State Championship Team Characteristics

[Wassup13]

What are the characteristics you are looking for in a potential state championship team besides great coaching and talent?

Here's a few I look for...

Can they run the football and stop the run? Because when it gets cold at playoff time, time of possession is important.

Do they play in a top conference in the state (or at least for their class)?

If not playing in a top conference, does the conference allow two non conference games?

Is that team scheduling at least one potential state champion in their class or higher for that non-con game?

Did that team get a big road win this year against a high caliber team during the regular season?

Is that team hot and clicking on all cylinders at the end of the year? Are they playing their best football at the end of the year?

Have they gone at least deep into the playoffs before during the schools history?

What are other things do you look for?

 

[dapiech]

Did the team have the ability to recruit the best 8th grade talent from a distance of up to 30 miles around their school? Haha.

 

[Wassup13]

Did the team have the ability to recruit the best 8th grade talent from a distance of up to 30 miles around their school? Haha.

Let's talk about YOUR team. Answer the questions above for YOUR team?

 

[Coach Percy]

Does the team beat themselves? Do they make critical mistakes in crunch time?

 

[dapiech]

Let's talk about YOUR team. Answer the questions above for YOUR team?

I was just messin around. I like your list.

I would add:
Have they managed to limit their injuries during the season at the skill positions?
How well did they play in the high caliber game?
How consistent is their special teams?
Is their QB one of the (if not THE) best athletes on the team?

 

[greatgig13]

6A is building up with 2 teams, PR and ESL, who have all those characteristics and have been there. It’ll be interesting to see if a machine like system of PR can stop a raw talent and fire power of ESL.

 

[feeto]

I was just messin around. I like your list.

I would add:
Have they managed to limit their injuries during the season at the skill positions?
How well did they play in the high caliber game?
How consistent is their special teams?
Is their QB one of the (if not THE) best athletes on the team?

You were just messing around, but you're correct. It is a recruiting battle for these private schools. I don't think anyone denies that. Winning a state championship does start with recruiting, that's a simple fact.

 

[Coach Percy]

You were just messing around, but you're correct. It is a recruiting battle for these private schools. I don't think anyone denies that. Winning a state championship does start with recruiting, that's a simple fact.

Most definitely is. I was at my nephew Pop Warner championship game this weekend between 2 Westside teams and saw schools from Mundelion, Wheaton, Chicago Heights and damn near every city Catholic school trying to get our kids and didn't see one Westside CPS school there.

 

[colin2229]

GREAT fundamentally (stance and start, spacing, alignment, finishing routes & runs , etc....)

physical team - one thing that always stood out to me abt Montini’s title teams were how physical their WR blocking was. I’m sure this holds through for state title teams.

 

[McCaravan]

Everything mentioned above and being the beneficiary of some good old fashion dumb luck!

 

[SiuCubFan8]

Half time coaching adjustments.

 

[eagles2k3]

#1 is staying healthy. Generally HS teams don't have the depth to be able to handle a state championship run if there are injuries.

 

[godfthr53]

I was just messin around. I like your list.

I would add:
Have they managed to limit their injuries during the season at the skill positions?
How well did they play in the high caliber game?
How consistent is their special teams?
Is their QB one of the (if not THE) best athletes on the team?

I disagree with QB being best athlete on the team. I would amend it to say QB is a leader, a Senior, or 2 year starter.

 

[greatgig13]

With CG’s win over Crete Monee last year it was all about clock management. They knew they had to chew up time and keep the ball out of the big playmakers hands.

 

[ref2]

Playing to their strengths and limiting the opponents strengths
And adjusting from there

 

[Wassup13]

With CG’s win over Crete Monee last year it was all about clock management. They knew they had to chew up time and keep the ball out of the big playmakers hands.

We could see a repeat of this if both JCA and Rochester advance.

 

[dapiech]

I disagree with QB being best athlete on the team. I would amend it to say QB is a leader, a Senior, or 2 year starter.

All of those are important as well, but If the QB is the best athlete on the team, its a huge advantage when all else breaks down in a play or series and to have your best player with the ball in his hands on every play.

 

[CCLGUY1964]

Having the right demographics. Families with money to have kids enrolled in youth sports programs at an early age. Youth programs that are organized, well run, and large enough for kids at all ages and abilities can participate. Those youth programs feed into competitive sports leagues. Park, community, and school facilities that are freely available. Grade school/park coaches that are competent and teach skills that build upon what the kids need to play at the high school level. (High school coaches run coaching clinics to train youth league coaches so the movement from grade school to high school is seamless).

Indoor training facilities (field houses (LWE)) so skilled position athletes (kickers/7 on7) can practice all year round. Schools that are so good and tuition free (property taxes) that no one would have to pay for a private school to get a quality education.

You have to wonder how and school like LWS, MS. NT, Stevenson, or Barrington etc., ever lose a game.

