View Message Board Guidelines
 |
Author |
TOPIC: Lake Orion @ Clarkston v 2.0 |
| oaared
October 25, 2009
7:36:27 PM
Entry #: 3316116
| I'm not going to discuss or make predictions until Friday...and I already have a different kind of game breakdown planned for Friday morning...but for anyone else who wants to discuss this, here's a topic.
P.S. - One thing I will say is that I already know that besides states last year this will be the most hyped up football game for Lake Orion students since LO/Clarkston in the '06 playoffs.
|
|
| the original jake
October 25, 2009
9:11:33 PM
Entry #: 3316259
| Good to hear the LO students will be hyped up for this one. Hopefully the LO players and coaches will be as well !!
They did not look prepared at all last Friday. There is an opinion out there that Lake Orion held back somewhat last week against Clarkston, figuring on a re-match happenning again this week. I guess it's possible, but I'm not believing it. They have some serious work to do this week !!!
|
|
| Boonazz
October 25, 2009
10:03:33 PM
Entry #: 3316343
| 42 to 21 morale busting beat down does not sound like a good Hold Back strategey under any circumstances.
|
|
| Stich2
October 25, 2009
11:13:57 PM
Entry #: 3316413
| it was 42-13... overcrediting them! It was dreadful. Pathetic. They looked LAZY. Youtube the Jim Mora postgame speeches for an idea.
|
|
| Boonazz
October 25, 2009
11:39:16 PM
Entry #: 3316437
| For what it is worth ...Lake Orion is NOT that gad of a team. They got caught on an off day and things got out of hand. Lets just say Clarkston capitalized on the moment and did not let up. Like any good team would do. All this being said and looking objectively at this rematch Lake Orion can win this game BUT.....they will have to bring their A Game with confidence. I say may the BEST team win and go beat Grand Blanc for the District Crown.
|
|
| LOfan-67
October 26, 2009
9:42:51 AM
Entry #: 3316768
| My take on the 1st game. I knew going in that the weather was a huge plus for Clarkston. Orion's playbook shrunk a lot. Orion's recievers were getting open - they just could not hold onto the ball. The defense was not as bad as the score appeared. The turnovers and 3 and outs just played right into Clarkstons' strengths. I expect a much closer game - I just hope the weather is a bit better. I also think Romeo has an excellent chance of beating GB. They are used to playing on grass and Ben Brown should do well against a less then stellar defense. If Romeo does win the Clarkston /Orion winner will get them at home. Clarkston would love to give Romeo a little payback for last year.
|
| oaared
October 26, 2009
1:10:01 PM
Entry #: 3317190
| Rain is once again a possibility on Friday...hoping it doesn't happen.
|
|
| oaared
October 29, 2009
1:05:27 PM
Entry #: 3321220
| Game preview will be up tomorrow morning. I'll explain the 5 things Lake Orion needs to do differently this time around to beat Clarkston, and if I think they'll get the job done.
|
| OAAscouts
October 29, 2009
5:59:20 PM
Entry #: 3321601
| Did you call Chris Bell and Dave Tooley to set them stright yet?
Good luck... enjoy the Mosh from Clarkston, Michigan.
|
|
| oaared
October 29, 2009
6:09:01 PM
Entry #: 3321608
| Trust me...Lake Orion is preparing much better this week.
Even if the Dragons lose, it will be much closer. Hoping for a win though...
|
|
| oaared
October 29, 2009
10:01:53 PM
Entry #: 3321778
| Preview...why not post it tonight...
#15 LAKE ORION DRAGONS @ #5 CLARKSTON WOLVES
Friday, October 30th, 7:00 p.m.
Wolves Den
As we all know, Lake Orion laid a huge egg at Clarkston just last week, losing 42-13 and really getting dominated in all phases of the game. However, Lake Orion gets a shot at redemption this week, as they play at Clarkston for the second week in a row, this time in a district semifinal playoff game. Anyone who has followed this rivalry in the last few years knows that last week’s result means absolutely nothing for this week’s game. In 2006, Lake Orion beat Clarkston 32-8 in Clarkston, but the Wolves then traveled to Lake Orion two weeks later and ended the Dragons perfect season, 34-14. In 2007, Clarkston defeated a wounded Lake Orion team in Clarkston 21-19. Just two weeks later, however, a healthier Lake Orion team returned the favor 30-27, knocking a 9-1 Clarkston team out of the playoffs. So, it’s obvious that Lake Orion can beat Clarkston this time around. However, to have a good shot at doing so, the Dragons need to do 5 things better this week. Here’s my breakdown of the 5 things Lake Orion needs to do this week to beat Clarkston, from least important to most important.
