FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[hasanova]

Guilford entertains Methodist Saturday at 7 pm.  Even though the Quakers enter the game officially at 0-0, the team got 3 quarters plus of game experience versus a quality team.  The offense looked capable, but the defense allowed a lot of big plays. 

I wasn't sure who would start at QB for the Quakers, but it was Alex Manley, a sophomore transfer from E&H.  Alex is a graduate of nearby West Stokes (NC) High School, so about a 50 mile trip for family and friends to watch the Quakers.  De'Eric Bell was his usual explosive self in both the offense and return teams ... it was a shame to see his school-tying 4 TD performance wiped out.  His all-purpose yards had to be approaching 350-400 when the game was declared a No Contest.

Manley was a really bright and talented quarterback at E&H and would no doubt have been a starter if saxton didn't have two years under his belt. Its good to see him getting a chance to shine especially closer to home. His older brother Zach was a hell of a linebacker for the wasps as well.

Thanks for your input, waspers77 ... Quaker fans are still learning about Manley.

[tigerFanAlso2]

HSCTiger64

I was not able to attend the AU game but I hear from many that AU is a really good team. We'll know more about them on Saturday as they travel to RMC.
As far as your Tigers are concerned, I think the OL needs to improve/stay healthy. There is talent, not sure the confidence is there. Hopefully a win vs. CNU will take care of that. The game vs. AU was played under unusual and difficult situations; HSC travels to Danville, game called, travel back to HSC; God only knows how much sleep they got, back on the bus early Sunday morning to Danville for a noon kickoff. No excuses, but that is a difficult set of circumstances to deal with.

Lets forget that game, hope AU proves vs. RMC they are really good. HSC needs to move on a get ready for week 2. If we don't show well vs. CNU, that will lead to another discussion.

As far as comparing to the really good teams Marty has recruited/coached, time will tell how the 2018 squad compares. As for now HSC must improve on defense and OL and that happen every day/week. We'll see how it plays out.

[Tiger Mic]

Averett was super fast, BIG, and athletic.  And with lots of new transfers.  Rayvon Johnson (nee Bridgewater) had a BIG game, and the quarterback (formerly of Maryville, I believe) was a pretty fair passer and an incredible runner (93 yards rushing).  AU O-line outweighed HSC's by 40 pounds per man on average. 

HSC's freshman RB looked very good but lost two fumbles in the game, which were costly.  I noticed he had a heavily taped right thumb in the 2nd half.  The 102 yard KO return (untouched) was a game-changer.  The Tigers had just taken the lead 14-12 (AU's preseason 1st Team All-America kicker missed the first two PATs-but was otherwise very impressive).

They were bigger and quite a bit faster.  AU should have a heck of a season.  Because of Averett's speed, HSC had no real "take it to the house" potential on any one play of a great distance.  And AU was a threat at all times to do just that.

CNU should be tough, too, but HSC has a chance to have a good ODAC season if they are surer tacklers, thus minimizing big plays.  Rhett Anderson, HSC's new K/PK looks to be an outstanding addition.  QB Cobb, the pick 6 notwithstanding, played extremely well. 

As a UNC alum...I LOVED the singing of my alma mater by the AU players and fans (but they changed the lyrics!). 

[HSCTiger64]

HSCTiger64

I was not able to attend the AU game but I hear from many that AU is a really good team. We'll know more about them on Saturday as they travel to RMC.
As far as your Tigers are concerned, I think the OL needs to improve/stay healthy. There is talent, not sure the confidence is there. Hopefully a win vs. CNU will take care of that. The game vs. AU was played under unusual and difficult situations; HSC travels to Danville, game called, travel back to HSC; God only knows how much sleep they got, back on the bus early Sunday morning to Danville for a noon kickoff. No excuses, but that is a difficult set of circumstances to deal with.

Lets forget that game, hope AU proves vs. RMC they are really good. HSC needs to move on a get ready for week 2. If we don't show well vs. CNU, that will lead to another discussion.

