If Willie is to succeed he needs to get down on at least the Middle school level, identify the talent that is not playing football, and work with these kids. Relying on football players is not working. Sure they're big strong kids that dominate in middle school, ala the jr class( 8th grade state runnersup) but once you hit high school strength will not cut it. You need to have skill. All I know 83 and DMZ and all past HHS roundballers ya can't be happy with the state of the bball program as it is. Do we settle for what it is. Hope for a regional championnship every so often, or should we expect more out HHS basketball? Wonder how loud the outcry would be if football was in this shape at Highlands:creepy:

 

I agree to a point, but did Shields, Petty or Messmer do that?

I don't know of any, I think he was referring to the Frosh who arent playing in Hogue,Roller and Austin C. If you want my take on what I think Willie should do then here goes. Like Malachi stated, I would get involved more with the talent at the Jr high level and figure out who the straight basketballers are and start working with them. Not to say he shouldnt work with the combo athletes but his emphasis needs to be focused on as many straight ballers that are walking the halls at the Middle school. The football/Bball combo guys will always be there but they cant gurantee you to win REgional Championships. I know, I know.. jared/Derek/ Stegman...that class was an excption.

 

Schools like Ryle have more kids to pick from so they are going to get a higher percentage of straight ballers than combo athletes.

 

Does a kid really make the decision that he is going to be strictly a basketball player by the 7th and 8th grade? How many kids are there that are strictly basketball players on the current team? The only ones that I can think of are McGraw and Simpson and those are the two kids that he got playing time as freshman. Who are the kids that play strictly basketball in the 7th through 10th grades? I would be willing to bet that the only team that excelled without football players playing a significant role was the 1979 team. All others had one or more that contributed to the regional championship. To answer LN's question, I had no one in particular on my mind. Just know that they performed well on that level last year and do not appear to have much to show for it based upon what I have seen of the JV games this year.

LN...Josh Connor would have helped this year at the Varsity level! "Crunch...why no sophomores dressing Varsity? Shields had summer league teams and being a PE coach, bird-dogged his classes for talent. There also was a HS intramural league (which the school team players reffed and kept book/clock). This kept the "cast-offs" playing and in a way developing. Shields/Petty also kept about 6-8 more kids than currently being done. Only about 3 JV kids played up...and if you weren't getting at least 1/2 a game varsity, then you played down. McGraw would have been a footballer if health would permit and Simpson may return. The strictly BB atheletes currently can't compete at the level needed...Stewart has been doing a decent job lately...but Holy Moley 10 points in a half at the Varsity level is disgraceful. A few years ago, Danny Sullivan had multiple teams at every grade level for Campbell County playing in the AAU leagues. I was told they were "school" funded and they all had Purple or Gold uniforms with "CAMELS" on them. This seems similar to the Intramural leage that St. Thomas Grade School used to run for the 3-4-5-6-7-8 graders (headed by Barney Buechter). St. Thomas put out some pretty fair 'ballers back in the day for STH, NewCath and Highlands!

7--11 not a typical Ryle year.

 

Are you sure?

 

Ryle has always seemed to be around .500, without playing top notch out of region competition, even in their best years.

Are you sure?

 

Ryle has always seemed to be around .500, without playing top notch out of region competition, even in their best years.

I stand corrected Thank You. Looks like a winning year about every other year at best, and one 20+ win season in the last few years.

Does a kid really make the decision that he is going to be strictly a basketball player by the 7th and 8th grade? How many kids are there that are strictly basketball players on the current team? The only ones that I can think of are McGraw and Simpson and those are the two kids that he got playing time as freshman. Who are the kids that play strictly basketball in the 7th through 10th grades? I would be willing to bet that the only team that excelled without football players playing a significant role was the 1979 team. All others had one or more that contributed to the regional championship. To answer LN's question, I had no one in particular on my mind. Just know that they performed well on that level last year and do not appear to have much to show for it based upon what I have seen of the JV games this year.

 

 

I can probably count only about 8 kids who are strictly basketball in grades 6-9 at this time. I can count probably 20 that are strictly Basketball/Football. I think you are correct in that once the football/basketball kids reach Frosh year they are pressured to go the football route and it ends up in some opting out of basketball because of the time committment. I sure hope it doesnt affect the group of 6th graders because there are 3/4 that are strictly Basketball/football and all are excellent football players. I think its important to play more than one sport however at Highlands it is very difficult to excel at both. You typically see outstanding footballers be mediocre basketball players or the opposite. Great ballers are average footballers and probably because they cannot commit to the year round lifting,etc.

 

Its a double edged sword because you want to see both programs excel but the basketball program if they can get a youth feeder league going like the football program has, I think they can succeed.

 

By the way DMZ... too bad Sully got a raw deal out at CC. He had that program going in the right direction.

11...you're dead on about Sully! Hey..you misunderstood my post in the "cheer" section...I was NOT knocking nor was I advocating QB change...just indicating that Cecil will be MUCH better at QB this year (and the rowdies won't be so brash when we hang a big "L" on 'em next year!!)

I know this is a little off topic but I have heard that Nick Nelson for Ryle has 10 Technical fouls this year, can anyone confirm that?

11...you're dead on about Sully! Hey..you misunderstood my post in the "cheer" section...I was NOT knocking nor was I advocating QB change...just indicating that Cecil will be MUCH better at QB this year (and the rowdies won't be so brash when we hang a big "L" on 'em next year!!)

I don't think Cecil will be the qb this year......

I know this is a little off topic but I have heard that Nick Nelson for Ryle has 10 Technical fouls this year, can anyone confirm that?

 

I can't imagine that's true, but I guess anything's possible.

I don't think Cecil will be the qb this year......

 

Sounds like a good thread for the football forum. Though I doubt it will fly.

 

As for this thread and basketball, Highlands has multiple kids who got varsity minutes as freshman two seasons ago. With that kind of promise, shouldn't this year's team be doing better than 4-11?

11...you're dead on about Sully! Hey..you misunderstood my post in the "cheer" section...I was NOT knocking nor was I advocating QB change...just indicating that Cecil will be MUCH better at QB this year (and the rowdies won't be so brash when we hang a big "L" on 'em next year!!)

 

Point taken and yes will be fun to watch him.

Sounds like a good thread for the football forum. Though I doubt it will fly.

 

As for this thread and basketball, Highlands has multiple kids who got varsity minutes as freshman two seasons ago. With that kind of promise, shouldn't this year's team be doing better than 4-11?

 

I only remember McGraw and Simpson getting minutes. I dont remember any others. I know last year they had 22 guys on the bench. In fact I think they they had chairs lined up going into the locker room with players.

 

I don't think they are a typical 4-11 team as many of their losses have been close and they have shown a lot of heart. Tough breaks in losing McGraw and Simpson most recently and trying to find chemistry in the other guys. I think they will still represent strong in their weak District and knock off the Breds if they meet in the finals or an early round. If they get a good draw in the REgional, they may even win a game there with Simpson back.

I can't imagine that's true, but I guess anything's possible.

 

Thats what I would think, but a parent with a player on the team told me that, so I am a little unsure.

Thats what I would think, but a parent with a player on the team told me that, so I am a little unsure.

 

I am sure it is logged in the scorebook but getting that information may be tough. If a kid has 10 Technicals in the same year, he has problems and they need to be addressed either by running until he pukes and sitting on the bench or being asked to leave his uniform on the bench and go home.

 

I have a hard time beleiving any kid has 10 T's in one year.