Shame on you “Man with no name” Clearly this beautifully written article bruised your ego. The Big Walnut Coaching Staff as well as the boys have worked very hard to earn an undefeated season. Clearly this journalist did his homework.
Mr. AT:
We appreciate your enthusiasm for Berlin & Thank you for the Scrimmage. The Berlin scrimmage gave us an opportunity to go back and work on our flaws. To bad it was stopped early due to lightening….Who knows what would have come of it 😊
Keep on keeping on Big Walnut! You are doing amazing work! Your entire community is so proud of the tough work that you all are putting into your Season!
Good Luck to all of the teams who are having a great season! It’s great to see all the teams
Worh their family & friends enjoying the games this year! Don’t let anyone rain on your parade enjoy your e Season you earned it!
I hope that the BW players see AT's comment and use it as "bulletin board material"
It has been so fun covering them and the other Delaware County teams, glad I was able to put my thoughts into one article. BW has a special team this year and it is wild to think about that most of their stars are sophomores/juniors so they will be even better next year
Hi Sean, I appreciate your enthusiasm for the Big Walnut team, but you are making a classic mistake of judging a team based on what they are able to do to average and below average teams when they haven't been physically tested at all.
Skill position players are able to get loose much easier when you control the trenches, but Big Walnut's liability will be on the lines when they get deeper in the playoffs. Big Walnut has no chance of beating Massillon (unless they get major injury or suspension problems), but to be fair no one else in R7 really does either.
The only half decent teams they played this year were Scioto and South, and each of those a finesse teams that don't have a physical presence, and each were significantly weaker this year than the year before. They caught Canal without Byrd, their schedule could not have been much easier.
I'm guessing you didn't catch the Big Walnut/Berlin scrimmage in August, which Berlin completely dominated. Talk to some people who were there and see what they have to say.
Plenty to be excited about for the future for them, with the key skill kids only being sophomores. If they develop some better linemen next year, they may have a chance for regional finals, and will very likely be a better team next year than they were this year. But this isn't their year.
Just trying to help you grow as a journalist, after they lose to Massillon and Kings loses to LaSalle (if not sooner), come back and reflect on these points:
1) You should never get excited about what a team does against average and below average teams. The ability to blow out avg teams 49-0 does not translate in the ability to compete against top-16 caliber teams. This is true at any level, especially in college when Scott Frost-like offenses blow out AAC teams but then suddenly struggle against B1G defenses. But at no level of football is this more true than High School.
2) Teams who have weak conferences and fill their out-of-conf games with St Charles and two D3 schools are not properly preparing themselves for a late playoff run. You can't truly judge a team until they play a difficult opponent, and this year neither Kings nor Big Walnut did.
All part of the learning process, keep writing and hope you enjoy the playoffs.
Way to discredit BW's entire body of work. Berlin and BW are entirely different teams than they were 10+ weeks ago. Berlin is definitely good, but BW was significantly better in the regular season. I hope they can meet in the regional final
Sean, Big Walnut just almost lost to a 16 seed. The intent of my post was not to discredit BWs work this season, but to put it in the proper perspective. Teams do improve during the season, but there are always core ceilings for what a team can become based on their personnel.
Big Walnut has no chance to beat Massillon. If you want to talk about discredit, you are completely ignoring the ability of NEO teams in this region. One of them came down and beat Berlin tonight. I realize you don't get a chance to see them play, but you are not accurately assessing the ability of these teams relative to each other.
Again, come back and reflect on my post after you've seen how badly Massillon outclasses Big Walnut. I appreciate the enthusiasm that you and the other commenters have for how well Big Walnut did against bad teams this season. It will not equate to regional championship football, let alone state championship.
Definitely not discrediting Massillon or any of the Teams in the finals. I agree they are really good. But the ugly words you spew against a team that has shown greatness this season is unwelcome. Sorry about Berlin looks like you did not accurately assess the ability of your team. Sorry we won’t be meeting in the regional finals.
Go Eagles! This entire Community is so proud of your accomplishments! You are an upstanding group of very fine men who have worked very hard and earned a spot in the playoffs!!! Regardless of how far we go you have gained the respect of many😊 This goes for all the teams who came this far including the teams knocked out last nigh!
Actually, Berlin losing is exactly the point I was making. Football teams in the NEO part of this region are generally stronger than COH. I assessed Berlin's team perfectly, I always knew they stood no chance against Massillon, and likely would lose to another NEO team like Hoover or Green prior and never had unrealistic expectations for them.
And despite that loss, it's still the same Berlin team that dominated Big Walnut in a scrimmage. I've seen film from the game last week, Big Walnut is not a dramatically different team, and were dominated by Olentangy both in yardage and the line of scrimmage and only won the game because of 3 turnovers that gave them very short fields to score.
