Portsmouth Trojans Football 2011

[PTrojan59]

What do you think of this team after a disappointing 2010 season ?

[Blackjack]

More of the same that we saw this year. The Trojans had as much talent as anyone they played this year. Just didnt meet their potential. IMO

[PTrojan59]

My projected starters just a rough look way to early to say
QB.Mason Jordan SR
RB.Johnnie Charles SO
WR.LJ Adams SR
WR.Wayne Evans SR
WR.Zaide Whitley SR
TE.Austin Porter SR
T.JW Horsely SR
G.Tyler Scott SR
C.Kyle Ratcliff SR
G.Levi Hall JR
T.Andy Hayden JR

Other with playing time.
G.Brian Sexton SO
G/T.Alex Grashel SO
WR.Josh Clark JR
RB/WR.Brandon Weederbrook SO
TE.Ronnie Truman SR
QB.Cody Stapleton SO

DE.Ronnie Truman SR
DT.Tyler Scott SR
DT.Klye Ratcliff SR
DE.Brian Sexton SO
OLB.Austin Porter SR
MLB.Levi Hall JR
OLB.JW Horsely SR
CB.Wayne Evans SR
CB.Zaide Whitley SR
SS.Mason Jordan SR
FS.LJ Adams SR

Other with playing time
CB.Josh Clark JR
LB.Johnnie Chalres SO
DT.Andy Hayden JR
S.Brandon Weederbrook SO
S.Cody Stapleton SO

[ohbuckeye2]

How many starters return on each side of the ball next year? I really liked Portsmouths QB this year, nice player, Him and Wayne Evans should be a great combonation again next year.

[LetsGoPSU]

Looking forward to seeing the Charles Kid, heard a lot about him...unless these kids learn how to tackle and play solid defense 4-6 may be a battle

[piratepride86]

Good luck in 2011

[d-5]

unless these kids learn how to tackle
BINGO

[55buckeyes98]

Good luck next season Portsmouth!

[PTrojan59]

Portsmouth will have 5 coming back on offense and 8 on deffense that got to play last year

[55buckeyes98]

Johnstown has 8 back on D and 7 back on offense!

[trojandave]

If the Trojans don't get a defense back into the program, then contending for the SEOAL title and making the playoffs will not happen.......we gave up 32 PPG this past season with 7 starters returning on defense........the offense averaged 22 PPG in 2010, and should at least equal that in 2011......Mason Jordan should have a huge year at QB......but to win games Portsmouth has to get more stops, period.

[Trojan_FB_Alum]

The Trojans MUST FIND A defense, and MUST FIND A run game. When the Trojans were good the teams were built around great defense, and strong running attacks.
With Mason Jordan back at QB we should have a pretty good pass game, however the pass has to be secondary, we must be able to first establish the run. I hope to see Zaide Whitley line up at tail back some. He has game breaking speed, and is a strong runner. With him and Johnny Charles I believe the run game could return, and take pressure off Mason, if we can find a line. The line is up in the air to me right now, I started to lay out who I believed would be the starters and where at, and I had a hard time with it. 3 that I would expect to see are Ratcliff, Hayden and Grashel. I imagine there will be around 8 guys fill the 5 spots throughout the season; some will also be seeing time on the defense.

As for the defense we have to have a mentality change. We need to find a leader out there, someone that is the heart and soul of the unit. If I’m setting up the d if would look like this. I have it set as our traditional 4-4 defense as this is the base we normally start from. Out of it we have more flexibility, for example OLB Jordan drops to safety and Porter moves out to OLB to make a 4-3. Or Hall drops to NG to make a 5-3 and drop one of the outside and make it a 5-2. Coming out of our base attack 40 D gives the most versatility.
DE Truman
DT Scott
DT Grashel
DE Horsley
OLB Whitley
MLB Hall
MLB Porter
OLB Jordan
CB Adams
CB Evans
S Weederbrook

Just my guesses at what we need and how I would do things, have to wait and see how it all shakes out next season. Our keys though have to be defense, and an O-line that allows us to run the ball.

[Westfan]

I sat through a short seminar last year with the Portsmouth coaches. I won't mention names, but you know who's who.

One part was the defensive coordinator. Two things stuck out in my mind that he said. To me it explains exactly why Portsmouth's defense is terrible.

1. They teach their linebackers to run-around blocks. He said he wants them to use their speed, go around the block, and get to the ball. That's fine and dandy on an outside run, but to stop power running at the point of attack. Middle linebackers must take on the block (usually the fullback), or at least that's the way I was taught.

2. He basically said the only responsibility of his corners is pass defense. He said if they run support great, but it isn't a necessary responsibility. Now tell me how can you stop a sweep, without the corners coming up on run support?

Shouldn't be downing someone, but let's just say I was less than impressed. The other coaches from Portsmouth, especially the O-line coach, were really good.

