Well Raider fans, I guess it's about time I get started with this. Look over the past couple seasons, my predictions, assumptions and suppositions on this page page have been, well...shall we say, off. So, I'm going to keep it simple, at least at the beginning of the season.
The Purple Raiders enter the season untested. We're combining a small senior class (numbers wise) that went 4-5 as sophomores with an inexperienced junior class that went 7-2 as sophomores (losing by 4 points to MacArthur and 8 to Normal West) and throwing in a few sophomores who appear to be ready for varsity ball. We've had a good two and a half weeks of practice, and were able to play a full five quarters last Friday night in our intersquad scrimmage. But it's difficult to gauge how good you are at when you're scrimmaging against yourself. It's like having a dual personality, one side is always happy while the other is upset. We'll have a lot better feel for where we are at after the first three weeks of the season.
The Big 12 Conference looks to be the toughest it has been in recent memory. There have been several seasons on this page where I have overhyped a few teams in the conference to make the schedule seem tougher than it really was. Well, no more. The gap between the contenders and pretenders has closed significantly. For starters, the conference now spans three of the eight IHSA football classes. In their recently released class divisions, Normal Community is now in 7A, Danville, Bloomington, Normal West and Champaign Centennial are in 6A, with MacArthur, Eisenhower, Urbana, Mattoon and Central in 5A. Conference team are also highly regarded in two of these classes. Danville is ranked as the pre-season #1 in 6A, Community is 9th in 7A, and West is 10th in 6A. Conference insiders will tell you that it's Danville's race to lose. The Vikings are the two time defending conference champs and haven't lost a conference game since 2008. As their game against the Vikings last year proved, however, the Wildcats of Normal West are closing the gap, and many expect them to make a run at the conference title this season. After those two teams, Bloomington, Community, Centennial and a resurgent Urbana (with what may be the best athlete in the conference at quarterback and a new artificial turf stadium) look to contend and qualify for playoff spots in their respective classes. On a side note, the 2011 season will be Mattoon's last in the Big 12 Conference. The Green Wave will be joining the Apollo Conference in 2012. The Raiders will make their last visit to Mattoon stadium (skyboxes, Big Al's lemonade, pork chop sandwiches and the best concession stand in the conference) week five of the season. Be sure to make the trip.
Game #1: Decatur MacArthur
As always, the preview of the week one opponent comes with a disclaimer. This is what they ran last year. Come kickoff Friday night, I could turn out to be completely wrong.
If you have three minutes of free time, check out the Generals describing themselves this season at http://www.herald-review.com/sports/ Scroll down to the preps preview for the Generals of MacArthur.
On offense, expect the Generals to continue to run the spread as they have done for several years now. Base formations include trips/split and double twins with a single back in the backfield, and a twins split with a two back set. The quarterback will line up in the shotgun in all sets. Run to pass ratio is generally determined by the type of quarterback they have. Three years ago with Big 12 offensive player of the year Robert Smith at quarterback, they tended to rely more on the passing game to set up Smith's ability to run. Last season, they looked to run first and use playaction to open up zones for the receivers. Out of the one back sets, plays include a veer dive, speed option, zone read and a jet sweep set up by motioning a slot receiver into the backfield to take a quick handoff. While most of the Big 12 has gone to a spread offense, the Generals are only one of two teams (West being the other) that continue to run a diversified option game out of it. The veer gives the quarterback a handoff/run option depending on the path of the defensive end, the speed option gives him a pitch/run option, and with some creative footwork by a slot receiver, the Generals can run a full veer look (dive, run, pitch) out of the shotgun single back set. Typically a defense looks to pressure the quarterback and cover four receivers against the spread. By maintaining the option threat with a passing game, MacArthur gives the defense ample opportunities to make mistakes. Out of the two back set, they will add iso, a counter and a quarterback sweep using the running backs as lead blockers. The passing game comes primarily out of the one back sets and includes a bubble screen to the trips, a swing pass to the tailback, a couple of different flood routes, slants and fades to the split end opposite the trips, playaction off the veer dive, and a series of two receiver route combinations out of the double twins. The quarterback will sprint out of the backfield with a run pass option to the trips side. Add to this a couple gimmicks like a shuffle pass to the tailback and a reverse to the slot receiver, and the Generals have an offense that can test a defense. When you boil it down, the Generals are trying to create one on one situations that will allow the abilities of their athletes to beat you. And as we have learned the hard way over the years, the Generals always have athletes.