It's unfortunate BW got a 2nd round game against a COH cupcake instead of one of those NEO teams, but you will certainly find out next week when you play Massillon about the disparity between NEO and COH, and specifically, this Big Walnut team.
You also made my other point for me quite well to Sean, which is, why not write pieces celebrating what a great season Big Walnut had without including such unrealistic and poorly assessed projections about them winning a state title? There was a great opportunity here to write some community feel-good pieces about having a great season without jumping the shark.
And Sean, I caught your comment about how Olentangy "played their best game of the season", I hope you realize the confirmation bias you are projecting here trying to make sure everything fits your narrative of Big Walnut being an exceptional team. I can assure you, that wasn't even remotely the best game Olentangy has played, certainly the Reynoldsburg and Jerome games qualify, and they absolutely played the Berlin game better than they did this one.
When a team turns the ball over 3 times, giving the opponent an extremely short field each time, they have actually played one of their WORST games of the season, not their best.
Ultimately, the issue for Big Walnut comes down to the same problem they had vs. Berlin and the same problem they had last Friday, lack of ability on the lines. Count the number of negative offensive plays Big Walnut had last week, and now realize that was a 3-7 16th seed doing that and how much better athletes on Massillon and Hoover's teams are on defense. Look at what Olentangy did to their defense vs what happened the week before when they played Marysville. It's night and day.
Again, come back and reflect on my original post after they lose to Massillon, and hopefully you will learn something about projecting teams who play bad schedules without looking thru the warning signs that are occurring in games they are winning against lesser opponents.
There were many more of those warning signs last Friday if you take an objective look at the film. No reasonable person with football background would look at that film and give BW any chance to beat the good NEO teams.
If Big Walnut is interested in earning more respect next year, they need to schedule something other than a bunch of D3 schools for their OOC games. They will be a better team next year with so many skill position kids returning, but until they improve on the lines, they are never going to get by a team like Massillon. Schedule Liberty, or Darby, or New Albany, and you will get some more information about how you fit in the championship picture.
You will be a better football writer for it in the long-run if you can learn how to accurately assess what you are seeing instead of playing to community hype. Journalism grounded in reality may always be seen as "ugly" by a few homers, but the general public will respect you more for it. Good luck, and enjoy the rest of the playoffs.
Love the recognition!
Shame on you “Man with no name” Clearly this beautifully written article bruised your ego. The Big Walnut Coaching Staff as well as the boys have worked very hard to earn an undefeated season. Clearly this journalist did his homework.
Mr. AT:
We appreciate your enthusiasm for Berlin & Thank you for the Scrimmage. The Berlin scrimmage gave us an opportunity to go back and work on our flaws. To bad it was stopped early due to lightening….Who knows what would have come of it 😊
Keep on keeping on Big Walnut! You are doing amazing work! Your entire community is so proud of the tough work that you all are putting into your Season!
Good Luck to all of the teams who are having a great season! It’s great to see all the teams
Worh their family & friends enjoying the games this year! Don’t let anyone rain on your parade enjoy your e Season you earned it!
I hope that the BW players see AT's comment and use it as "bulletin board material"
It has been so fun covering them and the other Delaware County teams, glad I was able to put my thoughts into one article. BW has a special team this year and it is wild to think about that most of their stars are sophomores/juniors so they will be even better next year
A Big Walnut win, GO EAGLES!!!
Hi Sean, I appreciate your enthusiasm for the Big Walnut team, but you are making a classic mistake of judging a team based on what they are able to do to average and below average teams when they haven't been physically tested at all.
Skill position players are able to get loose much easier when you control the trenches, but Big Walnut's liability will be on the lines when they get deeper in the playoffs. Big Walnut has no chance of beating Massillon (unless they get major injury or suspension problems), but to be fair no one else in R7 really does either.
The only half decent teams they played this year were Scioto and South, and each of those a finesse teams that don't have a physical presence, and each were significantly weaker this year than the year before. They caught Canal without Byrd, their schedule could not have been much easier.
I'm guessing you didn't catch the Big Walnut/Berlin scrimmage in August, which Berlin completely dominated. Talk to some people who were there and see what they have to say.
Plenty to be excited about for the future for them, with the key skill kids only being sophomores. If they develop some better linemen next year, they may have a chance for regional finals, and will very likely be a better team next year than they were this year. But this isn't their year.
Just trying to help you grow as a journalist, after they lose to Massillon and Kings loses to LaSalle (if not sooner), come back and reflect on these points:
1) You should never get excited about what a team does against average and below average teams. The ability to blow out avg teams 49-0 does not translate in the ability to compete against top-16 caliber teams. This is true at any level, especially in college when Scott Frost-like offenses blow out AAC teams but then suddenly struggle against B1G defenses. But at no level of football is this more true than High School.
