Greater Rochester football selections overlook Genesee County standouts

Good piece Hilly. We both knew this was going to happen. The smaller schools get hosed every year by this agr football team.

the eddie meath game that i played in was somewhat of a joke. i was selected as a rb but i was named defensive player of the year. i was confused but excited to play in the game. after two days of practice i was told that i would be moving to lb because we ran the double tight double wing O-A offense, and coach dowd didn't want info getting back to the pembroke coaching staff. (or so i heard) the only small school players who played almost 100% of the snaps was the two oa lineman because they knew the offense. i was regulated to one defensive series and here and there special teams. but dont get me wrong, it was years ago and it was an honor to play and i would do it again.

i agree with you hillabush though. if they had two eddie meath games, think of all the small school talent that is not asked to play each year because of the school they attend.

its just all politics and a who knows who business

While we are complaining about who knows who. My kid that graduated from Le Roy 2008 was on the team,made all the pre season workouts,practices,games,gave all the effort he could for the team.I'm not saying he was a gonna be a superstar or anything.But because we're not rich and famous here in Le Roy he seen minimal playing time, if any at all on some games.very disappointing to him and me.maybe if I were a lawyer or some sorta big shot in town,he may have been given a better chance at fair playing time.

This takes me back to who knows who.And you hit the head of the nail smack on when using this phrase in Le Roy.

Justin Pursel graduated last spring and joined the Army National guard.He is leaving for basic training early next year.He never got the chance to do anything great for the football team,But now I know he will serve our country proudly

At least they will give him a chance

I'm saying this only after seeing Leroy play its final game on TV
-Maybe if I were to see these guys play in person or play against/with them my opinions would be altered
TV can spotlight things which in the end don't matter much and exaggerate reality

Fenstermaker was not impressive
He floats the ball
Odd throwing motion
Seems to have decent arm strength, though

Humphrey had a lot of catches his last game ..which is not all that meaningful itself
He doesn't seem very fast
Hes not quick to the ball
He leaps extremely awkwardly as he catches the ball -unnecessarily-and he seemed to do it on every single play
It looked as if his coach told him to catch the ball at its highest point but all he seems to do is bunny hop and catch it at the same chest level as if standing

He has no physical strength to speak of
On a reverse run -rather on a broken run which led to him reversing field he got tackled on the sideline by a hand
A HAND
Defender grabbed him with one hand and threw him down like a sack of flour and he himself had no great leverage
Just a handshake tackle

As for his hands I saw little catching prowess
I don't remember, anyway

He made one nice TD catch that I remember
end of 3rd quarter in the corner?
jump/diving-type play on a lobbed ball, again

Selected to 1st team is great
Sure he had a very productive season

Maybe he's better than I believe him to be, too

My opinion, however, is that if he is one of the best players in the local area
maybe there is a reason why not too many other kids were given serious consideration

I've seen bigger school games where QB play is certainly a notch or two above what I see locally
Most times HS downfield passing is lob and pray
HS is all about the run/run after catch
as in defense -in its entirety- sucks to the point where one skilled offensive player can ruin your game

The Rochester media intentionally abandoned coverage of ALL news outside Monroe County. High School sports is but one example of editorial restricted vision. It began with pulling the plug on the Times Union, the afternoon sister of the D & C. Since then the satellite offices have been closed, regional editors eliminated and the news departments described by exclusive Monroe County assignment. For those west of 490, buying a headline necessitates a capital crime or at least two fatalities. Rochester press would cover a Pembroke football game only on promise of human sacrifice at the post-game bonfire. Dan Monacelli would probably have to drop the copy and pictures off at Exchange Street.

Well, It's good to know some things don't change..LOL..Including the AGR and Eddie Meath Selections..Both still a Joke..

I see all the honorable mentions from this area are the EXACT same people who were first team GR ..?? Hmmmmmmm...Kind of funny the list is exactly the same huh ?? Just like evey year, the Rochester people have never even seen most of the kids from our area play..Why would they vote for them?? We are apparently from a weaker football area..Well, according to them anywawy. Most of us know we have so many quality players and I would venture an educated guess that most of our players are honor or merit roll students as well..So I for one take some satifaction knowing that in 4 years, our GR 2009 senior class will be graduating from college with a great education and hopefully a great college football experience. More than I can say for many of the AGR players..Just my opinion..

