WEEEEELLLLLLCOOMMMEEEE BACK TO THE DEEP POST!
It’s time for the first Deep Post of the regular season and we are ready! The long wait ended Thursday as we experienced real, meaningful football for the first time this year!
This week’s Deep Post will focus heavily on Class AA where preseason contenders and dark horses earned their publicity!
The Red and Blue Wrecking Crew
I found it funny that on the day the Dallas Cowboys traded pass rusher Micah Parsons, Independence showed exactly why you don’t let generational pass rushers walk out the door.
The Independence pass rush looked like one worthy of a nickname, sacking Herbert Hoover quarterback Peyton Grigsby eight times Thursday night in a 37-34 victory. It wasn’t just that the Red and Blue Wrecking Crew hit Grigsby repeatedly but they forced a dangerous offense off the field. Indy sacked Grigsby on six separate drives. The results of those drives? Touchdown, lost fumble, punt, punt, punt, end of game.
Sacks are drive killers.
It felt like watching Super Bowl LIX all over again.
And for a team like Hoover, the sacks serve as a double-whammy.
It’s no secret that Hoover’s best player is all-stater Blake Fisher. He’s a dynamic athlete who primarily plays running back and excels as a receiver as evidenced by his 40-yard touchdown catch against the Patriots. But part of your responsibility at running back is pass protecting and chipping when the line can’t hold up.
Too often the Huskies had to leave their best player in pass protection.
Sure, they could’ve flexed him out at receiver more often but doing so is almost waving the white flag that you’re not going to run the ball, allowing a good team like Independence to hone in and tee off.
Every play that Fisher, who scored three offensive touchdowns, was taken out of the picture was a gift
Aside from the pressure, even when the Crew wasn’t getting to Grigsby it was getting stops. Independence’s three interceptions came on drives where the Patriots didn’t have a sack. Two came on dropped passes – great defensive plays made by Landon Phalin and Kaden Bradbury.
They did yield big plays – by my count eight explosives (completions of 20-plus yards and runs of 15-plus yards) – but countered that with their ability to produce big plays on defense. Several of those big plays also came on coverage busts and loss of contain – mistakes that can be cleaned up. Hoover’s first touchdown pass, and 81-yarder on third-and-long, was the result of a coverage bust while several other plays came from Grigsby breaking contain on the pass rush, hitting big plays out of structure.
But at the end of the day this win felt symbolic in that the team grew up. It was the same situation a year ago when the teams met – Indy takes a big halftime lead, Hoover storms back and Independence falls flat at the end.
This time the defense held, getting Hoover off the field when it had the ball and the lead in the fourth and hammering the Huskies with sacks on the final drive.
On offense Brock “The Gambler” Green earned that nickname with a 25-yard completion on fourth-and-2 to keep the decisive scoring drive alive and the 1-yard scoring plunge on fourth-and-1 that accounted for the winning score. A year ago this team doesn’t make those plays.
Making grand proclamations after Week 1 is foolish, but Independence’s win was a monumental one. The Patriots play a brutal schedule and snagging a victory against a Class AAA team that’s likely to get you bonus points will make a massive difference in the playoff ratings.
Team Effort
Independence’s victory was one of the best team efforts I’ve covered. On counting stats alone Sylas Nelson, Brock Green, K.J. Viars, Alex Blankenship, Landon Riddle, Kaden Bradbury and Landon Phalin all had standout games with players such as Cole Laxton and Isaac Redden producing highlights too.
But the unheralded stat that I noticed when researching this piece – Independence’s offensive line gave up zero sacks on the 25 drop backs I charted. And they were tested with Independence scoring in obvious passing situations such as second-and-15, third-and-16. I know the coaching staff wanted to see more out of that unit following a their final scrimmage against Midland Trail.
The way the offense was called and Green’s ability to extend plays with off-platform throws aided that cause but playing that well in an environment like that against a team like that is just another reason for optimism.
It’s also worth noting Indy did all of this without being able to get its top receiver in Christian Linksweiler going, something that likely won’t be the norm for the all-stater.
The Streak is Over
The Bluefield-Graham rivalry had belonged to the G-Men for the entirety of this decade with the Beavers on a four-game skid in the series (there was no game in 2020).
The pendulum has now swung back in favor of the West Virginians after a 20-10 Bluefield win.
