After two almost completed seasons the Brossart football program is still looking for their first win. While I commend everyone involved, it may be time to take a look back and see if a few seasons back to JV football may be the right thing to do?? While I am not sure how this would work out with the KHSAA, I am sure that if they made an appeal to the KHSAA Board of Control to return to JV football for a few years to give the program time to mature and grow they would understand that this would be for the best interest of the kids playing and for the development of the program. I know in other sports teams have not had the numbers to compete at the varsity level they stepped away from varsity competition for a few years and once the numbers were where they were needed they moved back to the varsity level.

 

This in no way is a knock on what the fine people at Bishop Brossart are trying to accomplish, but lets face facts, they were forced to move into varsity competition and the program just was not ready. If you take a look at Walton Verona, they spent their time at the JV level, grew, got bigger and stronger, and at the right time made the move and are having some success.

 

The southern area of Campbell County is starting to grow and with that fact the chances for growth of the school and program is going to happen. They have a great young, agressive coaching staff that can make the program one of the upmost respect, but as we all know it will take time to build.

 

I feel parents would rather see their son compete and win or at least be in a position to win instead of taking consistant losses by large scores. What a possible solution may be is to take a look at the future and how the growth should happen, make the correct decision and do it. If it does involve in stepping back to JV for a few seasons to build the program there is nothing wrong in doing so. Than, when it is time, make that move back to varsity competition when they are ready. This will take care of that good athlete that gets away to other schools and keep him at a school that is in his backyard. This will also allow the parents to watch a game and not worry if their son is going to be subject to injury due to the size and strenght of the other teams because of a senior playing against a freshmen or sophmore.

 

Again, I am not sure of the rule and if the move back for a few years is even possible, but if it is this may be something to consider. This is not to put down the Brossart program, just a thread for discussion on possible alternatives to help the program become successful.

 

Good luck Mustangs in whatever happens.

How have other programs recently started their programs. Cooper has done it, but they had some incoming experience, albeit from another schools program. We have other new schools that have had to be in similar situations. Didn't Pendleton start a youth program prior to them getting a HS program?

242, I agree 100% with you as do most in our camp.

 

Had we to do it over again, we would have probably stayed JV for another season or two until we could get a Junior High team/program in place and infuse our roster with some experienced players, or at very least played an independent schedule of varsity football (i.e. Walton-Verona).

 

With the re-alignment of districts taking place last year we were forced into making a hasty decision, which for better or worse we decided to give a go. Again hindsight being 20/20 if we had it to do over again, we probably (certainly) wouldn't have gone that route. However, you can't just jump in and out of district play on an annual basis or whenever it befits you. A commitment is a commitment. We are in the process of revaming the non-district part of our schedule to provide these guys some teams of their own caliber with which to compete. At the moment we are a very young junior varsity caliber football team with few varsity level players.

 

We've learned that football isn't basketball, cross-country, fast-pitch softball, soccer, track, golf, bowling or any of the other sports where we have enjoyed so much success. Football is hard. It takes lots of guys with varying skill levels and degrees of talent. We have learned that experience is invaluable and proper technique is essential. The good news is that freshmen become sophomores and sophomores become juniors etc., etc..

 

Twenty-two present 8th Graders from our district feeder grade schools showed an interest in becoming Brossart football players at our recent Open House. However, without a Junior High team in place, we are, as Coach Reinhart has been quoted as saying, "a house without a foundation."

 

I also agree that our football program is a critical stage, but we have enthusiastic coaches who believe in the day when Brossart will play on the grandest stages but fully realize that it is going to be a long hard journey to get there.

 

In our 385 (9-12) student enrollment, with over half being girls, our male athlete population is stretched pretty thin as it is, with Golf, Cross-Country, Soccer, and Basketball competing for athletes in the fall and winter. Take the top athletes from our soccer and basketball teams and I think you would find a whole different Brossart football team. However, those guys are already spoken for, and our five feeder schools provide grade school soccer and basketball programs, (even Cross-Country (2 of them),) but no football, so the typical Brossart football athlete is presently a student who has no association with either of those sports, and join the football program as 1st year football players. Until we start our Junior High team we will always be rebuilding with 1st year football players who will be asked to compete against other schools, many where football is their primary sport. We are also in a Catch 22 for good homegrown football players - We can't attract them because we are not competitive, and we're not competitive because we can't attract quality experienced football players.

