d0tc0m
11-21-2016, 10:53 AM
This game will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Mesquite Memorial Stadium. Celina has pretty good memories in Mesquite. And, boy, it sure is fun to be playing Thanksgiving Football yet again. The feeling just never gets old.
After a 1-5 (five straight losses) start to the year, this Pleasant Grove team seems to be clicking on all cylinders and peaking at the right time. With the big win last week, the Hawks have now won five in a row. They've also switched from a spread look at the start of the year to the old wing-T, and that move seems to have served them well. Watching them on film, they look physical and fairly athletic at most places. They don't look as big or as physical or as fast as Gladewater, to me, but I don't know how much that matters, as they did handle the Bears fairly easily in the regular season finale. Their offensive line looks to have decent size, and they block that wing-T scheme pretty efficiently. There are times that the holes for the backs are gaping, and that line does a good job of taking advantage of defenses that over-pursue, get too far upfield and/or make bad reads. The PG line could give Celina's undersized defensive line some fits, but I thought the same thing about Gladewater's offensive line, and Celina handled them pretty well. The Hawks' backs have good vision and serviceable speed. They're not burners, but they hit the hole well, and when they plant the foot and get to the second level, they're difficult to bring down. They run tough, and don't go down on first contact very much. Their passing game doesn't concern me a ton, but all it takes is one big completion to change the game, honestly, so you do have to honor the play-action attacks.
Defensively, they look to be pretty decent across the line, and the secondary, from what I've seen, makes good reads when the ball is in the air, and can create some turnovers. That said, I think Celina's big offensive line can chew up some ground and wear the Hawks down. And John Franklin will be the fastest person on the field on Friday. If he gets into the open field, which he should, I don't see anyone on Pleasant Grove being able to run him down.
The key for Celina this week will be winning the turnover battle. The game against Gladewater should have been a blowout, period. If you take away the turnovers, and take out all of Gladewater's first-half miscues as well, the game still isn't close. Celina dominated from the opening kickoff. Credit Gladewater for showing some of the most grit and fight I've seen from a HS team in a long time. They came back out in the second half and looked like a completely different team. Of the six Celina turnovers, some of them were great plays by the defense, but most were just flat out sloppy mistakes by Celina, and the Bobcats cannot afford that this week.
Celina needs to come out like they did in the first half against Gladewater, put Pleasant Grove in an early hole, and keep the Hawks trying to play comeback the entire night. And if they're able to get to that point, Celina needs to keep the foot on the freaking accelerator and not let up until the last of the 48 minutes runs out. I think the nailbiter against the Bears was the wake-up call the Bobcats needed.
Pleasant Grove is much, much better than their record indicates, and if you sleep on them, they'll run away and hide with this game. All things holding equal, I think Celina is the better team, and I expect them to come out and play that way on Friday.
Any of you east Texas folks, specifically Gilmer, have any more insight into the Hawks?
After a 1-5 (five straight losses) start to the year, this Pleasant Grove team seems to be clicking on all cylinders and peaking at the right time. With the big win last week, the Hawks have now won five in a row. They've also switched from a spread look at the start of the year to the old wing-T, and that move seems to have served them well. Watching them on film, they look physical and fairly athletic at most places. They don't look as big or as physical or as fast as Gladewater, to me, but I don't know how much that matters, as they did handle the Bears fairly easily in the regular season finale. Their offensive line looks to have decent size, and they block that wing-T scheme pretty efficiently. There are times that the holes for the backs are gaping, and that line does a good job of taking advantage of defenses that over-pursue, get too far upfield and/or make bad reads. The PG line could give Celina's undersized defensive line some fits, but I thought the same thing about Gladewater's offensive line, and Celina handled them pretty well. The Hawks' backs have good vision and serviceable speed. They're not burners, but they hit the hole well, and when they plant the foot and get to the second level, they're difficult to bring down. They run tough, and don't go down on first contact very much. Their passing game doesn't concern me a ton, but all it takes is one big completion to change the game, honestly, so you do have to honor the play-action attacks.
Defensively, they look to be pretty decent across the line, and the secondary, from what I've seen, makes good reads when the ball is in the air, and can create some turnovers. That said, I think Celina's big offensive line can chew up some ground and wear the Hawks down. And John Franklin will be the fastest person on the field on Friday. If he gets into the open field, which he should, I don't see anyone on Pleasant Grove being able to run him down.
The key for Celina this week will be winning the turnover battle. The game against Gladewater should have been a blowout, period. If you take away the turnovers, and take out all of Gladewater's first-half miscues as well, the game still isn't close. Celina dominated from the opening kickoff. Credit Gladewater for showing some of the most grit and fight I've seen from a HS team in a long time. They came back out in the second half and looked like a completely different team. Of the six Celina turnovers, some of them were great plays by the defense, but most were just flat out sloppy mistakes by Celina, and the Bobcats cannot afford that this week.
Celina needs to come out like they did in the first half against Gladewater, put Pleasant Grove in an early hole, and keep the Hawks trying to play comeback the entire night. And if they're able to get to that point, Celina needs to keep the foot on the freaking accelerator and not let up until the last of the 48 minutes runs out. I think the nailbiter against the Bears was the wake-up call the Bobcats needed.
Pleasant Grove is much, much better than their record indicates, and if you sleep on them, they'll run away and hide with this game. All things holding equal, I think Celina is the better team, and I expect them to come out and play that way on Friday.
Any of you east Texas folks, specifically Gilmer, have any more insight into the Hawks?