I think Highlands has a basketball only player and a good one at that. Witte is a solid top ten, 36 district player. Not only does he score but he usually has to defend the opposing teams better players. I would agree if the birds open up the offense, it would probably help. But Flynn is the coach and it is going to be his way. Good luck to the Birds.

I know Highlands is a difficult coaching gig due to the success of the football program. Kids in Ft. Thomas do grow up dreaming of playing football, but this is nothing new, and past coaches have made it work. Success breeds success and it works the same way for basketball as it does for football.

 

Right now H has no star basketball only players like they have had in the past when they have been successful. You can go all the way back to the early eighties when Schlarman was a player and find star players complemented by late arriving football guys. Schlarman had Kremer, Malie, Dougherty, and others. Later you had Draud, Glaser, Neltner all supported by football players who came on late. Currently Highlands has maybe 25 points a night on the team from non football players and their next best hope is steady production from Turner, Houlliston, and True, all of whom were playing football until three weeks ago. Now you could argue that if those guys were as committed to basketball as they are to football things would be different, but every one of those guys is a better football player than he is a basketball player and each has the ability to play at the next level on the gridiron. True may play ball in college if he committed to it, but at nowhere near the level that he will for football.

 

My point being that to be successful at H a coach is going to have to have one or two star calibre pure basketball players to build the program around each year. I am not talking all state guys, just top 10 in their district with one of them maybe being top 10 in the region. They don't have that right now. You can shorten the leash on the coach, draw it all the way in, or put it on a different dog, problem is still the same.

 

The real culprit is middle school basketball where the approach to development is a complete opposite of what takes place in football in Ft. Thomas. Beginning in sixth grade kids try out for the one middle school team. As many as 70 kids have shown up for these try outs and in the end 15 kids max are left playing round ball. Seventh grade is lucky to get thirty kids try out, and by eighth grade it's down to twenty. Nearly every year two of those spots are taken by the big tall thick kid who everyone knows has no future in basketball beyond freshman year, but he makes the team better now. (His real future Is as an offensive lineman but the basketball helps him keep his weight down and work on his footwork.) In effect a dozen 12 year olds are chosen and the basketball fortunes of the school are on them, knowing that more than half of them will choose to play football as well.

 

What happens to the kids who get cut? The answer is that you will find them in the FTJFL where they are welcome with open arms until they are handed off to the freshman coaches. Is there such an option for basketball? A school league, a city league an Armory league? No. Unless you hold this coach responsible for those conditions you need to give him his leash and hope he can do something with the hand he was dealt.

 

I think Q might be right in regards to AAU and work in the offseason. If kids are trying to develop in the 8th grade ship has sailed! Carrying 14 on a team in middle school is wrong add in subbing players 9 - 14 in close games and see close games go into trailing by double digits and basketball/football players will soon make the transition to football only kids. I am seeing it in front of my own eyes! The problem is the dedicated players are losing interest! Keep in mind players 9-14 believe practice is optional and continue to get time and miss practice and they do miss practice a lot. Have a team A and B if you must but I know two or three better players getting frustrated fast.

How is a kid who gets cut on his school team going to find a good AAU program? Good AAU programs want to win and if a player who gets cut is looking they are not going to waste their time on that kid. IMO!

I think Q might be right in regards to AAU and work in the offseason. If kids are trying to develop in the 8th grade ship has sailed! Carrying 14 on a team in middle school is wrong add in subbing players 9 - 14 in close games and see close games go into trailing by double digits and basketball/football players will soon make the transition to football only kids. I am seeing it in front of my own eyes! The problem is the dedicated players are losing interest! Keep in mind players 9-14 believe practice is optional and continue to get time and miss practice and they do miss practice a lot. Have a team A and B if you must but I know two or three better players getting frustrated fast.

 

So you are saying the current system fails because it includes to many? Picking just 8 or 9 twelve year olds and training them up through the 8th grade. Hope that some other kids will find an AAU team and start developing their game on their own? Good luck.

 

Can't have those kids who can't play getting in the way of the 8 twelve year olds who can.

