Ok @mbonape1, lets debate the matchup. Its the third time in 4 years these teams have played in the second round. I will give you the first shot. Game on. If someone else has a sound opinion on this game please feel free to chime in.
Lets Get Ready to Rumble! @mbonape1 vs. Navy Nation
- Thread starter 71ShadesofNavy
- Start date
Well lets start out by me saying with all due respect, we "owe you one" after the shellacking we took in 2016.
I have debated with the Dinwiddie faithful all year that my only worry for them is they are too reliant on Peety. I get it though, why not? Guy is a stud who makes something out of nothing effortlessly. We both run the same offense so their are tremendous familiarities and for those that don't know coach Henderson used to be on Billy Mills staff.
I think Dinwiddie is more discipline than Monacan. However, I think Monacan has a higher celling. But the more I watch HSFB I lean on execution being the great equalizer. Monacan has a bit of an identity crisis because we do multiple things well. I personally think our vertical passing game needs to be our focal point. I think we have the advantage there over Dinwiddie. Our long ball control drives often end bc of silly penalties or worse. We can run the ball though pretty effectively. Peety will be the most dynamic athlete on the field and can go yard from anywhere on the field. Monacan has 6-7 solid WR's Juan Branch, Arturo Mendoza, Kyjuan Pettus, Teon Powell, Tanner Adams, Elijah Mcleod, & Taylor Green. I think both Mon and Dinwiddie have good defenses. Not amazing, but good. More bend but don't break.
Sometimes we complicate things with analysis. If Monacan stops Peety from running for TD's then we win IMO. No team has really done that this year except Hopewell and Dinwiddie was off that night. If he beats us passing the ball then god bless him.
Yes... all of you wondering about the Midlothian loss. I get it. It is something that would have NEVER have happened to Dinwiddie or any of the other 4B powers. It is unexplainable but we needed it to happen. 3-4 TO's and over 200 yards in penalties. Not a good combination. This is something that make me wonder as well.... so your not alone on that one.
I will pick my boys though. 33-27 Monacan
I have debated with the Dinwiddie faithful all year that my only worry for them is they are too reliant on Peety. I get it though, why not? Guy is a stud who makes something out of nothing effortlessly. We both run the same offense so their are tremendous familiarities and for those that don't know coach Henderson used to be on Billy Mills staff.
I think Dinwiddie is more discipline than Monacan. However, I think Monacan has a higher celling. But the more I watch HSFB I lean on execution being the great equalizer. Monacan has a bit of an identity crisis because we do multiple things well. I personally think our vertical passing game needs to be our focal point. I think we have the advantage there over Dinwiddie. Our long ball control drives often end bc of silly penalties or worse. We can run the ball though pretty effectively. Peety will be the most dynamic athlete on the field and can go yard from anywhere on the field. Monacan has 6-7 solid WR's Juan Branch, Arturo Mendoza, Kyjuan Pettus, Teon Powell, Tanner Adams, Elijah Mcleod, & Taylor Green. I think both Mon and Dinwiddie have good defenses. Not amazing, but good. More bend but don't break.
Sometimes we complicate things with analysis. If Monacan stops Peety from running for TD's then we win IMO. No team has really done that this year except Hopewell and Dinwiddie was off that night. If he beats us passing the ball then god bless him.
Yes... all of you wondering about the Midlothian loss. I get it. It is something that would have NEVER have happened to Dinwiddie or any of the other 4B powers. It is unexplainable but we needed it to happen. 3-4 TO's and over 200 yards in penalties. Not a good combination. This is something that make me wonder as well.... so your not alone on that one.
I will pick my boys though. 33-27 Monacan
I'll try to look at this as various "matchups".
Coaching: Definitly Coach Mills, owing to experience. Coach Henderson is certainly a top coach, no question about that. But Coach Mills has been in the war as a head coach a lot longer. Both coaches have experienced heart breaking defeat that made them both better coaches.
