Dublin Coffman 2019

Winter seasons are over for most Coffman programs as both basketball programs bowed out . Boys team losing last night by 6 to Newark who got revenge from two previous losses , one at this step of the Tourney { District Semi } and one at the district final back in 2014 . Girls team lost in the district final to Gahanna , but had a great season with a very young team . Had a couple Frosh and Soph players they relied a lot on and the future looks bright. Team did great after the graduation of star Jacy Sheldon who is playing a lot of minutes at Ohio State and the boys team lost star Dom Penn to transfer. Boys have a solid nucleus back , but lose their main man Keaton Turner who has improved year to year as much as any Coffman player has in recent memory . Later growth spurt tireless work ethic and a prolific Senior year ensued. Leader and great example to the younger guys . Made himself into a D-1 player who is going to Wofford on the zero tuition plan .

Hockey team has been rebuilding the last few years as there has been a lot of turnover with the coaching staff . Gritty effort in the tourney winning a couple games including upsetting Jerome in dominant fashion 5-1 . Showed great heart down 3-0 to New Albany , and 3-1 very late scoring to make it 3-2 with 2 minutes left and then again with 19 seconds left to tie it and send the game into OT. Lost in the first OT. New Albany subsequently went on to defeat undefeated and easily the top team in the region Upper Arlington in the Semi 3-2. UA was a real state contender and that was a tough way to go out . NA plays in the region final on Saturday.

The wrestlers are at the Darby regional this weekend and could have a handful of state qualifiers . The Shamrock wrestlers have worked to become the top program in Central Ohio. Been a very good year for Coffman athletics. Girls soccer got back towards the top again as they lost a tough game to the eventual champ Lakota West 2-1 in the Semifinals . Rocks were said to have gotten the better of the play overall but lost a tough one there. LW star player had over 50 goals on the season and two vs. the Rocks . Boys Lacrosse won the state title last spring and also have recently become the top program in CO and last year the state. Heavy graduation losses will test the strength of the program this year but I believe they will be in the mix regionally at least this season. Rocks knocked on the door for a state title for a couple years before knocking the door down last year.

Baseball coach Tim Saunders is retiring after this season . He is a hall of fame type coach who has the respect of everyone in the baseball community at large and certainly in Dublin . Baseball fortunes kind of waned a bit when Jerome opened but to me as Lacrosse grew and then kind of popped success wise , it took a nice chunk of kids who might have played baseball . Other communities have seen similar dynamics .

Football players continue the grind of getting bigger stronger faster, quicker more explosive and better in the off-season. Be talking football shortly.
 
Huge omission from the last post . Coffman girls won the Swimming and diving State Title after finishing 4th last year and came in 2nd in the region behind New Albany recently . Coffman edged second place finishing New Albany in the state meet . Making the first ever Coffman title in swimming and diving more remarkable was doing it with only 6 competitors . Junior Ellie Andrews is the leader and a member of the Junior National team and is committed to Texas .

Central Ohio was well represented as the top three placers were from the Columbus area. Coffman 214 New Albany 209 and Upper Arlington 187 were one two and three followed by Mason 159 and Hudson 149 .
 
A couple weeks until Spring break and it is a good time to go really hard. It's about two months into the off-season grind and improvement should be noticeable. The work should be evident at this point . There will be lulls ebbs and flows but the first part of the off-season grind is nearing an end . Get that motor running at full speed , get to Spring break and take a few days off . Be with family and friends relax a bit , recharge the battery and get back at it hard when you get back to school .

The last couple weeks there has bene some nice specials concerning the 40th anniversary of the 'Miracle on Ice } 1980 USA over Russia and then the gold medal win over Finland . That team was picked and went through about a 6 month 'Process" or bonding , changing the way they played{ More free flowing or the Russian system beat then at their own game approach }, changing their body's with intense drills and strength and agility training . And most importantly training their body's cardio wise to be able to skate with the Soviets on even terms conditioning wise for the full three periods . A monumental task knowing how hard the Soviets trained .

They did it , they grinded , worked and 'Changed" over that 6 months bonding as a team and being in good enough shape to not have the conditioning factor be the reason they lost . They controlled what they could control . Of course they got out played in the USSR game, they got some huge breaks that were necessary in order to beat a team that was professional stronger and better than they were . The one thing they did take care of was their conditioning , they were going to make their opponents earn everything and not lose or compete as well because they go tired.

Not everyone has the same motor and aerobic capacity. But EVERYONE can work at it to improve it and be in the best shape they can be. Wearing down and being not able to compete for the full 48 on somewhat even terms from a conditioning standpoint is a brutal way to lose . It is soul crushing really . Fatigue makes cowards of us all is the famous line. An average coach named Vince Lombardi said that once.

An old coach said to a few us at the end of February , you should think of this off-season as training for a fight , you all have your goals we and you have set for yourself , the improvements need to make and the steps to achieve them . Get up and think what you need to do to be at your best when you face the toughest opponents you will face . It could be fighting for a job on the team { Really good team} or kids on the teams we will play. Out work them , get stronger , more confident. That was always stressed , strength and working hard at getting that strength will bring you more confidence . Not working hard and not getting stronger will give you doubts and you will not be as sure of yourself when it comes to competing against good players .

Not everyone has he same motivations when it comes to playing after HS. The key is to get as many players no matter what their future football ambitions are to work like a mother , sacrifice and get better because you feel accountable to the other players and the TEAM as a whole . I'm not going to be the underachiever who slacks off and doesn't put in the work . Do you think there is something in the water up at Marion Local ? Over at Pick Central ? Up at Kirtland ? Mentor ? Or wherever consistent success happens? Not, without fail these types of places simply work at it with passion and purpose and allow themselves the opportunity for success and then when they get it , work harder to sustain it. This isn't just the case for state title winners . This goes for all programs that are consistently good , win a lot more than they lose and develop and produce good players and even better people . It's the work that separates teams at the highest levels . Concentrated , planned work . Get after it fellas.

Rocks have some high ranking recruits in the 2021 class. RB-LB/Corner/ safety / Kick returner Threats keeps adding offers , notably Cincy Purdue , Kentucky , Michigan State , Iowa State and a small handful of others . DE Russell has a similar list as does LB Devon Williams but eh ahs committed to Kentucky . OT Daniel Warnsman has a few as well. Toledo , Liberty and App State . That list should grow as he hits camps . I think he has a ton of potential. I thought two years ago that Threats would pop at some point and he certainly has . Warnsman should be getting more love and he could be one of the top few guys in Central Ohio certainly and may be the state. Not highly ranked but his tape is excellent and having seen him up close , the kid can play . Good feet , balance is getting better and he FINSIHES , has that bit of a mean streak once the ball is snapped and the ability and size to make it work . Left tackle now , can play guard in College no problem .

Safety Kirk is an X -Factor for what could be the best Coffman defense since ? 2009 ? There has been some good groups , but I think in terms of talent and attitude and experience this years edition could be special . Kirk coming back to play safety in 2020 could be HUGE . Lets hope he will be out there . Loves the game and is a real competitor . D-1 level player who will make a huge impact on an already excellent defense . May be an all time level defense? Time and work will tell
 
Motivation can sometimes come from fear of not meeting expectations. Obviously what I have written above denotes my confidence of what I think I can potentially expect to see from the defense in 2000. The Rocks have had some very solid defenses over the years , a fact that gets overlooked because the reputation of the program is very good QB play and the passing game which while understandable hasn't been the recent reality . More of a running offense overall . Some games over the last few seasons has seen just a handful of passes attempted.

Solid running game , controlling the clock some of the time and solid defense is a formula . It is a wining formula . Defensive prowess and giving up few points gives a team the ultimate confidence that they can not only win a large majority of the time but also be in every game , even when playing the top level of competition. This unit has that kind of potential. Rocks have had really solid front sevens in recent years with excellent LB cores { 2014 Grady , Kraly, McKinney , Febus } { 2016 -17 Hoak , Boateng , Crabtree} and solid defensive lines { 2014 Wolfe , Denoble , Rudolph } 2017 { Bagozzi , Gill, Cummings} to name just a couple but were susceptible to giving up chunk yards and big plays in the passing game against very good teams where they couldn't get as many QB pressures .

