Paladin's Pigskin Picks -- Wk 3

[Paladin]

All right sports fans, week 3 of the SEOAL coming up and I'm now 11-3 on my picks with a 6-1 record last week. Lets take a look at this week's match-ups --

WARREN @ Athens -- Unbeaten Warren visits the Pups who used to be in the SEOAL. Warriors will make short work of Athens with a dominating O.Bulldogs will not be able to stop them. You can run, but you can't hide in the TVC -- WARREN

Wellston @GALLIA -- The Rockets upset lowly Jackson and suddenly everyone is excited. Relax, the Blue Devils are going to put a big hurt on Wellston with a punishing D. This one may not be close and the only thing in doubt is the coin flip -- GALLIA

PORTSMOUTH @ Wheelersburg -- The Trojans are showing their weak spot -- defense,,,, and until they can get that straightened out, a promising season may be going down the drain. The Trojans are in big trouble until they fix it. Burg isn't all that, but the Pirates may have just enough to win-- BURG

Vinton County @ JACKSON -- In the game being billed as the second coming of the battle of the LITTLE BIG HORN, the Vikings become another sacrifical lamb on Jackson's weak & embarrassing schedule. This one won't be close. Custer got scalped & so will VC -- JACKSON

Cambridge @ MARIETTA -- Cambridge isn't all that this year, but the Bobcats should have enough to dispatch the Tigers. While the game could be competitive, Marietta hasn't showed that it can compete with anyone average, let alone someone good. -- CAMBRIDGE

Ironton @ CHILLI -- The Cavs are just awful this year. tiggers aren't all that special but as usual the fan base there are high( some straight, some drug induced) on their post-season chances. In a game that won't be close and could get ugly -- IRONTON

Reynoldsburg @ LOGAN -- The Chiefs have played a tough schedule so far against two D-I teams both projected to make the playoffs ,but remain winless. This week , they get the chance to win a game and start a win streak that could lead them to another SEOAL title and the playoffs. Reynoldsburg will give them some competition. However, this is the week Logan will show what the rest of the season will look like -- LOGAN

So, I'm projecting the SEOAL to go 4-3 this week. Not great, but still rolls up computer points for the Champ to get. At this point, while Logan is still the favorite to win the SEOAL, Portsmouth is starting to fade and both Warren & Gallia should be looked at as possible challengers. Next week , league play begins, so this is the last chance for people to get their teams straightened out and prepared for the battle.

Good Luck SEOAL

[noreply66]

good picks

[85inside]

I think you go undefeated this week.

[fuzzhead]

I'd pick the same way.
Jackson's schedule is lame. Thank you for continuing to point this out - the humor is great too. Haha

[Paladin]

Just for info on an area game up here --

Warren Howland entertains Warren Harding in a game that will have an overflow crowd and be on TV for cable viewers locally. Both are undefeated. Howland has a reputation for scheduling smaller & weaker programs( read inner city Cleveland D-I schools) in non-league to gin up their prospects for making the playoffs. Harding just flat out plays anyone and Massillon, Iggy, St. Eds, Mooney, Elder & Canton McKinley often dot the schedule. Raiders did not make the playoffs last year however. Game was halted some years ago when Harding whipped the Tigers 62-0. Now however, with declining population in Warren as a small D-I school and Howland growing to a D-II school in the east side suburbs, the rivalry begins again. Howland has a star RB who played as a Frosh last year and as a Soph, lead them to a win with 38 carries last week. Howland was in the playoffs last year & figure to get in again this year. Sure fire D-I recruit. However, the rest of the team are well to do suburban boys. Harding still has tough as nails kids from the city & the projects and has at least a half dozen D-I prospects for college. Despite the local hype, the suburban boys are in trouble as speed kills and in this one I like Harding over Howland. -- WARREN HARDING

Go Raiders !

[Paladin]

Another area match-up has implications on the playoffs as undefeated Mentor Lake Catholic ( D-II) travels to unbeaten Youngstown Ursuline (D-5). Both figure to make the playoffs. Lake Catholic has already beat St. Iggy(D-I). Most call this a toss-up game. The hometown Irish think they'll win the D-5 Championship while Lake Catholic should make a run at the D-II title. Both are loaded with college recruits. But while the Irish have a solid run game, the Cougars show strenght at both run & pass. In a dogfight, I like -- MENTOR LAKE CATHOLIC

[ironman02]

I'd pick the same way.
Jackson's schedule is lame. Thank you for continuing to point this out - the humor is great too. Haha

Looks like Paladin has found a fan. It's hard to resist his humor. Heard tonight that Jackson will be replacing Marietta next season with Columbus St. Charles. I feel like that's a step in the right direction.

