#3 Wheelersburg V.S. #7 Fredericktown - Regional Semi-Finals

Burg_Grad_77 · Post by **Burg_Grad_77** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 4:17 am

DEmaniac wrote:bg77, when did you have to leave?

I stayed for the entire game. You would have had to hit me over the head and drag me out of there to get to leave that one early. I got back to work around 1:00 am and I owe Matt a big thanks for working for me. He is one hell of a guy.

Burg_Grad_77 · Post by **Burg_Grad_77** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 4:21 am

falcon01 wrote:what a game!! at the half i told my brother, if wheelersburg doesnt score early in the second we are leaving! About the middle of the forth i was tired of sitting down so we went and got a drink and stood down along the fence. Only place close was right at the goal line. Which happened to be a great place to stand in OT. Maybe the freddies get in on 4th down anyway, but he was NOT in on 3rd down. The official was practically calling it before he even came down. He hit his knee around the 2 and the ball was not stretched out. He had it tucked then when he hit he then stretched it out. I couldnt believe it and the 2 guys from fredricktown beside me also did not think he was in. Great game though and what a display of guts to make the comeback.. congrats on a great season, i just hadnt heard anyone talking about the last play so thought id chime in.

That's what I saw as well. I thought for sure they were going to mark him down around the one and a half yard line and force them to decide on the FG or going for it. His knee was down way before he ever stretched the ball out across the goal, but they called it a TD and we have to live with that.

Maybe he wanted to get the hell out of there and didn't want to see another OT. :lol:

Old*rocket · Post by **Old*rocket** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 9:29 am

the burg was the better team,turn overs killed you. great come back,good luck next year.

g_man75 · Post by **g_man75** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 10:56 am

old*rocket wrote:the burg was the better team,turn overs killed you. great come back,good luck next year.

Being at the game this Waverly Tiger Fan will have to agree. I never gave up on them even when they were down 28 to 7 at the half. I knew their potential because of the way they played my Tigers. Just like my Tigers against Union Local. You kept on fighting. Great job and Great effort Pirates! You made the SOC Proud!

yabbadabbadoo · Post by **yabbadabbadoo** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 1:07 pm

Great job Pirates. Probably one of the greatest comeback I've ever witnessed in high school footbal.

I just don't understand running the option pitch, TO THE SHORT SIDE OF THE FIELD, in overtime, after the Burg got the ball to the 8 yard line. If they keep running up the middle with Schank and Stamper, they would have scored. Fredericktown was wore out. They had alot of players that were going both ways and they just didn't have anything left in the tank.

Anyway, great season Pirates. All of Wheelersburg is very proud of you guys. You showed what true Wheelersburg and Southern Ohio football is all about, never quit, never give up.

oldschooler · Post by **oldschooler** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 2:04 pm

Great Effort Pirates, we never gave up on you and knew you would come out the second half to come back. All of Wheelersburg is so proud of each and every one of you and the coaches. I think Southern Ohio proved their support for the Burg by the crowd that was there in support. It was very quiet in the stands for the amount of people that was at the game though.

Yabba, I felt the same way about the option and said it before on here, Lang is good, but only a sophomore, hard for a sophomore to be able to read, coach needs to be calling in that situation. Go with what worked in helping getting you back in the game and that is White, Stamper or Schank up the middle. White was standing in the endzone on that play. Over the last few years that I have watched, the frustration has come in the redzone and why we can't execute basic football at that point, especially in the playoff games. Just seems like we try something fancy and get no where. With that said, gotta be doing something right in order to get to the playoffs, but let's just run the ball in to get the TD. But I am from the old school too.

When Burg got the ball back with 3 mins and something on the clock, Freddies thought they were done, and should have been. Their stands got quiet. I do have to mention one thing I noticed was that the announcer acted like he was for the Freddies. He got really excited when they made a great play or TD, but did not act like that for the Burg, he is suppose to be neutral. Channel 10 left a little early too.

I was glad to see Schankie back running the ball like he can, great game he had. The seniors did a great job and Burg will be back big next year.
Congratulations on winning the SOC II, and a great run in the playoffs. I will be back next fall ready to watch some Pirate Football.

FaberGrad62 · Post by **FaberGrad62** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 2:42 pm

This is the 4th game I have seen this year, being just the casual fan. I watched the Johnson Central game, the West game and the last 2 games.

I thought there was two big turning points of the game. The first one was after the Burg tied the score 7-7, they had the ball on the Freddies 40 and was driving. They brought no. 10 in at QB and started running that offense and they ended up losing yards and had to punt.

The second time was the above mentioned option play in overtime. Might not have been a bad call, but why do you run it to the short side of the field. You give the defense and extra defensive option on that play and that is the sidelines. Once you start out running that way and then you pitch the ball, you run out of room. No. 44 saw that and tried to reverse his field and turn something into nothing. I have to agree with yabbadabbadoo and that they should have kept pounding it up the middle. You could see that the Freddies were just hanging on for dear life, because they were that worn out. Lot of two way players on that team.