This years unit can potentially be a lock down unit in the secondary. Kirk the X-Factor as the ball hawking big hitting safety . two corners coming back in 6-2 188 Austin who was a rookie at that position last year { Former QB } and Dorian Weaver . Austin has the look of a D-1 athlete and the size that college defensive coaches like to see in this era at Corner . Receivers have never been this big , fast and important in the overall scheme of what offensive football is about than right now. So many talented receivers at all levels now as the running back position while still important has been reduced in most systems to a one back look and are also expected to be able to effectively contribute in the passing game more than ever before .

6-2 and close to 190 pounds is ideal . But at that length , the player also needs to really work on their quickness , change of direction and agility that is perhaps easier for the shorter cornerbacks. Austin needs reps and diligent work on his footwork which goes for most high school players regardless of position. No question this is a big season for him and I expect to see a lot of improvement . Playing the ball in the air at that height and ability should be a main strength . Weaver is the more average sized CB at 5-10 and about 175 pounds . He showed flashes of excellent play , but needs to work on not giving up the longer pass and not letting RB's turn the corner taking the right angles when pursuing the bal. Increased size and strength will help and his experience last year as well , learning from some mistakes. Potentially this could be a great tandem this year .

Threats can play corner or really anywhere you want him to but he likely plays outside as more of a LB hybrid as his explosive strength and speed allows him to be more a LB type at this level , although he also possesses the cover skills at corner and or safety that will serve him well at the next level , IF he doesn't play RB . OLB Williams the Kentucky commit is a stud who will wreak havoc as a pass rusher and setting the edge against the run game . The one thing Williams needs to clean up is sometimes he goes in too high as a tackler and whiffs once in a while. Closes fast , instinctual , IS FAST , and reads plays well. Covers well which is what sets him apart from other recruits. Inside backers Davis and Morris played every snap and gained that experience and both improved a lot during the year. Tough and very willing to mix it up inside and take on blockers and shed blocks . Quickness and instincts make them perfect complements to the speed and more natural d-1 athletes outside. Lacking ideal size [both are about 5-9 -5-10 195- 205 { Projected } but make up for it in the aforementioned ways.

Not many openings for new starters as you can see in the back 7 . Up front there is the force Hammond Russell who will be really hard to handle this year . Handfuls of offers , size, length , added weight { should be 245 at 6- 4 } and very athletic . Basketball player but is a football prospect first and second for that matter. Russell needs to be a bit more consistent on every play . He can be more dominant than he was last year for sure and is expected to be . Two kids [ Ballay Buckley } saw some action in varying degrees but there are probably 2-3 spots available up front on defense and offensively there are a few as well. A huge key to this years team is finding about 5-6 kids up front to fill positions on the offensive or defensive lines . Kids need to realize that the off-season improvements are HUGE in their ability not only to win a spot , but to be able to compete and contribute well and complement the returning talented starters .

Offensively there is some openings at the receiver position , slot and out wide . Rising Junior Hedderly was solid as a Soph and could b more of a difference maker this season. Williamson who is an Akron recruit will be sorely missed in the playmaking role . Who can pick up the slack? Some of the aforementioned defensive athletes will surely be utilized on offense at times in this capacity .

Talking about the receiving position being at an all time level of importance in football , it always boggles my mind when kids give up football when they clearly show potential to be a difference maker at the position . There are so many MORE opportunity's to play and or get paid in college in football than there is say basketball which is where many outstanding athletes give up football in order to " Specialize " in hoops . In most cases the hoop thing isn't working out in terms of D-1 almost without fail , but also not a ton of opportunity at lower levels .

Many of these hoop hopefuls don't even 'pop" at the high school level . So many excellent to great athletes at all sizes stop playing football to concentrate on hoops and it is a huge opportunity wasted IMO and many others who know that there are so many more spots on a football team . It is a basic math equation . So many 5-10 to 6-1 guards in high school basketball who would be really good corners , safety's or receivers but quit football to play year round hoops in order in most cases to get some D-2 love if their academics are a bit iffy or solid D-3 programs that may be stronger academically but still with a fairly hefty price tag to pay.

6-2 TO 6-5 and taller receivers are more coveted than ever before . There are so many offenses at the college level and even the NFL now that go 4-5 wide that there is a lot of opportunity to get noticed and be given a shot at the highest levels. Of course I am talking about the best athletes in high school at these sizes and there is work to be put in to add weight and strength but there are simply MANY MORE chances for very good athletes to go to top colleges at the D-1 level in Football than there is hoops. This doesn't mean quitting hoops , many football prospects still play other sports including hoops and this is a strength that college coaches LOVE . They WANT multi sport athletes.

Of curse football isn't for everyone , not everyone wants to play it . It's hard . It's a grind , there isn't as many games , more work than play . BUT the possible rewards are HUGE for talented athletes with the size speed and jumping ability that is so coveted in the game now . College Basketball rosters add a few athletes every year , football adds about 20 more at least than that . Many very good athletes play football at the middle school or even Frosh and JV level and then quit , choosing to 'Focus" on another sport . As Vince Trombetti the former Kilbourne coach said in a frustrated moment 'You guys aren't as good at the other sport as you think you are ".

This wasn't meant to be harsh , only truthful in most cases and that they could have benefitted athletically from playing football and training for football . [what Lacrosse , basketball , or baseball coach for instance doesn't want bigger stronger tougher athletes ?} Saw the tape of WR McDonald as a frosh , He's about 6-4 180 pounds as a Soph and was a difference maker catching passes from strong armed QB Maggs . Didn't come out for football . Played basketball this year mostly a JV player who will probably play some minutes next year on Varsity but what's the ceiling ? .Yes there are later bloomer exception that aren't the rule and the odds don't; change. You can't teach 6-4 and being athletic . You can improve ball skills and your quickness perhaps but 6-4 and raw speed and talent is either there or it isn't . This kid has those un-teachables if you will . Missing out on a huge opportunity to be develop as a football player the couple of years in a excellent program with a potentially great team this year for sure , solid coaching in a program that is committed to player development , strength skill and personal development that has potential to lead somewhere pretty special .

D-1 and getting money isn't the main purpose of HS athletics and it shouldn't be , but it is always tough to see kids give up possible opportunity's . Speaking of opportunity , of course D-1 and also 1-AA prospects get most of the attention in the next level discussions for HS athletes. But there are some great opportunity's to be had at the lower levels . Most kids who want to keep playing football or their chosen sports will play at lower levels . As I mention every year , kids have to realize how important their athletic talent can be in their chances for not only good financial packages but also admittance to schools. Special skills and possible contributions to an incoming class is HUGE in your chances for getting in and then what you end up paying . I know this from personal experience with myself and my sister coming out of HS an my daughter getting a great financial package to a top academic school due to athletics . . Have known many kids in the community also get primo financial packages and get into schools they might not have other wise without the extra circular piece.

Simply put, that huge scandal that may land Aunt Becky in the can for a few months shows how athletics can play a role in gaining admittance to top schools. These were fake athletes of course and others involved in this scandal also cheated on the ACT or SAT . Not condoning this of course LOL .

What I am saying is take advantage of and work hard to make yourself more desirable to these institutions sports and extra circulars in general play a huge role on college campuses and your potential contributions in these areas can make a huge difference . Met a son of business contact about a month ago . He is just starting a job in Chicago . In the course of the conversation he mentioned that he was moving from where he went to college in New Jersey to Chicago and being the nosy guy I am asked him where he went to school . Obviously he was a humble young guy because he went to Princeton and didn't mention it until asked. He then added , well I did play Hockey there which is why I got in really. Doubly humble . But honest . Without the Hockey piece ? Almost assuredly isn't being admitted to a school that lets in about 4-6 percent of their applicants .

Some things to think about surely .
 
World seems to be spinning on a CV axis as the pandemic progresses here at an alarming rate causing major upheavals in all facets of life. The health and well being of all citizens and loved ones is first and foremost and paramount . Much more important than any personal inconvenience or financial setback suffered on a personal or business and corporation level certainly. Games and lives will go on at some point and fans will be back in their seats cheering on their favorite teams and players and will be deriving pleasure from watching the competition Life and health comes first , without it ? There are no games .

Which brings me to the reality of the measures being taken and rightfully so of spectators being held back from attending games . Right call at a time like this as the seriousness and reality's become clearer .

State tournament time in high school sports is a special time in kids lives first and foremost , but also in the parents coaches and community's as well . Community fans , students and others will be not allowed to attend the games as we reach and get close to the state level of competition. Parents and a couple others from a household will get tickets but it won't be the same for them either.

