Harvey questionable #1

[bigpoppakdog]

They received majority of the first place votes. Here was their performance versus new salem.

Harvey scored towards the end of the first half on a long pass where the receiver pushed the defender to the ground and no call was made. Officials used the "its not my call" excuse. That's the breaks, but the interference was so bad. Official was also an extra official for this game that wasn't part of the original crew. Not trying to bash officials here, but this play was a major part of this game and I believe the fact he was a new official added to a crew should be noted. Harvey also scored a touchdown with 25 seconds left in the 4th quarter on a 30 yard run. Not sure why with a 20 point lead with 25 seconds left you are still trying to score a touchdown? Could be considered a classless move by the coaching staff. Probably due to the fact 20-0 wouldn't look as impressive as 26-0?? One could say that that you coach your team and I'll coach my team or its not my job to coach your team. Which is true, the game wasn't officially over. Another counter point, New Salem's stud LB got cramps in both legs the previous play and was laying on the sidelines with people trying to straighten his legs. Funny, the game paused for about 1 minute while everyone was watching this happen. He never could get up in time. Harvey has a nice QB - WR combo and a strong horse at running back. Their defense does have some good size up front and kept new salem in check for the most part. Harveys defense was never really threatened with a score all night. Harvey has a very good pass rush, but I felt new salems O-Line won the battle versus Harvey's D-Line. I think teams that will double goldade at the receiver position and attack the interior of Harvey's defense will have good success against them. A very solid team no doubt, but for a #1 ranked team to have to try to score with a 20 point lead and 25 seconds left in the game, while the opposing teams main LB lay on the sidelines does not indicate a #1 coaching staff.

[Wildcat]

I'm wasn't at the game, but I will note that Harvey's next three opponents are Killdeer, Velva and North Prairie. This was only Harvey's second game of the season. Maybe the coach is trying to instill some kind of sense of urgency in case the team has to make a game-winning drive in one of the next three games.

[ND_Coach]

They received majority of the first place votes. Here was their performance versus new salem.

Harvey scored towards the end of the first half on a long pass where the receiver pushed the defender to the ground and no call was made. Officials used the "its not my call" excuse. That's the breaks, but the interference was so bad. Official was also an extra official for this game that wasn't part of the original crew. Not trying to bash officials here, but this play was a major part of this game and I believe the fact he was a new official added to a crew should be noted. Harvey also scored a touchdown with 25 seconds left in the 4th quarter on a 30 yard run. Not sure why with a 20 point lead with 25 seconds left you are still trying to score a touchdown? Could be considered a classless move by the coaching staff. Probably due to the fact 20-0 wouldn't look as impressive as 26-0?? One could say that that you coach your team and I'll coach my team or its not my job to coach your team. Which is true, the game wasn't officially over. Another counter point, New Salem's stud LB got cramps in both legs the previous play and was laying on the sidelines with people trying to straighten his legs. Funny, the game paused for about 1 minute while everyone was watching this happen. He never could get up in time. Harvey has a nice QB - WR combo and a strong horse at running back. Their defense does have some good size up front and kept new salem in check for the most part. Harveys defense was never really threatened with a score all night. Harvey has a very good pass rush, but I felt new salems O-Line won the battle versus Harvey's D-Line. I think teams that will double goldade at the receiver position and attack the interior of Harvey's defense will have good success against them. A very solid team no doubt, but for a #1 ranked team to have to try to score with a 20 point lead and 25 seconds left in the game, while the opposing teams main LB lay on the sidelines does not indicate a #1 coaching staff.

Harvey is #1 till they are beaten. But, and Harvey will be the first to tell you this, the polls don't matter, not one bit.

If New Salem never threatened to score what difference does the PI call make? Take the td away and take the td at the end of the game, still 14-0 Harvey. So which is it, was the play a major part of the game that changed the outcome or did it not matter because New Salem never got close to scoring?

Now I did not see the game but I would bet the last touchdown was scored on a basic run, like an iso or fb dive, and the kid broke it for a td. If that is the case, it is a team running out the clock that got a good break not a team running it up. I would say the latter because from experience I know the Harvey program and its coaching staff is first class all the way.

[bigpoppakdog]

I respect all the opinions in response. I think that going to the half down 6-0 is a lot different than 14-0. As far as a basic run towards then end, yes it was. With their horse running back. Many would also argue you could take a knee to run out the clock also. I think we have all had that happen. But how many of us have had a team continue to pound the ball down on you when the game is over? Can't say I have ever been a part of a team or have had a team do that to an opponent when ahead by 20 points with 25 seconds to go. Wonder what would have been said had this running back got injured on that last play and was lost for the season? But regardless, the code of ethics should still exist in high school football. New England Patriots could do in on the professional level, but I don't believe it should be done on the high school level. I believe new salem earned enough respect to that point in addition to their starting linebacker laying on the sideline(there was not one person who did not know that because the game was stopped for a minute while he was being assisted on the sidelines) to deserve a knee.

[ND_Coach]

Fair enough, a knee probally could have been taken. However, to call Harvey and their coaches classless is a large stretch and a bit of an insult. 20 - 0 is not a blow out, so they were not trying to build stats on a weak opponent, they just got a break against a team that had obviously played them tough throughout the game. It is not as if they were running reverses and throwing up long bombs as time expired. I do want to ask what down it was and how many timeouts New Salem had when the TD was scored? Because that has bearing on playcalling, even up 20 -0 and with 25 seconds left.

