So, because Norwayne beats the all-mighty Red Riders, Smithville's victory over them was a fluke? Get outta here with that crap. It is a huge rivalry game, and the co-champs (that's right Smithville was champs and a play-off team too) defended their home field and won. Definitely not a fluke.

Smithville play BALL CONTROL Offense....Norwayne ran 7 plays in a half!!!!!! You are calling that a fluke? That is called OWNING the LOS and long sustained drives keepin Norwaynes high octane offense off the field. Genius game plan...contrary to the "chuck a long ball and hope for a catch" game plan that Orrville had!

Im impressed with the class Orrville has shown is congratulating Norwayne....but there has been some tongue in cheek comments....Smithville and Hillsdale BOTH could have played with and possibly beat that Orrrville team I saw Saturday night. (I dont care if it was "the worst you played all year")....TRADITION is suppose to prevent stage fright under the big lights!!!

If you were at that game, you'd be aware it was no fluke. The Smithville line manhandled Norwayne on both sides of the ball. On offense, it ran a chain-mover offense that ate up time and yards. On defense they did something Orrville didn't that much. They hit Wallace ... a lot.

Make no mistake, the score was close, and with good reason. Norwayne is one of the best teams in the area. Smithville's lines were simply stronger on both sides of the ball and the defense had a lot of discipline in staying home, keeping Wallace from running much (37 rushing yards for Norwayne in that game?), plus getting a ton of knock-downs on him. One in particular by Tom Hilty was especially jarring.

I do, however, think that Norwayne just had the best style to counter Orrville which enabled them to maximize their fortes. It would have been more like a "last score wins" game between Orrville and Smithville, especially if Orrville showed up with a better pass offense than the other night (though he still probably would have been running for his life all night).

All in all, if you were at the Week 9 game and watched, you'd know that was no fluke. Smithville was just the right kind of kryptonite for Norwayne's Supermen (and they are pretty super in their own right).

Reps ^^^ last 3 posts.

OTrap- No you did not see me standing along the fence on the Norwayne side on the scoreboard end. Im not a fence hanger...lol (Although i believe i was called one earlier in the year by one of my fans).

1_beast;972476 wrote:OTrap- No you did not see me standing along the fence on the Norwayne side on the scoreboard end. Im not a fence hanger...lol (Although i believe i was called one earlier in the year by one of my fans).

Ah. I wasn't sure, as I stood there and talked to a Waynedale guy who sounded a lot like you and shares your view on the Waynedale coaching.

I actually show up for several seconds of the highlight video.

I was at the game and as I said...FLUKE. That 15 yard wide swath of mud down the middle of the field had a lot to do with it. That's my opinion. It has nothing to do with Norwaynes win over Orrville. Norwayne is better than Orrville. That's obvious now that they've played. I am not one of those "the OCC is way tougher than the WCAL" guys. IMO Smithville's win over Norwayne was a fluke.

footballnut;972499 wrote:I was at the game and as I said...FLUKE. That 15 yard wide swath of mud down the middle of the field had a lot to do with it. That's my opinion. It has nothing to do with Norwaynes win over Orrville. Norwayne is better than Orrville. That's obvious now that they've played. I am not one of those "the OCC is way tougher than the WCAL" guys. IMO Smithville's win over Norwayne was a fluke.

I didnt realize that Smithville didnt play in the same mud and same field conditions.

O-Trap;972486 wrote:Ah. I wasn't sure, as I stood there and talked to a Waynedale guy who sounded a lot like you and shares your view on the Waynedale coaching.

I actually show up for several seconds of the highlight video.

LOL Actually Go Falcons was on that end of the Norwayne bleachers and tried to "Lure" me that way....but I know him and his buddys were just going to try and jump me and steal my wallet....so I kinda stayed clear of that area...i didnt want to have to hurt a few falcon fans at a game i had no dog fighting in.

