Let's take a deep dive into Class 2
- Thread starter Cards1968
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Some interesting Calpreps predictions heading into the playoffs:
Lathrop 35 Lamar 28
Lutheran North 28 Blair Oaks 27
Lutheran North 28 Lathrop 24
Some other rando games I looked up to get somewhat to above:
Lathrop 35 Macon 14
Lawson 35 Lexington 21
Lathrop 22 Lawson 14
Blair Oaks 35 Monroe City 21
Blair Oaks 34 Lathrop 31
Lathrop 35 Lamar 28
Lutheran North 28 Blair Oaks 27
Lutheran North 28 Lathrop 24
Some other rando games I looked up to get somewhat to above:
Lathrop 35 Macon 14
Lawson 35 Lexington 21
Lathrop 22 Lawson 14
Blair Oaks 35 Monroe City 21
Blair Oaks 34 Lathrop 31
Well it's only a one point spread. Certainly well within Calpreps margin of error. No, I didn't just type that in my Northland Joey voice.
Before season started I thought LN would end Lamar's run. But after wataching Blair Oaks in person and LN couple times online. LN defense just doesnt look that impressive.
Lutheran North just beat Class 5 Chaminade 40 - 0. When Chaminade played Class 6 #1 CBC in Week 3, 2020 MIZZOU QB commit Brady Cook was 7 of 16 for 63 yds. Cook was 11 of 27 for 48 yds with 2 INTs and 6 sacks vs Lutheran North. Chaminade lost to Class 5 #3 Vianney 49 - 35 and gained 286 yds rushing against them. Lutheran North held Chaminade to 85 rushing yds.
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Since last years C1 title game, guess I should've included that pertinent info...
Higginsville is the 3 seed (should've been the 4 based on points). They jumped Knob due to head to head but can only advance one spot. Holden remains as the 2 seed. Everything on MSHSAA is correct.
Chaminade is overrated. There’s nothing impressive about 99 percent of class 5 and smaller in STL. Trinity and LN and Cardinal Ritter are the only good ones on a average year basis.
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Hard to tell with Lamar from a distance. I would never second guess their having great quality athletes and top tier coaching.
While it's hard to put a name to it? One of the qualities I've most noticed and enjoyed from that unstoppable ground game is athletes who grind out 2 to 5 more yards per carry on grit alone than other teams might be able to.
They followed blockers meticulously and always landed while moving forward. Medlin's got some grit and the one Junior QB (Stahhl) follows blockers very well. You don't see those things consistently this year team-wide. They still have guys who are crazy fast but they don't follow blocks so much.
I'm hoping to decide I was all wrong about this in the playoffs. Just feels like it's slowed them down a step.
Apart from Ronnie Perkins who is starting at Oklahoma LN was a relatively young team. They are a year older this year which makes a big difference.
Nope.
First, Ronnie Perkins does not start at Oklahoma, getting lots of action in some games, but has never been a starter. Currently listed as 2nd DE on the depth chart, still impressive for a true freshman. Ronnie was good in that game, but no more impressive than other good individuals on both teams, especially Buford, Ayers and Lucas.
Secondly, Lutheran North had several seniors on that team, including the QB, both running backs, a couple linebackers, and most of the defensive secondary. To say that they were young is a tremendous misrepresentation.
I personally can't tell from what I can see if they have improved or not. I do think it is very silly for anyone to make judgements based on the outcome of one single game a year ago, especially one in that kind of weather with completely different rosters this year.
Chaminade isn’t very good this year. They’re the only school that LN played that ALSO played against the 2 highest rated Ckass 5 and 6 teams in STL. I like stats, and the numbers LN held Chaminade to (compared to Vianney and CBC) aren’t gospel ... but they DO speak to their defense. If things play out the way they should we’ll all get to see what’s what after Districts. Just the way it SHOULD be.
1) Lutheran North
2) Lamar (I still would probably pick them to win it all, just too hard not to)
3) Blair Oaks
4) Lathrop
5) Ava
6) Lawson
4-6 are interchangeable and part of me thinks Ava is better than Lathrop.
I think 7-10 is some combo of Macon, Monroe City, Lexington, Fair Grove, Strafford. There is a big drop off after 6 in my opinion. But after looking at that group I think Monroe City might be the best, maybe I was little too hard on em.
All the same. Use the line to create holes for the big RB. And run the ball. Control the clock. Sometimes throw if needed. Build a even 14 point lead on LN and forget about it. Not built to comeback on a team. Definitely not as good as last year. BO would be enjoying that possible matchup.
I would say they have improved quite a bit just since the Macon game this year. However, I don't think it is enough to beat Blair Oaks or Lutheran North. I would put Monroe City in the Top 8 however.
I guess you couldn’t bring yourself to say that you didn’t see LN play this year. Hopefully, the teams LN faces this post-season don’t watch film and prepare by reading threads by Big 8 fanboys like you do. It IS funny that now your criticism is that you think they’re one-dimensional. Especially considering Lamar, Cassville or most of the SWMO small schools are run heavy offenses, too. When’s the last time a QB from Lamar threw a pass that went farther than 20 yds in the air? If Blair Oaks handles their business, they’ll get their chance to see if you really know anything about football, or if you’re just pretending that you do.
