Football Fanatic

1 hour ago, MHSTigerFan said:

I’m a bit of a homer, and I realize he missed 2 games.  But I think Porter Rode got screwed by not being 2nd team.

I agree, meant to mention that as well. 

Congrats to all players and Coach Brunson on the selections! They are all very deserving of the honor.

I was fairly close on my predictions. Few initial reactions: 

- Surprising to me that Hunt was selected as POTY even though he was an at-large. Hunt is a great player though, not trying to say he doesn't deserve it. Based on the selections, I would have thought it'd be Wunderlich, Purdy, Summers, or Vera Jr.

- I feel like Harris and Bishop from Castle were both All-SIAC type players but not sure who they would have made it over.

- Seems like Reitz could've gotten a bit more love, considering all-conference is awarded based on the regular season and they won it by 3 games. They have a bunch of talent and put up big numbers.

- Would have liked to see Bosse or Central get at least one player each but I guess that's the unfortunate part of losing a lot of games. They both had a few talented players that could probably start on most teams, but their stats may not have been good enough.

- Loaded list of talent and 18 of those players will be back. SIAC will be a lot of fun to watch again next season.

Should be a great game! Looks like it will drop to mid-low 20s during the game with a wind chill in the teens. Just a light breeze and no precipitation luckily. Sounds brutal to spectate though, you'd have to be crazy to put yourself through that.

Sign me up, I'll be there.

3 minutes ago, tango said:

LOL. I would pay just to watch Goebel or Hurley run a week's worth of practices with that SIAC team. 

They would age 5-10 years after that one week of coaching them.

But man would it be fun to have that much talent at your disposal!

2 minutes ago, Titan32 said:

I know you only looked at Large but there are some Small players that really could help here.  I like Schroeder and Kramer from SR a lot.

I don't doubt it. Apologies again for only speaking on large school PAC. I do know some of the small school players. The two you mentioned obviously, Howald and Meadows from Pike Central, Neukam and Allen from Southridge, Stone and Galvin from NP, Jochem and Lueken from FP, Hurt and Olmstead from SS, Terry and Glenn from TC. But those are really the only players I know much about and I still don't know how they compare to the top large school players or the SIAC for that matter. I could maybe say Schroeder, Kramer, Howald, Neukam, Stone, and Jochem belong on the All-PAC-Stars, but it's hard for me to say past that.

1 minute ago, TigerFan20 said:

Memorial would need to win the sectional next year to remain in 4A. As the Tigers currently have 1 point in the system and need 2 to remain. Lose in the sectional, Memorial will be back in 3A. Chances in 3A? Could be good, but hard to predict from 2 years out now, our solid sophomore class will be seniors, and the classes below the 2025 appear to be solid too.

I would think Reitz will be the favorite to win that sectional next year considering who they have returning, but obviously cannot count out Memorial or Jasper. I know Memorial fans/coaches/players would love to see them win it again, but there's also a lot of people who would like to see Memorial back in 3A. Notably - the 4A teams in their sectional, and people who think they have a better chance at going to state in 3A (which they probably do). Personally, I would like to see more Memorial vs. Gibson Southern matchups. Those were fun.

14 hours ago, MHSTigerFan said:

That EC team would’ve beaten Castle and MD by…a lot.  No shame in losing to them.  They’re a fantastic team.  Their defense was spectacular.

Memorial actually scored more against them every team they played except for Cincinnati Moeller.

I also think East Central would've beaten Reitz somewhat comfortably as well. Earlier in the season (after they blew out Jasper, North, Castle, and then held on in a close one against Memorial without their QB), I and many others probably would not have thought that. I would have thought their size and speed would match up well with East Central and whoever else they would run into, but their offense was never the same after their QB got hurt, and with Vera in there they were too limited against good defenses. Unfortunately for the rest of 4A south, there was a massive roadblock this year in East Central/Roncalli/New Pal. I think all 3 of those teams could win state in 5A this year, and I think Reitz or Memorial could've went to semistate or state. Just how it goes sometimes. So what are the chances looking like that Memorial moves back down to 3A after next season? I forget how the points work, but how far would they have to make it to stay in 4A?

4 minutes ago, HHPatriots said:

I really don't believe we are very far apart....I understand children in sports.  I have coached them.

I just get really tired of hearing about how much better the SIAC is than the PAC when there just isn't the facts that support it.