That swath made it just as hard for all runners involved, and the offense can't score when it doesn't have the ball, so I don't think the field was an excuse for the offense not scoring when the offense was just kept off the field for most of the game. Moreover, when you have 2-way starters coming in on offense after 9-11 minute defensive efforts they're not going to be as crisp as the Norwayne offense that Orrville let take the field so often.

If you think that game was a fluke, we must have been watching different games. If they met again, I'd put money on another close game going either way, and I'd take Smithville a minimum of 6 games out of 10. The Smithville line was flat out too strong for the Norwayne line, regardless of the playing surface.

But I suppose it's moot, as the game was played already, and there is no going back to do it again.

the "how many games out of 10" comment is a good one. I actually asked that same question to 7 people that are Smithville followers. Only 1 of them said that Smithville would beat Norwayne more than 3 times. I thought that was interesting because 3 of them have sons on the team. Not one of the guys with a son on the team said they would win over 2 games over Norwayne. I appreciate your commitment but it appears that many people dont agree. And btw I said....In my opinion.

Fair enough.

footballnut;972525 wrote:the "how many games out of 10" comment is a good one. I actually asked that same question to 7 people that are Smithville followers. Only 1 of them said that Smithville would beat Norwayne more than 3 times. I thought that was interesting because 3 of them have sons on the team. Not one of the guys with a son on the team said they would win over 2 games over Norwayne. I appreciate your commitment but it appears that many people dont agree. And btw I said....In my opinion.

Can I ask why you really care so much? If your a Orrville fan, why are you so passionate about Norwayne?
Cry and moan all you want, but we (Smithville) are the ones with the sweet memory for the next 50 years!

1_beast;972421 wrote:Smithville play BALL CONTROL Offense....Norwayne ran 7 plays in a half!!!!!! You are calling that a fluke? That is called OWNING the LOS and long sustained drives keepin Norwaynes high octane offense off the field. Genius game plan...contrary to the "chuck a long ball and hope for a catch" game plan that Orrville had!

Im impressed with the class Orrville has shown is congratulating Norwayne....but there has been some tongue in cheek comments....Smithville and Hillsdale BOTH could have played with and possibly beat that Orrrville team I saw Saturday night. (I dont care if it was "the worst you played all year")....TRADITION is suppose to prevent stage fright under the big lights!!!

That was the offense us fans have been so frustrated with all year...

As for the second part, We got beat by a better team Saturday night and their is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I want nothing more than Norwayne to keep on winning and representing Wayne County well.

Sure Hillsdale and Smithville could play with Orrville, they are 16-18 year old kids going against each other....Where I disagree is in the fact that the strength of Orrville's team is the run defense (which was non existent saturday..all the credit goes to Norwayne) but you are talking about 2 teams that are run oriented and that plays into Orrville's defensive strength. Norwayne was able to do anything they wanted because they were the most balanced team we have played all year, and kept us very off balance...again credit norwayne! As I said last night though, to say that either or both Hillsdale and Smithville could run the ball on Orrville is premature and something we will never honestly know.


Lastly, O-Trap's post about the WCAL. I couldn't agree more it is a great conference and makes Wayne County proud. Us fans are blessed to have so many schools with good football programs to watch in the fall.

Good luck the rest of the way......Bobcats stalk! huh:

O-Trap;972443 wrote:If you were at that game, you'd be aware it was no fluke. The Smithville line manhandled Norwayne on both sides of the ball. On offense, it ran a chain-mover offense that ate up time and yards. On defense they did something Orrville didn't that much. They hit Wallace ... a lot.

Make no mistake, the score was close, and with good reason. Norwayne is one of the best teams in the area. Smithville's lines were simply stronger on both sides of the ball and the defense had a lot of discipline in staying home, keeping Wallace from running much (37 rushing yards for Norwayne in that game?), plus getting a ton of knock-downs on him. One in particular by Tom Hilty was especially jarring.

I do, however, think that Norwayne just had the best style to counter Orrville which enabled them to maximize their fortes. It would have been more like a "last score wins" game between Orrville and Smithville, especially if Orrville showed up with a better pass offense than the other night (though he still probably would have been running for his life all night).

