Rez

Rankings are stupid until about week five (only because by then we have an idea of they are even sort of accurate, and they are stupid again after week 11.

Good observations. Lumberton has the pieces to make it a game, and there is certainly no predicting what will happen on a given night. Good luck to both teams.

Where is the evidence that Lumberton has a "decent" D? Lumberton has played one full game against a school with less than 600 kids (and isn't WO-S), a school that is a perennial bottom feeder in its own classification. PNG already has shown the ability to make stops against good backs when it matters, so I don't know what indications exist that PNG won't stop Lumberton's run game. There isn't a Calvin Tyler playing for Lumberton, and even if there was, we would be okay. Lumberton may be better than recent years -- Maybe even better than last year. But Lumberton is unproven, and history is not on its side (Lumberton is 1-16 against PNG all time, and that one victory was in a year where PNG went 3-6). Think about that-- At Lumberton's best (2008), they managed to beat one of PNG's worst by a mere seven points. Statistics don't win games, but they are at least an interesting indicator of potential future outcomes. In the series, PNG has outscored Lumberton 656-238. PNG averages 38.6 ppg against Lumberton. Lumberton averages 14. Last year, when Lumberton finally looked like it might be turning a corner, PNG scored easily and often. Lumberton will have to stop PNG's QB, running back, receivers, and o-line, all of whom have demonstrable ability to produce. Lumberton also has to somehow overpower a PNG defensive line that has been fairly successful against much faster backs than what Lumberton has waiting in the stables. I'll admit, I haven't seen Lumberton play, but I did get a chance to see PNG against WO-S in August (scrimmage) -- PNG can hang with the run. It may be a good game -- It might also be incredibly boring.

I think the defensive backs are the biggest concern. I am not sure it is a major red flag yet, but we are not showing the speed to compensate for our lack of height. At this point, I think that any team with the ability to go over the top is going to score a lot of points on us. I expect PAM and Central to definitely do so. Not that being tall is a requirement to be a good defensive back (historically, PNG's DBs have never been super tall). West Orange went deep a few times in the scrimmage and scored rather effortlessly. We will be 6-0 when we play PAM, and that might lull us right to sleep. Big, fast receivers are going to be a massive wake up call.

Haha thanks -- Believe me, I won't be "brown nosing" when PNG plays PA.

Hahaha. Got to keep his ego up.

hahaha. That's a good one.

An honor to meet you Mr. Buddy Garrity -- I'm a long time reader of the forum.

Is the quality on texanlive.com good?

Thanks

Does anyone know if the PNG/GCM game will be streamed live, and if so, what is the website? I know that sometimes non-Friday games get streamed, so hoping it is happening tonight.

This result illustrates the difference a coach can make. Barber's Hill may not be anything special this year, and I don't think anyone will argue that Vidor did much to show BH's weaknesses, but when you have a new coach with new ideas and solid teaching skill, the kids respond powerfully. In that regard, the game also illustrates what a weakness Coach Matthews is for the Vidor team. I hate to fire shots at Coach Matthews, but he holds the Vidor team back. His 1950s offense is not a strength, it is an excuse. He needs to learn how to coach the pass and put a defense together that can defend that pass, or Vidor will continue to live well below its potential. It is frankly kind of pathetic to see the interviews with him, so proud of his horse-and-buggy offense, as if there is something creative and original about using a system that everyone else has abandoned and that continues to fail, even for him. Don't tell us you "like the run" and expect that to be a sufficient explanation for your inability to teach your players a huge part of the game. I like landline telephones, but I still use a cellphone, because it is more effective. Vidor can like the run all day, but Matthews needs to pursue the most effective option, not what is most comfortable for himself.

I think Silsbee has a lot to be excited about. They will win a lot of games this season. They just don't tend to win against PNG (something we understand with Nederland and WO-S). Even in 2012, when PNG was terrible, we managed to beat a state quarterfinal Silsbee team. We pulled off a one-point win, from which Silsbee went on to win about six straight and we went on to win only once more. Proud of the Indians for playing tough against a dominant running back. I do find it strange that Silsbee threw the ball so little. The air raid should be the Tigers' bread and butter, given their obvious talent at wide receiver. The run defense from PNG did a good job, but Silsbee certainly made the guessing game easy. I was afraid of this when I learned that Cy Ranch had been such a run-heavy team under this new coach. Silsbee is not a "run over you" team, and I don't think they should be. They are tough, but they also blow you up with finesse and precision, not unlike the Indians. I was not at the game, but I think Silsbee could have thrown the ball a little more, with some success (for a moment, they were moving the ball just by drawing pass interference, which moves the chains just fine). I don't know if PNG's cornerbacks were doing anything special to make passing too difficult, but from what I saw in the scrimmage against West Orange, PNG's CB's are a little undersized, something Silsbee should have been able to exploit, at least for a few more first downs. It will be interesting to see how the season progresses for the Tigers. Go Indians.

Don't count Nederland out. This happens just about every year (though not with such a lopsided score): Nederland loses a game, or two, or three, and PNG fans start licking their chops. It's stupid. Coach Neumann uses these games to be instructive experiences. I am no fan of Nederland, but it takes a great coach to know how to put his team in a humble-pie situation and then turn it into a learning experience that translates into district championships. Maybe Nederland will be good this year. Maybe they won't. But a lopsided PNG win against Silsbee on the same night that Nederland got ripped into by a great WO-S team means absolutely nothing when Mid-County Madness comes. We all remember 2014 when PNG had all the pieces in place, while Nederland started the season 0-3. It was supposed to be our year. And we all remember losing a heartbreaker to what I believe was an inferior team, overall. None of it mattered when it came time to play the game. Nederland will be fine. I wouldn't be surprised if they beat PNG again this year. In any case, nothing that happened tonight will have any bearing whatsoever. Go Indians, but let's keep things in a proper perspective. That being said, I am very excited for what Roschon Johnson, his offense, and that Land Shark defense were able to do tonight. Hope they keep it up.