CrankyOldMan

Melissa may just be that team of destiny this year. Ennis had their chances but just couldn’t execute. After the long punt return I don’t understand why Ennis got pass happy after two good runs by #25. They could’ve run the clock and scored a touchdown to end it right there but got stupid.

Ennis better physically then expected but they sure do have alot of brain ####. Melissa is beatable but no team all year has taken advantage of a not very good secondary, #8 excluded, except China Spring. #9 on Melissa proving week end and week out he is almost unguardable in single coverage.

Not to mention the stank from the feedlot nearby and a mulch plant. It is not an aesthetically pleasing site thats for sure. All the low level, starter home housing going around the school is an eyesore too.

Melissa historically beat bad teams bad and lost to good teams. The coaching staff has matured over the years and they don’t do the stupid stuff that lost them games in the past. There is still a little bit of playing down to the competition with this group but not like in years past. If HV is like Denison and has a mobile passing QB they could have some success but probably not enough to win. Im wondering if Melissa will stick with the 4-2-5 base defense they used last week going forward. It was genius against LJ and they stopped the run just fine with the front 6 and tremendously limited LJ’s vertical passing. There just wasn’t anywhere to attack them in that alignment. To beat Melissa you are going to have to do to them what they did to Lovejoy and that is slow down the passing attack because they won’t beat you just by the run but your gonna need some dudes. If you don’t pay special attention to #9 like LJ failed to do you will get beat.

Melissa has always had talent now it seems the coaching is finally not losing games that otherwise should have been won. They schemed LJ masterfully especially on defensive side so much that LJ’s offense was pretty ineffective. If they can continue scheming at a high level Melissa can go very far because talent has never been an issue over last 4-5 years.

Melissa was definitely the better team. Very sloppy game by both teams and the refs. Melissa D was pretty strong with a unconventional 3 safety/umbrella look which LJ never solved. LJ has a QB issue that was exposed. Melissa offense was good enough even after all the turnovers. LJ just let #9 of Melissa run free all night and never changed their D on him it appeared and it cost them. #9 for Melissa was best player on the field and it wasn’t even close. Without him they lose by 2 TD’s. Kid is a beast. LJ was out-coached and outplayed and the right team won.

Leopards rollover.

Melissa @ Lovejoy moved back to Thursday.

I agree that Melissa’s D has step up to give them a chance and some of their dudes disappear at times. LJ’s receivers (all power 5, D-1 recruits) have an enormous advantage over the Melissa secondary. Melissa is trying another kid, #7, at safety to give them a little size. If #2 from Melissa can get home on a consistent basis it will help tremendously but I suspect they double him most of the night if he is getting pressure.

Finally two best teams in the district get to play after 6 weeks of playing no one of any substance. Who you got? I’ll say LJ 49-21 over the Melissa.

Finally done with the all the awful district games and finally get to see the top two teams square off. Hard to get a gauge how LJ and Melissa are playing because the competition they have played the last month and a half has been terrible. I gotta go with LJ as I think the match up disparity they have with their receivers vs. the Melissa secondary is enormous. Melissa has one good safety but the other safety and both corners are way overmatched in this one. Plus LJ is at home I think leads to a pretty big victory by LJ. I’ll say it will be something like 42-21 LJ.

I am not very familiar with Lovejoy honestly so I will take your word on them. I am largely basing my assessment on Melissa on the last two games they have played. Look very uninspired and not very sharp. The defense got driven by not very good Denison team. Melissa always seems to be good just not great. Whoever wins the game between Melissa and LJ I believe makes it to the regional championship otherwise I think either team gets knocked out by SOC in Rd. 2. what is the deal with the two Lovejoy quarterbacks? Can they not settle on a starter? Is there some behind-the-scenes politics to play the one thats not as good?

I gonna go out on not much of a limb and say this district its Lovejoy’s to lose w/ Melissa being the runner up. LJ has the best win between the two, played Argyle much closer too. Melissa best win? Crandall maybe with Crandall playing with a backup QB? LJ seems to be taking care of business but Melissa’s D had all it could handle with Denison. Melissa supposedly has D1 athletes at every level of D but they get lost for large portions of the game except #8 who is a gamer. They both have a few weeks to clean some stuff up but I think you are mostly seeing what both teams are.

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Princeton by a little Melissa by a-lot Denison by a little Lovejoy by a-lot

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Thank you for the heads up.

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