 

[eireog]

Most definitely is. I was at my nephew Pop Warner championship game this weekend between 2 Westside teams and saw schools from Mundelion, Wheaton, Chicago Heights and damn near every city Catholic school trying to get our kids and didn't see one Westside CPS school there.

Were there CPS schools not on the west side there?

 

[tomloner]

Having the right demographics. Families with money to have kids enrolled in youth sports programs at an early age. Youth programs that are organized, well run, and large enough for kids at all ages and abilities can participate. Those youth programs feed into competitive sports leagues. Park, community, and school facilities that are freely available. Grade school/park coaches that are competent and teach skills that build upon what the kids need to play at the high school level. (High school coaches run coaching clinics to train youth league coaches so the movement from grade school to high school is seamless).

Indoor training facilities (field houses (LWE)) so skilled position athletes (kickers/7 on7) can practice all year round. Schools that are so good and tuition free (property taxes) that no one would have to pay for a private school to get a quality education.

You have to wonder how and school like LWS, MS. NT, Stevenson, or Barrington etc., ever lose a game.

Amen

 

[HRCJR]

Having the right demographics. Families with money to have kids enrolled in youth sports programs at an early age. Youth programs that are organized, well run, and large enough for kids at all ages and abilities can participate. Those youth programs feed into competitive sports leagues. Park, community, and school facilities that are freely available. Grade school/park coaches that are competent and teach skills that build upon what the kids need to play at the high school level. (High school coaches run coaching clinics to train youth league coaches so the movement from grade school to high school is seamless).

Indoor training facilities (field houses (LWE)) so skilled position athletes (kickers/7 on7) can practice all year round. Schools that are so good and tuition free (property taxes) that no one would have to pay for a private school to get a quality education.

You have to wonder how and school like LWS, MS. NT, Stevenson, or Barrington etc., ever lose a game.

My lineman son hated when people made distinctions between lineman and "skill" position players. He said it made it sound like he just showed up and played and never worked on "skills". As he said he would have gladly changed position a few times a game with the wide receivers. He did not think the wide receivers would reciprocate. He also did not think the wide receivers knew the definition of reciprocate.

And now my lineman son gets to carry the ball.

 

[Oddy]

Nice post HRCJR. When my middle son was playing he was an undersized guard on the O-line. The fun part was watching them pound the middle then all of a sudden he's leading the tailback on a sweep. As for the original question, I think a lot of times a super RB or QB can be the difference.

 

[Coach Percy]

Were there CPS schools not on the west side there?

Yeah me, lol.

 

[PanthersWildcats86]

I disagree with QB being best athlete on the team. I would amend it to say QB is a leader, a Senior, or 2 year starter.

There are some systems where the QB needs to be the best athlete on the team - a read option spread for example. Some power run systems, on the other hand, just need someone to hand off or pitch. And I've seen many great QBs that were stationary cannons, a la Jeff George.

But I've never seen a championship quality team without a gritty offensive line. I suspect that most coaches would prefer an experienced o-line with young backs than the opposite...The best QB on earth won't be effective if he's getting hit before finishing his dropback, and remember the early years of Walter Payton behind a bad o-line?

And you have to be able to stop the power run. My alma mater, Manteno, will not be a championship quality team until it can keep Wilmington from averaging 5 ypc out of the double wing on 1st down...Coal City is championship quality because you just can't line up and punch them in the mouth.

 

[MS4EVER]

Close knit team has always helped MS.
While passing is important to be able to run is necessary.
Mobile QB
Stay healthy
Coaching coaching coaching

 

[CCLGUY1964]

My lineman son hated when people made distinctions between lineman and "skill" position players. He said it made it sound like he just showed up and played and never worked on "skills". As he said he would have gladly changed position a few times a game with the wide receivers. He did not think the wide receivers would reciprocate. He also did not think the wide receivers knew the definition of reciprocate.

And now my lineman son gets to carry the ball.

Agreed that's a missed used term. As a group linemen usually have the highest gpa's in college football.

 

[No Bias---Just Reality]

All of those are important as well, but If the QB is the best athlete on the team, its a huge advantage when all else breaks down in a play or series and to have your best player with the ball in his hands on every play.

With the only exception being the triple option if your best athlete is at QB you are in trouble (as far as winning the state championship goes). Excluding the triple option team, if you are putting your best athlete at QB it means you have limited options and you are in some form of a gimmicky permanent wildcat offense and if you are a decent team you can go 6-3, 7-2, 8-1, or even 9-0 with a weak enough schedule and win an early playoff game or 2 but you aren’t winning the state championship doing that. The only other exception that comes to mind as I type this is maybe if you have an elite D1 type athlete surrounded by other good solid talent (especially on the line) in one of the smallest classes (1a/2a) then it could be possible. And that is no dig at the smaller schools but they don’t see that “special” player very often and don’t have the horse or horses to offset it. Look at Lena Winslow. They actually have a couple D1 guys and they aren’t even at QB and look at what a cake walk things are for them of recent.

