A Diagnosis as to why no one can beat Dowling Catholic

[DrainTheSwamp]

I've narrowed it down to three main reasons as to how Dowling has dominated the state over the past four years.

1) The Split of the Ankeny Hawks and the Decline of the SEP Rams

Ankeny Centennial and Ankeny were both district champions in 2015 and 2016. This year, Centennial went 8-1 and went to the semi-finals. You can't tell me that a combined Ankeny couldn't beat Dowling this season or last season. Centennial has 900+ kids. Tack on another 900+ students from Ankeny and we're talking the Hawks as 2016 State Champs.

Disclaimer: This opinion is not a shot at Brad Zelenovich or the SEP Staff. However, some could make the argument that Southeast Polk is a -Jeff Woody and a -Kyle Starcevich away from being more similar to an Indianola than a suburban CIML program. I'm not sure what's going on out in Pleasant Hill that has made SEP so irrelevant, but they just haven't been the dudes they've been in the past and there are no signs of turning this around. 2015 Freshman team won 1-2 games and I believe the freshman this year won 2-3 maybe 4 games tops.

2) The Further Depletion of DMPS Football Programs

Though this changed this year (East and Lincoln going 5-4, Roosevelt nearing a playoff berth), DMPS Football has been deplorable for the past four seasons. It has never been great, but it has been really, really bad throughout this stretch. Granted, some would argue that this has a lot to do with kids flocking to the Big D out west. The highly touted recruit on the line is a Lincoln transfer. The starting corner is a product of the North boundary. There are countless kids on Dowling's team that contribute that live in the Roosevelt district. However, it seems as if Dowling has reached a level that they don't even HAVE TO recruit anymore, because they are that dominant. We'll see if DMPS can fight to keep their kids at home and build off of last season. Lincoln and Roosevelt both look like they could surprise some folks in 2017....

3) A Weakened Product on the Field State-Wide

Kids are not going out for football state-wide. Whether that is to specialization or to this growing concussion epidemic, I'm not truly sure. But I can tell you this. Even some of the suburban programs around Des Moines are struggling to get kids out for football. Struggling to get kids out means less kids. Less kids means less talent and less depth. Less talent and depth leads to a fractured brand of football around the area. However, when kids go to Dowling Catholic or Regina or Xavier or Assumption or Kuemper, chances are they are going there to play football. Thus, they will never suffer from a lack of talent or depth. Kids are going there to play football.


Discuss.

 

[oldtimefootball]

I've narrowed it down to three main reasons as to how Dowling has dominated the state over the past four years.

Discuss.

Interesting post. I think there may be a bit more to Dowling's success than downplaying the competition.

Dowling is actually an season ending injury to their QB to having won 6 out the last 7 titles. I am referring to Boyle's sophomore season ending ACL injury that allowed that powerful Ankeny program to win their last title. Since 2000 ( long before the recent 4 years ) Dowling and Valley have dominated the state.

Having watched both Dowling vs. Ankeny regular season games, as well as the semifinal, other than a wind aided, turnover/mistake filled half, these games weren't even close. Combining the schools would have produced no better results than we saw in the preceding years.

However I do agree with your point about SE Polk. I have heard recently that some good athletes are focusing on non football sports, but that is just water cooler talk.

Agree that DSM schools have been terrible for s long time, however they aren't significantly worse in last four years. Some years it's Hoover, then East, then maybe Lincoln field a decent team. Nothing that is going to make any noise at State, but better than DSM average.

Finally, numbers are down EVERYWHERE. Dowling's feeder league, Valley's feeder league are both way down for the very reasons you state. 4 years ago Dowling's freshman and sophomore teams were close to 60 players. Now they are in the 40's. I will give you that Dowling, Regina and Xavier may have a higher starting point with numbers, but this trend is impacting everyone.