1) Don’t Overlook Clarkston
It’s pretty obvious that Lake Orion overlooked Clarkston last week. The Dragons came in expecting a victory, and got absolutely run out of town by Clarkston. Watching the game, I can honestly say that it didn’t look like Lake Orion watched any film, as they were completely unprepared for Clarkston’s offensive attack. Dakota Bender and Tyler Scarlett picked apart the Dragon defense all night long, running an option attack that Lake Orion was unprepared to defend, and therefore unable to stop. I am confident that this time around, Lake Orion isn’t overlooking Clarkston and will come ready to play tomorrow night.
2) Put Some Pressure On Scarlett
It honestly was not a stretch to say that Tyler Scarlett had a perfect game last week. He outran a weary Lake Orion defense for 150+ yards and 3 TD’s. In addition, when he decided to drop back and pass, he had unlimited time to do so. This resulted in a nearly perfect passing night for Scarlett and the Wolves. When they needed a huge 3rd or 4th down conversion, they almost always got it, which left the Dragons defense on the field for long periods of time and basically killed any chance of a Lake Orion comeback in the 2nd half. If Lake Orion wants to stay in the game this time around, they need to force Scarlett into 3 and outs and, preferably, a few turnovers as well. I have heard that Lake Orion will have some more strategies for putting some pressure on Scarlett this week, so I think they have a decent chance at forcing him into a few mistakes.
3) Better Playcalling
There’s no mistake about it, the playcalling last week was an absolute debacle. Just off the top of my head, here’s some of the things I can remember that were wrong about the playcalling. First of all, the playcalling was dreadfully predictable. Basically, I remember a run on 1st down, a run on 2nd down, and then a pass on 3rd down (until LO got down 21-0, at which point the run was basically abandoned). Chris Bell is a great motivator, but as a playcaller I really wish he’d be less predictable. The sequence of plays last week inevitably resulted in many 3rd and 6+ situations which of course are difficult to convert. And the specific plays that were called were not good, either. As far as runs went last week, it was the same predictable run up the middle, which Clarkston caught onto quickly. The one time Lake Orion ran a reverse, Dan Ney ran for 40 yards. Why not throw in a few more reverses to keep Clarkston honest? And the passing calls last week were not suited to Sean Charette’s strengths at all. Most people I’ve talked to agree that Charette is better when he rolls out, so why were there so many three-step drops and then launch the ball deep passes last week? In high school, you cannot throw it to a spot and expect it to be caught because the receiver and quarterback will almost never execute the play perfectly at a high school level, no matter how good they are. And surely enough, that play worked one time last week, on Dan Ney’s 4th and 14 TD Reception to close the gap to 28-13. The bottom line is that tomorrow I hope to see more diversified playcalling, and plays that work to Lake Orion’s strengths.
4) Less Sloppy On Offense
The Dragons left points on the board last week. Kim Bruce, for some reason, tried to bounce outside on all of his runs, despite the fact that he’s a power runner, whose normal style is actually suited quite well to rainy conditions. And the receivers dropped several passes that would have been big plays. Most notably, Dan Ney dropped what would have been a sure TD reception to close the gap to 21-13 with plenty of time still left. That play was a 14 point swing, because on the next play, Charette threw an interception, and Clarkston scored a few plays later. You can’t expect to beat a team as good as Clarkston if you beat yourselves, and Lake Orion can’t afford to leave more points on the board tomorrow.
5) Stop The Option!
Despite my criticisms of the Lake Orion offense, the Dragons probably couldn’t have won this game even if the offense had a nearly perfect night. This is because the defense could not make a stop to save its life. Clarkston executed the option (not a true option like Adams runs, but close enough) to perfection, and Lake Orion had no hopes of stopping it. Every time the Wolves needed a big play, they got it, repeatedly extinguishing any hopes of a Lake Orion comeback. Dakota Bender had an absolutely monstrous game, and, as mentioned earlier, so did Tyler Scarlett. Together they averaged around 6 yards per carry, which means that they needed less than 2 plays on average to make a 1st down. Lake Orion needs to limit Scarlett and Bender to around 4 yards per carry tomorrow. I have no doubt that the Lake Orion offense will perform better, but it won’t matter if the defense once again can’t get off the field. If Lake Orion can’t stop the option, they won’t win tomorrow. It’s as simple as that, and that is why stopping the option is the most important thing for the Dragons to do tomorrow.
Bottom Line:
There’s are many intangibles going for Lake Orion tomorrow night. The fact that the team that loses in the regular season usually wins in the playoffs, the fact that their special teams are, in my opinion, the best in the state, the fact that they will be hungry to prove themselves. I could go on and on…but, when it comes down to it, I think the unfortunate fact is that Clarkston has a complete offensive and defensive team this year. Combined with the fact that the weather will once again favor the option-style offense that Clarkston runs, and I just can’t see Lake Orion winning this one, no matter how much I want them to. I’ve tried thinking of ways to justify picking Lake Orion, but I just can’t, so I’ll reluctantly take Clarkston to win a wacky game in the rain and wind tomorrow night (I’ve accounted for missed extra points in my prediction). I think Lake Orion will play their best, I think they’ll come much closer, I just don’t think it will be enough.