 

[Googertys Dog]

a good mascot is right there with having a good QB

 

[Hinterland]

We could see a repeat of this if both JCA and Rochester advance.

So now it's "if".

 

[LHSTigers94]

Consistency. The most consistent teams typically do very well in the playoffs.

 

[doctor_d]

With the only exception being the triple option if your best athlete is at QB you are in trouble (as far as winning the state championship goes). Excluding the triple option team, if you are putting your best athlete at QB it means you have limited options and you are in some form of a gimmicky permanent wildcat offense and if you are a decent team you can go 6-3, 7-2, 8-1, or even 9-0 with a weak enough schedule and win an early playoff game or 2 but you aren’t winning the state championship doing that. The only other exception that comes to mind as I type this is maybe if you have an elite D1 type athlete surrounded by other good solid talent (especially on the line) in one of the smallest classes (1a/2a) then it could be possible. And that is no dig at the smaller schools but they don’t see that “special” player very often and don’t have the horse or horses to offset it. Look at Lena Winslow. They actually have a couple D1 guys and they aren’t even at QB and look at what a cake walk things are for them of recent.

Maddie at AC, Ricobene IC

 

[Wassup13]

So now it's "if".

Hinterland,

I should have.left the if out of the sentence. I stand by my previous predictions.

 

[jwarigaku]

Not so sure Maddie was the best Athlete on those AC teams. I remember a pretty great cast of characters!

Maddie at AC, Ricobene IC

 

[No Bias---Just Reality]

Maddie at AC, Ricobene IC

Not sure what you are saying. Maddie went D1 and during their run AC had a ton of WR/RB talent all put together in a high powered offensive scheme not seen much by most of the “farm town kids” they were seeing in the 2/3a playoffs at the time. Again, Ricobene wasn’t a Lone Ranger, the IC roster was not lacking for other talent (Jordan Rowell at running back?) and again 3a in playoffs and I don’t know that you can call either the best “athlete” on their team. Didn’t AC have Chad Beebe as one of the WR at the time?

 

[doctor_d]

In both cases, at some point during their respective runs, Ricobene and Maddie were the best athletes on their teams. Neither ran triple option, though both were excellent runners.

 

[No Bias---Just Reality]

In both cases, at some point during their respective runs, Ricobene and Maddie were the best athletes on their teams. Neither ran triple option, though both were excellent runners.

Jordan Rowell was the best athlete and he was the horse not Ricobene but that doesn’t mean Ricobene wasn’t athletic but they didn’t rely on him. I think it was Ricobenes senior year he went down with an injury and they still won state with a back up in at QB.

Chad Beebe (and maybe others) was/were better athletes than Maddie and having an athletic QB in that system helps but he was back there to throw and distribute the ball not be the best athlete.

 

[doctor_d]

Rowell wasn’t there year 2 (although Ricobene got hurt and it still didn’t matter because IC hadn’t gotten bumped up to 4A until last year)

Not sure on your assessment of Maddie vs Chad Beebe at that point in their lives. I would have to disagree.
https://www.ihsa.org/SportsActivities/BoysFootball/RecordsHistory.aspx

At any rate these were small schools, but I don’t think having a really athletic QB is a bad thing. Certainly it is not a characteristic that would preclude a team from reaching a title.

 

[No Bias---Just Reality]

[QUOTE="doctor_d, post: 223868, member: “but I don’t think having a really athletic QB is a bad thing. Certainly it is not a characteristic that would preclude a team from reaching a title.[/QUOTE]

Who made that argument, not me! But if you are the team in a situation where your best scheme is to say who is my best athlete I’m putting him at QB and running my offense off that you are probably without much else for an option. Would you have suggested that Nazareth should have put Michael Love at QB last year instead of JJ Mccarthy to make sure your best athlete was at QB? (That’s a rhetorical question)

 

[doctor_d]

Who made that argument, not me! But if you are the team in a situation where your best scheme is to say who is my best athlete I’m putting him at QB and running my offense off that you are probably without much else for an option. Would you have suggested that Nazareth should have put Michael Love at QB last year instead of JJ Mccarthy to make sure your best athlete was at QB? (That’s a rhetorical question)

I hear you. I tend to follow smaller schools more closely.
I've just seen a couple dynasty type teams in 3A the past decade. Both had great line play, great coaching, great team speed. The thing that seemed to put them over the hump and make them completely untouchable (the years that was the case) for the rest of 3A was a terrific dual threat QB. Just too much for opposing defenses to handle. Whether or not they were truly the *best* athletes on the respective teams is debatable.

 

[Topiary]

Facial Hair