[EKUAlum05]

Belfry may have a better defense than JC or Highlands; I haven't seen Belfry play so I wouldn't know. As I mentioned in another post, Highlands D isn't designed to stop run offenses of the sort utilized by JC and Belfry. A 3-5 is designed more to stop the open offenses seen almost everywhere other than the mountains. Sure we walked up our outside lbers up and in effect converted it to a 5-3, but those outside defensive ends were still manned by small lbers not built to stop a pounding run attack. Our most physical lber being on the sidelines with a knee injury didn't help our run defense either. Then again, it didn't help JC's offense that their QB had an ankle injury and wasn't near as effective running the ball as he would have been if he was healthy.

And since Belfry didn't play Highlands, it's really hard to say if Belfry would have fared any better defending our passing attack than JC did. Other than perhaps Trinity, I think Highlands may have the best passing attack in the state this year (I have to use the word "may" because I haven't seen every team play). And we aren't just a passing team. Some posters seem to forget that we ran the ball pretty well against JC's defense. I think we averaged over 7 yds per carry, which isn't too shabby. When a defense has to defend not only a very good passing game but a very good running game also, it really puts pressure on the D and can dilute the strength of a defense. I'm guessing (and I'll admit it's a guess) that Belfry hasn't had to face a team that has the quality of passing game and running game that Highlands has this year. But perhaps I'm wrong.

And I'll again disagree that Highlands played a mistake free game. We didn't have any turnovers, but we did make some very costly mistakes. If we don't have the holding penalty on the run that took the ball to JC's one yard line before halftime, I'm betting we score a td. Instead, we get backed up, miss a field goal and come away with nothing. Instead of it being 14-7 Highlands at half, its 7-7. If we convert on that opportunity and again score on our first possession to put us up 21-7 instead of 14-7, it would have probably taken JC out of their very effective running game much earlier in the second half. If that happened, the fumble for a Highlands TD probably becomes meaningless. So, at least in my opinion, the holding call against Highlands on that play was a very big mistake.

We also had another very costly holding penalty under the shadows of our own goal post in the second half on a pass play to Conner that moved the football out to JC's 40. It got called back and instead of having great field position and a drive still alive, we ended up punting deep in our territory, gave JC great field position and JC did what great teams do, they took advantage of our mistake and scored.

Given our ability to move the ball on JC's defense, take away those costly penalties, we may have scored two more touchdowns. I know that penalties, like fumbles, are part of the game, but I just wanted to reaffirm that Highlands DID have some very costly mistakes on Offense that at least in my opinion did result in Highlands scoring at least one and maybe two less touchdowns that they should have scored.

And I don't mean in any way to take anything away from JC. I was one of the few Highlands fans very concerned about JC. I'd seen them in person and on tape several times and knew their O would present all kinds of problems for our D and would score points. . And they did. JC's kids are very, very tough and played their hearts out. I have a lot of respect for the JC team. From what I know they have a lot of kids coming back (as does Highlands) so I have a feeling that JC will get the opportunity to try and avenge this season's loss.

Belfry would create a few more problems for Highlands than JC. The Pirates running game is just as good as JC's if not better, additionally the Pirates have a 3 year starter at QB who is considerably more accurate and is yet to throw an INT this entire season.

Defensuvely I have no doubt saying that Highlands WR's would be able to get open and burn Belfry similar to the JC game. That ebing said, it appeared to me what killed JC was their inability to pressure the QB, Belfry is much better suited for that with Lee, Hall, and Coleman up front.

I have no dillusions that Belfry is an overall better team than JC, but the Pirates definately could play the Birds close and pull out a victory if a couple breaks went their way. Highlands though would be about 2-3 TD's better on any given night. They are simply put one of the three best teams in the state and there is a dropoff to the rest of the teams.

[Mr.Kimball]

The Bluebirds did just what the people who know football outside the Mountains thought they would do.

Good luck in 2009 JC!

Gee , aren't you the guy who said that Highlands would beat JC by 45+. You must be another one of those guys in the mountains that don't know squat as well.

[DevilsWin]

Gee , aren't you the guy who said that Highlands would beat JC by 45+. You must be another one of those guys in the mountains that don't know squat as well.

I knew they would win. All I was wrong about was the margin of Victory.

I really hoped JC would win.