[GoHerd_22]

I think Maynard can get them to that level. Back to being a top team in state and compete for a state title every few years. To me that's all a program in this area can hope for, district champs on a regular basis, playoff wins, and to compete for a state title when you have an up year. You look at this area, not many teams do that.Ashland doesn't do that, Russell used to and recently it has been only Raceland and Fairview who have had a chance to go to the carpet. Fairview got those wins taken away so really just Raceland. Raceland has great set up in 1A and has potential to compete for a trip to the finals every year. I can see Russell having that chance if they get the right guy in there directing the program.

[NoPicks]

Russell still has to get through Belfry every year but I agree, they could be contenders on their up years. Raceland has the best set up IMO, still some tough competition Hazard, Pikeville, Williamsburg, and Beechwood.. not a cakewalk.

[Fly Like a Duck]

All of you people wanting a different offense, do you realize how similar all of this window dressing, flashy-new sh!t, etc. is to old school attacks?

I love the spread stuff, don't get me wrong, LOVE it...but, I'm just continually blown away at the mindset that if you:

1) Take TE's and split them out about 8 yards
2) Take RB's and split them out about 5 yards to a slot position
3) Take your QB, move him back 5 yards to take the snap
4) Take your 3rd RB, and put him 5 yards back beside the QB or behind him another yd (pistol)

...that, BOOM, you have this new, wild, amazing way to play football

Know what I'd like to see and what's really exciting? Somebody take the wishbone, wing't, etc (traditional 3 back offenses) and throw the ball deep off play action & screens off of those. Talk about fun football. That, my good men is some football that you don't see anymore.

It's like this infatuation with "The Read Option" lol..kills me...know what the difference is between that and old school Triple option? Nothing, except for who the actual READ man is (b/c both READ defenders)...one is frontside, the other is the backside DE. Both can be Triple Option.

Now, with the "H" back systems, it's really got everybody screwed up. The "H" back in these spread systems is nothing more than an old school "Blocking Back" in the Single Wing (oldest system in football). They block. They block. They block. They block. They run the ball. They block. They block. They block. They block. They block. They get thrown to...repeat.

Anyway, my rant.

By the way. Do any of you know as to why these Spread concepts are far more popular in the deep south than they are up north (Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania)? It has EVERYTHING to do with weather.

I had some friends of mine who were at The Tony Franklin System Clinic this past Saturday (great system..goes without saying), and I asked who were the "showcase schools" (success storied programs of the year or past years)...they said, mostly teams from Alabama, Texas, etc.

So, I said...both from the south, right? Check. And one, not only in the south, but more than likely plays everyone of it's games on Turf fields (Texas)? Check.

I told my buddies to ask them about the teams north of the Ohio River. Matter of fact, I asked him how many teams North of the Ohio were there that he knew of...I think he counted two; whereas it was flooded from teams in the south.

That spread, pretty stuff you see on TV, on turf...in warm weather areas, with world class athletes and WORLD CLASS QB's looks a helluva lot different than it does here in KY when it starts dropping below 40 and WET come November.

[NoPicks]

Nobody ever said the spread was some revolutionary answer to winning football games. But I'll tell you what it does do, it provides the offense with favorable numbers in the box in order to run the ball. Instead of running against 9 man boxes, you run against 5 and 6 man boxes. Instead of asking your best athletes to take the punishment of running the ball between the tackel 25 times a game, you get them the ball in space against guys their size, so they have better opportunities to make plays. And you are mistaken if you think it takes an all-American qb to run the Tony Franklin System. Raceland just graduated a kid that is 5"9 160 lbs and has a 35 yard arm.. By the way he threw for over 5,000 yards, 60 TDs, and won more game than anybody in school history, also lead his team to the state semifinals this year. And before you blame it on the system... Raceland is a run first team and had one of the leading rushers in Class A and all-area player of the year at RB, he got plenty of carries. Highlands, Owensboro Catholic, Mayfield, Elizabethtown, Franklin County, Raceland, NCC.. All these teams and many other have great success in this system. It's not what offense you run, it's how well you coach it and what players you have playing in it. And your point about play action.. Watch Baylor, they have some of the most effective play action concepts in the game right now bc they are in the spread, using the pistol to get your back running down hill while still giving the qb the benefit of being off the LOS. You're right about one thing, the spread is another form of pther offenses.. That's football man, everything ties in together somewhere. But to say teams from KY have trouble being successful in the spread bc of weather of lack of talent is just not true. You know that team called the Denver Broncos..they play in some of the worst condition in America, they run the spread. NE patriots.. Harsh conditions, spread offense. This type of offense is here to stay and will only become more and more expanded upon, might as well get used to it.