I agree. There's no valid way to compare and I do think it is close. However, I think the SIAC is slightly better overall - mostly speaking on depth, coaching and size/speed of the players. The only thing you can really look at is film, stats and player measurables (size, speed, lifting numbers, times, etc.). But even then, the game still has to be played and technique/mechanics are a huge part of the game. It doesn't really get me heated like a lot of people, as I am somebody who supports and follows all Evansville area football so I just like seeing all players and teams succeed (well, most of them lol). But I do like a good debate and comparison, which are usually pointless, but do make for fun discussion and hypotheticals. 

54 minutes ago, Sidelined56 said:

I see that the All-Metro or All-City team was posted... does anyone have a line on the All-SIAC team? When will that be announced or have they even had the meeting yet ? maybe I missed this in reading above, could someone fill me in please! 

Also, any experts have any projections on the SIAC all conference team/s ??

I believe the All-SIAC is not released until after all teams finish their season. Speaking of, congrats to the SIAC for having two teams still alive (Castle and Mater Dei). Surprised they have Castle there instead of Reitz/Memorial/Jasper, but never know what can happen. 

I just posted who I would start in an All-Star game, so I guess those would be my predictions. Also, I imagine most of the All-City players will be All-SIAC.

59 minutes ago, HHPatriots said:

Yeah, you are right, I have no idea how this works. 🙄

Reitz was an excellent team especially as it was shown by their regular season schedule.  They were not, however, good enough to beat Boonville on that night.  

You say that sarcastically, ha ha and all that, yet you confidently used it as your point to make in the SIAC vs. PAC argument. All season long, all the talk was who was the best team in the area...Reitz or Gibson Southern. No argument, they were clearly the two best teams around. Yet, they both lost early to opponents who, on paper, did not seem to be near as good. If those two matchups were played 10 times each, Reitz and Gibson Southern maybe win 8 or 9 of them right? But again, that's why the games are played. And you are right, on that night, Reitz was not good enough to beat Boonville (who then lost to Memorial who previously lost to Reitz) and Gibson Southern was not good enough to beat Owen Valley (who then lost to Monrovia). That happens in sports. Sometimes in the pros, a lot of times in college, and definitely a lot of times with high school teenagers. Can't judge by one game that was played on one given night. However, would definitely like to see some SIAC schools play the PAC schedule and some PAC schools play the SIAC schedule and see what the results would be. It's either that or an All-Star game. I'd be okay with either one!

I think on paper the SIAC would be the favorite in a matchup with the PAC and would have a heck of a coaching staff, but again, there's a reason games are actually played. I wouldn't say with confidence one way or the other. And I'm speaking on large school PAC only because I know more about those schools than the small school, so apologies for that. But just for fun, here would be MY potential starters + top reserves for the SIAC All-Stars vs. PAC Large School All-Stars:

PAC (Big School Only)

Offense

• QB - Clay Conner (Boonville) - would also use Tanner Boyd in situations
• RB - Devan Roberts (Gibson Southern) - would also use Reece Wilder in situations
• WR - Sean Delong (Gibson Southern)
• WR - Marques Ballard (Boonville)
• WR - Jackson Clowers (Mt. Vernon)
• WR - Isaac O'Neal (Gibson Southern) - would also use Michael Herren and Cooper Aigner
• OL - Jacob Bales (Gibson Southern)
• OL - Jackson Adams (Gibson Southern)
• OL - Hunter Kolley (Heritage Hills)
• OL - Gavin Maxey (Boonville)
• OL - Ruben Gutierrez (Washington) - would also use Drew Walden

Defense

• DL - Ethan Parker (Boonville) - would also use Brady Schickel
• DL - Brody Klem (Gibson Southern)
• DL - Stihl Scott (Boonville)
• DL - Ty Whitledge (Gibson Southern)
• LB - Braydon Durham (Heritage Hills)
• LB - Carter Wolfe (Boonville) 
• LB - Reece Wilder (Boonville) - would also use Luke Foster
• DB - Brenden Chew (Heritage Hills)
• DB - Mason Scheller (Gibson Southern)
• DB - Cooper Aigner (Boonville)
• DB - Hayden Gilmore (Princeton) - would also use Nicot Burnett at safety and Clay Conner in situations as a safety or roll down as an outside backer

Coaching Staff: Nick Hart, Todd Wilkerson, Darin Ward, Lukas Messmer

Notes: Apologies, as it appears I've mostly formed the Gibson Southern-Boonville-Heritage Hills All-Star team, but is it really that out-of-line, or is it accurate?

