You make valid points and this sums up very well the excuses their followers love to use for why their basketball team struggles so much.

I think it's true though. I'm not a Highlands follower. I grew up in Bellevue so I kind of have known about the highlands program all my life. And while this may be controversial statement, does it really matter who the coach is at this point? schlarmann, Flynn, Listerman, etc. they were all good coaches. I'd even say great coaches.

Great?

You make valid points and this sums up very well the excuses their followers love to use for why their basketball team struggles so much.

 

Valid and excuses in the same sentence. Solid.

 

It is what it is and everyone can turn a blind eye to it if they want but until they get a core of kids who are able to devote more than a few weeks a year to getting ready for Hoops they will have seasons like this. That is unless someone like Derek Smith, Ross Neltner, Scott Draud or Jared Lorenzen walk in the door and because you or someone on here told us that wasnt happening I guess we should accept it. LOL

Does anyone know if NKYsports.com was out doing this game last night. I tried pulling up the replay on their site and it wont work. It apparently was their game of the week.

You make valid points and this sums up very well the excuses their followers love to use for why their basketball team struggles so much.

 

I also feel like some of them act as if they are the only school that has 2 sport athletes.

Highlands is missing the two most important components of an elite basketball program - at any level: Multiple zip codes on the roster AND (obvious here) talented scorers in the gym NOT playing football from August to December 7th. Look at any great roster - they come from multiple communities. That is what Highlands had during the eighties - when a great covington native (coach shields) was coaching them and his childhood buddies started sending their kids to HHS to be with Coach Shields. Fred Terry, Draud, Lankheit, Maile, Draud, Blasengame, Hergott - Beagle from Boone Co. and on and on and on. Southgate, Newport & Bellevue athletes were contributing as well - Kremer, Fisher, Schuett etc. NET - more than 1 zip code. NCC - they draw best athletes from Alexandria, Cold Spring, Southgate, Newport and 40175. Cov Cath- multiple communities - Moeller/St. X - you get the drill. THEN - YES, you have to have talented kids IN THE GYM FULL TIME from August to December. In the eighties - again, Terry, vories, sullivan, SCHLARMANN, Koehling, Draud, Fisher, Barth, Buten, Cowie - athletes that were also winning state tennis championships and regional golf championships. NET - talent in the gym all fall that could put the ball in the basket. Again, what is missing? Multiple zip codes and (non-football) talent working on their game exclusively - all fall. It's not rocket science - just is what it is. You can have great football players playing hoops - i love it - but you have to sprinkle in some basketball talent that is not running thru grind of football AND yes, in the gym. I worry about writing and trying to communicate feelings and ideas like this - because it is often misinterpreted. I'm not calling out any kids - as not talented - those highlands kids are very talented, they are just competing on a small stage and activity - like golf or tennis - takes (at times) - a talent to score consistently and with today's great athletic defenses - takes real hard work and skill to get it done..

Does anyone know if NKYsports.com was out doing this game last night. I tried pulling up the replay on their site and it wont work. It apparently was their game of the week.

 

Saw highlights on blitz 5 this morning.

Highlands is missing the two most important components of an elite basketball program - at any level: Multiple zip codes on the roster AND (obvious here) talented scorers in the gym NOT playing football from August to December 7th. Look at any great roster - they come from multiple communities. That is what Highlands had during the eighties - when a great covington native (coach shields) was coaching them and his childhood buddies started sending their kids to HHS to be with Coach Shields. Fred Terry, Draud, Lankheit, Maile, Draud, Blasengame, Hergott - Beagle from Boone Co. and on and on and on. Southgate, Newport & Bellevue athletes were contributing as well - Kremer, Fisher, Schuett etc. NET - more than 1 zip code. NCC - they draw best athletes from Alexandria, Cold Spring, Southgate, Newport and 40175. Cov Cath- multiple communities - Moeller/St. X - you get the drill. THEN - YES, you have to have talented kids IN THE GYM FULL TIME from August to December. In the eighties - again, Terry, vories, sullivan, SCHLARMANN, Koehling, Draud, Fisher, Barth, Buten, Cowie - athletes that were also winning state tennis championships and regional golf championships. NET - talent in the gym all fall that could put the ball in the basket. Again, what is missing? Multiple zip codes and (non-football) talent working on their game exclusively - all fall. It's not rocket science - just is what it is. You can have great football players playing hoops - i love it - but you have to sprinkle in some basketball talent that is not running thru grind of football AND yes, in the gym. I worry about writing and trying to communicate feelings and ideas like this - because it is often misinterpreted. I'm not calling out any kids - as not talented - those highlands kids are very talented, they are just competing on a small stage and activity - like golf or tennis - takes (at times) - a talent to score consistently and with today's great athletic defenses - takes real hard work and skill to get it done..

 

Spot on.

I also feel like some of them act as if they are the only school that has 2 sport athletes.