[Fly Like a Duck]

Nobody ever said the spread was some revolutionary answer to winning football games. But I'll tell you what it does do, it provides the offense with favorable numbers in the box in order to run the ball. Instead of running against 9 man boxes, you run against 5 and 6 man boxes. Instead of asking your best athletes to take the punishment of running the ball between the tackel 25 times a game, you get them the ball in space against guys their size, so they have better opportunities to make plays. And you are mistaken if you think it takes an all-American qb to run the Tony Franklin System. Raceland just graduated a kid that is 5"9 160 lbs and has a 35 yard arm.. By the way he threw for over 5,000 yards, 60 TDs, and won more game than anybody in school history, also lead his team to the state semifinals this year. And before you blame it on the system... Raceland is a run first team and had one of the leading rushers in Class A and all-area player of the year at RB, he got plenty of carries. Highlands, Owensboro Catholic, Mayfield, Elizabethtown, Franklin County, Raceland, NCC.. All these teams and many other have great success in this system. It's not what offense you run, it's how well you coach it and what players you have playing in it. And your point about play action.. Watch Baylor, they have some of the most effective play action concepts in the game right now bc they are in the spread, using the pistol to get your back running down hill while still giving the qb the benefit of being off the LOS. You're right about one thing, the spread is another form of pther offenses.. That's football man, everything ties in together somewhere. But to say teams from KY have trouble being successful in the spread bc of weather of lack of talent is just not true. You know that team called the Denver Broncos..they play in some of the worst condition in America, they run the spread. NE patriots.. Harsh conditions, spread offense. This type of offense is here to stay and will only become more and more expanded upon, might as well get used to it.

I don't think I ever said anything negative about the spread, go back and read my post. I applauded and spoke highly of the system, my only gripe is that people all of the sudden are just in awe with it & act as though it's the one thing you can run and get a free pass with (no pun intended). See a "spread" team struggle & nobody says jack. See a conventional, old school, two tight & 2/3 back team struggle and you start hearing all of the mumbo, jumbo "spread it out" propaganda. You know it. I know it.

Racelands QB was a player. Don't act like he wasn't. I've also seen 5'9 165 kids win Mr. Football, too. One of the best QB's I ever saw was a kid named Ryan Neff, who Bob Sphire had at LexCath in the late 90's who later went onto to go play at Harvard. He might have been 5'9 with heels on and 165 with with wet jeans on and rocks in his pockets.

I've seen the kid play and saw way too many people talking about the player he was on here for him to now get the average QB card pulled on him.

I loved watching Raceland. Hell, I love watching all kinds of teams. Texas Tech to Navy and everything in between. Matter of fact, Raceland, with all of their 2 back gun sets (which with how you all used your QB from the gun) was really a 3 back set most of the time.

As far as Brady and Manning; you are talking about possibly the two best quarterbacks of All-Time & I can promise you their stats are a helluva lot better in good playing conditions than the bad (I know Manning's have been bc he spent 15 of his years playing home games in a dome). You also can't compare their playing conditions, like Green Bay for example, their flipping field has a heating system underneath the turf.

If weather has nothing to do with it, I'd still like to know why spread systems aren't anywhere near as prevelant down south as they are up north. You know it's the weather, I know it's the weather...everybody and their mother knows it's the weather.

As far as it all tieing together.....YOU KNOW THAT....I KNOW THAT, but the vast majority of the people don't know that. I got a buddy of mine that is a news reporter, and he is one of these that thinks just because the QB goes from under center to the gun, the offensive schemes/philosophies change. For the life of me, and I love the guy to death, it's almost like he doesn't want to understand that. He insists on referring to is as, "So and so went back to their Spread attack" lol. Which, I get it...it sounds better.

I have absolutely nothing aganist the spread. NOTHING. I just get sick and tired of most people thinking it's the flipping cure all.

I equate Spread QB's and Triple Option QB's to be the same. Average joe's can't do it successfully. I don't care whether they are Manning, Brady or somebody 5' tall. You better have a guy back there that can chalk up a couple of these attributes to his list:

1) Accurate
2) Great Decision Maker
3) Arm strength
4) Mobile

...matter of fact, you better have 3 of the 4 (1, 2 and 4).

