Just realized I didn’t really ask any questions.
Will Huron ever find the end zone?
Discipline and coaching will win a lot of games.
Airport probably won’t be making the playoffs?
Riverview’s defense did what they needed to do this week.
Did Milan’s Robert Kanitz have the best game in the league Friday night?
That first win will come for Pickens real soon.
The final score is the final score!
Your time will come OC, be patient and keep working hard.
Grosse Ile or SMCC?
I was almost an Akron Zip for a day.
Some things will be sorted out this week in the Huron League
Huron or Milan?
I left the SMCC/Huron game early this week. I almost fell asleep.
Any Huron League teams look like they are going to make a long playoff run?
I remember not too long ago when Grosse Ile lost 20 straight and people were pulling the starters on them.
SMCC vs Monroe is a horrible idea!!! Monroe would never be able to compete.
-bn
Many people believe exactly what you just wrote. There was a movement a while back to shuffle private schools into the same class as the local district in which they were located. Schools like SMCC would be in Class A based on Monroe's standing, Country Day up in A based on where the Birmingham schools are and Inter-City Baptist up in Class B where Melvindale is because it is located in that school district. It would have been a nightmare to sort it out so it went by the wayside.
With the schools of choice issue, there should no longer be an argument about public/private divisions. We all know that certain public schools thrive using athletes from other school systems. I won't argue that private schools seemingly work with kids who have fully functional brains and bodies to go with traditionally better support from home, but several public school teams also have the same benefit. The should place schools into enrollment based on the locality. For example, SMCC should be in the same division as Monroe HS because they pull students from that area. Likewise, if Airport has students attending and competing for them who would otherwise have attended a different public school, that enrollment should be taken into account. It presents a problem of becoming too cumbersome to control though.
Antonelli and couterior are both out for the rest of the year I believe. That's Two key defensive of players for CC we'll see how they play without them Friday night.
I wasn't "bragging", I said we were fortunate. Cant win with some people.
-bn
Cc does not recruit. But if the parent of a gifted athlete can't make the tuition payment for whatever reason they will work up terms for them. I have always enjoyed playing cc whether it was me or my son. Quality coaching both football or basketball. No need to recruit. Kids and parents want to go there. They may not exist if not for sports…and quality education.
I wanna hear SITOFN's comment on all this! Where you at GI?
Same website has FR playing Class C basketball in 1975 and losing in the regional final to East jackson 56-53.
1976 Class C district loss to Dundee 53-49.
Pretty detailed stuff to be found at michigan-football.com/bb/flatrock.htm
Yes I was born then but then again I wasn't alive in 1732 but I know George Washington was born on February 22nd of that year. Why? I googled it!
I pulled the info from this website which is considered the foremost detailed football site in Michigan when it comes to high school football.
http://michigan-football.com/f/flatrock.htm
The same site also shows FR playing in the Class C district in basketball and losing to Dundee 53-50. They went Class C in the 73-74 school year. Doesn't matter how many seniors were in your class. FR was the smallest school in the league from Fall of 1973 through 1988.
FR was class B in 1973, went to class c in 1976. I believe when Woodhaven High School opened they lost kids then.
They made the playoffs in 1976 based on the old point system when only 16 teams made it state wide for all 4 classes.
I was a '75 graduate and our classs was much larger than today. Also 9th greade went to Simpson until 1976, due to number of students at high school, after that 4 grades went to high school 9-12.
Were you born yet in the early seventies?
Flat Rock went to class C in 1976. First year at class C, prior to that class B.
My graduation class in 1974 was 172 kids. What are they now about 100-110?
I will show you my yearbook and you can count the seniors listed.
Actually they played eachother that year and CC won! #Clown
Michigan Wildcats aren't that good. Sorry. Plus Coach Windham is a coach on the team.
Bedfords varsity was just as good as SMCC's
Big loss for SMCC if Antonelli is out. The loss of one player usually doesn't hurt a program like SMCC though. I'm sure Antonelli will still supply senior leadership.
I think flat rock is just a young team with incoming talent. the freshmen class is filled with good athletes.
Where to start? First off, Kevin Woodson left Bedford as a sophmore to play in a better program. He was a freshman on the freshman basketball team and the program wasn't very good. Bedford's varsity that year was 4-16 and has only been competitive the last few years because of Jackson Lamb. You make it sound as if Woodson was a polished varsity player when he got to SMCC. It's called developing players at lower levels.
