Yuku free message boards

I think the Marine City v. Marshall game starts out looking like a battle of defenses, and then erupts into a track meet.

Baller, I keep telling people I'm "cautiously optimistic". Marshall is clearly a solid team, and it looks as if they have a substantial size advantage...but so do most teams the Mariners play.

I think a lot of people discount Marine City as they get deeper into the playoffs due to the "old school" Mariner style that died about three years ago. Prior to 2007, and dating all the way back to the mid 1980's, Marine City was a pure Wing-T team; if they couldn't beat you running between the tackles, they weren't going to beat you. The problem was, when they ran into bigger, faster teams like the 2006 Highland Park squad, the Fullback Trap, alone, couldn't move the ball. The result was a tired defense that spent a lot of time on the field, and a 35-0 defeat.

After that game, and in no small part part due to Brendon Kay's abilities, the Mariner coaches opened up the playbook and now run their offense from a variety of formations, and even [gasp] pass the ball when needed. They still fall back on the Wing when it works, but they now have the ability to get away from it where it's not working. With the new playbook, the Mariners have lost a total of one game in three years*, and they lost that game (in the District finals) by one score. They have found ways to move the ball on everyone, and have matched teams with more speed and size, and have posted a playoff record of 9-1. So, my optimism comes from the fact that this is not "your father's" Marine City team. This team will make offensive adjustments when things aren't working. If there is a team that can dominate Marine City, I haven't seen that team in 3 years. But you never, know, maybe Marshall is it.

* - The loss to Melvindale in week 1 of 2007 is not one I consider being after the new offense was put in place. Kay was injured and the Mariners reverted to the "we're going between the tackles every play, if you can stop it you can beat us", nothing but Wing-T offense, because that is what the backup QB was comfortable with. They still lost that game by one score, with a chance to win it in the final minute. They nearly lost in week 2 of that season, to a non-playoff qaualifying Fitz, before Kay became healthy and they unveiled the wide open playbook they use today.

Another reason Marine City is being discounted in this one is because people are (erroneously) impressed with how badly Marshall beat Country Day. But Country Day was nothing but a name this season. I will say that Marine City's margin of victory over Goodrich was more impressive than Marhsall's over Country Day:

Powers over Country Day by 14
Goodrich over Powers by 10
Goodrich > Country Day

Marshall over Country Day by 43
Marine City over Goodrich by 39
What's the difference, really?

Marshall will be the best team Marine City has played to date, so I don't make a real prediction either way. But I suspect the only team Marshall has played who is better than Marine City is JLC. JLC over Marshall by 34.

Should be a good one. Sorry for the length of the post.

ftballer67 wrote:

---

Thanks for the detailed post.

Sounds like MC now has the balance on offense that could make them a force in D4 for years to come.

They are still a running team, no doubt. But now they will spread it out, run from the Full T, Pro Set, and even a Single Wing every now and again, if I'm not mistaken. They keep you guessing...I'd hate to be the coach preping for this offense. I like it best when they still run nothing but Wing-T because it means the other team has shown no sign of being able to stop it...which is what happened last Friday against Goodrich. They could have walked up to the line, said, "hey, here comes the FB Trap", and they still would have ripped off 5 yards a pop.