Round 1 Memorable Games

by dusty7 Thu Oct 29, 2020 10:14 pm

2007 - Villa Grove @ Mt. Olive - we squeaked into the playoffs with a 5-4 record and we were rewarded with playing the #1 seed Mt. Olive, who at the time was a really solid program with many playoff appearance with a veteran coach. As we watched film it was clear that we would have to have a great game plan and have many things go our way for us to have a chance to win. Our kids executed the gameplan to perfection and we had an opportunity in closing minutes to win the game. We drove down the field executing the Triple Option very effectively but were faced with a 4th and 2 and were down 6-12 with about 30 seconds left in the game. Now, our QB was a great triple option QB but our HC did not trust him throwing the ball, so we ran our Rocket Toss Pass from about the 30 yard line, they cover our TE but he catches the ball but gets tackled on the 1 yard line as time expires. We were literally 1 yard away from knocking off the 1 seed. This was only the 2nd pass we threw all year, and our QB did not attempt any passes the entire season, both were by our Wingback.

2012 - Peotone @ Coal City - once again, I find myself coaching the bottom seed against the top seed in the playoffs. Coal City kicked our ass 3 weeks earlier and we were going into the game with our backup quarterback, who missed Mon, Tues, and Wed practice with the flu, and a TE who is literally throwing up on the bus ride to the game. This kids actually makes a huge catch on our final drive to give us an opportunity to win the game. As the game progresses, we were all bend don’t break on defense and our back up QB (who should have been the starter in my opinion) had the game of his life at both QB and LB. Fast forward to about 20 seconds left in the game, we have the ball inside the 5 yard line, down 6-13, we run a Toss to get out of bounds, our RB gets out of bounds but the Ref does not stop the clock, we are out of timeouts, QB runs our basic triple option play, makes his read, gets a few yards, but gets stopped less than 1 yard short of the goal line. Once again, the team I am coaching loses on the last play of the game. Also, if we scored, we were obviously going to go for 2. We would lose the next week to Quincy Sally N D in a close game, and I will always say if this group did not have 3 different HCs who ran 3 different systems, they would have been an Quarter or even Semi Final team.

2013 - Peotone vs. Pontiac - with many of the same players from the previous season, we were out for blood this game. Many of the Peotone faithful, mostly the players parents, said this was the most talented Peotone group they had ever seen, Lefty may disagree and I do as well. But this was the 1st home playoff game in several years, and our guys were ready to prove how good they were. After watching film, Pontiac was solid but were somewhat of a 1 man team. As I watched film on Sunday, I picked up on some key tendencies,one being that wherever #28 lined up, it gave away the play they were running. For example, if he lined up on the hash on the short side of the field, it was Jet to the wide side. If he lined up on the has on the Wide Side, it was Bubble. If he lined up wider than 1 yard from the QB, it was Toss. If he lined up behind the QB, it was Counter. These tendencies were 100% correct on Friday. The scouting report said one thing 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 for a whole 8.5 x 11 sheet. I told our kids on Monday, “make #28 never want to play football again.” From the get go, our defense was all over him and he was obviously getting frustrated. We were scoring at will and right before half, #28 gets injured. Once he was out, Pontiac lost all hope and will to play and we roll to a 40-0 victory. The next year, one of our new assistants told me that the kid broke his ankle, was not able to play basketball, quit baseball, and chose not to play football his Senior year.

by Huck Fri Oct 30, 2020 8:50 am

The next year, one of our new assistants told me that the kid broke his ankle, was not able to play basketball, quit baseball, and chose not to play football his Senior year.

I hate to mess up a good story, but #28 did play football the following year, he just did it in Colorado.

At best, you chased him out of the state... Very Happy

by lefty120 Fri Oct 30, 2020 9:44 am

2002 - Peotone @ Coal City - My 3rd year at Peotone, and my 2nd trip to the playoffs with the Blue Devils. We had several D bag kids who'd had to be suspended at different times during the year. We'd lost to our rival Manteno Week 6 6-0 and then Coal City beat us Week 7 30-0. We were 3-4, had to win both of our last two games to get in and had to travel to Coal City. For whatever reason, all those trouble kids got their act together for a 4 week span, weeks 8,9,10, and 11. I think some have actually done some prison time since that season. There was just a crazy focus about our team during that time that I've never been able to duplicate ever again. We go to Coal City and some how grind out a 14-7 overtime win. I'd never felt the exhilaration of winning like that before in my young career. As hard as that season was up to the last 4 weeks, that time was priceless and one I'll never forget.

2019 - Salem @ Benton - Our 2nd consecutive trip to the playoffs here at Salem; my son and his friends senior year. Coach Groves had a very solid squad and the atmosphere was something I'd never coached in before; great crowds on both sides. It was a field position dog fight all day. Great defensive battle with both teams making numerous 4th down stops; 1:00 left in 3rd quarter score still 0-0, they have 4th and goal on the 5; QB rolls right and throws and a sophomore corner of ours dives to deflect the ball away from their receiver; we take over and begin to bang away and covert 3 3rd downs, one of which was a 3rd and 12 run. With 10:25 left in the game, our RB takes off down the sideline to score; we convert the PAT and we are up 7-0. They drive it down, and face a 4th and 2 on our 18; they run it and my son stuffs him in the hole for us to take over. We convert 1 first down and have to punt. 3:25 left; they move it down and are forced into a 4th and 22; we had just knocked the QB out for a play with a sack and their back up is in. They run a double pass (which was 2 forward passes) and our 3 year starting FS has the kid zeroed up for a game winning tackle. We had victory formation ready to go on the sideline as they had no time outs. He misses, and 3 plays later the QB is back in and with :26 left they score. They go for two and convert. We made it to mid field and stalled out. Without a doubt the hardest day as a coach I've ever had. I've thought about it every day since then. COVID hasn't helped not being able to play this fall. Watching my son and his best friends since 4th grade have their hearts broken that way is something I don't think I'll ever get over.

