Rocks defensive finally seems to be coming together. Great win against a better than 6-6 Ballard team.

 

Two down three to go!

Who is next for Trinity?

Rocks defensive finally seems to be coming together. Great win against a better than 6-6 Ballard team.

 

Two down three to go!

 

 

Offense, not so much.

Who is next for Trinity?

 

Eastern, whose only loss is to Trinity.

 

Inexplicably, T QB Smyth throws 4 interceptions, one returned for a TD on the first play of the game. Maybe the cold weather got to him. T loses a fumble, for a total of 5 turnovers. In pretty much one of the few 4-quarter games Trinity has played, Ballard has 134 in total offense while T has 341.

I agree with CentreRocks: Ballard is much better than than their record would indicate.

Eastern, whose only loss is to Trinity.

 

Inexplicably, T QB Smyth throws 4 interceptions, one returned for a TD on the first play of the game. Maybe the cold weather got to him. T loses a fumble, for a total of 5 turnovers. In pretty much one of the few 4-quarter games Trinity has played, Ballard has 134 in total offense while T has 341.

I agree with CentreRocks: Ballard is much better than than their record would indicate.

 

 

Coach Jackson will really turn them into a competitor.

I am happy we came out with the win and despite the fact that we put up 37 on Ballard I did not come away very happy with this game. The defense is playing well but if our offense plays like that against a team like St.X we will be down by 21 in the second quarter.

This game went about the way I thought it would. It was a tough, hard fought game. In a few years I think Coach Jackson will have Ballard contending.

Some complimentary things said here about our program...and that's appreciated. But the credit for the strides made from game 1 to game 12 goes to our kids much more than our coach. They had a LOT to overcome this year with learning completely foreign offensive, defensive, and special teams systems and a very rocky start.

 

I'd read elsewhere that our program might contend one day 'if the people at Ballard allow him to do what he wants,' and I just wanted to express on the only board I post on that nobody at Ballard since I got here has been in any way less than 100% supportive to doing what it takes to compete at the highest level.

 

That being said, there IS a plan in place to compete better than we did this year.

 

First, it'll involve not taking ANY kind of solace in "playing them tough" or "hanging in til the 4th quarter." We will strive not to be just someone to "give them a good challenge" before their mettle is tested for real against St. X in the only game that 'really matters.'

 

Next, it'll involve NEVER complaining about the 'advantages' held by the private schools, but rather we will be doing as much of what they currently do as we can because they're the right things to do. People that emphasize their "advantages" all day long to kids are being COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE! Those perceived advantages give kids the feeling that they're something those of us in public schools could never hope to achieve.

 

As a matter of fact, we will actually play up the advantages WE have over THEM -- a first-class college-preparatory program emphasizing AP classes in virtually every subject, a great faculty, and a proven track-record of sending kids to college as prepared as any in the state. While both X and T offers those things too, we will emphasize that we do it all at NO COST to the parents (that's GOT to mean something in today's tough economic times).

 

We will promote the way we provide year-round in-school strength/speed/explosiveness training coupled WITH certified ACT preparation for three years for our football players...all at no cost to the parents.

 

There's open enrollment in the Jefferson County public schools, and as long as that's the case and we have the kind of reputable academic program we have, there's no reason to complain that two schools do too good a job attracting great student-athletes to their schools.

 

Like they do, we will aggressively and legally promote our school and what it has to offer. We will continue to attract top-notch athletes from the public school youth leagues, but from now on will keep him ONLY IF he has a track-record of discipline on and off the field, has proven he values academic success, and understands the importance of respect of authority. Otherwise -- regardless of athletic ability -- he'll be asked to leave. We WILL be known as a program that plays its best TEAM and not necessarily its best ATHLETES.

 

Further, we will welcome with open arms any of the hundreds of well-coached kids from the parochial leagues looking for an opportunity to play for a program that -- like X and T -- values DISCIPLINE, COMMITMENT, CHARACTER, is COMMITTED to WORK to improve himself in the off-season, wants a coaching staff that will work countless hours helping him get where he wants after high school and might want the opportunity to compete on the varsity level BEFORE his senior season.

 

We will emphasize the advantage we have in the prospect of being part of the START of a great tradition rather than simply adding to one that already exists.

 

We will never refuse to play them hoping they'll jump out of the KHSAA...rather, we will play them EVERY opportunity we can so we can get to know our enemy inside and out (the 1980 US Hockey team challenged the Soviets to a scrimmage 3 days before the Olympics and were mercilessly beaten 10-3). We hope they stay IN the KHSAA -- when we do it, it won't mean as much to win it all without them in it.

 

We will have a full staff of coaches that understand the game very well and are skilled teachers of it, but that understand coaching is FIRST about building RELATIONSHIPS with the kids they coach and building in them a FOUNDATION of respect, integrity, and character...and that loving to win and hating to lose is only a very close second. Thank God, this is something in place already!

 

We will aggressively approach those that can help us to improve our facilities until they rival those we must beat. Unfortunately, this is something NOT in place already...but the gears are in motion.

 

We refuse to take the approach others have. We know it won't happen overnight, but the ground is fertile at Ballard and the seeds are there to be planted and cultivated. We will approach the problem of "the gap" like only a FEW in the state have (Highlands, Boyle County to name a couple). We will have a PRIVATE SCHOOL MENTALITY/WORK-ETHIC in a PUBLIC SCHOOL situation.

 

...when that happens, we will hopefully stop taking compliments for "playing them tough."

Some complimentary things said here about our program...and that's appreciated.

...

...when that happens, we will hopefully stop taking compliments for "playing them tough."

Wow. :thumb:

Good stuff CoachJ, thanks for sharing your thoughts and Good luck going forward.

Offense, not so much.

 

Ballard's defensive coordinator is Shawn Thompson. Shawn came to Mason County in 1997. Four years later we won our first region title in school history. Shawn played for Chuck Smith and Perry Thomas at Campbellsville HS. Shawn is a brilliant defensive mind with a very strong work ethic. He did a great job with our defense here at Mason and is a good fit for Coach Jackson who is also an outstanding football coach. These two guys would give the energizer bunny a run for his money. :lol:

Coach J, I've always appreciated the posts by both yourself and Chief Smoke. Very good post, sounds like Ballard would be a good place to attend for any HS student/athlete.

Coach J, I've always appreciated the posts by both yourself and Chief Smoke. Very good post, sounds like Ballard would be a good place to attend for any HS student/athlete.

 

 

Ballard is a VERY good school.

With that kind of attitude/commitment, Ballard will soon be joining the ranks "the other guys". Good Luck Coach!

Coach Jackson, we've communicated numerous times, and I have always thought you are the best man for that gold mine. Here's to you achieving a ton of success...