West Ranch Wildcats 30, Pasadena Bulldogs 6
So, another one bites the dust.
This was much closer in the first half: we were only up 6-0 when we went in at halftime. True, we had marched down the field for some long drives only to sputter in the red zone, and we were in command of the game, but we hadn't converted that command into points.
Our defense held firm against a very slippery Pasadena team. I'm quite proud of our defensive unit managing to contain their runners and quarterback as well as they did.
Offensively, we managed to get it together in the second half and put the game away early.
The big scare of the night was when our starting quarterback was literally knocked out of the game. He lost consciousness for a few moments and had to be helped off. His family took him to the hospital, and I asked the dad to contact me. Most likely, the player will have a concussion.
Our #2 quarterback is a new guy we have been training. At one point, we wanted to see what he could do, so we let him air it out.
45 yard touchdown throw.
Okay, so we don't really lose a lot with this guy.
The real interesting thing about the night was the officiating.
It wasn't the typical "bad call" thing (though there were some, what are you going to do? It happens) but the philosophy of the referee crew.
At one point, the ball was marked ready for play, and we charged off our sideline to take up formation and go. Once the ball is marked ready, the ref blows his whistle, game on. We come out like the highly disciplined team we are to find Pasadena just sort of standing around. So great, we're gonna catch them off-guard.
Tweet!
Referee moves in to prevent us from starting until they are ready.
I shout out, "You've marked the ball ready for play!"
Ref comes back with, "Coach, I'm not going to let you take advantage of them."
That one sort of stunned me. I've never heard that. The whole POINT of the game is taking advantage of them! They couldn't seem to stop our off-tackle run, so we used it a lot. That's taking advantage of them. We weren't violating a rule or even the spirit of a rule by charging out, gung-ho, ready to play.
That happened on the first play. I should have known I should have shut up.
Later in the game, the referee called me to the center of the field and told me to turn around. This, again, I had never seen before. Usually the ref comes to the coach. I was being SUMMONED to the center. And then told to turn around. I was then admonished for pointing out the calls they were missing.
"Coach, we can't catch everything. All I have heard is complaining out of you. There are ony three referees today: if you had wanted a fourth, you should have paid for one."
I'm pretty proud of my comeback.
"We're the visitors. We don't pay for refs: the home team does."
"Coach, go back to the sideline and shut up."
So I did.
Later, our coaching staff got a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. And this one, too, I have never heard.
"What's that for?" I ask.
"I don't like the whole tenor of the sideline."
Again, I am aghast. I ask for clarification so we know what we're not supposed to do, and he tells me one of my coaches was coaching the players in a way he didn't like.
I was then warned that I was about to be thrown out of the game.
Gentle Reader, I think I am a nice guy. But I had had it with them. I decided it would not look so hot if I were thrown out, so I decided not to talk to the refs any more.
Still, a coaching first for me.
And, as always, I'm glad you asked.
Next week: Duarte! (Not sure of their mascot: the Fighting Evitas perhaps)
This was much closer in the first half: we were only up 6-0 when we went in at halftime. True, we had marched down the field for some long drives only to sputter in the red zone, and we were in command of the game, but we hadn't converted that command into points.
Our defense held firm against a very slippery Pasadena team. I'm quite proud of our defensive unit managing to contain their runners and quarterback as well as they did.
Offensively, we managed to get it together in the second half and put the game away early.
The big scare of the night was when our starting quarterback was literally knocked out of the game. He lost consciousness for a few moments and had to be helped off. His family took him to the hospital, and I asked the dad to contact me. Most likely, the player will have a concussion.
Our #2 quarterback is a new guy we have been training. At one point, we wanted to see what he could do, so we let him air it out.
45 yard touchdown throw.
Okay, so we don't really lose a lot with this guy.
The real interesting thing about the night was the officiating.
It wasn't the typical "bad call" thing (though there were some, what are you going to do? It happens) but the philosophy of the referee crew.
At one point, the ball was marked ready for play, and we charged off our sideline to take up formation and go. Once the ball is marked ready, the ref blows his whistle, game on. We come out like the highly disciplined team we are to find Pasadena just sort of standing around. So great, we're gonna catch them off-guard.
Tweet!
Referee moves in to prevent us from starting until they are ready.
I shout out, "You've marked the ball ready for play!"
Ref comes back with, "Coach, I'm not going to let you take advantage of them."
That one sort of stunned me. I've never heard that. The whole POINT of the game is taking advantage of them! They couldn't seem to stop our off-tackle run, so we used it a lot. That's taking advantage of them. We weren't violating a rule or even the spirit of a rule by charging out, gung-ho, ready to play.
That happened on the first play. I should have known I should have shut up.
Later in the game, the referee called me to the center of the field and told me to turn around. This, again, I had never seen before. Usually the ref comes to the coach. I was being SUMMONED to the center. And then told to turn around. I was then admonished for pointing out the calls they were missing.
"Coach, we can't catch everything. All I have heard is complaining out of you. There are ony three referees today: if you had wanted a fourth, you should have paid for one."
I'm pretty proud of my comeback.
"We're the visitors. We don't pay for refs: the home team does."
"Coach, go back to the sideline and shut up."
So I did.
Later, our coaching staff got a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. And this one, too, I have never heard.
"What's that for?" I ask.
"I don't like the whole tenor of the sideline."
Again, I am aghast. I ask for clarification so we know what we're not supposed to do, and he tells me one of my coaches was coaching the players in a way he didn't like.
I was then warned that I was about to be thrown out of the game.
Gentle Reader, I think I am a nice guy. But I had had it with them. I decided it would not look so hot if I were thrown out, so I decided not to talk to the refs any more.
Still, a coaching first for me.
And, as always, I'm glad you asked.
Next week: Duarte! (Not sure of their mascot: the Fighting Evitas perhaps)