BTW Dusty, thanks for starting this thread...I think I speak for many when I say it's been very therapeutic just to read all the great games, experiences, and at times tough situations that coaches have had to deal with. Even when not posting, I've loved reading all the great stories.

by dusty7 Fri Oct 30, 2020 10:07 am

Huck wrote:
The next year, one of our new assistants told me that the kid broke his ankle, was not able to play basketball, quit baseball, and chose not to play football his Senior year.

I hate to mess up a good story, but #28 did play football the following year, he just did it in Colorado.

At best, you chased him out of the state...

That's good to hear.

by center Fri Oct 30, 2020 12:14 pm

2013 Oregon at Wilmington. Our second battle with them, we played in 2008 quarters.

We finish at 5-4 and draw Wilmington. Some week 9 shifting gets us a 15 seed. The week before we would have been a 16 seed and went to 9-0 Winnebago for a rematch and a bad matchup for us.

Even though we were 5-4 we had over 50 playoff points against a brutal schedule. I think only Montini had more points.

One of our losses was a 7 point game to 3A state champ. Another was to Rockford Lutheran and current Jaguar James Robinson. Another to a 4A quarterfinalist.

You get the drift.

It was an honor to play Wilmington. No program I respect more than them, no coach I respect more than Jeff Reents. The staff is great.

Anyway a back and forth battle on a Saturday night. We score on a last minute drive and go for 2 and get the win.

Here is a key play that changed the game. We are down 7 in the 3rd quarter and barely in the game. We have a play action pass called and our TE jumps. Makes it 3rd and 12.

We decide to run our fullback trap just to get ready to punt and it breaks for about 70 yards to set up a tying TD. If our TE never jumps we are probably throwing an incomplete pass and punting deep in our own territory.

Game of inches. Wilmington goes on the next year to go 14-0 and win their state title.

I pinched myself after the game to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

by dusty7 Fri Oct 30, 2020 12:47 pm

center wrote:2013 Oregon at Wilmington. Our second battle with them, we played in 2008 quarters.

We finish at 5-4 and draw Wilmington. Some week 9 shifting gets us a 15 seed. The week before we would have been a 16 seed and went to 9-0 Winnebago for a rematch and a bad matchup for us.

Even though we were 5-4 we had over 50 playoff points against a brutal schedule. I think only Montini had more points.

One of our losses was a 7 point game to 3A state champ. Another was to Rockford Lutheran and current Jaguar James Robinson. Another to a 4A quarterfinalist.

You get the drift.

It was an honor to play Wilmington. No program I respect more than them, no coach I respect more than Jeff Reents. The staff is great.

Anyway a back and forth battle on a Saturday night. We score on a last minute drive and go for 2 and get the win.

Here is a key play that changed the game. We are down 7 in the 3rd quarter and barely in the game. We have a play action pass called and our TE jumps. Makes it 3rd and 12.

We decide to run our fullback trap just to get ready to punt and it breaks for about 70 yards to set up a tying TD. If our TE never jumps we are probably throwing an incomplete pass and punting deep in our own territory.

Game of inches. Wilmington goes on the next year to go 14-0 and win their state title.

I pinched myself after the game to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

I have heard a lot about this game in my time at Wilmington and how this game really motivated the kids to do better the next year.

by wolverine55 Fri Oct 30, 2020 2:31 pm

2003 Jacksonville at Mahomet Seymour--IHSA lists this a 31-14 Jacksonville win but I remember it being much closer than that...maybe not? Anyway, this was the first playoff game I was ever a part of as I didn't make it as a player. We ran the triple option at J'ville and I remember our fullback having a huge second half as we ran away from them. Also memorable to me as it was the first game my mom attended to watch me as a coach, albeit as a freshmen coach I wasn't much more than cheerleader on the sideline!

2004 Jacksonville at Charleston: We won 40-0 and I remember this because they were the Apollo champions, we were the third place CS8 team and we dominated from start to finish. I also remember an apologetic member of the Charleston faculty coming over shortly after we got there to explain a sprinkler malfunction. It was a rather wet turf despite no rain being in the area for several days. We of course believed it was intentional to mess up our ball handling as we were still running the triple option. I also remember Jacque Arse questioning Sammy Hagar after calling a pass play. Sammy's response was, "He's a D1 quarterback; I figured I would let him throw at least once." Pretty telling statement to how dominant our running game was that day.

2005 Champaign Central at Mt. Vernon: We were very confident going in as we had seen a lot of Central at a team camp the summer before the season and knew they didn't have the physicality to match our run game. We ran an inverted wishbone at Mt. Vernon that year. Very similar to the previous game I described just higher scoring as we ran all over them to a 52-21 win. We had noticed in film study that Central's front five bailed very quickly on kickoff return; we told our kicker all week that he had the freedom to call an onside any time he felt it was there. Well...he waited until we had the game well in hand in the fourth quarter to do it. Embarassed

This got quite the reaction as you can imagine and in fact, I got a call the next morning from current SHG OC John Allison and the first thing he said was, "Did you REALLY onside kick them in the 4th quarter?!"

