I think the term excellent or great coach is way over used. I think there are a lot of good or adequate coaches. They win with talent, they lose when they don't have it. They are good to the kids and make them keep on the school work. But, very few develop talent and make kids better. Very few adjust game plans and styles, from year to year or game to game. And even less make good in game decisions. I did not watch the game Friday night, so it is hard for me to say how much coaching played a part in the outcome. But, I have no problem stating that in my opinion Coach Ruthsatz is one of a handful of truly outstanding coaches in the state. Did he out coach, coach Dawn on this particular night, I don't know, for sure. But, I do know which I would prefer if I started a team and it would be coach Ruthsatz.

 

 

That is such a big time, true & profound statement about excellent coaches being way overused. I don't know either coach as I study Ky HS basketball from afar (Florida) but I study it nationwide as intently as most anyone to help me at my profession (coaching & pretty successfully) and in saying all of that I would have to strongly agree that Coach Ruthsatz is one of the coaches that truly deserves to be called excellent. I am not saying Coach Dawn doesn't as I haven't seen his team play hardly at all and I am sure at the very least he is a good coach, but excellent coaches are not as prevalent as many people talk about being.

In no way is CovCath exactly "heads and shoulders" above NewCath in the talent department, or even the coaching department, so before I do any comparisons I'd like to establish that these comments are not meant to indicate that one team is so completely superior to the other.

 

NewCath losing does not all of the sudden suggest that they are weak, or not worth the discussion of being a top 10 team in the state.

 

They still are very much relevant, and depending on who they're playing can find themselves having the necessary proper attributes to continue being victorious with other state powers.

 

Team performance, team personalities, approaches, and matchups have a lot to do with how teams fair against each other, and no two convergences are exactly the same.

 

CovCath lost to Knott County Central for example, but it's not entirely out of the realm of possibilities that NewCath could have a better showing with them. Or NewCath only lost to Ballard by 2, but who knows how things would go if the Colonels would play them? These are all hypothetical, but various team chemistries against each other can, and do have a large effect on outcomes.

 

Weyer's foul trouble and Pangallo's injury weren't the only things that contributed to NCC's loss, but you could certainly point to them as huge reasons. Take 2/3 of the bulk of their typical scoring and rhythm away, and that's going to have a major effect.

 

With that said, CovCath right out of the gate brought a more feisty lively conditioned never say die TEAM confident energy to the game that didn't seem as nearly present with NewCath, establishing early and ever present throughout, an unspoken statement that indicated how it was going to be, and that there was going to be no backing down.

 

You never got the impression that they felt inferior, or were going to cower to the hype that NCC were mightier and unstoppable. CovCath knows that they're just as talented and were not going to let what the critics say stand in their way of demonstrating that.

 

Some teams, however talented (Holmes for example) can "sometimes" lack a mental toughness to give it their all for an entire 32 minutes, and can subject themselves to lapses if they hold an early lead, and then slide back into a comfort zone and a false sense of security, which was wonderfully demonstrated by jumping out to a 16-1 lead and then settling for a 7 point deficit entering into halftime against Cooper.

 

NewCath when playing perhaps a lesser team, or not as mentally tough as the Colonels, can get into a rhythm that demonstrates their excellence, putting other teams at a disadvantage early making it difficult for their opponent to establish a flow of their own to adequately compete with them.

 

CovCath is mentally fine tuned and spirited to go along with their talent to play as a unified TEAM for the entire game, never letting off the peddle.

 

I wouldn't ever suggest that NewCath doesn't have a fine tradition of a winning mentality, but CovCath has a certain level headed, sound minded winner's mentality schooled into them through generations of tradition that helps them as a team establish a self-identity that fuels their belief that every contest that they enter is winnable, and that losing is not an option, and a mental toughness and certain sorta smarts, (that might through simple human nature make other teams relax when ahead, or cower when behind), that helps them see that there's no relaxing until the final horn sounds, and that no opponent provides too big of an obstacle to overcome, even if they were to find themselves down in a game. They always stay focused and fight through it.

 

Ruthsatz is definitely a great coach. Mix him with the already established traditional winner's mentality of CovCath, and the school spirit shown by the Crazies, and he already has potential greatness to start with.

 

He's a great fit for CovCath because what he as a coach must emphasize in game psychology, attitude, and mental toughness he starts with the advantage of feeding this to kids already schooled with this sorta mindset, and he just simply has the job to reinforce it to those who easily digest it through past traditional training. I doubt that it's something that he has a constant struggle with to have to keep reminding them of, but to just keep fine tuned and in focus.

 

Ruthsatz is certainly one strong reason behind having his Colonels prepared, but I feel that it's an all inclusive historical CovCath spiritied tradition, and of course their current talent pool that brings it all together to produce a chemistry of excellence.

