All I could think while watching this game was.....how bad is Mtn Island Charter? How bad is the coaching? How bad is the talent over there? How bad is 1a football?
We're not a real good team (C+ ?). Stuart Cramer is MAYBE a D- team, and SP pulled away from them and controlled the tempo, direction and outcome of the game handily. This was the year SC...you missed your chance. Maybe in 2 years you will have another good chance.
0ur defense, more specifically our tackling, is embarrassing. I guess it's the generation. A lot of the kids before and after this current four year group could/can tackle from Belmont. I don't know much about this current group at SPs history playing - but that's where you learn to tackle (before now)...and HS coaches refine you if at all. You either can or can't, so no time wasted for those who can't. But.....my worry is "can anybody" on our team tackle? It worries me that our Pop Warner groups tackle/hit better and harder than our HS right now. Is this seen anywhere else...in other communities? I'm not talking about blocking - we still are one of the few programs around that does do that. I'm talking about tackling. It's unsettling.
I actually thought SP did a better job tackling in this game then they did at Clover. Sandbagging must be a prerequisite in Belmont. That's a good football team guys. 72 might be the most dominant offensive lineman I've ever seen them have. Hale is an outstanding QB, that is the true definition of grit and determination playing on a bum wheel. Gibson, might be small but he is fierce and doesn't back down. 68 surprised me, for as tall as he is he fires out low and hard and works his way to the second level and Jones looked the best I've seen him last night.
Defensively they fly to the football. There isn't the one or two studs they have had in the past, but as a unit they play hard, they play smart and they play together.
I walked away impressed. Cramer isn't a bad football team. Scores are what they are, but I would think there's a level of respect from both squads and to label both of them below average is off. SP has the ability to win their conference for what the 20th year or something like that?
Best of luck to SP and Cramer this year.