There is nothing WRONG with Highlands basketball. The school (historically) has won as many 9th Region hoops championships as Holmes (believe it or not) 13. They may now be one behind Holmes – but point being that is many many more than Cov. Cath or NCC or other NKY great basktball traditions. Yep - look it up. Not bad for a football school. And folks - this is a basketball state. Look it up. So I appreciate someone outside of Fort Thomas asking the question - because when this hoops "tradition" generates 8 or 9 or 10 wins for a season - it does beg the question and social commentary. But there is nothing WRONG. Perhaps that is too harsh of word. These kids and families and coaches - love the sport and are passionate about playing and competing and coaching. They are great young athletes. What is DIFFERENT is the era in which these high school athletes are competing. No longer can Highlands roll athletes out there for 2 months and win a 9th Region championship. No longer does every starter on the floor come from a different zip code like when I was the only local starter with a 40175 zipcode in 1985. But the kids and families are all still wonderful and play and compete very hard. This sport is difficult. Like golf, you have to learn how to do some things that is not very simple. Especially when a comparable athlete is defending you. Many of the varsity HHS basketball players that I see on the floor have very limited ball handling skills. Very limited. And in this era - you are going to run into a Michael Bueter or Brossart boy that plays and works at his sport and craft EVERY DAY of the year. That WAS NOT the case in 1985. It is today. Watching Highlands kids handle the basketball is painful. Turnovers? Shooting percentage? Do we keep stats anymore? When Highlands goes one-on-one with Brossart boys or NCC boys, they are playing kids that handle a basketball everyday of the year and work on their game year round. Throw in the fact that the top 6 or 7 players on the opposing teams are doing it together as a team - and then Houston, we have a problem. These kids, playing everyday of the year, get really really good at handling the basketball (imagine that). And when they come together in a beautiful system and a solid coaching framework - yep - they can get down right GOOD. Damn good. In the eighties, we did NOT play 12 months a year at ANY sport. Nope. This is a new era. An era in which Bishop Brossart is capable of beating Highlands by 30. Not 3, or 13 or 20 - but yep - 30. A basketball polished team versus kids doing their damn athletic best. A different time. Scoring the basketball consistently - versus a great defender - is not easy. And it does not require teamwork. It requires great talent. Watching a great basketball talented team against a lesser-hoops talented team is not pretty. It's like watching linebacker Ray Lewis versus Rondo in a one-on-one game. Interesting at first, sure, but then eventually - painful. Painful to watch Ray try to create space and score. You can't bully your way thru anyone on a basketball court – then up to a ten foot hoop with that small of diamater. Nope. It takes talent, conditioning and great teamwork. And you have to work at it and love it - to handle the basketball and make everyone around you better. You want to go one-on-one, possession after possession? Painful. I love the game of basketball - the quickness - the jumping and the talent. It's an individual game, played by a small team in a very intimate setting. Talent and great team chemistry is a beautiful thing to watch. Highlands boys need to work on their talent and ball handlling skills - and shooting. And it's very tough to do that a couple winter months against kids and teams that now have dedicated their year to working on this game. I love all the boys that play and participate and wish them the very best - they are amazing kids with great work ethics. There is nothing WRONG with HHS basketball. WRONG is too strong of word. The time and setting has changed. Please don't talk about football - Boone County and NCC and Trinity and Holy Cross - they all play both sports as do every school across America. It is a problem with a 6'5" freshman decides to take his game to NCC verses play at his parents school. HHS hoopsters are opting-out - and yes that needs to be addressed and should be open to discussion, but there is certainly nothing WRONG with Highlands Basketball. It's a great beautiful sport and those kids are magnificent. These boys are simply putting the ball in the basket less times than their competition - and that's ok. They will continue to work and get better and graduate and pursue life. I wish them all the very very best!

I know Highlands is a difficult coaching gig due to the success of the football program. Kids in Ft. Thomas do grow up dreaming of playing football, but this is nothing new, and past coaches have made it work. Success breeds success and it works the same way for basketball as it does for football.

