DON’T PANIC OR WORRY JUST YET!
Week one is in the bag and after a number of big wins and disappointing loses, questions have been swirling. Only 4 meaningful quarters have been clocked, giving teams only 8 quarters of live football. A Pac 10 Championship Coach once told me, “A team improves the most between game 1 and game 2”. I believe this to be true and hope it will be true for Gulf Cove teams.
Freedom
A very disappointing slap around by Durant to say the least. The Patriots were defeated by the Cougars 36-0 last Friday in a contest that looked a lot better on paper. Is Durant 36 points better than Freedom? At least they played like it. But the Pats are far more talented than that score indicated. Anytime an offense does not score an adequate number of points, eyes always go to the quarterback first. In this case, Jon Economou is starting his first season as a full time QB, surrounded by an inexperienced offensive line and caste of two-way skill players. The chemistry is not there yet with Economou and his troops. The coaches are still evaluating players and trying to figure out how to put the best players in the best situation…what will work for the Patriots. Allowing 36 points could be due to the conditioning. I was not at the game, but I do know that playing a multiple number of players on offense, defense and special teams can wear on a team. The Patriots will get in better condition and attention to detail will come with more varsity games under their belt. DON’T PANIC YET PATRIOT FAITHFUL.
Clearwater Central Catholic
There are no moral victories in football. CCC players should not be happy they took East Lake to the wire. But be pissed off they lost the game that they very much could have won. No excuses for the Marauders. But improvement is coming. The best asset CCC has is a great coaching staff. I am positive that the coaches had a sleepless night Friday and were anxious to view the film in order to prepare for this week’s game. CCC may have proven to others and reaffirmed to themselves that the opportunity is there for CCC to be a darn good team. Fans still need to give CCC time to improve on defense and build cohesiveness between the new QB and the receivers. DONT WORRY YET MARAUDER FOLLOWING.
Tampa Bay Tech.
New coaches, new special team philosophy and a new offensive system, all stirred into the pot of “New Player” soup. I know what you are saying, “Big lost to Jefferson in the classic, backed up by a lose to a far less talented Newsome team…help”! Don’t yell for help yet. TBT will be fine. Offensive Coordinator, Mo Harris is still in the process of implementing his I-Pro offense and at the same time breaking in a new QB who has been in the shotgun formation for the last two years. The Titans are blessed to have 3 talented running backs, however this is also a delicate issue that could make for a difficult game plan for any play caller. Attempting spread the carries amongst the 3 backs and adjust personnel according to situation and play call. Not an easy task. The bright spots are that the defensive line is very good and the QB has varsity experience. But, the receivers need to get use to being a vital part of the offense. The offensive line is still learning a few different run blocking techniques and pass protections. Good things are in the future for the Titans in 2011! DON’T PANIC TITAN NATION.
Jefferson
Last but not least, the Dragons took one on the chin Friday. Losing to the Knights in disappointing fashion by 20 points left a sour taste in all Dragon fans’ mouth. But, credit the Knights for a big win and be patient with the development of the 2011 Dragon team. There are plenty new starters on the Dragon team including the whole offensive line, the QB, the running back, 3 receivers, at least 1 defensive lineman and linebacker and 3 new starters in the defensive secondary. The Dragons need experience and time to gel. There is nothing more valuable to a football player than live reps. Don’t forget that the Dragons are also breaking in Jeremy Earle as a 1st year head football coach. It’s much easier being responsible for the offense than being responsible for the whole team. Before Jefferson was a state championship team in 2010, they were a team of 10th graders who grew together, went through different struggles athletically, but survived to win a state championship 2 years later. The Dragons have plenty of skill, but not a lot of game reps or chemistry. It will come with time. DON’T WORRY DRAGON FAMILY.