As for the star LB'r being out, that is irrelevent. Their are 10 other kids out their good enough to be starters on their team, one of them should have made the play. Now, correct me if I am wrong but I bet the last drive harvey was running the ball, isos, and FB dives, etc., then the NS kid got hurt, Harvey ran another RUN play to keep the clock moving and broke one for a TD, correct?

I do not see the last touchdown, scored on a run play from 30 yards out, as running it up or disrespecting the opponent because of the close score, even if the starters were still in. If it were 40 - 0 things would be different I have seen and been on the opposite end of much worse.

[A - Football Fan]

I agree with "coach". I think Harvey was probably trying to move the chains and keep the shut-out alive. With Harvey's defense that probably would not have been an issue. Speaking of thier defense, that is a big reason why they are number one. If you only score 7 points in a game it is not a bad deal if your defense keeps the other team out of the endzone. Another thing to note is the fact that everyone steps it up a notch when they play the number one team. Kind of a nothing to lose everything to gain perspective. Harvey has a couple of huge tasks in front of them in the next two weeks hosting both Killdeer and Velva. Two very solid teams to say the least. Those should both be good games for Harvey to test their number one rating.

I was at the Velva vs. Garrison game, Velva was up 25-0 at the end of the 1st and their JV basically played the rest of the game with the first few minutes of the 3rd quarter being played by the Varsity. I am looking forward to these next couple of weeks of Class A football. Killdeer will have something to prove after being up on Harvey last year and then making some big mistakes to let Harvey come back and win the game. Harvey doesn't have a lot of time to prepare for two huge games like that especially back to back but if anyone is up to the task it would be Harvey. Their coaches will have them ready to play.

[bigpoppakdog]

You know after discussing things with someone else, one thing that I did forget to consider, is that Harvey is number 1 and you probably have some running backs and quarterbacks who could be up for some major awards at the end of the year and stats do matter. So an extra td for a running back could mean the difference at the end of the year. I'm not sure about the reason for running it in at the end, but the shutout was more than secure. My point about harvey questionable at number one had nothing to do with how it ended, but on what I viewed overall. I think they are vulnerable in the interior, and can be shut down offensively. My prediction is only intended for a conversation at the end of the year. Either I can bask in my glory or eat my words. I think you will see a team double on goldade, gang tackle the running back and attack Harvey's interior line. I could see somebody winning 24 to 6 against them with a possibility of a 30-6 game with 2 pt conversions being made. But having said that it will need to be a team that has a good defensive back and a running back that can pound the ball inside-no slash and dash, but ground and pound style. Harvey's corners and linebackers are too good in my opinion to get outside on them. Any teams up north that have that type of team?

**note new salem was not calling timeouts and it was first down with 25 seconds left. Harvey took the previous play for about 35 yards when new salems linebacker ran him down at the sideline. It was this play where he could not stand due to cramps in both legs(actually never seen anybody who had both legs cramp up like they did, he couldn't straighten them out on his own. Felt bad for him, but it was also kinda humorous at the same time, he looked like a turtle on his shell.) I agree, if the score was like 40-0 it would have been more upsetting than 20-0 and it was a basic what I call blast play not anything fancy. In fact they never ran anything fancy all night, other than some real fancy(nice) passing by their QB.

[bus]

In my own opinion i think Lisbon should be #1

[A - Football Fan]

They have a loss.

[bus]

They have a loss.

To a very good VC team....look what they did to Park River.

[MT_20]

Not to go against u bus but i think park river is a little over rated... jelanik carries that team! i do think harvey should be #1

[future star]

harvey should be #1 until somone beats them but if they keep playin like they did i don't think they will be #1 for long.

[ND_Coach]

Harvey must not be too questionable, they spanked number 5 Killdeer

[bigpoppakdog]

NOTE*** New Salem up 30 to 6 had the final possession. They chose to take a knee versus running the ball in for another 6.

[packerfan]

bigpoppakdog just stop with the trash talking and give harvey some credit. they ran it right at you to kill the clock but you couldn't stop them.

[A - Football Fan]

My question, now that I think about it, is, who scored the touchdown for Harvey with just seconds left in the game? I have been trying to find box scores from this game and I can't find one. If you can tell me that I will have some thoughts on this one.

[bigpoppakdog]

bigpoppakdog just stop with the trash talking and give harvey some credit. they ran it right at you to kill the clock but you couldn't stop them.

I give them credit for the win, no doubt. New Salem beat Des Lacs by about the same margin, had the ball at the end, chose to take a knee. Beat Garrison by about the same margin, again had the ball at the end and took a knee against two teams who were beat before the final play of the game. Same thing about New Salem against Harvey. Harvey had them beat before the final play of the game. Couldn't stop them, that's a good one, they did for 3 quarters of the game and take away that touchdown they got thanks to an interference no call where the officials apologized after the game for blowing that call, new salem gave up a whopping 14 pts. Still a Harvey win, they were and at this point still can say are, the better team. But hey, its not like this hasn't happened before in football.

New Salem is 3-1 and could have easily ground their opponents noses in the dirt and have some nice paper worthy stats of 115 offensive points scored vs 38 points given up. Oh yeah nice prediction on the Harvey vs Velva game boys.