I know Dale will tell you he surports all the other sports, but just ask some of the kids if you are a football player you better me working on football all year.

 

You know so little about what happens at Highlands. If by your post you are saying that Dale says he supports all sport but in practice he does not, you are flat out wrong. I know for a fact that Dale encourages kids to play other sports. I've heard him do it; I know that he's does it. Trust me, if Dale was to discourage kids from playing other sports, either patently or latently, Towles would likely not be playing basketball.

Towles and all of the rest of the stars of the past can do what they want but take a kid that might start thats the kid thats not playing other sports. I have been around Highlands a long time also.

Will Towles play baseball in the spring?

Will Towles play baseball in the spring?

 

Highly doubtful IMO. After hoops I believe Towles will start working on football and training for next season. I wonder how good he could be as a pitcher at 6'5 230lbs.

Towles and all of the rest of the stars of the past can do what they want but take a kid that might start thats the kid thats not playing other sports. I have been around Highlands a long time also.

 

Really? Grubbs was playing basketball before he earned a starting spot his junior year and trust me, it was no where near a certainty he was going to start his junior year. How are you going to explain that one away?

 

I'll agree with you that some kids decide to focus on football year around to win a starting position and win state. But that has nothing to do with Dale says and does in re encouraging or discouraging kids to play other sports. If you have been "around" Highlands a long time as you state, you obviously have learned little about Dale during that period.

Really? Grubbs was playing basketball before he earned a starting spot his junior year and trust me, it was no where near a certainty he was going to start his junior year. How are you going to explain that one away?

 

I'll agree with you that some kids decide to focus on football year around to win a starting position and win state. But that has nothing to do with Dale says and does in re encouraging or discouraging kids to play other sports. If you have been "around" Highlands a long time as you state, you obviously have learned little about Dale during that period.

 

Wasn't Dale a very good baseball player back in the day?

Wasn't Dale a very good baseball player back in the day?

 

Yes, I heard the Houston Astros drafted him.

Highly doubtful IMO. After hoops I believe Towles will start working on football and training for next season. I wonder how good he could be as a pitcher at 6'5 230lbs.

 

Heard he was by far the best baseball player in the school.

Heard he was by far the best baseball player in the school.

 

That wouldn't surprise me given the pedigree. Anyone know the last time he played organized baseball?

The last he played would probably have been at least 2 if not 3 years ago. I did not know of him being a pitcher, but rather he wore the tools of ignorance.

The last he played would probably have been at least 2 if not 3 years ago. I did not know of him being a pitcher, but rather he wore the tools of ignorance.

 

He threw last I believe his 8th grade year for a select knothole team and probably hasnt played since. Im sure Coach Baioni has had talks with him about playing.

I have read all the ideas about the lack of recent success for the Birds in basketball and the many theories as to why. Here's mine.

 

It has been said many times by people much smarter than me, that ballplayers are made in the off-season. This applies to any sport. the season for a high school sport last 3 to 4 months. If an athlete chooses to participate in 2 sports he is committed to up to 8 months of the year. That still leaves 4 months of off-season. What sport is the athlete choosing to concentrate on in this time period? At HHS it is football. The competition, the success, and the tradition have made it this way.

 

I do believe that coaches encourage the boys to play other sports. For the 3 months, Patrick Towles and Carter New will be playing basketball for HHS with the blessing of the football staff. Come spring and early summer (off season for both sports), when there are countless open gyms, individual and team bball camps, they will be working out with the football team. For 3 months Sam Lewis and Alex Dean play basketball with the blessing of the HHS soccer staff, come spring/summer they will be playing select soccer and working on that sport. (yes I know Alex is a senior but it has happened the past 3 springs) No multi-sport athletes at HHS are basketball first and football/soccer second. Since every sport is now year round, I can't remember an athlete that was basketball first --AAU in the spring, team camps in the summer--that had an impact with the football program.