 

NewCath also very much has these similar type competitive traditions, but before this contest with the Colonels they just came off of 4 straight lopsided victories with teams that didn't offer them much resistance but helped them psychologically enter the game feeling pretty mighty considering their recent stellar performances, while CovCath just came off of a loss with Moeller who although they beat them, gave them great preparation against a team that constantly reminded them to exert their energy, and to turn it up a few notches. The Colonels definitely learned from that loss and was physically and mentally prepared. Kinda like swinging a baseball bat with a heavy donut and stepping up to the plate prepared to face the fastest of pitchers. The Colonels were ready, and with that preparedness immediately took NewCath out of their game.

 

Cov. catholic is more mentality tough than New. Cath due to their generations of tradition, what a joke. Cov. Catholic was no powerhouse in the 70's, 80's , 90's, they had a great run in the 1960's. When I played high school ball in Lexington in the 1980's I never even heard of Cov. Catholic, did know about Dicky Beal and the Holmes program. Cov. Catholic is on a good run now due to some talented players and a very good coach. Ronny Dawn was pretty mentally tough when he helped lead New Cath to 3 straight regional titles in the 70's.

 

Both teams are well coached and have some talent, I believe the difference in the teams is that Cov. Catholic is a better defensive team and are able to be very disruptive to how New Cath. wants to play. Both teams are mentally tough just look at their records the past 2 years.

So is Coach Listerman at Holmes in the same league as these two?

What league does this discussion put the guy at Moeller in?

 

83% of BGP predicters picked the Blue Colonels over the Men of Moe last week and we know how that turned out.

What league does this discussion put the guy at Moeller in?

 

83% of BGP predicters picked the Blue Colonels over the Men of Moe last week and we know how that turned out.

 

Moe's coach was impressive. He had a great plan. Effective to say the least.

Cov. catholic is more mentality tough than New. Cath due to their generations of tradition, what a joke. Cov. Catholic was no powerhouse in the 70's, 80's , 90's, they had a great run in the 1960's. When I played high school ball in Lexington in the 1980's I never even heard of Cov. Catholic, did know about Dicky Beal and the Holmes program. Cov. Catholic is on a good run now due to some talented players and a very good coach. Ronny Dawn was pretty mentally tough when he helped lead New Cath to 3 straight regional titles in the 70's.

 

Both teams are well coached and have some talent, I believe the difference in the teams is that Cov. Catholic is a better defensive team and are able to be very disruptive to how New Cath. wants to play. Both teams are mentally tough just look at their records the past 2 years.

 

I don't believe that I said that NewCath doesn't have mental toughness due to their generations of tradition. The joke is that you claim that I did after I went to great lengths in pointing out that they do. I didn't disregard this in my post. You did.

What league does this discussion put the guy at Moeller in?

 

83% of BGP predicters picked the Blue Colonels over the Men of Moe last week and we know how that turned out.

I guess Moe's mental toughness that is do to their generations of tradition is a bit better than CCH. :sssh:

CovCath got in the Breds face and head all night and flat out smacked them. They played like men. Sorry to say but the Breds didnt. NewCath was outcoached

Who do you think would of won this game if you switched coaching staffs 6-1-14?

 

My opinion: NewCath by double digits.

What league does this discussion put the guy at Moeller in? 83% of BGP predicters picked the Blue Colonels over the Men of Moe last week and we know how that turned out.

 

This CCH guy picked Moeller.

Others have seen these two teams more than I have, but I believe it has more to do with CCH being in the head of NCC.

I believe Ncc will do some things differently and win a rematch if they meet in the regionals tourney.

I believe Ncc will do some things differently and win a rematch if they meet in the regionals tourney.

 

Didn't we hear this last year?

Didn't we hear this last year?

 

If a team can only shoot 36% from the line, or somewhere near that, no amount of adjustment is going to help. They have to shoot better.

Yes, CovCath's coaches are out coaching the NewCath & the other teams in NKY.

This is the 4th season for Ruthsatz & company.

Every year they have exceeded the preseason projections & polls.

CCH coaches game plans are excellent, they find the opposing teams strengths, then they take it from them.

They coach their players up, instill confidence in them. Just look at what they've done with payers like Pauley, Tobler, Schult, B.Heppler, Keller, Romes, Theobald.... they find out what strengths a player has , then they use it to their advantage as a team.

 

Not buying the tradition thing either.

Ruthsatz is the new CCH tradition...hard nosed defense, leave it all on the court or you'll be on the bench, next man up, roll players, no I in team.

 

CovCath has had good to great high school talent over the years but have never won as consistently in the last 40 years as they are now.

They are becoming known in the state as a contender not a pretender.

 

Ruthsatz & company are the best in the state, IMHO.