Media will be allowed to cover in very sparsely filled venue's . Certainly not the ideal vibe for them either. Life will go on and other things and the big picture of our country's health and well being is what is most important . But that doesn't mean I don't notice the disappointment that many are feeling in terms of the tournament .

Part of the young athletes experience and certainly I can speak from personal experience is the atmosphere , the crowd , the noise, the smells . Packed noisy even sweaty gyms add texture and depth to the experience for basketball players . Anyone who witnessed the Jerome Coffman tournament basketball game recently can attest to that special vibe. Full stadiums , rivalry games , big events such as the state wrestling tournament , Basketball Semi finals games at the Schott , big football play off games at near full smaller venues , and packed small college venues in various sports are memory's that the athletes will never forget .

I'll never forget the feeling I had a few times as a younger athlete playing in big games before a lot of people in various sports. I can get chills when I really stop and think about them even when they happened many years ago . These kids will remember the sights the atmosphere , the sounds , the excitement , the shrieks , the oohs and ahh's for the rest of their lives . The crowds , the interest and the vibe are a big part of the experience.

Before the season , you point to a few games and get excited knowing that there was going to be a lot of interest in that one , a lot of people there to watch . It was going to be louder , a certain buzz around the stadium arena or field . The local rivalry game , the big game against the best competition . Yu get excited about it months in advance just looking ahead to what you know will be a great scene .

I still remember the anxious nerves sitting in the silent locker room before the coach addressed us, looking over at your teammates wondering if they are as anxious as you. The feeling of it becoming almost full 'During warm-ups" standing room only at kick off . Coming out of the locker room and sighing 'Wow" and exhaling a wisp of nervousness from your chest. Thinking it was col that this many people cared about what you were doing for a couple hours as a 16 or 17 year old . You see your first coach watching as you enter the stadium who taught you how to get into a three point stance , You spot the Pop Warner coach who showed you how to dip your shoulder and initiate contact when carrying the ball . Teachers , neighborhood parents , your classmates , little league coaches . The Community is there , kids from the surrounding area whose season is over , former opponents wearing their letter jackets , interested in what happens because it's a BIG game with some stakes involved.

Sadly this aspect will be missing from the proceedings during the March Madness time of year which isn't just for the NCAA basketball tourney , the 'Madness " is a universal feeling for all athletes playing for titles. I still vividly remember, playing in a hockey tournament game against a league rival . We both won a couple games and now had to play each other . The regular season games were pretty exciting and well attended , but this was different , it would BE PACKED . I still recall walking into the foyer of the arena and it being full of fans in line waiting to get in , the encouragement from our fans and the trash talk from the opposing fans. The smell of the popcorn from the concession area , and noticing that the arena was already half full before we even had gotten to the locker room to get dressed .


Getting dressed and the locker room door opening when one of the assistant coaches walked in and hearing a couple things clearly . First was the buzz of the arena and second was our rival 's voices firing each other up as they were close to being ready to take the ice. Coach said 'This is a special atmosphere fellas , enjoy it but don't get so fired up and caught up that you run someone , , ' I want nothing{ hits } from behind and no running anyone ,Finish checks but no charges . 'We don't need to take a stupid Freaking penalty and be down early . I don't remember most of the pre-game stuff during the season , but this game ? I remember the little things because of the atmosphere. The constant buzz , the roar after a goal , the massive disappointment and emotional reaction after losing the game in the last minute on a goal seconds after hearing the 'last minute remaining in the period on the PA after thinking we were going OT . Drained , spent and taking in the size of the crowd even in defeat was special . The fans and the atmosphere made it this memorable. For a lifetime .


I really feel for the kids , fans , community's and their experience being a bit diminished as a result of this pandemic . Sports are great in many ways and the sights sounds and fan involvement and intensity is a big part of it for all athletes , including High school kids playing in big games for their schools and community's . I wish it was a different experience for you all .
 
A lot has changed in the 9 days since I last posted . The main thing that has changed is of course ' The World" . Incredible shift that was faster than a blink . A New York minute is molasses slow compared to how fast tings have changed in the world. We of course could see trouble on the horizon , but it was OK to look away for a period before it got too close and your left to deal with something that we have never had to deal with really. Natural disasters have a shelf life of horror discomfort and rebuilding. This unseen pandemic is a different species.

Tournaments without many or any fans seems mosquito small in it's inconvenience. This is major real life territory. The thoughts, information and answers directly concerning the pandemic aren't part of a high school sports forum . But make no mistake the HS athlete and students are greatly affected so this is a space to talk about some things .

Coaches and teachers often talk about what happens to you isn't as important as is how you respond that really counts and matters. This is as applicable to the current situation as anything has been for student athletes. Winter sports ended abruptly, sadly , disappointingly . Seasons were already ended for most really but for the highest achievers and the best teams , there were more achieving and winning to do . Well at least trying to . Dreams of glory , getting your arm raised at the state tournament , or just getting their for the first time ever ended in a dream that didn't even include forgetting your uniform or getting lost on the way to the venue. One of my favorites was getting to an arena and forgetting my skates .

No this end to the dream or the thrill of competing at the highest levels of competition ended with the news of a virus that was spreading and very real announcement of no fans , then postponements , then alas no games or matches at all . New Albany missed an opportunity to go to Nationwide arena and paly in their first state tournament . An overtime win vs Coffman upsetting the top dog undefeated UA and then beating Liberty . Spring sports in real jeopardy , or more aptly on life support as things unfold they have no control over making the decision shelve the season and school year altogether.


So that brings us to fall sports and the training that was so abruptly stopped in it's track as facilities were closed and shut down. School was closed, and could be for the foreseeable future. So what to do ? The ultimate it's how you react to adversity moment. Kids now are home and can't get together in groups or larger groups to grind, to strength train, to bond as a team. Bonding starts in sweaty rooms with iron in them . To grass fields where you work on your speed and agility .

School is now online , workouts are improvised . Schedules can be kept to best mirror the regular school day routine. Get up at the same time , eat, do your assignments or log on to classes at certain times. It's all new , foreign , a different existence. This is a tough time for everyone including High school football players trying to prepare for the season. This is also the ultimate test of keeping your head down and only controlling what you can control .


If you are home with no weights ? I have gotten good workouts at home or on the road without weight or gym access . A lot of stretching then Body weight squats and lunges, , using chairs to do dips, three types of pushups , wider grip , medium and close to isolate the triceps , Crunches and sit ups , single leg calf raises { Hands on the wall chest level balance on one foot at a time and do many sets of varying reps} explosive vertical jumps and other creative movements and basic cals. You can work on footwork , coming out of the stance, { Wearing ankle weights adds to the training intensity . If you have weights at home , that's awesome , dumbbells workouts can be really beneficial.

Back in the day , we worked out in garages and basements . Most players had some free weights at home. We got a group rate at two local gyms and took advantage of it but also worked out in smaller groups at houses . I know Athletic directors don't want the players getting together in larger groups especially and training at this time . Hopefully this period doesn't go on indefinitely If some kids have fairly elaborate free weight areas at home can a few guys go there at a time ? Smaller groups ? Loved that aspect of my experience actually. I did go to the gym a couple times a week. But i also worked out at a large basement area{ 7 bedroom house easily the largest house of any player on the team } where 7-8 of us at a time were able to do squats, cleans deadlifts and bench et al { wrist curls , military's tri extension , curls hammer curls reverse curls { forearms} .


This working with weights with all gyms and school facilities closed is trying to say the least . Creativity with not breaking any of the accepted rules in terms of social distancing is challenging . This is not in everyone's control but what is in players control? Doing your school work on time and applying yourself . Having a good attitude . Getting up on time . Eating well . Following a schedule . The aforementioned physical work you may be able to do. Speed and agility work , Ladders . Stance , coming out of your stance. Working on fundamentals. Throwing and catching outside . Be in the best cardio condition you can. Be helpful around the house for your family, do a few more chores than usual because you are home{ This is really appreciated more than you know from parents}.

This is a really challenging and tough time for everyone. Be grateful for what you have. Do your best to help the situation and people in every area and ways. Hopefully in a few months life will look more recognizable and your season won't be in jeopardy. Tough times even now in the toughest of times 'Don't Last" but Tough people do .
 
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USA70PP said:
Harry,
Honest opinion. Does the school closure edict last through September?
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God I hope not . I hope the kids can get together by Summer time and use the facilities . Such an unknown dynamic to all of this . So fluid . I just hope the curve of the number of the number of infections stabilizes by say Early July and things can kind of normalize a bit , but may be that's too optimistic .
 