For what it's worth, I think Paladin has all the SEOAL games picked correctly for this week. Hopefully the SEOAL can do better than 4-3, but I'm not seeing it.

[Paladin]

02

Its good you have a sense of humor. I don't think this season is going to go the way you had hoped for pre-season.

St. Chucks is O.K. but they really need to work on at least 2 of the first three games. Keep a local rivalry/$$$$$$$$ game , but get some people on that you take a risk to beat. Jackson competitively now isn't very good. And won't get better until the schedule improves. But feel free to keep the weenie games. Logan will appreciate it.

[ironman02]

02

Its good you have a sense of humor. I don't think this season is going to go the way you had hoped for pre-season.

St. Chucks is O.K. but they really need to work on at least 2 of the first three games. Keep a local rivalry/$$$$$$$$ game , but get some people on that you take a risk to beat. Jackson competitively now isn't very good. And won't get better until the schedule improves. But feel free to keep the weenie games. Logan will appreciate it.

We'll see what happens with respect to Jackson's season. I certainly wasn't expecting a loss in Week 1, but hopefully a valuable lesson has been learned and the Ironmen will play well the rest of the year. I'm not counting them out of any game, but there are certainly some tough challenges ahead. No doubt about that.

St. Charles is okay? I think it's a very good game for Jackson. St. Charles has been to the playoffs recently, and they play a very difficult schedule. They've been competitive with DeSales and Watterson recently, and you obviously know how good those programs are. I don't know if Jackson is keeping Ironton on the schedule next year, but if they are, St Charles and the Tigers are two pretty solid non-league games. I realize that the Wellston and Vinton County games are a huge issue with you, and I've said that I'm on your side when it comes to that. I'd like to see another difficult non-league game added in place of Vinton County since the Wellston series will obviously be continuing now. If, and I say if because I don't know for sure, next year's non-conference slate is Wellston, Waverly, Vinton County, Ironton, and St. Charles, I think that's at least respectable, and certainly a step in the right direction.

[Paladin]

I don't see Jackson keeping the tiggers on the schedule. They'll have some reason not to keep them, wait & see. There is an agenda in Jackson and its not good.

BTW, replacing Marietta is necessary as they are clearing their schedule for a whole new league and gives you an odd game to fill. St. Chuck's isn't all that but offers odd game scheduling , so it makes sense. They do play a tough schedule but only have some limited success. Given the current Jackson program, they'll be a handful for you.

[ironman02]

I don't see Jackson keeping the tiggers on the schedule. They'll have some reason not to keep them, wait & see. There is an agenda in Jackson and its not good.

BTW, replacing Marietta is necessary as they are clearing their schedule for a whole new league and gives you an odd game to fill. St. Chuck's isn't all that but offers odd game scheduling , so it makes sense. They do play a tough schedule but only have some limited success. Given the current Jackson program, they'll be a handful for you.

I'm well aware that replacing Marietta is necessary since they're leaving the league. I'm just happy to see Jackson going out of SE Ohio to find a challenging opponent. St. Charles would be a handful for anyone in SE Ohio most years, by the way. They may go 6-4 or around there most years, but those four losses are usually to very strong opponents, most notably DeSales and Watterson as I mentioned before.

gahs4ever,

That's a very good post, in my opinion. ADs have a tough job, and that job is to make sure that the athletic program survives fiscally, first and foremost. It's nice to play a competitive schedule, and if you can do that while also thriving economically, then that's great. I'm a proponent of attempting to "schedule up", but in an economic climate such as the one we're facing now, finances certainly do take the lead over competition.

[d-5]

Wheelersburg vs Jackson in regular season game real soon

[Paladin]

I wasn't going to say anything, but the comments are just too juicy to pass up --

my, my, economic times are hard and we look for local teams to play. Yet, when times were good and $$$$$$ easy, who did Jackson schedule ?? Thats right, no one important. I have watched this program in particular for a very long time, near & far. And the truth is , they just don't have the gonads to do the right thing. They fear losing so much , they'll do anything to win. But enough of Jackson. The same holds true for most of SEO. When times were better and $$$$$$$$$$$$$ more available, who did anyone schedule ?? Tough teams ? Not on your life !!

Classic case -- Athens , formerly of the SEOAL , now slumming it in the TVC. Still D-2 aren't they? But there, they can win against much smaller, weaker teams. Most of SEO you can point a finger at and ask who they played when times were good, they had tough teams and $$$$$ wasn't a big issue. The answer almost uniformly is most ducked competition, even ducking good teams in SEO because they were looking for a cheap win. Look in a mirror -- if you want to know why SEO is a weak sister state wide, you don't have to look far.

