted this before and I'll post it again. "It's real easy to coach from the stands because you are never wrong". I didn't make that up. Got that from a very successful now retired coach in Delaware.

I completely understand the disappointment of the Lake fans though. It's not easy to lose and doing it 2 years in a row makes it even tougher.
 
My job wouldn't be conducive to coach as well.. I guess it just comes form a mid western upbringing where we were all taught to respect authority whether it be parents, teachers, police officers, coaches, referees' etc.. It was a yes sir no sir world as a kid. maybe I am too old school or maybe the east coast is a different animal.. none the less I dont posses the thick skin to ignore it
 
Its pretty obvious St G is heads and shoulders above the D2 teams this year,,of course they have 100 kids in the program which is more than most D1 schools but none the less they will win it..
 
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