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[quote=oneijoe]For SURE, it would be wonderful to have a team 2-deep everywhere with no both-ways players. What school wouldn't like that ?!?

The problem is the math. Not counting special teams, a minimum of 44 players are required to field a team with that much depth. This makes no allowance for players who move away, quit, or are injured. This also assumes the breakdown of those 44 players fit the position needs of the offense and defense.

When one considers more than 1/2 the teams in the state don't field 44 to begin, it's easy to see what a pipe-dream a two-way, two-deep team is. (lolol...if I'd known this thread was intended as yet another Highlands 'what we did wrong' discussion, I wouldn't have entered it - many of you HHS ppl don't realize how good you have it)

With all that said, there ARE positions which demand competent depth more than others. [COLOR="blue"] As much running as WRs and DBs do [/COLOR](more with pass-heavy play), it is -still- not as physically demanding as pushing >200lb guys each and every play. I submit the OL and DL are THE most important positions in which fresh players are needed (with FB/LB not far behind).

Injuries were a big problem for Highlands this year; you already have your top talent divided between O and D so when you have injuries you are dipping in to what is essentially 3 or 4th string talent, and in Highlands case this year, it really showed on the field. The went all in with the 2 platoon and stuck with it regardless of injuries and it bit them in the behind.
It always cracks me up when people talk about WR/RB's getting tired. I can not speak for linemen as I was WR, but the average play is 3 seconds and then a nice rest between plays. These are young kids who can go all day long. I ran CC and track so maybe I had more endurance than some, but I was never winded in football and thought football practice was a piece of cake compared to CC and track.