Neuqua - 14 LWE - 17 Final

[NapervilleBuck]

I’ve said all year that Neuqua has a championship defense. Last night showed that it’s the strength of the team:


The problem is NV O vs LWE on D. We all know the talent that Beast brings on the defensive side of the ball. NV has plenty of talent on O but a staff that refuses to get away from a 5th grade playbook is the big issue.

Playing on a sloped grass field with rain possible gives the Cats a chance, however small that it.

 

[corey90]

I’ve said all year that Neuqua has a championship defense. Last night showed that it’s the strength of the team:

View embedded media

The problem is NV O vs LWE on D. We all know the talent that Beast brings on the defensive side of the ball. NV has plenty of talent on O but a staff that refuses to get away from a 5th grade playbook is the big issue.

Playing on a sloped grass field with rain possible gives the Cats a chance, however small that it.

When has East had problems with bad conditions? I don’t think it matters at all. If you know East you would agree. This will be a good game.

 

[NapervilleBuck]

When has East had problems with bad conditions? I don’t think it matters at all. If you know East you would agree. This will be a good game.

Agree. My point is the only way I see a Neuqua victory is to muck things up. The field and weather could help with that.

 

[corey90]

Agree. My point is the only way I see a Neuqua victory is to muck things up. The field and weather could help with that.

Maybe but I tend to see both teams line up and may the better team win. Relying on weather is a slippery slop that will in get you so far. It’s an excuse to try to level the playing field . If your going to win state you have to play in all conditions and balance on offense plus have a great stingy defense. 👍

 

[NapervilleBuck]

Maybe but I tend to see both teams line up and may the better team win. Relying on weather is a slippery slop that will in get you so far. It’s an excuse to try to level the playing field . If your going to win state you have to play in all conditions and balance on offense plus have a great stingy defense. 👍

Not sure where you are getting that I said NV will rely on the weather. I said that is a way for them to muck things up. LWE’s coaching staff is light years ahead of Neuqua’s. Not open for debate. In order for NV to be competitive they need to make it a sloppy game against a team that is coached by one of the best in the biz.

 

[corey90]

Not sure where you are getting that I said NV will rely on the weather. I said that is a way for them to muck things up. LWE’s coaching staff is light years ahead of Neuqua’s. Not open for debate. In order for NV to be competitive they need to make it a sloppy game against a team that is coached by one of the best in the biz.

👍

 

[morrisfan]

Not sure where you are getting that I said NV will rely on the weather. I said that is a way for them to muck things up. LWE’s coaching staff is light years ahead of Neuqua’s. Not open for debate. In order for NV to be competitive they need to make it a sloppy game against a team that is coached by one of the best in the biz.

Well, it sounds like the defensive coaches are at least doing a good job, based on your Twitter post.

 

[NapervilleBuck]

Well, it sounds like the defensive coaches are at least doing a good job, based on your Twitter post.

The D hasn’t been an issue. Stout all year. See ball, get ball. On O….use the talent. Pretty simple to me yet they rarely do.

 

[630Villain]

The D hasn’t been an issue. Stout all year. See ball, get ball. On O….use the talent. Pretty simple to me yet they rarely do.

The offense at NV has been the issue for the past decade plus.. like you said, there are youth teams that run more complex plays and concepts. And they wonder why they lose D1 caliber kids year after year to the catholic schools in the area... The fact NV has only made it to the semi finals once is crazy to me considering the amount of talent that has lived in that area the past 15 years, and the youth programs like the Patriots feeding into the school.

 

[corey90]

Not sure where you are getting that I said NV will rely on the weather. I said that is a way for them to muck things up. LWE’s coaching staff is light years ahead of Neuqua’s. Not open for debate. In order for NV to be competitive they need to make it a sloppy game against a team that is coached by one of the best in the biz.

I actually think bad western plays into LWE hands. East plays well in sloppy conditions and if NV has any chance they will need to pass the ball. Believe me this will be the best defense NV has faced. East will flat out take NV running game away forcing NV to be one dimensional. I feel East will be able to run the ball behind their nasty offensive line. In any case this will be a huge test/game for both teams. NV has home field advantage so that’s always worth 3-7 points IMO.

 

[bccanwin]

The offense at NV has been the issue for the past decade plus.. like you said, there are youth teams that run more complex plays and concepts. And they wonder why they lose D1 caliber kids year after year to the catholic schools in the area... The fact NV has only made it to the semi finals once is crazy to me considering the amount of talent that has lived in that area the past 15 years, and the youth programs like the Patriots feeding into the school.

Can you give some examples of the D1 kids that go to the catholic schools year after year? I didn't realize this was an issue and would be curious to know who these D1 kids are.