Defensively, the Generals line up in a balanced 4-4 front with a three deep or man coverage in the secondary. When in man coverage, expect the Generals to blitz linebackers or play stunt games with the down linemen. Typically the down tackles are large and will command a double team if you plan to move them. This leaves the linebackers unblocked and lets them flow to the ball quickly. The play makers are typically lined up at the defensive end and outside linebacker positions, allowing them to pressure the quarterback and run the alleys hard to any play run off tackle.
Game #2: Normal Community
The Raiders and the Ironmen had nice starts to their seasons last weekend, but I don't think either team walked away feeling completely satisfied with their performances. There are a lot of new faces on the field for both teams this season, and with that, a lot of inexperience. Neither team will be in "mid-season form" until, well, mid-season. I've always thought the intercity matchup would be a far better game if it were play week five or six of the season, but we don't have that luxury. The rivalry game always comes week two of the Big 12 season, and this year will force both immature teams to grow up quickly.
Offensively, the Ironmen have added a new wrinkle, but still rely heavily on their power and option running game. As we've come to expect, the running game is built around good size on the line, hard-nosed running backs, a quarterback that is not afraid to call his own number, and big physical receivers that block well on the perimeter and down field. Sets include pro, twins, double tight and an unbalanced trips. Base plays consist of the outside veer, midline, power and counter. While most teams in the conference have simplified their option game (to a zone read or speed option) so they can focus more on a spread passing game, the Ironmen continue to run a true triple option with their outside veer play. In week one against Champaign Central, all the phases were on display. With the ends crashing down on the fullback, the quarterback got most of the carries, but once down field, he continued to read the defense and would pitch ten yards past the line of scrimmage if the read called for it. That makes this and extremely difficult play to defend. Each defensive player must stick to his role. One mistake, and one of the three options is open. But it's not the defensive ends that get all to have all the fun. The Ironmen also run a midline option. On this play, they will leave a down tackle unblocked and read him for a fullback/quarterback option run up the middle of the formation. Down linemen aren't quite the athletes that defensive linemen are. They can't change directions as quickly. This play will embarrass them if they don't read it correctly. They will be allowed to run up field, taking themselves out of the play, while the quarterback turns down field with the full back leading the way for him. To further confuse things, the Ironmen like to shift and motion to different sets once they are on the line. This forces defenses to make adjustments and move player around, increasing the chances that on the snap of the ball, someone will be out of position or blow their coverage. The new wrinkle this year is a shotgun trips set. They have done this in the past, but it was primarily to throw the ball. This season, with a big option quarterback, they have installed a couple of option reads from the set. It all starts with a tailback zone play run to the trips side. With linebackers and ends flowing to the outside zone, the quarterback will find a crease open in the middle of the formation, and can pull the ball on the zone handoff and keep it himself. The other option is a misdirection counter. Off the zone, the quarterback will again pull the ball, but this time turn back opposite the zone side, and follow his play side guard and tight end pulling to the week side. It's run just like a traditional counter play, but with the zone look, linebackers are more likely to flow. With all these run schemes, you'd think the Ironmen would have to sacrifice the passing game. Think again. They completed seven of nine passes for two touchdowns week one, and seemed to quit throwing simply because the game was in the bag. Pass plays run week one included a cross route out of a balanced four receiver set, a three step read route, swing passes to the trips set, verticals our of the four receiver set, and play action off the counter and an iso look. One touchdown came out of twins with the outside receiver going vertical.