[Fly Like a Duck]

Nobody ever said the spread was some revolutionary answer to winning football games. But I'll tell you what it does do, it provides the offense with favorable numbers in the box in order to run the ball. Instead of running against 9 man boxes, you run against 5 and 6 man boxes. Instead of asking your best athletes to take the punishment of running the ball between the tackel 25 times a game, you get them the ball in space against guys their size, so they have better opportunities to make plays. And you are mistaken if you think it takes an all-American qb to run the Tony Franklin System. Raceland just graduated a kid that is 5"9 160 lbs and has a 35 yard arm.. By the way he threw for over 5,000 yards, 60 TDs, and won more game than anybody in school history, also lead his team to the state semifinals this year. And before you blame it on the system... Raceland is a run first team and had one of the leading rushers in Class A and all-area player of the year at RB, he got plenty of carries. Highlands, Owensboro Catholic, Mayfield, Elizabethtown, Franklin County, Raceland, NCC.. All these teams and many other have great success in this system. It's not what offense you run, it's how well you coach it and what players you have playing in it. And your point about play action.. Watch Baylor, they have some of the most effective play action concepts in the game right now bc they are in the spread, using the pistol to get your back running down hill while still giving the qb the benefit of being off the LOS. You're right about one thing, the spread is another form of pther offenses.. That's football man, everything ties in together somewhere. But to say teams from KY have trouble being successful in the spread bc of weather of lack of talent is just not true. You know that team called the Denver Broncos..they play in some of the worst condition in America, they run the spread. NE patriots.. Harsh conditions, spread offense. This type of offense is here to stay and will only become more and more expanded upon, might as well get used to it.

As far as this goes, it's more propoganda.

If people are playing 5 and 6 man boxes vs. you, it's probably b/c the offense has the same amount of blockers at the point of attack.

If you take a double tight I, Bone, Wing'T team...and, you get those 8/9 man boxes (which, if I'm double tight I w/ a wing or Wing T team and somebody is playing 9 in the box....yet, I have 3 guys who can get vertical right now...then, good luck playing Man 2 Deep..which is what most play if 9 are up there tight)...then you probably have just as many blockers at the point of attack...TE to TE is 7...FB is 8....wing is 9...throw in some Midline or QB "Follow" schemes and now you have 10 on their 8 or 9.

Numbers are numbers. 6 on 5, 5 on 6.....9 on 8, 8 on 9...it's all the same.


Go Stanford.

[Fly Like a Duck]

Nobody ever said the spread was some revolutionary answer to winning football games. But I'll tell you what it does do, it provides the offense with favorable numbers in the box in order to run the ball. Instead of running against 9 man boxes, you run against 5 and 6 man boxes. Instead of asking your best athletes to take the punishment of running the ball between the tackel 25 times a game, you get them the ball in space against guys their size, so they have better opportunities to make plays. And you are mistaken if you think it takes an all-American qb to run the Tony Franklin System. Raceland just graduated a kid that is 5"9 160 lbs and has a 35 yard arm.. By the way he threw for over 5,000 yards, 60 TDs, and won more game than anybody in school history, also lead his team to the state semifinals this year. And before you blame it on the system... Raceland is a run first team and had one of the leading rushers in Class A and all-area player of the year at RB, he got plenty of carries. Highlands, Owensboro Catholic, Mayfield, Elizabethtown, Franklin County, Raceland, NCC.. All these teams and many other have great success in this system. It's not what offense you run, it's how well you coach it and what players you have playing in it. And your point about play action.. Watch Baylor, they have some of the most effective play action concepts in the game right now bc they are in the spread, using the pistol to get your back running down hill while still giving the qb the benefit of being off the LOS. You're right about one thing, the spread is another form of pther offenses.. That's football man, everything ties in together somewhere. But to say teams from KY have trouble being successful in the spread bc of weather of lack of talent is just not true. You know that team called the Denver Broncos..they play in some of the worst condition in America, they run the spread. NE patriots.. Harsh conditions, spread offense. This type of offense is here to stay and will only become more and more expanded upon, might as well get used to it.

Since 1998, Highlands has had 3 of their QB's go onto be starting and some who have been record breaking QB's. Lorenzen, Guduigli and Towles are the furthest from average. I forget the kid they had last year (2012), but I know he had offers to go 1-AA (Ivy Leage), but chose to go to school to major in something that I can't even spell.

Owensboro Cath's QB back when they were runner's up to Belfry had a QB that went to Marshall.

E-town, the year they went the state finals had a D1 QB in Chris Todd who signed with Texas Tech, then later went to Auburn where he started as a Senior. Their last really good season was in '08, and they had a QB by the name of Chris Thomas, who is now going into his 2nd or 3rd year as the starting catcher for UK's baseball team. Far from your average athlete. They also had guys by the name of Chris Gohman (a Jacob Tamme type TE) who is at Georgetown (why our D1 schools didn't take a stab at him, who knows) and a young guy at the time named Mitchell Henry who plays TE at WKU and will likely get drafted.