I think the Burg coaches just got into outthinking themselves during certain situations. They needed to stick with what was working for them in the 4th qtr and that was running no. 3 and no. 44 right up the middle. The Burg o-line was opening up HUGE holes for both of them and they were picking up 7-10 yards a carry. My logic is if it isn't broke, don't fix it. You keep running something until they stop you.

It was by far one of the better high school games that I have watched in a long time. The Pirates came out a little more fired up in the second half and took it right to the Freddies. The Freddies had no answers on how to stop them. Like was said above, when the Burg got the ball back with 3:00 to go in the game, I thought that the Burg was going to win. They were moving the ball that well.

Great season Pirates and good luck next year. Looking at the program Burg has a lot of players coming back on both sides ofthe ball. A buddy of mine told me that the offense will more than likely be what you saw when no. 10 came into the ball game. He said they have the horses to run the option. They will have a good FB in no. 13. A good TB in no. 3 and they will have a couple of juniors to be that can also run the ball. I think he said no. 25 and no. 22. Look for Burg to be right back in the playoffs next year.

FrozenFish · Post by **FrozenFish** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 3:12 pm

What a season for the Pirates. IMO they played one of the toughest schedules in the history of Burg football, if not THE toughest. Hats off to the coaches and especially the players for showing us again what Pirate football represents: Pride, confidence, and teamwork.

I really enjoyed watching this team this season. I heard talk before the season about how the Burg would struggle because of lack of size and lack of good linemen. I know this fact: It's not how much size and ability that you have, it's what you do with the abilities and size that you have. This is why the Pirates have been consistently successful over the years, and I am proud to witness the fact that Tony Lewis and his staff are continuing to get the absolute most out of their players' abilities, and certainly proud of the kids playing with all of their heart and passion, as all former Pirates have done before them.

I sat in the bleachers for the games I attended this season and heard all of the crying and complaining about the coaches from parents and other fans, and frankly, you gripers need to give it a break. You have the best football coach and staff in the area, by far, and be glad that you have it. I know you expect to go 10 - 0 every year, and I know you think your kid is the best, but please, give it a rest ... It does no good to complain, Tony Lewis will not listen to you and nor should he, he is the coach, and a darn better on than you are. Get behind your kids with positivity, let your coach do his job, and this team will continue to make playoff history.

This is a new era of Wheelersburg football, a new style with the same ole' outstanding results. The tradition is alive and growing.

Thany you Seniors for a great season, you have become men throughout this journey and you should always be proud of the effort and commitment you made to this great program.

Roughriderpride · Post by **Roughriderpride** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 3:14 pm

Congrats to the Freddies on a big upset, I don't think alot of people seen this one coming!

alabama mike · Post by **alabama mike** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 4:30 pm

Congrats to the Freddies on winnng the game last night.

Fish I have to disagree with you to some extent, the play calling in OT was bad. Why, in OT, go away from what was working the entire 2nd half, runs up the middle and short passes? The one play that upset the Pirate crowd was the pass call on 3rd and less than a yard. For a minute, I thought a few were going to go postal.

The young men who wear the orange and black are to be commended for their tremendous comeback last night. A speical congrats and best wishes to the seniors, you are a special group of young men. Some of you will go on to basketball, swimming and later baseball and track. Good luck and continue to represent your school and community with the class and dignity you always have shown.

mbcchamps · Post by **mbcchamps** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 4:46 pm

MBC 2 SOC 0

1fan1 · Post by **1fan1** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 6:17 pm

Congrats to the Freddies on your win.

To the PIrates, we are SO proud of you all. You showed so much pure grit and guts , and this town will for a long time remember that game as one of the best playoff games they ever watched. I want to say that the whole Pirate team,especially the seniors , stepped up and truly lead through it all. They came out and did not back down, faced the challenge, and staged a fast and furious comeback that was amazing. The Pirate crowd, except for one or two of the usual loudmouthed jerks, was amazing to in its support, too. You gave the hundreds of Pirate fans truly something to cheer for all year long. What an awesome, exciting year of football. After a 2-3 start, you showed what you are made of as competitors and teammates. You defeated Ironton soundly, beat Waverly in a big way, captured an outright SOC title, grabbed a playoff victory on your home field, and stuck together through it all, having good times and treating one another with respect. To the players coming back, I hope you can remember this year and learn that what matters the most is how you react when you are in tough situations and how you treat one another. The rest is unimportant. Your true Pirate fans will return with you next year and cheer you on, wishing you just as much success as you enjoyed this year. It was fun!

