OK, a team is beaten consistently by a larger school that they compete with for students. Several of those defeats were by large margins. And some are criticizing the school for scheduling more games. I say NCC is doing the absolute right thing.

 

I normally say play the best competition possible, but there are times when that is not the best thing for a program.

In my opinion, NCC has a lot to lose by playing Highlands. NCC gets a whole lot of Catholic kids from FT. If Highlands was to beat NCC by a lot of points, it could have some effect on where younger kids wanted to go to high school. Sure some parents will insist that their kids to to a Catholic high school and force their kids to NCC. However other parents might not be so concerned about sending their kids to a Catholic high school and leave it up to the kid. If you were an 8th grader, really into football and had seen Highlands beat NCC handily the prior Fall, you might be more inclined to go to Highlands than NCC. Without a yearly match up, the people trying to convince the kid to go to NCC can at least claim that NCC is as good of a football team as Highlands. If they start playing and Highlands wins big in a lot of years, that claim goes out the window.

 

I'm not so sure. Kids go to Highlands now over NewCath b/c it offers more recognition. Getting beat by 60 won't do anything to change that view. Kids, parents, and the community understand that in most seasons Highlands will beat NewCath. Often times it will not be close. Ultimately most kids from Ft. Thomas go to NewCath for the Catholic education. The others go b/c they feel that they'll get to play there as opposed to sitting at Highlands. Now, if NewCath somehow wins...that would be huge. I watched Highlands beat NewCath 4 years in a row and still wanted to go to NewCath b/c A. I couldn't stand the arrogance and B. I am 3rd generation NewCath. A lot of the families are still that way. Don't forget, NewCath's most successful decade started the just after Highlands beat NewCath by 63.

OK, a team is beaten consistently by a larger school that they compete with for students. Several of those defeats were by large margins. And some are criticizing the school for scheduling more games. I say NCC is doing the absolute right thing.

 

I normally say play the best competition possible, but there are times when that is not the best thing for a program.

 

Bingo!

I'm not so sure. Kids go to Highlands now over NewCath b/c it offers more recognition. Getting beat by 60 won't do anything to change that view. Kids, parents, and the community understand that in most seasons Highlands will beat NewCath. Often times it will not be close. Ultimately most kids from Ft. Thomas go to NewCath for the Catholic education. The others go b/c they feel that they'll get to play there as opposed to sitting at Highlands. Now, if NewCath somehow wins...that would be huge. I watched Highlands beat NewCath 4 years in a row and still wanted to go to NewCath b/c A. I couldn't stand the arrogance and B. I am 3rd generation NewCath. A lot of the families are still that way. Don't forget, NewCath's most successful decade started the just after Highlands beat NewCath by 63.

 

You may be right, but the 3rd generation point should not be lost sight of. It may somewhat cloud your assessment of what kids without that lineage would do. There are a lot of Catholic kids in Ft. Thomas without that lineage. Their parents may have graduated from St. Thomas, Cinti X, Brossart or they may have moved into town from outside the area, thus having no ties to NCC. If you are a really good middle school football player really into playing high school football, seeing a high school you are considering attending getting beat badly, particularly when a lot of your neighborhood buds are going to Highlands, just may influence the decision of kids not as tied to NCC as you were. I'm not talking about a lot of kids being influenced that way. But if only one or two really good players a year from FT or out in the County were to decide to go to Highlands over NCC because of NCC getting beaten by Highlands, it would have an impact on NCC's team I'd think.

 

I agree with you that a lot of the FT kids go because of the religion. I'm not talking about them.

 

I just don't see the occassional win by NCC being worth "the risk" if I'm NCC's coach. Particularly when things have gone remarkably well for NCC since they stopped playing one another. Only reason I can see the series resuming is if NCC becomes so financially strapped that they have to start playing again for the revenue.

 

But who knows, I may be wrong. It won't be the first or last time that occurred/occurs.

You may be right, but the 3rd generation point should not be lost sight of. It may somewhat cloud your assessment of what kids without that lineage would do. There are a lot of Catholic kids in Ft. Thomas without that lineage. Their parents may have graduated from St. Thomas, Cinti X, Brossart or they may have moved into town from outside the area, thus having no ties to NCC. If you are a really good middle school football player really into playing high school football, seeing a high school you are considering attending getting beat badly, particularly when a lot of your neighborhood buds are going to Highlands, just may influence the decision of kids not as tied to NCC as you were. I'm not talking about a lot of kids being influenced that way. But if only one or two really good players a year from FT or out in the County were to decide to go to Highlands over NCC because of NCC getting beaten by Highlands, it would have an impact on NCC's team I'd think.

