cuyahogacuse
Active member
Spot on prediction here. Best season in 42 years ends in a first round blowout loss at home. Ouch.
PAC - 7 Football
- Thread starter sheldoncooper
- Start date
the123kidz
Well-known member
Those players for Fairless deserve better. Everyone will agree that they had exceptional talent this year. There have been previous Fairless teams that may have had a few more losses but we're probably better teams. That Nick Shepherd lead group was pretty tough a few years ago. When I saw how bad the 2018 and 2019 teams for Fairless ended up playing I knew that the Tressel clone was going to struggle as a coach. Those teams were way better than they played.
Raylan_Givens
Well-known member
Earlier in season I commented that Fairless had "dudes". Still stand by that, there are several guys on that team that would start for anyone in the league. But at this point it looks like the program leadership is happy just to collect out of conference wins to bolster their record instead of trying to be the best they can. Maybe it's because they haven't had a lot of success over the years. I can understand that, but eventually someone's going to ask "How does our coach have such a good record and never won a playoff game?"
Raylan_Givens
Well-known member
Mentioned it earlier, NW regions typically don't get much attention from those of us around here. Wauseon only beat 1 team with a winning record, but also only had losses to REALLY good teams (3 total loses by those 3 teams).
ShootNation
Well-known member
I think when you win the league your out of conference schedule is a moot point if your league is usually quality and the PAC has been that. They just happened to run into one of the unluckiest draws in the region and got beat. Let's be real, Poland was a 3-4 seed that was disguised as a 9. They could have went and scheduled better teams and it wouldn't have changed that fact. The bigger knock is their in game coaching, the gameplan tonight was simply not good and there were at least three other games this year I could think of where that was the case
Mr. Slippery
Well-known member
Fairless still has a ways to go before they should be thinking about taking on all comers in their 1st 3 games. I already checked Arbiter, and their schedule is the same for next season, and it looks like Sandy Valley and Claymont are locked in for 2023 as well. With the new HS being built, recent upgrades to the athletic facilities, and future pipeline revenue, Fairless has the potential to keep the program moving forward.
the123kidz
Well-known member
I will disagree on the ooc. The PAC was very average to below average this year. The conference has been one of the strongest small school football conferences for the last 5-6 years. This year not so much. Other PAC teams schedule more challenging ooc games. Manchester usually has Black River and Indian Valley, CVCA has VASJ, did a 2 year gig vs Aurora in 18 and 19, the 19 team also had Revere who was a D3. Triway usually has West Holmes. I find it hard to believe Fairless can't schedule a Garaway or Ridgewood maybe Indian Valley. I don't believe they want any of that smoke and this year I believe it hurt them.
Mr. Slippery
Well-known member
Oddly enough, Fairless has scrimmaged Indian Valley the past 2 seasons and is scheduled to scrimmage them again next season.
Obviously the PAC was average to below average this past year, but I expected a much better fight out of the league than that. Fairless, NW, and Triway all played below their capabilities. Yes, Poland and Perry are good teams, but still. And Wauseon is an average team. The only team they beat (until last night) with a winning record was a D7 and their 3 losses were to D6's - one by the exact same score as they beat Triway by. Wauseon will be out next week. Perry will win as they got a great draw. Poland-West Branch should be a good game. Likely all the PAC teams were done after 2 even if they had won (except maybe NW due to the Gilmour-Girard draw), but that was just embarrassing. Hopefully Manchester can get it done tonight.
Raylan_Givens
Well-known member
Al, was thinking over this making coffee this morning. Last night was ugly for the PAC, but really it's only "really" ugly because the goal posts moved. We have a certain perspective in our heads about who should do what in the playoffs from our league.
Prior to the playoff expansion the CVCA & Northwest would have already turned in uniforms. Triway (6 seed) would have been traveling to Van Wert (defending champs & 40+ pt winners last night), Fairless (8 seed) would have travelled to West Branch to get the pummelling CVCA got, and Manchester (8 seed) would be opening playoffs playing Kirtland tonight.
If you think about it from that perspective NO ONE in the league would have had a home game in an 8 team region & if any of them had won their first game it would have been a HUGE upset. I know, I know, on any given night anyone has a chance, but if you think about how we used to talk about those teams seeded 6, 7, and 8 (remember a few years ago when Orrville & Manchester both won their week 11 games be getting 30pt lead in the first half?) and apply that to now - that's our entire league!
Not trying to say last night was acceptable, but it was expected. And tonight Manchester has a good shot to win an 8/9 game (equivalent of an old 4/5) and then play at Kirtland next week. (Insert sarcastic "Yay!" emoji here)
Last edited:
cuyahogacuse
Active member
This is great perspective. The goalposts have moved. The conference was way down this year.
This is not good perspective. After the trilogy with Perry from 2018-20, CVCA knows a thing or two about the Pirates, and anyone that dares to look past the Pirates does it at their own peril.
