Week 12 #9 8-3 Poland Seminary at #1 11-0 West Branch

Who will win

  • Poland by 14+

    Votes: 5 7.8%

  • Poland by 8-13

    Votes: 9 14.1%

  • Poland by 1-7

    Votes: 14 21.9%

  • West Branch by 1-7

    Votes: 10 15.6%

  • West Branch by 8-13

    Votes: 16 25.0%

  • West Branch 14+

    Votes: 10 15.6%
  • Total voters
    64
  • Poll closed .
It is impossible for anyone to compare leagues and schedules. Poland played 3 really great teams and went 0-3 against them early in the season/ They went 7-0 in the remainder of their games and took care of business and made the playoffs, great coaching to keep kids playing hard. Fairless is a good football team and they beat them handily, no one has been talking about that. West Branch is actually a very young team and had to replace a lot of kids lost to graduation, including a great quarterback, not many people saw them scoring over 50 ppg an going 10-0. Their 1000 yard running back never played the position before. EBC fans did not expect WB to win the league- great coaching! They did not play overly well in 2 games but still found a way to win. Both teams are well coached, have dedicated kids and rich traditions- both have state championships in the 90s. To me this is just a classic match up between 2 great traditions and 2 great schools. I guarantee Poland will have more than the 51 fans CVCA brought last Friday and the place will be rocking. I really don’t care what league is better because a bunch of teenagers on both teams overcame adversity and get to play in week 12. Good luck to both teams! With that being said WB has the best high school offense I have seen in a long time and can get physical and run the ball as well as pass. I look for WB to get the W.
 
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Buckeye Elite said:
You can’t say poland has played a better schedule, if you do that then that means you’re saying WB is bad. It’s okay to not play as hard a schedule and still be very good. No need to take offense to it, kirtland doesn’t play a very hard schedule but they still roll in the playoffs. Saying Poland plays a harder schedule isn’t a shot at them, just think Poland schedules a team that WB wanted kicked out of their conference because they were winning too much
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I wish Louisville was still in the conference. They were middle of the pack the last 2 years they were in it.
 
The last common opponents before howland were Ursuline last year in the playoffs in back to back weeks and Salem last year:
Ursuline 35
Poland. 7

Ursuline 38
West Branch 31

West Branch 44
Salem. 20

Poland 24
Salem 21

I know NE8 fans will have some sort of justification but those are the facts..
 
NBC 1988 said:
The last common opponents before howland were Ursuline last year in the playoffs in back to back weeks and Salem last year:
Ursuline 35
Poland. 7

Ursuline 38
West Branch 31

West Branch 44
Salem. 20

Poland 24
Salem 21

I know NE8 fans will have some sort of justification but those are the facts..
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This is also a WB team just as good as last year's and a worse Poland team
 
I think WB would be considered alot like SR. We didn't fare well the last 2 years against SR. The dogs will have to control the game with the run.
 
ShootNation said:
This is also a WB team just as good as last year's and a worse Poland team
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I wouldn't say this is a worse Poland team.. seems like they're clicking right now. I get referring to the common opponents, but that was last year and a different Poland coaching staff- that has to be factored in. If WB gets an early lead its all but over, if its a close game I think Poland wins it.
 
The key of the game will be if Poland can slow down WB. Nobody, I mean nobody has stopped them yet. Howland played the best defensive game allowing 37 points. If Poland can keep them under 30 they have a chance
 
I see WB like when Girard had Waid at QB for their playoff run. All pretty much high scoring affairs til the final. WB will score. Can Poland keep up? Maybe last team to score wins.
 
33Y0 said:
I wouldn't say this is a worse Poland team.. seems like they're clicking right now. I get referring to the common opponents, but that was last year and a different Poland coaching staff- that has to be factored in. If WB gets an early lead its all but over, if its a close game I think Poland wins it.
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I agree, comparing leagues and common opponents is fun to have friendly arguments over though.
 
ICBM said:
I see WB like when Girard had Waid at QB for their playoff run. All pretty much high scoring affairs til the final. WB will score. Can Poland keep up? Maybe last team to score wins.
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True. But Girard didn't make their run until Waid was a senior, when he was nearly unstoppable. The WB kid is very good, but still a junior. A lot of first year starters on WB. Nothing wrong with that either. They've done a tremendous job reloading from last season. Poland's skill on the other hand, are mostly seniors. This is it for them. Most of those kids including the QB went to the semis their sophomore year. That may also play a role in this one.
 
I'd really like to see WB win this game, there having there first dream season in many years. However if this is a normal Poland team there very large and physical and WB hasn't faced a team this large. As much as I would like WB to pull it out my thought is Poland by 8+ that being said GO Warriors.
 
I don't know much about either team this year, other than that WB can score by the bushel having seen them briefly against Canton South, but going to take Poland in the upset.
 
