2013 Orrville Red Riders football

• Old Rider

  

  I talked to the 7th grade coach soon after our first couple of years having peewee and he said the biggest advantage he saw was that kids who had played peewee came into 7th grade already knowing the basics of tackling, blocking, etc. and that allowed him to focus on some of the kids that needed more practice. Like I said earlier, flag football is still offered for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders, but numbers are lower there because kids are choosing peewee.
  
  Rrfan...the numbers are less than 10 in each of the frosh, soph, and junior classes from what i have been told.
• RedRider1

  

  Soccer #'s are starting to rival football.
  
  Less contact, still competitive, home games on turf, less community "pressure."
  
  I can see why parents are pushing their kids towards soccer. Easier to get a kid involved in soccer at a young age than it is for football.
• sanitizer

  

  Like the band? ......Whose numbers have dwindled for the past several years.

  Interesting, very interesting.
  

  Soccer #'s are starting to rival football.

  Equally interesting fact.
  
  I know the discussion is Orrville football but I think I would be even MORE concerned if participation was down in its entirety for all after school activities? If kids are choosing to play soccer or another sport I can't REALLY be upset, dissapointed yes but upset no. At least they are actively participating in something. I would love to see larger numbers but if the kids are just out to be out (we had some kids like that), they could become punching bags at practice and nothing more. Are there any kids you locals see as DEFINATE football talent that are choosing not to play? As far as the class mix, how many Seniors are going to stay on the field? What positions? Do we have any positions that have the capacity to get a rest? Linemen? Defensive backs?
• RedRider1

  

  Like I've said before..I don't see any kid that screams "football" that should be out there but isn't.
  
  But...5-6 years ago when that kid chose or was steered towards soccer over football? That's probably happening.
  
  Great point about band. Used to be 75 kids at least. Now it's like 30. The guy in charge is great and I think numbers will slowly build.
• rrfan

  

  I can not believe it has come to the Rider Faithfull talking band on a football thread!
• Old Rider

  

  sanitizer;1480343 wrote:I know the discussion is Orrville football but I think I would be even MORE concerned if participation was down in its entirety for all after school activities? If kids are choosing to play soccer or another sport I can't REALLY be upset, dissapointed yes but upset no. At least they are actively participating in something. I would love to see larger numbers but if the kids are just out to be out (we had some kids like that), they could become punching bags at practice and nothing more. Are there any kids you locals see as DEFINATE football talent that are choosing not to play? As far as the class mix, how many Seniors are going to stay on the field? What positions? Do we have any positions that have the capacity to get a rest? Linemen? Defensive backs?

  Dane Kick is a football kid who was 2-way starter last year on the O/D lines and he is NOT playing as a senior. He does have a shoulder injury from last season, but chose not to have surgery and therefore not playing this year. Lincoln Ballinger is a senior that probably would have helped us at WR, but chose NOT to play. I think you could see anywhere from 6-8 seniors on the field (both sides of the ball) every down. I think we have enough lineman to run fresh legs in/out, but those fresh legs would be inexperienced ones!
  
  Rrfan...come on now, you know we have to give Mr. Baldwin some press!!
• Old Rider

  

  Sorry...I was informed that Dane Kick DID have surgery but chose not to play.
• Troll King

  Red Rider Nation;1479915 wrote:Orrville has a band???

  Lol !
• 1486wd

  AllOhio;1479815 wrote:I feel there is a direct correlation with the numbers being down and the introduction of peewee football in Orrville. We did fine with flag football as our feeder system... it was competetive with no politics and the kids got to learn the game WITHOUT dealing with the physical pain that accompanies contact football. I truly believe the physicality of contact football at such an early age "burns" a number of kids out on the sport. Also, flag football is based on "speed" and more focus is put on footwork. Why not learn the fundamentals without the physical punishment?

  This is a topic I have posted on with the WCL folks before (and I think I made some enemies because of it). I think this is definitely an issue for a few reasons. By the way, this is not a knock on the guys coaching the pee wee teams - many are very talented and put a ton of time and effort in. While this is unscientific, I have seen fewer numbers at Dalton since the start of peewee football and talking to a lot of other people around the county and state have similar stories. I think you have a couple things going on here - when you have a group of kids playing a sport, you are just going to lose a kid or two every year for various reasons. If you start that process in 3rd grade instead of 7th, you are obviously going to have fewer by the time you get to varsity. Secondly, when there is pee wee football, some kids will be allowed to play and some wont, whether for financial reasons or something else. There are some that don't come out in 7th grade with the thought that they "are behind the curve and wont get to play" since they did not play peewee like many of the other kids, further shrinking the pool. The third factor, is fear of injury with that many more years of contact. I also think you have more kids that may feel tackle football is not for them years before their bodies have developed. I have seen no difference in varsity level of play over the years between schools that have pee wee and those that don't. There is a difference in 7th grade, but by 8th or 9th it seems not to matter. I guess if you are worried about 7th grade titles, then peewee is a must. For me, my boys will play flag until 7th grade. Just my two cents.
• Old Rider

  

  [LEFT]
  • True-freshman LB Mason Monheim was named a second-team freshman All-American by Phil Steele aftera stellar first season for the Orange and Blue. Monheim started the final 10 games of the season and led Illinois with 86 tackles on the season, the most among all Big Ten freshmen by a wide margin. Monheim ranked 15th in the conference in tackles per game (7.2), while no other B1G freshman was in the top 50. He also added 6.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception, one pass break-up andrecovered one fumble during his rookie campaign. In eight Big Ten games, Monheim averaged 8.6 tackles per game to rank ninth overall. He also was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice.
  
