I find that very, very hard to believe, considering what the team does now.

 

I agree!!! Maybe Highlands back in the day had a couple of burners but in noway the same kind of team speed as we know today...Not even close!!!

Tom Duffy had a losing record against coach Ray, Mueller a winning record. Highlands was soft before Duffy got there. Sure there were kids that didn't play football because of him, but the talent toughed it out and played. No Highlands team has been faster than the 1989 team. I'd be surprised if they have anyone today that runs a forty in the sub 4.5's. Highlands had 3 in 1989. 1992 had 6 in the 4.5's and 1 in the 4.4's. The one was a kicker, but ended up being a football player the next year. The offense's today would be un-comprahendable to both of those teams. Even with each of their's respectable speeds. I'd almost say that Gallecio would run circles around these teams. He was "that" fast.

 

I would have to agree that Highlands was in shambles during Eicher, but for a Highlands. They might have continued to have 60+ on the team, made the playoffs, but they would have diluted the talent with the untalented boys who's fathers had big names in the community. Anyone that has ever played for Highlands will tell you it happened, and still happens. And even Duffy did it.....with his son Duffer.

Tom Duffy had a losing record against coach Ray, Mueller a winning record. Highlands was soft before Duffy got there. Sure there were kids that didn't play football because of him, but the talent toughed it out and played. No Highlands team has been faster than the 1989 team. I'd be surprised if they have anyone today that runs a forty in the sub 4.5's. Highlands had 3 in 1989. 1992 had 6 in the 4.5's and 1 in the 4.4's. The one was a kicker, but ended up being a football player the next year. The offense's today would be un-comprahendable to both of those teams. Even with each of their's respectable speeds. I'd almost say that Gallecio would run circles around these teams. He was "that" fast.

 

I would have to agree that Highlands was in shambles during Eicher, but for a Highlands. They might have continued to have 60+ on the team, made the playoffs, but they would have diluted the talent with the untalented boys who's fathers had big names in the community. Anyone that has ever played for Highlands will tell you it happened, and still happens. And even Duffy did it.....with his son Duffer.

 

Wow!:confused:

I will defer to those who have followed the HHS program closely over the years, but I would have to say that the HHS football program circa 1987 was in a very different position than it is right now. I never played football for Coach Duffy (or for anyone else, for that matter), but he was my track coach. With what I had observed with Coach Duffy and what I've heard about Coach Mueller, I would choose Coach Mueller to coach my son (if I had one) every day of the week. However, Coach Duffy, in my opinion, served an important role in quickly restoring the HHS program to championship form. I think it is fair to wonder what would have happened if Coach Duffy had stayed at HHS longer. I have heard stories that Duffy's coaching philosophy/mentality was having a negative impact on youth football in Ft. Thomas, and if this was the case he probably left just at the right time. One thing's for sure: Coach Mueller is the PERFECT coach for Highlands to have at this stage in the program's development, and given how successful the program has been of late, how many kids are coming out for football, and how hard they are working, I think a real case can be made the HHS football program has NEVER been stronger.

 

Yes, and the beginning of Boys Soccer program at Highlands. Yeah I know Soccer was probably around much earlier than this time but I doubt that there was ever a Soccer team as physical as Highlands was at that time. Also, I highly doubt that Duffy just left, I believe he was sprinting out of Ft Thomas or wanted.

Tom Duffy had a losing record against coach Ray, Mueller a winning record. Highlands was soft before Duffy got there. Sure there were kids that didn't play football because of him, but the talent toughed it out and played. No Highlands team has been faster than the 1989 team. I'd be surprised if they have anyone today that runs a forty in the sub 4.5's. Highlands had 3 in 1989. 1992 had 6 in the 4.5's and 1 in the 4.4's. The one was a kicker, but ended up being a football player the next year. The offense's today would be un-comprahendable to both of those teams. Even with each of their's respectable speeds. I'd almost say that Gallecio would run circles around these teams. He was "that" fast.

 

I would have to agree that Highlands was in shambles during Eicher, but for a Highlands. They might have continued to have 60+ on the team, made the playoffs, but they would have diluted the talent with the untalented boys who's fathers had big names in the community. Anyone that has ever played for Highlands will tell you it happened, and still happens. And even Duffy did it.....with his son Duffer.

So, you're telling me that the players on some of Duffy's teams were faster than guys like Austin Collinsworth and Will Bardo from the 2009 squad? How fast is Collinsworth in the 40?

 

If Duffy's teams were really that good (and maybe they were), then all I have to say is: Paducah Tilghman must have had one heck of a program back in the late '80s/early '90s, because HHS was fortunate to pull out wins against PT in those state title games.

Yes, and the beginning of Boys Soccer program at Highlands. Yeah I know Soccer was probably around much earlier than this time but I doubt that there was ever a Soccer team as physical as Highlands was at that time. Also, I highly doubt that Duffy just left, I believe he was sprinting out of Ft Thomas or wanted.

Perhaps I am mistaken, but I have been under the impression Coach Duffy left Highlands (and took the Henderson County job) on his own accord. I know he had quite a few enemies in Fort Thomas at the time, but I was not aware he was forced out.

Geez, is UKfan using an alias name? Are you kidding me.

Tom Duffy had a losing record against coach Ray, Mueller a winning record. Highlands was soft before Duffy got there. Sure there were kids that didn't play football because of him, but the talent toughed it out and played. No Highlands team has been faster than the 1989 team. I'd be surprised if they have anyone today that runs a forty in the sub 4.5's. Highlands had 3 in 1989. 1992 had 6 in the 4.5's and 1 in the 4.4's. The one was a kicker, but ended up being a football player the next year. The offense's today would be un-comprahendable to both of those teams. Even with each of their's respectable speeds. I'd almost say that Gallecio would run circles around these teams. He was "that" fast.