 

Brossart is starting wrestling this winter. We will be the only Cathloic high school in the diocese to offer it. It will certainly benefit the football program in the long run and give some of our non-basketball athletes an opportunity to compete and mature during the off-season. Coach Reinhart and his staff will also have the benefit of spring practices and experience in a passing league, with a full year in the weight-room between this season and next. None of this took place during the previous off-season.

 

Hopefully, it will all pay off.

How have other programs recently started their programs. Cooper has done it, but they had some incoming experience, albeit from another schools program. We have other new schools that have had to be in similar situations. Didn't Pendleton start a youth program prior to them getting a HS program?

 

Cooper is a 6-A school with numbers, and I still might disagree with their decision to move right to varsity. Pendleton is still struggling to get the numbers after about six years I think, although they've had some success with the kids they've got.

 

I would say locally Walton-Verona has been the model that BBHS should have followed in hindsight--Start at the middle school level, and move to frosh/JV and then to varsity when the kids you started with are nearing the end of HS.

 

I'll leave it for others closer to the program to predict the future, but 242 makes some good points--Sometimes it's necessary to take a step backwards to move forward!!

I think that Cooper had no choice on JV or Varsity.

 

One mentions growthin Campbell County could hel[p the Brossart Program, my question is, what can Brossart accommdate in student enrollment?

Good post Mustang. So their Jr. High program will consist of kids from their feeders? St. Mary, St. Joe Camp Spring, SPP, & St. Phillip are the schools I can think of. Did I miss anyone?

Good post Mustang. So their Jr. High program will consist of kids from their feeders? St. Mary, St. Joe Camp Spring, SPP, & St. Phillip are the schools I can think of. Did I miss anyone?

St. Joe, Cold Spring and St. John, Johns Hill Parish.

St. Joe, Cold Spring and St. John, Johns Hill Parish.

 

Will the St. Mary and St. Joe kids who play for NewCath's JR. High team going to get to make a choice, or will they have to play for Brossart?

Will the St. Mary and St. Joe kids who play for NewCath's JR. High team going to get to make a choice, or will they have to play for Brossart?

 

I'm pretty sure the KHSAA did not pass the feeder school rule. I would assume they'd have their choice as to where they wanted to play.

 

St. John is in Wilder correct? Do they have a school? The only thing I have seen there is a church, deer, a cemetary and police men running radar...not to be confused with the deer and the cemetary.

Will the St. Mary and St. Joe kids who play for NewCath's JR. High team going to get to make a choice, or will they have to play for Brossart?

 

Good question. Will it be the same as other sports and you will only be able to play for your feeder High School. Will that mean the kids will also be unable to play for the Ft. Thomas Football league as well as NewCath's Jr. High program?

242, I agree 100% with you as do most in our camp.

 

Had we to do it over again, we would have probably stayed JV for another season or two until we could get a Junior High team/program in place and infuse our roster with some experienced players, or at very least played an independent schedule of varsity football (i.e. Walton-Verona).

 

With the re-alignment of districts taking place last year we were forced into making a hasty decision, which for better or worse we decided to give a go. Again hindsight being 20/20 if we had it to do over again, we probably (certainly) wouldn't have gone that route. However, you can't just jump in and out of district play on an annual basis or whenever it befits you. A commitment is a commitment. We are in the process of revaming the non-district part of our schedule to provide these guys some teams of their own caliber with which to compete. At the moment we are a very young junior varsity caliber football team with few varsity level players.

 

We've learned that football isn't basketball, cross-country, fast-pitch softball, soccer, track, golf, bowling or any of the other sports where we have enjoyed so much success. Football is hard. It takes lots of guys with varying skill levels and degrees of talent. We have learned that experience is invaluable and proper technique is essential. The good news is that freshmen become sophomores and sophomores become juniors etc., etc..

 

Twenty-two present 8th Graders from our district feeder grade schools showed an interest in becoming Brossart football players at our recent Open House. However, without a Junior High team in place, we are, as Coach Reinhart has been quoted as saying, "a house without a foundation."

 

I also agree that our football program is a critical stage, but we have enthusiastic coaches who believe in the day when Brossart will play on the grandest stages but fully realize that it is going to be a long hard journey to get there.