Thanks

 

[NapervilleBuck]

The offense at NV has been the issue for the past decade plus.. like you said, there are youth teams that run more complex plays and concepts. And they wonder why they lose D1 caliber kids year after year to the catholic schools in the area... The fact NV has only made it to the semi finals once is crazy to me considering the amount of talent that has lived in that area the past 15 years, and the youth programs like the Patriots feeding into the school.

The problem started with the current staff. I knew a kid who was exceptional and they refused to play him. He ended up at Montini, starting at LB and winning a state title. Kaden Cobb, who led Fenwick to a title last year, is a Neuqua kid. Milivojevic, starting QB at St Francis, is another Neuqua kid.

 

[bccanwin]

The problem started with the current staff. I knew a kid who was exceptional and they refused to play him. He ended up at Montini, starting at LB and winning a state title. Kaden Cobb, who led Fenwick to a title last year, is a Neuqua kid. Milivojevic, starting QB at St Francis, is another Neuqua kid.

I honestly don't know anything about this situation. Thanks for sharing. Are these kids D1 kids as previous poster implied? If not, can you name the D1 kids?

 

[bccanwin]

The problem started with the current staff. I knew a kid who was exceptional and they refused to play him. He ended up at Montini, starting at LB and winning a state title. Kaden Cobb, who led Fenwick to a title last year, is a Neuqua kid. Milivojevic, starting QB at St Francis, is another Neuqua kid.

Did the previous staff do a better job of coaching? I looked up the numbers, and Wells only had 2 playoff wins in 14 years. Looks like the current coach has 10 pkayoff wins in 10 years? 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️. Am I missing something?

 

[NapervilleBuck]

Did the previous staff do a better job of coaching? I looked up the numbers, and Wells only had 2 playoff wins in 14 years. Looks like the current coach has 10 pkayoff wins in 10 years? 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️. Am I missing something?

They have won those games in round one. Last year they lost to Swagger in the second round. 2019, their best team, IMO, went to HF in round two and got absolutely trucked in round 2. 2018 they lost at Six Flags in round 2. 2016 they lost last minute to Alec Pierce and GBW in round 2. 3 of his wins came in 2012 when they lost to Mt Carmel on a last minute drive in the semi’s.

I fear it’s gonna be ugly Friday.

 

[NNFAN]

I’ve said all year that Neuqua has a championship defense. Last night showed that it’s the strength of the team:

View embedded media

The problem is NV O vs LWE on D. We all know the talent that Beast brings on the defensive side of the ball. NV has plenty of talent on O but a staff that refuses to get away from a 5th grade playbook is the big issue.

Playing on a sloped grass field with rain possible gives the Cats a chance, however small that it.

Neuqua (#17 seed) was extremely fortunate to get paired with a weak CPL team (#16 Lane Tech) in the first round. Most teams would have rolled over Lane Tech. They would have been eliminated in the first round had they played Marist (#18 seed), Lyons (#14), or Maine South (#13). Higher seed Naper North (#15 ) was rewarded with Marist, a terrible draw. Some times it's better to be lucky than good.

 

[NapervilleBuck]

Neuqua (#17 seed) was extremely fortunate to get paired with a weak CPL team (#16 Lane Tech) in the first round. Most teams would have rolled over Lane Tech. They would have been eliminated in the first round had they played Marist (#18 seed), Lyons (#14), or Maine South (#13). Higher seed Naper North (#15 ) was rewarded with Marist, a terrible draw. Some times it's better to be lucky than good.

Agree 100%. The playoffs are all about your draw and the path that affords you. Period. NN got a raw deal and NV got a break.

 

[NNFAN]

Agree 100%. The playoffs are all about your draw and the path that affords you. Period. NN got a raw deal and NV got a break.

A conference title and a playoff win is still something few teams accomplish each year and would be thrilled over. Neuqua standards are higher I know but I would have been happy with either one.

 

[corey90]

A conference title and a playoff win is still something few teams accomplish each year and would be thrilled over. Neuqua standards are higher I know but I would have been happy with either one.

They have a different animal this Friday and believe me their luck draw just ran out. This East team has a determination and will that I have not seen in a long time. You have 5 turnovers and still win. They have a drive to win that coaches dream of. I still believe this East team is on a mission after to last year. IMO

 

[630Villain]

The problem started with the current staff. I knew a kid who was exceptional and they refused to play him. He ended up at Montini, starting at LB and winning a state title. Kaden Cobb, who led Fenwick to a title last year, is a Neuqua kid. Milivojevic, starting QB at St Francis, is another Neuqua kid.

And that's just naming a few... there has been dozens of studs who have decided to take their talents elsewhere. And to answer @bccanwin 's question regarding the old staff vs the new staff... The same coach is calling the offense still. He has been the OC for over a decade. Once Wells was fired, he took over as the head coach, but still calls the plays on offense.

