He's a nice player but let's not overreact to any frosh at CCH.

 

Agreed most schools are hoping for a freshman to show up on campus that can lift a program (Treadway, Juniet, Lewis) . Cov Cath you have to wait your turn as the numbers grow year after year. They might evolve into the soccer version of the Highlands football program.

home games

 

8/18/2015 Tue 6:30 PM Covington Catholic vs Saint Henry Distri...

8/22/2015 Sat 6:30 PM Covington Catholic vs Trinty High School...

8/27/2015 Thu 6:30 PM Covington Catholic vs Walnut Hills, Cinc...

8/29/2015 Sat 2:30 PM Covington Catholic vs East Central High

9/1/2015 Tue 6:00 PM Covington Catholic vs Elder High School

9/3/2015 Thu 6:00 PM Covington Catholic vs Holmes High School

9/8/2015 Tue 6:00 PM Covington Catholic vs Seven Hills High S

9/10/2015 Thu 6:00 PM Covington Catholic vs McNicholas High Sc...

9/15/2015 Tue 6:00 PM Covington Catholic vs Scott High School,...

9/17/2015 Thu 5:50 PM Covington Catholic vs Boone County High

9/19/2015 Sat 12:30 PM Covington Catholic vs Ryle High School,

9/22/2015 Tue 5:50 PM Covington Catholic vs Highlands High Sch

9/29/2015 Tue 5:30 PM Covington Catholic vs Cooper High School

10/3/2015 Sat 3:00 PM Covington Catholic vs Dixie Heights High...

 

local away games

 

8/20/2015 Thu 7:30 PM Simon Kenton High vs Covington Catholic...

9/24/2015 Thu 8:00 PM Campbell County Hi vs Covington Catholic... l

9/29/2015 Tue 7:00 PM Grant County High vs Covington Catholic...

10/7/2015 Wed 7:30 PM Conner High School vs Covington Catholic...

I believe they will also have another local away match, at Summit.

Not sure how the current staff conducts tryouts but in the past the incoming freshmen tried out completely on their own, separate from the upperclassmen. If this is still true (maybe not since as OTB84 wrote 8 freshman were put on the JV roster 4 years ago) it makes little to no sense if a freshman is put on JV. What is the explanation for this if the freshmen do not even tryout against the players (sophomores they are competing against for a JV roster spot). There were players back years ago, before this coaching staff came on board that were very, very good players, almost certainly would have started for any other high school varsity program in NKY but due to the CCH way of doing things, they were stuck on the freshman team.

 

Does anyone know how the tryouts are conducted now days?

Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors begin tryouts a week from today. Frosh don't even report until July 21 and the sessions are different times so they do not co-mingle. I don't know for sure but given the numbers of players CCH has in the program maybe they just don't feel the need to put frosh on JV teams regularly.

 

This year is a good example as I could see them starting 9 seniors and maybe a couple juniors. There are no incoming frosh this year that would see the field at the varsity level no matter what the policy is on tryouts. Just my opinion of course.

It sounds like tryouts are conducted the same or very similar to the way they were before this current coaching staff has been in place. That is freshman are not trying out with and against the upper classmen. If that's the case then I see no way how you put a freshman on the opening day JV or varsity roster. How would the staff explain such a move to an upperclassman that had his roster spot taken by a freshman that never tried out against him?

 

Four years ago OTB84 wrote 8 freshman made the opening day JV roster. Did the freshman tryout with the upperclassman that year? Or was it a rare case where CCH had very low number of sophomores (or low number of juniors and seniors, requiring a lot of sophomores be put on varsity) playing soccer that year, and it became a necessity?

I don't recall the exact tryout arrangements at that time when those guys were frosh but the junior class ahead of them was very weak and the sophomore class (seniors that just graduated) had about 5 good players, so that was all a factor I'm sure. My guess is if a frosh is truly outstanding, that would be evident whether he's w/ the other frosh trying out or not. And like any school I would think, frosh do get moved up to JV and JV players to varsity, etc. Not making it out of the gate sometimes motivates players. The year OTB84 is talking about when the CCH rising seniors were frosh, towards the end of the year they put an all-frosh lineup on the field in the JV matchup vs. Trinity's JV and won the game. Players move up as the staff sees fit from what I've seen.

