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03-16-2011, 04:36 PM
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The Quincy Spartans opened the 2011 8FL season with a bye and a chance to do some scouting of their opening day opponents, the St. Louis Stars, on Sunday, March 13.
The Sangamon Seminoles hosted the Stars in Springfield, and a group of Spartans watched as the Stars pushed the Seminoles hard in a close game. Quincy defeated Sangamon in a tight battle for the 2010 8FL Championship.
"The Quincy Spartans are prepared to take on the St. Louis Stars this Sunday," said Spartans head coach Brian Lewton. "We have been going against each other for several months now and it time to hit somebody else."
Opening games can be tough, especially when going up against a team you have never faced before, and Lewton says the veteran Spartans club is focused on this game.
"It's difficult when we know what each other are going to do. Our defense this year is looking like their old form. The are just plain fast and quick! They know where to be and how to create turnovers," he said.
"The old saying is 'offense wins games, but defenses win championships!' We will be sticking to that again this year with all but a few key guys returning and some additions that we have made."
The Spartans will have a different look on offense, with Toby O'Cheltree moving from wideout to the quarterback position he played in college.
"Offensively we will come out and try to establish and running game and also work the passing game frequently," Lewton said. "A strength to our offense, not to take away anything from the backs, but our offensive line is the best in the league and a strength to the offense. We will get behind them and let them lead the way!"
Lewton was impressed by the reports from the Spartans who attended the Stars/Seminoles game.
"St. Louis has a lot of speed that can hurt us so we have to be on our toes and ready to play in all aspects of the game. They are new team still working out kinks, but will be a force in the league."
The 8FL has a three man "Prediction Panel", and here's the scoop from the three experts on this week's matchup with the stars.
Jim Luck:
Predicts this to be the 8FL "GAME OF THE WEEK"
The Quincy Spartans is looking to defend their championship by opening their season with their first W. The players to look out are: Toby O'Cheltree who moved from WR to QB, their O-Line being the same as last year, and their stingy defense including the Paul brothers, Jeremy McSparren, to name a few... We'll know how their 2011 season-opening pans out.
They came off a close loss against Sangamon County Seminoles, and already proved to be a real threat to the rest of the League. A little more gel here and there, they will be as exceptional as the previous champions.
Prediction:
It's going to be an epic border battle. Only the game's turnout will tell. I can't exactly predict this one that easily. It's tough to tell, but I'll factor in a few things- Both teams got their sizes in O-Line, and the speed and strength in the rest. Game QBs Deon Morris vs. Toby O'Cheltree will be what the game is all about. Since St. Louis has a home field advantage, I'll err on the side of caution- I'd choose Stars by two points.
St. Louis Stars 36, Quincy Spartans 34
Ken Mitchell:
Predicts this to be the 8FL "GAME OF THE WEEK"
The defending champion Spartans had their bye week the first week of the season, so while everybody else was playing football many of the Spartans were standing on the sidelines watching this week's opponent, the St. Louis Stars, and making plans. Quincy will feature a new QB this season, Toby O'Cheltree, who leaves the role of wide receiver to return to the position he played in college. The Spartans will have a completely new backfield in the tailback position, and they will feature a couple of former local HS standouts in tandem with returning fullback Brian Cheney. Quincy will be solid and huge again up front on the offensive line, returning all starters and almost their entire rotation of linemen. On defense, Quincy only loses one starter from their championship season, and will look to continue their dominant ways.
I was extremely impressed with St. Louis and their play against SCS. They dropped behind the Seminoles several times, only to claw their way back into the game with some great passing and running from QB Deon Morris who both found receivers deep and who also was able to scramble for big yardage in key situations. Kevis Hamilton, like many of the Stars, played both ways and lit up some plays on both offense and defense. Shuvez Williams proved to be a speedy receiver for the Stars and Rod Whittier had several good carries. Coordination and teamwork were a problem, but that's hardly unexpected for a team in their first game ever... and something they will need to improve quickly.
Prediction:
Talk about a killer start to your 8FL life... the Stars get SCS then QYS (last year's league championship game's teams) right off the bat. It's a bit dangerous to base what you know about a team in semi-pro by how well they travel, since STL has several more guys on their roster than were at Springfield this weekend. However, from what I saw, they have a really good competitive talent level (staying within 8 points of SCS on their home field is impressive for your very first outing as a team) and great team spirit. They are going to give every team they play one whale of a game. Having said that, I think QYS is going to come out and show why they are the defending champions. QYS has extremely strong lines, and a powerful running attack. The Spartans can throw the ball, and have (arguably) the best defensive backfield and best linebacking corps in the league. Watch for a pick from Tyler Buckman and at least one forced fumble in the Stars backfield from James Branch...
Quincy Spartans 48, St. Louis Stars 24
Neal Taylor:
GAME OF THE WEEK
Nothing like a little scouting report by at least 7 Spartans in attendance at the STL/SCS game last weekend. I am interested to see how a new Quincy QB will play this year. This year's defense will be hard-pressed to match last year's performance, but it can be done. Hey, did you guys see anyone steal a case of water from my truck?
Lots of athletes, not lots of size. I saw at least 4 skill players bigger than the O-Line had. Deon Morris is a stud. Plays O, plays D, calls plays, kicks off and punts. Not a coach on the sideline that I could see. Deon threw some darts, but then followed it up with some bad tosses. If Quincy's D=Line gets off the ball as quick as SCS did, Deon could be running for his life.
Prediction:
I think STL will improve over week 1, and they will have the advantage of a game under their belt. Quincy is just too much for St. Louis.