 

Right now H has no star basketball only players like they have had in the past when they have been successful. You can go all the way back to the early eighties when Schlarman was a player and find star players complemented by late arriving football guys. Schlarman had Kremer, Malie, Dougherty, and others. Later you had Draud, Glaser, Neltner all supported by football players who came on late. Currently Highlands has maybe 25 points a night on the team from non football players and their next best hope is steady production from Turner, Houlliston, and True, all of whom were playing football until three weeks ago. Now you could argue that if those guys were as committed to basketball as they are to football things would be different, but every one of those guys is a better football player than he is a basketball player and each has the ability to play at the next level on the gridiron. True may play ball in college if he committed to it, but at nowhere near the level that he will for football.

 

My point being that to be successful at H a coach is going to have to have one or two star calibre pure basketball players to build the program around each year. I am not talking all state guys, just top 10 in their district with one of them maybe being top 10 in the region. They don't have that right now. You can shorten the leash on the coach, draw it all the way in, or put it on a different dog, problem is still the same.

 

The real culprit is middle school basketball where the approach to development is a complete opposite of what takes place in football in Ft. Thomas. Beginning in sixth grade kids try out for the one middle school team. As many as 70 kids have shown up for these try outs and in the end 15 kids max are left playing round ball. Seventh grade is lucky to get thirty kids try out, and by eighth grade it's down to twenty. Nearly every year two of those spots are taken by the big tall thick kid who everyone knows has no future in basketball beyond freshman year, but he makes the team better now. (His real future Is as an offensive lineman but the basketball helps him keep his weight down and work on his footwork.) In effect a dozen 12 year olds are chosen and the basketball fortunes of the school are on them, knowing that more than half of them will choose to play football as well.

 

What happens to the kids who get cut? The answer is that you will find them in the FTJFL where they are welcome with open arms until they are handed off to the freshman coaches. Is there such an option for basketball? A school league, a city league an Armory league? No. Unless you hold this coach responsible for those conditions you need to give him his leash and hope he can do something with the hand he was dealt.

 

Schlarman also had Simons and Terry. Two of the better players to play at HHS. Oh guess we should mention the coach. Ken Shields. Maybe you heard of him??

One thing that would certainly help the cause is a more exciting style of ball. The last time I was excited about watching HHS ball was when JLo/Smith played.

 

You know going into a HHS game you're probably seeing a game in the 40s and maybe 50s. Kids do not get excited to play such a style. It's one thing if it leads to consistent winning but when it doesn't you don't get kids who want to play.

Right on! I just cannot force myself to go to a game. Brutal!!

Major points being kids who play year round and together as a team in the off-season more than 3 weekends in June.

 

Am still a huge believer that the individual has to WANT to get better and if they are not going to put the time in and your gym time with the kids is limited to a few weekends in June then you are going to get average basketball players. All great kids mind you who give great effort but when it comes down to breaking down a kid off the dribble or running your offense to a T then you are likely going to cone up on the short side. The other player and other team that put in those extra months in the gym are going to put it in the hoop more than you.

Major points being kids who play year round and together as a team in the off-season more than 3 weekends in June.

 

Am still a huge believer that the individual has to WANT to get better and if they are not going to put the time in and your gym time with the kids is limited to a few weekends in June then you are going to get average basketball players. All great kids mind you who give great effort but when it comes down to breaking down a kid off the dribble or running your offense to a T then you are likely going to cone up on the short side. The other player and other team that put in those extra months in the gym are going to put it in the hoop more than you.

 

While I agree somewhat with what you are saying, you cannot let your basketball only kids escape to a district rival and you need to mold your offensive and defensive schemes to the talent that you have on an annual basis. This is exactly what Dale does with the football program.

