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7-5A Division II Football District


Mavchamp

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PT with a 22 yard run on a draw play to the Mav 48

52 yard TD pass after a fumble  

Secondary getting absolutely smoked. 

7-0 PT 9:17 left 1Q 

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And that’s it. 

Controlled portion ends tied 2-2 

Marshall wins the live portion 10-7.

Ill add my thoughts after I get back to Longview. 

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My wrap for the Marshall-Pine Tree scrimmage......

The Good: 

1.  Very vanilla play calling.  But the 1's were pretty dang methodical even in the vanilla-ness.  Either PT's defense is going to struggle against the rush....or the Marshall OL is light years ahead of where they were this time last year.

2.  I can't remember a stable of running backs this deep in a decade.  Gatson was used sparingly...but he had some outstanding runs.  Isaiah Bush also had a strong night.  But Keytone Elias was the shock of the night with nearly 100 yards.  LJ is the MAN-CHILD at RB....and he barely touched the ball tonight.  4 guys in the backfield is something we haven't had in many, many moons.

3.  Alton Henderson appears to be the pick for QB-1.  He had some strong throws....and some not so good tonight.  But something we haven't had since 2019...... a truly mobile/running QB.  Having a quarterback that can tuck and run is a dimension we have missed the last few years.

4.  Field goal kicker.... another aspect we have missed since Mr. Bigfoot Buck Buchanan graduated to head off to Louisiana Tech.... we had a young man tonight hitting 40+ field goals.  He was perfect on the night...including 2 for over 40 years.

5.  The Maverick defense had 5 sacks on the night and two interceptions.  They had several tackles for loss.  Run defense looked solid most of the night.

The Bad: 

1.  Pre-snap penalties.  I expect it in a scrimmage.  And TBH....most of the fouls were committed by the second team....but we still had a couple of false starts, delay of games, and off-sides.  This SHOULD improve as the season goes.  We were not a heavily penalized team last season.  We need that trend to continue.

2.  It may have been on purpose.... but the offensive play calling was realllly vanilla.  Not sure it was by design.... or was it out of necessity from a new QB and a new HFC?  Gatson...who is our RB-1 hardly touched the ball.  LJ is the bull....I think he had less than 5 touches all night.  We only targeted 2 WR's in Bush and Illingworth..... we had 2 others that didn't even dress out.  But I was told they will be ready next week.

3.  Punting was inconsistent......and there was no rush tonight.  That's going to be a huge issue once the pressure is on.  We had a couple of good punts.  But we had several that were less than optimal.  This can be a make-or-break aspect of your game when you're playing field position.

The Ugly:

1.  The secondary gave up a couple of big plays tonight.  Credit to Pine Tree's QB-1....dude has a great arm and tosses darts.  But some of the PT wide receivers were TOO OPEN...and the gains after catch were disturbing.  That being said....it was only 3-4 plays all game.... but they were all significant...BIG GAINS.  This is concerning when you open your season Vs. Tyler, Longview, and Legacy.

#1 OFFENSE:  (A-)...... No turnovers by the starting offense.  Strong running.  OL looked good.  Passing game...what little there was looked good (but not flashy).  The vanilla play calling is what keeps it from being an A+

#1 RUN DEFENSE (B)..... PT only had one long run all night.  Several QB sacks and many tackles for loss.  But they still had some breakdowns that gave PT extra snaps and the offsides really kept the Pirates alive.

#1 PASS DEFENSE (C-)..... 2 interceptions by the Mav defense can't be overlooked....but a 46 yard TD pass and 2 other for more than 20 yards.  That simply has to improve.  

FIELD GOAL (A+)..... when you have a perfect night....you get a perfect score.  

PUNTS (C-)..... in-con-sis-tent.  Had a 35 yard punt once....and a 14 yard punt the next.  And that was with no rush.  Very concerning.

Lots to work on.  But lots to be excited about.

