arizonawildcat
Well-known member
Why do you think why I keep asking who is the offensive co-ordinator and how long has been there? It looks like he's still in the last century.
2020 St. Ignatius Football
- Thread starter Cat Man 11
- Start date
ClevelandCat1
Member
Things that work even with limited playmakers.
Slants for the Wrs, get the TE behind the linebackers and in front of the safeties.
Actually go under center once in a while. In the constant shotgun, the RB starts from a dead stop with no momentum. Give him a chance to start moving forward. Mix in some play action.
I'm not an offensive guru, but I have been watching this program since 1986. Nick's playcalling is really bad, and it's getting worse.
To start, if you have third and six, don't always try to throw the ball down the field 20 yds. Secondly, when have you seen a pitch-out or a misdirection? Have plays to counteract the blitz. Teams know that if they blitz the whole game, the offense will have no answers; they'll still try to throw it 20 yds downfield. Try returning to a fullback on specific occasions. It used to work very well by bringing in a linebacker to play fullback. You can't send a 170 pounder into the line to try to get two yards and expect to get it without more blocking.
ClevelandCat1
Member
I did see slants for the WRs at times Saturday to Becker, Dunstan and Lamirand got in between the linebackers and safeties for 10 catches for 120 yards. Might not be a bad thing to have more plays under center, I agree with you there. Maybe a bit of I-formation with a fullback.
I have to wholeheartedly disagree with you about Nick's playcalling. Sometimes the execution is lacking, but I don't think the playcalling is. The offense averaged 27 pts/game last year and 26 pts/game this year (St. Ed's averaged 26 points as well). Sure, could the Cats have scored more points, yep. But also, this offense had a bunch of injuries:
RB: Simcak, Lenehan (midway thru Regional Semi)
WR: LaSpina, Michael Morgan, Dunstan missed the Solon game and wasn't 100% after
LG: Joe Ryland
RT: Ashton Montgomery (during Euclid game)
No excuses, but I'll take Restifo over most other coordinators. I think he takes a lot of undue flak. We didn't lose on Saturday because of the offense. We lost because we were gashed on big plays, missed tackles at key moments, and missed chances to get a key turnover.
I don't disagree with you why the game was lost Saturday.
Mix in the I formation. Please
Do you see this team as title contenders the next few seasons?
ClevelandCat1
Member
I think so, based on the way Pfaff and Lenehan played this year, especially late. 7 starters on offense returning and 6 kids who started at least 1 game on defense this season:
QB: Pfaff
RB: Lenehan
OL: Montgomery, Ryland, Keane, Witalis
WR: Bodamer
DL: Wasinski, Chalhoub
LB: Berger, Aerni (Palinski also mixed in this year)
DB: Taliak, Lair (Webster mixed in at CB)
Wildcats1886
Well-known member
Elaborate?
sidelineman
Active member
we think the play calling is awesome, 0 points against us this year. please do not change a thing
arizonawildcat
Well-known member
How was that trip to Cincinnati? Was Moeller as bad as every one says?
I would agree there’s the opportunity to be a title contender next season (2021) due to the combination of some good players and a lot of experience returning (more than typical) from the current junior class + some good players from the sophomore/JV team. The record from this season’s freshman team speaks for itself and we’ll have to see if there will be a couple of kids that could be a stand-out, but it’d be beyond next season.
In addition to the ones you mention, there are several others who gained some experience via playing time this season and are expected to be contributors:
Current juniors:
RB: Waldron
TE: Ward (played in the 2 tight end sets)
WR: Tompkins
Current sophomores to note (besides Palinski at LB and Webster at DB):
DL: Robinson and Gibbons
DB: Favazzo - split time as a starter between DB and RB on the JVs. Considering that Lenehan and Waldron would be ahead of him on the RB depth chart, perhaps he could start as a DB.
Lenehan demonstrated he is a playmaker. The Cats need someone to stand out at WR.
If Pfaff continues as the #1 QB, then the coaches need to identify where Jaxon French can play as a starter. He has size, skills and ability that should not be sitting on the bench. Likewise, if French regains the #1 QB spot, can Pfaff play WR?
Nothing add to the debate on offensive play calling. However, there does need to be some thought about how to better defend the offenses that St X and Medina present. Ignatius (and Ed’s) struggled against such offenses and those are 2 teams that are title contenders next year.