BTW, lots of D -6,D-5 , D-4 & D-3 teams in SEO. Easy to find good competition if you really look . Look at the rest of the state who will chew SEO teams up in those divisions. They are the same size in division, but baby look at those schedules. Go back & look in a mirror and ask who you played to "get better". Y'all should hang your head in shame.

[ironman02]

Wheelersburg vs Jackson in regular season game real soon

Man, I hope so. I've wanted that to be a regular season game for a long time.

[loganlocos]

GAHS -

Paladin is pointing out that there are a lot of solid football programs that while not on a state wide level, can offer a big increase in competition outside the SEOAL.

Just for example: Wheelersburg, Ironton, and Nelsonville-York have all won state championship and consistently field about as good of teams as you'll find in SE Ohio. Obviously you might not get all 3, but its a start. Then you throw in a Portsmouth West, Westfall, and Logan Elm and you have 3 more teams that provide a year in and year out upgrade over Wellston, Waverly, and Vinton County.

For all their faults, it is not a coincidence that for years Ironton played UP in division against GREAT competition and in turn consistently competed for regional and state championships. Part of that was a desire to play tougher competition, part of it was a geography problem that forced Ironton to travel and schedule games that they wouldn't were it not for their success and geographic location. But playing those schedules DID help the Tigers get better.

Nelsonville-York is another great example. They don't win the TVC-Ohio EVERY year because they have the most talent or even the best coaching, they do well in both those areas, but they challenge their kids in the non-league schedule. For years they played UP against Logan, have scheduled Jackson and Ironton, played New Lex, and just last week had one of THE state powers in Newark Catholic come to Buchtel. Their program is better for it also.

I know this issue gets debated several times a year, but I think the debate is interesting. As fans we can't control the schedule, but we can't control the way kids play or coaches coach so its as valid a topic as any.

Logan will have openings in weeks 3, 5 and 8 next year and I'll be the first to be critical if someone like Waverly (who is open week 5) is on the schedule.

JMO

[GAHS83]

GAHS -

Paladin is pointing out that there are a lot of solid football programs that while not on a state wide level, can offer a big increase in competition outside the SEOAL.

Just for example: Wheelersburg, Ironton, and Nelsonville-York have all won state championship and consistently field about as good of teams as you'll find in SE Ohio. Obviously you might not get all 3, but its a start. Then you throw in a Portsmouth West, Westfall, and Logan Elm and you have 3 more teams that provide a year in and year out upgrade over Wellston, Waverly, and Vinton County.

For all their faults, it is not a coincidence that for years Ironton played UP in division against GREAT competition and in turn consistently competed for regional and state championships. Part of that was a desire to play tougher competition, part of it was a geography problem that forced Ironton to travel and schedule games that they wouldn't were it not for their success and geographic location. But playing those schedules DID help the Tigers get better.

Nelsonville-York is another great example. They don't win the TVC-Ohio EVERY year because they have the most talent or even the best coaching, they do well in both those areas, but they challenge their kids in the non-league schedule. For years they played UP against Logan, have scheduled Jackson and Ironton, played New Lex, and just last week had one of THE state powers in Newark Catholic come to Buchtel. Their program is better for it also.

I know this issue gets debated several times a year, but I think the debate is interesting. As fans we can't control the schedule, but we can't control the way kids play or coaches coach so its as valid a topic as any.

Logan will have openings in weeks 3, 5 and 8 next year and I'll be the first to be critical if someone like Waverly (who is open week 5) is on the schedule.

JMO

It comes down to the fact that the teams you mention that are in proximity to GAHS won't put us on the schedule. I'd love to see us play Wheelersburg, Minford or Portsmouth West if they would schedule us. Logan Elm and Westfall would both be exactly the kind of opponents GAHS needs to play, but eventhough they're considered Southern Ohio, they're both at least a 90 min. bus ride. The same with NY. They have a great program, but they're D5 and about 90 min. by bus away. For League games for us, everyone but Jackson is 60 min. plus by bus.

Being one of the larger schools on the southern border of the state puts GAHS at a distinct scheduling disadvantage. I'd love to be able to schedule some of the better Central Ohio schools around our size, but that just isn't going to happen. Even if we were willing to go that far, they aren't for the most part. I think we're going to have to be satisfied with what we're doing from a scheduling point.

[trojandave]

I have agreed for a long time about Paladin's argument for SE schools to schedule up to better their programs.......and he points out that when the money wasn't so tight, there were still schools that refused to play better competition.......and I agree with that point also.

