Well apparently the games Cooper played prepared them plenty seeing how no one outside the Cooper fAmily ever dreamed Cooper would have went as far as they did last year. Shoot there were people here not even predicting a playoff win.

 

So apparently NOT playing Highlands last year prepared Cooper just fine. But your arrogance as if all cooper had to do to win state was to play highlands is a joke.

 

Did every team that highlands played last year win state? I rest my case.

 

Look, I understand your irritation/frustration/whatever in reading this site. There are a whole lot of Highlands fans that go over the top and go on and on and on about Highlands. Some give little respect to other programs. I'd like to think that I'm not one of them. I've never used the "it's just a scrimmage" excuse for Trinity whipping our tails; I've never ran down another program; I'd like to think I've been very respectful of other programs.

 

But I do think that Cooper would have benefitted from playing Highlands last year. Not because of the name Highlands; not because we think we are something special or because we've won a bunch of state championships. But because of the style of play, the team speed, the two platooning, etc would have been similar to what Cooper faced with BG. I was at the championship game too. Henry and I were cheering our butts off for Cooper. Cooper played great. As I mentioned in another thread, even with Fant and the other very talented BG players, I thought your QB was the best player on the field that game. Cooper played one heck of a good game. But I can't help believing that Cooper would have been better, maybe just the tiniest bit better prepared for BG if it played Highlands.

 

If the belief that playing certain teams can make a team better is a joke, then there are a whole lot of coaches that share that joke because they believe that too.

 

I'm sorry that you feel that makes me arrogant. I don't think Cooper is ducking Highlands because they are afraid of getting beat and I really like the fact that Cooper is playing the other Boone County schools. That's pretty cool.

 

Do I think that the teams that played Highlands last year got better as a result? Generally yes. ChiefSmoke, Mason County's head coach, made a post to that affect after the game even though Mason County got beat by a big margin. Did they win state? No they didn't. But if ChiefSmoke felt it made them better, then I suspect it did.

 

Don't dig your heels in and close your mind to the possibility that playing Highlands could have benefitted Cooper just because you get irritated or frustrated with some Highlands fans on here. Most of us want to see a N. Ky team win 5A (and 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A and 6A too). I strongly believe that for Cooper or Conner or any other 5A school to beat BG, they will have to 2 platoon. I've seen what it did for Highlands when Highlands plays the Cincy schools. We aren't sucking wind in the 4th quarter. I saw what it did for Highlands last year when it played Boyle County in the regular season. Against the big schools who two platoon, it places us on a leveler playing field. Against the schools that don't two platoon, it gives us a great advantage when sometimes we don't have the most talent on the field.

 

I know that Cooper is a new school and what they have done in such a short time is amazing. But I sincerely hope that Coach Borchers makes a concerted effort to transition to a two platoon system. Not because Highlands does it, but because BG does it and in a really close game (like last year) it can be the difference between winning and losing. And if by two platooning you lose some early season games, as those players that otherwise wouldn't have started, get playing time, so be it if by the end of the year you are in a position to put a good two platoon team on the field against BG.

 

You may disagree on the benefits of the two platoon system or the benefit of playing Highlands, but you believing what you believe isn't arrogant of you and me believing what I believe isn't arrogant of me.

To answer your question, if Cooper played Highlands last year would it of helped them to win state? Would it have shown their weaknesses? No.

 

Cooper knew exactly what their strengths and weaknesses were last year and playing other teams such as Boone and Conner etc. helped them prepare for the run they made in the playoffs. Highlands wouldn't of really given them any information they didn't already have. As far as speed, they faced some of the fastest players in the area last year in Nick Kennedy for Ryle and Cam Fogle from Conner and a couple speedsters from Boone, they also faced who I thought was the best QB we faced when it came to rushing and that was Durham from CC. They also faced great receivers from So. Oldham and the speedster mr everything in Timmons from Franklin.

 

Highlands although a great team last year would not of done anything more than any other team Cooper faced imo. Also the fact that I believe next to Trinity, BG was the 2nd best team in state and except for the first 2 offensive plays Cooper had in the title game pretty much played them pretty good the rest of the way.

