Bobcatsfan2016
Well-known member
Not sure who would be league favorites this coming up year any thoughts ?
WCAL Football 2023
- Thread starter Bobcatsfan2016
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CasualFan24
Well-known member
Raylan_Givens
Always right, unless I'm wrong
CasualFan24
Well-known member
The meme game in the first 3 posts of the 2023 WCAL Football thread are freaking on point.....just saying....
thePITman
Well-known member
Of the top 5 from last year (Dalton, Northwestern, Norwayne, Hillsdale, Smithville), who loses/returns the most critical parts of their team?
CasualFan24
Well-known member
Northwestern loses everybody - one of the few guys back is Cade St. Clair who played WR and Safety. He is a former QB, will be curious if they have him return to that spot this year....
Norwayne loses something like 13 seniors from last years team including do it all Jake Gill. They should have another 12-14 seniors this year including the return of bruiser Dillon Morlock at RB. Norwayne will have size as usual, they compete at the top of the league like usual.
Hillsdale is also graduating around 12 seniors I believe, including the starting QB. Oustide of these seniors, the team was actually pretty young last year. I think they take a step back from last year, but grow as the season goes on. Next year (2024) and the year after will they will be really tough I think....
Smithville graduates roughly 9 seniors from last years squad. They bring back their nice sized QB in Butcher - it'd be really cool to see Smithville take a step forward next year! They were a young team last year, so they should have a decent amount of experience and growth coming back!
Dalton only graduated 5 seniors I believe. They are losing Quentin Leman and Ethan Stutz to graduation, and they will be missed, but they are bringing back every other piece of significance. QB, both RBs, all the young WRs, most of the trenches....and not that they will likely feel much of this next year, but they're also bringing in an 8th grade team that I believe went undefeated last year.
I think Dalton is the clear favorite in the league next year and I expect them to run the league table. Assuming they can still walk and speak english after the absolute wars they're playing against Kirtland and Mogadore in weeks 1 and 3......
CommonManDZ
Well-known member
Concur.
Raylan_Givens
Always right, unless I'm wrong
Dalton can take solace in the '21 Norwayne team. 1-2 when league play started then TROUNCED everyone up to their week 10 loss to Dalton (3 bad snaps turned 2 TD win into 2 pt loss). The good/bad news about their non-league is they won't be surprised by Kirtland's physicality in week 1 after the '22 playoff game. The bad news is most of that Kirtland team is back and the last time they gave up more than 1 score in week 1 was when Lake Catholic scored twice in a 16pt loss the same year they made it to the D4 title game.
Raylan_Givens
Always right, unless I'm wrong
Also, hoping Coach Indorf scraps the spread & puts out an old school Smithville offense at Norwayne. The world needs to see Morlock toting the rock 25-30 times a game. It should be in the WCAL bylaws that at least 1 team that runs that offense. Makes me think of the "Jackson left, Jackson right" Dalton offense or any of the 1,000 beefeaters Smithville had at running (full) back.
iveseenitall
ne nothi tere te
You'd think Coach Indorf would be all for that with his lineman background. Their QB was young last year as well right? Sophomore?
I agree with bandwagon, I mean casual fan, that Hillsdale has some young talent but they were role players this year and will have to step up next year. I heard they have a good group of soon to be sophomores with a lot of length.
Dalton stays healthy through the non-league and they will be fine.
CasualFan24
Well-known member
Bobcatsfan2016
Well-known member
Honestly I think Norwayne will run the ball a lot more next year . There qb for next year don’t have much of an arm but is a good runner so you should see at of qb keeps and Morlock runs .. the back up running backs are good as well they would be smart to run the i formation alot next year ..
Hoist the Black
Carpetbagger
Everyone is off to such an early start this year… Wow.
Feel like it’s important to bring up the Johnson twins(?) Bryce/Grant along with Q and the somewhat underused/injured Stutz. It offers up another difficult class to replace IMO. Dalton had the impact and leadership it needed in its most important spots last year.
Bringing back a lot of starters is nice, but I anticipate a regression league wide next year. Some lose a whole bunch of bodies. Some lose some really integral pieces. Waynedale will have a 2nd year coach who might actually enjoy the improvement of a sophomore slump.
Will the Smithie faithful finally get to coach by committee after they run Phil out of town?
Did I correctly see someone post about the Dalton QB transferring to Garaway? LMAO (after the least accurate game of his life w/ Kirtland) I’ve not heard a whisper…but that’s why we’re really here. Also, did the Bulldogs have like a 6’5” frosh QB last year?
Norwayne should by all accounts have a higher IQ line this season. Pared with a healthy Morlock is indeed the blueprint for WCAL titles. Sort of puts Indorf & Co in the “no excuses” territory.
*Should be enough to ruffle the feathers as they say
Feel like it’s important to bring up the Johnson twins(?) Bryce/Grant along with Q and the somewhat underused/injured Stutz. It offers up another difficult class to replace IMO. Dalton had the impact and leadership it needed in its most important spots last year.
Bringing back a lot of starters is nice, but I anticipate a regression league wide next year. Some lose a whole bunch of bodies. Some lose some really integral pieces. Waynedale will have a 2nd year coach who might actually enjoy the improvement of a sophomore slump.
Will the Smithie faithful finally get to coach by committee after they run Phil out of town?