As for the Umfress kid, nobody had heard of him until this past year as a freshman on the JV. He is a work in progress with a lot of potential. What were his other options as a basketball player? I suppose he could go to milan as players have chosen to do out of the Ypsilanti area. Not that I blame them, Milan has a good thing going in their athletic programs also. He could go play in the train wreck that is Monroe's basketball program.
The accusation of recruiting is laughable in these situations. As I understand it, CC's coaches son, who is
their starting point guard plays for one of the top AAU teams in michigan, I think if they were going to recruit some basketball players, that is where I would start.
Woodson, recruited in basketball, left Bedford for no apparent reason. Umfress kid in basketball,
very good upcoming player, went to Triumph grade school. Family unable to afford SMCC, had no intention of going there, suddenly on JV team and possibly being recruited by colleges already.
Maybe not much recruiting happening lately in football cause they have some great athletes right now, but in the down years when theres a need for a star athlete, one will appear.
Running back from Marshall area was on SMCC team a few years back, don't think impact was much, but he suddenly appeared on team.
Who really knows who's recruited, no one will ever admit this, it will always be speculation.
Best coach in league 40 years?? How bout some modesty. If you guys didn't brag all the time you wouldn't be disliked so much.
I have found great joy lately in reading this blog and seeing a lot about GI, Milan and Huron. Thats great. I am tired of hearing about SMCC. I'm done. See you at the end boys, then I will remind you about success.
Not true. Starting in 1973 FR was Class C. The rest of the schools in the league were all Class B. You can check it but those are the facts. Flat Rock was the smallest school in the league from that point until 1988. That was when CC's enrollemnt dropped then SMCC/St Mary's combined a few years later. Their enrollments haven't been the same since they went away with the single gender schools. In 1985 CC had 375 boys which made their enrollment 750. Their total enrollment last year was 437 and about 220 boys. Big difference.
Obviously I know FR had a few good teams in late 80's/early 90's. Coaching was part of that success. FR had some of their best athletes in 20 years in the 2000/2002. Look at their records. Many will say that the league was better then than it was now but don't believe it.
As for the Wyandotte comment, I am talking about the Huron League but I would be willing to bet that Ron Adams is the best coach in the Downriver League. He has experience that nobody in the league can really match. Is he a good recruiter? Absolutley he is!
Coaching rules in high school football especially in the Huron League.
Antonelli out for CC with ACL
Chris, Times were very different in the 70's. FR was one of the largest schools in the HR back then.Now they are the second smallest. Schools like AIrport, GI, Huron etc had maybe 400-500 kids then. FR had actually more.
Don't forget the 89-90 teams were very good. 90 team qualified for playoffs.
Coaching is very important, however you have to have the horses to do anything, period.
What is happening right now is kids are tranferring all over the place to play football. Ron Adams at Wyandotte is a good coach, and they will have success, but remember 14 kids on his roster are from LP, AP, etc.
Home grown talent is passe. That is how it was in the 70's, but not so now.
A good FB coach today needs to be a better recruiter, something the cathlic leagues have known about for years.
D1 schools will contact kids and are interested UNTIL a better one comes along. And another better one usually does. Of course they lead you to believe that you kid is great. Its a business. Just curious…was Howey from CC a preferred walk on or did he get money from the beginning?
I think you really have to look at schools like Airport and FR to show how much coaching determines things in high school football.
Flat Rock was a state power in the 70's because of Larry Dugan. Sure they had talent but look no further than the years that folowed his departure after the 1981 football season.
Airport had struggled as a football program for decades while their baseball and basketball programs had motly flourished. Insert Eric Redmond and the Jets become a yearly playoff qualifier. It is no coincidence.
All teams work hard, some more than others but these days the kids and coaches really work hard in the offseason at most league schools.
Please tell me who in the last 8 years who was recruited by smcc the last 8 years
SMCC wins because they have good players and a good coach.
All teams in the HL work hard and go the extra mile.
We aren't special in that way at all.
