FanOfHoltz

I write this as not a T or X supporter... but I couldnt pass up the chance to put my 2 cents in... Several issues here...yes T & X "dominate" almost every year but its not like they are pumping out 20 Div 1 athletes every year either. Yes, you get your Brohms, your Finchs, but by and large, you might have 2 or 3 going D1 every year. But then again, so does Central, so does Male, so does Fern Creek, Highlands, etc. I dont think its a questions of getting all the athletes, I think as I have said many times before, its a combination of things and far too many for me to ramble on about right now. The question I have is "What would you like to do with these teams?" Punishing them for winning is nothing more than sour grapes speaking, IMO. Every once in a while, there are schools that have their big runs. At some point in time, it will come to an end. Maybe some things need to change for that to happen, but it will happen. Beatty and Glasier are good coaches (not to take away anything from anyone else) but the fact is, they are good coaches that have the good fortune of being at good schools where football is a way of life. Success breeds future success and both programs have experienced good success. I dont see Glasier griping about Trinity since he keeps getting beat in the playoffs every year by T. But the fact that X beat T in the regular season shows that T is NOT invincible. The fact remains that T is a good playoff team and they know how to win in the playoffs. I dont know what the answer is but I dont think pushing them out just to make it "even" for everyone else is the answer. What happens then? What would be said if you did that and all of sudden Fern Creek were to win 4 or 5 titles in a span of 5 years?? Are people in 3A going to be complaining about Central because all of a sudden they are "dominating" the 3A playoffs?? What will people want then? I just feel that pushing T & X out of the picture in 6A is like trying to fix a flat tire by changing the driver. I dont think the real problem is being addressed...and even I dont know what the REAL problem is.

I will be the first to admit that Male has made me eat my own words. A few weeks ago I posted a thought about Male "falling" from the ranks of the "Big 3" and here they are, not long afterwards, they are in the semis with a good chance of going back to the title game. Kudos to Male for getting it turned around when they had to. Obviously, I believe the loss to Manual really got their attention as a team and they have found a way to return to dominance. Someone said to me that Male has had the "luxury" of sneaking in the back door in this tournament. I was a bit irritated at that comment as it seemed to be a slap in the face of their opponents through out the tournament. Regardless, they have been playing well and consistent no matter what others think of their competition thus far in the post season. I think personally think that if Male can ride the momentum into this game, then it appears Male feels they have something to prove. With that said, I look for a tight game early on, with Male making the adjustments at halftime and pulling away late in the 3rd. Male 42 SK 21

Normally, I try to stay out of this argument, but someone said something to me that really made me think about this more. So here is my take. Trinity and St. X dominate but it didnt happen overnight. It took a long time for them to get to this level. I am in my 30's and I can remember growing up with neighbors on both sides of my house whose sons went to either T or X. Both played football. But even before they went, to them (and their parents), it was considered a "privilege and an honor" to be able to play football for either team. When you go to a team like T or X, you are competing against probably 40 other players who vying for playing time at particular spot. This encourages hard work, committment and competition internally, thus leading to a "may the best man win, start and/or play" mentality. It was one thing to dress for T and X, its another to start and play. It reminds me of florida and texas schools...where you arent entitled to anything, you earn every bit of what you get. This internal competition only breeds hard working, committed players...benefitting the team. Second, I agree the feeder schools play a big role in helping. Optimist leagues just dont breed this kind of success. Even Fern Creek Optimist players are bound to go to Seneca, Atherton, or wherever. I would venture to say that most Catholic Middle School players have every intention of going to either X or T. By and large, these relationships and teamwork built are continuing on into HS. Third, very rarely do you see kids at public schools WANT to go to a school like Eastern, Ballard, or wherever JUST to play football. In many cases (not all) its about where you live or can get into. Fourth, I think Money and Support from fans go a long way. I dont know what the coaches make at T or X, but I am guessing its more than just $4 or $5,000 dollars per year. I could be wrong, but often times, money to pay a good staff goes a long way...kind of like "you get what you pay for". Again, I could be wrong, but if this is the case, then it would be a reason. Talking about support, its hard for kids to get up for playing in front of 200 to500 people vs. playing in front of 2000 or 3000. And if you want to play college ball, it goes without saying that playing for T or X increases your chances of getting noticed a lot more than playing at, say, Seneca. Just an opinion. I think there are several reasons for their success, none that I see are stronger or better than others. Bottom line is that X & T had a formula that began years ago and none of the other schools have caught up to it. You can blame public vs private, you can blame KHSAA or JCPS, you can blame leprechauns with magic fairies. THe fact is X & T have followed a similar recipe for success and have reaped the rewards of that formula. The same could be said for Highlands, Beechwoord, or any other school that has enjoyed success. I dont think its a private/public thing as much as it is a collection of other reasons. And unless MANY things change either at the state level or local level, it will stay this way for a LONG time. The state is NOT going to go Public vs. Private in our lifetime. But there are many things JCPS and the state could do to help schools be more competitive. Change eligibility rules, change admission restrictions, etc. Otherwise, it is the hand that has been dealt..play the cards or go home (And no, Im not a supporter of either T or X).