Burg_Grad_77 · Post by **Burg_Grad_77** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 7:36 pm

Fish I have to disagree with you to some extent, the play calling in OT was bad. Why, in OT, go away from what was working the entire 2nd half, runs up the middle and short passes? The one play that upset the Pirate crowd was the pass call on 3rd and less than a yard. For a minute, I thought a few were going to go postal.

Exactly!! Fredricktowns interior lineman were completely worn down and were getting blown off the ball by the Burg offensive line. The Burgs running backs were getting 8 to 12 yards a pop right straight up the middle on every run, but yet they go away from it and try a toss sweep for a 12 yard loss. Sometimes I think Lewis out thinks himself and tries to get too cute when straight forward running up the gut would have more than likely got them a TD.

Also, and this is no dig against Lang becuase he is a great kid and one hell of an athlete and is only doing what the coaches tell him, but why bring him in with 1st and goal from the 8 in OT when Drew was doing an excellent job of running the offense. If they keep pounding it up the gut with Stamper, Shankweiler, and White then this might have been a Burg victory and we would all be talking about next week. As a matter of fact, on the toss sweep that lost yardage if Lang would have handed it off to White up the gut he went almost untouched into the endzone on the fake because of the huge hole he had to run through.

The Burg attempted more field goals this year inside the red zone than they have in the past 10 years combined because that offense just didn't work, but yet the coaching staff kept going back to it time and time again. How many times did Drew lead this team down the field and into the red zone only to be replaced by Lang and then have the offense sputter and either lose yards and punt or have to attempt a field goal? I just don't understand the thinking behind taking out your SENIOR leader to insert a sophmore backup QB. Lang will get his opportunity to run the team for the next two years. Drew was the QB and should have been left in as the QB in these crucial situations. This is not my opinion only because I heard quite a few people talking about this over the course of the season and as we were all leaving the stadium Friday.

TheMalteseFalcon · Post by **TheMalteseFalcon** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 9:08 am

I, and a LOT of others, think Coach Lewis does a FABULOUS job of coaching. We didn't hear too many complaints when Lang came in in the red zone during the Waverly game.... and scored 3 TD's.

A lot of local teams, players, and fans would trade you coaches in a heartbeat!! Be happy with what you are lucky enough to have.

Great season, coaches !! Wheelersburg will be fortunate if you are gracious enough to stay with them for a lot of years to come.

burggrad1986 · Post by **burggrad1986** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 9:30 am

1st and goal from the 8....spradlin,cook, and jenkins are on the sideline? these are the seniors that helped make the great comeback. you win it or lose it with THEM on the field. bonehead call by the coaches if you ask me my opinion....which you probably wont. oh well, congrats to the pirates on a great year. its on to basketball now.

Burg_Grad_77 · Post by **Burg_Grad_77** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 5:59 pm

I, and a LOT of others, think Coach Lewis does a FABULOUS job of coaching. We didn't hear too many complaints when Lang came in in the red zone during the Waverly game.... and scored 3 TD's.

Yeah, you are right. It did work in that game, but for the majority of the year, it didn't. Like BG86 said, in what is the biggest game of the year and in the most crucial part of the game, you have your three SENIOR leaders standing on the sidelines. Uncalled for in that situation.

My thoughts on this are like this. For an offense to be successful they have to get into a rhythm and establish a flow in the game. When you have your starter take you all the way down the field and get the kids into a rhythm with one set of plays and blocking schemes and then expect them to completely change the blocking schemes for another type of offense altogether, it's asking to much of 15, 16, and 17 year old kids. Why not continue to ride the horse that got you to the finish line.

I can just see Barrick doing this basketball. Drew takes off on a breakout and is fouled with 2 seconds on the clock and the Burg down by 1 point. He looks down the bench and picks a sophmore and tells him to go shoot the free throws to try to win the game.

Like I said before, I have absolutely no problem with Tyler Lang. He is one of the best kids I have ever had the pleasure to be around when I coached Little League baseball and his mother and father are top notch people, but his time will come in the next two seasons and I'm sure he will be one of the best option QB's the Burg has seen in quite a while because he is one hell of an athlete. But, your seniors should be on the field in crucial situations unless they are hurt or aren't getting the job done and we all know that wasn't the case Friday.

Lewis is a mastermind at coming up with a game plan for his games, but I think he out thinks himself in crucial situations instead of just trying to go with what got you there and had worked the entire second half. The short sideline passes and the FB up the gut between the tackles was working to perfection and had FT on their heels and completely out of the game and then tries to change it up and let them right back in.

fbnut · Post by **fbnut** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 6:12 pm

bringing lang in during week 10 also worked, 2 tds. If they were capable of lining up and blowing people off the ball and pounding the ball in, they would have left drew in. that little draw wouldn't have worked inside the 10. unless everyone would have been happy throwing the ball 3 times from the 8 then I think lang was the burgs best option.