SIAC

Offense

• QB - Mason Wunderlich (Mater Dei) - would also use Xander Hunt or Roland Vera Jr. in situations
• RB - Jonas Burnett (Reitz) - would also use Porter Rode and Angelo St. Louis in situations
• WR - Leo Collins (Memorial) - would also use Weston Aigner here
• WR - Xavier Thomas (Reitz)
• WR - Hayden Summers (Reitz)
• WR - Caleb Ellsperman (Memorial) - would also use Ethan Stolz here
• OL - Harlen Summers (Reitz)
• OL - Edward Hartig (Memorial)
• OL - Jack Cassidy (Memorial)
• OL - Timmy Dixon (North) - would also use Griffin Hile
• OL - Quentin Boeke (Reitz) 

Defense

• DL - Jayden Hazelwood (North)
• DL - Kelton Farmer (Memorial)
• DL - Levi Oxley (Reitz)
• DL - Calab Utley (Reitz) - would also use Kaleb Harris and Cale Johnson
• LB - John Purdy (Castle)
• LB - Carac Johnson (Memorial)
• LB - Ayden Wells (Reitz) - would also use Mitch Adler and Alex Broshears
• DB - Asher Horn (Harrison) - would also use Elijah Ringo
• DB - Bralen Bair (Jasper)
• DB - J'Khari Phifer (Reitz) - would also use Dejaun Gillis or Jackson Draper
• DB - Ayden Salpietra (Castle) - would also use Roland Vera Jr. here or roll down as an outside backer

Coaching Staff: Mike Goebel, John Hurley, Cory Brunson, Doug Hurt

Notes: Now that I look at it more closely on paper, I think the SIAC would definitely be favored. I do think it would be a very competitive game though.

17 hours ago, HHPatriots said:

The SIAC crushes the PAC?  Really?

After a mediocre PAC team beats the team in sectional that runs the table in the SIAC that is an ignorant statement.

You must not know how sports work, especially with teenagers. There's a reason the games are played and not just analyzed on paper. Anybody that saw Reitz play or knew anything about them this season would know how good they were though. Boonville was also a solid team (not mediocre) and took full advantage of an "off" game for Reitz, which seemed inevitable with how they were unbeaten despite all the penalties and the injury to their QB.

Will definitely be there Friday, excited for some cold playoff football. Interested to see how well Memorial tackles with the size of Ringer and Brotherton. Hard to simulate those dudes on scout team. Although they handled Conner and Wilder well. Something I noticed about East Central, they start a handful of juniors including the QB and Ringer, so they will be good again next year. Should be a great game at Enlow!

15 hours ago, MDAlum82 said:

Not certain about Burnett.  I listened to the broadcast and don't recall anything being mentioned about an injury.  Vera as a non-factor was a big surprise to me too.  He was the difference against MD.  Offense had much better rhythm with him at QB and his threat to run changed the game.  Kept thinking he was going to come in at any pt in the 2nd half to give RHS a boost.  Reitz had a couple of HUGE plays down the stretch but ran out of time.

Glad to hear folks talking about the extra point attempt being tipped.  Spread the word...   It would be a difficult thing to live down on the Hill if you were the one who muffed a kick and lost the game back in 2022...   Some Big Blue fans can be rather unforgiving and unkind, at least in my 50+ years of dealing with them.  

Burnett left the game early 2nd half and did not return. I too was surprised Vera was not used more on offense. Either at QB or out of the slot. He's one of those players that can make magic happen no matter how he touches the ball. Their offense really struggled to get drives going at times. Burnett was running well until the injury, and they completed some deep balls, but that's about it. 

Even if it wasn't tipped, I don't know how you can be too upset with a 16-17 year old kid for missing an XP in a high pressure playoff situation like that. Especially since he's been a great kicker for them the past few years. But again, that's why I always lean toward going for the win there on the road, especially if you have some good 2pt plays up your sleeve. But, what do I know, and hindsight vision is unfair.

27 minutes ago, TigerFan20 said:

My angle looked like he timed it perfectly, but my eyes haven't been the best recently, however, it looked fine in real-time and I didn't see any Reitz players pointing toward indicating an offside by Boonville. Seemed like it was a bang-bang sequence for the tipped ball in my opinion 

The players, coaches, and fans were all pleading for it. There was a guy videoing directly from the side and the player was a whole step and helmet across before the ball snapped. Like I said, it's very unfortunate for Reitz for it to end like that, but that missed call is not the reason they lost. So many other things happened for them to even get in that situation. Just want to make that clear. Reitz was arguably the best team in southern Indiana all season, but on that night, Boonville was the best and earned the right to take on Memorial. 