 

I agree with you that a lot of the FT kids go because of the religion. I'm not talking about them.

 

I just don't see the occassional win by NCC being worth "the risk" if I'm NCC's coach. Particularly when things have gone remarkably well for NCC since they stopped playing one another. Only reason I can see the series resuming is if NCC becomes so financially strapped that they have to start playing again for the revenue.

 

But who knows, I may be wrong. It won't be the first or last time that occurred/occurs.

 

LN,

 

Very nice point and it shows that I might have been racing with blinders today. I can see this view from the Hill as well. I assume most choose NCC for the catholic eduction; some athletes like to be the big fish in the smaller pond. I have seen some very fine players waiting their time playing behind the older boys hoping for an opportunity at HHS; so they might have an opportunity earlier at a smaller school. I just know it is a big rivalry in baseball and basketball for both male and female kids and would like for it to be in football. I am not so sure they are losing out on the parochial kids now; more and more families are considering schools on Dixie HWY.

Ncc has no reason to play Highlands, out of 29 games they have only won 7 times

Ncc has no reason to play Highlands, out of 29 games they have only won 7 times

 

As much as I hate to admit this, thats actually not that bad in comparison to the other NKY schools. With the exception of CovCath, I don't think there is another NKY team that has played Highlands more than 10 times in the past 30 years with a better percentage.

 

I am not saying that NewCath should play Highlands, but the sad but true facts about Highlands is that they have dominated most schools over the past 30 or 40 years.

Any chance of getting Andy Miller out to QB? As a frosh, I thought he had great potential.

 

I know that last year he tried his hand hitting the little white golf ball. He was very successful. I too would like to see him return to the grid iron; but I am sure he will be successful in either sport.

As much as I hate to admit this, thats actually not that bad in comparison to the other NKY schools. With the exception of CovCath, I don't think there is another NKY team that has played Highlands more than 10 times in the past 30 years with a better percentage.

 

I am not saying that NewCath should play Highlands, but the sad but true facts about Highlands is that they have dominated most schools over the past 30 or 40 years.

 

That's a fair point. The difference with NCC playing Highlands as opposed to other schools playing and losing to Highlands, if you subscribe to my previously posted theory, is that losses (particularly big losses) to Highlands could impact kids' decisions to attend NCC. Campbell County doesn't play Highlands either. It may be a coincidence that schools that are more likely to lose students to Highlands, don't play Highlands. But I don't think so.

 

Just some speculation on my part as to why NCC doesn't play Highlands. Perhaps that will change with the new coach. We'll see next year.

I would rather see Highlands pick-up Lexington Catholic next year.

I believe the main reason NewCath and Highlands don't play anymore is all the fights that happen after the games between the students. I know that the NewCath football players are not even permitted to go up to a Highlands game during a NCC bye week because of that reason. I know the players would love to play but the student fans have been out of control.

I believe the main reason NewCath and Highlands don't play anymore is all the fights that happen after the games between the students. I know that the NewCath football players are not even permitted to go up to a Highlands game during a NCC bye week because of that reason. I know the players would love to play but the student fans have been out of control.

 

I hadn't heard or thought of that before. Do you know: are there problems when the basketball teams meet? I hadn't heard of any.

I believe the main reason NewCath and Highlands don't play anymore is all the fights that happen after the games between the students. I know that the NewCath football players are not even permitted to go up to a Highlands game during a NCC bye week because of that reason. I know the players would love to play but the student fans have been out of control.

 

That was in the early 90's and there was a pretty significant incident during the Mud Bowl while a NewCath and Bellevue student were waiting for a ride home, but nothing else serious while I was up there from 94-98. They stopped playing after the '98 season and my brothers didn't say that anything had really happened. They don't play b/c it was a personal preference of the coaches. By the way, how do we know that this is all Schneider? How do we know that after things cooled off after losing by 62 that there weren't talks that couldn't be hammered out over scheduling reasons. I don't know for sure, but I believe that a couple years after Highlands started scheduling Elder, the Columbus schools, and Colerain on or around that week. Why would Highlands give up high profile games like that? Trust me, NewCath is not afraid of Highlands, look at the success the school has in the other sports vs. the Birds. in terms of football, win or lose by 60 you are getting the Breds best regardless of who you are. If Highlands is a better team, so be it.

Highlands/NCC used to be such a great rivalry. Are the goal posts still painted blue and gold up at Highlands from a great prank around 79?

Trust me, NewCath is not afraid of Highlands, look at the success the school has in the other sports vs. the Birds.

Apples and oranges when talking about other sports versus football at Highlands.