Friday, March 20, 2009

Players of the Game vs Colts


Jay Meyer is awarded the player of the game for his superb snapping, especially during punting situations. Jay was having difficulty getting the ball to Tyler during practice time, but when it came down to game time, Jay came through. Jay is great teammate and I have thoroughly enjoyed coaching him. Thank you Jay!


Jacob Bradley is one of two players of the game for last week. Jacob always gives his best and is always looking for ways to encourage his teammates. Despite a difficult game Jacob shinned. He was stellar on defense making several tackles. He also had several catches including a long pass that bounced off of a couple of players. A catch like that takes great concentration. Congratulations on a well done job!


Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Packer Pictures


Lavontae, Brandon, Jordan, and Jay



Justin, Jimmy, Andrew, Jacob, and Tyler



Thank you to the parents for all of their support



Jay getting ready to get us started.



In the Huddle.



Jacob with an awesome flag pull!



Where would I be without Coach Tony.

Coach Alan giving instructions.


Brandon sharing some encouragement with Jimmy.

Colts 32, Packers 0

It was a tough game this past Saturday. Our focus this week shifted gears as we went from defining what a team was to defining was winning was. We are using the word CHAMPS to define winning. So we started out with "C" which was character. And boy are we learning about character! It didn't start out too good as the Colts scored the first time they touched the ball. It wasn't until right before half time that we finally made a stop. That created a little momentum for us and we were able to carry that into the second half. We didn't give up any more touchdowns and defense in the second half as the boys went back to the fundamentals and made some great tackles. The boys played with great effort and gave it their all. Sometimes you have games like this. The question now becomes... what are you going to do with this? Are you going to learn and grow and use this as a positive thing? Or are you going to let it get you down and turn it into a lasting negative? The choice is up to each individual player. We will see what the response is in the weeks to come.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Players of the Game vs Bengals

It took a team effort, everyone playing together, everyone encouraging each other, everyone paying attention to each other and the game, and everyone feeding off of the momentum, for us to be able to beat the Bengals this past Saturday. It will never be because of just one person as to why we win or lose. We will win and lose as a team. But every week individuals step up and shine brighter; rather it is through their play, attitude, or effort. So it is to that end that I announce the players of the week...

Rusty... I love coaching Rusty (as I do all my boys). His desire to do his best and win is second to none. Rusty and I talked about leadership after the first game and how his attitude was very important, not only to his play but the play of the whole team. Well, let's just say Rusty stepped it up a notch in that department this week. He played tremendously while completing over 58% of his passes. He threw two touchdown passes, ran for a touchdown, and caught a touchdown pass as well. But one moment really sticks in my mind. It was about mid way through the second half. We had just gotten the ball back when Rusty went back to pass. Well as it turned out the wrong team caught the ball and returned it for a touchdown. I watched Rusty and his reaction. He wasn't thrilled about the pass but he didn't hang his head either. We talked about it on the sideline and the corrections that needed to be made. He promptly went back on the field and guided us to two more touchdowns. This was very encouraging to me. Rusty showed great leadership and a wonderful attitude. Keep up the good work Rusty.

Brandon... Brandon has shown a very positive attitude as well as tremendous leadership skills this season. After he didn't win the starting quarterback position, he didn't hang his head or get upset. He just made up his mind he was going to be the best at whatever position he played. This attitude and his contagious smile has helped guide our defense this season. He plays safety and he takes great pride in his role. With his help we were able to hold our opponents scoreless in the 2nd half of the Texan game and the first half of the Bengal game. Not only has Brandon shined on defense but he rose to the occasion on offense versus the Bengals, making a spectacular catch in back of the end zone for a touchdown. Well done Brandon.

Tyler... Our final player of the week is Tyler. He has tremendous potential and is just beginning to realize how much he has. He is fast and quick. Is probably one of our best when it comes to tackling and shows great leadership. One thing, however, that he has struggled with is catching the ball. He likes to make the spectacular catches but the routine ones seem to fall to the ground. Well that all changed in practice last week. He kept focus and made sure he hung on to the balls. He was rewarded in the Bengal game by recording his first (0f what we hope is many) touchdown catch of the season. He also never dropped a pass. Not only that, he intercepted a pass on the goal line keeping us in the lead. Tyler don't ever stop trying to get better.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Packers 24, Bengals 20

We notched our first win this past Saturday. Actually the boys were already winners before they even stepped onto the field. Their effort, attitude, and togetherness showed me that. I am so proud of them. They all realize we are in the process of building something, a winning team. Our focus last week in practice was momentum. We built some momentum the previous Saturday against the Texans despite a loss. The boys capitalized on that this Saturday and continued to build momentum in a 24 to 20 hard fought win!

The boys started out very strong on defense and on our second possession of the game we drove the ball in for a touchdown on a 15 yard touchdown pass from Rusty to Tyler. The defense continued to play well with Tyler intercepting a pass on the goal line to keep the Bengals scoreless. Rusty then went on a 35 yard quarterback run to make the score 12-0. The Bengals were again turned away at the goal line by a defense that was very determined and playing together. Everyone was contributing from the starters to the substitutes. This lead to a 12-0 halftime lead.

We knew the Bengals would not go down without a fight. We emphasis all the time about finishing strong and we needed to this game. The Bengals got on the board with an interception returned for a touchdown making the score 12-6 early in the second half. The Packers responded with a scoring drive of their own. We ran a running back option pass with Reggie who found Rusty open for a 20 yard touchdown. The Bengals came right back with a touch down of their own followed by a successful extra point making the score 18-13. My boys, however, were just as determined not to lose and came fighting right back. After two very good runs by Reggie and Tyler, Rusty avoided the rush and found Brandon in back of the end zone for what turned out to be a spectacular catch. The Bengals would not go away. With just under 20 seconds left in the game they scored another touchdown and converted the extra point making the final score Packers 24, Bengals 20.

I emphasis the importance of playing a good opponent because it can bring out the best in us. The Bengals did that for us this past Saturday. The boys and me will learn from this game and continue to build on this foundation to become the best we can possibly be.

Preparation Time



As in life, getting ready for a football game takes preparation. In the picture above we are going over some last minute strategies we want to utilize against he Bengals. It takes the whole team to get ready and everyone must be on the same page all pulling in the same direction. Where would we be as a team if we did not prepare? We would NOT be together that is for sure. My question to you is what are things in your life that you need to be preparing for? Are you making the most of the opportunities to get prepared?

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Player of the Game vs Texans

It is my privilege to announce last weeks player of the game... Lavontae. Lavontae showed great heart and a tremendous attitude in our loss to the Texans. After a rough start, in which he dropped a couple of passes and even dropped a hand off, Lavontate showed great courage by not getting down. He bounced back in a big way by never dropping another pass or hand off the rest of the game. Matter of fact he added a safety and a touchdown in the second half. Because of his effort, heart, and attitude he is awarded with last weeks player of the game.