Did I correctly see someone post about the Dalton QB transferring to Garaway? LMAO (after the least accurate game of his life w/ Kirtland) I’ve not heard a whisper…but that’s why we’re really here. Also, did the Bulldogs have like a 6’5” frosh QB last year?
Norwayne should by all accounts have a higher IQ line this season. Pared with a healthy Morlock is indeed the blueprint for WCAL titles. Sort of puts Indorf & Co in the “no excuses” territory.
*Should be enough to ruffle the feathers as they say
Raylan_Givens
Always right, unless I'm wrong
1. Great point on the Johnsons at Dalton.
2. Coffee snorted into my sinuses reading the "coach by committee" comment on Smithville
3. Have been told Indorf is a "hand off" guy with his coordinators. This is the year to fold the playsheet in half and throw away the bottom. KISS = compete for league & host playoff games
iveseenitall
ne nothi tere te
True.....they are just warning shots though.Again with the shots fired....yeeeesh!
Oldsmithie
Active member
I don't believe any of the Smithie faithful are trying to run Phil Olsen out. I my humble opinion, I can see the Smithies going 7-3 this year and that would be an improvement. Smithville will be entering our 12th season without Schrock and over those 12 seasons the Smithie faithful have ousted the people that drove Schrock out...... The old Principle, Superintendent and the school board are gone!! The new school board's first action was to name the stadium after Keith Schrock and honor this legendary coach. It will take some time but Smithville has committed it's self to re-building this once great football program.
CasualFan24
Well-known member
Hmm....I actually think the new school boards first action was to try to wrongfully fire Corey Kaufman and almost take a lawsuit over it...so I'd pump the breaks on the "things are a changin" talk...
But I do really hope the Smithies take another step forward!
CasualFan24
Well-known member
You really think Dalton will regress compared to last season?
I see it totally opposite. I think Dalton will actually be improved from last season. I think they're a monster of a team to deal with this year and the QB and both RB are going to have absolutely huge seasons.
CasualFan24
Well-known member
Totally agree - although I'm picking them against Mogadore. I think the only regular season loss will be to Kirtland....
iveseenitall
ne nothi tere te
It will be interesting to see how Mogadore is in the post-Mason Williams era. They lose 4/5 OL starters. Have 3 RB/FB's that got time and 2 lanky WR's coming back offensively. They do have 8 starters back on D. But with Mogadore, there down years are still pretty dang good and their kids know how to win.
Hoist the Black
Carpetbagger
It’s like, March my man. I’m not here to set the points for Kirtland week 1. You gotta calm down.
For Dalton:
To a degree? Yes. Grant Johnson was an absolute ball hawk. Stutz IQ in the secondary, Q at the line is massive brain trust to replace in terms of leadership. (Losing Q alone @ Jeromesville comes to mind) Can they be replaced? Of course! But the knee jerk reaction heading into the season is they will likely give up more points. Unless they hit D7 again?
…and how real are the transfer rumors?
The flip side of course is Siders. Cut from the same cloth as most league greats. And a game changer. Do they have the blueprint for league titles? Yes. And the leagues best staff as it stands.
WCAL:
Should be a transitional season. Which get a little wonky. So much talent has aged out in the last 3 seasons. Is the league wide open? Not really. But I’ll end this with the preface. It’s March. And we already have some fish on the line…
CasualFan24
Well-known member
Lol I know it's March....but league titles are won in the offseason Hoist!
I'm just really high on the team as a whole....dare I say that this will be a better TEAM than the one that Lost to JFK in the regional final 2 years ago?
Hoist the Black
Carpetbagger
…maybe if the competition has taken a step back I can see it. They are bringing back a ton of bodies and all of the O’s. Sure.(and Dalton drops back to D7)Lol I know it's March....but league titles are won in the offseason Hoist!
I'm just really high on the team as a whole....dare I say that this will be a better TEAM than the one that Lost to JFK in the regional final 2 years ago?
D7R25 this year? Build the trophy shelf. Staying in D6? Congrats on another fine season w/o a district title. The boogeyman suffers no fools.
Mogadore is a school that will beat you even if you’re the clear favorite. I like this matchup all day. I’d have Dalton by a couple scores and still not wager a can of pop on a dub.
BobBBaulzack
Well-known member
No rumor a Dalton quarterback did transfer last week
iveseenitall
ne nothi tere te
Hoist the Black
Carpetbagger
Whom? …to Garaway? LMAO this is going to get tasty.
Hoist the Black
Carpetbagger
Just setting the table:
Wallick runs a ton of transfers. Moves a Dalton QB in and then terminates the series with Dalton.
Gonna get one those reputations, huh?
Wallick runs a ton of transfers. Moves a Dalton QB in and then terminates the series with Dalton.
Gonna get one those reputations, huh?
Bobcatsfan2016
Well-known member
Anyone think rittman has a good chance to be a half decent team this year ? Most of there kids were all freshman last year they have a decent running back
Raylan_Givens
Always right, unless I'm wrong
Have Dalton as a CLEAR favorite. Most returning talent with best coach is an easy equation.
That said, the 3 guys that were constantly making defensive plays against Kirtland were Q Lehman, Johnson & Stutz. They will be sorely missed in week 1 & beyond.
That said, the 3 guys that were constantly making defensive plays against Kirtland were Q Lehman, Johnson & Stutz. They will be sorely missed in week 1 & beyond.