September 15, 2006: Picayune (3-0) at St Stanislaus (2-1)
Barry Harper
DEAR MAROON TIDE NATION,
Have you ever heard certain lingo or phrases about a certain subject and not know what it meant? Every business, organization,
social clique, or sporting team has its own language and the sport of football is no exception. Let's explore a few.
This past Saturday morning, Mr. Shrimp Creole King, {a.k.a. Carey Meitzler}, asked me to explain to our listening audience
about the term "wedge", as in the wedge used by kick-off return teams. I did my best, but as I was leaving the radio station that
day, I got to thinking about another phrase, "THE WEDGE BUSTER". The wedge buster was a guy that ran down the field as
fast as he could, threw his body into the wedge to break it up, so his teammates could make the tackle. The wedge buster
was usually a guy who was reckless and had no respect for his body. I got to be the wedge buster one time. I didn't volunteer
for the job. Here's what happened.
One Saturday our wedge buster got hurt on the previous kick-off and we had to kick off to start the second half. I was one of the
little guys on the end of the kick-off team. All of a sudden our coaches realized that we were one man short on the field. They
sent another player out to my position and yelled to me to be the wedge buster. I was so flattered. I ran as fast as I could straight
into their four man wedge. I threw myself at them with reckless abandon. They hit me so hard that I flew through the air. I tried to
fall to the ground, but every time I found a good spot to land, they would knock me up in the air again. My dad told me after the
game that it was the longest that he had ever seen anyone stay in the air without flying. My dad was a high school football coach
and he always had something to say about my performances.
Have you ever heard the phrase "GANG TACKLING"? That's when the defense has several members on every tackle.
What about "THAT KID LOOKS LIKE HE'S ON ROLLER SKATES". This usually means that a player runs very smooth
without his head bobbing erratic. One more- "THAT LOOKED LIKE A WOUNDED DUCK". This always refers to a
poor pass or kick. There's many more one liners in the sport of football. You may or may not have known what these
phrases meant. But the Picayune Football Team has started creating some of their own phrases.
Here's one-"HICKMAN TO HICKMAN'- That would be our senior quarterback, Micah, throwing to younger brother Caleb.
Get use to this one. We are going to hear it for a very long time. What about this one? "ALBERT RICHARD-TOUCHDOWN!
ALBERT RICHARD-TOUCHDOWN! Get use to this one too. It looks like we may hear it three to four times every game.
Here's another one usually made by the P.A. announcer. "TACKLE MADE BY SLAYDON AND MEITZLER or TACKLE BY
SLAYDON AND BAILEY". The only problem with this phrase is this that we have to hear it about 15 to 20 times per game.
Why don't we just announce before the game that they will make around 20 tackles in tonight's game? It would save electricity and
thus save money. I think the Picayune School Board would go for it.
Now here's one I don't understand. I hear the radio crew say this all the time-"BRADY, NEWBOLD, STOCKSTILL, DILLARD,
& BILLUPS." Sounds like an attorney firm. I was just kidding. I know who these guys are. Hey, if this bunch gets after you, you
may need an attorney. Here's another one- "GRIFFITH & GRIFFITH" These two guys are cousins and play in the Maroon Tide
secondary. Moss Point swears there are four of them. No, just two. One more-"GONZALEZ'S KICK GOES INTO THE END
ZONE AGAIN" One good thing about having Gonzalez as our kicker on the kick-off team---we will never need a "wedge buster".
Wedge busting, what was I thinking?
Carey Meitzler
Barry and his Shrimp Creole King label. Well, tie me down with used dental floss. That boy is the Forrest Gump of shrimp.
He'll eat boiled shrimp, fried shrimp, sautéed shrimp, shrimp po-boy, barbequed shrimp, shrimp etoufee, shrimp stew, shrimp
gumbo, shrimp on a stick....you cook it, he will come (and eat !!!!). Likes the taters too. Oh, yeah, ask him how to get the
smell of boiled shrimp off your hands? I proved that you can teach an old wedge buster new tricks.
Picayune got another sound performance from the Ground Hogs (Brady, Stockstill, Dillard, Newbold, Billups) last week.
Rushing for 390 yards as a team is a good outing. The defense was solid once again with Slaydon, Bailey, Meitzler, the
Griffiths, McDougle, Agnelly, Kellar, Greys, and Cole leading the charge. Irving Gonzalez was…I think Barry covered it.
Do you hear what I hear? Division football starts this week. One must almost shoot themselves with that Tommy Lee
Jones flash gun from Men in Black to clear your thoughts. Put it out of your mind that Picayune has beaten three good teams
who very likely will be in the playoffs when the 5A version starts in November. Great efforts, great tune up, but the games
ahead are the ones where you earn your keep. And the Tide has a challenging encounter right out of the gate.
This week the Tide will travel to St Stanislaus to face those Rockachaws. Looking back, I remember back when Barry was
still doing the games with me. We went down there one night and watched John Feaster take over on defense. It was like
Stanislaus was telling him the plays when they came to the line of scrimmage. Dominating would be an understatement. I think
John had around 15 tackles on the night. Later that night on the scoreboard call-in show, Barry told Russ Robinson that Feaster
was very tough. When Russ responded with the proverbial “how tough is he?” and Mr. Quip came back with the famous
“ tougher than a Waffle House steak” comment that still produces laughs from Russ and the Friday Night Under the Lights
crew. Where does he come up with those things?
Hats off to The Maroon Tide Nation. You have been turning out in droves. Our crowds at Moss Point and Gulfport
were larger and louder than their home crowds. Our home crowd against Harrison Central was near capacity on the home
side. You are definitely behind this bunch. For those looking to join the Nation, you need to find your way down to Stanislaus
this week as well. Membership drive usually gets underway about 30 minutes before kickoff. See Huey or Allen or Fred for
details. Remember 7:00 kickoff for this and all remaining road games.
The Rockachaws record is 2-1 by defeating Wilkinson County 49-0 in their opener, losing to Gulfport 20-17, and
beating Hancock 16-6 last week. They had Gulfport beat, but let it slip away at the end. They could easily be 3-0 right now.
They have a quality team and will be a tough out on their home field. St Stanislaus has a very big and talented team. Their
quarterback, Chad Boos (5-11, 190, Sr), can pick you apart if he gets time to set his feet in the pocket. Eric Lichenstein
(5-11, 195, Sr) is probably his favorite target. Ryan Ray (5-9, 180, Sr.) is a solid running back. The Rockachaws have a
big offensive line averaging over 265 lbs each led by Caleb McQueen (6-0, 285, Sr.) Their TE Grant West (6-4, 265, Sr.)
is a handful on both offense and defense. Boos, Lichenstein, West, and McQueen and a few others will play both ways.
To win, Picayune will have to avoid the storm as the Rockachaws will be sky high emotionally for this one. I look for
them to try everything in the playbook to try and catch the Tide knapping. Be alert on kickoffs, punts, laterals, double
passes; I expect to see something from them out of the ordinary. Operation Trickeration.
The Tide has to play their game. Balanced offense with their running game and timely passing, swarming defense, and
solid special teams. Sounds simple, but it is not when everyone puts an X on your back. Last week, ol' Wedge
Buster said "this PICAYUNE team will have to face fired-up opposition every Friday night."
He's right. I just hope it's another Ground Hog Day on Friday.
Roll Tide Roll