:lol2: :lol2:

 

Ahhhh, the old “you didn’t play so your opinion doesn’t count” comments. I love those. :lol2: :lol2:

 

Gotta love the Keyboard Warriors. Especially the ones that slide in the DMs.

 

Not this time. It was friendly fire.

I have made my stance clear and I am more about making sure theses kids are challenged, prepared and tested and that starts up top.

 

Siple has also made it clear that the kids are giving 110% but he didn’t say anything about the coaches and that’s my concern.

 

The change that I have seen and it’s very obvious to those watching is the difference in the amount of time coaches are putting in.

 

You can’t sell me that they are working hard and enough because the discipline isn’t there. Discipline comes from repetition and oh doing it the right way and not just going through the motions.

 

You don’t go to the driving range and practice a horrible swing because you are building muscle memory. You fix your problems and practice and build memory the right way and then it becomes second nature when you perform the task in a game

Somehow I knew this would end up a topic.

 

NO ONE, Dale, Bob Beatty, Chuck Smith or any other great coach you want to mention was going to win a title at Highlands the last two years.

 

Some things that I see that changed after Dale left are lack of self sacrifice and discipline by some players and the team didn’t appear to be as prepared and focused as they used to be.

 

Matthew Shearer!

 

Wouldn’t it had been nice if the Kid wouldn’t have received some Bad Information as a Freshman to be at Highlands? I’m thinking someone would love to have a “Do-Over” conversation.

 

What a Shame!

I find it interesting reading threads like this. Coaching at a school like I do, I wake up each morning hoping that the changes we have made over the first 4 years are in place. We have spent a lot of time working on the "culture change" at my school. Even with massive changes, I would do anything to show up and have even a small portion of the football culture that HHS and others have. I have used both HHS and Cov Cath as examples for our kids to see what a football culture looks like. Beating HHS, even on a down year, was a springboard for our program. We gained more from that game than a district championship would have provided. With that said, HHS will return itself to the high level of play it has had in the past, because there is a culture. With all of the talent we have in our program, it will continue to be a good one year, average the next until we reach that level of culture. Culture is everything, it pushes programs to the level of being a year in and year out power. I would love to see post about being the top dog, or why you were not post in regards to my program. This post exist because there is a culture at HHS. When was the last time you read a post about the culture needed to be improved at my school? you wont, because I am busy building it now. God bless HHS, they have kids, families and community that care enough about the program. Xs and Os, Jimmies and Joes, maybe. But from where I sit, the culture is amazing and the last thing I would worry about.

Great post Hawk. I agree that at 98% of the football programs in Ky, if 60 kids and 8 coaches showed up at weights, someone would have a heart attack from shock. HHS work ethic and culture is solid. Sweep.. I didn’t mean to imply that the coaches weren’t working hard, because I think they do work hard. Teaching in Ft. Thomas is serious business. These guys have an intense plan of attack teaching School all day. Then they start their second job. There really isn’t an off season. There is just a season when games are played and a another season of preparation and skill development. Between season weights, spring football, regular game season, and being a high level classroom teacher, saying they don’t work hard is not fair.

I call bull....

 

You’re telling me if the culture changes and they go 0-10 they’ll be okay? Zero chance.

 

How many games did you actually watch the past two years compared to the previous years? You are defending in a very, almost, black/white way. There is a huge gray area here and that was the issue the past few years.

 

I'm not a coach, or have any kids involved w/ the program. I am a Highlands parent and have a long love/hate with school growing up while NewCath was still a huge rival. Here's my observations from the outside looking in.

 

1. Their offense from '10-'15 hid a TON of fundamental flaws in the defensive scheme. Like the Payton Manning Colts, the Birds used their offense that averaged 50+/game to take teams away from their offensive identities and play catch-up, i.e. do a lot of things that they weren't comfortable with resulting in turnovers or 3 and outs. Highlands would then score again and the avalanche was on. The past 2 years, they haven't been able to do that. So, they have had to rely on their defense a little more, which leads me to my point of #1. I spoke about it here a lot. The 3-4 is a dumb defense if you don't have space eaters or someone like Devin Bruns and Seth Hope who win every 1-on-1 match-up at the line. 3-4 traditionally requires space eaters to take on double teams and create piles allowing ILBers to flow. Watch film. Guards were able to get onto ILBers before they could diagnose plays. Either NTs were head up, or they didn't do their jobs causing double teams well enough, b/c when both ILBs have to be your fill ILB, you are missing tackles in the middle of the field.