Again, we win most of the time because we have good players and have been very fortunate to almost always have the best coach in the league now for over 40 years(Sandersen and Giarmo)
-bn
Have you looked at the names of the SMCC kids. They are the same families that have been going to that school forever. There is no recruiting there. What a joke and a stupid comment. And there is no difference in coaching private and public kids. The belief and structure of the SMCC way is what makes it for them. These kids kill themselves and go the extra mile. They win as a team. Bo would love those kids. The area public schools have more talent. Open your eyes. They are just not coached as well and they just don't have the tradition that means more to the SMCC kids than other schools. I thought Huron had better athletes than SMCC. They were most certainly bigger and faster. If Jack is recruiting he better read a book on how to start grabbing top rated talent. Bottom line is those kids work their tails off all year.They put the T in team and the P in program. Stop making excuses why the other teams are not as good. Wake up and look at the truth !! It might hurt but it is still the truth.
Mitroka is not the best player in the past 20 years to come from the huron leauge he doesn't have D1 size to be a QB and surely isn't fast enough to be alone a rb or wr in D1
4:52 Mitroka has been hearing from d1 since last year…
Neil howey out of CC went to eastern Michigan and then to the Seahawks. So we don't only get some D-1 players we got a PRO! I believe his brother plays for CC right now.
Not playing this year. Injury plagued.
Im sure there are new ones out there too. You get my point.
I have always enjoyed the D1 D2 D3 banter among the parents. Until you have lived it you just don't know. D1 will be in touch your Sophmore year. D2's get those cast offs after your Jr. year. All others get D3, which is where 99% end up. Thats about 12,000 college freshmen spots nation wide for D3. There are currently no D1 prospects in the Huron League that I have seen, just a few D2's. Lots of D1 are walk ons who busted their butts and earned a roster spot and a small scholorship.
I guess I could list Albion HS, Willow Run HS, ah I know what your thinking, how about Bloomfield Hills Andover?
I'm sure the kids at those schools are probably better off now anyhow.
2 out of the whole state.
Public schools will always be there? Ask Ikster residents and Buena Vista Township residents if they think that is true?
I think Samuels is but will most likely go D2. McCormick and Smith are both very good HS players who will most likely play NAIA or D3.
The only bomb dropped here is in your toilet. LOL
Good kids make a good coach. Giarmo is a good coach, but his job is not as hard as a coaches job at a public school. Some of the very best kids in the area go to SMCC. The public schools have to take the kids they are given and make them champions.
Private schools are a gathering ground for parents who think there local public school isn't good enough. We all know you get out of any school what you into it. Public, private, whatever.
I have gone to SMCC and to public school. I have played sports at both. If the private school parents didnt vote down the local millage everytime a public school asks for one, they wouldn't be struggling as much. A little more on your taxes is still much less than $8000 a year.
SMCC has to strive to be the very best at everything they do or they will cease to exist. No one will pay to go there.
Public school will always be there
Poster September 17, 6:40 am:
You don't think Josh Smith, Marcus Samuels, or Scott McCormick DI talent?
What do you think Chris?
The reason GI is back on the right track is because they have a great coach. Bodner brings the best out of his players and has a great gameplan. He was heckled when I played for him back in the day for his play calling and his offense. He has matured and stuck to his offense and it has caused nightmares for teams in the league. As far as D1 talent, there has been a few players who have gone to college to compete. There has been quite a few Huron League kids in the past 6 years go off and earn scholarship at the D2 level. I played during the rough days of the program and left on the up swing and to close this out, I just want to say how proud I am of the GI program. GO GI
-GI alum #2
Mitroka is the best football player in the huron league in the last 20 year +, it doesn't surprise me that he is recieveing those looks. I can't believe a team like Oregon wouldn't come give him a look, he is perfect for that offense.
Will Huron ever find the end zone?
I really hope so! But I'm not so sure they should have changed up the QB's this year. That may have helped them out a little. The games were much closer in points last year!
in 5 years of jr. football, GIs junior class went 41-7, with 2 championships on 3 trips to it. heads up! there are D1 scouts on GIs sideline every week watching mitroka. EMU, MSU, and Wayne State, and UM have all been in attendance
I believe Chapman boy from Airport a few years back went to Indiana.
Milan's Eric Gunderson plays at Michigan.
My bad – Yes I did forget about Nick Beamish – I do remember some of the great players like Box from Milan and I remember Smolen from GI and maybe a couple of others that are playing D2. It would be nice to keep a running list of who's who from the Huron League to let our kids know it's possible! – But still haven't seen D1 yet in the league even though season is young.