Burg_Grad_77 · Post by **Burg_Grad_77** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 6:57 pm

fbnut wrote:bringing lang in during week 10 also worked, 2 tds. If they were capable of lining up and blowing people off the ball and pounding the ball in, they would have left drew in. that little draw wouldn't have worked inside the 10. unless everyone would have been happy throwing the ball 3 times from the 8 then I think lang was the burgs best option.

If the up the middle plays wouldn't have worked inside the 8 then why did White go almost untouched into the endzone on the fake. He wasn't tackled until he got to the endzone because he ran the fake so well and would have scored had he been given the ball. Why did the next play after the toss sweep, which was right up the gut also, go back to inside the 8 again if that play wasn't still working? FT's interior lineman were completely worn out and were getting blown of the line of scrimmage forcing the LB's and DB's to make the tackles 8 to 12 yards down the field, so yes I think 4 plays up the middle would have produced a TD.

yabbadabbadoo · Post by **yabbadabbadoo** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 7:10 pm

fbnut wrote:bringing lang in during week 10 also worked, 2 tds. If they were capable of lining up and blowing people off the ball and pounding the ball in, they would have left drew in. that little draw wouldn't have worked inside the 10. unless everyone would have been happy throwing the ball 3 times from the 8 then I think lang was the burgs best option.

Sure it worked in week 10, because that was against West and if you stop and think that just because it worked against Waverly, maybe there run defense wasn't very good also. They gave up over 400 yards rushing to one player last night. One player. Who happened to be the QB.

I have to disagree with you that that little draw wouldn't have worked because at that point in the game, Fredericktown was completely worn out. The Burg was blowing them off the ball 4-5 yards and the RB's were getting 7-8 yards a pop. Another thing, what makes you think it wouldn't work. That is something that has haunted this coaching staff is that they think something won't work or they think that the other coach is going to adjust to what they were doing. How about this? How about waiting until the other team stops you a couple of times and then change what you were doing.

I bet that if you ask the FT coach if he thought his team was beat when the Burg got the ball back with 3:00 left in the game, he would tell you yes. Almost all of their players on the field played both ways and by the time the 4th qtr rolled around, they were done.

Like was said above, Tyler will probably be the best option QB the Burg has ever seen, but to put a Sophomore in that situation, at that point in the game was crazy and then run the play that they had him run, a pitch to the short side of the field. When Tyler took the snap he has to make the decision, do I give it to the FB (if he had, it was a definite TD as Bryan White was standing in the endzone at the end of the play) or do I keep it myself or do I pitch it. By the time he had the chance to pitch it, the defense was in on him, he pitched it and Stamper was to close to the sidelines to do anything with it, so he tried to make something out of nothing. You can't fault him, he was trying to make some yardage on a bad play call. The other time they ran that option pitch to the short side of the field, in the first qtr when they had the ball on the FT 40, what happened? They lost yards on it and ended up going backwards on that series and had to punt.

I'd have to go with the old adage, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The running up the middle was working and they tried to get cute and it bit them in the butt. How many times did they try the option this year that it didn't work. I know they first unleashed it against South Point and everybody I talked to said that they didn't understand that play call at all as it got stuffed for no gain. They tried it again against Johnson Central and of course, it didn't work against them either.

1fan1 · Post by **1fan1** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 10:12 pm

Well, none of this matters anymore. What does matter is that the PLAYERS ON THE TEAM from Wheelersburg and the coaches made everyone and themselves very proud this year. The rest is over and will only be whatif's and whatever's. Maybe we will always wonder if the runner from the Freddies was really down before he put the ball across teh goal, too????? It really doesn't matter, because it is over.
The legacy is this: Schankie, Spradlin, Cooke, Jenkins, Conley, White, Riepenhoff, Blevins, Stamper, Craigmiles, Atkins, Fannin, Hall, Prohl, an entire cast of O-liners and DEFENDERS (sorry if I forgot to mention everyone who is certainly deserving). Yes, Lang might be a good sophomore qb, as the future will decide, and good luck to him on that.. And, yes, maybe now in hindsight NOT leaving in all the playmakers who were on a mission watching would have brought us home the victory, but the truth is, we really don't know. Maybe Drew would have made a better read? Made a better throw? the momentum of his second half determination would have carried over?..... We don't know that for sure or not, and what we tried didn't work. All of it is left to wonder. It is not for those who do not coach to decide. The players know this: They fought as hard as they could, they listened to their coaches, and they trusted one another. That's all. That's what tied the game and took the lead. Hats off to all the Pirates and to especially all of the seniors who engineered a terrific comeback and jthe team that ust fell short.
Good luck to next year's team, and here's to many more years of playoff football for the next year's players and the coaching staff. WE are very lucky to have all of you at the Burg. Second guessing really gets us nowhere.