I will say that making the rounds to the division 3 college programs in NY state, most of the coaches do follow the GR kids and know quite a bit about our teams, players coaches etc..So I guess what the AGR has to offer doesnt really mean that much..Sooo....Next up..The EDDIE MEATH SNUBS !!!! LOL..Have a great night all...

Hilly:
PS--Andy's has been cleared to resume full workouts and his fracture has completely healed..

I don't know the stats that get kids selected around here
Probably don't care too much about first/second team section V
I wasn't really saying these kids don't deserve recognition like their large school peers etc but was commenting on skill that I've seen in general

When average -IMO- stats meet up against the average stats of someone from a larger school
Gotta go with the kid from a larger pool of talent
If a small school kid is better than the large school kid he should be blowing teams up
Not passing for 1000 yards? is that stat correct?
2000 or even 2500 yds
30 TD's
HS QB can't throw more than a handful of INT

To make it to these teams you really have to set yourself apart from other kids when coming from a small school and region
Not just be the better of a few from that region

my stance

I've seen some other Roc city games and while they aren't/don't seem all that much more impressive at skill positions they are more physical -bigger

I still hold my Humphrey opinions
That leroy site gave a vid with a great angle on that interception -HE- gave up earlier on last game of the year

If he didn't bunny hop on that play he would have tackled the CB instead of allowing a big return
That was a bad play on many levels on his part

The leaping catch in corner for TD was nice.
I would almost assure you that bunny hop leaping every catch will not remain a part of his game for very long
-if it really is a part of his game- seems like it is

Anyway
Maybe you could get some footage next season of practice for us?
Is that even allowed? lol
Think "scouting report" video
I'd rather look at practice/individual camp type of play than most HS game film

Probably just isn't enough business to be made from that around here to make possible, though

I do think that is about the only way to draw more attention to small school players

ok... ill start with that fact that you are insanely biased towards large schools regardless of how much you think you are merely making good logical points. this kid gets a reverse, cuts back across the field and gains about 20 yards on what you called a 'broken' play and all you have to say is that he was tackled by ONE hand. this type of tackle is done at all levels including the nfl. it is obvious that this has nothing to do with the strength of no. 7. it is all about leverage though as you said... however, anyone can see that the player had obviously realized he had made a great play and there was no where else to go. instead of going out of bounds, he makes a half ass move and leaves himself vulnerable and gets takin down by ONE hand. everyone that saw that play was amazed at the run. cuz obviously no one else on the field would have gotten past the line of scrimmage on that play... and probably no one else on the agr team either for that matter, but you for some reason have nothing to say about it other than he was taken down by ONE hand. VERY INSIGNIFICANT. you also said he doesnt seem very fast... no one claimed that he was. however, he does have decent speed. but he is extremely quick to the ball. you commented on the int that travis threw saying that humphrey could have made a play. i watched that over again. you are delusional. the kid made a good break on it. the ball shouldnt have been thrown. it had nothing to do with 'bunny hops' or not being quick to the ball. explain how a player leads the entire state, big and small schools, in interceptions and isnt quick to the ball. he did that as a junior. he also had 4 ints as a sophomore... he only played 5 games as he broke his collar bone in the middle of the season. and that was his sophomore. this year he made 6 ints... teams finally got the memo. dont throw to his side of the field. during the southwestern game they never through to humphreys guy. not once. they did their homework. no. 1 for southwestern had a good first half. leroy coaches put mike on him in the second half... no one ball thrown that way. he cuts the field in half. hes that good. the southwestern coach was quoted saying that mike was the best receiver he had ever seen. as for what you said about little catching prowess... i think every single person that has read that message stopped taking you seriously. and just for fun, ill throw in a few more things... he averages 20 points a game in basketball on a team that could care less after football is over. his head coach said that he is the best basketball player he had ever coached... the jv basketball coach that he had for one year said that mike was the best overall ATHLETE he had ever seen... thats saying something coming from a coach. he also holds 3 school records in track. high jump, 110 hurdles, and pentathlon. he tried pent late in the year and ended up going to states. he got 3rd overall as a junior. he could have placed at least top 3 in highjump to if he would have opted to go for that. he also wrestled for awhile when he was younger... he didnt care for it much... but he did manage to go undefeated in youth for 4 years in a row. he beat wrestlers that dedicated their life to the sport and it wasnt even his main sport in THAT season. maybe that gives you an idea of the kind of freak athleticism that this kid has... a former coach at miami university said that hes d1 material for sure. so did ruben brown. what the hell are you watchin? o yeah, and i graduated from leroy. i didnt make agr. i was first team lcaa. i was an undersized running back that had a lot of yards on an amazing leroy football team. i made it to the eddie meath game. the head coach was battaglia from aquinas. there running back was on the team and he was first team agr. guess who won the starting spot on the eddie meath team? i did. during practice, it became obvious that i was the best running back on the team. he chose a small school running back over a first teame agr player who was on his own highschool team. whats that tell you about small town football players? he chose me over his own player who happened to make 1st team agr. case closed.