Dfoxfan37 said:
Deshields is really really good, but he’s not the best QB in the area. Shannon & Lowry are both better, and Sherwood may want into this argument as well.
thelastword said:
I'm sorry but if Deshields is only the third best quarterback in the EBC I'm taking Poland by two scores.
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The EBC has some very good quarterbacks. Zurbrugg from Alliance is sophomore and a great athlete, his dad was a starting QB at Michigan and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Snyder from South started as a freshman and had a very good sophomore year this year. Johnson from Salem is a junior and a great athlete. Evanich from Marlington suffered a bad leg injury last year had to miss basketball and basesball but came back this year and had strong year on a below average team. He is about 6'5" and can sling it. He is very good athlete, great basketball and baseball player. All around Johnson is probably faster and may have a stonger arm than DeShiels and Poochie Snyder is probably right with DeShields. DeShields is definitely no slouch and runs WBs offense to near perfection and is a damn good athlete. I watched all of these kids as an opposing fan and they can all play. Unless you have seen these kids you probably schould't comment.
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thelastword said:
I'm sorry but if Deshields is only the third best quarterback in the EBC I'm taking Poland by two scores.
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Sorry but he is the best of the bunch in the EBC. There are some really good QBs in the EBC but the kid passed for 2900 yards so far this year and ran for around 800. I was at CVCA game and he was 23-33 for 296 and WB had about 5 or 6 drops. And they don't run a little kids offense, it is very sophistocated. If they are clicking I really don't now how Poland can stop them. Their scheme is ridiculous and really hard to stop. If you rush 4 he will have all day and pick you apart and if you blitz he will get out of the pocket and kill you. if the linebackers start vacating the box either 210 lb Marra or DeShields will get chunk plays in the run game. I was very impressed by Poland when I watched them against South Range on TV. if they can get a couple of stops in a row and keep WB in the 20s at the half they will have a shot. I really like the QB for Poland - he is a next leverl player and game changer! This is going to be a helluva game. If I had to pick I would pick WB because their offense is so impressive and I think they will outscore Poland. The only one that I have seen live and locally as good as DeShields was Hillyer from WB last year when DeShields was one of his main targets.
 
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MINFAN said:
Sorry but he is the best of the bunch in the EBC. There are some really good QBs in the EBC but the kid passed for 2900 yards so far this year and ran for around 800. I was at CVCA game and he was 23-33 for 296 and WB had about 5 or 6 drops. And they don't run a little kids offense, it is very sophistocated. If they are clicking I really don't now how Poland can stop them. Their scheme is ridiculous and really hard to stop. If you rush 4 he will have all day and pick you apart and if you blitz he will get out of the pocket and kill you. if the linebackers start vacating the box either 210 lb Marra or DeShields will get chunk plays in the run game. I was very impressed by Poland when I watched them against South Range on TV. if they can get a couple of stops in a row and keep WB in the 20s at the half they will have a shot. I really like the QB for Poland - he is a next leverl player and game changer! This is going to be a helluva game. If I had to pick I would pick WB because their offense is so impressive and I think they will outscore Poland. The only one that I have seen live and locally as good as DeShields was Hillyer from WB last year when DeShields was one of his main targets.
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I think deshields and Johnson are neck and neck watching them only a couple times a piece
 
Buckeye Elite said:
I think deshields and Johnson are neck and neck watching them only a couple times a piece
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Johnson is a stud and has the ability to keep Salem close against Ursuline, just like he did against WB. All of of the kids that "NBC" mentioned are good football players. If fact, look out for Zurbrugg the next 2 years. He is going go be really good and don't be surprised if Alliance is the top dog in the EBC next year, they have a lot of athletes and a good young coach. They played a lot of sophomores and freshmen this year and were competitive for the most part. I put DeShields at the top of the heap because he operates very well in a pretty difficult offense, he checks down to the 3rd or 4th options and most high school QBs can barely get to the 2nd option. That is what is so frustrating for opponents, you think you have them defended and he works through his progressions and finds the open man, often times while on the move. Of course when Johnson is on the move he just tucks it and takes it to the house.

The QB Poland is fullback playing QB - he is a man!
 
ShootNation said:
Right, and that is more of a comment on the incredible QB depth in the EBC than it is the skill of Deshields
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Deshields is doing a nice job, no doubt but I’m going to give a little love where it’s due. He blessed with some of the best receivers in the area and that includes Marra. Odd thing is WB’s 6’5 back up Qb is actually a better passer and would be the starter as a sophomore at many other schools.
 
warrior333 said:
Deshields is doing a nice job, no doubt but I’m going to give a little love where it’s due. He blessed with some of the best receivers in the area and that includes Marra. Odd thing is WB’s 6’5 back up Qb is actually a better passer and would be the starter as a sophomore at many other schools.
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will he be playing WR some next year?
 
Alliance1 said:
will he be playing WR some next year?
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He does now some , but they tend to slide line him a lot in case Deshields goes down. There was conversation of leaving Deshields at receiver this year and having a 3 year starter at Qb. Personally I liked that idea giving the sophomores talent Gives you a extra weapon on the feild.
 
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