In Their Own Words - Voices of the PAC-6 - Jordan vs. Seventy-First (11/18/2010)

It would have been so easy for the Falcons from Durham to go through the motions last Friday evening and finish up the 2010 season with a similar result to the past three seasons - a first round playoff loss against a top ranked team.  But, it was clear after following the Falcons, that wasn't going to be the case.  Sure, Jordan ended up falling to a heavily favored Fayetteville Seventy-First team 36-28 [DFBFan's Pick - Seventy-First 28, Jordan 14] and the result was the same as year's past - a first round playoff exit.  But, to end the conversation with simply the score would do an injustice to the effort that the Durham team put into the game.  Sure, coaches always want to see effort, great effort in fact, and sure there is a reason they keep score, because someone wins and someone loses, but in the game of life you sometimes don't overcome every obstacle that is put in front of you the first time you try, even if you put forth great effort.  Sometimes the lessons you learn in defeat help you hone your effort the next time you are placed in that situation and for the Falcons a gutsy performance in 71st' back-yard is something to take home and learn from - it's something that if used properly can help one of the average teams in the PAC-6 move forward to greater heights in 2011.

Seventy-First started the game exactly on script, pounding the ball with their star running back duo and showing their dislike for the passing game.  They shot to a 20-0 halftime lead while completely shutting down the Jordan rush attack and limiting the play making ability of T.J. Thorpe.  In our breakdown of the game these were all elements that in our Final Analysis we indicated could lead to a dismal outcome for the Falcons [PAC-6 Breakdown (Week 1 Playoffs) - Falcons visit Falcons - Jordan visits 71st In Case Confusion Set-In].  But something strange happened on the way to the apparent blow-out...Jordan responded strong in the second half.  Behind what Coach Paroli indicated was his offense going on cruise-control - coach speak to motivate his team for a second round game - Jordan decided to do something about their deficit while the time was ripe.  Jordan abandoned a rush attack that eventually led to less than 20 yards on the evening (something that had been a consistent harbinger of a loss) and took to the air.  But more importantly to taking to the air is they got the ball into the hands of one of the most dynamic players in the state of North Carolina and to some folks that follow this type of stuff, one of the top high school players in the nation - in the form of T.J. Thorpe.

Thorpe took over the second half, picking up seven catches for over 200 yards, while scoring twice and adding a two-point conversion.  The Falcons put up 250 yards through the air and 204 of those came via Thorpe.  It's no secret at every level of ball that if you find ways to get the ball into the hands of exceptional players - exceptional things will happen - sometimes that may be harder than it sounds.  And to be blunt, it takes more than that individual to make that happen.  There is no doubt that on Friday evening, all 11 players on offense in the second half played with great effort, the line and running backs made the blocks long enough to allow the quarterback time enough to get the ball in the air and in a position for the Falcons to be successful.  In the second half they outscored Seventy-First 28-16 based on a total team effort, highlighted by  solid play and impressive adjustments at halftime by the coaching staff that allowed Thorpe to be in a position to make plays.

The Falcons finish the 2010 campaign with a bitter-sweet taste in their mouths and an overall 7-5 mark and fourth place finish in the PAC-6.  To win games against the best you have to first compete and the Falcons competed on Friday night...only time will tell if the lessons of Friday night translate into more than great effort the next time they take on a top tier team.   The following quotes are from the voices of the PAC-6 and were included in an article from the Fayetteville Observer.  For more information on the game, follow the links provided at the end of the post.

After the game Seventy-First head coach Bob Paroli spoke about why he thought his team stalled out on offense during the middle of the game.

"We're not blocking well," Paroli said. "That's the problem.  We're not doing what we did during the season. We're going to have to look back at some past films and see where the problem is."

As has been the case throughout the year, Seventy-First running back Maurice Scruggs has been the focal point of a dominant rushing attack and even though the Falcons struggled at times, Scruggs dominated with over 150 yards on the ground and four touchdowns, including some pivotal scores in the second half as the Thorpe led Falcons were making a comeback.  Paroli spoke about his offensive leader.

"He did it last week and he did it again tonight," Paroli said. "That's what makes him so valuable.  He's a great athlete and a great competitor."

With powerful conference foe Jack Britt on the horizon for the Falcons, Scruggs commented on what they need to do as team to compete at the level necessary to play championship level ball on a more consistent basis.

"We've got to keep practicing hard and keep going," said Scruggs.

Jordan head coach Mike Briggs spoke about his team after the game and the valiant effort they gave specifically in the second half.

"I was proud of the kids in the second half," Briggs said.  "They fought hard to get back in the game down 20-0 at halftime."

Briggs commented further on the high level of play from the Seventy-First running backs and specifically mentioned a play late in the game that exemplified the tough running style that Paroli's team put forth.

"He had him in the backfield," Briggs said. "Those backs run hard.  He kept his feet moving, legs churning and broke the tackle."

Durham Herald-Sun (staff reports)
Fayetteville Observer (article by Early Vaughan, Jr.)
News & Observer (staff reports)