My granddaughter's much looked forward to softball team trip to Florida had to be cancelled. Now she's worried if there will be a school season. I'm with you, hope this goat-rope ends soon.
 
USA70PP said:
My granddaughter's much looked forward to softball team trip to Florida had to be cancelled. Now she's worried if there will be a school season. I'm with you, hope this goat-rope ends soon.
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I feel really bad for all the kids whose lives are turned upside down and who worked so hard and had seasons cut short or cancelled . Be well USA , hope all the states and federal Gov can come together and solve the issues that can help fight this pandemic effectively
 
Part of dealing with any crisis is the simple directive, Do what you can do. Use your time wisely , get into a routine and be as productive as possible . Working on fundamental is one thing that you can do even in these conditions . Body weight { improvise to add make shift weight if you can} squats, lunges , Legs shoulder length apart push off on one leg sideways and land on the other leg then again to the other leg is another body weight leg buster. Dips pushups and the like are great. But you can also work on fundamentals . Work on your craft . QB'S simulate you footwork , get just a bit quicker getting into your throwing motion , follow through , driving the ball , shoulder towards target.

Running back and receivers can do ladders, work on speed and agility , find a hill to run up . Receivers can run routes , and catch the ball from QB's in small groups . Squeeze tennis balls , get one of the grip handles. Little things add up to bigger things. Solid Fundamentals are a staple of all great players and teams . Do what you can do know. Hopefully sooner than later you can do what you normally would do at this point in the off-season.

Tom Brady still works very hard on the fundamentals . He has worked since he was 15 with Tom Martinez in his hometown on basic fundamentals , Elbow placement stride and footwork , over and over again . You think his all world accuracy was just a gift? QB'S can improve greatly from say 15 to 18 years old and the basic fundamental sand getting them down is crucial to accuracy and performance. Reps reps reps. Running backs get better at seeing holes and hitting them off of blocks the more reps they get. Some are more gifted of course naturally , but ever y back and receiver can improve quickness and the fundamentals of their position. Solidifying their basic movements , simulating game movements . Envisioning what you will do and getting the footwork and steps down. Lineman as well .

Defensive backs working on change of direction and back pedals and stopping and starting in different directions . If Tom Brady after al his success still works on the fundamentals religiously? The best of the best are almost without fail the guys who pay attention the details of their craft and the game . Brady is going to 43, not great at this point but he would tell you that the key to his success was in his steady improvement over a long period, and his very focused attention to the fundamentals of throwing the football , his drop back and footwork , stride arm angle and setting his feet which made him able to repeat his motion and be very accurate due to his very solid fundamentals.

One of the greatest boxers of all time , Floyd Mayweather while extremely gifted and possessing great natural ability , is on record as saying he isn't the guy he became without the constant work on his craft and the basic fundamentals he worked on while training for every fight. Never got out of optimum shape like some of even the best boxers do between fights , claimed he never got tired in the ring which if you watch tape of his fights you really can't see him at any time weary and with mouth open gasping for air . He repeated the drills that served him well for years, did the road work , his footwork was impeccable and his he developed his instincts by working extremely hard in the gym . Not the best guy on a personal level , very dysfunction family , but in terms of working on his craft ? A champion 's champion . What I think that means is he was determined to never lose a fight because he wasn't fully prepared and didn't put the work in .


A guy with a lot of wisdom is former NFL player of ten years college coach and ESPN contributor Bill Curry . I remember reading his re-telling a story from his rookie year in the NFL when he was with the world champion Packers in 1966 . He got to training camp and was of course in awe of the Offensive lineman group which he was a part of. He noticed right away that EVERY day the O-lineman including greats Jerry Kramer , Forrest Gregg and Fuzzy Thurston starting EVERY practice working on fundamentals . Foot work , stance , coming off the ball , precise movements done over and over again. EVERY DAY . Of course Vince Lombardi was their coach . The original we will win by superior execution coach. It's not about fancy trick plays or brilliant innovation . It's getting the alignments , assignments and execution right. You can control these things to an extent. Precise movements , fundamentally sound , repetition and focused work . Not always fun and exciting. But the fun is in the winning on Friday nights .
 
614to513 said:
Harry - with all the down time right now, can you give us your all-Coffman team in the last 15 years? Position by position?
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Man, you're missing Harry on the debate forum. I'd like you to rate team by year as well. Where would the Rocks I saw at Marion Harding a couple seasons back rank?
 
614to513 said:
Harry - with all the down time right now, can you give us your all-Coffman team in the last 15 years? Position by position?
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Funny I was thinking of may be making some lists during this extra tine at home . USA That team was good no question but not one of the top few ( a year away ) . This years team was better but injuries and top end guys not out there at key times derailed them a few times in very close losses along with just not making the plays when they were there to be made
 
How many years have you been following the Rocks Harry? When my wife retired after 20 years with the Soviet problem we returned to Mayberry. We had two foreign exchange students the next year. A girl from Thailand and one from Germany. The Thai girl got on the flag corps with the marching band here at Pleasant so I made every game to support her. That year started a stretch of 25 going on 26 years of following the Spartans. The first 20 years I missed two games due to illness. Went all over, wherever OHSAA sent them during the playoffs. Made three trips to Canton. win and a loss in championship games, 2002W and 2001L and in 2007 when we lost to Mooney in the semis. When I hit 75 I began missing the last game of the year in order to be at a game in Morrow county between the school my sisters graduated from and the one my grandsons graduated from. Big rivals. Give small scholarships to the outstanding player from each team in the game. (Wrote about it in the trophy thread if you're interested). Then I'll go to a game on the opposite night that we play and then a good game wherever after we lose. Hit 80 this September so don't know how much longer I'll put up with some of those nasty Friday nights.
 
Been following pretty closely since 2003 . Seen a lot of great players and a couple teams that state championship game potential for sure but didn't get there . I will be going over some of this in the next few days may be . Welcome aboard 614-513 . Are you a fan of a particular school?
 
Harrycrane said:
Been following pretty closely since 2003 . Seen a lot of great players and a couple teams that state championship game potential for sure but didn't get there . I will be going over some of this in the next few days may be . Welcome aboard 614-513 . Are you a fan of a particular school?
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Follow the Marion Pleasant Spartans. A smallish D5 school. We live in the school district so support the school that gets our property taxes.
 
Thanks! Coffman is definitely my favorite team - moved to Cincy a few years ago, so been tougher to follow. Try to make it to at least one game a year tho.

Big fan of Coach Crabtree - don't think we could have a better person leading the program
 
USA70PP said:
Follow the Marion Pleasant Spartans. A smallish D5 school. We live in the school district so support the school that gets our property taxes.
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Yes I kind of know their history , had it rolling right abut the time I started following Coffman .
614to513 said:
Thanks! Coffman is definitely my favorite team - moved to Cincy a few years ago, so been tougher to follow. Try to make it to at least one game a year tho.

Big fan of Coach Crabtree - don't think we could have a better person leading the program
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Good to hear , there are a nice handful of Coffman fans that follow this space who no longer live here. Most don't post but I like posting for them so they can stop in here every so often to hear what's going on . I will say over the years I have run into people on the road at hotels periodically who sometimes see a Coffman or a Dublin t-shirt on me at breakfast or in the workout area or by the pool and comment that they know of Coffman and follow them . Definitely a handful who never lived here but know of some of the players or just are big HS football fans of Ohio .

I think Brady Quinn had some people start following where his face was a fixture every Saturday for 3-4 years playing for Notre Dame . Just this past year going to the Boston college game at ND I was talking with fans from Ohio and when finding out I was from Dublin immediately mentioned Coffman and Quinn . Actually also Coffman's Chinedum Ndukwe who also played at Notre Dame after being Quinn's go to receiver in High school making the Semifinals before getting handled by St X . Ndukwe started a couple years at ND as a safety and played five years in the NFL { Cincinnati 4 years Oakland 1 } Also another Coffman Notre Dame athlete Chris Quinn a basketball player is mentioned , a two time first team all state player who was Ohio Mr. basketball runner up runner up in 2002 to some kid named LeBron James . Quinn was a three year starter in South Bend and a two year captain . Played 6 years in the NBA and a few overseas and is now an assistant coach with the Miami Heat.