As far as comparing to the really good teams Marty has recruited/coached, time will tell how the 2018 squad compares. As for now HSC must improve on defense and OL and that happen every day/week. We'll see how it plays out.

Yeah when I found out Saturday evening that they would have to travel back to campus ( I am assuming by time they ate and got home we are talking at least 10:30-11:00 p.m. and then get back up and be back at AU for a 12:00 kickoff the next day, I was afraid it would be a tall task.  I was hoping perhaps we could of stayed in Danville, but understand the issues with scheduling that all of a sudden.  Both you and Tiger Mic are right though, AU is not the AU of old.  I think they are a sleeping giant with the people they can bring in terms of transfers, and, not to be harsh, but based on academic standards. H-SC has been put in a real rough position recruiting wise, our academic standards are not up to that of a W&L but they are still relatively high compared to many of the DIII privates in the commonwealth, I'd argue second highest in the ODAC, but I am bias.  W&L has the benefit of recruiting nationally where H-SC recruits regionally, and our price tag and certain level of academic standards keep us out of play on certain athletes.  I think I heard an H-SC coach say one time that tuition keeps rising at a rate that makes H-SC the third most expensive school in VA, behind W&L and U of R.  I was a local boy who went to H-SC, and we brought in a fair amount of local talent in the years after that, some Fuqua kids, a pretty good crop from Buckingham and other localites that stayed got diplomas and did well, just don't know if that will be as plausible to get those types of athletes in the future which is why I say Averett could be a sleeping giant if they keep investing money into the football program.  (no reason to believe they won't)

[jknezek]

Schools go up, schools go down. No one, other than UMU apparently, stays at the top forever. Sometimes a fresh perspective is needed to find a new recruiting niche or to figure out why the program has slipped a bit or, in the case of H-SC, I think other conference teams have caught up rather than they have slipped too much.

Coach Favret has been there a long time. I don't know about his assistants, but sometimes you need to bring in a new voice to rediscover how to reach the kids you want to reach now. That certainly happened at W&L prior to Coach Abell arriving as an assistant, you see it at Guilford with Coach R, and certainly at Shenandoah. Sometimes it's the head coach, sometimes it's just a strong assistant.

And no, this isn't a knock on Coach Favret, who has been a fantastic ODAC coach for a very long time, or a suggestion to replace him. That would be ridiculously stupid and presumptuous. But everyone, in every job, can use someone who can help them see things in a different way. In this case, someone with some sway and coming from outside the program, perhaps someone much closer to the h.s. scene? It could help re-establish that separation that H-SC had for darn near a decade.

[tigerFanAlso2]

JK

All good points. Marty has done a great job and all other ODAC members have simply caught up. I'm certain several factors can explain why/how that has occurred. It is clear HSC no longer holds an advantage talent wise over other ODAC teams. HSC had two poor recruiting classes which explains lack of seniors/juniors on current roster. Past two recruiting classes are good ones. Once those boys turn into to men I think things will begin to turn in favor of HSC.
Two poor recruiting classes really hurts and that cannot happen again going forward or HSC will continue current trends. Given academic standards/cost of tuition/competition from other schools for student-athletes, recruiting is more difficult than it was just three or four years ago which is why I agree that bringing in someone with a different approach and well connected within the HS community could be/should be Marty's next move. That said, I'm sure that person is hard to find/once you find them hard to fund.

[tigerFanAlso2]

to illustrate my point about two poor recruiting classes back to back, this is the class breakdown for HSC in the current two deep rooster;

offense has 1 sr; 5 jrs.; 14 so and 2 fr./defense has 10 sr; 3 jr; 6 so and 3 fr.

lack of experience is hard to overcome.

[BerryCollegeFan]

As others mentioned I thought W&L would have a better start.  They better watch out for Sewanee, the have been much better recently.  Might be another sluggish game if W&L doesn't tighten up their game.

