[ROCKSOLID69]

Game Day!!!

[RunItUpTheGut]

The 2001, 2002, 2005, and 2006 graduating classes for Rock were filled with once in a lifetime players. Since the 2006 class left, even Tom Larkey had drop offs. The State title contending talent isn't there anymore. Not all of this lays at the feet of the players though. Part of being a great coach means you can adapt to fit the skills of the players OR you develop them to fit your scheme.

Even "Blast Right" Tom Larkey would pass the ball some when he had players like Josh Hale, Aaron Anderkin, Parsons, Shawn Childress and Matt Burkhart. When I say pass, I mean actually down the field pass, not screen right and screen left.

Larkey was very blessed to have a few MEN on his offensive line. I went to the Rock-Whitley game recently and I didn't see a single David Robbins, Brad Durham, Jason Leger, Donovan Pigg, etc... There are a good lineman or two but the overall SIZE on the line is down. You cannot pound the rock 40-50 times per game AND WIN with a line filled with people less than 240. (Maybe I am off on measurements, I did not get a close-up look, and some of them appeared taller than usual, so maybe the height makes up for the difference across the chest and arms.)

Rock seems to have ran into an overall talent lull in all male sports because the baseball team isn't winning Region anymore, the boys basketball team is a perennial basement dweller and football hasn't sniffed a Regional title in 6-7 years.

A large part I put on the WHOLE coaching staff, yet still I blame the players too. You see a killer instinct on very few faces anymore. I remember on Friday nights you could look in the players faces and know they were either going to beat you or they were gonna flatten you, either way, you would know you played the Rockets. I get that from some players, but not nearly enough.

I remember a couple of those guys :HitWall:

[jw4914]

I feel like stepping out on a ledge.... Estill comes in with different game plan and gets
an early score which would be a major booster shot in the hiny. Rock meltsdown a tad
and everything clicks for Estill which goes on to upset Rock 28 - 26.

And, I have fallen off the edge many times!!! But, I like the underdog's chances!!!

[HonestJohn]

I think if Rock loses this game, they may not win another one this year. I don't see any way they can go .500 this year. Their best chance after this may be PCC and Rock seems to have trouble stopping the pass, so they will have a hard time pulling that game off too IMO. Good luck and I hope I am wrong. The remaining schedule will not be nice for a struggling Rock team.