Having covered 11 football semifinal games in three different states, certain aspects of those games come to mind.
Pulling key moments from those games, this is a short list of musts for both Calhoun and Darlington on Friday.
1. Special teams play is crucial. Darlington and Calhoun have shown strong special teams most of the year. Both the Tigers and the Jackets have a penchant for blocking punts. The Jackets look even stronger as they have perhaps the most dangerous return man in the state in Da'Rick "the Freak" Rogers. Add to that a kicker with range beyond 50 yards, and Calhoun looks impressive.
2. Turnovers, poor execution and penalties end promising seasons. Every time one of the teams I've covered in the semis lost, there was usually a key turnover, penalty or just bone-headed mistake during the game. I've seen a nationally-ranked team fumble away their title hopes. I remember the top-ranked team in Florida in AA had a key penalty turn into the opponent's game-winning two-point conversion and another top-ranked team have four touchdowns negated by holding or illegal block penalties.
Both Calhoun and Darlington have had some turnover issues in the playoffs. The Tigers look to have gotten theirs under control. Calhoun still needs some work after having four against Jefferson County last week.
Everyone makes mistakes, but in this game and atmosphere those mistakes are magnified.
3. Home crowds can be huge factors. I've already said my piece on Gridiron Central about the need for loud crowds at both Darlington and Calhoun. From the reaction, I see some agreement but also a lot of people feeling slighted by the comments.
Look, it's simple. Show up to the game early, get a good seat and then scream like a banshee for the next three hours.
I watched a nationally-ranked team fall on their home turf in front of a 7,500-plus crowd that apparently didn't know how to stand up or cheer. I heard the home team's fans talking about the state finals game before the opening kickoff of that semifinal game. Had the home fans had any zeal at the game and not been looking ahead to the next week, the team I covered couldn't have pulled the shocking upset.
This is not a time to sit idly by and watch the game. This is a time for the crowd to participate in the game.
4. Win the key moments. There are going to be four or five plays on Friday that can and will determine the outcome of the game. The team taking advantage of those opportunities plays in Atlanta next week. The team that plays each play like it's the last and gives all on each and every snap of the ball will win. And when your team has a chance to score or stop the opponent do it, because the last thing you want to have happen is having an official determine the game's outcome.
I remember talking to Estero High coach Joe Hampton moments after his team lost to Kissimme-Osceola in the Class 5A state finals in Florida in 1998. Hampton remains one of my favorite interviews, because he told it exactly like it was. He wasn't politically correct but blunt and to the point. He looked out over the field with a grimace, took in the opponent's celebrating and shook his head.
After more than a decade, I can't recall his exact words. The copy editors on the sports desk at the Naples Daily News made some liberal cuts in the story because of length. However his musing went something like this: Man, I'd love to play that game again. I don't think it's really sunk in yet. I think when we look back at this game tomorrow or next week or next month, we'll realize how close we came. Maybe if we had just done this one thing ...
He never finished the thought, but the silence was louder than anything he could have said.
If the local teams can follow the above list then the Darlington and Calhoun coaches won't be left wondering about the what ifs on Friday.
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