 

The one other point to be made is about length of season. HHS football players all practice together from day 1 til the state championship trophy is in hand. Officially from mid July until early December. Basketball practice gets underway October 15th. HHS began practice this year with less kids available than are needed to scrimmage. The footballers joined 6 weeks after the official start of the season. This is a huge disadvantage as compared to other teams in the area.

 

Until more boys make basketball their main focus in the off season, the program will continue on its present course.

I have read all the ideas about the lack of recent success for the Birds in basketball and the many theories as to why. Here's mine.

 

It has been said many times by people much smarter than me, that ballplayers are made in the off-season. This applies to any sport. the season for a high school sport last 3 to 4 months. If an athlete chooses to participate in 2 sports he is committed to up to 8 months of the year. That still leaves 4 months of off-season. What sport is the athlete choosing to concentrate on in this time period? At HHS it is football. The competition, the success, and the tradition have made it this way.

 

I do believe that coaches encourage the boys to play other sports. For the 3 months, Patrick Towles and Carter New will be playing basketball for HHS with the blessing of the football staff. Come spring and early summer (off season for both sports), when there are countless open gyms, individual and team bball camps, they will be working out with the football team. For 3 months Sam Lewis and Alex Dean play basketball with the blessing of the HHS soccer staff, come spring/summer they will be playing select soccer and working on that sport. (yes I know Alex is a senior but it has happened the past 3 springs) No multi-sport athletes at HHS are basketball first and football/soccer second. Since every sport is now year round, I can't remember an athlete that was basketball first --AAU in the spring, team camps in the summer--that had an impact with the football program.

 

The one other point to be made is about length of season. HHS football players all practice together from day 1 til the state championship trophy is in hand. Officially from mid July until early December. Basketball practice gets underway October 15th. HHS began practice this year with less kids available than are needed to scrimmage. The footballers joined 6 weeks after the official start of the season. This is a huge disadvantage as compared to other teams in the area.

 

Until more boys make basketball their main focus in the off season, the program will continue on its present course.

 

Stinky I think you got something there..Makes a lot of sense to me..

I have read all the ideas about the lack of recent success for the Birds in basketball and the many theories as to why. Here's mine.

 

It has been said many times by people much smarter than me, that ballplayers are made in the off-season. This applies to any sport. the season for a high school sport last 3 to 4 months. If an athlete chooses to participate in 2 sports he is committed to up to 8 months of the year. That still leaves 4 months of off-season. What sport is the athlete choosing to concentrate on in this time period? At HHS it is football. The competition, the success, and the tradition have made it this way.

 

I do believe that coaches encourage the boys to play other sports. For the 3 months, Patrick Towles and Carter New will be playing basketball for HHS with the blessing of the football staff. Come spring and early summer (off season for both sports), when there are countless open gyms, individual and team bball camps, they will be working out with the football team. For 3 months Sam Lewis and Alex Dean play basketball with the blessing of the HHS soccer staff, come spring/summer they will be playing select soccer and working on that sport. (yes I know Alex is a senior but it has happened the past 3 springs) No multi-sport athletes at HHS are basketball first and football/soccer second. Since every sport is now year round, I can't remember an athlete that was basketball first --AAU in the spring, team camps in the summer--that had an impact with the football program.

 

The one other point to be made is about length of season. HHS football players all practice together from day 1 til the state championship trophy is in hand. Officially from mid July until early December. Basketball practice gets underway October 15th. HHS began practice this year with less kids available than are needed to scrimmage. The footballers joined 6 weeks after the official start of the season. This is a huge disadvantage as compared to other teams in the area.

 

Until more boys make basketball their main focus in the off season, the program will continue on its present course.

 

With that in mind, I would state from the current 9th through 6th grade class you have a lot of football/basketball athletes. Most of the boys play both and I don't see many walking away from football.

Or we can state the program is mediocre by HHS standards and hope the boys catch fire:D