what do u think about the Nettletion Raiders Football in 2016

j-mann raider 02 · July 02, 2016, 10:17:14 pm

long time lurker 1st time poster

i Gradated from Nettletion in 2002 sorry for the misspellings i have writing diff

where will Nettleton Finish 4th or 5th in the 5a east i say 4-3 in the 4a east and 5-5 overall Hampton is a really good coach i think they beat Star City at home

bigchief72455 · July 02, 2016, 11:00:19 pm

Can they beat Pocahontas on the road? That would be my first concern.

tmycjy · July 03, 2016, 05:54:12 am

Hey I think they will be 4th place in 5-A East the key game for nettleton will be Forrest City game I also think Wynne could be a key game

Grond · July 04, 2016, 09:05:04 am

I expect Nettleton to run "in the middle of the pack" in the 5A East. Kind of their normal place.

The real question is: How can Nettleton break into the top group of 5A East teams (Batesville & Wynne)?

It can be done: just look at Blytheville. Using a combination of talent, determination, and coaching, Blytheville has moved up.

To me, Nettleton has had a pretty consistent defense. Their challenges are more related to offense. To me (going from my poor memory), Nettleton needs to improve their short passing game and their offensive line play.

PASSING
It seems that Nettleton does not focus enough on their short passing game. This gives confidence to the QB and WR's, and helps the OL by quick release passes - shorter pass blocking time. A more successful passing game also helps open up the running game.

And I don't just mean running more short passing plays. I mean working with the QB/WR relationships so they can act without thinking. Almost instinctively connect by practice, practice, practice.

OFFENSIVE LINE
Technique - Lots of stepping with the wrong foot when blocking. Difficulty acquiring targets when pulling. Thus, more focus on footwork is needed. (Which is not unusual in high school football, but it is one of the reasons for Batesville's consistency.)

Tactics - If you expect more from the o-line, then you also need to give them more help. I mentioned quick passes. Also work to get feedback from the linemen on what is working, and not just criticizing them when plays don't work.

Nettleton has a good football program, and a good staff. But improving a few details could have a tremendous effect.

OB11 · July 04, 2016, 07:23:14 pm

Nettleton is my dark horse team to watch in the 5A East. I think they make the playoffs this year and could win a game or two in the playoffs if they can make some of the adjustments noted above.

They had a really good jr high team this past year...I know jr high success does not always translate into high school success. But they had some incredible athleticism on their jr high team last year.