texas2step4u

I found out today that CB was missing some pretty key players from their first loss.  CB is the real deal and will compete for a district title in their district.  One thing I think I can say about this game, it will be a real old fashioned smash-mouth kind of game.  I hope the Pirates pull it out,  I really do.

I think the list is good, so far.  The Pirates defense is good, but that game last Friday showed some stuff that has to be fixed before district play.  We didnt tackle very well, at times and we had some holes in the secondary.  I counted 4 passes that hit the receiver right in their hands and they just didnt catch the ball.  That wasnt good defense, that was poor offensive execution.  Maybe it was a case of expecting your opponent to fall down when you hit him and Im sure the coaches saw that on the game film.  I expect there will be some tackling drills this week in practice.  Dont get me wrong, I think the Pirate defense is stout, but the offense is outshining the defense right now.  Not a bad thing to have an offense that overshadows a good defense.

I think the Pirates are on track but BC did show where we need work.  Our offense looked great, averaging over 9 yds per carry, but defensively our secondary had some holes in it and we sure didnt tackle very well this past week.  Clear Brook will be a real test to see if we can tackle better.  I know we didnt even attempt a pass Friday night, but I didnt expect us to show some of the wrinkles that are being worked on, at least until district play rolls around.  Overall, I like the team that we have and those kids are progressing.  Lets see how we do against a 5A opponent.

CB scares me a bit...their record is deceiving and I dont read much into it.  I hope the Pirates win, but this CB team is good.  Again, dont let their record fool you.  I do agree that since they run the ball that they play into the Pirates defensive strength.  Last night could have been different, but the BC receivers couldnt catch a ball that hit them in the hands.  Im not saying that BC would have won the game, but it would have been a lot closer than the score was.

Yea, that was a great post and I give you a +1 as well. I admit that I was one of those who thought that the Pirates were making a big mistake having Quirante go both ways.  But he has shown an incredible ability to stay healthy and he really brings it when he hits ya.  I, too, hope that he stays healthy, along with all players on all the teams.  Its a lot of fun to watch him play.  He might be one of the best to come out of this area in a long time.

I think the jury is still out on the offensive line.  The second play from scrimmage for the Pirates went for a touchdown, but it was a busted play, as was the first play.  Lots of drops on the qb/center exchange and that has to be fixed.  I think the defense played great, and that was great to see.  We knew coming into this season that the real question mark would be at the O-line and we expected the defense to be very stiff.  The Pirates looked good at times on offense, but still lots of work to be done before the season kicks off.  That's what scrimmages are for, though...to work the bugs out.

I think the season for the Pirates really depends on the O-line.  They lost quite a bit from last year and that offense requires linemen that are quick and committed to run right.  The Pirates might throw the ball more, but I wouldnt count on much more.  Besides, throwing the ball requires blocking from the O-line.  Lots of untested players at those positions.  I do know that the Pirates will be smaller than everybody else they play on the line, but that is nothing new. It comes down to technique and desire for the Pirates line.  As far as running backs go, the Pirates just seem to reload there.  They teach that offense from junior high on, so it shouldnt be a problem finding guys carrying the ball.  The defensive side of the ball really wont change much.  They should be a little bigger and a  little quicker with the maturity of the returning players.  I know that lots of those kids worked hard during the off season, but so did everyone else.  District 20-4A is very tough, night in and night out, and you cant look past anybody.  There are a lot of great expectations for the Pirates after last years run, but this is a new year.  If the Pirates want to make it out of district they have to go out every day with a chip on their shoulder and prove it.

Well said...if I could I would give you some positive karma points...very good post thedogs1987.

Im just spit-ballin here, but maybe everybody here might just want to ignore ol dickie v....he is, after all, a legend in his own mind and we are but ignorant little people compaired to his highness.  Just keep rooting for your team and ignore him.  Anything you or I say cant be right, unless we tow the line with DV.  Me, Im proud of what our local teams have accomplished in the playoffs.  Yes, I realize that Yates or some other power-house team will wind up with the state crown, but that shouldnt deter our praises for the local teams who compete in the playoffs.  Argueing with folks like DV is like wrestling with a pig in the mud...at some point, you realize the pig likes it.

DV, can you just give congrats to teams for winning?  Jeez, enough already.  I think everybody knows that Yates is an incredible team blah blah blah...... Im very proud of how well district 20-4A has represented themselves in these playoffs.  Even if it all comes apart after next week, Im still proud of em...DV, not so much

I didnt know much about the HF team this year before the season started, but after watching them play one game, I knew they were the real deal and were gonna make the playoffs.  Hope they keep it rolling.

Dont have the final score, but Livingston won by 5.

Ah, so you choose not to sing? Is that leaning towards being un-American and lack of respect? No Dove, I dont sing because I dont have the best voice in the world and I prefer to listen to the student who is singing...I know they do a much better job of it than I would ever hope to.  Not going to debate you or anyone else about how "American" I am...simply no need to.  I respect our flag and teach my kids to respect it, as well...I also stop what I am doing, come to attention, take off my hat, and face the flag when the National Anthem is being sung, no matter what others are doing.  I dont forget that it cost American blood and American lives in order for us to be standing in that gym and watching a basketball game.  If for no other reason, I would do the things I do out of respect for those who would stand in front of me, protecting me all in the name of patriotism for this country.  I cant help what you teach or dont teach.