All in all, if you were at the Week 9 game and watched, you'd know that was no fluke. Smithville was just the right kind of kryptonite for Norwayne's Supermen (and they are pretty super in their own right).

Norwayne had the perfect team and gameplan to beat Orrville and they did. But Orrville going up against a 1 dimensional team I think would've played to Orrville's advantage.

mt1514;972536 wrote: but we are the ones with the sweet memory for the next 50 years!

As you should, enjoy it! You guys have a great team and good luck!

mt1514, you should enjoy the Bobcat victory. They have a very good team. Sad though, that you make it sound as if that is the only celebration/memory the cats will have for 50 years. That is a long time to wait for another celebration.

OQB and zeez sport

Reread post 4646, I was repyling to Nuts rants. I edited to be more clear.

I'm just saying this senior class at Smithville, will remember the game for the rest of their life.

The great thing about football is that you don't have to win 9 times out of 10, or 10 times out of 10. The Smithies were reminded of that before their game. It only takes ONE time. Maybe the most dominant team ever in the NFL was the Patriots a few years ago, they didn't even win the Super Bowl. The Giants got them that one time it mattered...There is a difference between saying that Bobcats would beat the Smithies on turf, or 4 out of 5 times, from calling it a Fluke. Like OTrap and MT and Beast and OQb have said, it was not a fluke when you control the ball like that and really dominate all facets of the game. May not have happened again, we will never know but it wasn't a fluke.

mt1514

I stand corrected. Still sad that a tie for WCAL will be the senior Smithies best school memory in 50 years. Don't any of them play multiple sports or participate in anything else?

zeez sport;972627 wrote:mt1514

I stand corrected. Still sad that a tie for WCAL will be the senior Smithies best school memory in 50 years. Don't any of them play multiple sports or participate in anything else?

I would think 2002 wasn't 50 years ago and a 2nd place in the State would be a "best" memory for someone! :rolleyes:

OQB;972546 wrote:Norwayne had the perfect team and gameplan to beat Orrville and they did. But Orrville going up against a 1 dimensional team I think would've played to Orrville's advantage.

I definitely agree regarding the balance. However, that balance is what helped a "pretty good" run game look better. With Hillsdale and Smithville you do have much more predictability, but you also have a better run game to offset that. Smithville runners probably wouldn't have broken off maybe more than 2 runs over 20 yards against that defense before at least being caught, because Orrville has more open-field speed. Same with Hillsdale. However, with the Orrville defense tackling and like they did Saturday night and with their line getting blown off the ball on a good portion of the run plays, I can certainly see a trade off. Hillsdale and Smithville would have had fewer long runs, but I could see them moving the chains very well, especially Hillsdale who had at least SOME semblance of a passing game (at least enough to keep the D from stacking 9 in the box).

However, if Smithville wouldn't be able to do to Orrville's passing game what it did to Norwayne's, I could see it being a back-and-forth affair with Orrville's strikes coming off quick drives and Smithville's coming off long ones.

As for Hillsdale, you gotta remember that they hung with Norwayne, too, albeit in a mistake-riddled game. They were winning after 47 minutes of play, after all.

It doesn't really matter, though. Just like the last 30 years, we can't know for sure. We can speculate and we can even have solid reasons for our speculation, but if the two teams don't hit the same field at the same time, speculation is where it ends.

zeez sport;972627 wrote:mt1514

I stand corrected. Still sad that a tie for WCAL will be the senior Smithies best school memory in 50 years. Don't any of them play multiple sports or participate in anything else?

He didn't say the best memory or the only memory. He said a sweet memory. Winning that game would certainly be a.sweet memory for any team.

O-Trap;972668 wrote:He didn't say the best memory or the only memory. He said a sweet memory. Winning that game would certainly be a.sweet memory for any team.

Thanks O-Trap

Just getting ready to type the same thing.

