Backyard Battle Alter vs Fairmont

Who wins?

  • Alter

    Votes: 10 29.4%
  • Fairmont

    Votes: 24 70.6%

  • Total voters
    34
  • Poll closed .
Coach Miller has too much talent to run this triple option BS. 6-4 for Fairmont again. Fairmont needs a new coach.
You can’t be serious. Fairmont Football is the best it’s been since the Robertson days. Miller brought old school toughness back. Average to above average at best kids who play hard and that gives them a chance every week. That score tonight should be +3 TDs for the birds if they didn’t turn the ball over.
 
Fairmont’s defense looks solid. Their offense better fix the fumbles. If they get the offense rolling like they did in the second half they can beat a lot of teams. That alter qb is only going to get better and he is already pretty damn good. They look to be in good hands.
 
Birds thumped Alter 31-7. Alter looks down again - I wonder if it is time to have Domsitz finally retire?
Down again?????? Give me break. 22 years straight in playoffs. Good teams, average teams, great teams. Domsitz gets them to the playoffs.. This year will be a challenge they are so young and green. Only 6 seniors and a not all start. Showed some flashes, but Firebirds to big and experienced 20 seniors. Hope the birds kick butt this year. Alter has some skill players that will pay dividends by end of year. It is going to be a bumpy ride.
 
Coach Miller has too much talent to run this triple option BS. 6-4 for Fairmont again. Fairmont needs a new coach.
Dumb comment. Go back to Fairmont when they tried to be cute and throw the ball. They were always 2-8 or 3-7. They have tough kids who want to run the ball and win games. They do not have kids who can throw the ball. Miller is the perfect coach for this team. Wake up.
 
I'm going to go with this was an outstanding Week 1 win for Fairmont. Alter will always improve as the season goes on, but they clearly have a lot of work to do.
 
Posted this elsewhere, but for what it is worth...a quick review of the Firebirds and Knights. The Sophomore Quarterback Gavin Connor has a strong arm is mobile and is a nice athlete. I suspect as his career goes on he will be a good player. These teams combined for 6 turnovers in the first half. The score was 0-0 with 8 seconds to go in the half when Fairmont blocked an Alter FG attempt and returned it 72 yards for a td. Play was a game changer. Alter does not show much in the way of a dynamic runner and they were worn down by a lack of a running game. 27 carries for about 30 yards by my unofficial count. They threw the entire second half after an opening drive fg and a Drew Baker 74-yard run made it 17-0 Fairmont early in the third. I had Baker for just over 200 yards rushing for the game. I thought Alter's linebackers were solid but the line was overmatched and fatigued over the course of the game. Alter are still well coached and will win their share of games. Just not as big a share as normal as they may not be able to grind things out on the ground. Connor will produce some passing success, which is fine stat wise, but does not win HS football games with consistency in my opinion. As he matures as a runner, they will get better. I see them winning more or less half of their games this season. Fairmont will not win in the GWOC with 3 first half turnovers....but they are also well coached and I love Dave Miller's run first approach. They missed a wide open long pass down the middle in the first half as well as fumbling on the Alter 1-yard line or this game could have been won by a wider margin. They will need to diversify their running game as well. Baker ( I will guess by style and substance he had a brother who was a ice back a few years ago) can carry the load against some teams, but will need a spell and they will need additional threat for them to contend in the GWOC and move deeply in the playoffs.
 
I was able to make it to see the game last night. Absolutely perfect night for football. Awesome crowd for both teams and a great opening night.

My margin of victory prediction was spot on. I had Fairmont by 25 and they won by 24. However, my prediction on how Fairmont would play could not have been worse. They had 3 turnovers in the second quarter. Very sloppy game for an experienced Dave Miller team to play. Fairmont was by far the better team and I would say Alter was lucky to not get running clocked. Baker had 29 carries for 205 yards and 2 TD's.

FAIRMONT - Will be tough for anyone to play. Springfield will probably be the only team to blow them out. The Miller style is not a highly entertaining style to watch, but it is very effective. I also think it is a good style for Fairmont. I agree about the playoff success, but Fairmont should be very happy with the results he has produced. First year he was 1-9. Throw that out has he was changing the culture. Next 5 years they are 28-24 with 4 playoff appearance. That will get skewed now that just about every d one team will make the playoffs. Before Miller, Fairmont had bben to the playoffs once in their history. And that was because Alter had to forfeit the opening game. 28-20 in the regular season since, and a much improved out of conference schedule. Last year it was Trotwood and CJ and this year it is Trotwood and LaSalle. I love what he has done there. Again, it is not fun to watch, but gives them the best chance to win and compete week in and week out.

ALTER - They are not what they have been. A little on the smaller side and very unusual for them to have only 15-17 juniors and seniors in the whole program. Last years seniors must have run a few kids off. Freshmen numbers seemed great and a lot freshmen played last night. They will be competing for a regional title when the QB is a senior. I do not feel they play with the same discipline as they did 5 years ago. Could be Ed or it could be the staff. The won their two state championships with a great offensive line coach that they got rid of a few years after that. I always thought he was important to allow Domsitz to run the wishbone effectively. Their line play has not been as great since. Defense last night had a great game plan and played awesome in the first half. They will be good against the rest of the schedule except Badin. Will need to be creative on offense against Badin and the playoff teams to score enough to win.
 
Fumbles have always been a problem with fairmont. You run or pitch the ball every play it’s going to happen. When it does you better hope the defense holds the team. I think the big problem most people have with Miller’s offense is the total lack of passing. What he does works but if he would throw the ball maybe once on a drive down the field it would keep the defense honest. Two passes a game is kind of ridiculous. I don’t think Springfield blows them out I’m hearing that young oline at SHS is not very good. Fairmont may have the top defense in the GWOC they may have their way with that oline.
 
Fumbles have always been a problem with fairmont. You run or pitch the ball every play it’s going to happen. When it does you better hope the defense holds the team. I think the big problem most people have with Miller’s offense is the total lack of passing. What he does works but if he would throw the ball maybe once on a drive down the field it would keep the defense honest. Two passes a game is kind of ridiculous. I don’t think Springfield blows them out I’m hearing that young oline at SHS is not very good. Fairmont may have the top defense in the GWOC they may have their way with that oline.
I love what Coach Miller has done at Fairmont. They will always be in games with their ground game and tough defense. And I would attribute the three early fumbles to first game, first half jitters. They may not fumble three times the rest of the year! Just kidding, but you get my point. I completely agree, and have said for years, that they need to throw the ball just a bit more to keep the defense honest. Alter began shooting the gaps in the second quarter and it was effective until Fairmont just wore them down in the second half. To win the GWOC and go anywhere in the playoffs, now and in the future, Fairmont will have to be able to throw the ball effectively even if still a small part of their game plan.
I think Alter will be fine. Love the young QB’s arm. With such a young team they may not go far this year, but I could see them right back into strong playoff contention next year.
 
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