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