2012 Keokuk at Pella: we actually struggled for how talented we were this season and limped into the playoffs at 5-4. Pella is one of the more storied programs in Iowa so this is really only memorable because I can say I participated in a game at their field. We lost 37-14. The very first play of the game our center snapped the ball over our QBs head and one of their DL so cleanly broke through the line he scooped the ball off once bounce and returned it for a TD...things only got slightly better after that!

2020 Fairfield at Keokuk: Okay, this is a technicality because every team in Iowa was give a postseason game this year...but we won 55-8 and it was the first playoff hosted and won by Keokuk since our program won the state title in 2007.

by newcom Fri Oct 30, 2020 3:43 pm

2010 Playing Amboy who we had just whipped 48-8 the week prior. The Clippers came out and totally outplayed us and we we're lucky to win on a few key plays 14-7. A vivid memory was when I ran out on the field to assist an Injured Amboy Player as our Trainer and Dr.s we have are outstanding. The Amboy fans we're screaming at our team for not taking a knee for the injured player. (Who knew this was a thing) Coach Jones from Amboy turns around and yells at his crowd to shut the hell up as our staff was treating their player. Still get a laugh out of this when I see Tank Jones!

2007 - Played Fulton final game of Regular season at home and they totally out played us and won the game. After the game both Coaches said "see you next week" and sure enough we matched up with them round 1 and our Kids we're not very happy with the way we had played as were us coaches, we won 51-6. Hate playing conference teams in the 1st round of the playoffs.

by net Sun Nov 01, 2020 1:22 pm

mt. vernon(7-2) at southeast(7-2) 2002

se's only(to date) home playoff game. beautiful day and a great game.

the week before imyself and a former poster/coach drive to shotsie's bar in staunton to trade video on a late saturday night. shotsie's is right off the interstate. coach mings and 2 of his assistants meet us. we were both very happy to be in the playoffs and decide we'll have a couple of brews together. while there a couple get into a verbal fight. the female comes over to our table and asks us if one of us would drive her to her car in staunton. my assistant drove us there, so he said he'd drive her. so the rest of us stay and wait for him to come back. one of coach mings' assistants hears the boyfriend and his friends saying they are going to jump my assistant when he gets back. coach mings and his assistants look at me and said, 'we've got your backs'. they were willing to go shoulder to shoulder with us despite knowing us for 30 minutes. i'll always have a soft spot for dan and his assistants in my heart.

back to the game. we are down in the 3rd quarter. we throw a quick out that our slot knocks in the air, bounces off an mtv players helmet and lands in our wideout's hands and he races downfield for the game's final score. we win 26-21 in se's first playoff win, and we again set the school record for wins in a season with 8.

winchester west central coop(6-3) at new berlin(9-0)

winchester's head coach was quoted in the paper as saying he knew nothing about us other than we ran wishbone-which we did not. we totally dominate the game and roll to a halftime lead of 40-0. it was new berlin's 1st home playoff game and their 1st playoff victory ever. it also established their school record for victories with 10.

by Pike Bishop Sun Nov 01, 2020 7:06 pm

net wrote:mt. vernon(7-2) at southeast(7-2) 2002

se's only(to date) home playoff game. beautiful day and a great game.

the week before imyself and a former poster/coach drive to shotsie's bar in staunton to trade video on a late saturday night. shotsie's is right off the interstate. coach mings and 2 of his assistants meet us. we were both very happy to be in the playoffs and decide we'll have a couple of brews together. while there a couple get into a verbal fight. the female comes over to our table and asks us if one of us would drive her to her car in staunton. my assistant drove us there, so he said he'd drive her. so the rest of us stay and wait for him to come back. one of coach mings' assistants hears the boyfriend and his friends saying they are going to jump my assistant when he gets back. coach mings and his assistants look at me and said, 'we've got your backs'. they were willing to go shoulder to shoulder with us despite knowing us for 30 minutes. i'll always have a soft spot for dan and his assistants in my heart.

back to the game. we are down in the 3rd quarter. we throw a quick out that our slot knocks in the air, bounces off an mtv players helmet and lands in our wideout's hands and he races downfield for the game's final score. we win 26-21 in se's first playoff win, and we again set the school record for wins in a season with 8.

winchester west central coop(6-3) at new berlin(9-0)

winchester's head coach was quoted in the paper as saying he knew nothing about us other than we ran wishbone-which we did not. we totally dominate the game and roll to a halftime lead of 40-0. it was new berlin's 1st home playoff game and their 1st playoff victory ever. it also established their school record for victories with 10.