One other thing to consider about Green's connection to Ohio State: His dad and Brother are great men and I think highly of them. Though it may not be that big of a deal, it should be noted that when Green suffered his head injury a few years ago (a 3rd concussion in his playing career at that time, I think), either JCPS or KHSAA would not clear him to play until a doctor cleared him. None of the doctors Green went to in Kentucky would clear him. His dad and brother took him to see OSU doctors and the OSU doctors cleared him. Im not implying that anything improper took place here, but that it just stands to reason that this would be another reason to consider going to OSU, if their doctors cleared you to play the sport you wanted to play in. Additionally, I believe OSU also promised him a spot on the track team. IMO (and it isnt worth much), unless something changes, Green wont perform well at OSU in football, but he will be pretty darn good in track.

Someone asked on another thread "What has happened to Male?" I thought I would post just some thoughts on this question on a new thread: Some could easily argue that Male is just having a down year as many teams go through, but I think that is really taking the easy way out. Having followed Male since Redman's arrival (and coached for and against them during that time), I have witnessed a significant rise and fall of this program. First, I think it goes without saying that Male hasnt learned how to deal with fact that they are unable to get the number of "quality" athletes they are used to in the past. With the restrictions that were placed on getting into the traditional program (cant get in unless you come through a feeder traditional middle school), gone are the days where players can just show up and enroll in Male. Consequently, the numbers have gone down and Male hasnt been able to adjust accordingly. Sure, they still get numbers, but not the quality they have been used to for so long. Second, there is not a regular off-season workout program for these kids. It is no secret that Redman is not a big fan of weight-lifting when that time can be used to work on learning offensive schemes and such. Other teams are getting stronger. THird, Speed no longer kills. Speed is great, but talent still wins. Even at that, we have seen many teams match up against Male's speed, meaning overall, Male's team speed isnt what it used to be. Fourth, the lack of promising QBs no longer allows Male to dominate the way they used to. QBs are not as talented as the Redman, Bush's and Ahrens. Arm strength, intelligence and accuracy are not there anymore. Fifth, Defense is not as intimidating as it once was. People know how to beat this defense, with so many other schools able to throw the ball now. One of the disadvantages to leaving your CBs all alone is when there is no real pressure on the QB, they are able to throw more accurate passes downfield (see speed match-up and talent). Teams with decent QBs are having more success these days. A defense that was once feared is now looked upon as more of a "We dare you to run it against" approach. There are many other reasons one could point to, but lets face it, the once "Big 3" of Jefferson County has been reduced to 2 (T & X). With the parity now visible with so many other schools (central, ballard, manual, etc), the days of Male's dominance are gone. I personally believe in order for Male to be successful again in terms of "dominating", they are going to have to return to the basics of football, practice fundamentals, and stopy relying on talent (or lack thereof). Justin Green could not carry this team alone. In the past, Male had multiple players on their team that could pick up the slack. Today, that is no longer the case. Just as the Miami's and Florida States had a strong run of dominating teams and then faltered, so to has Male. Only time will tell if the Bulldogs will ever be able to return to a program that is worthy of once again being able to be referenced as a member of the Big 3.

"Ok lets see, they said if I look at the bottom and find a sticker of a star, I win a prize.....ooooh yeah...I WIN!!!"

"Make the most of your opportunities boys...or you'll end up like me....a referree...living in a van...DOWN BY THE RIVER!!!"

:thumb: Thanks for info. As I said, I was going off what I heard and read but Im not the guru on this stuff. Some of my info comes from parties not "directly" involved but are closer than I am. I just remember coaching at Iroquois a few years ago we had a player transfer from Butler...thought all the paperwork was good and was told he was cleared...went 4-1 and then when we opened district play against Butler...lo and behold...Butler called someone and all of a sudden that player is ineligible and we had to forfeit those 4 wins. Each AD blamed the other but the bottom line for me was (and still is with a lot of these eligibility issues)...ADs, coaches and principals have a RESPONSIBILITY to make sure everyone is legit and do the right thing for the kid. What hurts is the kids bust their butt to win games only to be slapped in the face because of ridiculous errors by someone. My question is always "Do these guys handling the paperwork and ruling on eligibility realize that what they do could be the biggest difference in whether a kid goes to college or not??? Or whether a team can feel good about being successful or not??? What do they think this does to their moral (team and player) when their error costs them games and playing time. If JCPS or KHSAA or WHOEVER makes a mistakes...I dont see any punishment on them!! Who suffers?? Again...the players and team. Just sad!