QB's: Peety is Peety. When he resolves to not be beaten, he usually is at his best. He lets his emotions show, sometimes to an extreme, and sometimes to the detriment to his performance. But, those emotions can also channel his abilities into a mind blowing performance. I really don't know much at all about the Chiefs QB, other than he is a reliable, steady leader. Probably a better passer than Peety, but again, I have never seen him live, or on film. I have doubt that he can take over a game the way Peety can.
O Line, D line: having very little knowledge of Monacan, it's probably wrong for me to say this, but I find it hard to believe that they could be better than ours. As good maybe, but not better.
Pass defense: the rap all year is that Dinwiddie's pass defense is suspect. The truth is, they have become pretty darn effective. Plenty of speed. A little short, but play a lot taller. All things being equal, I think neither team stands out from the other in this category.
Receivers: Monacan may have more weapons here. Our guys have been successful getting open, but occasionally don't bring the ball in. Monacan receivers have a reputation of being sure handed.
Running backs: naturally, I like ours. Our RB's, in fact anyone carting the ball just refuse to go down on initial contact. It's been pounded in these kids heads from day one from rec league and up to NEVER stop digging. If there is such a thing as yards after second and third contact, we must be up there with the best. I'm sure coach Henderson preaches the same to his boys, but I just believe we have an advantage here.
Kicking: advantage Monacan. We lost our kicker for the season earlier this year, and the replacement was rounding into form when he received an injury. If the game comes down to either team needing a field goal to win, I give the advantage to Monacan. But, this advantage is somewhat offset by Dinwiddie's uncanny knack of blocking kicks.
Both teams lost a game that raised some questions. Monacan still has us scratching our heads about how they managed to lose to Midlothian. Midlothian is certainly not a bad team, but it should not have been able to come back on and beat Monacan. In comparison, Dinwiddie and Hopewell was the war everybody expected. When you lose to the defending state 3a champ 7-0 late in the forth quarter, it's hard to call it a bad loss.
I guess we can toss out home field advantage, as it's all but certain the game will be played on a turf field somewhere. I don't think either team gains an advantage on turf. Both teams can take advantage of their speed equally. I know the Generals fans will be out in strong numbers. It will be a shorter trip for the Monacan faithful, but will they show up in substantial numbers? I can't answer that one.
Confidence: I give a slight edge to the Generals. Coming off a game with a stubborn Courtland team, that fought to the final whistle. Dinwiddie being able to do the things necessary to come back and take the lead in the second half dispelled any doubt that may have been in the Generals heads. I don't have anything specific to point to, but I get a sense that the Chiefs are not playing with total confidence. Maybe a little doubt is creeping in? As long as they don't dig themselves a hole, it's a non-factor. If on the other hand, if they need a stop, but haven't been able to stop the Generals all night, or they need to drive down and get a score quickly late in the game, I wonder if they are convinced that all of the parts will mesh and they will be successful? The flip side of this, the Generals are convinced that they will always "find a way".
Peanalties: Sweet Jesus, help us both. Both teams have made their jobs a lot more difficult than necessary by way of the infamous yellow flag.
Health wise: I don't have an injury report on Monacan. Dinwiddie has all starters healthy and cleared to play.
It should be what has become common place in the Richmond area, a knock down, drag out, playoff football game. The sting of losing last year to Louisa still goads my *** to this day. I don't want to experience that feeling again this year. Find a way Generals, find a way!
Coaching: Definitly Coach Mills, owing to experience. Coach Henderson is certainly a top coach, no question about that. But Coach Mills has been in the war as a head coach a lot longer. Both coaches have experienced heart breaking defeat that made them both better coaches.
QB's: Peety is Peety. When he resolves to not be beaten, he usually is at his best. He lets his emotions show, sometimes to an extreme, and sometimes to the detriment to his performance. But, those emotions can also channel his abilities into a mind blowing performance. I really don't know much at all about the Chiefs QB, other than he is a reliable, steady leader. Probably a better passer than Peety, but again, I have never seen him live, or on film. I have doubt that he can take over a game the way Peety can.
O Line, D line: having very little knowledge of Monacan, it's probably wrong for me to say this, but I find it hard to believe that they could be better than ours. As good maybe, but not better.