I've said it before. May not believe me, but just look at the Portsmouth's and Waverly's of the area that have went exclusively spread. Heck, Valley with all the athletes they had gave up 300 plus yards to Shankweiler. It makes you soft. You can't stop power running being soft. These kids play both ways. You ask your skill kids (linebackers and defensive backs) to finesse on offense and then strap it up on offense. Doesn't work. Go back to running the ball and your defense will magically improve.

[trojandave]

Trojan FB Alum is correct in that one of the ingredients necessary to turn around the fortunes of our football program is to re-establish the run.........our most successful teams in history could all run the ball well, and most of the time we had a home run hitter to give the ball to......we don't have that now, and our running game is not nearly as prolific.......Mason Jordan's passing ability will be enhanced by a solid running game......without it, the Trojans will be more predictable and in turn more defensible.

But even a diverse offense will still have to score a lot of points to make up for a defense that routinely gives up at least 30 points a game.

LET'S GET DEFENSE BACK IN OUR PROGRAM!!! GO TROJANS!!!

[Trojan_FB_Alum]

Siderman, I agree with you about the spread. I am not a fan of it either, going exclusively to it, changes a team and I don’t think for the better. It makes your players less aggressive.

As for the running around blocks, as I remember it we teach linebackers to shed blocks and not blow them up. Ideally in the Portsmouth scheme DT, will blow up the blocks to allow linebackers to “run around them”. I think that is what you are referring to.
Corners primary responsibility is pass coverage. If I remember right, sweep is stopped by DE blowing up lead block, then OLB and MLB flowing over to make the tackle. MLB should be to flow free if DT has done his job. This is of course if there is not a stunt on. If there is a stunt, I would have to see what offences it is against. This is just as I remember it, but it has been a while so don’t hold me to it. Think I have some old scouting reports around still somewhere, I’ll look and see if that’s right sometime.
We have had the same defensive coordinator for years, and the system as changed very little. No one can doubt that for years PHS had one of the best defenses in the area, under the same coordinator. So he knows what he is doing, we just haven’t had the quality of athletes lately.

[zebra77]

a new defensive coach might not be a bad idea, since the 4-4 doesn't seem to be working.

[TrojanXplosion]

It's not the defensive coordinator. Portsmouth had some of the better defenses I've seen in the early 2000's. It has everything to do with the product on the field. I'm not trying to start anything but, to many times in the past couple years following the Trojans, I have seen a complete lack of focus from the players on the defensive side of the ball. I know it's high school football and no one is perfect but, the lack of focus and lack of effort from certain players is terrible. If you don't want to focus and put your heart into it, don't play. Basically what I'm saying is, this team had way to much talent on it these past two years not to make the playoffs. I know Myers went down early this year but still, it doesn't change the fact that the defense didn't show up. Offense will come and go but the one constant should always be good solid defense.

[Burg_Grad_77]

Siderman....You are so full of sh#t it is coming out your ears. You should be more "concerned" about how the Siders play because it is not all that impressive.

Well then, let's hear what you would do to improve the Trojans defense since you obviously know everything there is to know about every aspect of High School, College, and Pro football according to what I've read from you on those forums.

Let's hear it, oh Wise One.

[El Ray]

The Trojans season had nothing to do with the coaches and everything to do with the lack of talent and lets face it a MAJOR injury. The bottom line is that they just weren't as talented as they have been in the past. However, I have to believe with a healthy Josh Myers they do have a winning season. It is the same coaching staff that in my opinion overachieved in 2009 so the coaches are fine just not very talented. The one thing I would do though is give Coach Hammond the keys to the weightroom and let him have TOTAL control of the strength program. Also, get Dale King involved as well. Both of these guys are motivators who have not only the knowledge but a true passion for strength training. I am looking forward to watching Mason Jordan's progress and it looks like to me that the offense could be exciting with a more experienced QB and that group of receivers. Go Trojans!

[FarAwayFalcon]

I mostly agree with that siderman. Waverly was able to execute well a few years ago because they had several top notch athletes. To play at a high level in the spread you can't have 1 or 2 athletes, you need 5-6 at least. Also an often overlooked part of the spread is line play. You need lean, but still very strong and quick O-linemen to run it well. Most schools in this area can't find that many really good players year in and year out. Another problem is you have coaches (not digging at anyone here, just an observation) that read a book or two and go to a conference and think they are suddenly a football genius ahead of their time and are doing the area a favor by "exposing" everyone to the spread offense. The reality is you have to always be changing your offense in a spread because teams will figure it out week to week. This is not only hard on an O-coordinator, but hard on players too, kids only have so much time to dedicate to football in a given week with school and all their other responsibilities. Look at the state championship games most years, the majority of teams that make it there are heavily power run oriented teams.