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Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Extra Point: To score or not to?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
68-0. 68-6. 73-20. 66-0. 63-0.
These are just a few of the blowout scores that have been posted during the course of this season, as the winning team physically overmatched its opponent and put up huge numbers.
When your team is on the short end of one of these games, it can be tough to endure. But Avondale coach Mark Adams — whose opponents have scored 60 or more points nine times during his seven combined years at Cross Keys and Avondale — says it’s important to keep things in perspective in these situations.
“You have to be able to be analytical about it and not emotional,” Adams said. “Even in a one-sided loss, you wouldn’t ever want to stop competing. We seek the opportunity to compete, but never pity.”
Adams pointed out that each team needs to get quality work for its first- and second-string players, and work within the GHSA’s six-quarter rule, which prohibits junior varsity players from playing more than six quarters in a week. That means an opponent with a big lead can only go so deep into the bench before the second half.
And Tucker coach Franklin Stephens, whose undefeated team defeated Lakeside 62-0 and North Springs 63-0 this season, said there are other issues for the winning coach to consider.
“You’re not trying to embarrass the other coach, but you’re also trying not to embarrass the kids,” Stephens said. “But sometimes things just go wrong. The other night [against North Springs], I called a hold-up on our punt return team, but one of the kids dove and he blocked the punt, and we ran it back for a touchdown.”
Adams and Stephens admitted there were times in blowout situations when young players are more aggressive than the coach wants them to be, largely because it may be the first time they’ve played all season. They get excited and want to make a play while they’re on the field.
You make the call: What do you think? What constitutes “running up the score”? Are coaches doing enough to keep the scores from getting out of hand? Should a winning team at some point just take a knee to keep from scoring in the 60s and 70s?
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