"8:09 poster – In my last 8 years watching the Huron League I have yet to see a D1 player come from the league. I will watch Carrabino this Friday and I will probably say that I have not seen a D1 prospect player in the Huron League again (not just cc, but the whole league). We do not seem to have the size and speed that is necessary to be a D1 player. Has anyone kept track of who has made it to the next level the last several years? I bet that there are only a couple of D3 players at best and maybe only 2 or 3 D2.
September 16, 2013 at 9:35 PM"
Did you forget about Nick Beamish from The View? You said you haven't seen a DI player in the last 8 years.. Last time I checked CMU is DI…
Nick Beamish From Riverview is a D1 Player, Starting at Center for CMU right now.
Don't think I'm cutting on the Carrabino boy #4, he is a fine player, but it's a stretch to even think D1 at 150lbs.
I think this group of GI kids won several peanut bowls – maybe 3. They do have talent and do play well together. The GI parents would better answer this….
The cupboard is bare at FR right now. Give OC time. There is talent in the 7th, 8th and 9th grades. That may seem silly but OC is a winner. Trust me he will turn it around. The problem is, will the FR administration give him a full time teaching gig or continue to string him along. (that comment won't make me any friends)
Huron just can't score for whatever reason. I don't know what it is. They have some freaky athletes there. I see them on a regular basis. They are big fast and strong but they have played two highly ranked teams. GI is well coached and has a freak at QB. SMCC is one of the best coached teams in the state and everyone knows they have talent. I expect Milan to win but it wouldn't surprise me to see Huron run the table. I'm not saying they will but they have some players.
These GI players have been good since their Jr. football days in the Downriver Jr. Football League. I believe they won a Peanut Bowl. Those kids can play and they have a bonafide stud. Newsflash people Mitroka is a DI athlete. He may end up playing DII but does it making him any less talented if he chooses a GVSU over an EMU?. Throw in some other great players and you have a very very good team.
Recipe for success? Coaching, look no further than Jack Giarmo. Best coach in the league hands down. Look at Airport, 8 seasons in 48 years they had above a .500 record, Redmond shows up and they have 14 straight years of playoffs. Notice he has been gone for 4 years? His kids are gone and his influence on the program is fading. I think Airport still has a decent team but I think the streak is over. I think the coaches are still good but Redmond was a seasoned veteran.
Mitroka is just in the wrong state, if he he played Texas high school football he would be the next Johnny Manziel! GI is 3-6 without him and a possible state champion with him. He may single handedly beat CC anf Milan this year and lead GI to the promised land!
8:09 poster – In my last 8 years watching the Huron League I have yet to see a D1 player come from the league. I will watch Carrabino this Friday and I will probably say that I have not seen a D1 prospect player in the Huron League again (not just cc, but the whole league). We do not seem to have the size and speed that is necessary to be a D1 player. Has anyone kept track of who has made it to the next level the last several years? I bet that there are only a couple of D3 players at best and maybe only 2 or 3 D2.
Chris,
What is going on at your alma mater?
What is going on at Huron?
How did GI get good?
What is the recipe for success in the HL?
Looks like Airport is on the way down. They'll win this week, but it's all over after this.
FR over SMCC in 2001 (28-20) and in 1998 (34-21).
SMCC will dominate GI, no doubt about it. Remember GI gave up 350 yds to Huron. SMCC will finish drives. SMCC 19 GI 7
when did FR ever beat SMCC? except the 80's or 70's?
This it the worst Flat Rock team i've ever watched. They have 1 player on their team #4. They throw bombs to him, he makes plays. They get dominated up front. Their QB won't make it past week 6. Not sure if they have any talent coming up but they better pray for some transfers or Oestrike will be laying in the caufin of coaches along with Pernicki, mossburg, hoog,
People saying that CC has no D1 talent, carrabino might be a D1 player if he continues to improve. I am a flat rock fan and watched the CC vs Flat rock game and that kid is lighting quick and is very strong
I think we've seen that speed and discipline usually trump size. SMCC is never the biggest team, and this year Milan doesn't have any big linemen. They still get the job done though.
Will Huron ever find the end zone?
Eventually; they have to quit with the pretty plays, and do what they use to.. pound the ball down field. Quit with the fancy foot work QBs and go UP FIELD.
Grosse Ile or SMCC?
