Baxter’s Blitz: Random Thoughts From Week Four

  • For the record, I don’t believe in a “win is a win”. Not all wins are created equal; when I’m doing rankings, you have to understand
    Gray Collegiate’s Caleb Ford

    that. There are quality wins and then there are, well, “what else did
    you expect” wins. For instance, Gray Collegiate goes to Camden 0-3 and knocks off the 3A State Runner Up Bulldogs with a defense that has not
    appeared in any of their first three games. Same night, Keenan goes and beats North Central 58-28. Same quality win? Not on your life. There is
    something to be said for “quality points” and I’m all about using them in my rankings.

  • Lower Richland travelled to Rock Hill and lost to a bad Bearcats team. There is no way to sugarcoat it. This Diamond Hornet team has
    Nate Branch

    failed miserably on the offensive side of the football and it ain’t
    because of lack of talent. When you have a dynamic athlete who can do special things with the football and you simply connot get him the football, there comes a time where you just snap the damn ball to him. But when you just flat out refuse to utilize him in the game plan, I have to scratch my head on that one. Nate Branch needs the football and if he doesn’t get it, this team will not win a game. They do have a
    good running back in Lamarion Pearson, but lets not pretend that Branch isn’t the money. They have six games remaining and if they don’t involve Branch with the ball in his hands, they will win only one of them. Those kids, every kid on that team, worked hard this Summer and through practices since season has started and deserve to play with the best chance at a win each time out.

  • Dutch Fork finally sparked on offense this past Friday night and Jon Hunt showed some passing strengths. The concern for me is Jarvis
    Jon Hunt

    Green didn’t play and I honestly thought he got banged up in that
    Atlanta game against Creekside. Their one dimensional offense found another personality through the air this week and though it wasn’t a monstrous effort, it was effective. Granted, they STILL rushed for 277 yards but just did it with a fleet of running backs.  Look, like him or not, Tom Knotts is the best situational play caller in the state and he will always figure out a way to overcome a vulnerability. This team will be in the mix in the end.

  • Someone has to explain this to me. River Bluff has what I believe to be the best high school athlete in the Midlands at wide receiver. I’d go so
    WR Stephen Collier

    far as to say he could be the best wide receiver in the state, even as
    a sophomore. They have a quarterback who can get him the football. They have a ground game that would completely support a strong air attack. So, my question is, why does a team with that kind of athlete run 57 offensive plays in a game and said athlete only touches the football 4 times? He has a 30% touchdown ration so imagine if you targeted him 15 times a game? That’s 4 to 5 touchdowns. Sorry, I appreciate the strong
    option offense out of that gun and the incredible running back on that team in Cooper Johns but I’m shaking my head on this one. Maybe they are saving him for region play?

  • The Lexington Wildcats keep winning. Now, I’m not gonna tell you that they’ve beaten contenders, but they are beating some good teams.
    RB Jonah Norris

    Their offense is clicking. They have the most explosive running back in
    the Midlands in Jonah Norris. They have the best running quarterback in the Midlands. They have at least two of the best wide receivers in the Midlands. Granted their defense has not been stellar but they played better the past two weeks. This past Friday, it was penalties that was the concern. As I’m writing this, I don’t have their stats but it had to be at least 120 yards in penalties. They cannot challenge for the region, or for that matter, challenge Gilbert this week, with mistakes like that.

  • Ridge View got some offense going this week against a pretty good Spring Valley defense and got up 27-0 with 11 minutes to go in the 3rd
    WR Chris Lawson

    period and then the whistle blew, fans were scattering and they cleared the field because of a “fight” in the stands or behind the stands or
    somewhere in the stadium. This is not the first fight in the stands I’ve seen this year. It also happened at Brookland-Cayce three weeks ago during the Airport game and it was BC people fighting each other. This is a complete failure of the adults on the kids. Those boys on that Ridge View team and that Spring Valey team had nothing to do with what was going on. But because a few idiots in the stadium lack
    maturity and probably possess a lower than average intelligent quotient, those kids lost an opporutnity to finish their game.

About Jim Baxter

Founder of SCVarsity.com, and The Southern PIgskin Report. Former publisher with Rivals.com and Nationally published recruiting anlayst witih 30 years of experience in the industry. His work has appeared in publications such as Athlon, Sporting News, The Recruiting News and Deep South Recruiting. He is the author of the best selling book, The Book On Evaluating Football Players.

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