[jknezek]

As others mentioned I thought W&L would have a better start.  They better watch out for Sewanee, the have been much better recently.  Might be another sluggish game if W&L doesn't tighten up their game.

I agree. I think this will be a testy game if W&L's offense didn't spark this week.

[Air Raid]

to illustrate my point about two poor recruiting classes back to back, this is the class breakdown for HSC in the current two deep rooster;

offense has 1 sr; 5 jrs.; 14 so and 2 fr./defense has 10 sr; 3 jr; 6 so and 3 fr.

lack of experience is hard to overcome.

Do you think attrition is higher in recent years compared to past seasons?  Not only for your school, but across the board.  I recently read in article where high school football participation across the state of VA is down this year and some schools have removed the sport or limiting their season to varsity only or even 8 man.  Is that a trend you think is impacting colleges as well?

[gennieswatcher]

4 year reader, first time poster here.

Just wanted to point out a fun fact Coach Abell at Davidson is taking on a W&L alum, Coach Place, at Chowan this weekend.

Looking forward to following y'all discuss the ODAC this year. Already off to an exciting start!

[hasanova]

to illustrate my point about two poor recruiting classes back to back, this is the class breakdown for HSC in the current two deep rooster;

offense has 1 sr; 5 jrs.; 14 so and 2 fr./defense has 10 sr; 3 jr; 6 so and 3 fr.

lack of experience is hard to overcome.

Do you think attrition is higher in recent years compared to past seasons?  Not only for your school, but across the board.  I recently read in article where high school football participation across the state of VA is down this year and some schools have removed the sport or limiting their season to varsity only or even 8 man.  Is that a trend you think is impacting colleges as well?

High School football participation seems to be down nationwide ... I've seen stories from NJ to NV.  A high profile school in NC, East Chapel Hill High, is noteworthy for not fielding a team this year ... simply not enough students interested in playing.

[tigerFanAlso2]

Football participation is with out question down and in a big way. I have 5 close friends that are current HS coaches and they tell the story. Lots of mothers not allowing her kid to play. I coached recreation ball for 6 years while my boys went through. The association we played in had over 600 kids in the program (2002-2008); that same association now has less than 80 kids. Lots of private schools in Va. and NC have gone to 8 man football, lots of larger public schools have less than 40 kids on the rooster. Don't like the way it is heading, hopefully just a bad cycle. I'm also amazed by lack of attendance at HS Friday nite games.
I attended a game last week in the Richmond area; both schools playing have over 1600 students, less than 500 people in attendance.

[jknezek]

4 year reader, first time poster here.

Just wanted to point out a fun fact Coach Abell at Davidson is taking on a W&L alum, Coach Place, at Chowan this weekend.

Looking forward to following y'all discuss the ODAC this year. Already off to an exciting start!

Always nice to know another Generals fan is around.

[jknezek]

Football participation is with out question down and in a big way. I have 5 close friends that are current HS coaches and they tell the story. Lots of mothers not allowing her kid to play. I coached recreation ball for 6 years while my boys went through. The association we played in had over 600 kids in the program (2002-2008); that same association now has less than 80 kids. Lots of private schools in Va. and NC have gone to 8 man football, lots of larger public schools have less than 40 kids on the rooster. Don't like the way it is heading, hopefully just a bad cycle. I'm also amazed by lack of attendance at HS Friday nite games.
I attended a game last week in the Richmond area; both schools playing have over 1600 students, less than 500 people in attendance.

I think this is the trend just about everywhere outside of the Deep South and a few areas out west. The news for football is very, very bad in the long term. And it's not just moms. My boys will not be playing football, a decision my wife and I are in agreement on. They only have one brain each, and have enough trouble engaging that brain as it is sometimes! The repetitive knocks from every play have been shown to be a problem, not just the big concussive hits. I increasingly see watching football as a guilty pleasure, knowing the toll it takes on the players. Football isn't going anywhere, it's going to be around for a long while. But I think you will increasingly see kids and parents prefer to play other sports.