1980 - Litchfield vs. Effingham - my second year as head coach, great turn around from the first year when we went 1-8 and I found how much I did not know. In 1980 we had the best regular season in school history, won the South Central Conference title, and made the play offs for the first time in school history. We were paired vs. Effingham, a school that traditionally cleaned Litchfield clock in the the old Mid-State conference. We lost a shoot out 35-28. Our QB threw for a 3A playoff record in passing yards.
1993 - SHG vs. Washington - SHG lost its first two games, including our First CS-8 game to Lanphier. Coach Leonard challenged the players if they wanted a another shot at Lanphier we would have to win out. The players responded. won the next 7, and were paired against the Mid-Illini champ Washington. Washington had won every meeting it had with SHG and was coached by John Venturi, his dad was my high school coach, his younger brother and I were teammates and good friends. John taught me how to play football when he was in college and helping his father in the summer. John was an excellent football coach, called a great game, and always found a way to move the ball and score against you (Derek Leonard reminds me of John). John would be a challenge to call defense against and they were the home team. We held them to 14 points, won, and faced Lanphier next week in the cold and snow.
1995 - SHG vs. Southeast, the infamous "we aren't going to take it anymore" game. Southeast had a very talented team that did a good job with the Run n' Shoot (Net was the DC). We beat them 17-15 in the regular season on the last play. They wanted payback, their HC played "We aint going to take it anymore" by Twisted Sister, showed his players his "Pair" because they would need them to play. They circled the field pre-game, knocked one our QB down, and there HC gave all our staff his death stare to shows he was not intimated. He gave Ken Leonard enough ammo to make a great per-game speech to fire the team up. . We shut down their offense that had been unstoppable the whole season and won 42-7. The '95 group were a bunch of over-achievers (picked pre-season to finish 5-4), was one of my favorite groups I coached. They made it to the championship game and lost a close one to Providence.

by wolverine55 Sun Nov 01, 2020 7:33 pm

net wrote:mt. vernon(7-2) at southeast(7-2) 2002

se's only(to date) home playoff game. beautiful day and a great game.

the week before imyself and a former poster/coach drive to shotsie's bar in staunton to trade video on a late saturday night. shotsie's is right off the interstate. coach mings and 2 of his assistants meet us. we were both very happy to be in the playoffs and decide we'll have a couple of brews together. while there a couple get into a verbal fight. the female comes over to our table and asks us if one of us would drive her to her car in staunton. my assistant drove us there, so he said he'd drive her. so the rest of us stay and wait for him to come back. one of coach mings' assistants hears the boyfriend and his friends saying they are going to jump my assistant when he gets back. coach mings and his assistants look at me and said, 'we've got your backs'. they were willing to go shoulder to shoulder with us despite knowing us for 30 minutes. i'll always have a soft spot for dan and his assistants in my heart.

back to the game. we are down in the 3rd quarter. we throw a quick out that our slot knocks in the air, bounces off an mtv players helmet and lands in our wideout's hands and he races downfield for the game's final score. we win 26-21 in se's first playoff win, and we again set the school record for wins in a season with 8.

winchester west central coop(6-3) at new berlin(9-0)

winchester's head coach was quoted in the paper as saying he knew nothing about us other than we ran wishbone-which we did not. we totally dominate the game and roll to a halftime lead of 40-0. it was new berlin's 1st home playoff game and their 1st playoff victory ever. it also established their school record for victories with 10.

We were storytelling one time during my season in Mt. Vernon and I asked the guys if they knew you. I remember Coach Mings laughing hysterically and saying, "Oh, yeah...we know him!"

by Head Idiot Sun Nov 01, 2020 8:16 pm

I've got a bunch for this week's memories as it seems every playoff game I was involved in had a weird story with it. So, bear with me.

1993- Robinson @ Clinton- both teams came in at 8-1. Robinson was ranked pretty high in 3A that year IIRC. We were making Clinton's first ever playoff appearance. I always use this game as an example as why the IHSA's system of seeds is WAY better than the old way. The game we both played into was 7-2 Sullivan vs 6-3 Newton. This was one of those old Wed night games. It was a back and forth affair and all I remember was I had a great down block on their 330lb DT that allowed our FB to walk in untouched for a TD from the 4 or 5. My coach still talked about it when I saw him in 2015. We lost 35-29 as our KO team gave up 2 KOR TDs to Jim Pat O'Dell. That name caused me nightmares for years. Robinson would beat Sullivan in Round 2 and would lose to runner up Waterloo in a very close game IIRC. We ended 8-2 and still this is the only home playoff game in Clinton history and is the best football record in school history.

I have never cried as hard as I did at the end of this game at any other time in my life. We never even had contemplated not winning this game. And then we had to be at school at 830am the next morning. I have never been able to watch this game in its entirety.

I later found out my wife was at this game. As an 11 year old 6th grader. Shocked

She, like every female in Clinton, was there to see our soph QB Nate Sams who would end up playing baseball at Memphis and had a MLB shot until he had a serious shoulder injury. Our FS- Bob Ijams, also a soph, ended up playing at Ball State. #40- Adam Long- would end up being a chef in the White House for George W for a couple years. Our FB/LB- Matt Parson played at Knox and was a preseason All American MLB one year, but was hobbled by a knee injury week 1 our Sr year in college. Always made the Turkey Bowl interesting playing against one of your best friends.

I found this video of the game from the Robinson YouTube channel. I'm #77 in Maroon.

by Head Idiot Sun Nov 01, 2020 8:38 pm

2000 Clinton @ Seneca- I was an unpaid volunteer assistant on this team. I coached DEs and JV. We finished 6-3, but had our QB not gotten hurt Week 2 we had a shot to go 8-1/9-0. His back up was bad. We snuck into 3A at 666 kids (for some reason that enrollment stuck in my head). At one point pre pairings there was a possibility we could go 4A and have to play JCA or one of the Chicago Catholic schools.

