Point After: Week 3 Needs Some Work
Potomac Falls tailback Michael Baker has Panther fans thinking Dulles District title in 2008. The Panthers will be there when the dust settles as a title contender based on what I saw on Friday night.
Photo By: Marc Gold / Gameday Magazine | VIEW GALLERY
The Park View Patriots grabbed a crucial win on Saturday over Handley 17-14. The celebration looked like one we saw last year in the playoffs. It was a big win for the Patriots.
Photo By: Jeff Schryver / Gameday Magazine | VIEW GALLERY
The Oakton Cougars and the T.C Williams Titans played a close game on Saturday. Despite the 39-23 score, the Cougars and Titans were neck and neck for most of the game....
Photo By: Marc Gold / Gameday Magazine | VIEW GALLERY
I now know why the NFL is the most popular sports league in the world. Every week, every game, and every team is exciting to watch. Week three of the 2008 high school football season minus a few exceptions was far from exciting to watch. If you watched the Paintworx Scoreboard like I did on Friday night, you know what I'm talking about. Several teams were leading by 5 touchdowns or more at the half, and that makes for some boring radio. Sorry, did I say that out loud?
Honestly, the football scheduling folks need to take a look at the second week of September and swap some games being played in the first week to make things more exciting for the fans. While I know that is hard to predict, for the second straight year, this week of the season has been a yawner.
On Friday, Bruce Bornarth and I were at Potomac Falls to see the Panthers for the first time this year. They played well en route to a 31-14 win over Jefferson, WV, and they now have a bye week before they begin district play at 3-0. For the first time in years, Potomac Falls is playing dominant football in the trenches, and for that reason, I believe this team has a legit chance to win the Dulles District. That's a bold statement, but when the Panthers line up against Broad Run, Heritage, and Briar Woods, they will not be outmanned on the lines. That should make for some exciting football.
If you haven't been out to watch tailback Michael Baker for Potomac Falls, then you are missing out on a really good football player. Baker is on the field on nearly every play as either a running back or linebacker. He simply never comes off the field, and that makes the Panthers better.
The only weakness this team may have is their depth, and when they play in a hard fought game late in the season, my questions would hinge around whether or not so many two way players can stay healthy, and fresh enough to win. That could be the only thing standing in the way for the Panthers.
Raiders Shock The Region:
The Loudoun County Raiders were one of the exceptions that I mentioned above on Friday night, beating the James Wood Colonels 21-14 on the road. While many believed the Raiders could make a move this season, this win shows they have arrived now, and everyone in the Dulles District should take notice immediately. James Wood is a good football team, and they are physical in the trenches.
For the Raiders to bounce back after a lopsided defeat to Handley last week like this shows me they are definitely going to run with the rest of the pack in the Dulles District in 2008. Todd Hill has this program heading toward championships, and the Raider Nation should be extremely excited after this win.
Cougars Struggled With T.C Williams, Then Pulled Away:
Back in August, I wrote a story that you can read again here, that said on September 13th, 2008, Oakton should be on upset alert on the road against T.C Williams. The Cougars returned 18 starters from last year, and after many of the kids on the team read the story and my proclamation, they were a little fired up. I received a call from one parent of a player who said, "You just fired up every kid at Oakton with that statement."
Well, on Saturday the Cougars won against the Titans 39-23, but trailed 10-0 at the half. In fact, Oakton only led by a few points with 5 minutes to go in the game. Oakton is a good football team, and they will be a factor in the Concorde when it is all said and done, but T.C Williams is better than their record shows. They have athletes, and they play hard against the Cougars, which is why I picked this game to be an upset alert for Oakton. Since I got slammed last week on my prediction of Stone Bridge and Robinson, I figured I could gloat some on this one.....
How Bout Them Patriots!
Imagine the feelings of joy that Park View's players and coaches felt after Saturday's win over Handley. The first game against Herndon wasn't close, the second game against Jefferson in the rain should have been a win, and then you see arguably one of the hotter teams in the region in Handley. Certainly, most of the experts like Tom Whipple and I picked Handley in this one based on how they started the season beating Harrisonburg and Loudoun County on the road. But something happened on Saturday that I witnessed that should give Patriot fans some real hope for this season.
Park View was faced with a dire scenario; score a touchdown with less than a minute to go, or fall to 0-3. Oh yeah, they had to do it with a new quarterback, who had never been in that situation before. Enter Sawyer Hackett. Hackett and the Patriots marched down the field and on 3rd and 12, the right handed signal caller threw the pass of his life, hitting teammate Drew Mason in the end zone for the winning touchdown. This win exemplifies what high school football is all about, and the Patriots could gain the confidence needed to regain their swagger in the Dulles District. We'll find out in two weeks when they see another team with a new found swagger, the Loudoun County Raiders.
Where's The Offer?
After three weeks of the season, Stone Bridge senior quarterback Patrick Thompson has accounted for 9 touchdowns, helped the Bulldogs score 154 points in three games, and has beaten three playoff teams from last year already. Yet there is no offer from the next level? I've witnessed some of our local athletes in the past who were undersized and not the size, make, and model to play at the next level, but this kid can play. He's 6'2 205lbs, so size is not a problem. All he does is throw touchdown passes and win games, and for that matter, championships. Look, the time is now for a college program in need of a quarterback who will without question play his best football two or three years from now, to make the kid an offer. He threw 31 touchdown passes last year, and my guess is, he will come close to that this year, even though it is highly possible he could only truly play in 5 full regular season games. That's right, 5 full games. The way Stone Bridge is beating people as witnessed by Friday's shellacking of Marshall 63-0, Thompson's stats won't be even remotely close to what they could be if he played four quarters in every game this season. Case closed if you ask me.
Behind The Scenes With Yours Truly On Gameday:
Most of you won't read this and get a laugh, or even a smirk, but my staff will. Those that have been working at Gameday for the past several years have learned how stressful Gameday's can be for everyone, and especially for me. We should probably produce a television show highlighting Friday's with Gameday. Then again, I think I will pass, and my staff knows why.
Putting 9 games on live radio every Friday night is no easy task, in fact, it can be painful. Our office has between 10-20 visitors on Fridays picking up equipment, loading last minute radio spots, and checking troubleshooting items one last time before we hit the airwaves. It is what I like to call organized chaos.
While I'm not always the most fun to be around on Gameday's, my staff puts up with me and goes about their business. I can't tell you how proud I am of my team at Gameday. They work so hard to bring the games to you each week, and they do it because they love covering high school sports for our area teams, players, fans, and coaches. They do it with class and dignity, and for that, I am a very proud head coach so to speak. Next time you see someone from Gameday's Radio Crew other than me, make sure you give them a pat on the back because they are also Friday night warriors doing everything they can to help bring the kids more exposure. Just don't ask them about what it is like to work with Hayes before the games on Fridays!
Notes: Stay tuned for some expanded coverage of the Chantilly vs Westfield rivalry game coming up on Friday night. This game is a classic every year, and we will be out in full force with both schools and programs.
As always, please e-mail your comments to us or me here at GamedayMagazine@aol.com ......We'd love to hear your thoughts on our coverage and also your views of the local gridiron scene.
