5A Rankings (BGP) Discussion

[leatherneck]

Based on seeing these teams at least once, I think LexCath would have beaten the Purples as well. CovCath barely got out of Lexington with the win. And a Johnson Central/ Bowling Green game would have been a toss up. I also think a Highlands/BG game from last year would have been a toss up.

 

 

I'm curious to know why you think the JC/BG games and the Highlands/BG games would be toss ups after you guys beat BG very decisively. Wasn't the CovCath JC game a very close one even after their stud full back/lber went out? And in one Highlands game it took a last second pass to beat us and in the other game you only won by 10 points. If both JC and Highlands played you very close and you guys whipped BG, why do you think the match ups with JC and Highlands with BG would be a toss up?

[colonel-fan]

I'm curious to know why you think the JC/BG games and the Highlands/BG games would be toss ups after you guys beat BG very decisively. Wasn't the CovCath JC game a very close one even after their stud full back/lber went out? And in one Highlands game it took a last second pass to beat us and in the other game you only won by 10 points. If both JC and Highlands played you very close and you guys whipped BG, why do you think the match ups with JC and Highlands with BG would be a toss up?

 

 

BG defended the run well enough last year. CovCath's passing game seemed to soften up their D, allowing for for the Colonel running game to get going. I'm not sure the JC or Highlands passing games were effective enough to open up running lanes on BG, which would have resulted in games that could have gone either way. LexCath could throw effectively and could have done so against BG.

 

And as far as the CovCath/JC game went last year, the momentum was shifting to CovCath even as the big fullback went down. The final was 38 - 14.

[just 4 fun]

I also think he is talking about the 94 game when they beat us. My continued congrats to the 94 BG squad for beating us. They had a very good team that year.

 

I ruffled his feathers and did not mean to do so in an insulting way. Both Highlands and BG have lost to the eventual state champions the last two years, it was just a matter of when we faced them in the playoffs. He understandably questions why I would then say that Highlands belongs in the 1A spot but BG remains unproven to me. I will point out that our margins of loss to the eventual state champions were much smaller than BG's. And we were not dominated, by the way, by CovCath when we lost to them in the playoffs. It was a 10 point loss, which is not a domination in my book.

 

He pointed out that the last two years they've played X tough but Highlands has been blown out by X, which is not exactly accurate. We were blown out two years ago but last year played X extremely competitively and I believe were winning at halftime. We ended up losing by two tds, but it was a one touch down game. We were moving the ball at the end of the game when they intercepted a desperation pass to end the game with a two touchdown lead. What he also failed to figure into his thinking in using the X comparison, is that both times we played X it was the week after we played very tough games against much bigger opponents. Two years ago it was after we played Cinti Colerain ( a team that was very good and lost to Cinti X, the eventual Ohio champion in overtime) and we were so beat up its amazing we were even able to field a team against X. Our starting qb in that game shouldn't have even played due to a shoulder injury but was forced to play because our back up qb suffered a concussion in the Colerain game after the staring qb was removed due to his shoulder injury. Last year we played X the week after we played Cinti Elder (which down by Elder's standards, was still a much bigger team in size and numbers than us). We had 4 or 5 starters not practice a play during the week leading up to X last year due to injuries (and a couple of those who played were limited due to injuries) and we had one starter not play at all against X. Every one of our starting offensive linemen played every offensive down against Elder and then played every offensive down against X. My son, whom was one of those offensive linemen, blocked a defensive line position that was two deep (and he said the drop off between the first teamer and the second teamer was marginal at best). Faftor that also into the equation, along with the extreme heat that day on the artificial turf at Paul Brown Stadium, and you'll understand why Henry and I were quite concerned about our son's well being when we met him coming off of the bus after the game.

 

BG on the other hand got to play X in the first game of the year. X, because it is predominantly a senior team, has historically played rather rough in its first game from my observation because of all the new, first year starters. I've watched both of the BG vs X games the last two years, and the improvement by X from their first to third game has been amazing (tip of the hat there to the X coaches and players). Such improvement is common when you have a team comprised of very few returning starters. Last year against BG, X had turnovers and a lot of penalties. Against us, I don't think there was one turnover and there might have been one penalty. Bottom line: I'd rather play X in their first game than in the third game and definitely would prefer not to play them right after a game against the likes of Elder and Colerain. For a small school like Highlands, with the lack of quality depth, its an extremely daunting task. So while BG has lost those two games against X than Highlands has lost to X, the scores don't tell the full story as to the comparison between BG and Highlands.

 

Again, I have a lot of respect for the BG program. However other than their performance against X in the first game of the year, I think I have good reason to wonder if their high rankings of the past are based on hype. Add into that the fact that they lost their stud running back (Hibbett) and several of their good O and D linemen, and I'm just not yet convinced they belong in the two slot ahead of Dixie and JC. JC gave CovCath all they could handle last year and they have a lot coming back, and I mean a whole lot. While Dixie didn't play very well at times last year and didn't make it deep into the 4A playoffs, with all the returning quality starters they have coming back I'd put them ahead of BG also in the preseason rankings. Heck, if I wasn't a Highlands fan, I might even put JC as 1A, Dixie as 1B and Highlands as 1C.