 

[NapervilleBuck]

They have a different animal this Friday and believe me their luck draw just ran out. This East team has a determination and will that I have not seen in a long time. You have 5 turnovers and still win. They have a drive to win that coaches dream of. I still believe this East team is on a mission after to last year. IMO

I’d feel 100% better if you had Ellinghaus prepping your team this week and we had Zvonar. 😎🤪

 

[bccanwin]

And that's just naming a few... there has been dozens of studs who have decided to take their talents elsewhere. And to answer @bccanwin 's question regarding the old staff vs the new staff... The same coach is calling the offense still. He has been the OC for over a decade. Once Wells was fired, he took over as the head coach, but still calls the plays on offense.

Can you tell me the D1 athletes that go to other catholic schools each year? I didn't realize there were so many studs in South Naperville each year.

 

[Alexander32]

I’ve said all year that Neuqua has a championship defense. Last night showed that it’s the strength of the team:

View embedded media

The problem is NV O vs LWE on D. We all know the talent that Beast brings on the defensive side of the ball. NV has plenty of talent on O but a staff that refuses to get away from a 5th grade playbook is the big issue.

Playing on a sloped grass field with rain possible gives the Cats a chance, however small that it.

I am not close to the situation and therefore I'm certainly not saying anyone is right or wrong. But I do find the following circumstance interesting. Pretty much all season long I've heard complaints on this site about the Neuqua Valley coaches not being creative enough on offense. That they repeatedly run the same simple plays. But then I've also read posts on this site complaining about the Naperville Central offensive coaches. The complaint is that they try to get too fancy and creative on offense, when all they need to do is give the ball to their star running back and they would then easily double their point totals each game. The two complaints conflict with one another, albeit in relation to two different teams.

I agree the offenses of both Neuqua Valley and Naperville Central seem relatively poor this year. But I'm not so sure the solution is quite as simple as people make it out to be.

 

[Bwm57]

Agree 100%. The playoffs are all about your draw and the path that affords you. Period. NN got a raw deal and NV got a break.

Plus they get the advantage of being the “lower” seed in week 1, so home for week 2 in this situation.

 

[MS4EVER]

I am not close to the situation and therefore I'm certainly not saying anyone is right or wrong. But I do find the following circumstance interesting. Pretty much all season long I've heard complaints on this site about the Neuqua Valley coaches not being creative enough on offense. That they repeatedly run the same simple plays. But then I've also read posts on this site complaining about the Naperville Central offensive coaches. The complaint is that they try to get too fancy and creative on offense, when all they need to do is give the ball to their star running back and they would then easily double their point totals each game. The two complaints conflict with one another, albeit in relation to two different teams.

I agree the offenses of both Neuqua Valley and Naperville Central seem relatively poor this year. But I'm not so sure the solution is quite as simple as people make it out to be.

I am not a coach. But I have learned a lot walking the sidelines of the most successful 8A program for 20 years. In my opinion it’s pretty simple. Get your playmakers the ball. Be creative. No high school defense can takeaway every option. NV has playmakers. I watched them last year and we were fortunate to get by them. MM is a playmaker. I know he’s been injured but they have at least one stud RB and WR still playing. Get them the ball! In space so they can make plays.

 

[johnndoe]

Although on artificial turf, East offense had little trouble with the wind & rain of Week 8 and that included throwing the ball like it was bone-dry out. The QB's skill set allowed him to operate very well to get himself in a position to throw to receivers who had shed coverage by then. His legs gave him the advantage over the defensive players.

 

[NapervilleBuck]

I am not a coach. But I have learned a lot walking the sidelines of the most successful 8A program for 20 years. In my opinion it’s pretty simple. Get your playmakers the ball. Be creative. No high school defense can takeaway every option. NV has playmakers. I watched them last year and we were fortunate to get by them. MM is a playmaker. I know he’s been injured but they have at least one stud RB and WR still playing. Get them the ball! In space so they can make plays.

Exactly. NV has 3 very capable RBs and the best of the bunch rarely gets carries because he starts as a DB so they need him fresh. 2 really good WRs and a big TE. The OL is big and fairly athletic. Not really sure why the struggles continue other than the scheme is a bit discombobulated.

 

[bccanwin]

Exactly. NV has 3 very capable RBs and the best of the bunch rarely gets carries because he starts as a DB so they need him fresh. 2 really good WRs and a big TE. The OL is big and fairly athletic. Not really sure why the struggles continue other than the scheme is a bit discombobulated.

What type of plays should are currently being called? In your opinion, what should be called?

 

[NNFAN]

I would call a hook and ladder three times a game, and fake a hook and ladder the rest of the plays.

 

[Nevada Dude]

Can’t win if you don’t score!

Real simple

 

[NapervilleBuck]

What type of plays should are currently being called? In your opinion, what should be called?