 

I would have to agree that Highlands was in shambles during Eicher, but for a Highlands. They might have continued to have 60+ on the team, made the playoffs, but they would have diluted the talent with the untalented boys who's fathers had big names in the community. Anyone that has ever played for Highlands will tell you it happened, and still happens. And even Duffy did it.....with his son Duffer.

 

Its rough to come out of the gate on your first post and just be factually wrong. That first paragraph is unbelievable to me its so far off base.

The one was a kicker, but ended up being a football player the next year.

I'm confused. Do you not consider a kicker to be an actual football player?

It was actually his 2nd post. Let's just say his 1st post was one of those show stoppers that don't last very long on BGP. Welcome aboard young man or lady....

In the four seasons that Jack Eicher coached, (1984-1987), the team was 28-12 (70%). Duffy's six teams (1988-1993) were 60-15 (80%). Dale Mueller's 16 teams are 194-32 (85.8%). So, although some of his teams of select players did have more overall success than their immediate predecessors, you could hardly consider him some kind of savior of the program. He had three good seasons, in which the teams' combined record were 37-4; however, those were interspersed with three of his teams that had a combined record of 23-11.

In the four seasons that Jack Eicher coached, (1984-1987), the team was 28-12 (70%). Duffy's six teams (1988-1993) were 60-15 (80%). Dale Mueller's 16 teams are 194-32 (85.8%). So, although some of his teams of select players did have more overall success than their immediate predecessors, you could hardly consider him some kind of savior of the program. He had three good seasons, in which the teams' combined record were 37-4; however, those were interspersed with three of his teams that had a combined record of 23-11.

 

State Championships for each coach Birdsfan??? As that is the measuring stick in Fort Thomas?? That is where Eicher didn't measure up to coaches that came before him or followed him.

Perhaps I am mistaken, but I have been under the impression Coach Duffy left Highlands (and took the Henderson County job) on his own accord. I know he had quite a few enemies in Fort Thomas at the time, but I was not aware he was forced out.

 

Duffy ruffled a lot of feathers in Fort Thomas, some for more personal reasons than others, but I don't think that was his undoing as much as he had no real supporters. No one really seemed to like the guy. I'm sure there are plenty of people who will say he was forced out, and others who will argue forever that he was not. At the end of the day, I think both parties knew it was best for everyone for a ride into the sunset.

Duffy ruffled a lot of feathers in Fort Thomas, some for more personal reasons than others, but I don't think that was his undoing as much as he had no real supporters. No one really seemed to like the guy. I'm sure there are plenty of people who will say he was forced out, and others who will argue forever that he was not. At the end of the day, I think both parties knew it was best for everyone for a ride into the sunset.

 

This was usually by his doing and his choice and not a result of the supporters of the program. I will never forget as long as I live the day I walked up to him immediately after his hiring and introduced myself and welcomed him to Ft Thomas and to the Highlands fraternity and offered a "Mans" handshake and he snubbed me and walked away like a little kid. Needless to say, that began a very interesting love hate relationship for me of HHS during those times. Go Birds 20n10

Edited July 22, 201016 yr by Ram
Rule 8

Duffy ruffled a lot of feathers in Fort Thomas, some for more personal reasons than others, but I don't think that was his undoing as much as he had no real supporters. No one really seemed to like the guy. I'm sure there are plenty of people who will say he was forced out, and others who will argue forever that he was not. At the end of the day, I think both parties knew it was best for everyone for a ride into the sunset.

 

While I agree with much of your post, I don't agree with the bolded part. Tom certainly had his supporters and they were real. His players and their parents thought very highly of him. There were many others that while they didn't like him or agree with all of his methods, thought he was one heck of a coach. He still, to me, is the best Xs and Os high school coach that I have ever seen. Tom liked to say there were football players and there were kids that wanted to be on the team. Tom didn't want to deal with the latter group. He never cut kids as some have alleged over the years. He did make his practices very tough, although in hindsight I'd probably say that Mueller's practices aren't too far off from Tom's; heck they may be just as tough particularly Weinrich's defensive practices. I heard a lot of people claim that Tom made his practices so tough to run kids off that he didn't think were football players. But if a kid loved football he could make it through the practices. I had a nephew on Tom's teams. Nephew was and is a great kid but frankly wasn't very talented football wise. Played the entire 4 years but rarely saw the field. He was a big kid. Practices were particularly tough on the big kids because of all the running. In spite of that and in spite of the kid knowing he'd rarely see the field, the kid hung in there. I will always respect him for that. If he could do it, almost any one wanting to be on the team could have done it. Tom clearly had a Charlie Bradshaw mentality. That upset those parents whose kids choose not to deal with Tom's toughness. As we've seen elsewhere, when parents start grumbling and second guessing coaches, it's not long before the coach is doomed. I think Tom understood that he was irritating a lot of people in Ft. Thomas but felt that as long as he kept winning state championships, all would be well. I don't know if Tom left on his own accord; it doesn't really matter. But I'll agree that his departure was for the best of the football program. Dale has a completely different attitude towards those players that "aren't football players". Dale believes with hard work, committment and coaching those kids can become football players. Looking at Dale's record and watching kids as seniors that just didn't look like football players as freshman, sophomores and even juniors, Dale's approach has proven true.