There are also distinct socio-economical factors at play as well, but to think that Dowling and Valley's coaching, year round dedication to training, their past tradition and the kids wanting to/expecting to win don't play just as big as a role in their success vs simply stating the "competition is down" is not giving them enough credit in my opinion.

 

[DSMan]

Interesting post.
Dowling is actually an season ending injury to their QB to having won 6 out the last 7 titles.

Dowling lost to SEP by 35 points in the playoffs so I'm not sure if Boyle alone explains it. Remember, Nick Wilson put up good numbers that year because he had Matt Haack as a playmaker.

I do think the 2009 Dowling team was interesting. They beat every team in the regular season by at least 24 points and had a very solid DL-LB core. Yes they lost to Marshalltown who lost to IC High by 28 but I still think Dowling that year was one of the better teams not to have won state (along with Valley when they had Woodley and Clauss).

 

[DrainTheSwamp]

Dowling lost to SEP by 35 points in the playoffs so I'm not sure if Boyle alone explains it. Remember, Nick Wilson put up good numbers that year because he had Matt Haack as a playmaker.

I do think the 2009 Dowling team was interesting. They beat every team in the regular season by at least 24 points and had a very solid DL-LB core. Yes they lost to Marshalltown who lost to IC High by 28 but I still think Dowling that year was one of the better teams not to have won state (along with Valley when they had Woodley and Clauss).

It is amazing how eerily similar Dowling is to Alabama. Tremendous defense, especially within the front 7. The hogs up front do the brunt of the work on the offense, even though they have an insane amount of depth at running back. That, and it seems the only way they could lose (like Dowling did in 09, like Alabama did against Manziel in '13) is by losing to an unorthodox playmaker at quarterback.

 

[scattermanx]

I think it comes own to points. Dowling almost always scores more points than the team they are playing.

 

[DrainTheSwamp]

I think it comes own to points. Dowling almost always scores more points than the team they are playing.

Thank you for your input. However, I'm trying to dig deeper and be a bit more pragmatic on how they've been able to score more points than other teams.

 

[LukeFeddersen]

Once you get the ball rolling and winning, that is when a team like Dowling gets other kids. The titles and the success makes more of the kids on the fence who are excellent football players want to go there. You see Boyle and company dominate when you are in junior high so you follow the same route.

 

[DrainTheSwamp]

Once you get the ball rolling and winning, that is when a team like Dowling gets other kids. The titles and the success makes more of the kids on the fence who are excellent football players want to go there. You see Boyle and company dominate when you are in junior high so you follow the same route.

So with this line of thinking, how does a team stop Dowling Catholic's run? WHO stops Dowling Catholic's run?

 

[DSMan]

what I'm wondering is - what changed between now and Dowling's "years in the desert" (relatively speaking) from 02-08. I was a senior in 08 and after getting shut out by valley, I remember being seriously worried about going 5-4 as we had Ankeny (Naylor, Goforth) SEP (Woody, Bass) and Johnston (Schultz, Hatfield) on our schedule. Now Dowling seems almost guaranteed to go 8-1/9-0 almost every year.

Moreover, what explains Dowling's "years in the desert" from 02-08? That era was highly anomalous in dowling football history.

 

[woodsiding]

Funny thing is that in the east it is wide open, and pretty balanced. There are a lot of really good programs right now that can compete for the spot in the finals. Some of that has to be attributed to players playing for their own teams. It's two fold, there is no super team attracting top talent around CR and IC, and the schools have done a great job of keeping their own programs up so that players aren't tempted to leave. Take Martin this year and Beyer last year from those teams. Neither team would have been in the finals, and the all-star team would have been more unbeatable.

My answer to what slows down Dowling: The DM public schools are becoming more competitive, hopefully enough so that they can keep their own from wanting to go to Dowling.

