SWBL Playoff Preview: Regional Semifinals
By Adam Adkins
2 Kettering Archbishop Alter (11-0) vs. 6 Carlisle (9-2)
Well, well, well. Those pesky Carlisle Indians have advanced yet again, but boy oh boy did they find something standing in their way.
Alter is, in my mind, the most dominant HS football program in the Dayton area, and it’s really not close. The dominant MAC schools don’t apply to this, so hold the emails.
Who’s above the Knights? Wayne, Northmont or Centerville? Let me ask you this: when was the last time any of the three advanced out of Region 4? I believe it was 1999: ten years ago. Alter’s left their region a number of times, and has made it to the Finals a handful of times. Next.
Trotwood? Please. Valley View? No chance. Tippecanoe? Come on.
Without doing all the digging, it seems obvious. Kettering Alter is the dominant program.
And Carlisle, for all your magic this year, for the great story you are, this is your reward.
A team that hasn’t lost a game on the field since 2007.
A team with a seemingly never ending stream of talented lineman, skill position players and QBs.
Can it be done? Can Alter be defeated? If so, this is how I’d try it:
• You must make tackles. Absolutely no YAC (yards after contact) can be allowed. If you give Alter more chances to take you out, they will do it.
• On defense, stay disciplined. Fill your gaps, don’t bite on fakes—Brookville last year bit on every fake like a dog to a chew toy—if you must blitz, never send the entire house.
• Win the special teams battle. Don’t shank punts, don’t miss extra points. If you give Alter strong field position—letting them start past their own 30—you are basically loading the rifle for them.
• No turnovers. Fumbles, interceptions, whatever. Can’t do it.
• On offense, try, if you can, to avoid throwing. Your defense will be worn out. Alter’s offense is very blitzkrieg to me; they rarely pass, but every run is effective, and they never slow down. So, when you have the ball, an effective running game is a must. Grinding away clock and letting your defense rest up—and possibly re-scheme—is a really nice thing.
Is any of that possible? Yes. But I’ve basically laid out a gameplan that requires a lot of things to go right. If Carlisle’s strong defense can somehow hold the Knights down, they can potentially steal this game. But I doubt it. Alter.
2 Cincinnati Wyoming (10-0) vs. 6 Monroe (9-2)
Wyoming barely escaped over an Eaton team that has flaws. Monroe is a better team, and would have likely defeated the Eagles.
Monroe played a tough, tough game and defeated a slightly underrated Chaminade Julienne team. 12-7 isn’t a high scoring game, folks, and it was not in style with the vast majority of Monroe’s games. Only once in the regular season did Monroe fail to score more than 21 points (a bizarre 7-3 loss to Waynesville).
Monroe can put points up, and I figure they will on Wyoming. Before you remind me that Wyoming allowed less than 15 points a whopping 8 times in the regular season, let me remind you that they played at least 7 crappy teams, and Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy may or may not be crappy. They did not play a tough schedule, kiddies.
That said, 11-0 is 11-0. It can’t be ignored. It’s likely that this will be the toughest game either have played this year, other than Wyoming’s odd 50-49 win over a weak Indian Hill team.
I’m going with Monroe. It’s a gut call. I don’t think Wyoming is an elite team, and something makes me wonder if Monroe might gut out a few more playoff wins.
Adam also writes for www.adamadkins.net, although not as much as he’d like. Email him at adamdadkins@gmail.com.
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