Great post, Coach J! I love the insight. :thumb:

 

Your points about Eastern being loaded this year coincides with what I've heard also. The test for the Eagles will be finding a way to consistently play up to their talent level.From games I've watched in the past few years, Eastern, as well as Henry Clay, seem to mysteriously lose focus at critical times. This has really hurt both of them. Finally, I hope that you are right about my Tigers being able to greatly improve over their lower level performance.

Scott County -- this may be the year they get over the hump. Returning almost everybody.

 

Eastern will surprise people--they also return a BUNCH of skilled players (pretty much all of a good secondary). And the quarterback will eventually be a 1AA if not D1 player. Losing. Jon Davis may actually help them because they'll 'spread the wealth' more now and use more weapons.

 

Henry Clay is too low, I believe.

 

Male having Ronjae Morris back is HUGE for them. Lost a lot up front to be sure, but Defense will always be good due to good coaching by Wolfe.

 

Manual had some of the best lookin athletes I saw at college camps I attended. And they ALWAYS have good, big, smart linemen.

 

X is still St. X. They will be sound as any other team, make VERY few mistakes, and FLY to the ball on defense. I think most of the reports of them being 'down' is about their lower levels the last 2 seasons. At a place like X, that doesn't matter as much. Now the players on those teams will be coached in a TOTALLY different way--much more film work, much different prep each week, etc.

 

T will be a force again. I hate that they are getting to play a schedule like they are--it will get them WAY better than they would've been just playing KY schools in blowouts. Returning as much as a team like that, about the only thing that can get them is a breakdown in team chemistry (and there might be a little of that with all the CSAA kids/parents from what I'm hearing--I know WE are benefitting a good deal from getting an inordinate number of private middle school kids coming to Ballard this year--who, by the way, have been VERY impressed with).

 

And we all know why Trinity is "getting" to play the schedule they are playing don't we.

Scott County -- this may be the year they get over the hump. Returning almost everybody.

 

Eastern will surprise people--they also return a BUNCH of skilled players (pretty much all of a good secondary). And the quarterback will eventually be a 1AA if not D1 player. Losing. Jon Davis may actually help them because they'll 'spread the wealth' more now and use more weapons.

 

Henry Clay is too low, I believe.

 

Male having Ronjae Morris back is HUGE for them. Lost a lot up front to be sure, but Defense will always be good due to good coaching by Wolfe.

 

Manual had some of the best lookin athletes I saw at college camps I attended. And they ALWAYS have good, big, smart linemen.

 

X is still St. X. They will be sound as any other team, make VERY few mistakes, and FLY to the ball on defense. I think most of the reports of them being 'down' is about their lower levels the last 2 seasons. At a place like X, that doesn't matter as much. Now the players on those teams will be coached in a TOTALLY different way--much more film work, much different prep each week, etc.

 

T will be a force again. I hate that they are getting to play a schedule like they are--it will get them WAY better than they would've been just playing KY schools in blowouts. Returning as much as a team like that, about the only thing that can get them is a breakdown in team chemistry (and there might be a little of that with all the CSAA kids/parents from what I'm hearing--I know WE are benefitting a good deal from getting an inordinate number of private middle school kids coming to Ballard this year--who, by the way, have been VERY impressed with).

 

CoachJ, Don't believe everything you hear. Regardless of where they went to middle school, they are all Trinity kids now. If just being a Trinity student isn't enough for them, they don't understand what it means to go to Trinity. It is about a lot more than your individual playing time. It is about the finest academic environment available anywhere. It is about the opening mass in the gym. What they say in the huddle after the pregame prayer isn't just something they are taught to say. Trinity forever is more than a slogan. It is how they will spend the rest of their lives. I shake my head in wonder when I hear about bullying problems in schools. You don't bully your brothers. At Trinity these kids know that. I have been blessed to see a lot over the years. I have been part of some very big and meaningful projects. No organization that I have ever been part of compares to Trinity High School. Breakdown in chemistry? You can hope for it, but don't count on it. One question for you. If playing the best gets you better, how do you explain not playing the best team availale on ANY level? Especially a team right down the street.

Let's pass these around.

Let's pass these around.

 

How true! :lol:

CoachJ, Don't believe everything you hear. Regardless of where they went to middle school, they are all Trinity kids now. If just being a Trinity student isn't enough for them, they don't understand what it means to go to Trinity. It is about a lot more than your individual playing time. It is about the finest academic environment available anywhere. It is about the opening mass in the gym. What they say in the huddle after the pregame prayer isn't just something they are taught to say. Trinity forever is more than a slogan. It is how they will spend the rest of their lives. I shake my head in wonder when I hear about bullying problems in schools. You don't bully your brothers. At Trinity these kids know that. I have been blessed to see a lot over the years. I have been part of some very big and meaningful projects. No organization that I have ever been part of compares to Trinity High School. Breakdown in chemistry? You can hope for it, but don't count on it. One question for you. If playing the best gets you better, how do you explain not playing the best team availale on ANY level? Especially a team right down the street.

Maybe Trinity shouldn't be limiting itself to little ol' Kentucky, then ... :lol:

In Coach J's defense, I am pretty sure Ballard not playing T was decided by those Coach J reports to, not himself.

In Coach J's defense, I am pretty sure Ballard not playing T was decided by those Coach J reports to, not himself.