 

2. This correlates w/ #1. There was a TON of freelancing. Again, I don't know Highlands scheme, but I can't imagine that kids are taught to go under so many blocks. That goes towards what Sweep mentioned in another thread.

 

3. Lack of talent??? Meh. You can hide a lot of lesser talent playing both ways when you are going to put up 40+ on every single opponent. It is a very smart way to run your program. Get more kids bought in and involved. Those type of players are still there. There is a lack of top end talent. The team hasn't had not just Guiguglis or Hamblens or Scarlottos (sp?), but the All State caliber kids that weren't maybe high DI but were great high school players. Which leads me to...

 

#4. When lacking high end talent, the whole team has to buy in. I could never know whether buy in happened or not, but I do know that they didn't get 10 or 11 guys to a tackle like every year that I've ever watched Highlands. They didn't seem to change their approach to offense or defense for far too long.

 

#5 Identity. IMO, from a very macro view of it, this is where they miss Mueller the most. He could identify who his team was going to be in season B as SOON as season A was over and he would use the whole off season to build for that. Case in point is the jet sweep years.

 

As an outsider, it wasn't the wins/losses that surprised me about Highlands. Everyone knew that they were going be in that 3 to 4 losses/year cycle. What is surprising is the systematic look of Highlands isn't there. They don't look like the machine that works in harmony. It looks, really, kind of unprepared and undisciplined compared to where they've been.

 

That's just an observation from Hudl viewing. A lot of the same coaches from the previous regime are there, so they were big parts of the good times. Someone closer to the program will have to say what is going on in the day to day.

This past season was really strange with the number of key injuries that the Birds had. And still, their record was literally 3 plays away from this team being 9-3 going into regional finals with Cov. Cath. If they did nothing else but recover an onside kick vs. Simon Kenton and South Oldham, they win those two games. If they get one more first down vs. Lex. Cath, they run out the clock and win that game. That’s how small the the difference was in winning 3 more games. Cov Cath would’ve been a big challenge because they were crazy good this year. So my point is, this past year’s team should’ve been 9-3, working on a game plan for Cov. Cath week 13.

Siple

 

Highlands was also an overtime away from having back to back losing seasons. When was the last time that happened?

Highlands was also an overtime away from having back to back losing seasons. When was the last time that happened?

 

A wise person once said that you are what your record says you are.

I have made my stance clear and I am more about making sure theses kids are challenged, prepared and tested and that starts up top.

 

Siple has also made it clear that the kids are giving 110% but he didn’t say anything about the coaches and that’s my concern.

 

The change that I have seen and it’s very obvious to those watching is the difference in the amount of time coaches are putting in.

 

You can’t sell me that they are working hard and enough because the discipline isn’t there. Discipline comes from repetition and oh doing it the right way and not just going through the motions.

 

You don’t go to the driving range and practice a horrible swing because you are building muscle memory. You fix your problems and practice and build memory the right way and then it becomes second nature when you perform the task in a game

 

Apples and oranges from an outsider looking in.

 

Our cross-country (another sport at which HHS typically excels) coach used to say that long slow runs during practice turned you into a long slow runner.

Siple has also made it clear that the kids are giving 110% but he didn’t say anything about the coaches and that’s my concern.

 

From this very thread.. He also put to rest your "just work harder" mantra in the same post.

 

Believe me, it’s not about the work ethic. Any MWF from 3:30-5:30 from now until June, you can see 60 plus kids and 8-10 coaches in that field house working awfully hard. I was blown away by how dedicated those kids are. It is not a matter of working hard.