Pass defense: the rap all year is that Dinwiddie's pass defense is suspect. The truth is, they have become pretty darn effective. Plenty of speed. A little short, but play a lot taller. All things being equal, I think neither team stands out from the other in this category.
Receivers: Monacan may have more weapons here. Our guys have been successful getting open, but occasionally don't bring the ball in. Monacan receivers have a reputation of being sure handed.
Running backs: naturally, I like ours. Our RB's, in fact anyone carting the ball just refuse to go down on initial contact. It's been pounded in these kids heads from day one from rec league and up to NEVER stop digging. If there is such a thing as yards after second and third contact, we must be up there with the best. I'm sure coach Henderson preaches the same to his boys, but I just believe we have an advantage here.
Kicking: advantage Monacan. We lost our kicker for the season earlier this year, and the replacement was rounding into form when he received an injury. If the game comes down to either team needing a field goal to win, I give the advantage to Monacan. But, this advantage is somewhat offset by Dinwiddie's uncanny knack of blocking kicks.
Both teams lost a game that raised some questions. Monacan still has us scratching our heads about how they managed to lose to Midlothian. Midlothian is certainly not a bad team, but it should not have been able to come back on and beat Monacan. In comparison, Dinwiddie and Hopewell was the war everybody expected. When you lose to the defending state 3a champ 7-0 late in the forth quarter, it's hard to call it a bad loss.
I guess we can toss out home field advantage, as it's all but certain the game will be played on a turf field somewhere. I don't think either team gains an advantage on turf. Both teams can take advantage of their speed equally. I know the Generals fans will be out in strong numbers. It will be a shorter trip for the Monacan faithful, but will they show up in substantial numbers? I can't answer that one.
Confidence: I give a slight edge to the Generals. Coming off a game with a stubborn Courtland team, that fought to the final whistle. Dinwiddie being able to do the things necessary to come back and take the lead in the second half dispelled any doubt that may have been in the Generals heads. I don't have anything specific to point to, but I get a sense that the Chiefs are not playing with total confidence. Maybe a little doubt is creeping in? As long as they don't dig themselves a hole, it's a non-factor. If on the other hand, if they need a stop, but haven't been able to stop the Generals all night, or they need to drive down and get a score quickly late in the game, I wonder if they are convinced that all of the parts will mesh and they will be successful? The flip side of this, the Generals are convinced that they will always "find a way".
Peanalties: Sweet Jesus, help us both. Both teams have made their jobs a lot more difficult than necessary by way of the infamous yellow flag.
Health wise: I don't have an injury report on Monacan. Dinwiddie has all starters healthy and cleared to play.
It should be what has become common place in the Richmond area, a knock down, drag out, playoff football game. The sting of losing last year to Louisa still goads my *** to this day. I don't want to experience that feeling again this year. Find a way Generals, find a way!
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Well @DinwiddieProud and @mbonape1 I am impressed. I figured this would end up as an analytical post with very little smack talk and you guys didnt disappoint me. The respect we have for each others teams and one another personally is evident.
Well lets throw a little change up into the mix. I have said all year that our lack of experience at receiver, linebacker and d line would make things tough. Well, I must admit that two of these groups have pleasantly suprised me.
We lost our entire linebacker corps. They are small by our normal standards and only have 11 games of experience, but they find the ball and make plays. With only one returning starter (Jake Edwards) the defensive line has played very well. For the past two years we have replaced four first or second team defensive ends. Two freshmen and a first year starter have gotten better each game. After giving up 120 yards of rushing to Courtland in the first half this young defense held the run happy Cougars to 60 yards in tge 2nd half.
Our receiving corps has speed and consistently get open, but they just struggle to make that clutch catch. They will need to step up against Monacan or its going to be a long night.
@mbonape1, you can beat around the bush all you want, but the truth is Henderson is going to force Pope to beat Monacan with his arm by putting a spy on him. Personally, its a smart move, but its going to open up running lanes for Dalton and Lucess. If I am coach Mills I invite it. In 2016, Dinwiddie rushed for 435 yards against the Chiefs and only passed 13 times for 140 yards. He knows how to rattle Hendersons cage. Monacans defensive backs are as sound as they come, so dont look for Mills take too many risk throwing the ball. My guess is Monacan will see exactly what Colonial Heights did. Pope and two backs with a heavy package built to reduce Monacans possessions.