Defensively over the past couple years, the Iron have sacrificed size for speed, and week one, it seemed to work in their favor. Last season, they implemented more of a 3-5 look with quick down lineman that could rip through gaps while their stacked linebacker blitzed, or flowed to the opposite gap on the other side of the offensive lineman. When done effectively, this scheme can fill all gaps with bodies seconds after the snap forcing backs to bounce wide into the outside backers and secondary. The Ironmen will also shift out of the 3-5, to more of a 5-2, freeing up a body for secondary support if the offense is getting to the corner or throwing over the pressure between the tackles.
Game #3 Danville
Three tips on improving: One, admit that you are not good enough right now and need to improve, Two, pay attention in class (that is to say practice). When the teacher (coach) tells you "this is going to be on the test (game)" it probably will be. And three, realize you are part of a TEAM in a sport where you will need the help of others to succeed.
Time to move on.
Week three brings the #1 ranked (6A) Danville Vikings to Fred Carlton field for a 7 p.m. Friday matchup. The Vikings have beaten the Raiders three consecutive years. The last time they visited Fred Carlton field, the game was a thriller decided by a fieldgoal kick and rekick as time expired, giving the Vikings a 30-28 victory. So far this season, the Vikings are 2-0 with victories over Urbana and Mattoon. Surprisingly, the Vikings are anything but satisfied with their undefeated start to the season. Read HERE for details. Coach BJ Luke has vowed that he will have the Vikings playing "Danville football" come Friday night.
Offensively, if you have seen the Vikings the past three seasons, you'll find nothing but names have changed. Danville returns the most explosive offensive player in the Big 12 in quarterback Dennis Hightower. Last season, he accounted for over 3000 yards of total offense (rushing and passing), and has picked up where he left off this season. Their base set is trips/split with Hightower in the shotgun and a single back to his side. Although in the spread, the Vikings are a run first team. Plays include an outside zone, dive, trap, and QB sweep to the trips side, QB counter and QB iso to the split side. It's a simple scheme, but very lethal. The Vikings have scored over 40 points in each of their first two games, with both Hightower and the tailback rushing for over 100 yards in both contests. Three of the five lineman are returning starters from last year. The passing game consists of a playaction pass off the dive action in the backfield with all receivers but the tight end streaking down the field. Other passes mainly go to trips side with the tight end staying in to block, resulting in two receiver combination routes that include a corner, a square in, a diagonal to the flat, and verticals. Hightower will throw on the run most of the time, and if no one is open, he'll simply turn it up and run. In the past, out of this set, the Vikings have also used a shuffle pass to the tailback, a reverse off the zone action.
Defensively, they line up in a 4-4 or 4-2-5 depending on your preference of terminology. The front consists of two large defensive tackles shaded to the tight end side, two quick defensive ends in 185-200 pound range, and two middle linebackers. From that point, coaches may differ on the alignment. If you call it a 4-4, they have two outside linebackers. The one to the strength side will play up like a strong safety, while the one away from strength sits back like a two deep safety. If you call it a 4-2-5, you'll argue that they line up in a cover two shell with a outside linebacker always aligning to the strong side. Quite honestly, it doesn't matter how you classify it, they have six men in the box with five secondary players that will roll to the strong side of the offensive set. It is a simple but flexible defense, and the Vikings play it well. They are very aggressive and have linebackers and secondary players that run well and hit hard. A side note, there are very few two way players for the Vikings, but ironically one of them is Hightower. He will line up at weak corner in the secondary.
Week #4 Urbana
Let's play "what if" for a minute shall we. What if we score on the first possession against Community? What if we don't fumble the kickoff after Community kicks the field goal in the 2nd quarter? What if we don't set Community up for their third touchdown in the 2nd quarter with an interception and personal foul with less that a minute to go till half? What if we catch the wide open touchdown pass against Danville in the 2nd quarter? What if we score early in the 4th quarter Friday night instead of committing penalties that pull us from the 10 yard line back outside the 30? What if after scoring on that opportunity, someone tackles the safety after he intercepts the ball on our next possession and Danville doesn't score that last touchdown? What if we eliminate just one turnover in each of the last two games? What if we don't give up the one long touchdown run in each of those games (Normal averaged 3 yards a carry other than Edward's 79 yard touchdown run in the 2nd. Danville average 3.04 yards a carry other than Hightower's 60 yard run in the 2nd.)? If can contain the running game of both teams for over 80 plays in the two games, what happened on those two?