 

And again, I didn't mean to insult Chick or anyone supporting the BG progam. These rankings are supposed to be for fun and entertainment value. Its just a bunch of opinions and opinions are like you know whats; every one has one and some stink more than others. Maybe my opinion stinks the most:D

 

I like your points LN, but, when you make points about certain games and how they could have, should have, would have been different if this or that happened, the very same could be said about any game, anytime, anywhere... I have no problem with you feeling like BG needs to prove itself, I feel the same, but, I can tell you from more than the last game of the year, that BG was alot better than they showed in the last 2 games. I believe Lex Cath and Cov Cath were both better teams, dont get me wrong, but, I don't think they were as much better as the score indicated. If relevance is going to be taken out FTH playing those 2 closer, then BG playing St X closer would have to also be relevant.. I don't think either is relevant myself and the whole body of work throughout the year is a better barameter, imo... From that perspective, BG had the better years, but, Highlands played the better schedule, so, that could also be argued.. I personally have no problem with BG being ranked at #2, based on what they have returning and what they've accomplished the past 2 yrs... With that said, I would like to see them play better in a championship game.

[jpa2825]

BG defended the run well enough last year. CovCath's passing game seemed to soften up their D, allowing for for the Colonel running game to get going. I'm not sure the JC or Highlands passing games were effective enough to open up running lanes on BG, which would have resulted in games that could have gone either way. LexCath could throw effectively and could have done so against BG.

 

And as far as the CovCath/JC game went last year, the momentum was shifting to CovCath even as the big fullback went down. The final was 38 - 14.

 

The Russian judge scores that round 10-9 in favor of colonel-fan (much as it pains me to say that).

 

P.S. Not to open up a VERY tired topic, but I think saying "I'm not sure the JC or Highlands passing games were effective enoug to open up running lanes on BG" is being EXTREMELY GENEROUS to the HHS passing game.

[colonel-fan]

P.S. Not to open up a VERY tired topic, but I think saying "I'm not sure the JC or Highlands passing games were effective enoug to open up running lanes on BG" is being EXTREMELY GENEROUS to the HHS passing game.

 

I didn't want to ruffle any feathers in Ft. Thomas...

 

[leatherneck]

I didn't want to ruffle any feathers in Ft. Thomas...

 

 

 

None ruffled:D. I agree that we didn't pass the ball very effectively last year. I'm just not in the majority camp that says an effective passing game is absolutely necessary. Defenses have to respect the pass and I think the teams we played did respect the pass (furthermore who's going to gamble on defense and not respect the pass. All it takes is one td pass in a close game to make the difference). We ran the ball pretty effectively against the likes of Elder, St. X, DeSales and CovCath the first game even without an effective passing game (and oh, by the way, we threw a long td for a td against CovCath in the first game so I'm pretty sure CovCath was not thinking Highlands was run only in the second game.) I'm still of the opinion that if we had stuck to the running game in the second half of the second game against CovCath we'd have won that game. The interception of the first play of the second half decided the game in my opinion.

 

As for the JC game, I'll leave it to the JC fans to respond to the point about momentum swinging your way before the fullback went down as I didn't see the game. I was basing my comment on what I recall reading on here after the game.

[leatherneck]

I like your points LN, but, when you make points about certain games and how they could have, should have, would have been different if this or that happened, the very same could be said about any game, anytime, anywhere... I have no problem with you feeling like BG needs to prove itself, I feel the same, but, I can tell you from more than the last game of the year, that BG was alot better than they showed in the last 2 games. I believe Lex Cath and Cov Cath were both better teams, dont get me wrong, but, I don't think they were as much better as the score indicated. If relevance is going to be taken out FTH playing those 2 closer, then BG playing St X closer would have to also be relevant.. I don't think either is relevant myself and the whole body of work throughout the year is a better barameter, imo... From that perspective, BG had the better years, but, Highlands played the better schedule, so, that could also be argued.. I personally have no problem with BG being ranked at #2, based on what they have returning and what they've accomplished the past 2 yrs... With that said, I would like to see them play better in a championship game.

 

 

Fair points. I don't necessary agree with all of them, but they are certainly defendable.

[JC Alumni 76]

None ruffled:D. I agree that we didn't pass the ball very effectively last year. I'm just not in the majority camp that says an effective passing game is absolutely necessary. Defenses have to respect the pass and I think the teams we played did respect the pass (furthermore who's going to gamble on defense and not respect the pass. All it takes is one td pass in a close game to make the difference). We ran the ball pretty effectively against the likes of Elder, St. X, DeSales and CovCath the first game even without an effective passing game (and oh, by the way, we threw a long td for a td against CovCath in the first game so I'm pretty sure CovCath was not thinking Highlands was run only in the second game.) I'm still of the opinion that if we had stuck to the running game in the second half of the second game against CovCath we'd have won that game. The interception of the first play of the second half decided the game in my opinion.

 

As for the JC game, I'll leave it to the JC fans to respond to the point about momentum swinging your way before the fullback went down as I didn't see the game. I was basing my comment on what I recall reading on here after the game.

 

I personally as a JC fan can see where Colonel Fan is coming from. The momentum was in favor of Cov. Cath due to there quick strike capibilities before FB Johnson went down BUT I believe had Johnson not gone down you would have had a much closer game due to the fact that JC's run game could have kept CC explosive offense off the field. Dont believe JC could have won, but the game would have been closer than 38-14.

[jbwill2]

Is Highlands still going to play Trotwood (Ohio) Madison? It's not listed on the KHSAA's schedule or the BGP's preview of HHS.

[Henry521]

Is Highlands still going to play Trotwood (Ohio) Madison? It's not listed on the KHSAA's schedule or the BGP's preview of HHS.

 

Sept. 2 6:00 Nippert Stadium

[theguru]

To add to Henry's post, the BGP scoreboard has been updated to reflect the TM game.

 

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