2) Teams who have weak conferences and fill their out-of-conf games with St Charles and two D3 schools are not properly preparing themselves for a late playoff run. You can't truly judge a team until they play a difficult opponent, and this year neither Kings nor Big Walnut did.
All part of the learning process, keep writing and hope you enjoy the playoffs.
Way to discredit BW's entire body of work. Berlin and BW are entirely different teams than they were 10+ weeks ago. Berlin is definitely good, but BW was significantly better in the regular season. I hope they can meet in the regional final
Sean, Big Walnut just almost lost to a 16 seed. The intent of my post was not to discredit BWs work this season, but to put it in the proper perspective. Teams do improve during the season, but there are always core ceilings for what a team can become based on their personnel.
Big Walnut has no chance to beat Massillon. If you want to talk about discredit, you are completely ignoring the ability of NEO teams in this region. One of them came down and beat Berlin tonight. I realize you don't get a chance to see them play, but you are not accurately assessing the ability of these teams relative to each other.
Again, come back and reflect on my post after you've seen how badly Massillon outclasses Big Walnut. I appreciate the enthusiasm that you and the other commenters have for how well Big Walnut did against bad teams this season. It will not equate to regional championship football, let alone state championship.
Definitely not discrediting Massillon or any of the Teams in the finals. I agree they are really good. But the ugly words you spew against a team that has shown greatness this season is unwelcome. Sorry about Berlin looks like you did not accurately assess the ability of your team. Sorry we won’t be meeting in the regional finals.
Go Eagles! This entire Community is so proud of your accomplishments! You are an upstanding group of very fine men who have worked very hard and earned a spot in the playoffs!!! Regardless of how far we go you have gained the respect of many😊 This goes for all the teams who came this far including the teams knocked out last nigh!
Actually, Berlin losing is exactly the point I was making. Football teams in the NEO part of this region are generally stronger than COH. I assessed Berlin's team perfectly, I always knew they stood no chance against Massillon, and likely would lose to another NEO team like Hoover or Green prior and never had unrealistic expectations for them.
And despite that loss, it's still the same Berlin team that dominated Big Walnut in a scrimmage. I've seen film from the game last week, Big Walnut is not a dramatically different team, and were dominated by Olentangy both in yardage and the line of scrimmage and only won the game because of 3 turnovers that gave them very short fields to score.
It's unfortunate BW got a 2nd round game against a COH cupcake instead of one of those NEO teams, but you will certainly find out next week when you play Massillon about the disparity between NEO and COH, and specifically, this Big Walnut team.
You also made my other point for me quite well to Sean, which is, why not write pieces celebrating what a great season Big Walnut had without including such unrealistic and poorly assessed projections about them winning a state title? There was a great opportunity here to write some community feel-good pieces about having a great season without jumping the shark.
And Sean, I caught your comment about how Olentangy "played their best game of the season", I hope you realize the confirmation bias you are projecting here trying to make sure everything fits your narrative of Big Walnut being an exceptional team. I can assure you, that wasn't even remotely the best game Olentangy has played, certainly the Reynoldsburg and Jerome games qualify, and they absolutely played the Berlin game better than they did this one.
When a team turns the ball over 3 times, giving the opponent an extremely short field each time, they have actually played one of their WORST games of the season, not their best.
Ultimately, the issue for Big Walnut comes down to the same problem they had vs. Berlin and the same problem they had last Friday, lack of ability on the lines. Count the number of negative offensive plays Big Walnut had last week, and now realize that was a 3-7 16th seed doing that and how much better athletes on Massillon and Hoover's teams are on defense. Look at what Olentangy did to their defense vs what happened the week before when they played Marysville. It's night and day.
Again, come back and reflect on my original post after they lose to Massillon, and hopefully you will learn something about projecting teams who play bad schedules without looking thru the warning signs that are occurring in games they are winning against lesser opponents.
There were many more of those warning signs last Friday if you take an objective look at the film. No reasonable person with football background would look at that film and give BW any chance to beat the good NEO teams.
If Big Walnut is interested in earning more respect next year, they need to schedule something other than a bunch of D3 schools for their OOC games. They will be a better team next year with so many skill position kids returning, but until they improve on the lines, they are never going to get by a team like Massillon. Schedule Liberty, or Darby, or New Albany, and you will get some more information about how you fit in the championship picture.
You will be a better football writer for it in the long-run if you can learn how to accurately assess what you are seeing instead of playing to community hype. Journalism grounded in reality may always be seen as "ugly" by a few homers, but the general public will respect you more for it. Good luck, and enjoy the rest of the playoffs.