Im not as computer literate as Dove, so I dont know how to capture his question to me earlier in this thread, but I will answer his question....I have been to 6 BISD basketball games this year.  Now, as to the original question posed, I asked a former military man that I know and they did it like this:  if the person, in the military is "under cover" which means wearing a hat of any kind, then they saluted.  It they were not "under cover" they came to attention without saluting.  I have seen several people do this and now I know why they do it this way.  I have always been taught to take off my hat, stand and face the flag, place my hand over my heart (non-military salute) and sing....I must admit that I dont sing. 

I agree with 12gage.

I noticed that the Beaumont schools, in particular, dont put their hands over their hearts for the NA.  Not sure why they dont do that but just the way it is...I saw one person from a BISD school actually talking on his cell phone while the song was being sung....pretty sad really that someone cant put down their cell phone, stand tall, put their hand over their heart and face the flag for 3 minutes. 

The final score of the game just reflects on poor sportsmanship, simple as that.  These are high school kids, not paid athletes, not scholarshipped athletes.....high school kids.  They do the best they can and no coach from any school should ever allow this to happen.  Let the air out of the ball, play the trainer, whatever.  And I dont expect guys like Bluedove to understand this concept.  Course, in my day, we didnt shop our kids to other schools, we had them play for the district they lived in. 

Lots of Nederland haters out there....and that's too bad.  English has built a great program.  Ive seen every team in 20-4A on several occasions and in my opinion, Nederland is, by far, the best.  Not saying they will run the table or anything like that, but they manage to get the job done night in and night out.  Other teams may have more talent or quickness in spots, but, as a team, Nederland stands above the rest of the district. Hats off to Nederland.  I just wish our team could develop that kind of talent and winning attitude that they have over there.

Livingston won 43-26. Livingston went into a stall at the start of the 3rd quarter and held the ball for about 6 minutes combined in the quarter.  Livingston scored 4 points in the 3rd and Vidor had zero for that same quarter. Vidor scored only 7 points in the second half of the game and only converted one field goal in the second half. I dont know what Livingston shot from the field for the game, but Vidor was 9 out of 31.

Its hard to win shooting about 30% from the field when the other team is shooting over 60%. 

This guy has got to be an idiot.  To even begin to think you can get away with something like this is beyond comprehension.  Lets hope that wherever he goes, they decide to do a comprehensive background check on him.  Lucky he did leave and lucky for him the parents took a much higher road than I would have taken. 

No pardons, no excuses, no mercy.  Just straight up facts.  The Pirates should be and are, expected to win on whatever court or field they compete on.  AT the same time, everyone involved has to be realistic.  Sometimes teams are up, sometimes not.  Right now, the Pirates are young, small, and not very experienced at the varsity level.  But they are also hard headed and wont give an inch to the teams they play.  They will battle with all they have.  And they are gaining experience.  Nobody is making excuses.  Compared to most teams in 20-4A the Pirates arent very good.  Thats the way it is, but the show up for practice and work hard every day and they are improving.  As long as they do those things, they will continue to improve to the point of their expectations, which is to win every time they take the court.

There might be those on this link who are, well, not really dealing with reality....to say that Vidor is a dark horse or might make some waves in 20-4A isnt dealing with reality.  That said, the Pirates did look much improved against HF.  HF is a good team, but would probably be on the outside looking in as far as the playoffs were concerned in 20-4A. I think at the start of the season most people who knew the Pirates would have predicted a 15 win season as being successful, so there are no illusions from those who know the situation. Lets be pretty clear here, the Pirates graduated 9 kids off of last years team and returned just one player with any varsity experience.  The Pirates know how tough the district is and they know all about expectations.  I expect the Pirates to play everybody hard and I expect them to grow as a team.  Those of us that know the program knew that this was going to be a very tough year, but also knew that better days were coming.  Besides, the game isnt played here, but on the court, so you just never know, the Pirates might actually surprise a team or two in 20-4A.  I promise you those kids wont ever take the court expecting to lose.  Man, ya gotta love that attitude.

I kept some stats on that game Monday night and I can tell you that Vidor pretty much owned the rebounds.  In the first half the Pirates had twice as many rebounds as HF.  In the second half, the Pirates had a 5 or so advantage on the boards.  In the first half the Pirates shot the ball pretty well and made just over 50% from the field, while HF was about 60%.  The second half was a very different story for the Pirates, who shot right at 25% from the field and 0/9 from beyond the arc, while HF maintained their 60% shooting performance. It was the best game I have seen Vidor play all year and putting Quirante on the HF center was a really smart move on the coaches part.  It kept Woodside out of foul trouble and allowed him to grab some rebounds.  He had 12 for the game... The Pirates look like they are finally beginning to come together as a team, but they have a very long way to go to compete in 20-4A.  They are still very young, and short, compared to everyone else in the district. In order for HF to truly compete against their district foes, they are going to have to do a better job of rebounding, both offensively and defensively.  Other than that, they look like  a pretty good team and in my opinion, they should make the playoffs.  I hope they do because I know that they have had to deal with some real issues not of their doing.

Me, too....Its a good school from what I hear and I know its very hard on the kids to lose a coach midstream like that.  Sometimes I think we forget this is all about the kids and I hope that the new coach can get them to focus and play.  I wish them all the best.