The questions I ask above address issues that come straight from the coaching manual as to the difference between winning and losing teams. Simply put, you can't make those mistakes and expect to win. So the question now becomes, how do you turn the "what ifs" into reality? I have a one word answer, CONFIDENCE. You have to believe that you can accomplish those things. Last season against Danville, we got our backside handed to us. We were soundly defeated physically on the field. The two losses this season haven't felt like that. Community and Danville earned victories over us, but we did a lot to help them along the way. I can't say that we definitely win either game even if all the things I pointed out above had happened, but at least we'd be able to walk away confident that we'd played up to our abilities. As is, we have planted a huge seed of doubt heading into the most vital part of the season concerning our quest to make the playoffs for a 25th consecutive season. The next four teams that we play have beaten us a combined total of two times over the past 12 seasons. If we win all four games, we will qualify for the playoffs. If we play with the "fear" that we have the last two games, and fail to turn the "what ifs" into reality, well...
I wish there were simply a "confidence" drill that we could run at practice to fix things, but in over 20 years of coaching, I have yet to discover one. What it will simply come down to is the players saying to themselves, "I want to do this, it is my responsibility to do it, I'm going to get it done."
The Urbana Tigers enter Friday night's game 0-3, nearing elimination from the playoffs in a season where they were touting the playoffs as a legitimate goal. To make the playoffs, the Tiger knew they would have to knock off one of the top five teams in the Big 12. It didn't happen against Danville or Community, but I'm sure in our weakened state, they feel like this Friday night is their chance. Offensively, it's hard to say exactly what the Tigers will throw at us. They have one of the most talented athletes in the conference at quarterback, and solid threat at tailback. In weeks one and two, they mainly lined up in trips formations, with a single back in the backfield and the quarterback under center. Run plays consisted of inside and outside zone, pitch, power and counter. The quarterback is involved in the run game, but mainly on bootlegs where he has a run pass option. The passing game has five different versions of a zone boot, a flood pass, verticals and a three step drop read package. Though they haven't won, the Tigers have demonstrated the ability to move the ball and score. They put up over 25 points against Danville and Central, and outgained Community in total yardage. With all this said, however, Urbana could come out in something totally different come Friday night. Remember, they are in a must win situation.
Defensively, they run a 3-5 or 5-2 scheme similar to Community. The Tigers blitz a whole lot more, however. With the front five already committed to blowing gaps and rushing the quarterback, they will also send one or both of the linebackers. At times the whole front seven is coming. In the secondary they line up in a cover two shell, but seem to play the outside receivers in man coverage. Its not the most sound defense in the world, but if a team struggles with the blitz, it can prove to be lethal. The Tigers held their own with Danville, matching them score for score through the first three quarters before the Vikings were able to pull away and win by a couple touchdowns.
A side note, the Tigers are in their first season with FieldTurf. Every home game, now matter what the overall record, will have an element of excitement to it. If you can make the trip, go check out the first artificial surface in the conference.
Week #5 Champaign Central
The 2-2 Maroons enter Friday night's homecoming match-up on a high note. They are coming off their highest offensive output (45 points) and first shutout of the season in their victory over Decatur Eisenhower last Friday night. They are three wins from their first playoff berth in four years and look to take advantage of our recent vulnerabilities to move one step closer.
Offensively, I'm not exactly sure what scheme your going to see, but I am sure who it is going to run through. Tailback Brad Wright has proven himself to be one of the most explosive offensive threats in the conference over the first four weeks of the season. Prior to a game ending second quarter injury against Normal Community in week one, he had returned a kick off for a touchdown and rushed for another long touchdown. He matched this performance week three against Normal West. So regardless of the set they line up in, look for number five. Chances are he will have something to do with the play.