1 hour ago, Bobref said:

Many things went wrong … but the only one you mention is your disagreement with a no call made by the guy with the best view of the play in the whole house. Were you watching on a computer monitor? From the stands? If “many things went wrong,” why single out that particular one? Everyone is looking for an excuse and the officials are an easy target. That’s what I meant by “the problem.”

I’ve mentioned other things that went wrong in this thread or another. That one was singled out because it was a crucial one at the end to tie it up and many people have been talking about it. There is video of it and it does clearly look like the player crossed the line before the snap AND tipped the ball. Reitz was down 14 with 4 min to go, so they were fortunate to even be in a situation to tie or win. Like I said elsewhere, personally I go for the win which also avoids any mishaps on the XP. But I’m in full agreement with anyone saying that many other things went wrong that put Reitz in that situation. Dumb penalties, turnovers, poor tackling, lack of adjustments, injuries, bad gameplay, failed opportunities, etc. Whatever it may be, they didn’t execute well and Boonville is playing very good football right now which is why they’re moving on. 

1 minute ago, tango said:

Clay Conner will be the best athlete on the field.

Did I see/hear that RB Reece Wilder came out of the game early on? Only had 8 carries for 30 yds in the game.

I do agree with that. I will be interested to see what Memorial does on defense to contain him. It's not even just that he is big and athletic, he also has great speed.

That is correct, left early in the game and it sounds like from an interview that his status is up in the air awaiting tests. 

48 minutes ago, Bobref said:

This right here is the problem in a nutshell.

What do you mean?

2 minutes ago, tango said:

Boonville is also a darn good football team. 

No doubt. Their QB Conner is the real deal and has the ability to break big plays out of seemingly nothing. Something else I thought of: The Reitz defense did really well at neutralizing impact players all season - the two players they struggled against most? Xander Hunt and Clay Conner. Makes sense!

Boonville has a handful of players that go both ways which is the main reason I think Memorial will come out on top against them. But they will be absolutely pumped up and at home again, never know!

1 hour ago, Wildcat1992 said:

Got to be a huge letdown for Reitz.  Almost as bad as undefeated Jasper losing first round last year.  Congrats to Boonville.  I didn't think they could hang with Reitz, let alone beat them.

Definitely a huge letdown for Reitz. They have to be disappointed. Most people had them going to regionals and maybe even semi state. Usually teams that have both a great offense and great defense make those long playoff runs. However, we all suspected that the penalty bug was their weakness and would eventually be their downfall. Besides that, they missed opportunities and could not catch any breaks against Boonville. But we shouldn't forget that a majority of their team is juniors, and a sophomore QB. While they do lose some talented seniors (especially Thomas and Burnett), they return a ton of talent. I believe they return 7 starters on offense and 7 starters on defense, that includes their 3 DL that combined for 37 sacks which is tops in the state. Having 4/5 OL back with the Summers/Vera combo will be huge. We can also assume their sophomore QB will get healthy and improve. It looks like the main areas they need to replace are at RB and defensive backs. Considering their freshmen and JV both did well, they shouldn't have any problem replacing those spots. Losing early in the postseason is surely not acceptable in the Reitz community, but they have a lot to be happy about and look forward to. I expect Reitz to be even better next year. 

Recap of sectional semifinals:

Very disappointing loss and end for Reitz after what was a very promising season. They ran into a team that was on fire and ready to prove people wrong. Many things went wrong for Reitz in that game, but did anybody see video of the last Reitz XP attempt to tie the game yet? Appears that the Boonville player ran offsides right before the snap (also got a fingertip on the ball) but it was not called. Very unfortunate. But personally, I'll usually always lean towards going for 2 to win in that situation, especially on the road. But again, Reitz had many opportunities and made many mistakes. It also didn't help losing Burnett and Brantley early to injuries. Boonville came ready to play, maintained that level throughout, and did not make many mistakes. The QB Conner made big plays when he needed to and is simply one of the better athletes in southern Indiana. Both the Reitz offense and defense had been outstanding all season and they both struggled in that game. Offense struggled to maintain drives and get their playmakers the ball until it was too late. Defense struggled to tackle the QB and did not adjust well to what Boonville was doing. Good for Boonville, lots of credit to them. None of us were alive the last time they beat Reitz. They now carry a lot of momentum into a showdown with Memorial. Reitz will be disappointed but they have come along way from the last few years - from being mediocre to the top of the conference. They lose a few talented seniors but return a whole lot of juniors and their sophomore QB. 