I highly suspected this was the case, little depth at CCH in the upper classes 4 years ago. And to say the CCH JV with an all freshman lineup beat a Trinity JV team without providing the Trinity JV lineup tells us little. For all we know the Trinity JV team lineup was all freshman in that game.

 

This sounds similar to other high schools that year in and year out have a lot of depth. In most cases it becomes a numbers games, underclassmen are not given an opportunity to play JV as freshman or varsity as sophomores simply because there is just too many upper classman players ahead of them. We see the same thing in professional sports. Seen many times where a NFL late round draft pick of free agent is cut due to the depth in front of him go on and become a good player with another team that did not have the same depth. In all cases, high school (and pro) , it does not mean the player is not good enough or deserving of the JV or varsity roster spot (or professional roster spot), just not enough roster spots to go around. As far as high school goes in many cases it is easier for the high school staff to put an underclassman on the freshman or JV team instead of cutting a junior or senior to open up the varsity roster spot. Then come tournament time when I suspect rosters can be expanded, they move them up.

"And to say the CCH JV with an all freshman lineup beat a Trinity JV team without providing the Trinity JV lineup tells us little. For all we know the Trinity JV team lineup was all freshman in that game."

 

I was at the game and don't recall the Trinity JV having any freshman. I also saw the varsity game that year and the only sophomores that Trinity had on varsity were Sam Stockton and the Nafziger kid..............meaning the rest of their sophomore class was on JV. CCH had 4 sophomores that year on varsity, all of whom played regular minutes. My point is that at large schools or schools that attract a lot of athletic talent, sophomores don't see much varsity time and freshman rarely, if ever. Probably the same for football, bball and baseball at those schools.

 

And you are correct about the depth issue CCH faced a few years ago. The perception is/was that CCH had a slew of high club players every year but not the case in the past. That is changing a bit though, beginning w/ the current rising seniors. Four solid classes, all in a row.

So is this four years on a row with solid classes cyculiar or is it the better players are gravitating towards the better coaching staff. I know they are starting to pull players that normally would have gone to ncc

Hard to say really but several factors. Coaching staff, maybe cyclical too but overall CCH has a great product to offer overall. Not that many people send their kid to a school just for soccer but if a good program is part of an overall great package it makes the decision easier.

 

No, they have not sealed the deal at regionals, losing in PK's the last two years, but they will be knocking on that door enough that it will happen and then no telling what they can do. Might be a good idea to practice PK's before the next regional tournament. :down:

You think! Here's how I think this practice works, Five players take shots from the spot if they don't go 5 for 5 the team runs sprints, repeat till they go 5 for 5. :rage:

I would respectfully disagree. I would not practice PKs but would spend way more time on technical and tactical skills, there by dominating and winning the game in regulation. I'm one that believes practicing PKs the week before tournament time sends your players the wrong message. CCH lost back to back Regionals for far more reasons then not converting PKs.

 

I agree with your reasons why CCH continues to increase student enrollment when most other parochial schools' enrollment decreases. Athletics certainly help but I doubt this issue alone is the only reason CCH has increased their student enrollment over 600.

While I'd agree that it is preferable to win in regulation, this is high school and I'd have my five players picked well before regionals began. 20 PK's each at the end of practice for a week (as well as a couple alternate players), each shooting to exactly the same spot every time, whatever their preference.

 

Game goes to PK's.......your five get up and knock it in like they've done 100 times the previous 5 days. The single biggest mistake made taking PK's at that age is mental indecision due to nerves.

I believe that frosh will tryout out separately, but then after the Varsity is set and upperclassmen are cut, since seniors can't play JV, the remaining underclassmen and the frosh combine to see who lands on JV, frosh, or is cut. So the frosh and JV team kind of depends on the number of frosh coming in. If there is enough to form a frosh team with extras, then frosh will play frosh and some will play JV. If not, all frosh will land on frosh team....I understand that the incoming frosh is the largest class ever. Not sure if that translates to soccer.