Mayfield could win running the flipping "Oooopty Ooop". They've won winning titles in Class A and AA since the beginning of time. Ask Joe Morris why they went Spread after the 07 or 08 season. That year wasn't very good by their standards, the natives were growing restless with their old school attack...so, they switched. Mayfield won titles running the wishbone and they have won running the spread.

Bottom line, and it goes back to what you said in your orginal post. PLAYERS. That's what makes the difference. But, most FANS don't understand that...they'd rather blame it on the style of offense as the reason why their teams aren't successful instead of admitting to themselves that, "Ya know what, we just aren't very damn good."

It's like the firing of college and NFL coaches, heck even HS coaches. It makes that person and fan bases feel a lot better to fire a coach, bring somebody else in than to admit to themselves....."We just suck right now."

[Fly Like a Duck]

I don't think I ever said anything negative about the spread, go back and read my post. I applauded and spoke highly of the system, my only gripe is that people all of the sudden are just in awe with it & act as though it's the one thing you can run and get a free pass with (no pun intended). See a "spread" team struggle & nobody says jack. See a conventional, old school, two tight & 2/3 back team struggle and you start hearing all of the mumbo, jumbo "spread it out" propaganda. You know it. I know it.

Racelands QB was a player. Don't act like he wasn't. I've also seen 5'9 165 kids win Mr. Football, too. One of the best QB's I ever saw was a kid named Ryan Neff, who Bob Sphire had at LexCath in the late 90's who later went onto to go play at Harvard. He might have been 5'9 with heels on and 165 with with wet jeans on and rocks in his pockets.

I've seen the kid play and saw way too many people talking about the player he was on here for him to now get the average QB card pulled on him.

I loved watching Raceland. Hell, I love watching all kinds of teams. Texas Tech to Navy and everything in between. Matter of fact, Raceland, with all of their 2 back gun sets (which with how you all used your QB from the gun) was really a 3 back set most of the time.

As far as Brady and Manning; you are talking about possibly the two best quarterbacks of All-Time & I can promise you their stats are a helluva lot better in good playing conditions than the bad (I know Manning's have been bc he spent 15 of his years playing home games in a dome). You also can't compare their playing conditions, like Green Bay for example, their flipping field has a heating system underneath the turf.

If weather has nothing to do with it, I'd still like to know why spread systems aren't anywhere near as prevelant down south as they are up north. You know it's the weather, I know it's the weather...everybody and their mother knows it's the weather.

As far as it all tieing together.....YOU KNOW THAT....I KNOW THAT, but the vast majority of the people don't know that. I got a buddy of mine that is a news reporter, and he is one of these that thinks just because the QB goes from under center to the gun, the offensive schemes/philosophies change. For the life of me, and I love the guy to death, it's almost like he doesn't want to understand that. He insists on referring to is as, "So and so went back to their Spread attack" lol. Which, I get it...it sounds better.

I have absolutely nothing aganist the spread. NOTHING. I just get sick and tired of most people thinking it's the flipping cure all.

I equate Spread QB's and Triple Option QB's to be the same. Average joe's can't do it successfully. I don't care whether they are Manning, Brady or somebody 5' tall. You better have a guy back there that can chalk up a couple of these attributes to his list:

1) Accurate
2) Great Decision Maker
3) Arm strength
4) Mobile

...matter of fact, you better have 3 of the 4 (1, 2 and 4).

I said this bass akwards, but you know what I meant.

[NoPicks]

In regards to Raceland's qb.. never said he was average, just that he has average abilities, when the lights came on, he played well past his God given talent level. But no joke, he had a 35 yard arm and still threw for over 1,500 yds and 20 TDs this season. My point is, people think spread and think you have to have this great QB to run the system.. that's not true, you have to have a guy with a great understanding of the offense, great decision maker, and some mental toughness. Give me those 3 attributes and I see a guy that can win a lot of games. It just kills me when people say "we don't have athletes to run the spread".. well that's because you are not coaching your athletes to run that type of system. Raceland has been very successful with the Tony Franklin System, because they coach the heck out of it every day in practice. You don't change from Wing T to spread overnight, it takes a lot of good coaching and player commitment to learn. Bad coaches probably aren't going to be successful no matter what system they run.

