Mods- No problem with you moving this, but I'm proud and I just wanted to share with my Blazer family:
My son's 14U football team won the Division 1 Maryland State Football championship last night at Raven's stadium in Baltimore. My son, Jordan, whom some on here have met (and whom Band Dad really helped impress at a very young age with a signed Squeaky growth chart/poster) was the starting center. His team, the Montgomery Village Chiefs, were undefeated this year at 14-0, won the Capital Beltway League and now the state championship. They won last night 36-0!!!
He hopes to one day play for the Blazers. Hail Chiefs and Go Blazers!!!
What does 14U stand for? Is that a division or class?
14 and Under.
Congratulations, USAF!
Thanks. I have 3 daughters so I wouldn't know.
That would be cool playing at Ravens stadium.
Woo hoo!
I have 3 daughters and know what 14U is.
Thanks fellas!
Actually, 14U is for both under and unlimited weight class. As there are no middle school football teams up here, it's also called varsity prep. So, this is the equivalent of a middle school team (mostly 8th graders) winning their state championship.
The unlimited weight is important, because some of these kids are huge! For example, my son who just turned 14 this past month is 5'6" and 175 lbs. He is the smallest kid on the line (and the center no less!) and he is really hoping to hit a growth spurt before HS next year because he does need some more size.. I'd say the average height and weight (except for Big Mike) on the line is 5'10" and 220 lbs. But, Big Mike (the left tackle) is 6'3" and 320 lbs and only 14!!! I'll post some pics so you guys can see how big some of these kids are.
My son ain't huge, but pound for pound, he is considered by both his coaches and many HS coaches that have been recruiting him, as one of the top centers in the state because he has such good footwork, technique, and he can shotgun snap like a madman. He just doesn't get beat off the line. Also, I have spent hours with this kid, and he snaps a full-size football 7 to 10 yards, chest level within my shoulders, probably 90 out of 100 times. Not only that, but the ball spirals and "snaps" my hands. He actually bruised my cheek and nearly gave me a black eye earlier this season while we were working out- I misjudged the ball speed and it went right between my hands and the nose tagged me on the cheek only because I was able to partially flinch and move my head to the side.
And, yeah, this proud papa is BRAGGIN'!!!
I had to play forward in the 9th grade in basketball because there was no one else to play it & I was around 5 ft 9 at the time.
When I was in high school, I was able to play guard (even though it was mostly on the bench)
Do you think your son will be a lineman as he goes through high school or will he adjust to a tight end or LB?
(12-09-2012 10:55 AM)the_blazerman Wrote: [ -> ]I had to play forward in the 9th grade in basketball because there was no one else to play it & I was around 5 ft 9 at the time.
When I was in high school, I was able to play guard (even though it was mostly on the bench)
Do you think your son will be a lineman as he goes through high school or will he adjust to a tight end or LB?
That's a good question: It will all depend on his growth. His goal position is FB on offense (but needs to grow). I've coached him the last 4 years, and last year he was starting center and then fullback in my big set (goal-line, short yardage, dives, etc.). He also has very good hands as I've been throwing to him since he's been old enough to catch a football and he caught several passes as a FB. I've always pushed him as a center because of his size, and I wanted him to get blocking down as the initial skill set that he can use in nearly any position. In Florida, he was always big for his age. This year, he is upper end of average, but his skills have made him what he is currently.
On defense, his goal is inside LB. He's very smart and has a nose for the football, but needs to continue to work on his speed and quickness laterally. They played him on limited defense because they didn't want him to get hurt. His team used a ton of shotgun formations, so his snapping really made him a big commodity on offense. The team also used him to pull and lead on a lot of screens, pitches, etc.
(12-09-2012 10:52 AM)USAFBlazerFan Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks fellas!
Actually, 14U is for both under and unlimited weight class. As there are no middle school football teams up here, it's also called varsity prep. So, this is the equivalent of a middle school team (mostly 8th graders) winning their state championship.
The unlimited weight is important, because some of these kids are huge! For example, my son who just turned 14 this past month is 5'6" and 175 lbs. He is the smallest kid on the line (and the center no less!) and he is really hoping to hit a growth spurt before HS next year because he does need some more size.. I'd say the average height and weight (except for Big Mike) on the line is 5'10" and 220 lbs. But, Big Mike (the left tackle) is 6'3" and 320 lbs and only 14!!! I'll post some pics so you guys can see how big some of these kids are.
My son ain't huge, but pound for pound, he is considered by both his coaches and many HS coaches that have been recruiting him, as one of the top centers in the state because he has such good footwork, technique, and he can shotgun snap like a madman. He just doesn't get beat off the line. Also, I have spent hours with this kid, and he snaps a full-size football 7 to 10 yards, chest level within my shoulders, probably 90 out of 100 times. Not only that, but the ball spirals and "snaps" my hands. He actually bruised my cheek and nearly gave me a black eye earlier this season while we were working out- I misjudged the ball speed and it went right between my hands and the nose tagged me on the cheek only because I was able to partially flinch and move my head to the side.
So, is he going to be at Watkins Mill next year, or Gaithersburg?
Saying that because I don't believe snappers would get a scholarship unless they were awfully good.
So obviously playing other positions or being great at several things would be advantageous.
I work with the father of a player who will probably be the snapper next year. He walked on a few years ago.
Oh, and just as an aside, one of the things that really help him overcome his smaller size is that alot of my coaching comes from the techniques I learned with military academy football. With these guys being smaller, it is ALL about technique, leverage, etc. My exposure via my old USMAPS days really helped me learn better about blocking, and so I've passed that on to him. He'd be perfect for one of the service academies, but alas, he's not too keen on the military. (I guess growing up during wartime where your dad has been deployed a few times does that to a boy...).
