Maverick0425
Active member
In an effort to save the EBC thread from being hijacked by Minerva posters I’m creating this thread to discuss the state of the Minerva football program. Where are we, why are we here and how do we fix it?
Minerva Football
- Thread starter Maverick0425
- Start date
ThaXFactor
Active member
It's a shame to see where your program currently is. Back about 10 years ago or so, I would have loved to have seen a Crestview vs Minerva series. That would have been really fun with some good games! Hopefully, you guys can turn things around!
Maverick0425
Active member
X, there is a lot of blame to go around. I would have welcomed a series with Crestview at that time. You have played over in Minerva in a couple playoff games. Your program has really grown over the past 10-15 years.
ThaXFactor
Active member
Yes, we have had a nice run since 2004. However, we have had a couple of down years in that time and we usually run into a buzzsaw in round 3. I'm rooting for you guys to get back on track, and sometime in the future have a series with us! It makes too much sense not to. 2 schools who are relatively close in location and size, and travel well. The gate would be nice!
Times are lean and it honestly doesn't look any better the next couple of years. This year's senior class was supposed to be the best that has been there is several years but it just didn't pan out. I think we have 15 seniors and not all of them play hard. Don't get me wrong, a lot of them battle every play and are really good players, but there are kids that simply don't play hard. We have 5 or 6 good junior with no linemen. We have 5 or 6 sophomores. There are 10 freshmen and I heard our really good one is moving. So once again we are playing underclassmen on Friday Nights. there are some people saying that they don't know how Minerva will be able to field a team in 2021.
I really hope the Lions can close with a win or 2. I watch the games on stream and see some impressive players, big kids that can run. but we are severely overmatched in some areas. The defense just doesn't stop anyone. Seems like our defensive backs are always giving up big plays. The offensive line is big and we do have a few good runners, but not the "stable" of backs that we thought. We have a very good senior that could be a feature back on most teams, a hard running junior and an explosive freshman. We just don't have the backs to have the running back by committee approach. Our QB is a pretty good runner too. We are struggle with the passing game so we are definitely 1 dimensional..
The Lions do have pretty good teams and 6,7 and 8 grades but they have to keep them playing! I really don't think any coach can come in and change this think immediately. It will take some time. What is frustrating is we have the same exact team that beat WB 30-20 last year, now look where both teams are.
I really hope the Lions can close with a win or 2. I watch the games on stream and see some impressive players, big kids that can run. but we are severely overmatched in some areas. The defense just doesn't stop anyone. Seems like our defensive backs are always giving up big plays. The offensive line is big and we do have a few good runners, but not the "stable" of backs that we thought. We have a very good senior that could be a feature back on most teams, a hard running junior and an explosive freshman. We just don't have the backs to have the running back by committee approach. Our QB is a pretty good runner too. We are struggle with the passing game so we are definitely 1 dimensional..
The Lions do have pretty good teams and 6,7 and 8 grades but they have to keep them playing! I really don't think any coach can come in and change this think immediately. It will take some time. What is frustrating is we have the same exact team that beat WB 30-20 last year, now look where both teams are.
Hopefully we can turn it around and play!
Maverick0425
Active member
I would normally think this could be a game. But Minerva just got blown out by an Alliance team that had not won a game all year. I’m not sure it matters who we are playing.
Maverick0425
Active member
This is what bothers me the most 1988. Carrollton, Canton South, Salem and WB all got better. We have the exact same team as we had last year but have gotten worse.
No one expected an undefeated season but I think it’s reasonable to expect we’d field a competitive team on a weekly basis. The talent level is not that bad to lead to blowouts week after week. We have gotten worse.
I’m not someone who is going to put all the blame on the coaching staff, however, I think it is fair to criticize them. The product on the field is abysmal and has only gotten worse since the beginning of the season. The mark of a good coach is the ability to make gains and improve from one day to the next and from the beginning of the season to the end.
I couldn't agree more, we have gotten worse every game.. I watched that game Friday a couple of times and Alliance may have had the better team overall but it should have been competitive. I am really not trying to question coaches and single out individual players, but how can we have a 210 lb running back and i think he had 4 or 5 carries? He got 20 plus carries in 2 games in a row a few weeks ago and had 120 plus yards. It looked like the Lions had a feature back and found an offense the worked but now he is a blocker and motion man. If we are going to be a running team then he must be a part of it and probably the focal point. We have 2 other good running backs (35 and 14) on this team and the QB (3) is willing to get tough yards. They would supplement 10 nicely and we would move the ball. Use them all.
I don't even know what to say about the pass defense. I think we play the run well but opposing teams' receivers just simply go uncovered and have been all year, the pass defense has gotten significantly worse. I think a lot of that is players not playing hard but the coaches need to figure this out. We cant really have a run heavy offense when we give up touchdowns constantly.
We finally saw some improvement on offense against Salem and Marlington and then the administration decided to play an unwinnable playoff game instead, the offense changes and the team digresses. We good 2 giant steps backwards after the game. Hopefully they get to work and put together a good game plan for the next 2 weeks and play competitive football and get a win or 2.
The next few years are going to very bad unless there are some big changes.
Yes. There are a lot of good athlete and some pretty big kids- I heard we had kids that were going to play again but quarantine hurt
Well, there is the problem.
And it has been for several years
nbc_bballfan
Member
If the Lions cant beat a baaaaad D5 Rootstown team then things are even worse than we thought (and we all know it is really bad already!!!!)