  
  
  Saw this in the 2013 Illinois Media Guide and had to share....RTR! [/LEFT]
  
  
  
• O-Trap

  

  Good for him! I'll have to be cheering for him every game but November 16[SUP]th[/SUP].
• jaco

  AllOhio;1479815 wrote:I feel there is a direct correlation with the numbers being down and the introduction of peewee football in Orrville. We did fine with flag football as our feeder system... it was competetive with no politics and the kids got to learn the game WITHOUT dealing with the physical pain that accompanies contact football. I truly believe the physicality of contact football at such an early age "burns" a number of kids out on the sport. Also, flag football is based on "speed" and more focus is put on footwork. Why not learn the fundamentals without the physical punishment?

  
  Man Card. Officially revoked. :thumbdown:
• O-Trap

  

  AllOhio;1479815 wrote:I feel there is a direct correlation with the numbers being down and the introduction of peewee football in Orrville. We did fine with flag football as our feeder system... it was competetive with no politics and the kids got to learn the game WITHOUT dealing with the physical pain that accompanies contact football. I truly believe the physicality of contact football at such an early age "burns" a number of kids out on the sport. Also, flag football is based on "speed" and more focus is put on footwork. Why not learn the fundamentals without the physical punishment?

  An isolated incident does not a trend make. There are demonstrations elsewhere where youth leagues have helped.
  
  Ultimately, I don't think it's a factor. Teams go through ebbs and flows of participation all the time. Perhaps giving something like this more time would be best before we hedge bets.
  
  Having said that, I have no problem with flag leagues either, for kids at early ages.
• CCRolly

  

  4 weeks until win #1 on the turf.
• Old Rider

  

  CCRolly;1481644 wrote:4 weeks until win #1 on the turf.

  14 weeks till the first Orrville win over Wooster on turf
• BRF

  

  42 bodies are now out.
• CCRolly

  

  After Wooster throttles you again, the run from the OCC chatter will be at an all-time high.
• jaco

  So is there a freshman squad or not? I've heard no 8th grade, but rumor mill is there's no official freshman team either. It would seem smarter to roll those kids up into jayvee. Junior high is different, because legally those kids can't even practice together yet alone play one another.
• Old Rider

  

  CCRolly;1481666 wrote:After Wooster throttles you again, the run from the OCC chatter will be at an all-time high.

  Its not gonna take a throttling by Wooster (which will not happen) to convince me we don't belong...and I think if we leave, so does West Holmes and Clear Fork.
• RedRider1

  

  BRF;1481665 wrote:42 bodies are now out.

  I like the # much better.
  
  Have a good feeling about things. Hearing positives about our QB play and the kind of kids we have on this team. It's all about staying healthy.
• 5knots

  

  Old Rider;1481164 wrote:[LEFT]
  • True-freshman LB Mason Monheim was named a second-team freshman All-American by Phil Steele aftera stellar first season for the Orange and Blue. Monheim started the final 10 games of the season and led Illinois with 86 tackles on the season, the most among all Big Ten freshmen by a wide margin. Monheim ranked 15th in the conference in tackles per game (7.2), while no other B1G freshman was in the top 50. He also added 6.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception, one pass break-up andrecovered one fumble during his rookie campaign. In eight Big Ten games, Monheim averaged 8.6 tackles per game to rank ninth overall. He also was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice.
  
  

  
  
  Saw this in the 2013 Illinois Media Guide and had to share....RTR! [/LEFT]
  
  Thanks Old Rider. Added to that a finalist for B1G freshman of the year. First Team for ESPN ALL B1G freshman squad. Named University of Illinois MVP fro Big Skill at Annual Banquet, and finalist for Newcomer of the Year for University of Illinois entire Athletic program. Named a 4th team preseason All B1G selection for 2013. RedRider1 and I were having a text chat about what kind of news the DR would be covering if this had been a WCAL or Wooster kid. Just like the State track coverage...deep down... folks in the area still can't stand RTR. Go Riders
  
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  [/QUOTE]
• Old Rider

  

  5knots;1481685 wrote:
  
  Saw this in the 2013 Illinois Media Guide and had to share....RTR! [/LEFT]
  
  Thanks Old Rider. Added to that a finalist for B1G freshman of the year. First Team for ESPN ALL B1G freshman squad. Named University of Illinois MVP fro Big Skill at Annual Banquet, and finalist for Newcomer of the Year for University of Illinois entire Athletic program. Named a 4th team preseason All B1G selection for 2013. RedRider1 and I were having a text chat about what kind of news the DR would be covering if this had been a WCAL or Wooster kid. Just like the State track coverage...deep down... folks in the area still can't stand RTR. Go Riders
  
  

  
  
  Some amazing accomplishments that somehow missed a report from Mr. Dorksen...no surprise at all.
• RIDER DAD

  

  RedRider1;1481678 wrote:I like the # much better.
  
  Have a good feeling about things. Hearing positives about our QB play and the kind of kids we have on this team. It's all about staying healthy.

  Under the radar, just how we had it planned.:thumbup: Looked at JJ huddle for the first time in about 6 months and according to most over there we should play a JV schedule, good bulletin board material
• Old Rider

  

  RIDER DAD;1481722 wrote:Under the radar, just how we had it planned.:thumbup: Looked at JJ huddle for the first time in about 6 months and according to most over there we should play a JV schedule, good bulletin board material

  Fuel the fire...just the way we like it! Teams think we are down and thats just fine!
• sanitizer

  

  Bout time to SWARM!