Memorial vs. Jasper was a great game and it never felt like either team was going to win the game comfortably. Very evenly contested and many punches traded. Both teams made mistakes and both teams made winning plays. That's the kind of battle you expect between them and want in a sectional semifinal. Jasper came a long way from getting beat by Harrison and blown out by Reitz. They got their playmakers back healthy, adjusted their offensive a bit, and started playing Jasper football again. They just ran into a team that also came along way from early season, a team that figures out how to win games in the postseason. Credit to Coach Hurley and Johnson, they always seem to save a little magic dust to sprinkle in the playoffs. Even though Boonville just took down Reitz and will have the home field advantage, I still see Memorial as the favorite. Looking forward to a rematch of Memorial vs. EC in regionals. Jasper loses a handful of key seniors but return some promising athletes, especially two talented freshmen at QB and RB. 

1 minute ago, FootballFan2000 said:

Appreciate you giving it a stab. I think the biggest discussions will be between who gets first team QB and who gets second. In my eyes, its a two horse race between Hunt from Vincennes and Wunderlich from MD. Would love to see the stats to compare the two. 

I see Wunderlich getting 1st team QB because he's a senior with the best passing stats. I see Hunt getting either 1st team at-large or 2nd team QB. 

1 hour ago, FootballFan2000 said:

The format:

Offense: 1 QB, 5 OL, 2 RB, 3 WR/TE, 1 K, 1 At Large

Defense: 4 DL, 3 LB, 4 DB, 1 P, 1 At Large

My "off the top of my head" prediction (probably way off):

1st Team Offense

QB

Sr. Mason Wunderlich (Mater Dei)

OL

Sr. Edward Hartig (Mem.), Sr. Jack Cassidy (Mem.), Jr. Harlen Summers (Reitz), Jr. Timmy Dixon (North), Sr. Will Bracher (Castle)

RB

Sr. Jonas Burnett (Reitz), Jr. Angelo St. Louis (North)

WR/TE

Jr. Hayden Summers (Reitz), Sr. Xavier Thomas (Reitz), Sr. Weston Aigner (Castle)

K

Can't decide between So. Luke Lindsey (VL) or Jr. Keifer Sanderson (Reitz) or Jr. Aleyna Quinn (Castle)

At-Large

Can't decide between Jr. Roland Vera Jr. (Reitz) or Jr. Xander Hunt (VL) or Jr. Porter Rode (Mem.)

1st Team Defense

DL

Jr. Levi Oxley (Reitz), Jr. Calab Utley (Reitz), Sr. Cale Johnson (North), Sr. Kelton Farmer (Mem.)

LB

Sr. John Purdy (Castle), Sr. Carac Johnson (Mem.), Jr. Ayden Wells (Reitz)

DB

Sr. Elijah Ringo (Reitz), Sr. Dejuan Gillis (VL), Sr. Ayden Salpietra (Castle), Jr. Sam Nichols (Mem.)

P

Sr. Charlie Kabrick (Jasper)

At-Large

Can't decide between Sr. Brody Mueller (Central) or So. Will Hambrick (VL) or Sr. Louis Seward (Mem.)

1 hour ago, Fkfootball said:

How good is Evansville North?

They are not as good as they should be, we'll put it that way. They run the ball a bunch on offense and stop the run pretty well on defense. If you can make them pass, and you mix it up on offense, they are definitely beatable.

1 hour ago, Sidelined56 said:

Reitz is a 3-5-3 team correct? so do you attribute their coverage guys behind them to their sack totals or is it just that great of a pass rush ?

Looks like a 3-3 or 3-5 yeah. I think it is a combination of everything. They have speed all over the defense. The secondary and linebackers fly around and don't give up many passes. The DL is big/strong and fast. Teams do not have much time to establish any comfort in the pocket.

Fortunately for Boonville, they have a QB who is fast and athletic enough to get out of the pocket and make plays. Boonville may find success how VL found success. But I just don't think it will be enough to beat this Reitz team for four quarters.