It’s not necessarily the specific plays. It’s the scheme and the identity. Granted, they typically run 4 plays but much more could be done to get the offense lined up for success. Different sets, different plays from these sets. Have an understanding of setting up plays later in the game by doing something early on. And why, in this day and age, does our QB run to the sideline every play to get the next one? Who does that? Someone without an offensive mind, strategy, and scheme.

 

[MS4EVER]

It’s not necessarily the specific plays. It’s the scheme and the identity. Granted, they typically run 4 plays but much more could be done to get the offense lined up for success. Different sets, different plays from these sets. Have an understanding of setting up plays later in the game by doing something early on. And why, in this day and age, does our QB run to the sideline every play to get the next one? Who does that? Someone without an offensive mind, strategy, and scheme.

I have seen a couple teams do that and I don’t get it. So dumb to have the QB do that! How do you get in a rhythm running back and forth?!?!

 

[NapervilleBuck]

I have seen a couple teams do that and I don’t get it. So dumb to have the QB do that! How do you get in a rhythm running back and forth?!?!

You don’t. It lends itself to delay of game penalties.

 

[missingwalter]

It’s not necessarily the specific plays. It’s the scheme and the identity. Granted, they typically run 4 plays but much more could be done to get the offense lined up for success. Different sets, different plays from these sets. Have an understanding of setting up plays later in the game by doing something early on. And why, in this day and age, does our QB run to the sideline every play to get the next one? Who does that? Someone without an offensive mind, strategy, and scheme.

Lol, Oswego does that.

 

[NapervilleBuck]

Lol, Oswego does that.

Must be a Wolf’s Crossing thing.

 

[USD24]

It’s not necessarily the specific plays. It’s the scheme and the identity. Granted, they typically run 4 plays but much more could be done to get the offense lined up for success. Different sets, different plays from these sets. Have an understanding of setting up plays later in the game by doing something early on. And why, in this day and age, does our QB run to the sideline every play to get the next one? Who does that? Someone without an offensive mind, strategy, and scheme.

FWIW, JCA still does that. I don't understand why they do it but they have averaged close to 50 points over the last 30 games and have had a pretty successful offensive strategy and scheme over the past 40 years or so while having the QB run to the sideline every play.

 

[NapervilleBuck]

FWIW, JCA still does that. I don't understand why they do it but they have averaged close to 50 points over the last 30 games and have had a pretty successful offensive strategy and scheme over the past 40 years or so while having the QB run to the sideline every play.

Do they have an OC?

When NV did (ended with the Gronowski team 2019ish) they had a diverse and unpredictable offense. They scored 49 against ESL and hummed as a unit because there was a scheme and an identity in place. Much like JCA. Now…..not so much.

 

[USD24]

Do they have an OC?

When NV did (ended with the Gronowski team 2019ish) they had a diverse and unpredictable offense. They scored 49 against ESL and hummed as a unit because there was a scheme and an identity in place. Much like JCA. Now…..not so much.

I was just pointing out the mere act of having a quarterback go to the sidelines each play doesnt necessarily mean you cant have a successful scheme and strategy.

I cant speak intelligently about why NV has struggled offensively.

 

[630Villain]

Can you tell me the D1 athletes that go to other catholic schools each year? I didn't realize there were so many studs in South Naperville each year.

just a couple examples, @bccanwin
Kaden Cobb- Fenwick, now plays at Ball State
Justin Weller- Naz, state champ Played at Penn State and LIU
Alessio Millijoveic- St Francis (Ole Miss, Nebraska offers)
Ian Willis- St Francis (one of the top Sophomore WR recruits in the state)
Jack Euritt- Benet, started at Dayton for 4 years
Prince Walker- Montini, played at Western Mich
Kyler Kasper- moved to Gilbert AZ before his freshman year, plays at Oregon
Nolan Dean- Naz state champ played at EIU
Jonah Beaudy- Naz State champ
Breven Reifsteck- Naz state champ

 

[630Villain]

just a couple examples, @bccanwin
Kaden Cobb- Fenwick, now plays at Ball State
Justin Weller- Naz, state champ Played at Penn State and LIU
Alessio Millijoveic- St Francis (Ole Miss, Nebraska offers)
Ian Willis- St Francis (one of the top Sophomore WR recruits in the state)
Jack Euritt- Benet, started at Dayton for 4 years
Prince Walker- Montini, played at Western Mich
Kyler Kasper- moved to Gilbert AZ before his freshman year, plays at Oregon
Nolan Dean- Naz state champ played at EIU
Jonah Beaudy- Naz State champ
Breven Reifsteck- Naz state champ

Malin Jones, JCA played at Louisville and Northwestern
Josh Ferguson, JCA played at Illinois and for the Colts