 

In our 385 (9-12) student enrollment, with over half being girls, our male athlete population is stretched pretty thin as it is, with Golf, Cross-Country, Soccer, and Basketball competing for athletes in the fall and winter. Take the top athletes from our soccer and basketball teams and I think you would find a whole different Brossart football team. However, those guys are already spoken for, and our five feeder schools provide grade school soccer and basketball programs, (even Cross-Country (2 of them),) but no football, so the typical Brossart football athlete is presently a student who has no association with either of those sports, and join the football program as 1st year football players. Until we start our Junior High team we will always be rebuilding with 1st year football players who will be asked to compete against other schools, many where football is their primary sport. We are also in a Catch 22 for good homegrown football players - We can't attract them because we are not competitive, and we're not competitive because we can't attract quality experienced football players.

 

Brossart is starting wrestling this winter. We will be the only Cathloic high school in the diocese to offer it. It will certainly benefit the football program in the long run and give some of our non-basketball athletes an opportunity to compete and mature during the off-season. Coach Reinhart and his staff will also have the benefit of spring practices and experience in a passing league, with a full year in the weight-room between this season and next. None of this took place during the previous off-season.

 

Hopefully, it will all pay off.

 

I am very excited about them starting the wrestling team.

This is not an attempted knock on any program and let me also say, I too, believe that a successful HS program starts in Middle School. But I was wondering, CovCath never had a middle school football team until this past season. How were they able to have a long successful football tradition? If the answer is, they get kids from the NKYFL, wouldn't Brossart be able to get some of those kids also?

 

Good luck to the Brossart Football Program.

CovCath never had a middle school football team until this past season. How were they able to have a long successful football tradition? If the answer is, they get kids from the NKYFL, wouldn't Brossart be able to get some of those kids also?

 

Good luck to the Brossart Football Program.

Having 500 boys to choose from and having an established football program with a tradition of excellence in place might be a good place to start looking to discover why they have been able to succeed without a middle-school program.

 

I would venture to agree that they get most of their experienced players from the NKYFL, primarily the Bengal Tigers and Fort Mitchell Spartans, with some spillover from the Dixie Youth Raiders and perhaps the Erlanger Lions.

 

Brossart has one NKYFL possibility and that would be from the Red Devils program, where I hope our coaches have been knocking down their doors. However, the Red Devils graduate players to NCC and Campbell County, leaving little left over for the "come lately" Mustangs. While the top flight players are going to continue to gravitate to the established programs, any experienced players that we could secure from their program would be a plus.

 

I said in a previous post, the Brossart athlete pool is already stretched thin with soccer and basketball claiming the majority of the school's primary player base, therefore necessitating a middle-school team/program as a must, whereas it might not be such a high priority at a school such as CovCath.

This is not an attempted knock on any program and let me also say, I too, believe that a successful HS program starts in Middle School. But I was wondering, CovCath never had a middle school football team until this past season. How were they able to have a long successful football tradition? If the answer is, they get kids from the NKYFL, wouldn't Brossart be able to get some of those kids also?

 

Good luck to the Brossart Football Program.

 

Frist off, CovCath has had football for about 40 years; and struggled when they first started as well. That said, they were in the 600 "boys only" range back then, and drew kids from established NKYFL programs such as Spartans, Raiders, Bengal Tigers; as well as the Erlanger, Ludlow and Boone County youth leagues.

 

Their primary feeders (St. Pius, St. Agnes, Blessed Sacrament, St. Joes-Crescent Springs) have long fed many players into the NKYFL; and they benefited for many years as the only football option in Kenton and Boone counties for families seeking a Catholic education for their kids.

 

While they were able to rely on the NKYFL youth leagues for years (as has Beechwood I believe), its a lot easier under their circumstances than Brossart's. BBHS has to compete for athletes from their own feeders with established programs like NCC, Campbell and even Highlands on occasion, and is not near the size of CovCath--Definately not an apples to apples comparison??

I'm pretty sure the KHSAA did not pass the feeder school rule. I would assume they'd have their choice as to where they wanted to play.

 

St. John is in Wilder correct? Do they have a school? The only thing I have seen there is a church, deer, a cemetary and police men running radar...not to be confused with the deer and the cemetary.

 

A lot more of those two, than potential football players running around down Wilder-way!!