I'm not sure what game <i>laz</i> saw, but I watched the Time-Warner Western Regional game, which couldn't possibly have been the same game from which <i>laz</i> got his characteristically contrary opinion. Over and over, former NFL Pro Bowler Reuben Brown (who, it could be argued, might know a <b>little bit</b> more about evaluating talent than <i>laz</i>) raved about Humphrey and rated him as a D-1 talent. Sorry, <i>laz</i>,I'm going with Ruben on this one.

Is Chris related to John (sp) Williams?

Mike Humphrey bunny hopped 6'3" as a Jr. and he catches the ball in his chest to keep it from getting picked. he also makes more unbelievable runs after the catch than anyone else Ive ever seen. and i have watched every game hes ever played and i can come up with two catchable balls dropped, and neither were this year. you make things up, you've lost your credibility. Chris williams was ausome, i dont get that. did he get 2nd team at least?

cecilia,
You probably didn't intend it as such but when you wrote to <i>laz</i>, <b>"you've lost your credibility"</b>, you cracked me up.

As if.

I couldn't write that.

Watch the DB's And S's when the ball is in the air
Tell me you have to be awesome to catch TD's against that defense

Not saying Mike isn't talented or undeserving of 1st team
I'm asking if total local talent is good enough to give some of these 20 kids 2nd team selections over city kids
Maybe
But they didn't
This is how it goes

Kids in large schools transfer to large schools in the same city because that school gets more attention

This is how it is
People focus where they believe they should
People get overlooked
Cannot go making two teams unless you go making two teams for every aspect of life

Please do

Brown was commenting on a game he was there to comment on
Humphrey obviously made most of the plays for leroy
Gotta inject some excitement into the game for the listeners
Wish I could hear the commentary again now

Brown probably only watched that one game ?
Same as me

I've seen talent before
D1 top level HS talent
Eventual Pro and even
a current Buffalo Bill skill position talent -Yeah, right-

Humphrey is not there
I've mentioned some things about his game for why he isn't up there
yes, IMO
Does Brown recruit? Probably not. Still trying to play. Do I? No.

To say he's a better judge of receiving talent just because he played on the line in the NFL and saw great receivers

Seems a bit loose

Lets see Humphrey play for Miami
DIaa? Plays J/S year
I'm thinking more localized DII roster player or starter at DIII

again
Not saying anything about Greater Rochester Selections
Don't know
Just questioning small school talent.
Great for those chosen
For those that don't
Keep fighting or play for something greater than some very insignificant local award

A team for small schools? That's insignificant. Who would want to be on that?

Mike catches the ball in his chest a lot? Are you sure?Don't say things that make me question him more!
If you catch the ball it isn't picked so therefore no reason to trap in chest
No good receiver traps the ball
I hope he doesn't or else there goes the best hands award

I doubt very much he does THAT
Don't remember seeing any of that
Don't remember seeing fantastic hands. Maybe jumping TD catch but if you look at safety ..he defends by doing a circletripoverself

The most impressive thing I saw from Mike Humphrey was his attempt at blocking an extra point

Is that Fenstermaker 1030 yd stat correct
Is humphrey catching 890 yds of likely fenstermakers thrown yardage correct?

Is #42 of SW Jamestown one of their better players? He cannot defend passes
Seems like a sideline sideline player ..free/roaming safety type
Not CB

Two points, laz. SW's DB's and safeties had to be fairly good. SW won States.