Primary offensive sets for the Maroons include pro, twins split, double twins, and a variety of trips split sets with various alignments out of the trips receivers. Pro is probably as close to a base set as they have. Out of it they run iso, dive, counter, power, pitch, zone and a double option. Play action passing comes off the iso, zone and probably counter. Out of the trips they will run the double option from a shotgun alignment, the zone, isolation pass routes to the split receiver, a variety of three route combinations to the trips, and a swing pass to the tailback. If they have a primary passing set, it seems to be the double twins. Out of it they will run mirrored two route combinations to both sides, a three step drop quick route game of hitches and slants, and a middle screen to the tailback. In short yardage or goal line situations they will revert back 30 years or so to a power I set and ram the ball down your throat. The most frustrating thing about all this is that Central will line up in any of these formations whenever they feel like it. In one series, or three play set, you could see any or all of them.
Defensively, the Maroons run a college 4-3 cover 2 scheme. This will be the first time this season we have faced it. 4-3, 5-2, 3-4 it all equal seven up front, but it still creates new angles and assignments when compared to the first four games of the season. The Maroons look very well conditioned on defense. All eleven players run well, and Champaign has always hit well. There is really nothing new we can throw at them. They have faced the option attack of Community, the spread of West and the bootleg play action passing of Urbana already this season.
Week #6 Mattoon
Week six takes the Purple Raiders to Mattoon for the final time. Next season, the Green Wave will be leaving the Big 12 for the Apollo Conference, and since the schools are in difference divisions, (Mattoon in 5A, the Purple Raider in 6A) Friday nights game marks the final contest between the two schools. It also marks the final opportunity that Bloomington fans have to take advantages of the best concession stand the Big 12 has to offer. Pork chop sandwiches and Big Al's lemonade. Yes you should go to cheer on the Raiders, but the concession stand alone is worth the trip.
Back to football. The Green Wave enter the game with a 1-4 record. They will be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs by a fifth loss, so Friday night's is basically a playoff game for them. Consequently, I'd like to add a disclaimer to the remainder of this preview. I am presenting what they have run up to this point, but all bets are off once a team pulls out all the stops.
Offensively, the Green Wave has a somewhat split personality. Traditionally, they have always between a power/play action team. They still do this out of pro set running ISO and Power strong with a counter back to the weak side. Expect play action passing to come off all three plays, with the fullback being the primary target in the flat. The other side of the personality came out two weeks ago against Normal Community in the form of a spread passing game that through more route combinations at a defense than any other offense in the league. Passing sets are double twins, trips and a no-back twins/trips set. Routes include a three step quick game, a middle screen, double routes out of the twins, and every possible route combination that three receivers can run out of the trips formation. To keep defenses honest, they will run a draw and a quarterback ISO out of a shotgun alignment. The quarterback's mobility, arm strength and passing accuracy looks to be better than anyone we have faced. Friday night will be an extreme challenge for the Raider secondary.
Defensively, the Green Wave runs the same 4-3 cover 2 alignment that we faced against Central last week. One difference is that Mattoon will be more disciplined in their approach. We will need to execute and block them. They will not blitz there way out of a plays like we saw the Maroons do at times last week.
One additional factor is the environment at Mattoon. They have the skyboxes in the press box. They will draw a sizeable crowd no matter what their record is. And, the student section is right down on the field, yelling all kinds of creative things at opposing teams. It is truly the only small town football experience in the conference, and one that I am going to miss playing in.
Regardless of the outcome Friday night, best of luck Mattoon in the Apollo conference. We are going to miss you.
Week #7 Champaign Centennial
Week 7 brings the perplexing Chargers of Champaign Central to town. This 1-5 team played Danville to within a touchdown in week 4, and two weeks ago was within a field goal of Normal Community with less than two minutes left in the game. They then turn around and lose to Urbana 40-0 last week. Which Charger team will show up at Fred Carlton Field Friday night? Who knows, but with the Raiders in a must win situation, we can't take anything for granted.