----------

Marshall is use to a slow starts to the season due to brutal scheduling....... when you are playing the likes of Longview, Carthage, and other 5A-D1/6A teams in September.... going into district with a record of (0-3) or (1-3) is nothing new.  But fact is..... since 2015...Marshall has finished either #1 or #2 in the district EVERY SEASON except one (2020).

See you next week!

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9 hours ago, Mavchamp said:

My wrap for the Marshall-Pine Tree scrimmage......

The Good: 

1.  Very vanilla play calling.  But the 1's were pretty dang methodical even in the vanilla-ness.  Either PT's defense is going to struggle against the rush....or the Marshall OL is light years ahead of where they were this time last year.

2.  I can't remember a stable of running backs this deep in a decade.  Gatson was used sparingly...but he had some outstanding runs.  Isaiah Bush also had a strong night.  But Keytone Elias was the shock of the night with nearly 100 yards.  LJ is the MAN-CHILD at RB....and he barely touched the ball tonight.  4 guys in the backfield is something we haven't had in many, many moons.

3.  Alton Henderson appears to be the pick for QB-1.  He had some strong throws....and some not so good tonight.  But something we haven't had since 2019...... a truly mobile/running QB.  Having a quarterback that can tuck and run is a dimension we have missed the last few years.

4.  Field goal kicker.... another aspect we have missed since Mr. Bigfoot Buck Buchanan graduated to head off to Louisiana Tech.... we had a young man tonight hitting 40+ field goals.  He was perfect on the night...including 2 for over 40 years.

5.  The Maverick defense had 5 sacks on the night and two interceptions.  They had several tackles for loss.  Run defense looked solid most of the night.

The Bad: 

1.  Pre-snap penalties.  I expect it in a scrimmage.  And TBH....most of the fouls were committed by the second team....but we still had a couple of false starts, delay of games, and off-sides.  This SHOULD improve as the season goes.  We were not a heavily penalized team last season.  We need that trend to continue.

2.  It may have been on purpose.... but the offensive play calling was realllly vanilla.  Not sure it was by design.... or was it out of necessity from a new QB and a new HFC?  Gatson...who is our RB-1 hardly touched the ball.  LJ is the bull....I think he had less than 5 touches all night.  We only targeted 2 WR's in Bush and Illingworth..... we had 2 others that didn't even dress out.  But I was told they will be ready next week.

3.  Punting was inconsistent......and there was no rush tonight.  That's going to be a huge issue once the pressure is on.  We had a couple of good punts.  But we had several that were less than optimal.  This can be a make-or-break aspect of your game when you're playing field position.

The Ugly:

1.  The secondary gave up a couple of big plays tonight.  Credit to Pine Tree's QB-1....dude has a great arm and tosses darts.  But some of the PT wide receivers were TOO OPEN...and the gains after catch were disturbing.  That being said....it was only 3-4 plays all game.... but they were all significant...BIG GAINS.  This is concerning when you open your season Vs. Tyler, Longview, and Legacy.

#1 OFFENSE:  (A-)...... No turnovers by the starting offense.  Strong running.  OL looked good.  Passing game...what little there was looked good (but not flashy).  The vanilla play calling is what keeps it from being an A+

#1 RUN DEFENSE (B)..... PT only had one long run all night.  Several QB sacks and many tackles for loss.  But they still had some breakdowns that gave PT extra snaps and the offsides really kept the Pirates alive.

#1 PASS DEFENSE (C-)..... 2 interceptions by the Mav defense can't be overlooked....but a 46 yard TD pass and 2 other for more than 20 yards.  That simply has to improve.  

FIELD GOAL (A+)..... when you have a perfect night....you get a perfect score.  

PUNTS (C-)..... in-con-sis-tent.  Had a 35 yard punt once....and a 14 yard punt the next.  And that was with no rush.  Very concerning.

Lots to work on.  But lots to be excited about.

----------

Marshall is use to a slow starts to the season due to brutal scheduling....... when you are playing the likes of Longview, Carthage, and other 5A-D1/6A teams in September.... going into district with a record of (0-3) or (1-3) is nothing new.  But fact is..... since 2015...Marshall has finished either #1 or #2 in the district EVERY SEASON except one (2020).