Instead we got Seneca who was ranked 5th or 6th and undefeated. We decided to play them Friday night. They were HUGE up front. Ran wing t IIRC and averaged around 270-280 up front. Very Augustana like. Our nose tackle would wrestle that winter in the state championship match at 119. Our biggest player on defense was our MLB at 220ish. We gave them hell in the first half and trailed 8-6 at half. As coaches, we thought we had a shot in the 2nd. As the adults talked i went in to see the kids. It looked like a war zone. Kids literally laying on the floor blood stained and tape muddied and torn. Our NT who was the meanest kid I ever coached couldn't stand up. I walked out and told our HC we were screwed. We took it in the 2nd to lose 42-6 or something.

At the Thursday night pregame pregame our HC told us their Booster Club wanted to feed us post game. At this point I'd never heard of such a thing. For whatever reason, I thought it was insulting. For some insane reason the coaches chose me to talk to the kids after practice. Probably because I was so irrationally mad about the meal and they thought it was funny. Anyway, I talked about how it was BS they wanted to feed us as they thought we were an easy win and they wanted to pay us off for taking it in the rear. I said "Screw that! We need to go up there like a band of Vikings and wreak havoc! We're going to go up there tomorrow and we're going to beat them, eat their food and take their women!" The kids got up, yelled and we broke out.

Show up to the game and one of the moms who worked at the library is walking around the field with a poster attached to a piece of cardboard with my quote. In the 2nd half, she quietly took it off the cardboard, rolled it up and gave it to me after the game. It's now in my basement too.

by Head Idiot Sun Nov 01, 2020 8:58 pm

2004- Lawrenceville @ Shelbyville- We were 7-2 and were playing at home for the 2nd year in a row. This would be our semifinal year and we were loaded. We ran a double wing set and the local sports writer had named our 3 backs Earth, Wind and Fire after their different running styles.

Lawrenceville ran a similar offense. IIRC it was their first playoff appearance. In a pregame article our writer called their backs "Dirt, Breeze and Flicker" and detailed point by point why he thought we'd murder them. Lawrenceville got a hold of this and were pretty pissed off. They were all sorts of fired up to start the game and showed up with lots of Dirt, Breeze and Flicker signs and such. The game was uneventful as we dispatched them pretty easily.

After the game, me and a couple other assistants were in a side office in the coach's office trying to scour the internet to find who we were going to play the next round. The local sports writer came in to talk to the HC who was the former Green Beret I wrote about in the Week 1 story. He shut the doors and yelled at that guy for almost a continuous 20 minutes about how classless that article was and how pissed off he was. I don't think he ever said anything about the game. It was hilarious and scary at the same time.

by center Sun Nov 01, 2020 10:42 pm

Head Idiot wrote:2000 Clinton @ Seneca- I was an unpaid volunteer assistant on this team. I coached DEs and JV. We finished 6-3, but had our QB not gotten hurt Week 2 we had a shot to go 8-1/9-0. His back up was bad. We snuck into 3A at 666 kids (for some reason that enrollment stuck in my head). At one point pre pairings there was a possibility we could go 4A and have to play JCA or one of the Chicago Catholic schools.

Instead we got Seneca who was ranked 5th or 6th and undefeated. We decided to play them Friday night. They were HUGE up front. Ran wing t IIRC and averaged around 270-280 up front. Very Augustana like. Our nose tackle would wrestle that winter in the state championship match at 119. Our biggest player on defense was our MLB at 220ish. We gave them hell in the first half and trailed 8-6 at half. As coaches, we thought we had a shot in the 2nd. As the adults talked i went in to see the kids. It looked like a war zone. Kids literally laying on the floor blood stained and tape muddied and torn. Our NT who was the meanest kid I ever coached couldn't stand up. I walked out and told our HC we were screwed. We took it in the 2nd to lose 42-6 or something.

At the Thursday night pregame pregame our HC told us their Booster Club wanted to feed us post game. At this point I'd never heard of such a thing. For whatever reason, I thought it was insulting. For some insane reason the coaches chose me to talk to the kids after practice. Probably because I was so irrationally mad about the meal and they thought it was funny. Anyway, I talked about how it was BS they wanted to feed us as they thought we were an easy win and they wanted to pay us off for taking it in the rear. I said "Screw that! We need to go up there like a band of Vikings and wreak havoc! We're going to go up there tomorrow and we're going to beat them, eat their food and take their women!" The kids got up, yelled and we broke out.

Show up to the game and one of the moms who worked at the library is walking around the field with a poster attached to a piece of cardboard with my quote. In the 2nd half, she quietly took it off the cardboard, rolled it up and gave it to me after the game. It's now in my basement too.

We played against that same Seneca team a couple of weeks later. After they had beat Montini in the second round. They were huge.

by Head Idiot Sun Nov 01, 2020 11:44 pm

2005- Shelbyville @ St Joe Ogden- we had just lost Week 9 to the #1 or 2 ranked 2A team Maroa Forsyth 34-28. Had played them to a 28-28 tie with 90sec left in the 4th when the hit a long fade on 4th down to beat us. We were 5-4 and I thought in 2A we could make some noise. We'd won every game our TB played in save the MF game and lost every game he was hurt for. He was the lone back back from the Earth Wind and Fire backfield.

We got bumped to 3A. Our "football enrollment" was 404.6. Actual enrollment was around 370. The cutoff for 2A that year was 404.0. We were .6 of a kid from 2A. Had Sullivan beaten a 1-7 Meridian team week 9, we go 2A, but since they didn't their enrollment bumped us to 3A. They screwed us twice at one time.