Quincy Spartans 48, St. Louis Stars 20
The Quincy Spartans opened the 2011 8FL season with a bye and a chance to do some scouting of their opening day opponents, the St. Louis Stars, on Sunday, March 13.
The Sangamon Seminoles hosted the Stars in Springfield, and a group of Spartans watched as the Stars pushed the Seminoles hard in a close game. Quincy defeated Sangamon in a tight battle for the 2010 8FL Championship.
"The Quincy Spartans are prepared to take on the St. Louis Stars this Sunday," said Spartans head coach Brian Lewton. "We have been going against each other for several months now and it time to hit somebody else."
Opening games can be tough, especially when going up against a team you have never faced before, and Lewton says the veteran Spartans club is focused on this game.
"It's difficult when we know what each other are going to do. Our defense this year is looking like their old form. The are just plain fast and quick! They know where to be and how to create turnovers," he said.
"The old saying is 'offense wins games, but defenses win championships!' We will be sticking to that again this year with all but a few key guys returning and some additions that we have made."
The Spartans will have a different look on offense, with Toby O'Cheltree moving from wideout to the quarterback position he played in college.
"Offensively we will come out and try to establish and running game and also work the passing game frequently," Lewton said. "A strength to our offense, not to take away anything from the backs, but our offensive line is the best in the league and a strength to the offense. We will get behind them and let them lead the way!"
Lewton was impressed by the reports from the Spartans who attended the Stars/Seminoles game.
"St. Louis has a lot of speed that can hurt us so we have to be on our toes and ready to play in all aspects of the game. They are new team still working out kinks, but will be a force in the league."
The 8FL has a three man "Prediction Panel", and here's the scoop from the three experts on this week's matchup with the stars.
Jim Luck:
Predicts this to be the 8FL "GAME OF THE WEEK"
The Quincy Spartans is looking to defend their championship by opening their season with their first W. The players to look out are: Toby O'Cheltree who moved from WR to QB, their O-Line being the same as last year, and their stingy defense including the Paul brothers, Jeremy McSparren, to name a few... We'll know how their 2011 season-opening pans out.
They came off a close loss against Sangamon County Seminoles, and already proved to be a real threat to the rest of the League. A little more gel here and there, they will be as exceptional as the previous champions.
Prediction:
It's going to be an epic border battle. Only the game's turnout will tell. I can't exactly predict this one that easily. It's tough to tell, but I'll factor in a few things- Both teams got their sizes in O-Line, and the speed and strength in the rest. Game QBs Deon Morris vs. Toby O'Cheltree will be what the game is all about. Since St. Louis has a home field advantage, I'll err on the side of caution- I'd choose Stars by two points.
St. Louis Stars 36, Quincy Spartans 34
Ken Mitchell:
Predicts this to be the 8FL "GAME OF THE WEEK"
The defending champion Spartans had their bye week the first week of the season, so while everybody else was playing football many of the Spartans were standing on the sidelines watching this week's opponent, the St. Louis Stars, and making plans. Quincy will feature a new QB this season, Toby O'Cheltree, who leaves the role of wide receiver to return to the position he played in college. The Spartans will have a completely new backfield in the tailback position, and they will feature a couple of former local HS standouts in tandem with returning fullback Brian Cheney. Quincy will be solid and huge again up front on the offensive line, returning all starters and almost their entire rotation of linemen. On defense, Quincy only loses one starter from their championship season, and will look to continue their dominant ways.
I was extremely impressed with St. Louis and their play against SCS. They dropped behind the Seminoles several times, only to claw their way back into the game with some great passing and running from QB Deon Morris who both found receivers deep and who also was able to scramble for big yardage in key situations. Kevis Hamilton, like many of the Stars, played both ways and lit up some plays on both offense and defense. Shuvez Williams proved to be a speedy receiver for the Stars and Rod Whittier had several good carries. Coordination and teamwork were a problem, but that's hardly unexpected for a team in their first game ever... and something they will need to improve quickly.
Prediction:
Talk about a killer start to your 8FL life... the Stars get SCS then QYS (last year's league championship game's teams) right off the bat. It's a bit dangerous to base what you know about a team in semi-pro by how well they travel, since STL has several more guys on their roster than were at Springfield this weekend. However, from what I saw, they have a really good competitive talent level (staying within 8 points of SCS on their home field is impressive for your very first outing as a team) and great team spirit. They are going to give every team they play one whale of a game. Having said that, I think QYS is going to come out and show why they are the defending champions. QYS has extremely strong lines, and a powerful running attack. The Spartans can throw the ball, and have (arguably) the best defensive backfield and best linebacking corps in the league. Watch for a pick from Tyler Buckman and at least one forced fumble in the Stars backfield from James Branch...
Quincy Spartans 48, St. Louis Stars 24
Neal Taylor:
GAME OF THE WEEK
Nothing like a little scouting report by at least 7 Spartans in attendance at the STL/SCS game last weekend. I am interested to see how a new Quincy QB will play this year. This year's defense will be hard-pressed to match last year's performance, but it can be done. Hey, did you guys see anyone steal a case of water from my truck?
Lots of athletes, not lots of size. I saw at least 4 skill players bigger than the O-Line had. Deon Morris is a stud. Plays O, plays D, calls plays, kicks off and punts. Not a coach on the sideline that I could see. Deon threw some darts, but then followed it up with some bad tosses. If Quincy's D=Line gets off the ball as quick as SCS did, Deon could be running for his life.
Prediction:
I think STL will improve over week 1, and they will have the advantage of a game under their belt. Quincy is just too much for St. Louis.
Quincy Spartans 48, St. Louis Stars 20