For next season, there’s the typical St. Ed’s and Mentor challenges (and in 2 years, the current Ed’s freshmen will be making their mark). St X and Medina bring back a lot of starters and experience, along with D1 college QBs that sets them apart. Pick Central is the central Ohio team that reloads every year with D1 & D2 college talent.
I see the window being primarily next season and next season will be challenging.
Much also depends on the schedule. If it is filled with the Don Boscos and east coast teams, it will be another long year. However, if the schedule allows for team development, then things should be fine. But, to put them through a schedule like the one they were supposed to have this year is a disservice to the players and coaches.
Agree.
I also believe that although Pfaff played well, French has more upside. I think it's mental with him right now.
Auggie
Well-known member
Maybe Benny will be on the Iggy schedule sooner rather than later?
4GX
Well-known member
Would you really want that?
Auggie
Well-known member
This.
But it is mostly about Benny currently being shunned by the former NCL teams leaving them with very limited options in weeks 5-10. So here are their options>
1) Fire up the coach bus and travel around Ohio playing the Columbus Hartley & Toledo Central Catholic type teams. Probably the best option on the field but $s in the long run is an issue because it's not like these teams fill the stands to help off set the cost and help fund the Athletic Department.
2) Play the old school legacy programs like Massillon, WGH, Steubenville, etc... on the road every year and get paid well to travel. We have had some sour experience in these places so I am not sure this is a long term solution.
3) There are public school leagues that have a rolling open date due to an odd number of teams and the current AD has leveraged his relationships at the Suburban League to get these games scheduled but not all have the appetite for a Benny and that can go away quickly if they add the extra team.
4) Scrounge locally and fill holes with anything you can get. This may lead to a schedule with the likes of an Iggy followed by Cleveland Central Catholic, not the way to insure Harbin points by any means.
arizonawildcat
Well-known member
When I was at Ignatius in the stone age, we played Benedictine three consecutive years in the Turkey Bowl.
I believe it was called The Charity Game.
arizonawildcat
Well-known member
That was the offical name for the game, but everyone at Ignatius called it the Turkey Bowl. The game was played at 11:00 Thankgiving morning, and after the game everyone went home or to their relatives for Thanksgiving dinner.
1sttimeverylongtime
New member
Saw that a 93 year old Restifo was retiring from galluccis. Maybe we could get him and he could give Nick some new ideas.
Harding was very good this year. Could’ve been even better if “ego” didn’t get in the way, but that’s the way they do things in Warren nowadays??
Would’ve loved to see them play Medina this year though.Mentor will get a nice glimpse of Warren’s full stock of talent this basketball season. The game is in Warren, so if fans are allowed, hopefully you can make it down.
arizonawildcat
Well-known member
A Blast from the Not so Distant Past. In the third quarter of today's Boston College-Louisville game, the BC quarerback went down with a leg injury in a very close game. Who replaced him? None other Dennis Grosel. The first series featured Grosel taking off on a deliberate run. He went for a 44 yard run, which the announcers jokingly said took 44 seconds off the clock. Later in the fourth quarter he threw two TD passes to lead BC to 34-27 victory.
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Wildcat66
Active member
Hey, Hey, whaddya say, we'll be there on turkey day!! And the day after, those of us in the band, donned the freshmen uniforms and headed over to Brookside Park for the annual band game.
arizonawildcat
Well-known member
I realize that this is probably of interest only to me since I'm a BC grad, but in a losing effort Dennis Grosel passed for 4 tds and 520 yards, which is significant beacsue it tied the BC record for yards passing held by Doug Flutie.
He also holds the Ignatius single game passing record, which seems odd because he's pretty much forgotten among the QBs of note at Wildcat High.
Wildcats1886
Well-known member
The 2014 and 15 teams were pretty weak overall, but Grosel was productive. Those two teams had very little running game and were extremely porous on defense (last two teams before Zinger took over the D). I always thought Grosel was a bit of a gunslinger. Nice arm, and played with a lot of heart, but a little careless with the ball at times.
arizonawildcat
Well-known member
He did have three interceptions today, but two were jumpballs in the endzone where the VA defenders were taller than the BC receivers. But you have to admire what he has done as a walk-on. I think he has two more years of eligibility left, so may he graduate from BC with a BA, a MBA, and a year of law school. And I agree with you that he is a gunslinger at heart.