Coach Crabtree gets crap in these spaces for not getting Coffman to a final or winning it in his long tenure . Obviously been really successful overall and runs a excellent program and has helped develop a lot of good and great players . I pretty much call balls and strikes here , and have at times been a bit critical but overall I think he does a great job and has had some really good teams, some who may be should have gone further but sometimes it'[s not bad coaching but things happen , bad nights, bad match-ups , weird bounces and injury's. I try to explain what happened and give reason I think they did happen. Some thing these to be excuses but there is a difference in Bullchit excuses and 'Reasons " why things happen, Factors and dynamics that take hold . Speaking of , thinking of the people I talked with in South Bend on that cold blustery Saturday in November , I was also asked about the quarterfinal loss to Springfield which was the night before and which will make my short list of most excruciating Coffman losses play-offs or not .
 
Harrycrane said:
Yes I kind of know their history , had it rolling right abut the time I started following Coffman .


Good to hear , there are a nice handful of Coffman fans that follow this space who no longer live here. Most don't post but I like posting for them so they can stop in here every so often to hear what's going on . I will say over the years I have run into people on the road at hotels periodically who sometimes see a Coffman or a Dublin t-shirt on me at breakfast or in the workout area or by the pool and comment that they know of Coffman and follow them . Definitely a handful who never lived here but know of some of the players or just are big HS football fans of Ohio .

I think Brady Quinn had some people start following where his face was a fixture every Saturday for 3-4 years playing for Notre Dame . Just this past year going to the Boston college game at ND I was talking with fans from Ohio and when finding out I was from Dublin immediately mentioned Coffman and Quinn . Actually also Coffman's Chinedum Ndukwe who also played at Notre Dame after being Quinn's go to receiver in High school making the Semifinals before getting handled by St X . Ndukwe started a couple years at ND as a safety and played five years in the NFL { Cincinnati 4 years Oakland 1 } Also another Coffman Notre Dame athlete Chris Quinn a basketball player is mentioned , a two time first team all state player who was Ohio Mr. basketball runner up runner up in 2002 to some kid named LeBron James . Quinn was a three year starter in South Bend and a two year captain . Played 6 years in the NBA and a few overseas and is now an assistant coach with the Miami Heat.

Coach Crabtree gets crap in these spaces for not getting Coffman to a final or winning it in his long tenure . Obviously been really successful overall and runs a excellent program and has helped develop a lot of good and great players . I pretty much call balls and strikes here , and have at times been a bit critical but overall I think he does a great job and has had some really good teams, some who may be should have gone further but sometimes it'[s not bad coaching but things happen , bad nights, bad match-ups , weird bounces and injury's. I try to explain what happened and give reason I think they did happen. Some thing these to be excuses but there is a difference in Bullchit excuses and 'Reasons " why things happen, Factors and dynamics that take hold . Speaking of , thinking of the people I talked with in South Bend on that cold blustery Saturday in November , I was also asked about the quarterfinal loss to Springfield which was the night before and which will make my short list of most excruciating Coffman losses play-offs or not .
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Yes, last year's team certainly was puzzling. Good news is they have a lot of talent coming back and should be very good next year - I'm very excited to see Threats play next season - he's going to have a huge year.

It is frustrating that Coffman hasn't been able to get over the hump, but Crabtree's two best teams (2007 and 2009) both had bad luck and injuries. 2007 - St. X's only TD came after Coffman jumped offsides on a FG attempt. We obviously all know how that game ended with the Rocks getting tackled inside the 10 yard line down by 3. I'm sure there's a lot of second guessing on that final throw - I'm sure Stoudt wishes he threw that ball away. There was no guarantee they would've made the FG anyway as their kicking game really struggled that year. I also think not having a fully healthy Trey Fairchild really hurt them - X really tried to take away Stoney and the screen game - a healthy Fairchild could've made the difference.

2009 - they lose future Clemson QB Cole Stoudt in week 7 and 1st team all-ohio linebacker Brett Buehler in first round of playoffs. Coffman was really rolling before Stoudt got hurt - with their defense scoring more points than they had given up. Their offense was expanding each and every week as the young Stoudt continued to gain confidence and grasp of the playbook. When he went down - everything changed. Caldwell did an unreal job filling in for him, but the offense became way too one-dimensional. They became mostly a running team and Coffman historically really struggles running the ball against Davidson - and that was ultimately their downfall. With a healthy Stoudt and Buehler, I think they beat Davidson.

All teams experience this kind of stuff - which is what makes winning it all so extremely difficult - you have to have luck on your side.
 
614to513 said:
Yes, last year's team certainly was puzzling. Good news is they have a lot of talent coming back and should be very good next year - I'm very excited to see Threats play next season - he's going to have a huge year.

It is frustrating that Coffman hasn't been able to get over the hump, but Crabtree's two best teams (2007 and 2009) both had bad luck and injuries. 2007 - St. X's only TD came after Coffman jumped offsides on a FG attempt. We obviously all know how that game ended with the Rocks getting tackled inside the 10 yard line down by 3. I'm sure there's a lot of second guessing on that final throw - I'm sure Stoudt wishes he threw that ball away. There was no guarantee they would've made the FG anyway as their kicking game really struggled that year. I also think not having a fully healthy Trey Fairchild really hurt them - X really tried to take away Stoney and the screen game - a healthy Fairchild could've made the difference.

2009 - they lose future Clemson QB Cole Stoudt in week 7 and 1st team all-ohio linebacker Brett Buehler in first round of playoffs. Coffman was really rolling before Stoudt got hurt - with their defense scoring more points than they had given up. Their offense was expanding each and every week as the young Stoudt continued to gain confidence and grasp of the playbook. When he went down - everything changed. Caldwell did an unreal job filling in for him, but the offense became way too one-dimensional. They became mostly a running team and Coffman historically really struggles running the ball against Davidson - and that was ultimately their downfall. With a healthy Stoudt and Buehler, I think they beat Davidson.

All teams experience this kind of stuff - which is what makes winning it all so extremely difficult - you have to have luck on your side.
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If you got asked which offensive player would you most miss in 2009 the obvious answer was Stoudt. He was really accurate and Caldwell was excellent as the tight end , blocking and catching. Walter was a good TE as well BUT Their best offense was clearly Cole at QB and Caldwell at TE. I agree Colton did a very good job at QB but it was either the run game or deep balls , the intermediate throws just weren't there , the crossing routes , the comebacks etc. They also lost two good receivers before the play-offs in Vranic and Moreland . Buehler a first team all state player at Middle linebacker was a tackling machine and the one guy you couldn't lose on defense , Davidson was the better team that night , Coffman did outgain them but couldn't finish two drives only scoring on a long TD pass to EJ Williams . I hate to take away credit from Davidson who went on to with the title , but if they are at full strength , that gam goes down to the wire at least and Coffman has a great look at it . 2009 team and that defense were as disciplined and smart as any Coffman team that I can remember .

Yes that 2007 game and that team was a great one . ST X fan told me that Coffman played them tougher than anyone did all year and that club was certainly good enough to win a state title . Only team to outgain a 15-0 ST X team ranked fifth in the nation . Yes he should have thrown it away but instinct took over I guess . BRUTAL way to lose .Chip shot FG attempt was probably going to be good I believe. Fairchild showed a ton of heart in the play-offs after missing the first game . Played sparingly vs Pick Central in the second round but his presence fired up the team and he made a couple nice grabs for first down to move the sticks as Coffman pulled away in the second half . Also came up big in he regional final vs Darby's best team in their school history with multiple D-1 kids they usually don't have . Great track meet type game with Coffman
having just a couple more answers in a very competitive game .

He made a big grab in the ST X game and was out there grinding , but I agree he wasn't 100 percent and against a team with what ? 7- 8 D-1 starters on defense ? You needed him at full strength . One of the plays of the year was Big Mike Adams the 6-7 290 pound 5 star tackle running down that St X defender who picked up the fumble, only to have Adams chase him down causing HIM to fumble it back to Coffman. Incredible hustle play . One of the best I have seen . LB Griffin Grady running down Tyree Kinnel of Wayne on the last play of the half as he was inside the ten returning the punt saving a TD was another incredible example of never giving up on a play . Another really tough loss to a team that got to the state final .
 
