FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

less than 5 b.c freshman with jersey numbers? wow!

To be exact, only two freshman have jersey numbers.  That's one reason why our recruiting numbers were so low this year.  Having 31 rising seniors will deture freshman who want to and/or think they can play right away.

[ratlsnak]

To all those who got enjoyment out of B'water folding in the 2nd half against McDaniel... In the words of John Madden, we ain't worried about the horse, we're just loadin' the wagon.

[skoaltrain]

ratlsnak:  Long time no talk brother!  We missed you at the home opener.  I hope you plan on making the HSC game.  Gonna be a wild one!

I hope all is well with the Family. 

Here's to Bridgewater kicking the crap out of Hanover.....

[abnrgr]

BCers
Don't have a let down this week and Hanover might deliver.

I am making this post because I have not been smitted yet and I thought this might do it.

[Outsider14]

wait a minute, did i see JuJu had a catch saturday?? for 8 yards!? in the words of JuJu himself "JuJu don't run no hitches. JuJu just run deep and throw the ball up to JuJu"... least that's what i thought he said. JuJu was my first exposure to that south florida accent. we called him Taz

[e h dad]

Frenjr, It appears the word " LOYALTY " is lacking in your vocabulary.Remind me not to go to war with you!!! If Coach Monte does not have a winning season you 'll probably be one of the first to be on the bandwagon to run him out of town on rail. I guess the 4 years you played you team went 40&0,,won the ODAC 4 straight years, and had 4 straight Stagg  Bowl appearances.I THINK NOT!!! Has for the yelling and brash behavior you  didn't see, I believe that was by design. "ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS'.These are class kids. Coach Wacker did not recruit quailty D3 players is true.Wacker recruited quailty D3 STUDENT/ATHLETES not just football players. You are talking out of both sides your mouth. You say your glad Coach Monte is at E&H and then you go and criticize him and his players for their last 2 games. If you think coaching is so easy why don't you apply at E&H. I'm sure they would love to have you,NOT!! Remember this is D3 Football, not the NFL. You need to give this team and Coach Monte a fair chance 2 games don't make a season. PEACE----I am the E&H Dad

[frenjr]

If the Emory & Henry game upset you that bad, maybe you shouldn't attend anymore. I guess when you played for them you never lost a game. It will take sometime to see who is the best guy for whatever postion.  As for defense they played their game.  As for the yelling and excitement, its allowed when the coaches say its allowed. These boys practice harder now than they did a few years ago. Sorry if this sounds harsh.  And for any ODAC team, most people stick by their team when their winning or losing. I guess you'll be back when they start winning!  Football Parent

Yelling and excitement when the coach allows it? I will get back to that in a second. This is not an indictment of Montgomery...yet.
The writing was on the wall even when I was playing. The practices under Coach Wacker became less and less streneous each year, and each year the talent level dwinddled. Oliver Jordan was the 3rd team RB at the start of the 1997 season!!! Guys who were scout teamers when I was a freshman were talented enough to be all conference when they were seniors (Justin McCulley, Issac Williams, Temple Musser).... by senior year, if you were on scout team as a freshman, you would never see the field even as an upper classman because players with talent were having to play as freshmen (our undefeated season, Nolan Jeffries and Phil Christian had to start at LB as freshmen, and Mel Harris played alot). Recruiting slacked, and the coaching staff outside of Coach Wacker and Selfe became a joke. Montgomery took the job with a total mess on his hands, that mess being players used to slack practices, poor recruiting since about 1998, and  so if they struggle, so be it.
The players will be enthusiastic when the coaches allow it? Football is a game played with spirit and emotion. You can not coach passion, and the Wasp exhibited very little passion on Saturday, that inherently is what bothered me because that is NOT something you have seen in the last 20 years in the program. There was no leadership from the upperclassmen, no chatter on the field or sidelines, it looked like after Hayes threw the pick late in the first half, the team called it a day. That is not Emory and Henry football. I hope beyond hope that Montgomery can turn it around, but you can have all the practices, all the recruits, and all the gameplanning in the world, but it won't do you a lick of good if the kids are not playing with a fire in their belly on Saturdays.

[frenjr]

As for Coach Montgomery, I hope he can turn it around. The true test will be what kind of players he brings in with his first full year to recruit. There are some things that bother me though. If you read some of the post game quotes from a couple of the players, it sounds like a few of them are not buying into Montgomery's offensive system.

