By now you’ve heard about the terrific lineup for the Prep Kickoff Classic scheduled for the first weekend of the football season at Wayne State University.
In addition there are other top openers slated including Midland at Canton abd Lowell at Rockford on Aug. 23.
For the eighth time in the last nine season Rochester Adams and Clarkston will open the season against one another. These are two of the top teams in Oakland County and neither coaching staff is afraid of taking a loss in the first week. That’s the way it should be. Teams place too much emphasis upon making the playoffs (with six victories) and not earning their way in by playing a competitive schedule.
Clarkston has made the playoffs every year since 2003. Adams has made it every year since ’97.
Adams coach Tony Patritto and Clarkston coach Kurt Richardson wouldn’t have it any other way. They don’t have to schedule such a tough opponent but they’re thinking is, why not? Why not play a tough opponent in the first week? It certainly grabs your players’ attention. They know they have to be ready from the start.
It’s too bad some coaches are afraid to schedule such crossover or nonleague games. The fear of NOT winning six games, of NOT making the playoffs clouds their vision.
Football coaches should seek a high level of competition so that their players are tested and should they succeed they will know they earned it, not handed to them.
Maybe one day the playoffs won’t be determined by teams winning six games, five in some instances. If that pressure of winning six games is lifted the game would benefit. We would all benefit.
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