Lakes expect better Trojans
By Brandon Veale - DMG Sports EditorArticle Photos
LAKE LINDEN - Memories are still fresh of Lake Linden-Hubbell's 36-6 win over Forest Park in the regular season finale, but neither side expects their Oct. 24 meeting at Warner Athletic Field to look much like Saturday's Division 8 district final rematch.
"Anyone who thinks 36-6 is happening is dreaming," LL-H coach Andy Crouch said.
The Trojans have won their last four playoff meetings with LL-H, but all of those games were in Crystal Falls. Now FP returns to Lake Linden to face a Lakes team that followed up its win over the Trojans with an authoritative 46-12 win over Ontonagon last Saturday.
"We've been playing pretty good defense and we've been executing on offense. That's the name of the game at this time of the year," Crouch said.
The Trojans advanced to the district final with a 21-15 win at North Dickinson last Friday night. As they prepare for this second meeting, FP coach Bill Santilli said his team must be better-prepared mentally.
"I would like to think that we could play much better. We seemed to make a lot of mental mistakes, which developed into physical mistakes, but part of those mistakes are because of our opponent," he said.
One thing the Trojans are working on is improving formation recognition against the Lakes' offense, which is known for its varied looks.
"Very 'efficient and effective' are the two best words that describe Lake Linden right now," he said.
Santilli said line play was key in the North Dickinson win last week, and Crouch noted that Trojan offensive line comes off the ball well.
"They actually blocked much better than people think against us," he said.
The Lakes defense will be trained on Trojan running back Josh Siler, who scored FP's only touchdown two weeks ago.
"It comes down to tackling, playing defense against them and moving the ball," Crouch said.
LL-H moved the ball well two weeks ago and Forest Park didn't, as the Lakes had 11 first downs to Forest Park's four, which Santilli said was a major disappointment.
The Trojans have reached the Division 8 championship game five years in a row, but Santilli noted that only four starters returned from last year's team, so the gap in experience may not be as big as perceived.
"I would hope that these guys being along with us for a few years, the deeper playoff situations will remain in the back of their minds," he said.
In the back of the minds of both teams has to be one essential truth: Regardless of the result, a very good football team's season will end Saturday.
"If we don't execute, we're putting the pads away," Crouch said.
Brandon Veale can be reached at bveale@mininggazette.com.
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ThinkingClearly
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11-06-09 4:20 PM
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Oscar Mike, if you are so opposed to the coach and his abilities, why are you at every game parading the sidelines in your clown suit and acting as if you are some sort of videographer? You do have the right to express your pea-brained opinions, just as we have the right to respond to the sheer lunacy of your comments. You act as if you are some sort of sports expert. What is YOUR experience working with kids/coaching? What are your experiences as an athlete? (I will answer for you because I know: NONE!) Anyone close to the LL sports scene knows EXACTLY who you are, I don't know why you even use the handle "Oscar Mike". You have kids on the Lake Linden football team, what kind of example are you setting for them when you continually bash and criticize every coach in the LL school district? In addition, shame on your slaughtering of every word in the english language. Learn how to spell and use proper grammar if you want to be taken seriously.
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Mickey
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11-06-09 2:58 PM
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You should have thought before you wrote, that's where you went wrong.
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OscarMike
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11-06-09 1:38 PM
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Well I thought that this was a free country that one could express their thoughts. Lake Linden Hubbell is winning because of shure talent then expert coaching. Take that how you waint.
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Mickey
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11-06-09 1:17 PM
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Well put sports fan. OscarMike, Mr. Crouch and his staff have done a great job and they are a great group of coaches. They put in countless hours in the weight room, in the classroom, and on the practice field in and out of season. OscarMike I don’t know who you are but you really need to open your eyes. It is apparent that you know very little about sports. I have seen a lot of your posts and most of which are way off base, some are just simple idiotic (that means stupid), like your last one. Do you expect us to believe that a coach that took a program from not having enough kids and having to forfeit (that means lose, give up) a year of playing to the level it is at now is not an expert coach, you’re nuts. Go Lakes and to OscarMike stay home your thoughts are not the only thing that stinks.
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sportsfan
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11-06-09 12:43 PM
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I am so sick and tired of washed up old men sitting on the sidelines criticizing the coaches. Last year you criticized the basketball coach who brought the team from 1-19 from the previous coach to winning the district. Now you criticize the football coach. OscarMike do you really believe that the lakes have been good for the last many year due to talent? Lake Linden is a class D school with barely enough players to field a team some years yet year after year they continue to put out a winning record. This is due to coaching and the attitude the coach instills in the players. Sure the lakes have talent, but it's all the hours the coach spends at practice and in the weightroom that creates that talent. Coaches spend countless hours with barely any pay and all they get is people on the sidelines criticizing them when they have no idea what they're talking about.
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OscarMike
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11-06-09 10:33 AM
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Trojans have reached the Division 8 championship game five years in a row and it comes down to coaching. Lake Linden Hubbell is winning because of shure talent then expert coaching. Crystall Fall I expect will be a differnt team when they face Lake Linden Hubbell in round 2 of the Div. 8 Playoffs. I really expect Santilli to have his team ready. For another big game. From what I have been told Trojan running back Josh Siler is pretty banged up. The thing the Lakes have doing for them is that they have stayed pretty injury free. And many of their backups have seen playing time.
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