There is nothing WRONG with Highlands basketball. The school (historically) has won as many 9th Region hoops championships as Holmes (believe it or not) 13. They may now be one behind Holmes – but point being that is many many more than Cov. Cath or NCC or other NKY great basktball traditions. Yep - look it up. Not bad for a football school. And folks - this is a basketball state. Look it up. So I appreciate someone outside of Fort Thomas asking the question - because when this hoops "tradition" generates 8 or 9 or 10 wins for a season - it does beg the question and social commentary. But there is nothing WRONG. Perhaps that is too harsh of word. These kids and families and coaches - love the sport and are passionate about playing and competing and coaching. They are great young athletes. What is DIFFERENT is the era in which these high school athletes are competing. No longer can Highlands roll athletes out there for 2 months and win a 9th Region championship. No longer does every starter on the floor come from a different zip code like when I was the only local starter with a 40175 zipcode in 1985. But the kids and families are all still wonderful and play and compete very hard. This sport is difficult. Like golf, you have to learn how to do some things that is not very simple. Especially when a comparable athlete is defending you. Many of the varsity HHS basketball players that I see on the floor have very limited ball handling skills. Very limited. And in this era - you are going to run into a Michael Bueter or Brossart boy that plays and works at his sport and craft EVERY DAY of the year. That WAS NOT the case in 1985. It is today. Watching Highlands kids handle the basketball is painful. Turnovers? Shooting percentage? Do we keep stats anymore? When Highlands goes one-on-one with Brossart boys or NCC boys, they are playing kids that handle a basketball everyday of the year and work on their game year round. Throw in the fact that the top 6 or 7 players on the opposing teams are doing it together as a team - and then Houston, we have a problem. These kids, playing everyday of the year, get really really good at handling the basketball (imagine that). And when they come together in a beautiful system and a solid coaching framework - yep - they can get down right GOOD. Damn good. In the eighties, we did NOT play 12 months a year at ANY sport. Nope. This is a new era. An era in which Bishop Brossart is capable of beating Highlands by 30. Not 3, or 13 or 20 - but yep - 30. A basketball polished team versus kids doing their damn athletic best. A different time. Scoring the basketball consistently - versus a great defender - is not easy. And it does not require teamwork. It requires great talent. Watching a great basketball talented team against a lesser-hoops talented team is not pretty. It's like watching linebacker Ray Lewis versus Rondo in a one-on-one game. Interesting at first, sure, but then eventually - painful. Painful to watch Ray try to create space and score. You can't bully your way thru anyone on a basketball court – then up to a ten foot hoop with that small of diamater. Nope. It takes talent, conditioning and great teamwork. And you have to work at it and love it - to handle the basketball and make everyone around you better. You want to go one-on-one, possession after possession? Painful. I love the game of basketball - the quickness - the jumping and the talent. It's an individual game, played by a small team in a very intimate setting. Talent and great team chemistry is a beautiful thing to watch. Highlands boys need to work on their talent and ball handlling skills - and shooting. And it's very tough to do that a couple winter months against kids and teams that now have dedicated their year to working on this game. I love all the boys that play and participate and wish them the very best - they are amazing kids with great work ethics. There is nothing WRONG with HHS basketball. WRONG is too strong of word. The time and setting has changed. Please don't talk about football - Boone County and NCC and Trinity and Holy Cross - they all play both sports as do every school across America. It is a problem with a 6'5" freshman decides to take his game to NCC verses play at his parents school. HHS hoopsters are opting-out - and yes that needs to be addressed and should be open to discussion, but there is certainly nothing WRONG with Highlands Basketball. It's a great beautiful sport and those kids are magnificent. These boys are simply putting the ball in the basket less times than their competition - and that's ok. They will continue to work and get better and graduate and pursue life. I wish them all the very very best!

 

Excellent dissertation tommyb. :thumb:

