GREAT WIN AT JUNIATA – BUT AT A COST
After the win last weekend at Juniata we felt pretty good about everything until we got home and realized what our roster looked like. Now, when you really get involved in athletics you begin to understand the importance of having a healthy team.
Game plans, strategies are the things that prepare a team to play. But, those outlines are not what “executes” the plan. The players are the most important part of game-day. You can have the game without the coaches….but you can’t have the game without the players.
After looking back through the first seven games and eight weeks of the regular season you begin to realize that we have lost seven starters on defense and a number of key players on offense. It makes the coaching job interesting because you need to prepare to play in games with back-up players.
Well, we all realize that no one said that the game of football will be easy…..nor will it be fair. So what every coach across the country does in his or her situation is you coach the players that are available on your roster. You try to prepare and direct them to be able to play at the best of their abilities.
More times than not you find that the replacements can and will play very well during competition. But, there is no replacement for game experience – something these young players are all lacking. It takes “Sun Downs and Sun Ups” to gain experience. Well we have a few young men who are getting a crash course in speed learning.
One way or another come Saturday at one o’clock on Steel Field the Greyhounds are going to square off with Franklin and Marshall. We are all going to see quite a fey young men grow up. At the same time you will see a few older guys (coaches) get a little grayer in the hair department (Not me! I am already all gray! Hah what a life!)
LIFE IN THE CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE
Looking at our conference we can see that there are three national contenders lining up to look at the post season. Muhlenberg is undefeated and playing perennial power Johns Hopkins (with an unlikely two losses) while Susquehanna at 6-1 is playing Gettysburg.
Those three programs have separated themselves from the rest of the CC in many ways. Adjustments in their admissions, financial aid and recruitment have allowed them to become the Centennial schools to imitate or emulate.
Since football is such a copy cat-sport it is easy for the remainder of the conference to imitate them in regards to offensive formations and plays, defensive scheme, or even philosophy to some degree. But, matching them in endowment, financial aid, facilities and or academic standing – impossible to do.
The beauty of athletics is that we can do our job and become a sound and respectable team on and off the field. Something that I think is accomplished with flying colors here at Moravian. I think the staff does a fantastic job with the team in preparation and designing game plans. Practices are challenging and productive. So the work is put in!
The seven teams that are not in the national spotlight have to depend on their administrations to even up things outside of the locker room. They are the ones who ultimately control the development of athletics – especially football – until those concepts are realized we may see the Mules, Hopkins and the new kid on the block Susquehanna pull away even more.
FRANKLIN AND MARSHALL
This week the Hounds line up against Franklin & Marshall in the friendly confines of Steel Field. The Diplomats are a solid and well coached team that enters the game at 4-3 after coming off an overtime loss to Dickinson.
Generally on offense F&M is a high powered team with a strong passing attack. But, this season the Diplomats are much more balanced averaging 167 yards per game rushing the ball and 162 yards per game throwing.
Two runners – Joe Hartley-Vittoria (Probably would have a hard time putting his name on the back of a jersey if they did that) has 458 yards rushing and Keshon Farmer with 428 yards make up the big chunk of the F&M running attack.
Garrett Perschy is the triggerman with 976 yards on 93-168 (58.1%) with 3 TD’s and 6 INT for the year. His favorite target is Tim Walter who has 27 catches for 302 yards and three TD’s. Kevin Lammers has 17 catches and Brendan Dearing has 16.
Defensively the Diplomats allow 23.1 PPG (5th in CC) and 342 Yards per game (4th in CC). Their rushing defense is very tough ranking there permitting only 125.9 yards per game.
F&M Incidentals follow: