Missed Tackles

Ray Nitchke Linebacker 

 

This is going to be a quick posting tonight.  Just a quick observation that I have noticed in the past couple of years, but it seems to be true at all levels of football.  Is it just me, or do the athletes of today seem to be poor open field tacklers?  I coach Offense...plain and simple.  Of course, the whole offensive objective is to keep the defense from tackling us, but it seems like the defensive players are more interested in delivering 'the big blow' instead of hitting and wrapping up a ball carrier.  I can't believe how many missed tackles I see at all levels of football. 

 

Nitchke Attempting to Rip the Head Off a Ball Carrier.

 

Ok, here I go again....talking about the old days.  I am not saying this was right, but it is the way we were taught to play.  My Dad used to teach us to "Look at what you are going to hit!"  We were taught to plant our face mask into the numbers of our opponent, wrap-up, and drive through the tackle.  If we had to tackle at an angle, we were taught to place our helmet in front of the ball carrier, wrap up. and either drive through the tackle, or drop to one knee and roll with the ball carrier.  We would practice tackling technique (LIVE- every day)  If we did not wrap up, or place our helmet where it was supposed to be, we had to do it again, and again, and again....until it was perfect.  We all acted as ball carriers, and we all tackled every day. 

 

Tim Tebow Getting Hit. 

 

The defensive players have it a little more difficult in today's game.  The new "Spread" offenses put good athletes in 'space' more often than it used to.  It is difficult to tackle in space, but at least these guys could do is grab cloth and hang-on until help arrives.  The defensive guys seem to be more interested in delivering a big hit and hoping the receiver or ball carrier will get knocked down from the initial blow. 

 

On the offensive side of the ball, we teach our receivers to make the first guy miss, and "you are out of the gate and running"  I guess this is why football jerseys are getting tighter, because it does make it more difficult to grab cloth.   Just an observation. 

 

I will check in tomorrow. 

 

GZ





 

Compare and Contrast

 

 

Sebastian River vs Vero Beach 

 

I stayed home tonight and listened (on the Internet) to Sebastian River (my former team) (SR) play the Ft. Pierce Central Cobras (FPC) at Shark's Stadium. FPC is located in the county south of us,  and they came into the game ranked #8 in the state.  They have been state-ranked for some time now, but nevertheless, we always played them very tough.  I just could not bring myself to attend the game in person, because I knew what was going to happen.  Truthfully, the game was over within the first three minutes of scrimmage.  FPC scored on their very first play...a 69 yard TD pass.  You could almost hear the crowd deflate over the Internet....another tough game was ahead of them. The game was 42-7 at halftime, and the entire 2nd half was played with a running clock.  The final score was 49-20.  FPC substituted freely for most of the second qtr throughout the rest of the game.  

 

Considering my past relationship with SRHS, it is tough listening to them get beat like this.  I really hate it for the kids....especially the seniors.  They surely did not ask for this, and it is not their fault that adults acts the way they do.  I wished I could have gone to the game....I sat at home in the dark and listened as FPC scored again and again.  I heard that Zach Finnegan (A real stud player) broke his ankle in an accident, and now I hear that Mason Wilborn has a mild concussion and will be out for at least a week....that hurts.  Problem is that SRHS is not very deep at any position this year...or any year for that matter.  Why is that?  Like any other subject, I have my opinions which may, or may not be be accurate.  But, I have to ask: "Will SRHS ever compete with VBHS?"   Lets compare and contrast this subject. 

 

Sebastian River High School 

 

SRHS plays in the tough 7A Florida Classification which means that SRHS has (1800 -2200 +/-) students from 9-12 grades.  Just to the west of Sebastian is the town of Fellsmere which has a large Hispanic population...historically, Hispanics generally play soccer...not football for the most part.  Of course, there are exceptions.  The hispanic population counts towards the student population which put SRHS in the 7A classification.  IN A GOOD year, SRHS was lucky to get 80-90 kids out for football  for both the JV and Varsity programs.  Most years we rostered about 35-40 kids for varsity, and about the same for JV.  Personally, I think SRHS should be competing at the (4A-5A level)

 

Facts are this:  People (with kids) just don't move to the town of Sebastian, Florida.  Most people come to this area if they are going to retire.  WHY?  because THERE ARE NO JOBS IN THIS AREA!  PERIOD!  Young people are forced to leave this area to have a chance at anything other than service industry jobs, or perhaps something in the medical field.  So, why raise a family here if you cannot support them?  You do what my own kids had to do....you leave and relocate to an area with employment.  Will this ever change?  I doubt it...at least not in our lifetime.  No industry...no jobs... equals no growth. 

 

Also, SRHS does not have the tradition of many of the schools to the North and South of us.  People move here (from the North) AFTER they have raised their kids, so there is not a loyalty to the school program.  SRHS is just now getting to the point where the children (of our former students) are old enough to attend school.  The older the school gets, the better this situation will become as the school matures.  Finally you may hear: "My Daddy played at SRHS, so I want to play at SRHS"  Until this happens, the football program will struggle. 

 

Finally, SRHS will always compete on a level basis in sports which do not require numerous athletes....like basketball for instance.  What do they have... like 12 athletes at the most?  Same with baseball.  Those teams will always be competitive.  However, pulling 100 kids out for a single program (like football) is tough...there is simply not enough depth to choose from.  We always had to coach our butts off to field a competitive team every year on a consistent basis.  True, we had some good teams here and there, and we won close to 90 games in 16 years.  However, we did understand our demographics and the type of kids we were going to have year after year.  Like Coach Perry always said: "We are going to scheme the hell out of them!" 

 

On the other hand: 

 

Vero Beach High School

 

Vero Beach High School (VB) plays in 8A (Florida's largest classification) which means they have (2200 +/-) or more students enrolled in school.  VB has a nice mix of students of all races (Black-White-Hispanic other) For many, many years VB was the only high school in Indian River County, so even the Sebastian and Fellsmere kids attended the large school.  Along with this rich history, the TRADITION of playing football for VB was born, which goes back for generations.  Even when I worked for VB, I was always amazed at the shear number of athletes that VB always put on the field.  This year, VB will roster close to 300 football players with 3 different teams (Freshman, JV and Varsity) 

 

Vero Beach is a larger town than Sebastian of course...and this means a few more jobs are available.  Indian River County is still not a job-mecca, but there are more jobs in their local area for sure.  The growth of Indian River County is...and always will be a retirement community. So, where does VBHS get all their kids?  TRADITION and WINNING will always bring kids to any school.  Also, generation upon generation have attended VBHS over the years.  Many of those generations played for the legendary coach BILLY LIVINGS at VBHS, so the the tradition is being carried on by Coach Lenny.  VBHS has the advantage of the following statement: "My Grandfather played at VBHS, My Daddy played at VBHS, and now I AM going to play at VBHS"  This is a tremendous advantage. 

 

Finally, during the days of VBHS only in the county, many of the big-money boosters established themselves at the school....and this is still happening today. The football program is not lacking in financial support to say the least. The rich history of Vero's 12th man is alive and well at the iconic Citrus Bowl home field.  VBHS plays 95% of all their games (at home) and the stadium is PACKED week after week.  Going to a VBHS football game is an event in itself. 

 

To wrap things up, the question still remains:  "Will SRHS EVER compete with VBHS?"  The answer is probably NO!  Not in our lifetime, and Not in Football anyway.  Not until the school boundaries are changed.  Not until industry has created jobs in this area.  NOT until young families relocate here to raise their kids.  NOT until SRHS has matured into an older tradition-rich school.  SRHS was not only fighting VBHS football, were were fighting TRADITION, ECONOMY, and everything else that goes along with it. 

 

Maybe now people will appreciate how hard we worked to put a competitive team on the field year after year. 

 

Later 

GZ

  



Injuries are for the Weak.

 

 

Legendary Coach Bill Wilson 

  

Our staff at Sebastian River High School (SRHS) could be so brutal toward one another.  At the slightest sign of weakness, the rest of the staff would generally pounce on our brother and beat him verbally until submission, and this could/would go on all season.  But, only we could get away with it....no one else was allowed to do it.   Brutal?  YES.  Funny?  Hell YES! 

 

The elder statesman in our group was the legendary Coach Bill Wilson.  We all had so much respect for this old man, and we all would generally leave him alone....but it did not mean he was COMPLETELY immune from our relentless teasing.  Of course, Wilson was constantly telling us "How It Used To Be" before players had all this "Fancy Equipment"  they have now.  Coach had a home remedy for just about everything.  I remember he once asked me to bring back (from Georgia) a five (5) gallon bucket of Georgia clay.  He was going to mix the clay with some vinegar (and other witchcraft ingredients) and wrap an injured athlete's leg or ankle with the clay mixture.  Somehow, Coach Wilson believed the clay would draw out the swelling and cure the injury.  Hey, when Coach Wilson asked me to do something, I just did as I was asked to do...no questions asked.  I gave him two nice buckets of freshly-dug Georgia clay.  I am not sure if he ever got to use it. 

 

The equipment used back in Coach Wilson's day was surely different, but did this mean the game was less violent?  I don't think so, but the nature of the injuries player's receive today are absolutely different....or are they?  Lets take a closer look...starting with cleats (Football Shoes) 

 



 

When I was in college, I once wrote a paper on football injuries.  Back in my day, ankle injuries were very common.  This was a time when schools actually used their cleats year after year until they wore out completely.  The old shoes never really fit correctly...they were usually too big, or too small, missing a spike here and there, or missing shoe laces.  You never really had a good fitting pair of cleats unless you doubled up, or tripled up on your socks.  Of course, the shoes offered no ankle stability at all, and arch support and shock absorption was unheard of.  Companies like  Hutch, Converse, Rawlings, Spaulding, and Puma  usually made the old school footwear. Ankle injuries were very, very common. 

 

The new shoes of today are much different, and much better than they have ever been.  Companies like: NIKE, Adidas, New Balance, Under Armor, Reebok, and others have completely changed athletic footwear as we know it.  Some of the shoes have gel inserts, some of the shoes have air pockets, some of the shoes have built-in springs.  Some of the shoes actually have a computer connection used to monitor how far an athlete has run etc..  Modern shoes are far lighter than anything we ever used, and far more expensive to say the least.  $250 Cleats are not uncommon. The ankle support is much better than it's ever been; nevertheless, Ankle sprains still happen, but not as often it seems. The major injuries seem to be traveling up the leg to the knee.  Coincidence?  I don't think so. 

 

Coach Wilson's Helmet (LOL)

Suspension Strap Helmet

 

Lightly Padded Football Helmet 

 

Modern Air Helmet  (Computer Monitored) 

 

Football helmets have changed the way we play football today without a doubt.  I have a theory on all this, so bear with me as I spew my self-taught way of thinking.  Lets get something straight right now.  I NEVER PLAYED without a facemask.  I NEVER PLAYED with lambs wool padding inside of my helmet.  I NEVER PLAYED with suspension straps inside my helmets.  However, my father did, and so did Coach Wilson in his day.  Did the players hit as hard back in the day?  Of course they did, but in a different way I think. 

 

Football helmets have evolved from a simple lightly-padded leather hat, to an ultra-modern air-suspension helmet which are monitored by a computer for safety.  Yet, we still have a rash of head concussions in today's game.  Why?  I don't know for sure, but I have my ideas. 

 

Back in the day (my day) I remember getting hit so hard in the head that I would actually see stars and blackout on the field.  I used to scream in pain because it hurt so much. My Coach used to say: "Shake out the stars, and get back in there."  In today;s world, this would be a major concussion, and I would be required to sit out for a week to a month.  However, back then, we never even heard of a concussion, so I guess it did not exist. It was just part of the game.  I do remember avoiding a head to head collision because: "That shit hurts" and tackling with my shoulder instead. I was not alone....we all suffered with injuries like this.  It was just the way it was. 

 

I believe that today's football equipment is TOO GOOD.  Now hear me out.  Football helmets are so good now, that a player is not afraid to deliver a blow with the crown of his helmet...like a big sledge hammer.  Players don't have the fear of blacking out like we used to.  Defensive players have got away from the fundamentals hoping to deliver the 'Big Hit" instead of hitting and wrapping up like we were taught to do.  Now days, the rules prohibit a defensive player from targeting an offensive player with helmet to helmet contact.  What exactly is targeting?  How can a defensive player avoid helmet to helmet contact?  No one seems to know the answer, but I know this much.  The game is played much different today than it ever was before. 

 

Different does not mean better.   

 

GZ



Living the Dream

Photos in this blog are borrowed from TC Palm #TCPrepzone .

Getting back to my Ric Flair Obsession. 

Ole Ric is pretty angry in this interview taken back in 1981.  You have to remember, professional wrestling was pretty boring until Flair came around.  'The Nature Boy' was a master of stirring up the audience, and the stands were usually packed when Flair came to town.  When you get the chance, go to YouTube and search for 'Ric Flair' and watch some of his old promos.  I watch the old promos all the time, and I laugh until my sides hurt.  The new generation can thank Ric Flair for paving the way for them on TV. 

 

FOOTBALL 

 

 

 

Fort Pierce Central vs Kissimmee Osceola 

 

Last Friday evening, I went down to Ft Pierce Lawnwood Stadium to watch (8A) Fort Pierce Central (FPC) and (7A) Kissimmee Osceola (KS) play in what we expected to be a great match-up between two state-ranked teams.  I met Coach Jefferson, Coach Perry and Coach Matthews down at the stadium.  FPC is in the same district as Vero Beach for the first time, so it would be fun to watch the state powerhouse play since spring ball.  Have they improved?  Can they improve?  We were about to find out. 

 

FPC is not unfamiliar to us at all.  They were a yearly opponent for us when we coached at Sebastian River, so we know this team very well.  I have viewed countless hours of FPC video over the years, so it was nice seeing them in a more relaxed atmosphere....for us!  Its weird.  FPC has not always been the juggernaut of a team they are now.  I remember looking at them on the sideline and asking the other coaches: "Can you imagine having all those athletes?"  Well, when the school boundaries changed, the balance of power shifted along with it...from Ft. Pierce Westwood to Ft. Pierce Central.  Since then, FPC has been tough to deal with.  They are blessed with size and speed. 

 

I am NOT a spread offense type of coach.  There, I said it.  The spread offense it the new rage in football right now, and it is being run at every level.  I truly believe the spread offense was born with 'Madden Football' video games....and that's why so many of the younger coaches love to run it.  Eventually, the defenses will catch up with it, and the game will evolve to something else.  But for now, it looks like the spread is here to stay for awhile.  I know the spread offense very well, and I teach it with gusto; however, I look at the spread offense a little differently. It has been proven that a team running a non-traditional offense is very difficult to prepare for.  This is why teams like Georgia Tech, Army, and NAVY are very dangerous.  When a football team sees so much spread during the year, it is very difficult to simulate an non-traditional opponent's offense with a scout team in a single week. 

 

KO opened the game in a spread offense, with a little Wing-T peppered in for good measure.  They ran several counters which kept the FPC team guessing much of the evening....and it kept the clock rolling.  I was happy to see KO go to a full Wing-T early in the second Qtr, and kept the FPC team on their heels guessing.  It was obvious that KO did not have much of a passing game threat Friday night, so the Wing-T was a perfect way to move the ball against the fast and aggressive defense of FPC. 

 

To be fair, FPC was missing their starting center, and their all-star linebacker on defense.  The timing of FPC's passing game (due to high snaps, low snaps etc..) was a little off all evening, and it showed on the field.  FPC also lost another lineman during the game, so it was a little confusing for them up front.  Also, many of the runs by KO would not have happened if their big linebacker played that evening.  Nevertheless, KO played FPC very tough, and the game was in question until the very end....in fact, KO should have won the game.  They outplayed FPC in every category...except the score.  I THINK the final score was 22-16 FPC.  It was a great game. 

 

 

Dalton Stokes

Look at PAT 

 

Another SPREAD team won big again on Friday evening.  Vero Beach (VB) put up another  31 Pt's against Lake Minneola of the Orlando area.  This team has continued to score points in huge chunks so far this season.  I read an amazing statistic.  In the first half of every game they played this season, VB has outscored their opponents 101-0.  VB and FPC will line up in three weeks for a crucial district game which should determine first and second place in their district.  Now THIS will be a great game. 

 

Later,

 

GZ



Shooting OFF at The Mouth

 

This Blog Entry Is Dedicated to my Son Mike. 

 

Sgt George M Zaleuke 

M4A1 Carbine with Grenade Launcher 

50 Caliber (Look at those shells) 

Mike's Stryker Moving Out...AWESOME 

I am going to apologize ahead of time for some colorful language I will be using in this blog entry.  Some of you may find this language disgusting, and some of you will find this language funny as hell.  If you don't want to read this blog entry, I understand.  I don't want to be vulgar, but I have to tell the story. 

 

"You guys are playing like you have dildos shoved up your asses" 

 

 

I once heard a football coach say this to a bunch of football players. I could not believe what I was hearing.  Coach R. was a defensive coordinator, and the defense was having a hard time on that day.  Truthfully, they did look a little flat-footed.  Coach called a time-out and gracefully invited the team to the sideline.  We both went out to greet the team and he was hot under the collar. All of a sudden, Coach R. blurted out the offending statement. I can still see his clinched teeth and his red face in my mind.  It was the worst thing I have ever heard on the football field, and I laughed until I got sick to my stomach.  Luckily, no one outside of the sideline heard the comment, because if they did, Coach R would have been fired...even then. 

 

 

Coach John Fey, Head Coach of Jensen Beach High School (JBHS)  was fired late last week for using "Inappropriate Language" during a team practice last Monday (Labor Day)  At least this was the official reason given by JBHS.  No other reason was given or even offered.  No one is really buying the story though, because what coach gets fired for cussing?  JBHS would not fire a coach for cussing......or would they?  In today's world of being politically correct, who the hell knows?  But it really makes no sense at all....there HAS to be something else to the dismissal. 

 

 



                                                           Vince Lombardi in a "Happier" time.

 

Football coaches don't all cuss.  Tony Dungy (former HC of the NFL's Colts) rarely raised his voice to his players at all.  Coach Bethel VERY RARELY cursed on the field, and if he did, he was asking God to forgive him immediately.  On the other hand, I used colorful language on occasion....mostly by accident.  I was never cursing the kids directly, I was mostly curing WHAT happened on a particular play.  Most of the coaches on our staff were like that.  Occasionally something slipped out, but we never made a habit of it.  Coach Bethel used to actually fine us for cursing on the field.  Bethel would actually keep track of who was cussing and fine us $1.00 for every one he heard.  I usually led the team in cussing fines.  Sometimes, I used to pre-pay the cuss jar ahead of time if I thought it was going to be a bad day.  Bethel used the cuss jar fines for things the kids needed. 

 

I will admit that I have heard some bad cussing on the field.... a lot of it by the player's themselves during a game.  Some of these "kids" are 17-18 years old, so it's going to happen.  We would generally say something to the offender and quickly move on.  "Mother Fucker" seems to be pretty popular among cursing terms these days.  I have heard it used in all sorts of ways....both good and bad believe it or not.  It is used sort of like the word DUDE.  Sort of a generic word for all occasions.

 

Hello:  "Dude!" 

Goodbye: "Dude."

Did Bad:  "duuuuude!"

Did Good: "DUDE!" 

Who is there: " ddd...dude?

 

Coaches rarely curse at the player...they curse at the situation....not that it makes it right.  Most coaches were competitors themselves, so frustration plays a part in his choice of words.  Also, most of us came from a time when cursing was EXPECTED from a football coach.  My coach used to call me a "Piece of Shit" as he grabbed my face mask and dragged me across the field.  That's how you knew a coach liked you back in the day.  Almost a bonding type of thing. LOL.  I miss those days. 

 

To ruin a man's career for "Inappropriate Language" is just wrong.  Why didn't the parents support their head coach?  There HAS to be more to this story.  I am not saying cursing by players or coaches is OK, but it does happen...at every level, every day.  Some people should quit protecting their "Babies" and let them experience the real world...how it really is. 

 

Later. 