See you next week!

spot on!  

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Marshall Vs. Pine Tree- All the info is above.  If you want to see the recap on my webpage click: https://www.marshallmavericks.net/blog

Texas High Vs. Longview-  End of the world per some Longview fans.  Nothing to see here by others.  Depends who you ask.  Texas High is the Big Dog in the district and it sounds like they held their own against the Lobos.

Whitehouse Vs. Gilmer:  The Wildcats tied Gilmer 1-1 in the controlled portion and won the live portion 10-7.   Gilmer didn't play their QB-1 in the scrimmage.  Played a sophomore instead.

Hallsville Vs Chapel Hill- The Bobcats beat Chapel Hill 21-14

Mount Pleasant Vs. Pleasant Grove- Sounds like PG dominated MP.  Never heard a score.  But MP struggled offensively is what I heard.

Jacksonville Vs. Rusk-  Rusk slipped by Jax 14-13 in their scrimmage thanks to a missed PAT by the Tribe.  

Nac- Jasper/Vidor-   Didn't get a score...but Nac defense played well I heard.  Offense struggled, but had several OL and their RB-1 out.  No word if they will be back in time for the opener Vs. Palestine.

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9 hours ago, Mavchamp said:

Texas High Vs. Longview-  End of the world per some Longview fans.  Nothing to see here by others.  Depends who you ask.  Texas High is the Big Dog in the district and it sounds like they held their own against the Lobos.
 

It’s honestly what I typically see in a TH-LGVW scrimmage. The deep and talented Tigers played hard and exposed some things the Lobos need to work on.  
 

I will say I was impressed more so than usual with the overall size and speed of TH. Lot of tall, rangy, athletic kids all over the field. They are going to be a problem.  I think their predistrict juggernaut of a schedule will tell the tale. 

Edited by kingwolf
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OK....it's time.  Let's talk about some games and make some predictions:

WEEK 1
Hallsville Vs. Lindale (Thursday)
Tyler Legacy Vs. Texas High (Thursday)
Tyler Vs. Marshall
Dallas Wilson Vs. Whitehouse
Mount Pleasant Vs. Crandall
Palestine Vs. Nacogdoches
Jacksonville Vs. Center


 

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On 8/24/2024 at 6:59 PM, Mavchamp said:

OK....it's time.  Let's talk about some games and make some predictions:

WEEK 1
Hallsville Vs. Lindale (Thursday)
Tyler Legacy Vs. Texas High (Thursday)
Tyler Vs. Marshall
Dallas Wilson Vs. Whitehouse
Mount Pleasant Vs. Crandall
Palestine Vs. Nacogdoches
Jacksonville Vs. Center


 

 

WEEK 1
Lindale
Texas High
Tyler
Trashhouse
Mount Pleasant
Nacogdoches
Center

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WEEK 1
Hallsville Vs. Lindale-  Lindale may not be at the level they are accustomed to headed into 2024...but a "down" season for them is still better than most teams.  Hallsville has kind of been a vacuum of information after last season's meltdown....so they have question marks all over the place.  I've heard rumors of players that transferred in from the West (namely at RB).  I have NO IDEA if that's true or not, so take it with a grain of salt.  The Bobcats have had major defensive problems the last few seasons.  Last year they were surrendering an eye-popping  37.8 PPG.  That has to improve if they hope to contend.  The Bobcats are always loaded with talent, but so is Lindale.  I think the Eagles get the win simply because they are an established program.  The Bobcats are still building.  Lindale is one of those that reloads instead of rebuilds.  LINDALE WINS.

Tyler Legacy Vs. Texas High-  One thing that is annually consistent about Legacy is that they are HUGE across their offensive and defensive lines.  They are playoff team from last season, so they are no slouch.  I think their size will be a challenge for the Tigers.  HOWEVER..... Texas High has an important intangible:  superior coaching.  IMHO.....THS is one of the best coaching staffs in ETX football.  There are plenty of reasons why THS is ranked in the top 10 of many preseason polls.  The Tigers return a very potent offense that is very capable of running or passing with equal success.  They have an outstanding QB and a very talented backfield. Their defense was stellar at times last season....and struggled with consistency other times.  Legacy seems to be trying to figure out who they are offensively.  That's a tough place to be when facing Texarkana.  Especially in one of the toughest places to win on the road.  The irony of it being called Grim is not lost on those that visit. TEXAS HIGH WINS.