How many games did you actually watch the past two years compared to the previous years? You are defending in a very, almost, black/white way. There is a huge gray area here and that was the issue the past few years.

 

I'm not a coach, or have any kids involved w/ the program. I am a Highlands parent and have a long love/hate with school growing up while NewCath was still a huge rival. Here's my observations from the outside looking in.

 

1. Their offense from '10-'15 hid a TON of fundamental flaws in the defensive scheme. Like the Payton Manning Colts, the Birds used their offense that averaged 50+/game to take teams away from their offensive identities and play catch-up, i.e. do a lot of things that they weren't comfortable with resulting in turnovers or 3 and outs. Highlands would then score again and the avalanche was on. The past 2 years, they haven't been able to do that. So, they have had to rely on their defense a little more, which leads me to my point of #1. I spoke about it here a lot. The 3-4 is a dumb defense if you don't have space eaters or someone like Devin Bruns and Seth Hope who win every 1-on-1 match-up at the line. 3-4 traditionally requires space eaters to take on double teams and create piles allowing ILBers to flow. Watch film. Guards were able to get onto ILBers before they could diagnose plays. Either NTs were head up, or they didn't do their jobs causing double teams well enough, b/c when both ILBs have to be your fill ILB, you are missing tackles in the middle of the field.

 

2. This correlates w/ #1. There was a TON of freelancing. Again, I don't know Highlands scheme, but I can't imagine that kids are taught to go under so many blocks. That goes towards what Sweep mentioned in another thread.

 

3. Lack of talent??? Meh. You can hide a lot of lesser talent playing both ways when you are going to put up 40+ on every single opponent. It is a very smart way to run your program. Get more kids bought in and involved. Those type of players are still there. There is a lack of top end talent. The team hasn't had not just Guiguglis or Hamblens or Scarlottos (sp?), but the All State caliber kids that weren't maybe high DI but were great high school players. Which leads me to...

 

#4. When lacking high end talent, the whole team has to buy in. I could never know whether buy in happened or not, but I do know that they didn't get 10 or 11 guys to a tackle like every year that I've ever watched Highlands. They didn't seem to change their approach to offense or defense for far too long.

 

#5 Identity. IMO, from a very macro view of it, this is where they miss Mueller the most. He could identify who his team was going to be in season B as SOON as season A was over and he would use the whole off season to build for that. Case in point is the jet sweep years.

 

As an outsider, it wasn't the wins/losses that surprised me about Highlands. Everyone knew that they were going be in that 3 to 4 losses/year cycle. What is surprising is the systematic look of Highlands isn't there. They don't look like the machine that works in harmony. It looks, really, kind of unprepared and undisciplined compared to where they've been.

 

That's just an observation from Hudl viewing. A lot of the same coaches from the previous regime are there, so they were big parts of the good times. Someone closer to the program will have to say what is going on in the day to day.

 

I understand everything you just said, but that doesn't change my post that you quoted...

 

If all the negatives you pointed out were changed, and HHS still wasn't putting up the amount of wins the Mafia thought they should be, they would still not be satisfied.

 

End of the day, it's about wins and losses. To suggest otherwise is being dishonest. Do people really think if NOTHING changed in regards to the current "culture," and Highlands went 15-0 we'd be having these discussions? Stop it...

How many games did you actually watch the past two years compared to the previous years? You are defending in a very, almost, black/white way. There is a huge gray area here and that was the issue the past few years.

 

I'm not a coach, or have any kids involved w/ the program. I am a Highlands parent and have a long love/hate with school growing up while NewCath was still a huge rival. Here's my observations from the outside looking in.

 

1. Their offense from '10-'15 hid a TON of fundamental flaws in the defensive scheme. Like the Payton Manning Colts, the Birds used their offense that averaged 50+/game to take teams away from their offensive identities and play catch-up, i.e. do a lot of things that they weren't comfortable with resulting in turnovers or 3 and outs. Highlands would then score again and the avalanche was on. The past 2 years, they haven't been able to do that. So, they have had to rely on their defense a little more, which leads me to my point of #1. I spoke about it here a lot. The 3-4 is a dumb defense if you don't have space eaters or someone like Devin Bruns and Seth Hope who win every 1-on-1 match-up at the line. 3-4 traditionally requires space eaters to take on double teams and create piles allowing ILBers to flow. Watch film. Guards were able to get onto ILBers before they could diagnose plays. Either NTs were head up, or they didn't do their jobs causing double teams well enough, b/c when both ILBs have to be your fill ILB, you are missing tackles in the middle of the field.