After seeing SMCC and GI both against Huron, i can say SMCC will take it. CC's got a nice, fastdefense, who will stop Mitroka. SMCCs offense will be much like Hurons offense was to GI's defense, except CC will find the endzone. Good luck boys, my money is on CC this week.
Huron or Milan?
Hard to say, considering Airport doesn't seem like a contender in the league, and Riverview seems to be right there with Airport, I think this may be a closer game for Milan than the first 3 [well minus Ypsi] Huron's offense has got to show up, and put some point on the board. They need to execute plays, and march the ball down the field… and their Defense has to hold up against yet another star QB..Hopefully they watched enough of their tape against GI and CC to see where their mistakes are.
Any Huron League teams look like they are going to make a long playoff run?
SMCC, GI, and Milan. My pick this year
I remember not too long ago when Grosse Ile lost 20 straight and people were pulling the starters on them.
Time will come for all HL teams eventually; they all just have to find their sweet spots I guess.. GI has been lucky to get 2 all star QBs the last 2 years. Heck Milan had 4 playoff runteams before a 1-8 season, then came back with a 10-1. Some teams just take longer lol
KC
This is the core of the Huron League schedule and the results may turn out to be like championship games…GI v. SMCC; next week Milan v. GI; and in two weeks its SMCC v. Milan.
gonna be fun.
Good football programs absolutely attract good players and parents even move to get their guy into that kind of a program. And poor programs repel kids and cause them to look elsewhere. So, it is not recruiting, it is reputation that moves people to those excellent programs, at both public and private schools.
Thanks coach, those were some nice comments. I'm not sure they are all true but I would like to think so.
On the same token, my favorite win was beating FR in 88. Going to your place, we were the underdogs and played a great game. Fond memory.
-bn
I've coached at both public and private schools. I see very little difference. How one coaches is determined by the culture of the school. What determines a coach's ability to do what he thinks is best for the program has a lot to do with parents' view of their own role, their student's role, the coach's role and the athletic director's role. If parents think it is the role of everyone to make sure everyone plays, then the coach has to make sure everyone plays. If the parents believe the first priority is winning and realize that not all kids are going to get to play, then the coach can focus on winning games and only playing kids that will help the team win. If the parents don't believe the coach is doing his job, they will go to the AD to get a different coach. A weak AD will roll over quickly and fire the coach. A strong AD will make a case for the coach, but if the parents are not convinced, then the coach is fired. As long as parents are organized, they run the show whether it is at public or private schools. I have coached at "rich" public and "rich" private schools. All that means is we had better "stuff." I have coached at "poor" schools where parents are very involved and had a very balanced view of each person's role in the program. We had a lot of success despite our lack of cool, new stuff. I believe some private schools recruit and thus have an unfair advantage. However, in my time playing at Flat Rock and as an observer from up close and afar I don't believe SMCC recruits. Rather, their success is a product of full commitment from players to coaches to support staff to the community to teachers to administrators and ultimately to the parents who I believe have a realistic view of each person's role in the program. I do have to point out, that the Rams beat the Falcons my Senior year (something that doesn't happen often for FRHS) and it is still one of my most favorite games.
The only thing that would help Hurons offense is to change it.
-bn
I think of all sports out there, high school football can be effected by coaching the most.
Do you have to coach differently at private vs. public. I think so but others may know more.
I do know that Huron wasn't allowed to practice outside on Tuesday and Wednesday last week because of the heat index which was enforced by the professional training staff and the administration at Huron. I'm not sure if that was the same deal at SMCC or not. I'm not saying that had an effect on anything but I know it didn't help Huron's offense.
I really can't talk to anything else on the subject but I'm sure there are some limitations for a public school coach compared to private.
"I am not so sure about that one! Coach Giarmo is a great coach. A great coach for SMCC. He would have a much more difficult way to go in the public system. Many coaching tatics would need to change or he would get run in most public schools. Trust me I know. I have played for them and have coached in both provate and public schools, big, big diffrerence."
Care to comment on this one Chris?
-bn
Those 88 teams were both great.
-bn
8:07 comment: Jefferson always finds a way to beat Riverview: Since 1980 the record is 18-15 in favor of Riverview with view winning twice in 1988. Please remember that history is more than the last 4 years when your kid was on the team.