 

[cidhawkeye]

Funny thing is that in the east it is wide open, and pretty balanced. There are a lot of really good programs right now that can compete for the spot in the finals. Some of that has to be attributed to players playing for their own teams. It's two fold, there is no super team attracting top talent around CR and IC, and the schools have done a great job of keeping their own programs up so that players aren't tempted to leave. Take Martin this year and Beyer last year from those teams. Neither team would have been in the finals, and the all-star team would have been more unbeatable.

My answer to what slows down Dowling: The DM public schools are becoming more competitive, hopefully enough so that they can keep their own from wanting to go to Dowling.

Time for a change at Valley? With that many kids how do they let Dowling dominate like this?

 

[DrainTheSwamp]

Time for a change at Valley? With that many kids how do they let Dowling dominate like this?

I've kind of wondered what the West Des Moines community is thinking/feeling after the past couple of seasons. To be honest, the past two teams Swenson has had have underachieved. The '15 Tigers had a couple of D1 players and somehow managed to lose their district to Centennial. Then, a year later as the #1 team in the state, manage to not even make it to the Dome, losing at home to the Fighting Pezzetti's once more.

Perhaps Swenson's seat is feeling a little warm? I know he's responsible for turning Valley into what it has been over the past 15 or so years. But I can't help but wonder if the Valley community longs for more.

 

[DSMan]

I've kind of wondered what the West Des Moines community is thinking/feeling after the past couple of seasons. To be honest, the past two teams Swenson has had have underachieved. The '15 Tigers had a couple of D1 players and somehow managed to lose their district to Centennial. Then, a year later as the #1 team in the state, manage to not even make it to the Dome, losing at home to the Fighting Pezzetti's once more.

Perhaps Swenson's seat is feeling a little warm? I know he's responsible for turning Valley into what it has been over the past 15 or so years. But I can't help but wonder if the Valley community longs for more.

he's the only reason they have any expectations to begin with. Don't forget that under Coach Crawford (the guy before Swenson) they were sort of like Johnston is now - decent but not really a powerhouse.

 

[cidhawkeye]

he's the only reason they have any expectations to begin with. Don't forget that under Coach Crawford (the guy before Swenson) they were sort of like Johnston is now - decent but not really a powerhouse.

It is West Des Moines however, they have long since forgotten BS(before Swenson) and they expect a little more I am guessing.

 

[wasgoodatonetime]

what I'm wondering is - what changed between now and Dowling's "years in the desert" (relatively speaking) from 02-08. I was a senior in 08 and after getting shut out by valley, I remember being seriously worried about going 5-4 as we had Ankeny (Naylor, Goforth) SEP (Woody, Bass) and Johnston (Schultz, Hatfield) on our schedule. Now Dowling seems almost guaranteed to go 8-1/9-0 almost every year.

Moreover, what explains Dowling's "years in the desert" from 02-08? That era was highly anomalous in dowling football history.

'02-'04 was Dillon letting things go and letting the kids run things. Enter Wilson in '05
'05 team made the dome and lost by a score
'06 team beat Valley before injuries decimated them and lost in first round
'07 was bad
'08 was a quarterfinal team that went down to the wire against Valley in the snow.
I wouldn't consider that all bad.

 

[DSMan]

'02-'04 was Dillon letting things go and letting the kids run things.

having one effup (Flanders) constitutes letting the kids run things?

 

[oldtimefootball]

Was way more than 1 kid. Starters basically allowed to do what they wanted and showed up when they wanted to. No discipline, no "team" culture. The exact opposite of the culture Wilson has brought in.

 

[DSMan]

Was way more than 1 kid. Starters basically allowed to do what they wanted and showed up when they wanted to. No discipline, no "team" culture. The exact opposite of the culture Wilson has brought in.

I'll take your word for it since I assume you're older than me. Still doesn't explain the success and discipline they had when they had guys like Nate Smith, Chris Holman, John Hermann etc.

 

[woodsiding]

Time for a change at Valley? With that many kids how do they let Dowling dominate like this?

I would say they are still putting a great product on the field every year.