 

2. This correlates w/ #1. There was a TON of freelancing. Again, I don't know Highlands scheme, but I can't imagine that kids are taught to go under so many blocks. That goes towards what Sweep mentioned in another thread.

 

3. Lack of talent??? Meh. You can hide a lot of lesser talent playing both ways when you are going to put up 40+ on every single opponent. It is a very smart way to run your program. Get more kids bought in and involved. Those type of players are still there. There is a lack of top end talent. The team hasn't had not just Guiguglis or Hamblens or Scarlottos (sp?), but the All State caliber kids that weren't maybe high DI but were great high school players. Which leads me to...

 

#4. When lacking high end talent, the whole team has to buy in. I could never know whether buy in happened or not, but I do know that they didn't get 10 or 11 guys to a tackle like every year that I've ever watched Highlands. They didn't seem to change their approach to offense or defense for far too long.

 

#5 Identity. IMO, from a very macro view of it, this is where they miss Mueller the most. He could identify who his team was going to be in season B as SOON as season A was over and he would use the whole off season to build for that. Case in point is the jet sweep years.

 

As an outsider, it wasn't the wins/losses that surprised me about Highlands. Everyone knew that they were going be in that 3 to 4 losses/year cycle. What is surprising is the systematic look of Highlands isn't there. They don't look like the machine that works in harmony. It looks, really, kind of unprepared and undisciplined compared to where they've been.

 

That's just an observation from Hudl viewing. A lot of the same coaches from the previous regime are there, so they were big parts of the good times. Someone closer to the program will have to say what is going on in the day to day.

 

Great post mex...

I understand everything you just said, but that doesn't change my post that you quoted...

 

If all the negatives you pointed out were changed, and HHS still wasn't putting up the amount of wins the Mafia thought they should be, they would still not be satisfied.

 

End of the day, it's about wins and losses. To suggest otherwise is being dishonest. Do people really think if NOTHING changed in regards to the current "culture," and Highlands went 15-0 we'd be having these discussions? Stop it...

 

That's the gray area. It isn't the losing, per se. Many of them expected losses. It is HOW they are losing, whether giving away leads or not being competitive in running clock games. IMO, if you asked most fans, that is where the problem lies.

That's the gray area. It isn't the losing, per se. Many of them expected losses. It is HOW they are losing, whether giving away leads or not being competitive in running clock games. IMO, if you asked most fans, that is where the problem lies.

 

I see the distinction you are making, and acknowledge how/why that could be an issue. But if instead of giving up a late lead, say they get blown out. Does that really change the conversation that much? I don't think it does.

Great post Hawk. I agree that at 98% of the football programs in Ky, if 60 kids and 8 coaches showed up at weights, someone would have a heart attack from shock. HHS work ethic and culture is solid. Sweep.. I didn’t mean to imply that the coaches weren’t working hard, because I think they do work hard. Teaching in Ft. Thomas is serious business. These guys have an intense plan of attack teaching School all day. Then they start their second job. There really isn’t an off season. There is just a season when games are played and a another season of preparation and skill development. Between season weights, spring football, regular game season, and being a high level classroom teacher, saying they don’t work hard is not fair.

 

 

So for the sake of this thread, what in your opinion is the problem at Highlands? Dale did the same school work load at Highlands Plus he was the AD

 

Is it the culture, is it the pressures of coaching a program like Highlands, is it the lack of talent, is it the lack of discipline, is it the kids don’t care or is it the coaches are under qualified and way over their heads and have no clue what’s going on or how to fix it.

 

Just curious what your take is...you don’t have to answer if too sensitive, I get it