I can speak about Portsmouth........when we were an independent for 11 years, we didn't restrict ourselves geographically to the comfort of SE Ohio........and our city is in as dire a financial situation as any in Ohio.......Scioto County, in fact, was the first county in state history to be placed on fiscal emergency........yet PHS played schools well outside SE Ohio......for example, Harrison Central, one hour FARTHER than Steubenville (the Trojans lost 65-28).

This year, our football team played Wilmington......and they brought a decent crowd with them.......WHS is a very respectable D2 school that is just a little farther from Portsmouth than Hillsboro is........and our basketball team is taking a trip to Florida this year to play 3 games........there won't be any gate revenue for us.......instead it's costing us approximately $20,000 to make the trip........the money for the trip was raised by the basketball team........our coach, Eugene Collins, wanted to be creative when putting together a non-conference schedule.........and I am excited for our kids that they will be playing basketball in Florida.

It's no surprise that SE District playoff qualifiers rarely advance far into the playoffs........the non-conference schedules just aren't good enough........and from the postseason games that I have seen over the years, SE teams are normally a step slower than teams outside the district.......but if you don't schedule teams with a higher level of speed, then to play teams that have it can be very difficult to adjust to. Logan, last year, dominated the SEOAL, and went 10-0, but had problems with Brookhaven's speed in the playoffs.....I was at the game.......yes, Patrick Angle got hurt, but the Bearcats still were the faster team.......and Brookhaven got hammered the very next week by a very fast Marion-Franklin squad. Logan plays a good non-conference schedule, but I think being a D2 school it would help them by scheduling a City League school, quite a few of which qualify for the playoffs on a yearly basis.

Speed doesn't necessarily mean an automatic long playoff run for a school that has it, but no exposure to true speed can spell doom for a school that doesn't have it and won't play against it.

[Paladin]

Portsmouth is an exception, trojandave. As a D-4 school they play 4 D-2 teams & 3 D-3s and of those teams Logan, Wilmington, West, Burg & Itown is as impressive as you'll will find in SEO for a schedule. Its easy to say Portsmouth does the right thing.

The speed issue is often addressed in the D-I games Logan schedules -- Lancaster, Pickerington & Reynoldsburg have had good speed at times. D-2 Zanesville often has very good speed .Ditto when Logan played DeSales. Speed can be found in more than just the City. The downfall in scheduling City League teams is that they are erratic from one year to the next. Speed & ability one year & a dog the next. The suburban/ parochial schools offer the better competition year after year, but your point is well taken.

In the playoffs, speed can come from odd places too -- rural teams often are exceptional and beat city teams at the speed game. Speed is found in small divisions too and not just from city teams where they are usually bigger division schools. But the overall problem is you can't count on speed every year nor talent to go with it. Find the good programs & play them. Over the years they will provide the talent or speed you need to see to compete well.

[loganlocos]

SE Ohio programs have a choice.

We either all look at ways to schedule "UP" and expose our teams to better competition, or we will continue to get drubbed in the playoffs except for rare exceptions.

Talk about all the reasons why it "can't happen" all you want, the reality is that it is the only way you'll see the SE District start to win games in the postseason on a consistent basis.

[ironman02]

SE Ohio programs have a choice.

We either all look at ways to schedule "UP" and expose our teams to better competition, or we will continue to get drubbed in the playoffs except for rare exceptions.

Talk about all the reasons why it "can't happen" all you want, the reality is that it is the only way you'll see the SE District start to win games in the postseason on a consistent basis.

Great post. That is the reality of the situation.

I do think gahs_4ever's post makes a lot of sense. Athletic programs are driven by money, and times are definitely tough right now. Most times, whether it's right or not, competition gets thrown out the window for money. And as Paladin pointed out, maybe even just for guaranteed wins in some cases. As I said before, though, I'm definitely a proponent of scheduling up. I know I get upset when Paladin talks trash about Jackson's schedule, but it's not because he isn't right...it's just that hearing the same insults time after time simply gets old. Very rarely is there actually a true discussion about the subject. Anyway, better overall competition will lead to better results for SE Ohio teams in the post-season. Several schools are buying into that philosophy and it is paying dividends. In Jackson's case, I hope to see them continue to find games like St. Charles in the future. Natural rivalries and big gates are nice, and they certainly help fund the athletic program, but purely from a football program standpoint, raising the bar in competition will only help.

By the way, that second paragraph wasn't directed at you, Locos. It was more of a general thing. I just quoted your post because it supports my overall opinion on playing better competition. Your post sums things up perfectly.