There is nothing WRONG with Highlands basketball. The school (historically) has won as many 9th Region hoops championships as Holmes (believe it or not) 13. They may now be one behind Holmes – but point being that is many many more than Cov. Cath or NCC or other NKY great basktball traditions. Yep - look it up. Not bad for a football school. And folks - this is a basketball state. Look it up. So I appreciate someone outside of Fort Thomas asking the question - because when this hoops "tradition" generates 8 or 9 or 10 wins for a season - it does beg the question and social commentary. But there is nothing WRONG. Perhaps that is too harsh of word. These kids and families and coaches - love the sport and are passionate about playing and competing and coaching. They are great young athletes. What is DIFFERENT is the era in which these high school athletes are competing. No longer can Highlands roll athletes out there for 2 months and win a 9th Region championship. No longer does every starter on the floor come from a different zip code like when I was the only local starter with a 40175 zipcode in 1985. But the kids and families are all still wonderful and play and compete very hard. This sport is difficult. Like golf, you have to learn how to do some things that is not very simple. Especially when a comparable athlete is defending you. Many of the varsity HHS basketball players that I see on the floor have very limited ball handling skills. Very limited. And in this era - you are going to run into a Michael Bueter or Brossart boy that plays and works at his sport and craft EVERY DAY of the year. That WAS NOT the case in 1985. It is today. Watching Highlands kids handle the basketball is painful. Turnovers? Shooting percentage? Do we keep stats anymore? When Highlands goes one-on-one with Brossart boys or NCC boys, they are playing kids that handle a basketball everyday of the year and work on their game year round. Throw in the fact that the top 6 or 7 players on the opposing teams are doing it together as a team - and then Houston, we have a problem. These kids, playing everyday of the year, get really really good at handling the basketball (imagine that). And when they come together in a beautiful system and a solid coaching framework - yep - they can get down right GOOD. Damn good. In the eighties, we did NOT play 12 months a year at ANY sport. Nope. This is a new era. An era in which Bishop Brossart is capable of beating Highlands by 30. Not 3, or 13 or 20 - but yep - 30. A basketball polished team versus kids doing their damn athletic best. A different time. Scoring the basketball consistently - versus a great defender - is not easy. And it does not require teamwork. It requires great talent. Watching a great basketball talented team against a lesser-hoops talented team is not pretty. It's like watching linebacker Ray Lewis versus Rondo in a one-on-one game. Interesting at first, sure, but then eventually - painful. Painful to watch Ray try to create space and score. You can't bully your way thru anyone on a basketball court – then up to a ten foot hoop with that small of diamater. Nope. It takes talent, conditioning and great teamwork. And you have to work at it and love it - to handle the basketball and make everyone around you better. You want to go one-on-one, possession after possession? Painful. I love the game of basketball - the quickness - the jumping and the talent. It's an individual game, played by a small team in a very intimate setting. Talent and great team chemistry is a beautiful thing to watch. Highlands boys need to work on their talent and ball handlling skills - and shooting. And it's very tough to do that a couple winter months against kids and teams that now have dedicated their year to working on this game. I love all the boys that play and participate and wish them the very best - they are amazing kids with great work ethics. There is nothing WRONG with HHS basketball. WRONG is too strong of word. The time and setting has changed. Please don't talk about football - Boone County and NCC and Trinity and Holy Cross - they all play both sports as do every school across America. It is a problem with a 6'5" freshman decides to take his game to NCC verses play at his parents school. HHS hoopsters are opting-out - and yes that needs to be addressed and should be open to discussion, but there is certainly nothing WRONG with Highlands Basketball. It's a great beautiful sport and those kids are magnificent. These boys are simply putting the ball in the basket less times than their competition - and that's ok. They will continue to work and get better and graduate and pursue life. I wish them all the very very best!

Perhaps one of the best posts of the year in this forum. Very well said my friend.