 

No but your school's offseason program will never match Highlands Football program and your school likely has about 500 additional boys to sift through. Carry on though.

No but your school's offseason program will never match Highlands Football program and your school likely has about 500 additional boys to sift through. Carry on though.

 

I am not in the know when it comes to the offseason program HHS has so I am happy to take your word for it. What I do know is that it did not equate to a win when the schools met last season so I am hesitant to agree that it is superior.

 

Yes, they do have more boys to sift through but I think you are way off on your number, it is probably closer to 100. It is funny that you used the word sift, I was not under the impression that HHS had to do anything like this to find football players.

I'm still surprised the refs weren't blamed in this one.

One other important consideration - that Coach Hicks and Coach Listermann would probably both say is there number one hurdle - to building consistent quality program - is lack of bodies from August thru December. IF you are a 3A enrollment school or below - lets say 100 boys per class or less AND you have very popular, successful football AND soccer program playing in fall - you simply run out of athletic bodies to compete against, to practice with in they gym for hoops during the fall. Soccer didn't exist 20+ years ago. Net, lack of competitive athletes/bodies - outside of soccer and football in the fall - is a real problem for basketball coaches at smaller enrollment programs like Beechwood, Bellevue - HHS - just don't have the numbers with the emergence of quality fall soccer and a solid football program.

Highlands is missing the two most important components of an elite basketball program - at any level: Multiple zip codes on the roster AND (obvious here) talented scorers in the gym NOT playing football from August to December 7th. Look at any great roster - they come from multiple communities. That is what Highlands had during the eighties - when a great covington native (coach shields) was coaching them and his childhood buddies started sending their kids to HHS to be with Coach Shields. Fred Terry, Draud, Lankheit, Maile, Draud, Blasengame, Hergott - Beagle from Boone Co. and on and on and on. Southgate, Newport & Bellevue athletes were contributing as well - Kremer, Fisher, Schuett etc. NET - more than 1 zip code. NCC - they draw best athletes from Alexandria, Cold Spring, Southgate, Newport and 40175. Cov Cath- multiple communities - Moeller/St. X - you get the drill. THEN - YES, you have to have talented kids IN THE GYM FULL TIME from August to December. In the eighties - again, Terry, vories, sullivan, SCHLARMANN, Koehling, Draud, Fisher, Barth, Buten, Cowie - athletes that were also winning state tennis championships and regional golf championships. NET - talent in the gym all fall that could put the ball in the basket. Again, what is missing? Multiple zip codes and (non-football) talent working on their game exclusively - all fall. It's not rocket science - just is what it is. You can have great football players playing hoops - i love it - but you have to sprinkle in some basketball talent that is not running thru grind of football AND yes, in the gym. I worry about writing and trying to communicate feelings and ideas like this - because it is often misinterpreted. I'm not calling out any kids - as not talented - those highlands kids are very talented, they are just competing on a small stage and activity - like golf or tennis - takes (at times) - a talent to score consistently and with today's great athletic defenses - takes real hard work and skill to get it done..

 

I get what you're saying here. Disagree with the part about NCC drawing the best from Alexandria, Cold Spring, etc. (take a look at the Camels freshmen team lately?), but you are right about the kids going to Highlands are mostly already the ones that are in the Highlands school system by middle school or earlier. Schools like NCC and Brossart have several schools feeding into them and it makes for a stronger basketball team.

I get what you're saying here. Disagree with the part about NCC drawing the best from Alexandria, Cold Spring, etc. (take a look at the Camels freshmen team lately?), but you are right about the kids going to Highlands are mostly already the ones that are in the Highlands school system by middle school or earlier. Schools like NCC and Brossart have several schools feeding into them and it makes for a stronger basketball team.

 

I'm not saying they always draw the best from those communities - sorry - i simply meant - the ability to always draw from EVERYWHERE - (mcdonald/schulte/weyer/pangallo/moeves) will always be part of their programs. They cover Campbell communties...

One other important consideration - that Coach Hicks and Coach Listermann would probably both say is there number one hurdle - to building consistent quality program - is lack of bodies from August thru December. IF you are a 3A enrollment school or below - lets say 100 boys per class or less AND you have very popular, successful football AND soccer program playing in fall - you simply run out of athletic bodies to compete against, to practice with in they gym for hoops during the fall. Soccer didn't exist 20+ years ago. Net, lack of competitive athletes/bodies - outside of soccer and football in the fall - is a real problem for basketball coaches at smaller enrollment programs like Beechwood, Bellevue - HHS - just don't have the numbers with the emergence of quality fall soccer and a solid football program.

 

I get what you are saying and you make some valid points. I also think this is why most of the smaller schools tend to have soccer, or football, but not both.... I would not count HHS as one of the smaller schools.

 

Another factor seems to be that more kids continue to focus on a single sport so a lot of these more athletic kids are no longer at the coaches disposal.

 

I don't think soccer is quite the factor some think it is.... it has been around for 20+ years.... just more popular in recent years.