(12-09-2012 11:14 AM)BlazerFromMD Wrote: [ -> ] (12-09-2012 10:52 AM)USAFBlazerFan Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks fellas!
Actually, 14U is for both under and unlimited weight class. As there are no middle school football teams up here, it's also called varsity prep. So, this is the equivalent of a middle school team (mostly 8th graders) winning their state championship.
The unlimited weight is important, because some of these kids are huge! For example, my son who just turned 14 this past month is 5'6" and 175 lbs. He is the smallest kid on the line (and the center no less!) and he is really hoping to hit a growth spurt before HS next year because he does need some more size.. I'd say the average height and weight (except for Big Mike) on the line is 5'10" and 220 lbs. But, Big Mike (the left tackle) is 6'3" and 320 lbs and only 14!!! I'll post some pics so you guys can see how big some of these kids are.
My son ain't huge, but pound for pound, he is considered by both his coaches and many HS coaches that have been recruiting him, as one of the top centers in the state because he has such good footwork, technique, and he can shotgun snap like a madman. He just doesn't get beat off the line. Also, I have spent hours with this kid, and he snaps a full-size football 7 to 10 yards, chest level within my shoulders, probably 90 out of 100 times. Not only that, but the ball spirals and "snaps" my hands. He actually bruised my cheek and nearly gave me a black eye earlier this season while we were working out- I misjudged the ball speed and it went right between my hands and the nose tagged me on the cheek only because I was able to partially flinch and move my head to the side.
So, is he going to be at Watkins Mill next year, or Gaithersburg?
Good question: We're sorta torn because though I love football, my wife and I are all about the academics FIRST. Several Catholic HS have been out to see him: He's been out to Good Council (perennial state, regional, and national CHS powerhouse), St. John's in DC, and Bishop O'Connell in Arlington. But, we're leaning towards the public schools here in Montgomery county because they are so dang good academically (and free...). We're zoned for Walter Johnson (terrific academics, but suck in football), but Bullis is very close to where we live (we live in North Bethesda/Rockville) and the HC there has shown some interest as well. That's a great school and pretty good in football, too. So, we're just kind of waiting to see.
It is possible though to get a scholarship as a snapper after walking on a year or so.
I don't believe snappers by themselves are targets for scholarships out of high school, although some coaches may buck the trend.
Congrats to you both! It's hard to believe he's gotten that big. I bet he's close to being right off that growth chart... Squeaky wasn't that tall. I guess I'm getting old.
Winning that game in Ravens Stadium is something he'll remember the rest of his life, you all will. I remember my son playing a T-ball exhibition game at the Met. I've still got a picture of his name up in lights on the scoreboard when he came to bat. That kind of thing is a big deal for any family, and the scale of your is bigger.
I'm happy for your family, that's great.
(12-09-2012 09:45 AM)the_blazerman Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks. I have 3 daughters so I wouldn't know.
(12-09-2012 10:48 AM)notnow Wrote: [ -> ]I have 3 daughters and know what 14U is.
Yes Blazerman you girls can play futbball or the sport of their choice
Sweet! Congrats to you both!
(12-09-2012 11:32 AM)USAFBlazerFan Wrote: [ -> ] (12-09-2012 11:14 AM)BlazerFromMD Wrote: [ -> ] (12-09-2012 10:52 AM)USAFBlazerFan Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks fellas!
Actually, 14U is for both under and unlimited weight class. As there are no middle school football teams up here, it's also called varsity prep. So, this is the equivalent of a middle school team (mostly 8th graders) winning their state championship.
The unlimited weight is important, because some of these kids are huge! For example, my son who just turned 14 this past month is 5'6" and 175 lbs. He is the smallest kid on the line (and the center no less!) and he is really hoping to hit a growth spurt before HS next year because he does need some more size.. I'd say the average height and weight (except for Big Mike) on the line is 5'10" and 220 lbs. But, Big Mike (the left tackle) is 6'3" and 320 lbs and only 14!!! I'll post some pics so you guys can see how big some of these kids are.
My son ain't huge, but pound for pound, he is considered by both his coaches and many HS coaches that have been recruiting him, as one of the top centers in the state because he has such good footwork, technique, and he can shotgun snap like a madman. He just doesn't get beat off the line. Also, I have spent hours with this kid, and he snaps a full-size football 7 to 10 yards, chest level within my shoulders, probably 90 out of 100 times. Not only that, but the ball spirals and "snaps" my hands. He actually bruised my cheek and nearly gave me a black eye earlier this season while we were working out- I misjudged the ball speed and it went right between my hands and the nose tagged me on the cheek only because I was able to partially flinch and move my head to the side.
So, is he going to be at Watkins Mill next year, or Gaithersburg?
Good question: We're sorta torn because though I love football, my wife and I are all about the academics FIRST. Several Catholic HS have been out to see him: He's been out to Good Council (perennial state, regional, and national CHS powerhouse), St. John's in DC, and Bishop O'Connell in Arlington. But, we're leaning towards the public schools here in Montgomery county because they are so dang good academically (and free...). We're zoned for Walter Johnson (terrific academics, but suck in football), but Bullis is very close to where we live (we live in North Bethesda/Rockville) and the HC there has shown some interest as well. That's a great school and pretty good in football, too. So, we're just kind of waiting to see.
The center needs to be as smart as the QB. Because he has to make all the o-line calls and can get the QB or back killed if he makes the wrong call. Tell him to stay at center, most schools are looking for good smart centers, especially one that can also long snap. My son did it at UAB as their first center. Played both center and long snapper for 4 yrs. Congrats to him on winning the championship.