Sunday, November 20, 2011

Turnover Battle

We walk out of games and you hear this all the time.  We didn't play well.  We forget that there is always another team on the other side of the ball and their job is to win just like ours. We hardly ever recognize how well the other team played because all we remember is the bad that we did to lose the game.  Most cases the bad was caused by the other side.

Friday night Tarboro had a bad snap on a punt in which they gave up the ball deep in their own territory at Edenton.  Yes that may have been a mistake by Tarboro.  They made up for it by blocking the extra point.  Was the block a good play by Tarboro or a bad one by Edenton?  Sometimes coaches see things that they think they can take advantage of.  Since later on Tarboro blocked another extra point I suspect that was a good play by Tarboro over bad ones by Edenton.

Tarboro fumble again at their 15 yard line in which Edenton scored.  They also fumble and one of their own players picked up the ball and raced for a score.  A bad play by the Vikes turned good.  Another bad snap on an extra point Tarboro was able to score two points when all they were doing was running for their life after a bad play.

When they added up the score Tarboro had won 28-26 because of two blocked extra points or maybe even dumb luck scoring a two point conversion after they had messed up.  The bottom line Edenton and Tarboro were even Steven on the football field an one is as good as the other. Any way you look at it the team that made the most mistakes lost or the team that made the most plays won.   It is hard to say either side didn't play well.  Just one had more points than the other.

Tarboro's scenic tour of Eastern North Carolina  which has carried them from the coast of Southeastern North Carolina and back again to the inland shore of Northeastern North Carolina.  Tarboro will get to stay home this Friday hosting South Columbus  this week's team who has to learn  the telephone area code.  Just one more game until a 70 mile ride which could be the shortest of the playoffs to Carter Finley on December 3rd.  Before that happens the Vikings must win the turnover battle or  make good things happen if they don't.