There is nothing WRONG with Highlands basketball. The school (historically) has won as many 9th Region hoops championships as Holmes (believe it or not) 13. They may now be one behind Holmes – but point being that is many many more than Cov. Cath or NCC or other NKY great basktball traditions. Yep - look it up. Not bad for a football school. And folks - this is a basketball state. Look it up. So I appreciate someone outside of Fort Thomas asking the question - because when this hoops "tradition" generates 8 or 9 or 10 wins for a season - it does beg the question and social commentary. But there is nothing WRONG. Perhaps that is too harsh of word. These kids and families and coaches - love the sport and are passionate about playing and competing and coaching. They are great young athletes. What is DIFFERENT is the era in which these high school athletes are competing. No longer can Highlands roll athletes out there for 2 months and win a 9th Region championship. No longer does every starter on the floor come from a different zip code like when I was the only local starter with a 40175 zipcode in 1985. But the kids and families are all still wonderful and play and compete very hard. This sport is difficult. Like golf, you have to learn how to do some things that is not very simple. Especially when a comparable athlete is defending you. Many of the varsity HHS basketball players that I see on the floor have very limited ball handling skills. Very limited. And in this era - you are going to run into a Michael Bueter or Brossart boy that plays and works at his sport and craft EVERY DAY of the year. That WAS NOT the case in 1985. It is today. Watching Highlands kids handle the basketball is painful. Turnovers? Shooting percentage? Do we keep stats anymore? When Highlands goes one-on-one with Brossart boys or NCC boys, they are playing kids that handle a basketball everyday of the year and work on their game year round. Throw in the fact that the top 6 or 7 players on the opposing teams are doing it together as a team - and then Houston, we have a problem. These kids, playing everyday of the year, get really really good at handling the basketball (imagine that). And when they come together in a beautiful system and a solid coaching framework - yep - they can get down right GOOD. Damn good. In the eighties, we did NOT play 12 months a year at ANY sport. Nope. This is a new era. An era in which Bishop Brossart is capable of beating Highlands by 30. Not 3, or 13 or 20 - but yep - 30. A basketball polished team versus kids doing their damn athletic best. A different time. Scoring the basketball consistently - versus a great defender - is not easy. And it does not require teamwork. It requires great talent. Watching a great basketball talented team against a lesser-hoops talented team is not pretty. It's like watching linebacker Ray Lewis versus Rondo in a one-on-one game. Interesting at first, sure, but then eventually - painful. Painful to watch Ray try to create space and score. You can't bully your way thru anyone on a basketball court – then up to a ten foot hoop with that small of diamater. Nope. It takes talent, conditioning and great teamwork. And you have to work at it and love it - to handle the basketball and make everyone around you better. You want to go one-on-one, possession after possession? Painful. I love the game of basketball - the quickness - the jumping and the talent. It's an individual game, played by a small team in a very intimate setting. Talent and great team chemistry is a beautiful thing to watch. Highlands boys need to work on their talent and ball handlling skills - and shooting. And it's very tough to do that a couple winter months against kids and teams that now have dedicated their year to working on this game. I love all the boys that play and participate and wish them the very best - they are amazing kids with great work ethics. There is nothing WRONG with HHS basketball. WRONG is too strong of word. The time and setting has changed. Please don't talk about football - Boone County and NCC and Trinity and Holy Cross - they all play both sports as do every school across America. It is a problem with a 6'5" freshman decides to take his game to NCC verses play at his parents school. HHS hoopsters are opting-out - and yes that needs to be addressed and should be open to discussion, but there is certainly nothing WRONG with Highlands Basketball. It's a great beautiful sport and those kids are magnificent. These boys are simply putting the ball in the basket less times than their competition - and that's ok. They will continue to work and get better and graduate and pursue life. I wish them all the very very best!

 

9th Region Champs

 

Holmes (12) 48-51-76-77-78-80-88-90-05-07-08-09

Highlands (9) 79-82-83-86-87-97-98-99-01 .........10th Region Champs 23-34

Newport (8) 37-40-50-52-54-55-62-10 ...............10th Region Champs 25-32-35-36

NewCath (8) 53-63-66-73-74-75-84-00

CovCath (8) 67-68-69-70-71-92-04-06

Schlarman also had Simons and Terry. Two of the better players to play at HHS. Oh guess we should mention the coach. Ken Shields. Maybe you heard of him??

 

His Jr. year yes. They were both a grade ahead of him. 9th region champs both years. ......and yes Ken Shields was the best coach ever in the 9th region IMHO.

While I agree somewhat with what you are saying, you cannot let your basketball only kids escape to a district rival and you need to mold your offensive and defensive schemes to the talent that you have on an annual basis. This is exactly what Dale does with the football program.

 

Very true and lets not forget a couple sophs sitting around doing nothing right now that could help the program in Hoge/Urlage as well as Seth Hope (Jr) who played Frosh/Soph years.