Maverick0425
Active member
I hope I’m wrong but it doesn’t matter the quality of opposition. Minerva gets blown out by bad teams just the same as against good teams.
Let’s hope I’m wrong and the Lions can win a ball game tonight.
Kind of like when Louisville left the Federal league and joined the NBC a few decades ago.
Good point. It has been obvious to me that this is step one for some time now as you know from my posts. Hopefully the powers to be see this now and make some phone calls. Our facilities are very nice to have interest from any league. Unfortunately our program will not change numbers wise for the foreseeable future. I hope we see how a new league would inspire kids to play because as we seen tonight it gives us a chance to compete and win. We need to excel in other sports too and we don’t do that in the EBC and won’t.
Bull GreenDog
Well-known member
Congratulations Minerva!
Maverick0425
Active member
Happy for the win and even more happy for the kids. This was a complete win and the defense got all the stops when it counted. Nice to see some coherence with the offense. I don’t think any conclusions need drawn from this. Minerva won against a bad D5 team that lost its coach a month ago.
I disagree on changing leagues 86. I have also said that most other sports at Minerva are competitive to very good. I think we are in a quality 6 team conference that provides some flexibility in scheduling. Minerva can hopefully set up or continue some series with local schools that we can be competitive with for the time being, until the younger groups in middle school get up to the high school.
The Infidel
Well-known member
Congrats to the Lions!
ThaXFactor
Active member
If Minerva were to join a new league, where would they go? I'd forget about trying to join the EOAC, you're too big enrollment wise. I doubt you'd be let in. The MVAC may be a thought, but travel would kill you.
Maverick0425
Active member
Minerva isn’t going anywhere and the EBC is the best fit both with enrollment and especially geography. The only sport Minerva is struggling in is football.
What’s the league situation with the Rebels? I know the EBC is looking to add members and you guys are at reasonable travel distance to all the schools with Carrollton likely being the longest drive.
ThaXFactor
Active member
Well, we have a home right now lol. I can't say as to if we are happy there or not, but I'm guessing that it would take a great situation for us to leave. Right now in the EBC, we would be competitive in football, boys soccer, and volleyball. On occasion baseball, girls basketball and softball. Boys basketball (right now), we would be a doormat! BAD!!!!!!
BelowTheLine
Well-known member
Honestly, I think too many schools look at a new league as the solution for their problems when over time the best option might just be staying in the league.
I'll give you an old school example. In 1987 the Senate League consisted of the following schools:
Carrollton
Minerva
Claymont
Tuslaw
Tusky Valley
Sandy Valley
East Canton
Lake
Lake had outgrown the league and left to join the Federal League. The league replaced Lake with Dover for two years but after 1989 the league broke up to create the core two new leagues. The larger schools became the NBC and the smaller schools became the PAC-7.
But what if they hadn't broken up and stayed together? If you kept the 1987 membership you'd have a league of
Claymont - 238
Carrollton - 225
Minerva - 239
Tuslaw - 174
Sandy Valley - 168
Tusky Valley - 144
East Canton - 124
That's the basis of a pretty good league. East Canton is a little small but everyone else is in the same range. Tusky Valley is in a stage where they have historically low boy enrollment but their girls are at 173.
Now, even if East Canton bailed out you still have a core of six teams with some great options to add.
Canton South - 232
Fairless - 210
Indian Valley - 222
Obviously you can't go back in time but if the old Senate League had stayed together you'd have a nice league today.
I'll give you an old school example. In 1987 the Senate League consisted of the following schools:
Carrollton
Minerva
Claymont
Tuslaw
Tusky Valley
Sandy Valley
East Canton
Lake
Lake had outgrown the league and left to join the Federal League. The league replaced Lake with Dover for two years but after 1989 the league broke up to create the core two new leagues. The larger schools became the NBC and the smaller schools became the PAC-7.
But what if they hadn't broken up and stayed together? If you kept the 1987 membership you'd have a league of
Claymont - 238
Carrollton - 225
Minerva - 239
Tuslaw - 174
Sandy Valley - 168
Tusky Valley - 144
East Canton - 124
That's the basis of a pretty good league. East Canton is a little small but everyone else is in the same range. Tusky Valley is in a stage where they have historically low boy enrollment but their girls are at 173.
Now, even if East Canton bailed out you still have a core of six teams with some great options to add.
Canton South - 232
Fairless - 210
Indian Valley - 222
Obviously you can't go back in time but if the old Senate League had stayed together you'd have a nice league today.
Great point! This would be a very competitive league with relatively short travel, which is important when it comes to jr hi.
Spread All Day
Well-known member
I agree, I’m racking my brain over who they would join. but the EOAC Might see this as an opportunity. Competition wise they fit right in. But I would give it only a few years before Minerva started to take over completely. Maybe that’s all the time they need though. Could also go independent
I see what your saying but our enrollment isn’t going anywhere and the football roster isn’t either unless we start winning games or giving the kids a chance to win. The EBC is stale and we need a breath of fresh air with a new league more in line with our numbers. This may boost the program and give it new life. Yes we compete in other sports in the EBC but we need a chance to excel. Two tier NBC is what I wanted Mav but it didn’t happen. I think a new league is best for us, Canton South was smart and so was Northwest recently and even Claymont for realizing they just can’t compete in the ECOL.
I like the IVC Large school with Claymont, Indian Valley.....