Offensively, the 2011 Chargers are not the team you have grown accustomed to. They apparently have dumped the power, counter, play action offense of the past for a spread passing game with zone action out of the backfield. Primary sets include a double twins set and a trips set with the splint end to the weak side. Out of both the quarterback will be in shotgun with a tailback at his side. The running game consists of a zone to the trips set with a quarterback read off of it, a trap up the middle, an off-tackle power play which motions a slot receiver in from the twins, a Jet sweep to the motioning slot (with a full compliment of counters off of it) and a quarterback ISO. It's just enough to keep the defense honest with at least six defenders in the box. The problem is, with six defenders in the box, the Chargers will spend their time looking to throw the ball. So it becomes a game all night long. Pull and interior defender and face the run, pull a DB and they'll pass over the top. The passing game has a tailback swing to the trips, a wheel route to trips, mirrored routes out of the double twins (where both pairs of receivers run the same route combination), a middle cross, and several different combinations of hitches and verticals off a three step drop by the quarterback. Add in a middle screen, and the Chargers have a passing scheme that can attack all zones of the field, and with a 6'5" quarterback that can locate all these zones.
Defensively, fortunately, nothing has changed. The Chargers line up in their traditional 5-2 cover 2 alignment. As always, they are large (6'7" at one of the down tackles), and have good speed across the board. The scheme is very aggressive with 9 bodies within seven yards of the LOS at the snap. They are very confident in their secondary and run man coverage against any offensive set thrown at them. They simply dare you to pass. When you do, they'll come at the quarterback in hopes of getting to him before he can get the ball off. This worked well against the spread sets of Community and Danville, but not so well against West in week one and Urbana last week.
Week #8 Normal West
In the effort to keep the string of nearly a quarter century of playoff appearance alive, last week's victory over Champaign Centennial was a big step. At 4-3 on the season, the Raiders can guarantee themselves a playoff spot with victories in their final two regular season games, and all but guarantee the spot with one victory. Teams with six wins automatically qualify for the 256 team field. Teams with five wins need enough playoff points to qualify. Playoff points are the combined number of wins your opponents have. In a ten team conference, like the Big 12, a 5-4 team will finish with 40 playoff points. The qualifying cutoff for the playoffs last season was 39 points, and every 5-4 team from the conference has qualified since the playoff expansion in 2001. Enough with the long winded explanations, win both games and you are in.
Standing in the way, however, are the undefeated, conference leading Wildcats of Normal West. As I said in the preseason preview above, everyone expected the Wildcats to challenge for the conference title. They have not disappointed. Their 7-0 record includes a final minute victory over Danville, at Danville, and a relatively easy 35-17 victory over Normal Community two weeks ago. Even more impressive is that in the Danville game, they lost their leader rusher over the past two seasons to an elbow injury. Not only did they go on to defeat the two time defending conference champs without him, but then rolled to two more victories over Community and Urbana. This team is deep and talented.
Offensively, it may look complicated from the stands with multiple formations, shifts, motion and alignments, but when it comes down to it, the Wildcats are simply trying to isolate their best athletes in the open field against a defender. In those situations, the athleticism of the Wildcat receivers and running backs give them the advantage and leads to big plays. With the quarterback in the shotgun, they will line up in two back, one back and no back formations. They never use a tight end, so as many as five receivers will be spread out in a variety of formations (i.e. trips, twins split, double twins, and a bunch quad set). Technically the quarterback is a tailback that can also throw the ball. So even in the "no back," they have a back in the backfield. The run game consists of veer, power, toss, zone, trap, jet sweep, QB sweep, and a set of counter plays off the jet sweep, and QB sweep. Play action comes off the veer dive and zone plays with receivers running drag routes through the middle of the defense and vertical seam routes over the top. Set pass routes consist of flood, a middle cross, an outside cross out of double twins, and various multiple route combinations (hitches, verticals, curls, seams, posts and square ins) out of the trips and quads set. The routes combinations put on receiver in every defensive zone. One mistake by one defender leaves someone open. If the quarterback can find the open man, he sets up a quick, talented athlete with green space in front of him. This equals bad times for a defense. The Wildcats lead the conference in scoring for a reason.
