Coach Hamilton’s Weekend Review – Week 3

To start things off this week, I just want to give a little coaching advice to all defensive ends in the league.

When you are pass rushing and you get to quarterback depth, stop rushing upfield—work back inside. What sense does it make to keep running past the quarterback? You’re leaving a massive run lane for him. 

Also, if you get free, your aiming point needs to be at the QB’s upfield shoulder. That way, if he tries to spin out, he’s going to spin right into you.

Just a little coaching advice I wanted to throw out after watching these games this week.

The Panthers came out and established the run early. That offensive line was creating massive holes for the running backs all game, and the pass protection was just as strong. There were multiple times where the quarterback had all day—he could’ve had a picnic back there before throwing the ball.

They looked much improved from last week. Running the ball the way they did seemed to energize the entire team. 

When they play like this, they are a top-two offensive line in the league—no question.

Defensively, the Panthers stepped up as well. They faced another mobile quarterback but actually got after him this time. The difference? They were consistently getting to him, and the Eagles ended the game with a goose egg.

#60('The Menace' Jordan Ragsdale) was relentless. He lined up all over the defensive line and was unblockable—he jumped off the film immediately.

As for the Eagles, they could do absolutely nothing. They had one drive reach the red zone, but nothing came of it. Dropped passes continue to be a major issue—that has to get fixed. The offensive line didn’t help either.

This was the classic “we’re just better, and we’re going to show you” type of game.

Next Up:

Eagles at Bucks

Panthers at Vipers

The Skyhawks were simply the better team and handled business the way they should have. They’ve shown flashes the first two weeks, and now they’ve secured their first win.

Their early schedule was tough, so this was a chance to settle in and figure things out. Don’t overlook this team—they’re going to be in the mix by season’s end.

The Hawks, on the other hand, have some glaring issues that may not be fixable this season. They traveled well, which is a positive, but they need to figure out line play on both sides of the ball.

I hate speaking negatively about quarterbacks—they’re hard to find—but the current situation isn’t working. It looks like one read, then the ball is thrown up regardless of coverage. Whether it’s a personnel issue or a transition after Cross left, something has to change.

They’re also in a tough recruiting spot geographically, sitting between Joplin and Tulsa. 

That doesn’t help.

The good news? They have solid numbers and a nice stadium. Keep building.

Next Up:

I wasn’t able to find a livestream for this one, and the game was called at the start of the fourth quarter due to bad weather.

After seeing them against the Gators, it’s clear—these are not the same Diamondbacks. 

They’ve improved significantly.

Are they a playoff team yet? 

Not quite.

Can they get there? 

Absolutely.

If things fall right, they could sneak in. Overlook them at your own risk.

The Warcats are struggling—plain and simple. They’ve never been dominant, but they used to find a way to win a game or two. Now they’re struggling just to score a touchdown.

At this point, finish the season strong and hit the recruiting trail hard.

Next Up:

Diamondbacks at Crusaders 

Warcats at Gators

This game was wild—arguably the best of the weekend.

Both teams had moments where it looked like they were ready to pull away, only for the other side to respond immediately. The Bulldogs jumped out to an early two-score lead before the Falcons stormed back.

At one point, there were three turnovers on back-to-back-to-back plays between both teams. 

Just chaos.

Coming into this game, I thought the Falcons would blow it open. The Bulldogs proved me wrong—they’re for real if they keep playing like this.

For the Falcons, the biggest issue is tackling in the secondary. That has to be fixed. Outside of that, they looked strong.

Bulldogs, you’ve got to run the ball at some point. I get it—you’ve got talent at QB and WR—but eventually a defensive coordinator is going to rush three and drop eight because there’s zero run threat. Not because they stopped it—but because you stopped calling it.

That’s a dangerous place to be.

Overall, an outstanding game. 

Both teams left it all out there. If every game looked like this, we’d all be better for it.

Next Up:

The Gators’ offensive line finally showed up the way we know they can. Against a very good Crusaders defensive line, they held their ground and pushed them around.

In my opinion, this game wasn’t as close as the score suggests.

The Gators repeatedly stalled their own drives with penalties.

This has been a consistent issue, and eventually, it’s going to cost them a game. This could have been a blowout—but they wouldn’t let it happen.

It wasn’t Joplin stopping them—the Gators stopped themselves.

At some point, leadership has to step in, have a meeting, and clean that up. This is the best team they’ve had in a while. Don’t let something fixable ruin it.

Defensively, this unit is top two in the league—and it might not be two.

Frankie “Silent Assassin” Davis and Lerenzo “Sub-Zero” Fagan lived in the backfield all night.

It got so bad Aason Cross had to change jerseys because his original was torn up.

Dalyan “The Rhino” Poole continues to dominate. That’s three straight weeks of elite play from the 2nd year player—he’s firmly in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation.

Chase “The Apex Predator” Smith is making a statement as well. Rookie or not—you do not want to run at him.

Add in Moll and Eric Shannon, who continues to elevate his already high level of play, and this defense becomes a serious problem.

This Gators team is going to be tough for anyone to beat. If you want to win, you’ll have to play a near-perfect game on offense.

Joplin, for the first time this season, got manhandled up front on both sides. Cross was uncomfortable all night, and for the first time, it looked like they didn’t have answers.

That’s not a bad thing.

Now Sam has real film to coach from. It’s hard to keep a team sharp when you’re winning big every week. This brings them back to reality—and that can be dangerous for everyone else moving forward.

Joplin is still a great team and still very much in the championship conversation.

It just wasn’t their night.