FNL: AA Pioneer @ Chelsea

Thanks for the report and video. I figured Pioneer had to have issues at QB since Ricardo's stats haven't been that impressive.
One question with a final of 45-3 how did Hill run for a TD off of a hook and ladder? Or is the 45-3 score wrong?

Whoops, that should be 45-9. Fixed.

Hmmm, I respect your opinion but there must be something to Hill if Michigan State offered him and he has such a high ranking with the scouting services. I interpreted Michigan's decision to no offer as schematic more than a comment on Hill's ability to succeed at the next level. Stanford also offered. If Michigan had offered, and he accepted, I wonder if you would have the same commentary for this game.

Tim is giving his thought from seeing Hill in person, not from Scout.com for example. Around other high school non D-1 type athletes.

Wow Tim, you didn't come across as an M fan in your Nick Hill scouting report.... With that said I hope he sucks and wish D'Antonio and Sparty nothing but humiliating failure in the future.

Miller was open non-stop. Too bad he didn't scout the QB out. Yeesh.

Didn't he average like 10 yards a carry before he was injured?

Miller should have 10td's.... wow was that bad defense.
Hill is a middling 3 star not sure what that other guy is talking about with highly rated.

Long time reader, first time with a comment...

Soundtrack is perfect for the clips, comments make me feel like I was in the stands. Best FNL of the year.

Did Ricardo watch film of local QBs before choosing Pi-Hi? Is Jackson's QB at Huron any less fearfull of throwing the long ball?

Hope Pioneer's QB airs it out come playoff time...

Go Blue!

I'm not the type of guy to pick on high school kids, but the QB at Pioneer must have absolutely no confidence in his arm and/or accuracy to not have hit Miller on a few of those passes. Miller was pulling away from the Chelsa DBs at will, and he's not necessarily a speed demon. Definitely looks like a better fit at TE than as a WR, but who knows where he'll wind up.

Great stuff, as usual.

I've seen Nick Hill play in multiple games. He's the real deal. I'm not a scout or a coach, so I won't say whether he belongs in the MAC or Big Ten or NAIA. But he is almost always the best player on the field, and usually it's not even close. It's not just his ability to run. He's a solid blocker, and, as some have mentioned, a decent human being.

And having watched Mr. Hart for his entire career at Michigan, I do think the comparison is valid. The problem comes in assessing Mr. Hill based on the worst half of football Chelsea has played since I was wearing 32 for the Bulldogs (Boyz II Men were big then, for reference). Yes, he fumbled; so did Mr. Hart against Florida. Yes, he was out for a half due to injury; anyone remember 2007? One bad half should not be used to judge an entire career.

Tim, I appreciate the abundance of quality work you put into the blog, but...wow. Your scouting report of Nick Hill is extraordinarily scathing for a flimsy report apparently based on one half of football in which Hill's team suffered its worst loss in 15 years. Sure, he didn't play well, but neither did any of the 65+ other Chelsea players. If you're going to scout Hill -- though I'm not sure why you would, since it has little relevance here, and since you didn't mention him in the Huron/Chelsea writeup -- watch a few more games before you write him off.

I don't mean this as a personal attack, and I hope it doesn't come across as such. But your report on Hill is unfair and, quite frankly, uninformed. For example:

1)Hill's backup is athletically comparable? Not a chance. I don't have much of a football mind, but after nearly four years of watching Hill, I can promise you Adams (the random white kid) isn't in Hill's league as an athlete.

2)Not a tough runner? Goes down on first contact almost every time? That's laughable. He carried a tackler several yards for a first down on one of his first (varsity) carries as a freshman, and that play proved to be an good indicator of how he'd continue to run throughout his high school career. He's a physical back who frequently runs through contact. That's not even debatable.

If you'd like to get a real picture of Hill's athletic ability, I'd be happy to provide you stats and game films. But as it stands, you filed a report with little to no substantial knowledge of a player, and you did so with an unusual unfriendliness. That didn't sit well with me.

looks pretty big compared to the competition. decent hands, good speed. but he needs to put more effort into his blocking.

His quarterback doesn't have the confidence in his own arm to hit Miller on the always-wide-open deep posts (or deep crosses - look how open he is nearly every time he runs a route, but the QB is too scared to throw it), otherwise Miller would have finished with 200+ receiving yards in every single game

stolen quote

i agree, and have said the same thing before. Miller is always open. He's like 7-11. Pioneer's QB is just not good enuf. Just kidding. 'but imagine if Johnny Unitas were playing for Pioneer! I said IMAGINE!

Thank you.

curious about the music in the clip. can anyone help out?