In what has become a trademark of Darren Hess teams (head coach of the Wildcats), they continue to line up defensively in the 4-3 cover 2 alignment. It's known as the college or pro style defense. Just like last season, the Wildcats play it aggressively with speed at every position. No individual player is exceptionally large, but they are quick, flow to the football and deliver a blow to the back or receiver once they get there. Two weeks ago, they essentially shut the Ironmen down, holding them to less than 150 yards of total offense and allowing no offensive touchdowns.
Week #9 Decatur Eisenhower
Back in 2001, when the IHSA expanded the football playoffs to 8 classes, the door was opened for 5-4 teams (with enough playoff points) to make the post-season. That season we went undefeated and qualified for our 15th consecutive trip to the playoffs, and privately, I declared that the IHSA policy changed would guarantee that we would make it every year. Well 10 years later we are vying for our 25th straight trip to the playoffs (the third longest streak in the state) but uncharacteristically find ourselves "on the fence" as far as getting in. With four losses, we MUST win this Friday night and the hope that the 40 playoff points we will have (combined number of wins of our opponents) is enough to get us in. As I said last week, it is all but guaranteed. All Big 12 teams that have gone 5-4 since the 2001 expansion have qualified, and the highest playoff point cutoff in the history of the system was 39, but that was last year and marked forth consecutive year of an increased requirement. In the end, all we can control is our effort Friday night. If we win, we'll just have to sit back and see what happens.
Friday night takes us down to Decatur Eisenhower, home of the 0-8 Panthers. They are young and have struggled this season, but the Panthers are a team that has a history of sneaking up on us. Need proof, see the '92, '95 and '03 seasons, all of which were home games for the Panthers, and games that we were expected to win. Offensively, Eisenhower, under first year coach Mike Goodwin, have a lot in common with us. Base sets include pro and twins, out of which they will run a fullback dive, trap, iso, speed option and pitch. Passing consists mainly of play action off the isolation, a three step drop read series, and a set of screens to the tailback and tight end. The Panthers will also spread to a twins split and trips formation and run shotgun with one or two backs to the side(s) of the quarterback. Running plays out of the twins split include a lead option and iso. Out of the trips they will give to the back on a dive or have the quarterback run the iso or a sweep around end. Passing out of the spread sets mainly consists of a swing pass and screen to the tailback and a crossing route to the twins.
The defense appears to be a base 4-4, but with the amount of blitzing they do out of it, it's hard to tell. There are definitely four down linemen, but they will also walk as many as three of the four linebackers up on the line on any given play. As a result, coverage in the secondary is primarily man to man. They appear to be willing to man up against as many as four receivers in formation. I guess they feel they will get to your quarterback before he gets the ball off, so the man coverage isn't that much of a risk. Were they become susceptible, however, is once a ball carrier or receiver gets beyond the line of scrimmage. With everyone walked up, once the ball gets through the line, there is nothing but three to four defensive backs, locked in man coverage, between the back and the endzone.
On a side note, the Raiders will be participating in the "real men wear pink" campaign, and wearing pink socks in Friday night's game. Pink and purple class terribly. Come check it out.
Playoffs: Round 1 Crete Monee
Well, we did it. For the 25th year in a row, the Purple Raiders have qualified for the IHSA playoffs. Never before, however, had it been so close. With the victory over Decatur Eisenhower, we finished 5-4 with 40 playoff points (the combined number of victories of our opponents). As it turns out, it took 40 playoff points and 10+ tie breaker points (the combined number of victories of the opponents you defeated) to get in. In the end, we were the 254th of 256 teams to qualify. The longest consecutive playoff streak in the state fell victim to the elevated qualifying standards. Duquoin High School had qualified 27 consecutive years. They finished the season 5-4 with 40 playoff points, but fell short on the tie breaker points. That leaves the Purple Raiders at 25 years and the Mount Carmel Caravan at 26 years with the two longest remaining streaks in the state. So what does all this mean for the playoffs this season? Not much, but it still a nice achievement.
