Carthage at Lebanon

[Keystoned]

Don’t know much about Lebanon. I do know Gall has been banged up. I’m thinking a close game but Ctown coming out on top.

 

[ChaoticFanatic]

Don’t know much about Lebanon. I do know Gall has been banged up. I’m thinking a close game but Ctown coming out on top.

I’m thinking along the lines of the same thing.

If Gall was at 100%, I would probably take Carthage by 4 TDs, but with him banged up, I’ll say the Tigers win by about 2 TDs

BUT, nobody saw the beat down that Lebanon gave Camdenton coming last week and Christian will have the Yellowjackets ready, that much I can tell you.

Should be a physical back and forth affair.

 

[J. Kane]

 

[sw5890]

Kinda what I am thinking...my gut says Carthage wins, probably in somewhat similar fashion as last week, maybe by 10-14pts. But I will not be surprised at all if Lebanon gets it done either just based on what they did last week and a few of their other wins. Gall seems to have been 'off' since the second half of the Webb City game, ironically the same week there were rumors flying. Which makes me wonder if he did in fact have an injury which morphed into the various things we were hearing that week as it went through the rumor mill.

Anyways, looking at these teams on paper they are defensively identical in terms of PPG allowed. Lebanon is averaging a few more PPG on offense but they are similar. I kind of think Carthage has played a bit larger and tougher of a schedule but no doubt Lebanon has some high quality wins on it's resume too.

Lebanon has had good teams the last several years but been eliminated by Carthage, Camdenton or Webb City in each of those years. WC is already eliminated, they got past Camdenton, and my guess is we'll see more of the "less than 100%" Luke Gall from Carthage so maybe things have fallen into place for Lebanon this year?

Calpreps projects Lebanon by 2pts. We'll just have to wait and see how these defenses and offenses match up against each other.

 

[mowesten]

Might be the biggest home game in Lebanon history. It seems to me all their playoff games have been on the road dating back to the early 1990 when they had some good teams.

I think Lebanon wins big. Gall is a huge factor on both sides of the ball and if he’s not full strength then that hurts them on both offense and defense.. Sometimes one guy can make a team look a lot better than they otherwise would be and I personally think Gall really is that good.

I think the same is true for Webb City and Dontae Washington. If he was out last year against Lebanon I think that game is pretty even. This year their season fell apart when he was injured.

I think he was really that good Because of the impact he had on every phase of the game.

And I think it’s natural for teams to look past Lebanon. They haven’t had much playoff success over the years, but this team is a lot better than Carthage probably thinks they are ..

On the other hand if Carthage wins everyone can come back and remind me how much more success the COC has had than the OC in the playoffs over the last 15 years.

 

[Missouri Kid]

Lebanon is physical and will eat clock and limit possessions. Key may be whether
Carthage can get off the field on defense. If they allow long sustained drives (even if they don't result in points) it could be too much to overcome.

 

[MIZ...ZOU]

This is a great matchup.
One thing that might work in Carthage's favor is that they have faced 4 flexbone teams this season.
Republic 56-26
Branson 49-0
Ozark 49-7
Republic 28-14

I don't think any of those teams run it as well as Lebanon does. However, practicing against it 4 weeks this season cant hurt.

Only common opponent is Branson
Lebanon 40-0
Carthage 49-0
Not sure you can take anything from that.

I really think Both teams will be super motivated. Carthage after last year, feeling like they were better than Webb City only to watch Webb city win it all. Lebanon after the last several years of making playoff runs but just not able to get over the hump.

I think Lebanon being at home is a big advantage.

I feel like Carthage without Gall is just an above average football team. ( look at the Willard game 41-21) I think Carthage is better but if Gall is not 100% then that may be the equalizer.

I am going to pick a slight upset
Lebanon 29
Carthage 28

Republic isn't a flexbone team. They dabble in midline, trap, and veer but also run a wide variety of other spread formations and power sets. Not that this really matters I'm just pointing that out.

 

[Rufus R. Jones]

Republic isn't a flexbone team. They dabble in midline, trap, and veer but also run a wide variety of other spread formations and power sets. Not that this really matters I'm just pointing that out.

I heard earlier in the season that they were a Single Wing team? I was surprised by that. I take it that is not true?

 

[Eagles_Ball]

Does anyone really know Gall's health? Is he really hurt? Anybody have a solid read?

With him, I don't think it's close. He's dominant on both sides. Lebanon hasn't faced a player of his caliber this season. And then there's the OC/COC factor. The COC is far superior, which leads me to think Carthage is better prepared and tested than Leb. Healthy Gall and Carthage is up two TDs quickly and it doesn't get closer than that. Hampered Gall and it's 2 TD win in the end. Completely ineffective Gall and this is a slugfest of epic proportions that I think Carthage ultimately wins. I'm just not sure Lebanon is all that good. Fine football team, but they'd probably have 4-5 losses if they replaced one of the lower level COC teams and played their schedule. They'd probably have 3-4 losses if they played Carthage's schedule.

 

[Eagles_Ball]

Republic isn't a flexbone team. They dabble in midline, trap, and veer but also run a wide variety of other spread formations and power sets. Not that this really matters I'm just pointing that out.

Fully admit I don't understand football's intricacies (or formations for that matter), but I've never heard what Republic does as anything but flexbone the last couple years. I've only seen them play twice, but every time they lineup they've had a full back and a couple slots/wings in the backfield. I've not seen a single spread formation or any other power formation. But again, only seen them twice in two years.

 

[J. Kane]

Can Lebanon take down the The Siberian Express?

 

[sw5890]

I think the same is true for Webb City and Dontae Washington. If he was out last year against Lebanon I think that game is pretty even. This year their season fell apart when he was injured.

Personally I think Washington was a really big part of why WC got past Carthage last year. He was basically a non-factor in the first game, in fact I think it was his first game to suit up as a Cardinal. That was not the case in the district final. When I watched WC at CJ this year I think he was as much of a play maker for them as Gall is for Carthage.

Does anyone really know Gall's health? Is he really hurt? Anybody have a solid read?

I heard via a student who knows him that it was a hamstring. It is still hearsay in my opinion though so who knows. To me he just hasn't looked the same since about the 3rd Q in the Webb City game.

I feel like Carthage without Gall is just an above average football team. ( look at the Willard game 41-21)

To me that score is at least a little misleading. Willard had a lead twice in the first quarter while Carthage was all out of sorts, in my opinion trying to adjust to a different reality where Gall isn't on the field to make the plays. Once they adjusted they handled Willard in convincing fashion. Jadwin came out less than halfway into the 4th and Willards starters scored against the C-town reserves with seconds left in the game.

Carthage was also poised to put up more against Republic but took a knee on the 1d line or something at the earliest opportunity unlike Nixa who oddly kept trying to score and theoretically risking a game losing turnover when taking a couple knees would have guaranteed the win.