From Sundays post game article:
The good: "According to Montgomery, his three top running backs in spring practice are no longer with the team for various reasons." If the kids don't want to work, be done with them

The bad: "It was very evident that Ferrum has more team speed than us," Montgomery said."  See recruiting

The ugly: "Our offense is not as wide open as last year," Stewart said. "Coach wants us to establish the running game to keep the defense from concentrating on our passing. We're working on it." Brennan Stewart (sounds like some tongue in cheek frustration there)

For Monty to win, some things have to happen
1) The kids HAVE to buy into his system
2) He has to recuit well outside of SWVA, be it in Ohio, DC area, or in places EHC used to recruit well (Georgia and Florida)
3) He has to recuit well inside of SWVA to replenish depth. Look at Ferrum's roster, David Pennington (Abingdon kid) started at DE. Dustin Hammoy is from Richlands, and it sounds like Isiah Ellison will be transfering there next fall after he committed to EHC to play RB but was moved to DB. Alot of that comes from EHC's desire to be more generous with aide, right now UVA Wise can offer local kids money that EHC won't offer.

My loyalty is to the program, and I want to see it turned around.

[frenjr]

If you think coaching is so easy why don't you apply at E&H.

I would not get the job, I wasn't a Gamm 

[Hug]

frenjr,
If the program was in as bad of shape as you say, then give the guy a year or two. It does sound like he is trying to overhaul the entire program.  What is it that Monty is doing do you question?  
First Step to Recovery is admitting your problem

,"It was very evident that Ferrum has more team speed than us," Montgomery said."

Also, teams "who just pass" don't make it very far in the playoffs. Establishing the running game is a must.

[Outsider14]

the cat's out of the bag. rumor got back to me (from a coach in this area) that bridgewater scored on a running play w/ 10 seconds to go against shenandoar to rub salt in the wounds. that's trash. 

(i hate smilies but that's funny to me)

[frenjr]

I am fine with giving the guy 3-4 years to refill the pantry, hell, I'd love to see them running the ball 50 times a game right down the oppositions gullet.
What concerns me at the present is effort and enthusiasm... you can lose and still play spirited football. I am not talking about the smack talking no class garbage, I am talking about excitement, guys congratulating each other after the play, leaving the huddle with some giddyup in their stride. Part of that is the kids, but what worries me about Montgomery is that it does not appear that the kids are buying into his system. You can X and O and run the kids hard, but when the kids are on the field, they have to believe that if the coach calls 56 draw on 3rd and 22, that the play will get 22 yards. If not, all the coaching, all the tough practice, all the recruiting, and all the gameplan work is for naught.

[muchacho]

Frenjr...Montgomery is probably going through a similar situation as Coach Clark at Catholic last year. Catholic's situation was probably even worse, having 3 coaches in 4 years, and basically lacking 2 whole years of recruiting. Coach Clark's previous teams were not only talented, but confident and cocky as they played. That confidence slowly dwindled after he left, and although he came back last year, 2004's team definitely lacked enthusiasm and effort.  I don't think any of that blame can be put on Clark, but on the circumstances that surrounded the program. Despite starting 0-2 this year, Catholic football's energy is creeping back slowly. It will probably take 2 more years when he has 4 full recruiting classes to work with before it is similar to how it was before he left. I think you are right that Emory and Henry's problem comes from the problems that Wacker had in his last few years, but Montgomery can't change the face of the program so quickly. Progress will probably be slow, so enthusiasm and wins might not come this year, but the guy will get it going and the program will be better off 3 or 4 years down the road.

[23dangerzone]

Skoal Train!!!!!!!!  whats up my man....
Hope all well......... ?
So are ya traveling this weekend? or listening on the radio? 
By the way.... ole Scotty Buck told me to tell ya..... whats up!!!!!!!!  and stop trying to relive those college days.....

When is ya next tailgate? Ready for some of Pops bb-sauce..........!!!!!!!!

[e h dad]

Frenjr,You keep talking about "effort and enthusiam", I was also at the game and I think it's a matter of perception. Was it a total effort, maybe not. 98% of the players, I believe were giving everything they had. Did they play a perfect game?No,but then no team rarely does. They need improvement in alot of areas of the game, but to say they lack "effort and enthusiam" is harsh and unfair. There was alot of positive efforts' by a number of players! You speak of the players not buying into Coach Monte's system. That does not really matter, if they are not loyal to their team and coach's, they will weed themselves out.It does not matter if the players like Coach Monte or not ,all they have to do is RESPECT their coachs' and themselves. It's not a case of buying into the system, it's a of case learning the system.Like I said before E&H is only 2 games into the season, you need to lighten up and give the players and coaching staff a chance. Remember Wacker was at E&H 20 plus years and Coach Monte has been there roughly 9 months.You need to give these guys sometime to show improvement! PEACE------ Iam the E&H Dad aka SKOALTRAINS step-PAPPY