Round one pits the Purple Raiders against a relative newcomer (by those standards) to playoff streaks, the Warriors of Crete Monee High School. From 2002-2004, the Warrior won only two football games total, but since 2005, they have qualified for the playoff every season, and have reached the 6A quarterfinals each of the past two seasons. In other words, they are on a roll. Over the course of that playoff streak, they have become very familiar with the Big 12 Conference. The Warriors lost to Centennial in round 1 of the 2005 playoffs. They defeated Community in the second round in 2009, and Normal West in the first round last season before bowing out against Danville in the quarterfinals. In 2011, the Warriors put together their first 9-0 season ever (according to IHSA records) and as a reward, got placed in a quadrant with four Big 12 schools, and could face Big 12 opponents all the way through the quarterfinals. In anticipation of this, Crete is obviously looking past the Purple Raiders. Normally when you do a film exchange with a playoff opponent, you ask for recent games, to scout what the team has done recently. The Warriors asked for our weeks two and three films against Community and Danville. Why? They could play Community week two and are anticipating that Danville will beat West in the second round and would be their quarterfinal opponent. Is this bulletin board material? Do we take it as an insult? Sure, but what can you expect when you enter the playoffs 5-4?
Offensively, think Normal West, only more reliant on the passing game. Base sets include doubles twins, trips and a quads set out of the shotgun with no more than one back in the backfield. The running game consists of a power dive, counter, sprint option and a jet sweep out of any of the sets with a slot receiver motioning into the backfield. The jet sweep motion will be combined with the dive and quarterback keeper to give the Warriors another "option" look, but the quarterback is not nearly as much a part of the running game as Jefferson was for Normal West. Play action passing comes mainly off the dive play with swing routes to the flat and seams down the middle. The will also run a swing pass off the jet/dive look in the backfield. They run a bootleg pass to trips with a flood route concept. When it comes to the passing game, just look for #6. The splint end/defensive end has accounted for 50% of reception yards and is obviously the favorite target. The quick passing game comes from a split end screen, slot swing pass, slip screen and middle screen to the tailback. The Warriors also run the full compliment of slants, outs, in, seams and fades out of the quick game. Drop back passing is to flood routes out of trips, a post/corner combination route to the double twins, a wheel route/post combination, and three and four vertical routes. The Warriors also have a power running set. It has been out of a double tight, power I set, and also out of an unbalanced power I set. Plays consist of power, iso, quarterback bootleg and a play action off the counter. Then, just for fun, the Warriors will line up in a spread set with three linemen in the center of the field, two tackles, a split end and running back on the numbers to one sideline, and trips receivers to the other sideline. Out of this they run a wheel route combination to the trips, but probably have passes to the running back on the weak side if the defense doesn't line up correctly. Aside from the gimmick plays, the Warriors scheme is similar to what most Big 12 teams are currently running, but they have a better collection of athletes than most teams in the conference.
Defensively, Crete runs a very aggressive 4-4 man coverage scheme. They are so dedicated to the man coverage that there is very rarely a free safety in the middle of the field. They don't blitz as much as you would expect, but with the man coverage on the receivers, the linebackers are freed up to read and flow to the ball very quickly. The defensive line is anchored by the leading receiver at the right end position. He may be the fastest end we have seen all season. The two down tackles are plugs that require a double team to move them, once again making it difficult to get to the four linebackers.
Post-Season
Look, there's not much to say. The season was disappointing for all those involved. It was nice to maintain the consecutive playoff streak, but the playoff loss was embarrassing. The past two seasons have demonstrated that the "mystic" of Purple Raider football within the Big 12 Conference is gone, and until we get that back, there will be no deep playoff runs. There are three teams (Community, Danville and West) that are beating us consistently. That's the reality and its our job to change it. For that to happen, we need a COMMITMENT from all those involved.
COMMITMENT = DESIRE = EFFORT = SUCCESS!
We get that, we'll be fine, but without it, nothing will change.
The good news is, we return 31 juniors (10 of 11 starters on offense), and a sophomore class that went undefeated, and had six different players start on the varsity.
With that said, it will still take a commitment to bring the pride back to Raiderville.
See you next season.