Lamar has a lot this season. Shows what you know. The irony with you is funny. I doubt you are this mouthy in person. So calm down sir. Lol The difference is? Big 8 schools defend the run well. LN would need to throw. You STL homers sure are defensive of this false reality you spin.
Which you are willing to be hateful borderline sexist blantly online. So I guess you’d talk like that in person as well. Nvm.
BO would throw all over LN. My personal pick for class 2 state is BO.
In November when it is raining and 20 degrees (kinda like a certain semi final game last year in St Louis), the ability to run the ball will determine who advances.
I believe Lamar has already seen Blair Oaks on a day in the dome in 2012 when they beat them 69 - 41.
That's fair. In response to "unless Monroe is immensely improved", I can make a decent case that Monroe would have been a semi-finalist in Class 2 last year. Very simply, they beat a C2 semi-finalist in the regular season. As far as this year, Obviously there are the top 3 (Lamar,LN,BO). My CCC bias believes we will see Macon test Lathrop in round 2 of districts, the winner of D6 (MC,Palmyra, or Clark) to push BO, and for South Shelby to make a splash in Class 1. As always, I could be way off on this part of the state too, will know soon.
This is getting more interesting as we see potential matchups after districts already pin pointed. Monroe City... beat Helias this year. Good team. I can see BO playing a fun one in this matchup mid November. Lutheran North which is stated to be a run heavy squad to me would be like a repeat of Maryville vs Blair Oaks which happened week 1 this year. Down to the wire game that could go either way with the winner advancing to Columbia.
My additional take on things: Anybody can beat anybody on any given day. Look at Purdue who got beat by Mizzou who turns around and stomps Ohio State.
Lamar and Lutheran North is stated to be primarily a run heavy, control the clock and the ball physical teams. Blair Oaks likes to go to the air but depending on the weather and what the defense gives them they will run the ball too.
I think the games between these 3 will be super close. If I was Lamar or Lutheran North or Monroe City I would try to get my hands on the Blair Oaks Maryville tape and see what happened, what changed between last year during the playoffs and this year other than just the coach change. Blair Oaks looked completely over matched last year because of physicality in that game and this year they truly looked better than Maryville and the fans were in shock.
My additional take on things: Anybody can beat anybody on any given day. Look at Purdue who got beat by Mizzou who turns around and stomps Ohio State.
Lamar and Lutheran North is stated to be primarily a run heavy, control the clock and the ball physical teams. Blair Oaks likes to go to the air but depending on the weather and what the defense gives them they will run the ball too.
I think the games between these 3 will be super close. If I was Lamar or Lutheran North or Monroe City I would try to get my hands on the Blair Oaks Maryville tape and see what happened, what changed between last year during the playoffs and this year other than just the coach change. Blair Oaks looked completely over matched last year because of physicality in that game and this year they truly looked better than Maryville and the fans were in shock.
Maryville prepared for BO offense of last year. What they got from the new head coach that came from Jeff City was NFL style RPO offense. Maryville bit hard and got down big 1st qtr of game.
glad you settled that for us, no need for this thread anymore!!!
I quess we should end this thread and open a new one focusing on those 4 teams but I think a couple additional squads still need to be included for now Monroe City, Macon, Palmyra, shoot lets throw Clark in there as well (though I think Monroe City will take that district).
I agree on your top 4. We'll see who is a step or two above or below the others. But my hunch is there is a big drop off after the top 4. The NE MO contingent on here will obviously disagree.
Pick who you want to. Having an opinion doesn’t mean you know squat about football. Having a vagina doesn’t exclude you from getting it as well as you try to give it. You’re clueless about football. Even when you ride Lamar’s jock and TRY to contribute, the SWMO guys here are scratching their heads while they silently let you babble about halftime adjustments that you don’t know anything about. I’d be MORE than glad to tell you that you’re a wannabe football “expert” to you in-person. I’d even help explain the game to you so you don’t continue to embarrass yourself. Being female doesn’t prohibit you from getting lit into here anymore than anyone else. Go cry me a river and sign up for one of those tutorial events coaches like to throw for football mom’s so you can contribute something meaningful to threads in the future.
I think they could've made the semi's because of how the bracket shakes out, but they were definitely not a top 4 team in C2 last year, which ultimately is a moot point because the bracket is what it is (Case in point: Clark County really wasn't a very good team last year). But a lot of my thoughts on Monroe City stem from the fact that it took an improbable catch to beat Valle (some could say it wasn't a catch) in a game they won 12-7. That same year Lamar beat Valle 55-7. Lamar nearly lost to Ava and LN. Who themselves had close games with mutliple other C2 schools. Add to all that the fact that, if I recall correctly, Monroe City lost their best player in #11. That's basically my thought process, as poor as that all may be.
I was surprised that Lamar struggled with Ava last year. Ava really shouldn’t have given Lamar as many problems as they did. The Lamar game was the only game LN played that was close. Every other Class 2 team LN played got turbo clocked and blown out ... including Caruthersville in The Quarterfinals. This year’s post-district matchups are going to be fun to watch.
Ava is a really well coached team and last year in the trenches they had an all time group, they were hella hyped against Lamar who at this point is more or less a defacto SCA member. That score did not surprise me at all. And LN barely beat Trinity in the district final, 48-46. Unless you're not really counting them, which I get.
This year is exciting because for the first time in nearly a decade some other teams actually kinda have a claim to the title. There are contenders from almost every corner of the state.