There is nothing WRONG with Highlands basketball. The school (historically) has won as many 9th Region hoops championships as Holmes (believe it or not) 13. They may now be one behind Holmes – but point being that is many many more than Cov. Cath or NCC or other NKY great basktball traditions. Yep - look it up. Not bad for a football school. And folks - this is a basketball state. Look it up. So I appreciate someone outside of Fort Thomas asking the question - because when this hoops "tradition" generates 8 or 9 or 10 wins for a season - it does beg the question and social commentary. But there is nothing WRONG. Perhaps that is too harsh of word. These kids and families and coaches - love the sport and are passionate about playing and competing and coaching. They are great young athletes. What is DIFFERENT is the era in which these high school athletes are competing. No longer can Highlands roll athletes out there for 2 months and win a 9th Region championship. No longer does every starter on the floor come from a different zip code like when I was the only local starter with a 40175 zipcode in 1985. But the kids and families are all still wonderful and play and compete very hard. This sport is difficult. Like golf, you have to learn how to do some things that is not very simple. Especially when a comparable athlete is defending you. Many of the varsity HHS basketball players that I see on the floor have very limited ball handling skills. Very limited. And in this era - you are going to run into a Michael Bueter or Brossart boy that plays and works at his sport and craft EVERY DAY of the year. That WAS NOT the case in 1985. It is today. Watching Highlands kids handle the basketball is painful. Turnovers? Shooting percentage? Do we keep stats anymore? When Highlands goes one-on-one with Brossart boys or NCC boys, they are playing kids that handle a basketball everyday of the year and work on their game year round. Throw in the fact that the top 6 or 7 players on the opposing teams are doing it together as a team - and then Houston, we have a problem. These kids, playing everyday of the year, get really really good at handling the basketball (imagine that). And when they come together in a beautiful system and a solid coaching framework - yep - they can get down right GOOD. Damn good. In the eighties, we did NOT play 12 months a year at ANY sport. Nope. This is a new era. An era in which Bishop Brossart is capable of beating Highlands by 30. Not 3, or 13 or 20 - but yep - 30. A basketball polished team versus kids doing their damn athletic best. A different time. Scoring the basketball consistently - versus a great defender - is not easy. And it does not require teamwork. It requires great talent. Watching a great basketball talented team against a lesser-hoops talented team is not pretty. It's like watching linebacker Ray Lewis versus Rondo in a one-on-one game. Interesting at first, sure, but then eventually - painful. Painful to watch Ray try to create space and score. You can't bully your way thru anyone on a basketball court – then up to a ten foot hoop with that small of diamater. Nope. It takes talent, conditioning and great teamwork. And you have to work at it and love it - to handle the basketball and make everyone around you better. You want to go one-on-one, possession after possession? Painful. I love the game of basketball - the quickness - the jumping and the talent. It's an individual game, played by a small team in a very intimate setting. Talent and great team chemistry is a beautiful thing to watch. Highlands boys need to work on their talent and ball handlling skills - and shooting. And it's very tough to do that a couple winter months against kids and teams that now have dedicated their year to working on this game. I love all the boys that play and participate and wish them the very best - they are amazing kids with great work ethics. There is nothing WRONG with HHS basketball. WRONG is too strong of word. The time and setting has changed. Please don't talk about football - Boone County and NCC and Trinity and Holy Cross - they all play both sports as do every school across America. It is a problem with a 6'5" freshman decides to take his game to NCC verses play at his parents school. HHS hoopsters are opting-out - and yes that needs to be addressed and should be open to discussion, but there is certainly nothing WRONG with Highlands Basketball. It's a great beautiful sport and those kids are magnificent. These boys are simply putting the ball in the basket less times than their competition - and that's ok. They will continue to work and get better and graduate and pursue life. I wish them all the very very best!

 

What about Beagle, Hunter, Staab, Kruse all 41075???? Fischer was from Southgate, Schuett lived across the street from me in Bellevue, Draud in the "shadows" of Dixie Heights, and Blasingame was from Ludlow I believe.