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Harrycrane said:
If you got asked which offensive player would you most miss in 2009 the obvious answer was Stoudt. He was really accurate and Caldwell was excellent as the tight end , blocking and catching. Walter was a good TE as well BUT Their best offense was clearly Cole at QB and Caldwell at TE. I agree Colton did a very good job at QB but it was either the run game or deep balls , the intermediate throws just weren't there , the crossing routes , the comebacks etc. They also lost two good receivers before the play-offs in Vranic and Moreland . Buehler a first team all state player at Middle linebacker was a tackling machine and the one guy you couldn't lose on defense , Davidson was the better team that night , Coffman did outgain them but couldn't finish two drives only scoring on a long TD pass to EJ Williams . I hate to take away credit from Davidson who went on to with the title , but if they are at full strength , that gam goes down to the wire at least and Coffman has a great look at it . 2009 team and that defense were as disciplined and smart as any Coffman team that I can remember .

Yes that 2007 game and that team was a great one . ST X fan told me that Coffman played them tougher than anyone did all year and that club was certainly good enough to win a state title . Only team to outgain a 15-0 ST X team ranked fifth in the nation . Yes he should have thrown it away but instinct took over I guess . BRUTAL way to lose .Chip shot FG attempt was probably going to be good I believe. Fairchild showed a ton of heart in the play-offs after missing the first game . Played sparingly vs Pick Central in the second round but his presence fired up the team and he made a couple nice grabs for first down to move the sticks as Coffman pulled away in the second half . Also came up big in he regional final vs Darby's best team in their school history with multiple D-1 kids they usually don't have . Great track meet type game with Coffman
having just a couple more answers in a very competitive game .

He made a big grab in the ST X game and was out there grinding , but I agree he wasn't 100 percent and against a team with what ? 7- 8 D-1 starters on defense ? You needed him at full strength . One of the plays of the year was Big Mike Adams the 6-7 290 pound 5 star tackle running down that St X defender who picked up the fumble, only to have Adams chase him down causing HIM to fumble it back to Coffman. Incredible hustle play . One of the best I have seen . LB Griffin Grady running down Tyree Kinnel of Wayne on the last play of the half as he was inside the ten returning the punt saving a TD was another incredible example of never giving up on a play . Another really tough loss to a team that got to the state final .
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Agree with everything you said. Moreland and Vranic were both very talented - it's a shame Vranic ended up quitting and Moreland never fully recovered from his back injury.

That Coffman/Darby regional final was an unbelievable game. So entertaining from start to finish - tons of highlight worthy plays from both teams.

That 2009 defense sure was great. Doubt we'll ever see all 3 linebackers from one team make 1st team All-OCC again. Very good to great players all across that defense - not quite D1 talent but collectively outstanding.
 
614to513 said:
Agree with everything you said. Moreland and Vranic were both very talented - it's a shame Vranic ended up quitting and Moreland never fully recovered from his back injury.

That Coffman/Darby regional final was an unbelievable game. So entertaining from start to finish - tons of highlight worthy plays from both teams.

That 2009 defense sure was great. Doubt we'll ever see all 3 linebackers from one team make 1st team All-OCC again. Very good to great players all across that defense - not quite D1 talent but collectively outstanding.
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Good way to describe the talent level. A small handful of 'Not quite" D-1 . JR. DE Carrico was a D-1 frame but wasn't a prime time performer that year, very solid , but because of his feet for such a big kid{ Came up as a QB} Went to Offensive tackle his Sr. year and bagged a Notre Dame offer graduating from there but never played after a back issue forced him to stop playing Still got the free ND education though. . But they did have some 1-AA kids and the thing that I remember about that defense was how smart they were .

Alignment and assignment execution was as good as any Coffman defense that I've seen. Besides DE Carrico they had Jr. Phelps at the other end and he would play at Holy Cross a top academic 1-AA school. Durthaler and Brusadin were the classic over achievers inside often beating kids much bigger than they were , very competitive kids. Linebackers you mentioned were outstanding as a unit . Buehler {Cornell } was the lynchpin in the middle and losing him was devastating. Frazier was very strong at 5-11 220 and Robinson was a very good athlete who ran well . he was another smart kid going to 1-AA Lafayette .

Secondary was led by one of the top competitors I have seen at Coffman Connor Viers an excellent hoops player on some very good Rocks teams. I still remember his hit on Tyler Talbott in the win over Davidson in the regular season . Came up to meet the pitch man { Talbott} QB kept and scored but Viers smacked Talbott as the QB cut up field

Still remember the ohhh and ahhhh from the crowd the hit was so savage . Speaking of savage another 1-AA guy John Wurm was a warrior and while a bit reckless at times was a BIG hitter . Played with and I was friends with Niner QB Jimmy Garroplo at Eastern Illinois .

Excellent punter as well . But a big presence at Safety . I would watch him read a play and get scared for the opposing receiver he was zeroing in on . Another guy whose hits just sounded a little different .

Jr. Woodford and Sr Happ weren't great athletes but were so solid in their technique they made plays . Happ made that huge interception vs Westy South in the play-off game when the Rocks were down 17-14 . Rocks drove the final 30 yards for the wining points eventually. Yes that goal line stand was incredible , chill inducing when you remember it .

Knew that team was kind of special early on at the Herbie to open the season . Took apart Liberty who wasn't great but were pretty good made to look bad by Coffman . The Patriots were a play-off team going 7-3 losing badly to only two teams . Coffman and Westy South.{ twice once in the play-offs } Rocks offense had the big talented O-line with experience D-1 QB with Jr. Stoudt who started as a Sophomore weapons outside Caldwell and Walter at TE a three year guy at RB in Jones . Along with Punter Wurm as I mentioned , the team alsop had an great kicker in Kyle Clinton who would walk on at Ohio State and make the team and kicked off for them . Never won the starting place kicking job but kicked off a lot and deep .

And of course the defense . Could play with anyone that year . A great blend of good size good talent { Not great talent overall l } and SMART athletes and students . And of course the very important toughness required . Could play with anyone in the state that year . Would love to see what could have happened if Stoudt and Buehler were able to go to war in the play-offs.
 
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614to513 said:
Still can't believe they beat that Westerville South team without Stoudt and Buehler. South was loaded with talent that year and Jayshaun Jackson was one of the best high school running backs I've ever seen. They took Davidson to the wire at the Shoe earlier in the year.

I'll never forget that goal line stand.
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South had them in that game, just couldn't make a play at the end , but Davidson has won so many of those type of games over the years you need to tip your hat to them . You are correct , that South team was excellent . Jackson had that jump cut and would knife through defenses and disappear in the wash and come out on the other end , just churning out yards . Ray Ball was a force at tackle { 315 with feet} Good receivers , speed on defense , some size. That was a classic Coffman win , doing the little things right , no turnovers { South had 3 } the goal line stand , and Caldwell's big bomb to Carpenter was a beautiful drop in the bucket heave . Caldwell's roll out run pass option baiting the corner to come up and flipping it to Williams { Also Cornell} in the back of the end zone for the eventual game winner . Then Jackson rips off a long run and the subsequent goal line stand . One of my favorite Coffman games. Great ballgame
 
I agree , I've done a quick thought process of the best players I've seen play at certain positions and Shaun 'Scoobie" Jones is a top five back for me as well . CJ Saunders getting on the two deep at Ohio State walking on is as good a story as there is . And then being so respected he is named a captain ? Incredible . he didn't even play football until Jr. Year at Coffman . Basketball and baseball were his best sports . Part of a great receiving stable in 2014 on what I thought was a great Coffman team who lost to state finalist Wayne in a shootout . Marcinick [Yale} was the go to guy , but with CJ , Granlund and Rankin , that was as good and versatile a receiving corp. as Coffman has had , although 2007 might say something about that .

Yes Phelan and Carpenter were competitors and great program guys , I think Carpenter was about 120 pounds as a Soph . but as you said was a late bloomer and had a great career at Otterbein . 2007 team had more talent with the 5 D-1 Seniors but the 2009 team was something special in their own right for sure .
 
Harry, has Coffman found an opponent for week one? They need to take whoever they can to fill that date, 1 year or 2 year even if it's on the road. They already have 6 Home Dates, it's really late. jmo

Also Coffman had a really good year as far as sports teams. Girls Soccer, Girls and Boys basketball were solid, Wrestling the best in central Ohio and will be even better next year and we can't forget about the girls swimming team.

Too bad about the winter sports cutting short and spring sports being left in limbo. It will be very interesting to see who Coffman hires to replace the HOF legend Coach Saunders.

Question, how many winter and spring sport athletes at Coffman play Football?
 
