Preseason scrimmages: What do they mean? What do they tell us? @KyHighFootball @AlPopsFootball

Some HOF coaches weigh in with their thoughts

We have a text group we call the ‘Hall of Famers.’ They are so called because either all of the members of this text chain are presently in the Hall of Fame or shortly will be once becoming eligible. We ask these guys questions and share information with them in our quest to remain on the cusp of current KHSAA high school football knowledge. We asked these guys today what, if anything, do preseason scrimmages prove. We told them it was on the record. We got a few responses and thought you might want to read them.

HB Lyon, Scouting Director, KPGFootball

We went to our text group we call the Hall of Famers. We asked these guys to go on the record about what (if anything) they thought about the importance (or unimportance) of preseason scrimmages. Sam Harp and Dan Goble, both presently enshrined in the Dawahares, KHSAA Football Hall of Fame, were gracious enough to respond.

Harp and Goble won nine (9)-state titles as head football coaches between them. Some of the other guys, who didn’t respond, are still active coaches. More than likely, they were preparing for their own preseason scrimmages and were too busy for us. We understand.

Coach Goble was the first to respond. Goble told KPGFootball, “Preseason scrimmages have some importance. You get to see how a new or young player reacts to competing against opponents with whom he’s unfamiliar. You get to see how teammates fit with each other and how they operate in your offensive and defensive schemes.”

Goble went on to relate, “I doubt the score means a great deal. Preparing for a scrimmage versus preparing for games which count in the season’s ‘won/loss’ ledger are completely different concepts.”

I am glad Coach Goble brought up that topic. One of my favorite stories is about a 4A team who played a 5A power a year ago to a stalemate in its final preseason scrimmage before the start of the season. I had predicted the 4A team would struggle and a coach on its staff took to social media to castigate this prediction, holding up the scrimmage outcome as proof of my ignorance.

The 5A power went 9-3 that season; narrowly losing to the 5A state champion during the regular season courtesy of the old “hook and ladder” flawlessly run in the game’s final seconds. The 4A team finished 1-9, but did play progressively better throughout the year, scaring victory a few times down the stretch.

Those two teams playing to a stalemate during a preseason scrimmage didn’t amount to Diddly Squat once regular play commenced. Sometimes teams are pretty basic in a preseason scrimmage, not wanting to give away too much information to an opening opponent.

Coach Sam Harp was kind enough to weigh-in. Coach Harp, the former head man at Danville High in Title Town, responded, “For me, when I was coaching, I would have loved for scrimmaging to have been a choice.”

Coach Harp continued, “If you practiced in the spring, you started a week later in the Fall. This helped the larger schools. If you didn’t have spring, you would get to start the week earlier, which seemed to benefit the smaller schools who had athletes playing multiple sports.”

Coach Harp went on to say, “I believe preseason scrimmages more likely benefit the linemen over the skills.”

As our teams go out and play preseason scrimmages, remember, that while it is exciting to see them do well; it may not mean what you hope it means. Matter of fact, it may not mean very much at all.

At least, that is what our experts appear to think.

This is Friday Night Fletch, reporting for KPGFootball, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!

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