Offensively, Monacan bothers me. Traditionally, Dinwiddie struggles against big and strong quarterbacks. I am not super concerned by the running backs, but Snyder reminds me a lot of Sam Rogers, Clay Cheatham (both from Hanover), Shaheem Johnson ( LT) and Malik Bell (Louisa). With our smallish linebackers we will be forced to get support from our db's and this could spell disaster as Stone Snyder has great touch on intermediate passes. That and a great receiving corps will make it hard on our young defense.
I have the utmost respect for the Monacan program, but I will not lie. This is exactly what I wanted in round two. Why you ask? Henderson has not proven he can beat Mills in big games. In 2014, with arguably his best team and us virtually replacing everyone he only beat us by six and it took a red zone turnover to do it.
If Popes thumb is better and he can pass when needed I look for the Generals to take this one. Its not going to be easy and we cannot shoot ourselves in the foot with penalties. Sorry @mbonape1, but your boys go home early again 26-21.
Well lets throw a little change up into the mix. I have said all year that our lack of experience at receiver, linebacker and d line would make things tough. Well, I must admit that two of these groups have pleasantly suprised me.
We lost our entire linebacker corps. They are small by our normal standards and only have 11 games of experience, but they find the ball and make plays. With only one returning starter (Jake Edwards) the defensive line has played very well. For the past two years we have replaced four first or second team defensive ends. Two freshmen and a first year starter have gotten better each game. After giving up 120 yards of rushing to Courtland in the first half this young defense held the run happy Cougars to 60 yards in tge 2nd half.
Our receiving corps has speed and consistently get open, but they just struggle to make that clutch catch. They will need to step up against Monacan or its going to be a long night.
@mbonape1, you can beat around the bush all you want, but the truth is Henderson is going to force Pope to beat Monacan with his arm by putting a spy on him. Personally, its a smart move, but its going to open up running lanes for Dalton and Lucess. If I am coach Mills I invite it. In 2016, Dinwiddie rushed for 435 yards against the Chiefs and only passed 13 times for 140 yards. He knows how to rattle Hendersons cage. Monacans defensive backs are as sound as they come, so dont look for Mills take too many risk throwing the ball. My guess is Monacan will see exactly what Colonial Heights did. Pope and two backs with a heavy package built to reduce Monacans possessions.
Offensively, Monacan bothers me. Traditionally, Dinwiddie struggles against big and strong quarterbacks. I am not super concerned by the running backs, but Snyder reminds me a lot of Sam Rogers, Clay Cheatham (both from Hanover), Shaheem Johnson ( LT) and Malik Bell (Louisa). With our smallish linebackers we will be forced to get support from our db's and this could spell disaster as Stone Snyder has great touch on intermediate passes. That and a great receiving corps will make it hard on our young defense.
I have the utmost respect for the Monacan program, but I will not lie. This is exactly what I wanted in round two. Why you ask? Henderson has not proven he can beat Mills in big games. In 2014, with arguably his best team and us virtually replacing everyone he only beat us by six and it took a red zone turnover to do it.
If Popes thumb is better and he can pass when needed I look for the Generals to take this one. Its not going to be easy and we cannot shoot ourselves in the foot with penalties. Sorry @mbonape1, but your boys go home early again 26-21.
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You guys didnt leave much to debate. I said months ago that Monacan was my choice in region b. Nothing has changed, but I will say this; Monacan needs to start quick and keep their foot on the gas. If they dont and Dinwiddie keeps it close I may be eating some crow. Both teams have struggled a bit of late and suffered tough losses. Aside from Pope who is a one man stealth missile that can destroy you before you know what hits you Monacan has the edge in talent. Monacan needs to throw the ball often on early downs and pound Dinwiddie with simple qb runs off tackle on short yardage situations. Dinwiddie needs play a whale of a defensive game and keep the score down to win. If its a shootout Monacan takes this one.
Ok @1Gensfan your turn.
Ok @1Gensfan your turn.
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