I remember trying to get ahold of Coach Duval the night the pairings came out. It was my first year as a HC and I wanted to get to work as fast as possible. I remember there was a Illinois game that night and he was at the game. I eventually got ahold of him and said I was the HC of Shelbyville and wanted to trade film. He asked me why. I said because we play in the first round. He said "We do?". Seemed to have no idea we were playing. Also asked me how I got his number.

Get the film Sunday morning and watched it. I didn't think they looked that much better than MF. The Herald and Review asked me that night what I thought. I said "Either the tape is lying to me or I think we can play with these guys."

The tape lied. All week long we'd thought we could run at their NT. He looked undersized on film and we thought we could take advantage of him. When we went out to the field for pregame he was bigger than anyone on our team. We got murdered. I think it ended 42-6 but it wasn't that close.

The game itself wasn't a big deal. The events surrounding it have become kind of a legend to those I know that were there. That Shelbyville team had been a nightmare to coach all year. The year before during our semi run our JV coach had resigned during the season as he thought he wasn't being "used correctly or listened to enough", I don't really remember the reason. At the end of the season our HC retired and said he wanted me to get the job. Job get posted, I apply, the guy who quit applies. He has a lot of support from the Jrs who will be Srs and their parents, but i was a teacher and the admins didn't look at him quitting real favorably. I got the job.

The Srs were not happy. They were really just a bunch of spoiled dicks all year. After losing to A&M our QB gets in a fight with a soph and his buddies try to jump the soph on the bus back from Mowequa. From then on out, I sat at the back of the bus, our JV coach in the middle and Moxy at the front. It was like a prison bus.

When we get to St Joe we walk out to the field to check it out and one of my assistants starts talking about the Thursday night ESPN game which was Florida St and someone. I said "You know you've made it in coaching when a state trooper escorts you to midfield to shake hands post game". Remember this statement.

As I said, we got our asses kicked in the 1st half. It's like 36-0 nothing and IIRC this was the first year of the running clock and St Joe is trying to score tk get the clock running after half. They run a sweep to their sideline and kid gets pushed out of bounds. Our Sr DT just blasts the kid flagrantly late. Flags fly from everywhere. I tell his cousin to go get him off the field. Our crowd who has been all over me the entire game goes apeshit when they see me taking him out. "You can't take him out!! He's all you got!!"- his drunken brother. I was just going to bring him out a play, tell him that he'd accomplished a lot in his career, but to have some class and not be remembered for going out a cheap loser. As he's walking off the field he throws his helmet at the sideline and screams at me that I'm a \"f\"ing joke and they should have hired the other guy and I didn't \"f\"ing care if they won or lost. I told him he was going to just sit out a play, but now he's gone for the rest of the half.

Despite the drunken brother's screaming, we did stop St Joe with him out. In fact, it was the only series we stopped their first string the whole game. Get the ball back with like 36 seconds left. Offense goes out on the field. The Sr DT starts going to the huddle. I yell his name and he stares at me. I swear time stood still and I wondered if I was going to have to call all 3 TOs and eventually physically remove him from the field. He turned around and went to the bench. I go to the offensive huddle and our Sr LG asks me if I'm putting that kid back in. I said not this half. "This is \"f\"ing bullshit" and takes off his pads and jersey and walks off the field. Our fans go apeshit in support. We kneel to end the half.

At halftime the coaches are standing outside the locker room trying to figure out what happened and where to go from there. Here comes our superintendent with the LG. Super goes "LG's really sorry for what he did and wants to know if you'd let him back on the team and play in the 2nd half." LG never says a word and never raises his eyes from the ground. Apparently the Super had went out and gotten him from his mom's car. I said "No. Not after that display." "I really think you should rethink that" said the Super. Nope. Not going to happen. He walks away with LG muttering. I think this is eventually why I was let go at the end of the school year as a teacher and coach. Guy was an egomaniac who eventually got fired for missing money. From his 3rd school district. He's dead now.

Anyway, we go in and talk about class and take some blame personally for the game and do the best to rally the troops for the 2nd half. As we're walking out to the field there's cops behind our sideline facing our crowd. I get on the headphones trying to find out why they're there. Eventually Shelbyville's current HC gets to the booth and gets the phones on. I ask him why there are cops over there. He says "They're there to escort you to midfield to shake hands post game." Billy, that's a hilarious statement, but not right now.

Eventually he leaves and gets back on the headphones and said St Joe called them because they were afraid our fans were going to jump me and Moxy. Most of the worst of them had left at halftime though. Including all our administration and my wife and 4 month old daughter. We play the game out and the last insult to injury was the DMH trainer who had driven their Winnebago to the game from Decatur told me our fans had stolen the DMH banner off the side of the Winnebago.