Much like Independence, this felt like a Week 1 must-win. As it has been over the last four years, the front half of Bluefield’s schedule is unforgiving. After upending the defensing VHSL state champions, the Beavers will now need to beat a Class AAA Princeton team that handed them one of the worst losses in program history a year ago. That’s followed by a matchup at James Monroe, a home matchup with Beckley and a trip up to Independence in what could be a matchup of two eventual Class AA semifinalists.
But aside from all of that, a win like Friday’s is good for morale. Starting 1-4 is difficult, especially when the losses are coming to border schools with whom you have a long history with.
Up against a defending state champion Friday, the Beavers were too young to know any better and that youth showed in all the right ways. Sophomore QB Max Simpson and wide receiver Pax Calhoun were deadly in the passing game, hooking up for a pair of scores and showing the type of chemistry you want your standouts to have.
But the story of the game was Bluefield’s defense which held down the fort. Four turnovers and numerous sacks in high-leverage situations helped steer the fort home.
Now, statistically turnovers are an unreliable and unsustainable metric, especially against good teams but head coach Fred Simon always preaches that sometimes you need to make your own luck. Plays were there to be made and the Beavers made them. On the opposite side, not so much as the G-Men struggled with open drops that set their offense back and gave the Beavers breaks when they need them. But good teams find a way to win regardless.
Much like Independence, this felt like a turn the corner moment for this young team that features just two seniors. Simpson struggled so badly a year ago that he was drug through the mud on social media. This year he had over 100 yards passing and three passing touchdowns in the first half, delivering the confidently to his receivers.
This week will provide a different test with a seasoned and prolific passer along with arguably the state’s top wide receiver. We’ll have a better idea of where this Bluefield team stands come Saturday.
Double-A Darkhorse
I may owe James Monroe an apology after ranking the Mavericks No. 10 in my preseason power rankings. They went on the road and beat Williamstown 26-25 on a neutral field, taking a three-score lead, squandering it, rallying and. blocking a field goal in the final seconds to win.
I was a little lower on James Monroe because of the pieces they lost but they seem to have a nice core in place. I was concerned about how they’d fare coming into the year. Much like Independence and Bluefield, their schedule is difficult and they’re closer to being large single-A while the aforementioned two are on the line for triple-A. The Mavericks will travel to Class AAA Shady Spring and host Bluefield in a Week 3 matchup that should have eyes from all over the state.
Early impressions
Two of the questions marks for me concerned Beckley and Princeton.
What would Beckley’s offense look like with over 2,500 rushing yards gone and I have several questions about Princeton.
For Beckley, my early impression is the Flying Eagles have found a balanced offense that meshes all of its talent. Gage Price threw the ball for 193 yards and three touchdowns while Gage Burdette ran it for 176 yards and two more scores. It was good marriage of what Beckley wants to do in running the ball while also utilizing a talented pair of pass catchers is Preston Clary and A.J. Thomas.
I had a list of questions with Princeton – what does the run game look like with R.J. Coatney out? How are targets distributed outside of Brad Mossor? What does the defense look like with the new scheme change?
Seeing Jake Belcher lead the way in carries was a positive. It didn’t reflect in the box score this game but Belcher has a receiving background and the more you can do, the more valuable you are. The ability to start with him in the backfield and motion him out to exploit matchups (or even run trick plays with his QB background) is valuable. He finished with 85 yards rushing, a nice performance with 14 carries.
The defense seemed to perform well too.
Capital’s all-state running back David Robinson was held in check with the exception of one play and the Tigers yielded just seven points. I’ll also be the first to admit I’m not as bullish on Capital as most. The Cougars lost their starting QB to the transfer portal as well as several other players and I believe for this year they’re still a tier or two below the contending class of triple-A. But anytime you can go on the road with as many changes as the Tigers had this offseason and hold a team down, there’s cause for encouragement.
Game Balls
- Tylee Simon, Bluefield – One interception and a touchdown catch against Graham.
- K.J. Viars, Independence – The rookie receiver started his career with a 100-yard performance against the Class AAA runners-up.
- Alex Blankenship, Independence – A sack on the final drive on a three-man pressure against six in pass protection that all but sealed Indy’s victory.
- Brock Parker, James Monroe – A long touchdown run and a blocked field goal that secured a big win.
- Luke Endicott, Oak Hill – First varsity start at QB and he leads a fourth-quarter game-winning drive!
- Zander Ooten, Midland Trail – Ootne had 3.5 sacks in Week 1.
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