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I don't know the week one opponent , it seems that they may have to go out of state . I think the 6 home games already schedule on arbiter may be wrong. I am thinking the Davidson game may be on the road again . this has happened a couple times in the past when there has been re-alignment . Picking up Elder for week three was excellent . I help but think that the season may not start on time as this thing escalates . College football is starting to brace for a possible shutdown. We got a really late start on this virus and preparing and things will get worse from here . An abbreviated season is better than no season, but if there is a second outbreak in the fall as some have suggested could happen .

Hoping for the best but not ignoring the possibilities and potential dynamics. I hope this eventually can be labeled a foolhardy worry . Coffman in terms of an overall athletic program has been excellent for quite some time as most know . There has been some periodic hiccups at times but overall? Excellence. Lately the coaching turnover in some sports has been an obstacle . Coach Saunders will be a tough guy to replace no question . Before Jerome opened he had it rolling , but with the talent cut in half then the explosion of Lacrosse in their community and in Ohio in general took more athletes away. Potential baseball players . Don't know the exact numbers but there are lacrosse players that play football and some baseball players as well . Coach Crabtree has gotten more guys to go to the track team the last few years who aren't playing another sport. The increased numbers resulted in kids getting cut from Track for the first time at Coffman last year and would have been this year .
 
In this most challenging off-season there is a lot of talk about binge watching shows and docs. Sports viewing is past games and historical nuggets that can be very entertaining. I was thinking of doing an All time Coffman team from the time I have been watching . I don't think I will do just a list of players as in one per position but many posts of position groups . At the pro level it's pretty cut and dried when making an all time list of a certain decade list. It's al about their performance on the field against their peers. When making a HS or even a college list it's a little trickier because you get influenced by how they ended up doing at the NEXT level of competition .


Sometimes the better HS players are ones whose potential doesn't translate as much to the next level . Measurables and having more long term potential paly a lot into who plays at what level in college . On my HS team for instance , the best most productive, tough effective players up front weren't necessarily the ones with the most College potential . We had two legit multiple D-1 offers kids up front , but there were two others who would play at the D-2 level that were just as effective at the HS level . The D-1 kids who would become very good college players { BC and Duke} and got themselves into NFL camps { Both survived the first few cuts and one made it to the last weekend of camp} were 6-2 and 6-4 , whereas the other kids were 5-11 and 6-0 with less room to grow.

If I was filling out a decade team at my school , one of the D-1 kids wouldn't be on it despite being a better player down the road . Coffman has had multiple guys get to the NFL and stay there for a bit . Some got to camps , some got into a couple games and were on practice squads . Some of these guys I haven't seen play in person in HS .

It's hard to make definitive judgments when you factor in different era's schemes, talent around them , and other factors that go into a players production. Saw a stupid poll that named Michael Jordan the greatest college basketball player ever. Ahh no he was not . there were more accomplished guys who were more productive who were more dominant in college . Jordan was held back by the Carolina system and the presence of other great players so his numbers wouldn't be as high , but Jordan while a great college player was not one of the most dominant of all time .

Some HS players are great but their numbers are MEH not because they aren't very talented but rather they share the wealth with other talented teammates. The scheme doesn't fit their skill set and they shine more at the college level. may be . Anyway I will start with Running backs and talk about a handful of the best I have seen . Some of the best weren't the highly recruited kids but were very productive durable and just got the job done .


In any conversation about Coffman legends at the running backs has to start with Vince Workman and Nick Goings , two guys who played at the NFL level for a handful of years. They are a decade apart in age as Workman played in the early- mid 80's and Goings in the mid 90's .

The types of numbers that these guys put up won't be seen again due to the game itself being more pass oriented and coaches wouldn't put this type of workload on any one player most likely. I was kind of chided when I mentioned that current RB Bryon Threats was becoming a Coffman 'Legend" because he and his team hadn't gone far enough and he didn't compare to these guys blah blah . Being remembered and being talked about after your gone and legendary in a program is more than numbers and even ability of course and Threats is certainly on his way from a production standpoint but as a person and competitor he is certainly there and his increasing number of offers and more attention from colleges . His final numbers will not come close to these guys of course . Some kids I will mention have gaudy stats , some less so .

Workman started three years at Dublin High { Coffman} 92-94 carrying the ball 561 times for 4070 yards { 7 yards a pop} and 68 Td's. two different times he scored 6 times in a game. Started three years at Ohio State and was a captain . Drafted fifth round and played 8 NFL seasons most in GB where he was drafted . Strength coach in the NFL . Coffman legends discussions always include him of course. Fun facts , Workman started at RB in Brett Favre's first start in GB , and he has the GB record of most catches in a game for a RB with 12.


Goings graduated from Scioto attending that school his Senior year the first year the school was open , and the Irish won a D-2 state title in their maiden season. Scioto is again D-2 at the present time{ for a few years now } after being in D-1 for a long stretch. Goings played at Coffman his first two varsity seasons. Nick gained a career total 5785 yards with 82 Td's . His Senior season he was a beast . 2500 yards with a whopping 38 TD's . After leading Scioto to the title, he was also MVP in both the Ohio North South game and the Big 33 game with PA. Started career at OSU but quickly transferred to Pitt where he flourished. Undrafted he was the UDFA to make the Carolina Panthers in 2001. Came into his own in 2003 starting at RB and had 5 100 yard rushing games . Has the Panther record of 36 carries in a game . While ne never approached his 2003 numbers , he was a special teams demon. Captain of the Panthers special teams his last few years in Carolina . Played until 2009 . Finished his career with 2765 all purpose yards 9 Td's and 53 Special teams tackles . Fun facts. He was named to Daryl 'Moose " Johnston's 'All Lunch Pail team " in 2004. He was also named to the first team on the All Time team at This Weeks News" the leading Central Ohio publication covering HS sports.

The conversations about all time Running backs legends at Coffman{ Dublin football } starts and ends with these guys . I will now start talking about guys I have seen play.

Speaking of durability and production, Dre Kendrick - [ 2013- 2014} was a true workhorse. Dre was an undersized back at 5-7 about 165 his Junior year and may be closer to 180? his Senior year. He is second only to Workman in career carries with 533. He carried 277 times in 12 games his Junior year a Coffman record. Gabe Mannella is second with 255 carries he was the main Back on the 2001 state semi final team with Brady Quinn at QB. Kendrick was a hard worker who never thought would be what he became seeing him Frosh and Soph year.

Second in career yards with 3318 and second all time in yards in a season with 1645 in 12 games in 2014 . Workman of course has the records in these categories. Kendrick went to Ashland but his career never took hold there. He was part of an explosive offense in 2014 that had Jr .Gunnar Hoak at QB{ Kentucky , OSU back-up } putting up big numbers in the pass game as well . That 2014 team got a bad draw getting Wayne in the second round { Was upset by Centerville in the rain dropping their seed} but anyone who played them including Wayne would attest they were semi final type talent and gave Wayne all they could handle missing getting a first down by inches late down a TD . Touchdown back and forth game and Kendrick was a big part of it , ripping off some big runs as the Rocks went down by a few scores giving up big plays to Ahmed Wagner after taking a TD lead early third quarter .[Wayne would go on to lose to ST Ed's in the final } Kendrick ran bigger than he was , was tough durable and productive . good balance , good not great straight away speed , but had nice moves and was a tough guy to get a big shot on . great competitor . Kids should try to emulate that kind of durability and toughness .

Another under sized RB who was one of my favorites was Bilal Williamson , 2010- 2012} The last of the Williamson's graduates this year WR Jameel is heading to Akron . Bilal was the second Williamson to play at Coffman { Terrell was the first} and he was a good one. 5-8 and a stockier 185 with good strength and shiftiness . Ran well in traffic but was looking to get outside and shake and bake a bit. Was the starting RB as a Sophomore when the Senior starter got dinged, but truth be told was going to split the carries anyway as his talent was too good not to play at that time . Had a nice Soph year and his Junior year was hampered by injury but when he was on the field he was very effective and was missed when out of the line-up. Had a big senior season in 2012 with 1407 yards and 24 TD'S. 2012 team was legit . Really good team with a D-1 level QB [James Walsh an Ohio recruit who got a late Boston College offer but never played there, Ohio was the better football fit} a nice stable of receivers and a good defense.