Hopefully SIFB could add some St Joe perspective about this game. Most people don't believe this story, but I swear it is 100% true.

by Head Idiot Sun Nov 01, 2020 11:59 pm

I found out a couple years later that a bunch of the Srs from that team had started a Facebook page called "I Hate Andy Kerley" in which they all detailed how I had ruined their Sr year. The Sr DT made a claim on that site that I had ruined his future football career by telling him to lift weights. You know, some real brainiac stuff. One said that after they'd gotten me fired that I was such a "fat loser" the only job I could get was at Lowe's. I've never worked at Lowe's. It was some real intellectual stuff.

by Ghengis Khan Mon Nov 02, 2020 11:09 am

net wrote:mt. vernon(7-2) at southeast(7-2) 2002

se's only(to date) home playoff game. beautiful day and a great game.

the week before imyself and a former poster/coach drive to shotsie's bar in staunton to trade video on a late saturday night. shotsie's is right off the interstate. coach mings and 2 of his assistants meet us. we were both very happy to be in the playoffs and decide we'll have a couple of brews together. while there a couple get into a verbal fight. the female comes over to our table and asks us if one of us would drive her to her car in staunton. my assistant drove us there, so he said he'd drive her. so the rest of us stay and wait for him to come back. one of coach mings' assistants hears the boyfriend and his friends saying they are going to jump my assistant when he gets back. coach mings and his assistants look at me and said, 'we've got your backs'. they were willing to go shoulder to shoulder with us despite knowing us for 30 minutes. i'll always have a soft spot for dan and his assistants in my heart.

back to the game. we are down in the 3rd quarter. we throw a quick out that our slot knocks in the air, bounces off an mtv players helmet and lands in our wideout's hands and he races downfield for the game's final score. we win 26-21 in se's first playoff win, and we again set the school record for wins in a season with 8.

winchester west central coop(6-3) at new berlin(9-0)

winchester's head coach was quoted in the paper as saying he knew nothing about us other than we ran wishbone-which we did not. we totally dominate the game and roll to a halftime lead of 40-0. it was new berlin's 1st home playoff game and their 1st playoff victory ever. it also established their school record for victories with 10.

Cliffhanger man! What happened when your assistant got back???

by general maximus Mon Nov 02, 2020 12:57 pm

I appreciate this thread. Not sure who started it way back then for week one, but thank you.

by wolverine55 Mon Nov 02, 2020 2:23 pm

I'm sure it was taken down many years ago, but I am highly disappointed to see the "I hate Andy Kerley" Facebook page apparently exists no more....

by Head Idiot Mon Nov 02, 2020 5:54 pm

wolverine55 wrote:I'm sure it was taken down many years ago, but I am highly disappointed to see the "I hate Andy Kerley" Facebook page apparently exists no more....

My mother in law reported it without asking me and they took it down. I wanted it to stay up.

Another claim on there was by a Sr wrestler who said i was trying to ruin his chances of getting into West Point. He told me on a Friday night that he wasn't going to a tournament the next day because he was taking the ACT for the 4th or 5th time to raise his score high enough to get into West Point. He needed to raise it like 6-8 points and I told him that was probably not going to happen after so many tries and he should probably go to the meet. That dose of reality was apparently ruining his chances to get into West Point.

by net Wed Nov 04, 2020 3:34 pm

Ghengis Khan wrote:
net wrote:mt. vernon(7-2) at southeast(7-2) 2002

se's only(to date) home playoff game. beautiful day and a great game.

the week before imyself and a former poster/coach drive to shotsie's bar in staunton to trade video on a late saturday night. shotsie's is right off the interstate. coach mings and 2 of his assistants meet us. we were both very happy to be in the playoffs and decide we'll have a couple of brews together. while there a couple get into a verbal fight. the female comes over to our table and asks us if one of us would drive her to her car in staunton. my assistant drove us there, so he said he'd drive her. so the rest of us stay and wait for him to come back. one of coach mings' assistants hears the boyfriend and his friends saying they are going to jump my assistant when he gets back. coach mings and his assistants look at me and said, 'we've got your backs'. they were willing to go shoulder to shoulder with us despite knowing us for 30 minutes. i'll always have a soft spot for dan and his assistants in my heart.

back to the game. we are down in the 3rd quarter. we throw a quick out that our slot knocks in the air, bounces off an mtv players helmet and lands in our wideout's hands and he races downfield for the game's final score. we win 26-21 in se's first playoff win, and we again set the school record for wins in a season with 8.

winchester west central coop(6-3) at new berlin(9-0)

winchester's head coach was quoted in the paper as saying he knew nothing about us other than we ran wishbone-which we did not. we totally dominate the game and roll to a halftime lead of 40-0. it was new berlin's 1st home playoff game and their 1st playoff victory ever. it also established their school record for victories with 10.

Cliffhanger man! What happened when your assistant got back???

so my assistant returned from taking the girl home. he sat down at the table. all of a sudden we were surrounded by at least 8 guys.

the boyfriend involved said. 'it's time for you boys to leave or else.'

coach mings stands and turns to the boyfriend, 'or else what?'

the reply, 'or we'll take this outside'. he was standing nose to nose with coach mings and sticking his finger in mings' chest.

coach mings replied, 'you need to get your finger off my chest'. the guy then shoved coach mings. with cat like reflexes mings pulls some nunchucks from thin air and knocks the boyfriend out. two other try to take mings down, but he lays them out with the nunchucks.

i yell, 'look out dan!!" as two guys come at him from each side. mings roundhouse kicks the first guy and flips midair to roundhouse the other guy!!!

the other 3 guys scamper out the door.

mings sits back down, hardly breaking a sweat and looks over to the bartender. '5 double shots of wild turkey', mings commands, 'and be quick about it'.

the bartender brings over the shots and nervously says, 'th-th-th-ese are on the house.'