My second point is that Ruben Brown is in a far better position to judge talent than are you.

someone says that a player cannot catch the ball well. the one game that he saw, that player dropped zero balls with more than one spectacular catch. where does he come up with this stuff? that statement was a flat out lie. id say that loses laz some credibility. mike humphrey may have dropped 2 passes in his entire 3 year career. come on. get real.

do you have to be awesome to catch td's against that defense? yes. seeing how they won states and were averaging giving up about one touchdown a game. and im just gonna add because i think you may have missed is laz. mike also recovered the onsider and would have probably returned it for a touchdown if it were allowed.. which everyone on the field seemed to think it was until whistles blew. i would think that would be more impressive than attempting to block an extra point. and you claim to believe that you are more creditable at judging recieving talent than ruben brown.. do you also think you are more creditable than a former miamiU assistant coach? i think his name was rudgers... or something like that. and i dont know where you come up with saying that he jumps awkwardly... the only ball he actually jumped for he made a great catch... and then you diss the throw cuz it was a 'lob'... ofcourse it was..its called a fade to the corner.. that play hasnt been stopped in mikes two seasons and wasnt stopped twice in that game. that same play is done in nearly every nfl game at least once.

Again
Look at the youtube etc vids last game against SW
#42 gets turned around when the ball is in the air
That is when he looks
When he turns he gives up ground
This is how #24 scored his TD.
He bit on some fake -it appears to be/off screen- against Mike on his later TD sideline Lob/fade? pass
He caught up and looked back -somewhat- twice or so
Never made a play on the ball
Easy catch.
#12 or something Safety on that nice leaping TD catch took himself out of the play
The niceness of the catch is in part from his having to not trip over the guy while running underneath the ball

I'm giving Humphrey that play as a "spectacular"
very nice play is what I'd call it. No Espy

The reverse shouldn't have happened. #72 should have stepped up instead of chasing when #37? had the play contained to sideline
Instead 5 guys run to make the same no tackle
Get reversed on
Get taken out of the play ..half the team on one move
#72 continues to run AFTER Mike instead of taking angles on him ..not that I'm expecting him to blow up the play
You see #42 getting beat on a slant type play against Mike as well in the vids
Shorter gain
BUT he follows Mike instead of taking an angle
Mike gains ..15 yards? more than he should have

SW only has to be better than the other team
Doesn't mean their D is packed with studs
I remember #55 having a good game against Leroy, though
SW was obviously bigger and more physical than Leroy
Leroy only got into the game very late

Check out 1 on 1 "camp" drills etc for top HS prospects on youtube
You begin to see the differences real quickly between good and great and then great from spectacular albeit more difficult at that level

There are nice players locally
Maybe a handful that are good at upper levels
One or two that are great at upper levels
Spectacular from area? Lucky if get one every decade probably

I did not miss the recovered onside kick
I'm not saying he cannot catch a ball here
Running one "in" does tell me something about the defense/special teams of SW

I fail to see how an NFL lineman is a better judge of receiving talent than I am
AUTOMATICALLY
You already gave this point
Say why already
If this was true all athletes would become great coaches and scouts
I guarantee I catch a football better than Brown
As for the coach
I'm confident in my abilities.
close observation or even tossing a ball around would give me opinion I wouldn't lay down for anyone

Would you say Humphrey is good at discerning talent?
Don't see how a good athlete could exist without that ability

If a Miami Florida? coach said he was this and Ruben Brown said he was that
why are we talking Brockport at all? Regional teams

If a play hasn't been stopped in two years
Maybe that says something about the defensive talent
It could mean Humphrey is THAT good
From what little I've seen I'm going with the easier answer to the riddle
Hopefully he proves me wrong

I wish Mike the best wherever he goes
Not saying he sucks or that he can't get better
He will have to
As will every other player going on to any college ball

thats the thing laz. he has made those kind of spectacular catches in probably half the games hes played and probably in almost every practice. and when you commented on the chest catch comment earlier... it happens... the best players dont worry about catching the ball the RIGHT way. they just maneuver there self to make the catch and however that may end up so be it.

i just saw a top play on sportscenter today on a great catch. the guy jumped and caught the ball in traffic with his chest... it happens.. but with mike... the ball being dropped does not happen... at least verry rarely.

you notice all the wrong things... and then you try and dis the special teams instead of compliment mike on the onside recovery... first of all.. its not by chance that mike is the one to come up with that when everyone had equal chance at it. thats the kind of stuff this kid always does... and second of all... i cant believe i remember this... i think it was bruce smith recovered an onsider. he was on the recieving team. and returned it for a touchdown. that doesnt necessarily mean the special teams sucked...

