A lot of optimism coming out of a faction of Rock nation if you will [always thought that phrase a bit corny , but it's apt I suppose} and I think that's a good thing. Some excitement and higher expectations than may be some had just a few short months ago .
There is a new energy of course and a new way of doing things that can be a good thing after a couple decades , even if the previous two decades were successful overall. When handicapping either individual games or future win totals, I look for patterns . Parallel situations that can help more accurately predict what may happen presently. Life and history often repeats itself.
Stokes came in at Minster and said that these kids were undertrained or didn't know how to work I was told by a Minster source. He said the same thing about the Coffman kids. He didn't just mean undertrained physically .{ Many Coffman kids trained really hard and improved in the few years they were in the program in that vane} He meant mentally as well . need to become better teammates , be less selfish. New coaches have a different way and they know the kids hadn't gone through his type of leadership and that it will take time to 'Train " the players in his program image if you will.
That is something that all teams should be mindful of and try to eradicate it as quickly as possible.[Selfishness} It's a constant process. Stokes high level leadership concepts are something that I and others out here have seen up close in our work and personally. He is a great mix of an old school leader with more new concepts in leadership that are more geared towards the individuals you are leading take ownership of their own progress. It isn't all about the leader himself ,but all the 'people " in the organization.
Stokes first year at Minster , he is on record as saying that his predecessor might have gotten more out his first team as the kids simply hadn't adapted yet to his 'style". He noted that they had more talent than the 6-4 record would suggest but his kids hadn't quite grasped things yet and that it was going to take more time. Coffman doesn't have the same talent it has in the previous years.
They are adjusting to the new staff and the new way of doing things. This was going to be a rebuilding year no matter who was coaching . This year more than any other in the last 20 is more of a mystery as to how the team will do than any I can remember. After the 2003 season in which they went to the regional final losing to district rival Scioto { Was D-1 for a few years when there was only two Dublin HS's } Jerome opened . 2004 you could see a rebuild coming but they had their coach in place for 3 full seasons and there was enough talent left to know they weren't going to fall off of a cliff .
So, the first two years after the split the record was 13-7 in the regular season and the missed the play-offs one-year and lost in round one the other year. A great 2008 class got things back on track with multiple play-off wins the next two years including a narrow loss to number 4 in the country ST X [15-0 } in the Semi in 2007.
2013 was a year where they had 5 starters back total . Rebuild. BUT they had a really good Junior class who led a really strong 2014 team . This year is similar in terms of kids back but without the same level Junior class . This team has zero O-line starters back. Zero secondary players back . That team was in a similar place because the one returning O-lineman actually was hurt early in the season as the team got off to a 1-3 start. They ended up winning 6 in a row which was needed to make the play-offs where they won their first-round game vs Centerville. A team that had handled them pretty well in a scrimmage . I thought 7-3 was reasonable that season . This year with a new coaching staff and not the same level of talent in the Junior class I can't see 7-3 .
Scrimmages can tell a story. Not the whole story of course but we should get a better idea aftr them . I know the team will be in condition. I know they will be well coached. I know they will play hard . The X-Factor early is the Indiana team that I haven't really looked at closely yet. I know they have a good program. Not great . But have been very good some years and others more average.
Home opener vs Turpin should be a win . Northmont ? Jerome ? and Groveport Mad ? follow. Jerome has more back and their kids have beaten the Coffman kids at the younger levels pretty consistently . GPM I would need to hear some feedback from scrimmages but they have talent . Northmont loses their move in one-year stud QB [Mom moved from Florida for a few months so he could go to Northmont and play more than 5 games} but has some speed back and a D-1 receiver? Do they have a homegrown back-up or another kid from the countryside coming in to sling it ? Their defense was suspect last year . Will it be better this year ?
Liberty ? Home} New QB , lose a lot of their starters as well .O-Line culture is strong with a stud coming back and they have had size most every year along with being very well coached. Not special talent but some solid athletes who are also well coached and make you beat them . They won't beat themselves or be out of position. Edge Liberty with the coaching continuity? O-line advanatge?
At Orange . New QB, has more back , been pretty solid each year and the Olentangy's in general have been really solid . May be Kramer who is more a Berlin guy ,can give us a nugget or two to chew on where the OCC-Central Olentangy's are concerned. We know the Braves face a large rebuild.
At Davidson . Is there a bigger revenge motive in the league this year than there will be in that game? Davidson got beaten by the other Central foes as well [Liberty {45-7 and UA{35-0} crushed them as well} but their chief rival beat them 49-0 and it was every bit of that score in terms of the stats. Wasn't turnover filled and weird bounces . Just a total butt kicking. Davidson has two very good running backs back. Their QB, , more players than Coffman has. They did improve a bit in their play-off loss to Pick North losing by only 13 . They played two more games after that beating Grove City and losing to Canal Winchester but the point was they played their kids who will be starting or battling for starting roles this year giving them more snaps and experience . Coffman after losing in round three did not play any more games the last two weeks .
They should have played the younger kids in a couple games to help them . Seniors may not have had it in their hearts to play after the tough loss , but the kids coming back should have been given a chance to play a game or two after that loss . Just my opinion.
UA? Clear favorite over the Rocks . At Bradley . This one will be interesting. Jags have more guys back , need a new QB but they have a Soph who looks really good{ 6-3 180} . But they have Mayfield back , A couple Linebackers and a promising Soph Wr. and former Dublin Kid {Karrer} Preston Wolfe who will be a good one. A lot can happen from now till then of course. I'm reasonably confident that the Rocks can win some games , but I am not picturing 7+ as it has been for two decades now. {averaged 8 }