Last edited:
Mr. Slippery
Well-known member
I've always thought the conference was good for the preparing the DVs for a playoff run but bad for preparing the DIIIs/DIVs. Go back and look at how the teams have done in their nonleague games over the past however many years you wish to look at. It's traditionally not a great football league.
the123kidz
Well-known member
For years I have said that the expansion the PAC needs in with your boys at CCC. Most years they would be the big dog. Everyone would have to step up to compete. Although they are in the dumps right now STA also would have made the league better. Instead we get Loudenville who made absolutely no one better.
Mr. Slippery
Well-known member
Loudonville joined right after their last big run of talent. Bad timing, but you don't have to worry about them anymore. You got South coming in. As long as Dennison is there, they should be a solid team and a nice addition to the league.
As much as I'd like to see CCC in a league with the other PAC schools, it's not going to happen. Your Royals would probably have to leave first, and I don't see them going anywhere except maybe if the Metro has an opening someday. Additionally, CCC administration doesn't seem interested in joining a league. If the right fit came along, they might do it, but they're not actively looking and haven't been for a long time.
St. Thomas Aquinas would be a bad fit right now, and not because of where the football program is at this time. Their roster numbers are dwindling across many sports to the point where they may struggle to field full teams in some of the fringe sports if a couple injuries or illnesses occur. Some of CCC's roster sizes are down as well, for that matter.
What really hurts is having a few teams in the league each year that struggle to beat anyone. The league had 3 teams this season that won 2 games or less. It would help immensely for playoff seeding if those bottom teams could at least win 1 or 2 nonleague games apiece, so that a few more points are up for grabs when weeks 4-10 roll around.
Last edited:
3rdandLong
New member
He got hurt in the Tuslaw game and was unable to play last night unfortunately.
good luck next round. You have a very solid football team!!
Lost Octopus
Active member
That makes more sense why Fairless couldn't get things going offensively. That kid is certainly a playmaker.
GoZips2021
Member
Fairless needs to drop Tusky Valley and Claymont. Neither of those teams are going to give you any type of competition any time in the future so unless you are just looking to rack up easy Ws you need to move on.
Starkcountylegend
Well-known member
CCC would be a really good fit for PAC, I understand Mr. Slippery's comments about CCC being not interested in joining a league. With that said, the true litmus test will be tonight, CCC has played a brutal schedule, they should be well prepared for a smaller school like Mogadore. I would like to see the PAC add both CCC and Minerva to the league, CCC surely would be a tough out in football, but in a era with 16 team playoffs, this would allow teams to test themselves in the PAC. There is no reason that CCC shouldn't be playing South now, especially since South has one of the better coaches in the area. Minerva is an outlier, so I could see why the PAC would reject them, but they need out of the EBC, they are basically functioning as a 9th grade team playing varsity each week, and I really don't know where else they could go. South was a great add for the league, and in my opinion (which is probably a minority opinion), the EBC is on borrowed time, so South made the right move. STA makes no sense for the PAC, the program is a trainwreck, and really doesn't fir the geographical footprint of the league, In regards to CVCA going to the Metro, it's unlikely they would take them at this time, they have 8 teams, so you would need to add two team, and really nothing is out there to add right now, Louisville is available, but they are too big to join
Thank you.
That's too bad. He was definitely pegged as a threat. Hopeful for a full recovery.
SpeedSafety25
Active member
I was a little dissipointed at last night's game. I thought Fairless should have out up a better performance. I don't agree that this was the best Fairless team. There have been others better. Hats off for winning the league- er tying. Triway was a let down as well. Not sure what happened there. Northwest and CVCA probably should not have been in the playoffs but it is what it is. And they both got bad draws. Panthers are going to take care of Edison but get running clocked in second quarter next week. That's sad. pac was way down but I enjoyed the past several years with some great teams.
Lost Octopus
Active member
Didn't you say Mogadore would running clock them in 2nd Quarter?
SpeedSafety25
Active member
I did ?. Beating Edison by 50 might help them. If they can somehow hang close by half I would be happy. Miracles can happen I suppose.
Raylan_Givens
Well-known member
LO, You were right, Manchester was not as bad we all thought. In a year where the PAC was bad, Panthers tied for 3rd place. As Manchester alum Zac Jackson likes to say “Congrat”. Will let you know when o drop off your cookie. Good luck next week.
Lost Octopus
Active member
Who's Zac Jackson?
the123kidz
Well-known member
He's only the most famous Panther alumni of all time. C'mon man. ?
Stizostedion
Well-known member
TopCat is probably the most famous Panther alumni of all time. ?
the123kidz
Well-known member
Just because @TopCat is on TV all the time doesn't make him more famous.
CasualFan24
Well-known member
Knew NW was going to get handled - QB is a great athlete, but not a great QB. They have struggled offensively all season and I knew they would struggle to score in this game. I figured a pretty solid beating and never being in the game....but didn't think they'd get boat-raced....Oh well, on to next season I suppose - not losing much, bringing pretty much everyone back. Should be a pretty good football team next year!
thePITman
Well-known member
PAC-7 football awards have been announced: http://pac7sports.org/public/honors/2021-22