WOLVES 26 DRAGONS 22
|
|
| the original jake
October 30, 2009
2:21:50 PM
Entry #: 3322488
| Spot on oaared !!
I thought that Clarkston would win last weeks game relatively easily, and they did. One week later, same two teams, same field, same playing conditions....why will this game be any different???
Because LO was embarassed last week at Clarkston, and because there is a tremendous amount of pride in that program. I fully expect the Dragons to be much more prepared then they were last week, and to show a few new schemes on both offense and defense. How confused would Clarkston be if Lake Orion came out throwing the ball over the field. Would love to see passing on 1st down. Get started with some effective passing, to open up a few lanes for the RB's to attack.
Also could Clarkston come into this game a bit over confident? Clarkston is a great team, but they are not 4 TD's better than Orion.
Predicted that Clarkston would win last weeks game easily.
This week I am going with Lake Orion in an upset special. Lake O 27 Clarkston 24.
Nothing better than celebrating on the 50 tonight !!
|
|
| Boonazz
October 30, 2009
4:08:48 PM
Entry #: 3322610
| Oaared
Great job..we will find out tonight if the Dragons can pull it off! Its 4:00pm and the weather is holding up. Crossing my fingers no rain... Plzzzzz no rain!
Boon Out
|
|
| Brokenwalls
October 30, 2009
4:52:33 PM
Entry #: 3322654
| I feel it's Clarkstons year. It might e closer, but they still win by a touchdown.
|
|
| oaared
October 30, 2009
5:41:39 PM
Entry #: 3322684
| Heading out to the Wolves Den now! GOOD LUCK DRAGONS!
|
|
| the original jake
October 30, 2009
11:11:48 PM
Entry #: 3322841
| Congratulations to the Clarkston Wolves !!
They proved that they were definelty the better of these two teams this year.
But oh my god did LO ever have a great oppurtunity to steal this one away.
First the good...LO's defense played much much better tonight. Probably their best game of the year. The adjustments that coach Tooley made, especially applying constant pressure up the middle, and moving the secondary closer to the line of scrimmage were a tremendous success. The option that Clarkston ran so effectively last week was pretty much nuetralized. However, with the game on the line on the deciding drive by Clarkston, Clarkston converted a 3rd and 6, a 3rd and 10, a 3rd and 8, and a 4th and 8 for a 31yd TD reception. Make a stop on any of those plays and LO has the ball, down by three, with around 7 minutes to go.
and the bad.... To say the offensive play calling was horrendous would be an understatement. Basically LO ran two plays tonight, hand the ball to the WR in motion and run outside, or fake it to the WR and give it to the RB up the middle. I've seen many LO games since Bell took over in 2000, this by far was one of the worst. All of these "weapons" on the LO offense, and absolutely no creativity at all.
Really surprised and a little stumped on the use of QB Charette this year. After last years success, would have thought he would have been much more of a factor this season.
and the ugly...IMO The referees were really bad in this game. There were several critical calls against LO at crucial times, including a holding call on Ney's 60+ yd TD run which would have put the Dragons up 14-10 late in the 3rd. The ref's and the questionable calles definelty were a factor.
But Lake Orion failed to capitalize and make Clarkston pay for their mistakes. Charettes int at the end of the first half at the Clarkston 10 was very critical. 7 or even 3 points right there, probably make this a very different game.
After last seasons state runner-up finish and returning so many players back this season, 7-3 and a 1st round playoff exit has to be extremely dissapointing to the LO program. It's been awhile since LO failed to advance past the 1st round, not too sure what to do next Friday.
Oh Roch Adams vs Brother Rice sounds pretty tempting, see you all in the hot chocolate line !!
|
|
| oaared
October 30, 2009
11:23:34 PM
Entry #: 3322847
| Damn it...that's really all I have to say. So many missed opportunities for LO. Turnovers, penalties, horrible play calling, a defensive breakdown on Clarkston's last drive...the bottom line is that LO had many chances to make the game close and just couldn't (Jake summed it up better than me).
At least the student section and mosh were awesome in the last LO football game of my high school career. I'll probably hit up a few more hs games later in the playoffs w/ friends...but there's really no point in me posting on here anymore now that my team is eliminated and I'm a senior...so consider this my "sign off". It was good talking to you all.
|
|
| Boonazz
October 31, 2009
6:53:33 PM
Entry #: 3323311
| I understand ...U do what u feel U must do. Im sorry that ur walking away disappointed because you put so much time into your analysis. We will all miss you ... and you are invited back anytime with your comments, opinions and analysis! Take care OAAred!
|
|
| Stich2
October 31, 2009
7:09:11 PM
Entry #: 3323327
| I'm actually kinda excited. Many returning "weapons" and a preseason OAA Red favorite most likely.. Maybe adding more than three plays to the playbook?
|
|