I think this comes down to whether or not Male can throw the ball. Manual did a good job of shutting down Male's run game last year. Granted, Manual threw the ball well, but if Manual keeps this game close, they can certainly win it. Justin Green is back but how effective will he be? If Manual can stop the run, pressure the QB and control the game on offense, they will be fine. Male appears to be really struggling with establishing their identity. I think this will be one of the tightest games in while for this rivarly. In the end, I can see Manual pulling it off. I dont like it, but Male's best game against a quality opponent was Fern Creek. Ballard and Central ran all over them and Manual could do so as well. If thats the case, Male is in trouble. Male isnt doing well with their backs against the wall late in the game. They turn the ball over too much and panic real easily. Manual 24 Male 21

If Im not mistaken...the kids in question at Western first played at Shawnee last year, then transferred to Iroquois at some point in time...THEN went to Western. I could be wrong, but I thought that was what happened. Im really not trying to start anything, but Im going off what I have heard. The thought was that Boyd was going to get the Iroquois job and thats why they went there from Shawnee, then when he didnt get it, they left for Western. If thats the case, clearly these kids wanted to play for Boyd. Nothing wrong with that, but it does raise some questions. Bottom line is...someone somewhere didnt get the job done right in making sure these kids were eligible to play. Where is Western's AD in all this??? Why is he/she not making sure that someone with Boyd's previous history is doing things on the straight and narrow? Im not involved, just on the outside looking in...but it still raises questions about the people involved and what their ultimate motives are. Regardless of the situation, if this is twice for Western in 2 years, then that would indicate to me there is some question about the AD's ability there. But this is just my opinion. Which then bears the question...who is supposed to be ensuring the AD is doing their job? Wouldnt that be the prinicpal? And if JCPS is to blame...that is a whole other mess. Clearly there are some bad issues here and in the end...good kids who didnt do anything wrong are getting punished.

I believe if Central is to have a chance in this game, then it would be to their benefit to accomplish a few tasks: 1. Control the game on offense...take 4-5 yard gains and put yourself in manageable 3rd down situations. Keep Highlands' offense off the field as much as possible. 2. Control turnovers- Capitalize on Highland mistakes as they are few. Hold on the football to keep their Offense off the field. The more Highlands' O is on the field, the easier it will be to get worn down in the 4th qtr. Keep your defense fresh at all times. 3. Run north & south...not east-west- Highlands' LB corp is very well disciplined and the more you move east and west, the more you are allowing other defenders to come and help. Turn the corner, get up field, and then fall when you get tackled. Trying to do too much often leads to turnovers (see point 2). Anyone can see this game either being close or a blowout. Central needs to put themselves in a position where they are still close in the 4th qtr. They have enough talent to make a play or two to win the ball game. But that is going to be hard against a disciplined team like Highlands. They control the ball as well as anyone and Central cant afford to play catch-up all night by being down 2 or more scores. I think the 1st qtr is crucial for Central to score on as many possessions as possible. If you look at what Texas Tech did against Texas, they got up early, Texas fought back, but in the end, even when Texas went up, Texas Tech still only needed a field goal to win. Central could use a similar plan. Try to get up on Highlands early so that if Highlands fights back, your still not out of it. IN the end, I think the discipline and ball control ability of Highlands outlasts Central's raw speed. My guess: Highlands 38 Central 28

Fern Creek goes as their QB goes. They play the same (or similar) defense as Male (Pressure with Man to Man coverage). They have some good speed but really try to use the passing game. They got jacked against Male last week after Male ate up 33 minutes of offense with a solid running game. They arent very big but pretty athletic. Normally, Creek has good receivers, but they dropped a lot against Male. QB is pretty quick and about 6'3 or so with a decent arm.

"Ok..let's see...who's gettin flagged next?....who's it gonna be?....ah, hell...Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe!"

1. Oh...so that really IS an illegal procedure!!! I will let em know. 2. Sure, you can coach. Can I have drive your cruiser?

To show you how concerned Scroggins was about this game, he only took 3 other coaches with him to the game and sent the rest out to scout their upcoming opponents for the playoffs. I know Moore is down after graduating 20+ seniors from last year's squad and adjusting to learning a new offense. I believe that Bob Johnson brought in Gary Sortori to run the offense which is different than what Johnson had been running prior to this season. Moore hasnt scored more than 21 points in a game all year, is giving up over 40 per game and with 2 games remaining against Ballard and Fern Creek (assuming they make up that game), Moore will more than likely finish at 0-10. Their closest game was a 17 point loss to Iroquois. Tough, Tough, Tough year! Hope the players will see it as a rebuilding process and they dont lose anyone. Sorry...add in a 1st round playoff at North Oldham...probably going 0-11. Got to be hard on them