 

Cooper does something along with the other schools in Boone county which some other schools in other counties may not do and that is each year because of the close proximity all 4 schools are from eachother, they make sure they play all the schools in their county. It's a nice thing to do and a great way to build the football atmosphere among neighbors. So right off the bat you already have 2 non district games they have to play and then the district games cover another 4 games and this year they have added 2 new teams to their schedule in SK and CC along with their game against Dixie really doesn't leave a lot of games to go seek out.

 

If Cooper didn't play the 3 other Boone county schools, that would be like CCH not playing Beechwood each year. Those games are huge for the schools involved.

 

I hope that answered your question. Also I hope you don't take it the wrong way, but the arrogance still comes through sometimes even when your not trying to come off sounding that way. when people say things like "Don't you think playing Highlands will help your team because Highlands has the speed etc. to expose your weaknesses" That kind of stuff is the unintended arrogance that we were talking about. Highlands is a great team and I root for them to win state just as I do any team from this area who makes it to the finals, but they aren't the end all, there are other schools out there that interest me more depending on their stories, and that changes year to year depending on the circumstances.

 

I think BG and Trinity were #1 and 2 last year, simply an opinion. This year it may be Trinity, St X and Highlands and BG fighting for the top spot, it's football season and that means all is well in the world

 

I get the arrogance comment. But I'm truly just making a point. Here's another example. When I took the HHS softball job (which was basically a rec sport at hhs), the first teams I called to schedule were Ryle, Boone, ND and Conner...the 4 best teams in the region and the ones that have DOMINATED Nky softball. So no arrogance there...I wanted to play the best. I also scheduled a tournament down state to play some of those teams and entered us in a local tournament that had all the good local teams, teams from down state and a team from PA. I wanted competition to challenge and change the program. As it turns out, the only NKY teams we lost to this year were ND, Conner, Ryle and we were losing to Boone when rain hit. But Think we ended up like 18-12. But guess what, we lost in the semi-finals of the region to ND (the winner) 3-0 and won the first regional game in HHS fastpitch history. Playing those teams absolutely helped up prepare for the post season and a season where we beat several programs that had much more success over us than we did them. We did also lose to NCC in the district finals after beating them twice in the regular season.

 

As far as speed, I'm not talking individual speed. Just about every team has a couple burners you have to contain. I'm talking about team speed and team quickness off the ball. I can gurantee you that you didn't face that (I know, arrogance, but fill in any other program equal to HHS here). There's no way the teams you mentioned challenged you as much as HHS could have. When you see the game at a different speed, if you can adjust and practice at that speed (because you've seen in first hand), then it will do nothing but make you better and overcome teams like BG.

 

You say those teams help to identfy weaknesses...I'm sure they did. But I would bet they were high level weaknesses that can identified easily. You won't convince me any of those teams mentioned were strong enough, fast enough and skilled enough to push you to the limits of your team on both sides of the ball in one game. Plus, do any of them platoon? Did they get to discover what its' like to play both ways against those type of players where the player across from them is half as tired as they are?

Why don't these two play during the season when it counts? Both are nationally ranked, both have trouble scheduling games, have been the predominant teams in the state the last 10 years...why do they not play?

 

That's a great question. I am a HHS fan and honestly don't know the answer. Others would have to take that one for you.

Well apparently the games Cooper played prepared them plenty seeing how no one outside the Cooper fAmily ever dreamed Cooper would have went as far as they did last year. Shoot there were people here not even predicting a playoff win.

 

So apparently NOT playing Highlands last year prepared Cooper just fine. But your arrogance as if all cooper had to do to win state was to play highlands is a joke.

 

Did every team that highlands played last year win state? I rest my case.

 

No and neither did Cooper. But other than the ones we have to play, I think they all had decent runs. And if Cov Cath didn't have HHS in the way, my belief is they would have won state last year. Scott County played T closer than anyone in the state. I bet they learned a few things from the HHS game.

A question that I honestly don't mean as a shot against anyone. If taken that way I apologize in advance I swear I don't mean it to be snarky in any way. Some from outside the T and H communities have questioned why there is such excitement for a scrimmage. Do you think that maybe the excitement about football, any football even a scrimmage, within those communities could play any part in the continued success these programs have enjoyed? Just an estimate but I bet there were 500 people at Trinity last night for an intersquad scrimmage. Do you think that if some of that excitement started within other communities around the state that the level of football in those places might improve?