I don't know about you but I would rather run inside against a 5 or 6 man box than a 9 or 10 man box anyday, despite how many blockers I have a the point of attack. That's like saying would you rather run through a brick wall with a bulldozer or a glass wall with a butter knife.. I'll take the glass wall anyday. The spread forces the defense to defend the ENTIRE field, from sideline to sideline..making those big d linemen pursue and then have to get lined back up quickly for the next play.. with the spread you take advantage of the entire field, just makes more sense to me.

But you're right.. football is football. spread, wing t, power I, wishbone, flexbone.. whatever its all the same. Block, run, throw, catch, score points. Its finding the offense that YOU BELIEVE IN, and that you can get your players to buy into and coaching your butt off at it. And like you said, the players make the plays.. talent makes any offense look good. I think the spread allows you to have a chance to be successful even with less talent and size.

[mightydog]

Could we please get back on topic. This is a Russell thread not football 101. I know it all started when we all were disscusing Russells style, bug it got off the tracks.

[GoHerd_22]

The job has now been posted for 2 days.. Anything leaking? Seems like its all pretty tight lipped, nobody really knows whats going on.

[GOREDDEVILS]

The job has now been posted for 2 days.. Anything leaking? Seems like its all pretty tight lipped, nobody really knows whats going on.

Are you sure its been posted? I don't see it on http://khsaa.org/directory-data/open-jobs/

[GoHerd_22]

It's posted on Russell school website

[Emmit Brown]

Anyone know a list of applicants or those that have at least inquired about the vacancy?

[GoHerd_22]

I could be wrong, but I think Russell has their guy. No real reason to think that but just my opinion.

[mightydog]

I was talking to a coach from Raceland the other day, he said Tj's been tight lipped. You would think if he was staying he would put all the rumors to rest with his coaches and the team.

[Slic Ric]

I was talking to a coach from Raceland the other day, he said Tj's been tight lipped. You would think if he was staying he would put all the rumors to rest with his coaches and the team.

Well he said from day one he would listen to what they had to say, and I'm sure he'll interview...it's his alma mater. Until that happens nothing needs to be or will be said.

[GoHerd_22]

If it ends up being Maynard, what coaches join him? Does Morris and Smith come back? Lee Evans? Or does he bring in an entire new staff?

[FBALL]

If it's TJ then I think 2 or 3 from the past staff would return.

Not Smith.

[DevilWatcher]

Smiths wife retires this year I believe. Last I heard the are moving down south. Evans is a great guy that the kids love. He still has the track team. He may be satisfied with that for the time being. Unsure about what Morris will do. Coach Caniffs wife just had a baby and she would be happy if he took time off from coaching to be at home more. If TJ were to take the job if offered I believe the transition would be smooth because he knows everyone so well. Russell JFL program is well established with I believe Richie Blum still over which is also a good friend of TJs. I would like to see a better weight program at Russell.

[GoHerd_22]

Russell relieving the whole staff tells me something. Whoever they hire wants a fresh start. I can see Evans and maybe Morris but that's it. New coach will want to bring in his own guys.

[DevilWatcher]

True but the whole thing goes back to what assistants hold teaching jobs in their respective school already. I can't see Russell hiring or firing to make room for them if there are that many of them still on the payroll. I mean it is done here and there but a whole staff I'm not so sure. Only time will tell.

[GoHerd_22]

I only see one or two of the past assistants staying on. If Russell administration wants to start fresh, they have plans to bring in at least a couple new assistants with their new HC.

[Scotty_Bronson]

I think you see Grizzle stick w TJ until he is offered HC somewhere.

[GoHerd_22]

I think Grizzle as OC would be good move for Russell. He did a great job with the QB's at Raceland. Young guy that can relate well to players. I think he would bring exciting brand of football to Russell's offense.

[Devil68]

I could be wrong, but I think Russell has their guy. No real reason to think that but just my opinion.

No. They do not have there guy yet. Be patient.

[GoHerd_22]

I said I could be wrong Still very early in this whole thing. I just hope they make a solid hire and I don't think they will have trouble doing that. There will be a lot of good coaches apply for that position.

[russellpride]

Love how people jump on the TJ bandwagon maybe Russell wants to go different direction everyone thinks it's automatic on this board

[GoHerd_22]

Maynard would be a good hire and is obvious choice bc of Russell ties and been very successful lately. But I'm sure a lot lf good coaches apply and get looked at, still too soon to know. Everyone I talk to just speculates. Personally I just want solid hire. I like Buchanan a lot. Joe Cecil or Matney would be great too but I don't see Matney leaving. McPeek would be great but too hot coming off Fairview stuff. Will prob be a lot of outside interest too.

[NoPicks]

McPeek would not be a good hire.