Tyler Vs. Marshall-  Going to be hard to top last season's 5-OT battle.  On paper.....both teams appear to be better than last season.  Which one will be MORE improved remains to be seen.  Marshall returns 9 players on offense with a stable of running backs that finished with over 2,000 yards last season.  We were a one man show in last year's match-up.  The passing game is still up in the air (no pun intended) for the Mavs with a new QB.  But he has happy feet and legs that could make him dangerous on the ground and an arm that strong, but unproven.  Tyler returns a stellar QB in Granberry.  But his top 2 targets graduated (McFall and Martain)... can they replace them?  Lions didn't run the ball a ton last season, but RB Arriaga returns with over 500 yards.  This game may come down to which team has seen the most improvement on defense.  Mavs unexpectedly won in 2022.... and was one play short of winning in 2023.  I'll take them in the upset again in '24 while they play at home.  Homer pick.  MAVS WIN.

Mount Pleasant Vs. Crandall-  This game really interests me.  I have to be honest in saying that have really have no idea what either team brings back this season from last season.  Crandall has become an annual playoff contender the last few seasons in a tough district that includes Melissa, Lovejoy, and Denison.  Mount Pleasant appeared to be cruising to the playoffs last season, but an uninspired loss to Pine Tree handed the Pirates the #4 seed over the Tigers.   They had to settle for 5th place and out of the playoffs.  For me.... the biggest question for MP is this:  What is life like without Mason McMinn???  He was the spark-plug that made them GO.  They will have to replace that... which is tough.  He could pass...he could run.  He was a beast.  Grant will be back to tote the rock...will he have to O-line to open the lanes?  And of course defense.  They gave up 40 or more points in 4 of their 10 games last season.  I think this game is 100% a toss up.  CRANDALL WINS solely based on the last few seasons.

Palestine Vs. Nacogdoches- Nacogdoches was expected to be a contender last year, but their season ended up going up in smoke.  The Dragons were loaded with athletes...but it just never came together for them.  They struggled with their offensive identity and their defense was atrocious, giving up 36 PPG.  The Dragons have lost one of the best QB's in school history in Lockett with his 2500 yards last season.  Not to mention he ran the ball too...a lot.  Nearly 3000 yards of offense by him alone last season.  That will be VERY difficult to reproduce.  James Williams was RB-2...and he's gone too.  And the defense will have to improve.  Palestine has their own issues.  RB Jon Denman transferred across town to Westwood, taking his 800+ yards and 14 TD's with him.  The Wildcats were only (4-6) last season.  I don't think anyone would be shocked if either team won.  I'm going to take Nac because they are playing at home and they should have a deeper roster and more athletes.  NAC WINS a close one.

Jacksonville Vs. Center-  It's hard to fathom that a one-time ETX powerhouse program has gone an astonishing (9-51) the last six seasons.  Wins have been a premium.  The name McCown is royalty in Jville.  Last year QB McCown tossed for almost 1,200 yards.  Unfortunately for Tribe fans he transferred to Gilmer last spring.  Replacing his arm will be a challenge.  That puts some added pressure on the running game, which struggled at times last season.  RB's Mares and Sirles combined for 790 yards last season.  Even with those numbers.... the Indians only managed 17 PPG on offense.  Their defense was giving up 48.8 PPG, which is a little mind boggling.  They open the season against a Center program is an annual playoff team.  I fear Jacksonville's offense, at least to start the season, could be a little anemic till they find figure out where to put all the peices.  The defense.... can't get much worse...can it?  CENTER WINS.

Dallas Wilson Vs. Whitehouse- WHITEHOUSE WINS.

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