Thank you
When you see how small CC is you will wonder who the heck they recruited. Lol. I'm no CC slappy but it's obvious they didn't recruit anyone. I'm a HURON guy and they beat us with much smaller and maybe even slower guys. I just tip my cap and hope we improve.
I am not so sure about that one! Coach Giarmo is a great coach. A great coach for SMCC. He would have a much more difficult way to go in the public system. Many coaching tatics would need to change or he would get run in most public schools. Trust me I know. I have played for them and have coached in both provate and public schools, big, big diffrerence.
Us M fans could care less about state Chris. On the contrary, I bet many state fans would rather see M lose vice MSU win.
-bn
We should be thankful for private schools…. Schools are struggling to educated the current student base…. Imagine if they also had to support the millions in private schools…..
Bomb dropped 🙂
No typhoon can stop me Chris.
-bn
Ya look at all the D1 talent on SMCC's roster!! Obvious recruiting! Ya right. Huron was 40lbs to a man bigger and more talented yet still lost.
SMCC is probably the smallest team in the league. They win because of their coach. If he coached huron they would be great.
EM, you wouldn't have been a fan of Western Michigan, South Florida or Youngstown State if they had beaten State? You UM fans crack me up!
LOL it's all good Chris. EM
No Chris, Airport probably won't make the playoffs. GI-SMCC is a virtual tossup, 2 great defenses and effective offenses. I give CC a very slight edge at home. I expect SMCC and GI to make nice runs in the playoffs. I dont see anyone else getting past the 2nd round. " I was almost an Akron Zip for a day". You Spartan fans crack me up Chris. EM
Hopefully Not. Been there done done that. We all have our opinions on that.
I agree with the open enrollment argument but not all schools have open enrollment. And then, you still have the selectivity issue. Public schools have to accept open enrollment students by lottery. Private schools can pick and choose. Not the same thing.
GIMOM
Be prepared for the open enrollment argument.
Huron has no chance. Milan is a tough team led by Kanitz who had no doubt the best game this weekend. I expect their defense to hold strong. 42-14
I just don't see SMCC winning this week! From watching them this week against Huron I believe their Defense is better then GI's, and their offense is more consistant, but they don't have Mitroka! #onemanwreckingcrew
Being D6 and a private school is way different than D4 and taking the kids you are given from your community. Any day!! We all know this, been discussed many times.
If there was a division in the state with private schools only, SMCC wouldn't crack the top 20. But since they are the only private school around here, they are great. Been there, discussed this.
CC is the best program around here because Jack Giarmo and his staff coach circles around yours. I don't see any Division 1 college football players that he is getting year in and year out like the big private schools. Average size, average speed, flat out gets more out of less.
Kanitz did have the best game in the league friday night. Apparently Milan is too far west to get respect, there are very versatile. Many weapons, I would start including them in these top team conversations. They will beat Huron easily. I am not a Milan fan, but have seen them play.
As for Huron, people keep touting them and they keep putting up goose eggs. Not so sure touting is deserved.
Pickens first win this weekend. Riverview is descent, but Jefferson usually finds a way to beat them. Bears will get it done this weekend. Believe it or not, Bears are improving each week. Pass defense was non existent or this would have been a much closer game.
BN, isn't there a typhoon in SE Asia? Your commenting on Huron League football? You got to love the blog's #! fan from Japan.
Looks like a couple jokers we have ( or one) with the first 2 comments. Derrrrrrrr
-bn
#3 in D4 vs #2 in D6. I think you gotta go with the D4 team. Although the game is played at Navarre, will that be the difference?
-bn
Seems to me with the huge line Huron has, it would do them well just to line up in a power set. Maybe the power I of old and just run over people. Being to cute is costing them.
-bn
It'll be interesting to see how CC handles GI's backfield, same with Huron handling Milan's. This Friday will be play a large part in who will win the win IMO.
Huron is better than their scores indicate. They may not lose again. Yes, Milan will be a tough task.
-bn
How can you even ask Milan or Huron?
GI 35 CC 20
GI wins easy!!
How'd GI's 2nd D look? Any stand out names?
They looked very good! The D line executed and got a nice pass rush most of the time. A couple stand out players were #54 Matt Perry (Senior) and #72 Brendan Wilkes (Junior) both brought the hammer, they were shooting their gaps, getting off the ball, and making plays. They were full of enthusiasm and really hyped up that second defensive squad.