 

I agree, Bert. He has always been one, who given the choice, would play anyone.

CoachJ, Don't believe everything you hear. Regardless of where they went to middle school, they are all Trinity kids now. If just being a Trinity student isn't enough for them, they don't understand what it means to go to Trinity. It is about a lot more than your individual playing time. It is about the finest academic environment available anywhere. It is about the opening mass in the gym. What they say in the huddle after the pregame prayer isn't just something they are taught to say. Trinity forever is more than a slogan. It is how they will spend the rest of their lives. I shake my head in wonder when I hear about bullying problems in schools. You don't bully your brothers. At Trinity these kids know that. I have been blessed to see a lot over the years. I have been part of some very big and meaningful projects. No organization that I have ever been part of compares to Trinity High School. Breakdown in chemistry? You can hope for it, but don't count on it. One question for you. If playing the best gets you better, how do you explain not playing the best team availale on ANY level? Especially a team right down the street.

 

REALLY appreciate the obvious love and affection you have for your school...very admirable, and I wish more public schools felt as passionate about their experience.

 

And I'd say you are 100% correct...about kids already there. My point was that we're seeing more in terms of private school middle school kids than in the past. Now, that MIGHT be the economy talking, but have heard from more than one person "on the inside" that it's not necessarily that. BTW, I didn't say I was "hoping for" a breakdown in chemistry; if you'll read what I wrote about all the teams I mentioned, I was just pointing out OBJECTIVE positives/negatives. Since there is quite a bit previous to my post about 'they are unbeatable,' I just thought it made sense to throw out what might be the ONLY possible refutation to the obvious (meaning, that if T does NOT take state this year with what they have returning, that there must be something seriously wrong in the universe). Never said--or even implied I think--I 'hoped' it would happen.

 

Also, totally agree with you (and AllTell) on playing the best teams make you better. That's why, after this two-year scheduling cycle is over, Ballard should have T right back on their regular season schedule (had some unforseen issues this year with commitments to other schools for non-district games and a BIG wrench thrown in when we were chosen for the big bowl game classic against Byrnes, SC).

 

I think any current or former Trinity supporter can assure you that I have NEVER had any qualms about playing any other team--private, public, good, bad, whatever. Whether that was at 3A Oldham County playing X and T in same season or at 1A Pikeville playing 6A Lex. Henry Clay or Ashland HS. Further, I don't personally buy into the same myths about why the privates are better than the publics every single year--it's not so much about what THEY are doing...it's more about what WE SHOULD be doing. At Ballard football, we're getting closer I think, but we still have a ways to go.

In Coach J's defense, I am pretty sure Ballard not playing T was decided by those Coach J reports to, not himself.

 

I'm not saying that either--our administration is VERY supportive of the things I think are needed to run a great program...just that this year we had some VERY strange scheduling circumstances with the bowl classic against Byrnes and some non-district game commitments we'd previously made.

 

I'll be real honest, I think T needed a game one of the weeks we needed one too -- but I remember thinking I did not want to play them the week before our first district game. Sorry if that seems cowardly, but the district games are the 'real season' for us, and playing one of the most physical teams in the state that I KNOW our kids would be over-hyped for prior to a district game against a traditional rival (Eastern...who is returning EVERYBODY this year and will be the favorite in our district) just didn't seem to be in our best interest.

I'm not saying that either--our administration is VERY supportive of the things I think are needed to run a great program...just that this year we had some VERY strange scheduling circumstances with the bowl classic against Byrnes and some non-district game commitments we'd previously made.

 

I'll be real honest, I think T needed a game one of the weeks we needed one too -- but I remember thinking I did not want to play them the week before our first district game. Sorry if that seems cowardly, but the district games are the 'real season' for us, and playing one of the most physical teams in the state that I KNOW our kids would be over-hyped for prior to a district game against a traditional rival (Eastern...who is returning EVERYBODY this year and will be the favorite in our district) just didn't seem to be in our best interest.

 

Coach J - I applaud you as someone who is honest and does things the right way. You are a breath of fresh air andsound reasoning on a site that sometimes lacks both. Good luck to you and your Bruins this year. I have seen all your St. X games the past few years and will attest that your program is building and on the right track. Start the year out by making KY proud with a win over Byrnes.

Speaking of Byrnes, has there been a contingency plan for the slate of games scheduled at Papa Johns that Saturday. With the heat the way it has been, what happens if the afternoon games cannot kickoff due to high temperatures? Would they be moved to local fields and played later in the day when the heat index is down? Hopefully these out of state teams will not travel all the way to Louisville and have games cancelled.

Coach, we understood your post, I felt there was no need to go into detail as you chose to. And as Forrest would say,"Thats all I'm gonna say about that".

Its on the bulletin board.

 

 

If X needs to use posts from a fan's message board as motivation after last year, things might be much worse than you think.

Coach J.......Being someone familiar with the Eastern program, I am sure Coach Whalen and the guys will be honored with your assessment. Still they lost a bunch of three year starters(two signing major D1 schollies). Agree with your point on middle school kids. Believe that 7 different private schools were represented on Eastern's Freshman team last year. As far as playing Trinity,heres a thought. Why would anyone in 6A want to play them twice in a season? According to most it would be a monumental victory beating them ONCE. About the only tool that a heavy underdog would have is the element of surprise. Why allow them to be familiar with your team? Try to be better for 48 mins.

ttt