 

[cidhawkeye]

I would say they are still putting a great product on the field every year.

I don't disagree but seeing the run that Dowling is on probably has triggered some whispers

 

[SJM19]

I've kind of wondered what the West Des Moines community is thinking/feeling after the past couple of seasons. To be honest, the past two teams Swenson has had have underachieved. The '15 Tigers had a couple of D1 players and somehow managed to lose their district to Centennial. Then, a year later as the #1 team in the state, manage to not even make it to the Dome, losing at home to the Fighting Pezzetti's once more.

Perhaps Swenson's seat is feeling a little warm? I know he's responsible for turning Valley into what it has been over the past 15 or so years. But I can't help but wonder if the Valley community longs for more.

MY OPINION ONLY
The problem Valley has (or their coaching staff in general) is that teams are catching on to them. They simply get out-coached. If it wasn't for their defense they never would have beaten Dowling this year. Their defensive plan is simple. Stop them from running the ball. Don't give the quarterback time to pass down field. It's that easy. I could had stood on the sideline and coached that defense.

The offense however is another story. They only run a handful of plays and maybe a variation or two of those core plays. They don't adjust their offense at any time during the game to take advantage of any weakness on the other side of the ball. Teams know what's coming. Most teams can't stop what's coming, but the Dowlings and the Centennials can.

A good example is when they lost to Centennial:

“I knew it was coming,” said Moss. “They did it last week, and I was just hoping it would come to my side because I knew I could make a play. I’m just hyped that we’re going to the Dome. It’s the first time in Centennial history, and it’s sweet.”

I'd like to see some changes there, but Swenson will never be replaced until he decides to hang up the whistle.

Again, my opinion only.

 

[DrainTheSwamp]

MY OPINION ONLY
The problem Valley has (or their coaching staff in general) is that teams are catching on to them. They simply get out-coached. If it wasn't for their defense they never would have beaten Dowling this year. Their defensive plan is simple. Stop them from running the ball. Don't give the quarterback time to pass down field. It's that easy. I could had stood on the sideline and coached that defense.

The offense however is another story. They only run a handful of plays and maybe a variation or two of those core plays. They don't adjust their offense at any time during the game to take advantage of any weakness on the other side of the ball. Teams know what's coming. Most teams can't stop what's coming, but the Dowlings and the Centennials can.

A good example is when they lost to Centennial:

“I knew it was coming,” said Moss. “They did it last week, and I was just hoping it would come to my side because I knew I could make a play. I’m just hyped that we’re going to the Dome. It’s the first time in Centennial history, and it’s sweet.”

I'd like to see some changes there, but Swenson will never be replaced until he decides to hang up the whistle.

Again, my opinion only.

I would agree with this. In some of the very little film I have seen on Valley, it seems as if the offense lacks an identify. During the 2000's, they were a two-back zone blocking offense that beat you up front and had running backs with amazing vision in seeing the hole, planting their back foot, and getting north in a hurry. Now, it seems as if they're trying to get a little cute and are trying to keep up with a times with running a lot of stuff out of the gun, which includes some zone-read principles. Might be time to S or get off the pot. Ignore the under-center two-back zone scheme or adhere to it. They lost to Centennial this year because they got too cute on offense.

 

[Brad51]

Valley sophomore team went undefeated this year and freshman team lost once.. stay tuned

 

[DrainTheSwamp]

Valley sophomore team went undefeated this year and freshman team lost once.. stay tuned

Not to be a smarta$$, but how did Rocky's freshman and sophomore teams fair? How about Tyus Mason's freshman and sophomore teams?

 

[Brad51]

I believe Rocky was a freshman at Cedar Rapids Washington and as a sophomore started varsity for Valley. Tyus Mason was quite a while ago so I have no idea. I certainly understand the point you are making.. I guess we'll just have to wait and see where we sit two years from now. We can go back and reference this conversation