It was 1954 that I played football on the Plymouth freshman squad. That was 57 years ago. Last night your Mom and I were sitting in the stands in Plymouth watching Grasshopper No.4 coach his Sheboygan team against a mighty “panther team”. Grandson Dominic was dominate in his dual role of offensive tackle and defensive center line backer. Who would have guessed that after 57 years I would be back where I started.
The Sheboygan Raiders Gold team destroyed Plymouth (officially called Plymouth team #2) 26-14. Plymouth was bigger. The Raiders Gold despite their smaller size dominated. The “Gold” broke on top and never looked back. They led for the whole game. I saw my favorite Grandson Dominic make several bone crushing tackles from his linebacker position. He “closed” on a run around the Plymouth end to tackle a running back for a crucial loss. It must be in the family genes.
My “take” on the strategy used to dominate goes like this. Keep it simple. Minimized the number of situations where you can make a big mistake (every kick-off is an onside kick). Run 1-2 offensive plays daring the other team to top you. A plunge up the middle kept yielding 3-5 yards. It was unstoppable. Throw in an occasional end run for a touchdown. Volla! A formula for victory.
Here is my “voice of experience”. Don’t get a big head. Focus on the moment. Execute. Execute. Execute. You are already Champions.
Love,
Dad