 

Sent from my Samsung Stratosphere using Forum Runner

 

 

I hope you didn't break your arm patting yourself on the back. I've never seen anyone outside of the T and H communities question the importance or excitement of the game. If anything, it seems the game is more important to those of us outside of the T and H communities.

I'll agree with some of that. But, if you are a 5A and 6A school in NKY and looking to improve your program and there are teams in your immediate area that can help you benchmark your program, challenge your kids, expose them to a top program and identify weaknesses in your team prior to playing the important part of your schedule, why wouldn't you want to put them on your schedule? Forget they are Blue and White and have an H on thier helmut. I'm saying in general. They can do all those things to an extreme for a team and you don't have to travel far to get that kind of test. That's the way I look at it and that lends itself to the perception that teams won't play them because of the fear of losing. If I coached a 5 or 6A football team, the first 2 calls I'd make to schedule would be HHS and Cov Cath! Great challenges and preparation right in my own backyard. If my program wasn't at their level, that's what I'd be striving to get to. Yes, other teams can challenge you. But not like those two teams up here.

 

Let me ask you this. Cooper had a great season last year. They lost in the finals to BG. Is there a possibility that if Cooper would have had HHS on the schedule to challenge them, identify their weaknesses and expose them to HHS speed and athleticism, that it possibly could have prepared them better for BG? They played BG very well, but could it have propelled them past them if they had seen that kind of speed, strength and athleticism in a team like the Birds. My point, no matter who you play, if you aren't exposed to a great team (any great team), then you will likely not be prepared enough to overcome a great team when you have to face them. I was rooting for Cooper in the game big time. But I just didn't ever feel they were going to overcome BG.

 

Absolutely it would have helped. But guess what, Cooper wasn't winning State last year. Plain and simple, they just were not good enough. That happens to the best of teams. Even HHS has lost a State Championship a time or two. And chances are good HHS wins another one this year. Winning a scrimmage will have nothing to do with it, but playing against Trinity in a scrimmage will absolutely have a lot to do with it.

I believe that it absolutely would.

As a NewCath grad, and near life long HHS hater, I cannot ignore the excitement around this little community about ALL THINGS HHS.

Academics AND Athletics. It's like freaking quicksand!

Went from hater, to sporting "HHS" gear, [b]to my first "Super Booster" [/b]car magnet in a very short time.

 

It has to have a massive impact on those kids because they are living it.

 

Any school/program that could generate half the energy of a Trinity or HHS would have to exponential improvements on the field and off.

 

 

 

The Highlands Athletic Boosters Association and the student athletes of HHS appreciate your support.

I agree they should play as a regular season game. The scrimmage is fun and meaningful for the fans and a good indicator of how the team's are performing. However with Trinity having a difficult time finding locale programs to play and apparently Highlands is in the same boat. This is all the more reason they should play in the regular season.

I think that this will become a reality eventually making it a regular season game. I honestly think that it is unavoidable.

I think that this will become a reality eventually making it a regular season game. I honestly think that it is unavoidable.

 

It definitely seems that way. I would love to see it happen. Along with Highlands and St. X as well.

If happened, would it be a home and home or different sites to accommodate more attendance? Just curious.

If happened, would it be a home and home or different sites to accommodate more attendance? Just curious.

 

Knowing Dale well enough, count on it as a Home and Home.

I think that this will become a reality eventually making it a regular season game. I honestly think that it is unavoidable.

 

Look for Highlands and T to get together next yr mid season and play a scheduled game, maybe a little sooner but no way would it be later in the season.

 

This reality was closer then alot of people could imagine this yr.

Week 9 just would not have been a good week for Highlands this yr to play them...

Knowing the history, I do not see this happening anytime soon.

Knowing the history, I do not see this happening anytime soon.

What is the history?

 

I hope both teams have a productive and injury-free scrimmage next Friday. I know it is just a scrimmage, but I do hope the contest is more competitive/close this year than it has been for the last two years.