we finish our shots and beer and decide to depart for the night. we walk into the parking lot and as mings gets into his car he pauses and winks at me and in his best peter griffin voice he says, 'roadhouse'.

true story.

by OSUBucks Thu Nov 05, 2020 2:32 pm

net wrote:
Ghengis Khan wrote:
net wrote:mt. vernon(7-2) at southeast(7-2) 2002

se's only(to date) home playoff game. beautiful day and a great game.

the week before imyself and a former poster/coach drive to shotsie's bar in staunton to trade video on a late saturday night. shotsie's is right off the interstate. coach mings and 2 of his assistants meet us. we were both very happy to be in the playoffs and decide we'll have a couple of brews together. while there a couple get into a verbal fight. the female comes over to our table and asks us if one of us would drive her to her car in staunton. my assistant drove us there, so he said he'd drive her. so the rest of us stay and wait for him to come back. one of coach mings' assistants hears the boyfriend and his friends saying they are going to jump my assistant when he gets back. coach mings and his assistants look at me and said, 'we've got your backs'. they were willing to go shoulder to shoulder with us despite knowing us for 30 minutes. i'll always have a soft spot for dan and his assistants in my heart.

back to the game. we are down in the 3rd quarter. we throw a quick out that our slot knocks in the air, bounces off an mtv players helmet and lands in our wideout's hands and he races downfield for the game's final score. we win 26-21 in se's first playoff win, and we again set the school record for wins in a season with 8.

winchester west central coop(6-3) at new berlin(9-0)

winchester's head coach was quoted in the paper as saying he knew nothing about us other than we ran wishbone-which we did not. we totally dominate the game and roll to a halftime lead of 40-0. it was new berlin's 1st home playoff game and their 1st playoff victory ever. it also established their school record for victories with 10.

Cliffhanger man! What happened when your assistant got back???

so my assistant returned from taking the girl home. he sat down at the table. all of a sudden we were surrounded by at least 8 guys.

the boyfriend involved said. 'it's time for you boys to leave or else.'

coach mings stands and turns to the boyfriend, 'or else what?'

the reply, 'or we'll take this outside'. he was standing nose to nose with coach mings and sticking his finger in mings' chest.

coach mings replied, 'you need to get your finger off my chest'. the guy then shoved coach mings. with cat like reflexes mings pulls some nunchucks from thin air and knocks the boyfriend out. two other try to take mings down, but he lays them out with the nunchucks.

i yell, 'look out dan!!" as two guys come at him from each side. mings roundhouse kicks the first guy and flips midair to roundhouse the other guy!!!

the other 3 guys scamper out the door.

mings sits back down, hardly breaking a sweat and looks over to the bartender. '5 double shots of wild turkey', mings commands, 'and be quick about it'.

the bartender brings over the shots and nervously says, 'th-th-th-ese are on the house.'

we finish our shots and beer and decide to depart for the night. we walk into the parking lot and as mings gets into his car he pauses and winks at me and in his best peter griffin voice he says, 'roadhouse'.

true story.

You've got to be kidding me! Who do you think would win if Mings got into a fight with Chuck Norris? Laughing

by Coach53 Thu Nov 05, 2020 3:36 pm

1995-I remember being a freshman and going to watch SHS take on Peoria Central. They were really big and really kicked our tails in, but it was the first playoff game in SHS history so we were happy. I can remember Jon Pendergrass in tears pre-game because of an injury and he gritted and gutted through. That dude was a player.

1997-We thought we had this one in the bag until we faced Mt. Zion and the Taylor brothers...they were big, fast and just murdered us. I think we lost 31-0 and it wasn't that close.

2010-We played Champaign Centennial on a Friday night and I remember our guys being so pumped to keep playing on a Friday night that the coaching staff was concerned we were too loose. Tyrell Bolden threw for 350 and 6tds and ran for another 100. We were up 41-0 at halftime I think and we all exhaled a huge sigh of relief.

by Bighitter11 Thu Nov 05, 2020 3:54 pm

2003 My First year Coaching we are in the 3A playoffs Clifton Central 6-3 at Spring Valley Hall 9-0. We graduated 26 Seniors from a 10-2 quarterfinal team the year before and started off 0-2 trying to run the I with a very bad run blocking offensive line. Halftime week 3 we are tied at Salt Fork and go to the spread running 4 and 5 wide the rest of the year. Get on a roll defense settled in and got in at 6-3.

So first time playing at the Hall and lets just say its a little hostile of an enviroment. Some of their fans prefer to sit on the vistor side of the bleachers and try and intimidate the vistors and their crowd. It was a 7-7 tie at halftime. They scored late in the 3rd quarter to go up 13-7 when the key moment in the game occured. The Big Cannon they fired after a touchdown malfunctioned and it shot off late right as the kicker was about to kick the ball it started him his head popped up and he shanked the extra point bad so they only go up 13-7.

They are driving with about 7 minutes left in the 4th into our territory about to ice the game away and they fumble and its a perfect bounce into our All State Linebackes hands and he takes it 76 yards to the House. No Cannons but a good point after and a 14-13 lead.

They get the ball back and again drive into our territory and we somehow get a stop. We try to run the ball twice but get little. Its 3rd and 8 and a first down will win the game as their are out of Timeouts. One of their Jack ass fans in the Stands up and yells hey Spooner I bet you dont have the balls to throw again. We hit our TE for a 9 yard gain and Clinch the upset on the road. Pretty exciting first playoff game as a coach.

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