Post by aceback76 on Nov 16, 2017 11:29:27 GMT -6
ESIRE TO WIN:
I have broken down close to 100 high school football games (on HUDL) going back to this past August 2017. The NUMBER ONE thing that “jumps out at me”, causing lack of success on the part of the teams, is that many players give an effort for a few seconds, then become SPECTATORS (not “PLAYING "TO THE WHISTLE”)!
The best way to explain what I am looking for in this respect, is to quote from Bud Wilkinson's great book on the “Split-T” written back in 1952. This drives the point home better than anything I have seen (pages 2 & 3):
“Our quarterback, Claude Arnold, called an end run to the right. Leon Heath, our fullback, was assigned to block the defensive end in on the play so that our halfback, Billy Vessels, could swing wide. The spectators watched the ball carrier, Vessels, cut inside the end, pause momentarily, reverse his field, and cut back along the line of scrimmage to the far sidelines, then swing down the field 67 yards to a touchdown which proved to be the decisive play of the game.
Spectators and writers alike applauded Vessels' great run. The next Monday, as coaches do, we analyzed the play carefully in the game movies and learned that our fullback, Leon Heath, had put on the greatest blocking exhibition that I have ever seen on a single play. This performance would not have been possible but for his terrific DESIRE to play to the last ounce of his energy until the whistle blew.
In watching Heath we learned that he had done the following things. 1) As I have said, his assignment was to block the end in. The Nebraska end, however, boxed so deeply that Heath was forced to take him out. This enabled Vessels to cut back inside the end. This FIRST block on the play. 2) As Vessels cut in he was delayed momentarily by the defensive tackle, and as he was slowed up the Nebraska linebacker closed in. Our movies clearly showed No. 40 (Heath) swinging across and smashing the linebacker out of the play. This was Heath's SECOND block on the play. 3) Vessels was now able to cut back across the field to the opposite sideline. As he hit the sidelines he turned toward the Nebraska goal. Then, after advancing some 40 downfield, he found himself pinned against the sidelines by a Nebraska Cornerback. Once again, No. 40 flashed into view to eliminate the last defender via a perfect block, thus enabling Vessels to score standing up. This was Heath's THIRD block on the play.
In analyzing the play described above two factors became immediately apparent: a) Heath did much more than carry out his normal, and b) the physical effort involved in blocking three men amd moving 96 yards at a sprinting pace to get at the three opponents is something that cannot be accomplished by anyone who does not have a burning DESIRE to play everything to the hilt!
Unless a team posses more of this quality than the opponent, it is virtually impossible for superior technical football to prevail.
I have broken down close to 100 high school football games (on HUDL) going back to this past August 2017. The NUMBER ONE thing that “jumps out at me”, causing lack of success on the part of the teams, is that many players give an effort for a few seconds, then become SPECTATORS (not “PLAYING "TO THE WHISTLE”)!
The best way to explain what I am looking for in this respect, is to quote from Bud Wilkinson's great book on the “Split-T” written back in 1952. This drives the point home better than anything I have seen (pages 2 & 3):
“Our quarterback, Claude Arnold, called an end run to the right. Leon Heath, our fullback, was assigned to block the defensive end in on the play so that our halfback, Billy Vessels, could swing wide. The spectators watched the ball carrier, Vessels, cut inside the end, pause momentarily, reverse his field, and cut back along the line of scrimmage to the far sidelines, then swing down the field 67 yards to a touchdown which proved to be the decisive play of the game.
Spectators and writers alike applauded Vessels' great run. The next Monday, as coaches do, we analyzed the play carefully in the game movies and learned that our fullback, Leon Heath, had put on the greatest blocking exhibition that I have ever seen on a single play. This performance would not have been possible but for his terrific DESIRE to play to the last ounce of his energy until the whistle blew.
In watching Heath we learned that he had done the following things. 1) As I have said, his assignment was to block the end in. The Nebraska end, however, boxed so deeply that Heath was forced to take him out. This enabled Vessels to cut back inside the end. This FIRST block on the play. 2) As Vessels cut in he was delayed momentarily by the defensive tackle, and as he was slowed up the Nebraska linebacker closed in. Our movies clearly showed No. 40 (Heath) swinging across and smashing the linebacker out of the play. This was Heath's SECOND block on the play. 3) Vessels was now able to cut back across the field to the opposite sideline. As he hit the sidelines he turned toward the Nebraska goal. Then, after advancing some 40 downfield, he found himself pinned against the sidelines by a Nebraska Cornerback. Once again, No. 40 flashed into view to eliminate the last defender via a perfect block, thus enabling Vessels to score standing up. This was Heath's THIRD block on the play.
In analyzing the play described above two factors became immediately apparent: a) Heath did much more than carry out his normal, and b) the physical effort involved in blocking three men amd moving 96 yards at a sprinting pace to get at the three opponents is something that cannot be accomplished by anyone who does not have a burning DESIRE to play everything to the hilt!
Unless a team posses more of this quality than the opponent, it is virtually impossible for superior technical football to prevail.