and look at it this way... why does every opposition to mike happen to not impress you... he makes the opposition look like crap. he makes them look bad. thats what he does. no one else could make these teams look as bad as he does. thats what great players do.

and as far as why hes looking at regional teams. you know the answer. you said it yourself. d1 colleges dont tend to look at smaller schools even if the players do sometimes deserve it. you would have to really put yourself out there and send out vids to all the coaches. our athletic director is known for not being very helpful with this. but also... he doesnt want to go far away from home. i hope he goes UB or pitt or some other d1 college. but he has to make the move. they wont come to him.

and i feel like i should mention that chris williams for oakfield was an absolute beast, as Brian said. i celebrated with leroy a little bit after their win over oakfield. and all everyone had to say was how unmovable williams was lol. i doubt there are better linemen out there. and i guess he's been starting for 4 years? he absolutely got snubbed.

The only reason I keep on this Mike thing is because people keep saying he's magical and is DI talent and DI coaches say this and NFL players say this while comm
And yet may go to Brockport or the like DIII
Something is wrong there
Hopefully he gets to play for UB ..or Pitt
Who is recruiting Mike?
A former DI Miami football? coach sees him
likes him
Doesn't spread the word around?

seems odd

Yet whatever I say means nothing/is garbage
Maybe what I notice is what Mike needs to hear in order to get even better
Or maybe Mike is going straight NFL

Perhaps what I see is part of what coaches see and this is why Mike isn't raking in offers
Seems somewhat plausible

How many games? 12 or so? 13 coaches plus their coaches plus media p
Word spreads
I doubt many coaches look at mail from athletes hoping to get noticed

I never commented about Mike trapping passes in his chest
You brought that up as though it's a trait
If it only occurs sometimes and no harm comes
No need to mention it
You don't have to explain to me how to catch a football
You don't have to "worry" about catching with your hands if it is now natural
I do not worry about keeping my balance while riding a bike for the same reason
Chest traps happen when mistakes have been made either by WR or QB or both
Yes, they will happen sometimes
I don't need Receiving 4 Dummies

Onside kick
Good play
magnificent? Someone has to grab it. Nothing too sensational about it
I don't recall but wasn't he in front giving him first crack?
I don't recall who it was for the bills
It happened both sides of the ball for them back then, I believe
Bruce Smith scored lets say. Bruce is magical offensive talent? It means someone sucks or people made mistakes
In that instant Mistake=sucks

My critique of Mike here was to point out that local talent MAY just not be high enough every position to give a nod to many of these other kids OVER city kids who play against known talent

Maybe a country kid or two gets shafted in the mix
Don't think a kid or two in the city didn't get shafted
Country kids have to dominate their area compared to kids in city who only having to play really well
Maybe Williams got shafted
People get shafted daily

If you think you have it
Go outside of your school and prove it
If you think you have it
what does Greater Rochester 1st team selection mean to you, anyway
There are bigger things to play for
Every kid is honored every game
All-star selections are probably about as fair as can be without cheapening an award for excellence into a "my baby is special, too"

I'm done arguing that god doesn't exist for now

I think we all know who lacks credibility here. Someone has a ton of time to kill on just being insolent.

its just the fact that you picked out mike specifically and said everything you thought was bad about him. you made it sound like he didnt deserve to be on the team when he deserved it as much as anyone. especially after getting snubbed last year. he lead the entire state, big and small, in ints for cryin out loud with 40 something tackles last year. so for people to read that hes not that good this year just set people off, obviously me included. you're intentions it sounds like weren't rediculous... but thats just the way i looked at it.

and i hope really hope he does try d1... im telling you. i've known mike my whole life. never count him out.

Brain,
You are right, all Laz is doing is trying to get people wound up.
But for once I can agree with Laz when he said, nothing he says means anything.

I will take this Laz joke seriously when he learns to formulate the basic structures of grammar... Like a sentence or a paragraph.

Humphery was a great player and was one of the most explosive receivers out of Class C. A lot of players who can have D1 talent may go on to play D3 so that they can have a chance to be a star in college rather than a scrub. Maybe he wants to play right away. Ever thought of that Laz?