Birmingham’s victory is no suprise here
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OK, now I can say it, even if I’m accused of 20-20 hindsight, Friday-morning quarterbacking, or some such malady.
Fellow blogger Austin Knoblauch didn’t know what he was talking about when he wrote a few days ago that Sherman Oaks Notre Dame wouldn’t have any problems with the Patriots, and all but had a victory over Birmingham in the bag even before the game was played Thursday night.
As I read that post,I had two thoughts: 1.) Maybe he hasn’t seen Birmingham; and 2.) He doesn’t know what he’s talking about -- a rarity, as his budding reputation as a master blogger indicates, and as anyone reading the Valley/North postings knows.
But the Knights (2-1) could probably even blame him for inspiring Birmingham because the Patriots (3-1) probably printed out the posting, hung it above their locker room door and all reached up and touched it on their way out to the field, or else tacked it up on their bulletin board, or maybe, both.
It isn’t that Birmingham is likely to have anyone sitting in awe, but the Patriots really are a very good and very solid, if not spectacular team. And that’s not faint praise. I believed the defending City Section Patriots could give Notre Dame, or anyone else, problems, and maybe even a loss.
And, as everyone saw last night, they did just that to the Knights in a 28-21 victory at Birmingham.
Milton Knox is terrific, Morey Croson is smart, composed and proficient, and the Patriots’ defense, led by Malik Jackson and Marquis Jackson and Donovan Carter, is capable of being opposing teams’ undoing.
It was against highly regarded Long Beach Poly -- the game I saw Birmingham play -- that the Patriots made the Jackrabbits look like a very average team. And any team that does that to Poly, a perennial threat to win a Southern Section championship, has to be given some consideration and respect.
Especially if that team then does the same thing to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.
- Lauren Peterson