Definatly not the only memory, but for the seniors one of their best.

Sorry to get off-topic, but is anyone interesting in attending the Walsh Jesuit vs Aurora game this Friday at Solon High School? I'm up for tailgating if there will be anyone else there. Let me know, so I can get the right number of presale tickets (if I can get them).

http://www.ohiochatter.com/forum/showthread.php?30144-Which-game-should-I-attend-Friday-Walsh-Aurora-or-Chagrin-SVSM

My first attempt at an O-Trap post...

OQB;972546 wrote: Sure Hillsdale and Smithville could play with Orrville, they are 16-18 year old kids going against each other....Where I disagree is in the fact that the strength of Orrville's team is the run defense (which was non existent saturday..all the credit goes to Norwayne) but you are talking about 2 teams that are run oriented and that plays into Orrville's defensive strength. Norwayne was able to do anything they wanted because they were the most balanced team we have played all year, and kept us very off balance...again credit norwayne! As I said last night though, to say that either or both Hillsdale and Smithville could run the ball on Orrville is premature and something we will never honestly know.

Norwayne had the perfect team and gameplan to beat Orrville and they did. But Orrville going up against a 1 dimensional team I think would've played to Orrville's advantage.

You know, it's really difficult to say who would win in a matchup of good teams. Any team can win on any given night. It's a matter of execution and desire. It was fairly impressive how easily Norwayne handled Orrville's line. Even the back up defensive end who came in after Zimmerly left the game was dominating his man, and that says something about the strength or Orrville's offensive line. The lack of a rushing attack and 596 passing attempts in the game also speaks about Orrville's offensive line. With that being said, as dominant as the Cats line looked against Orrville, the roles were reversed in the Smithville game. Yes, the field was a mess... so was every other area grass field that week. However, Smithville was able to execute, prevent turnovers, and make big plays when they had to for the win.
Also, I think it's hard to say a team's strength is their run defense when they give up 288 rushing yards. Smithville's line is superior to the Cats, and unfortunately that showed in their matchup. Everyone knew Smithville was going to run the ball all season long, but that still didn't stop them from having 2 kids eclipse 1000 rushing yards on the season, each of them averaging over 6 yards per carry. While Orrville would know that Smithville was going to run the ball, and that is Orrville's "team strength", it's hard to say that playing a Smithville team that loves to run it down anyone's throat would play into the defense's advantage. Look at the past few years as the Smithies have struggled! Too much passing! ha!

footballnut;972525 wrote:the "how many games out of 10" comment is a good one. I actually asked that same question to 7 people that are Smithville followers. Only 1 of them said that Smithville would beat Norwayne more than 3 times. I thought that was interesting because 3 of them have sons on the team. Not one of the guys with a son on the team said they would win over 2 games over Norwayne. I appreciate your commitment but it appears that many people dont agree. And btw I said....In my opinion.

It's a good thing parents aren't the ones who put in the work and play the game I suppose... I sure as heck know I wouldn't want Michelle on my team... :rolleyes:

O-Trap;972509 wrote:That swath made it just as hard for all runners involved, and the offense can't score when it doesn't have the ball, so I don't think the field was an excuse for the offense not scoring when the offense was just kept off the field for most of the game. Moreover, when you have 2-way starters coming in on offense after 9-11 minute defensive efforts they're not going to be as crisp as the Norwayne offense that Orrville let take the field so often.

If you think that game was a fluke, we must have been watching different games. If they met again, I'd put money on another close game going either way, and I'd take Smithville a minimum of 6 games out of 10. The Smithville line was flat out too strong for the Norwayne line, regardless of the playing surface.

But I suppose it's moot, as the game was played already, and there is no going back to do it again.

Maybe Orrville should join the WCAL so they can show their superiority to all the Wayne County League teams! Or at least schedule some for non-league. I mean, if you schedule one or two (preferably a Norwayne, Hillsdale, or Smithville), that could result in some huge computer points for the winning team either way! Just a thought...