GZ





Game Day Reflection

This Blog Dedicated to My Son 

This is My Hero:  Sgt George Zaleuke (Mike)

2nd Cavalry- Fox Troop   

 

This is a photograph of my son Mike in Full-Kit.  Can you imagine wearing close to 100 Lbs of extra gear in 100 degree heat?  This is exactly what these guys do every single day while defending our country.  I don't care what political side of the fence you reside...Republican, Democrat, or Tea Party.  We should NEVER, NEVER cut our military budget.  Our country needs to remain strong  at all times.  I miss my boy. 

 

Vero Beach vs Sebastian River 

 

 

Now, before I hear anything about my lack of photographs of Sebastian River, let me just say I am BORROWING a couple of photographs from #TCPrepzone website.  I just could not find many photographs of Sebastian on the net or #Facebook about this game.  I found a lot of pictures of Vero Beach, so I am going with that. 

 

Truthfully, the game was sort of surreal for me.  It felt strange being in the stands while watching my former team warm-up in the end zone.  I sat with several former coaches, and we were trying to figure out who was playing where, and what offense and what defense Sebastian (SR) was running.  It was strange sitting in the stands surrounded my so many fans and students for the first time....while trying to avoid any conversation about why we left.  Luckily, I was texting with my daughter, and posting on #Twitter about the game itself.  I watched a fired-up Sebastian run out of their end zone to the visiting team sidelines.  It was good to see the kids ready to play ball.  I kept telling Joe and Tony Brown that we would generally be cussing Vero Beach about this time...trying to get our self ready for the game. 

 

I then noticed something different in the Vero Beach (VB) endzone.   Vero Beach is generally led on the field by a flag-carrying senior football player.  Been this way for years.  Tonight, I noticed that the flag was in the hands of a 10th grader. Patrick Bethel #93 led his new team on the field carrying the huge flag and pole....such an honor for the young player.  Coach Bethel just glowed with pride.  It was kind of cool. 

 



 

For the first few minutes, SR held their own against the powerful VB team.  I think Zach Finnegan was putting some heat on the VB center, and there were a few high snaps which totally screw up the timing of the VB offense.  Mason Wilborn and Bubba Martinez were stuffing some running plays, and the timing on (VB QB) Dalton Stoke's throws were completely off.  VB was forced to punt after a three and out. 

 

The SR offense took the field.  Coach Wilson and I wondered: "What the hell are they running?"  The offense LOOKED familiar, but it was blocked differently.  SR is a zone blocking offense with little pulling or trapping that we saw.  The QB is still under center, and they still use a tight end.  They use jet motions across the formation quite often, and I noticed the QB is rolling from the pocket  most times.   I think I stated in an earlier blog that it takes about three years to completely install a high school offense, so I am sure it is a work in progress. 

 

The VB offense took the field again. I noticed that SR's 3-4 defense adjusted to Vero's spread differently.  VB QB Dalton Stokes hit a couple short passes and a couple of screens to loosen up the defense a little.  About this time, I told Coach Wilson:  "VB needs to go vertical right now"  Coach Janikowski dials up a beautiful vertical route, and it was out the gate.  Unfortunately, the game was about to get out of hand quickly.  The score was 35-0 at the half.  I felt badly for the SR kids, and I could see the dejection in their body language.  I have been on both sides of a beat-down, and it is never fun to be on the losing side. 

 

FHSAA rules say that if a team goes up by more than 28 points, the losing coach has the option of accepting a running clock for the second half of the game.  A running clock is just what it sounds like.  The clock never stops for anything other than a injury. 

 

The ENTIRE second half lasted about 30 minutes.  Time just flew by.  SR finally scored against VB's back-ups late in the 4th qtr.  Final score was 42-7.  I stayed up in the stands for a short time talking with the other coaches, and we were all kind of shell-shocked to say the least.  It was hard to watch your former team take a beating like that, but we all expected it.  In fact, if the clock was not running in the second half, the score would have been much worse. I watched as the VB players greeted Coach Bethel in the endzone which sort of made me emotional.  I milled around a little talking with parents and former players....  I was glad I went to the the game.   

 

I will hit you guys up later. 

 

GZ