Was 9-0 heading into the last game vs a decent UA team , having pretty much beaten up everyone along the way, but may be peaked early as they were [field was wet as well Liberty had grass then } sloppy in a win vs. Liberty and a disaster of a game vs UA losing 23-14 with a whopping SIX turnovers and had a kick off they couldn't recover as well . [wet night as well } After dominating Davidson 33-10 with a huge yardage edge, in the regular season they lost 17-14 in the first round again losing the turnover battle 4-0 with Davidson getting three short fields accounting for all their points . That team had final four potential and Bilal was a big part of it. Pick North won the region and the consensus was these were the two best teams in the region all year. PN lost in a close one to Moeller ending the game deep in Moe territory down less than a TD} PN easily defeated Davidson in the final , Coffman and PN scrimmaged that year and it was great competition and very competitive . May be as bad a loss as Coffman has had in the play-offs considering it was to their rival after beating them easily in the regular season and playing such a poor game { 11 Turnovers the last 2 weeks of their season. } Rough ending but it was a fun team to watch and Williamson was a huge part of it. Went to Western Kentucky a 1-AA school .

To be continued .
 
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A beautiful morning with sun forecasted all day and warmer temps later on a couple days after it was brisk and windy and I wore a hat and two layers . Today for the afternoon outing with dog in tow will be one layer and may be a ball cap to cover my approaching Woodstock length hair{ OK a bit much but it's getting bad , overdue before shut down} .

As I opined a couple weeks ago that may be the Fall season may be delayed? There is talk of this and it makes sense , more sense than starting earlier to guard against a potential fall second wave . The fluidity of this virus is such that just hearing talk from a couple week sago seems like it was 2 months ago . Things move that fast. Unfortunately we lost a chance to contain the virus and being so slow on taking the extreme measures we needed to this will drag on longer than it should have .

Speaking of a couple weeks ago , was listening to a Bill Simmons podcast with Malcolm Gladwell and he obviously is a very smart and astute and he had the right perspective. Unarguable facts have us in this position and the early intervention period ship has sailed and we need to figure out how to coordinate resources to best attack the pandemic. Easier said than done of course as we just try to go day to day and be smart and safe.

Gladwell has the 10,000 hour theory that says , you need 10,000 hours of focused practice and honing your craft in order to master it . To get towards a more professional level in whatever field you are in . When you think about , it makes sense in athletics . Professional athletes get on a path at about the age of say 16 and it's the strength and agility training say coupled with playing the games , practice hours, reps, study of film and focused practice of your skills . You need time to garner the experience in business as well in whatever field. You learn you see things that occur frequently and learn how to deal with it better.

There is no substitute for experience time and reps. No one is a natural , no one masters anything in a short amount of time . Some people master things more quickly than others , and some have more natural ability, , but to get to a high of expertise or accomplishment you need to do the work and focus on getting better for a certain amount of time .

You see how the process works in whatever field you are in as you go from a wet behind the ears twenty something to a effective knowledgeable professional . It's a process of years of work , thoughts, strategy's and trials and errors that allows growth and expertise to occur. Learning to be able to be consistent in your performance is a process that takes TIME , effort and focus. Consistency is a hallmark of a professional in any field. To achieve consistency there is only one way to arrive to this. Time, work and effort.

One of my favorite sequences of one of my all time favorite shows ' Mad Men " was when Don Draper was amazed at how quickly his wife was picking up things in the creative process , and how great she could be at it when she was pausing at further pursuit to get back to her passion which was acting. Draper a great idea guy who saw things others didn't simply said to her, " Do you know how long it took me to learn how to 'Think" like this ? What he was saying was it took me a certain amount of time to develop the instincts necessary to achieve a level of professionalism and the thought processes that were developed over time and reps and seeing things more clearly that the process made sense in a way that produced quality work . Be it advertising , science , Corporate Business , finance etc.


Mentors can teach you , help you , but in the end it's up to you to focus and put in the hours in order to attain a level of excellence. A consistency that will define you as a professional or someone who has gotten closer to mastering your craft. Some curious people have asked me how long it took to get to the point where I felt I was at a Professional level of handicapping sports. Anyone can have a good week or a good month in any exercise , but it's the consistency that sets you apart. It takes years , about 4-5 years you are closer to be being a professional , but its what you learn after you think you have it down that gets you to the next level . Your able to see situations more clearly, patterns and you learn what works best for you, number of games, which sports to pare down to , being able to recognize opportunity's and value. You see things and adjust. Money management becomes more disciplined , you handle your emotions better . Anyone who is invested in the stock market knows how emotions can alter judgment. being able to handle down periods better , losses and how to better maximize profits in good times .

Coffman football has been consistent in it's performance over the last almost 20 years . No question you can argue that there should have bene some deeper runs and more play-off wins and there has been some teams in that span that had the talent to paly with anyone in the state and have never been to a state final or won it . Valid . But the consistency has been excellent. Things have been put in place , a plan of action and a level of continuity has been present in the coaching staff that has produced a level of excellence while not what some may judge 'Ultimate" excellence as in winning it all , but excellence just the same .

Excellence can be measured in the type of people who are produced and developed in the program. What the players and other coaches who leave the program get out of it and how they are prepared for the future. Academics, accountability , dedication, and focusing on constant improvement and embracing he process of attaining that consistency which leads to excellence and achievement. For me in terms of handicapping , consistency means be able to reliably get near or over 55-56 percent which I have done for a time now. Developing skills , acumen , having a plan or system and sticking to it . Took YEARS many hours of dedicated focus study and reps.

This is what successful football programs are able to do . Kids get progressively better over time, stronger, more confident, develop skills and become more consistent in their preparation and are eager to keep moving towards getting better. The mind set that says if you are staying the same you are getting worse. Not going forward, ? You are going backward . Getting better and going forward during this time is extremely difficult and how programs and people in general handle this will set them apart from their competitors, it is a tremendous challenge.


Adversity and extreme adversity will tell you more about yourself than winning and success will . Don't let what you can't do affect what you CAN do . I think what we have learned a lot about about lately , is how important being focused PREPARED , being accountable and taking responsibility is .


Next Coffman Running back I will discuss briefly in a bit is Shaun 'Scooby" Jones . [ 2007-2009}
 
Speaking of 2009 , found the you tube recording of the Davidson and Westerville South game which was a instant classic. First game of he year so the play was a bit choppy at times even for the Davidson machine but a great game. They had played on the SATURDAY AT 3.30 with Upper Arlington drawing the short straw by getting to play the nations number one team St Thomas Aquinas of Florida at Noon before this game. [UA got crushed 52-17 it was a 5-5 UA team } Westerville South had a real nice team and was banged up as the announcers made a point of with a few guys out including their QB 1 Jon Jennings . Davidson was rolling at 21-7 and then lost momentum, had a turnover and suddenly it was a ballgame with The Ibbbies going for two to win it . Jake Trubiano the starting QB broke up the slant intended for Jack Tomlinson { A MAC recruit} to seal the deal . Trubiano atoned for getting beat on a jump ball to Tomlinson in the end zone a play before .

Davidson was led by strongman Sr.Spencer Delande , Sr. Trubiano , and Juniors Alex Mickley and Rico Butler. heckuva of a backfield of diverse talent and some speed. Good O-line , solid defense . Butler sadly passed away having drowned in the Summer before his Senior year . Mickley would be the go to guy the next year . Jayshon Jackson was a stud in this game and made me remember how good he was. South had athletes all over the field and this was a state champion Davidson team who only lost to Coffman 10-7 with their backfield decimated . They were healthy everywhere else , but their QB and top two backs were out sick . South and Coffman who unfortunately had caught their injury bug late played another instant classic in the second round with Coffman holding on 21-19 [ Intentional safety after making a goal line stand stopping Jackson on the one foot line in the last minute up 21-17 }. Jackson was great in this one as well . Davidson handled Coffman the next week to win the regional .

Coffman played the next day at the Shoe dismantling Liberty which you can also find on You Tube . Pick Central played right after them vs Orange Lutheran of California and won 28-14 . I remember talking with some PC fans who were arriving at about halftime of the Coffman Liberty game and talking about the scrimmage vs. the Rocks . PC was 9-1 that year beating PN 14-12 in round one of the play-offs before losing to Davidson 17-7 in round two. Tigers lost to Lancaster that year down there and I remember o the old huddle the tiger faithful were up in arms over several questionable calls vs their Tigers . Good times.


Coffman Rb Shaun Jones you can see in that Liberty game and I will get back to shortly.
 
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