bassmaster

I would love to see Ironton on the schedule. There was some discussion, but Ironton is still playing Ashland, and will start playing Russell again starting in 2009. I think it came down to playing Russell or Raceland, and the Russell game worked out. I doubt Ironton will be able to play three Kentucky teams.

 

I may be wrong. And, I hope I am.

I was just wondering because after next year I am sure Ashland will drop us and probably Russell will too. Who would be good candidates to pick up in case this happens? Would a regular season matchup against Beechwood be impossible?

Do any Raceland fans think this matchup is in our future. I would love to see this game.

I agree that video games are a big threat. Why would a kid want to work his/her tail off to be like a pro player when they can just plug in a video game and "be" the same player at the push of a button.

I have to agree with you on that comment. You don't see many good arms in baseball anymore, but there are a bunch of kids out there with very strong thumbs. I wonder if a lot of training is involved in pushing the a or b button?

Mike Yeagle: Beechwood 8 state titles.

To me this is not the place to have this discussion. If you wish to talk about it further PM me, or go talk to the coaches involved, the principal, or the superintendent.

How diplomatic of you. I think I will let it rest. Besides what good would it do me to talk to coaches, faculty, and administration who are all football oriented?

I did answer the question, but if you want a more direct answer: I don't think it would matter. The baseball players who played football would continue to play football, and the baseball players who played baseball and did not play football would participate in baseball.

 

I, nor any coach at Raceland, made each sport start going year around, but they now do go year around. Football has the pre-season, the season, winter conditioning, spring practice, summer camps, and summer conditioning.

 

Baseball has spring baseball, summer baseball, fall baseball, and winter clinics.

 

Basketball has pre-season, the season, summer leagues, and summer camps.

 

That is the way it is now. Who made it that way?

 

It sounds like you have a problem with one coach coaching football and baseball. If that is so, then go talk to him, instead of airing this in public where his family sees it.

I don't have a problem with our football coach coaching every sport boys and girls in the entire system if he wants. As long as he gives them ALL equal time. I do have a problem when you say a school with many sports is one sport oriented. Who is being one sided with that comment? I guess what's good for the goose is not good for the Gander? Beechwood is a football school. They have 10 state titles. Until we win some of those I don't know how we can be football oriented. I hope we win a 100 state titles, but we haven't. As far as our football coach goes, he's the hardest working man in highschool sports in this country. I have nothing but respect for the man.

Maybe we should have a group hug instead of practicing against the zone? I hope that the players that are ill have a swift recovery. We need them. This is one of the deepest groups we have ever had, and they play extremley hard. I think Coach Floyd is an exceptional coach. GO RAMS!!!!!:

You totally avoided the question. The question was: What would people think if the football coach ran fall baseball practices during football season? Can you answer that question? Put yourself in the other persons shoes. If we are going to be football oriented then lets get rid of the other sports and be football oriented. I'm not trying to start anything. I wish it would go back to the old days where you played a sport and moved on to the next one. You didn't practice or play all 3 year round like today. I am a huge football fan. I come to every game, and I can't stand it when my school loses at anything.

When the football team starts having huge success, some of the other sports tend to be forgotten about.....and it trickles down to the youth leagues. My guess is that the youth football program @ Raceland is as strong as it has ever been. Am I wrong?.....

I don't get where you are coming from. The baseball team is coming off of 3 20 win seasons and the best record in school history. If that doesn't drum up intrest somethings wrong. Yes the JFL is doing very well. Take the 5th grade class at Worthington for example. There are over a hundred kids in that class. People say it's the largest class ever to come through the school system. For football they only had 21 kids come out, for basket ball 7, and for baseball 3. I just can't figure it out.

I am just curious Ram. What would the people from Raceland think If our football coach ran a fall baseball practice for 2 weeks During crucial practice time for the football team? Keep in mind that I know he's not allowed to do that because of KHSAA rules, but what if he could? I think 2 weeks of fall baseball practice 5 months before the season starts would also be benificial for the baseball team. What are your thoughts?

Have you seen Boyles hit? Carver is the best hitter Raceland has. Lead Martin off. Boyles and Keeton strike out way too much.

You have to admit, If you could find another lead-off hitter you would put martin in the 3 hole....wouldn't you?

Is Boyles even playing? I was under the impression he wasn't because he wants to concentrate on basketball.

I personally think he should give up baseball, because he's not very good at it as far as hiting goes. He's a pretty good outfielder. Other than that baseball is his weakest sport.

Rams better buckle down and make their free throws. The key will be , having the players on the court that can shoot them.

Not only that, but I'm sure Lewis remembers how poorly the Rams played against the zone that they threw at them the first time they played. Rams have played poorly against the zone all year. Maybe we should run the offense that Shelby Valley ran that ripped our zone to pieces.

Mr. Lewis is all about Mr. Lewis. It sickens me when all of these kids who are playing college ball get their name put on the Post 76 website as kids who he put in college, and that's just not true. They are only put on there so he can say "Look what I did, I'm the greatest coach alive." All I can say is....I have a son playing little league right now, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that there is another summer program in this aera within the next 5 years. He will not play for Mr. Lewis Ever!!!!

I have talked with some of the AABC people and they are saying that they won't have a baberuth team this year.(We had four at one time.) They are saying they possibly may not have an 11-12 year old team this year. I don't know about you guys, but this lack of intrest doesn't seem to be paying off. Something has to be done to get the numbers back up. A parent told me that there are 8 kids for 11-12 year old baseball 2 of wich are from Wurtland and one kid from South Point. That means you only have 5 kids from Raceland in 2 age groups playing baseball.

Sping football at Raceland has really improved over the years, before coach Maynard arrived the rams would just have 2 weeks of non contact practices, basically covering fundamentals. But now they have 2 weeks of full contact practice and a spring game. I know the players, community, and students really enjoy this, and its always exciting to see some helments clash in the middle of baseball season !!

I know this will be a stupid question, but what effect does spring football practice have on a season that doesn't start for atleast 5 months after spring practice? I personally would not want my baseball players playing in a spring game so they can get thier neck broke before the season starts. It all seems a little anal to me.

Bassmaster in the 7th grade year Wilson pitched against Fairview in which he faced the catcher, I forgot his name but I believe he was Bialess or something and the pitching coach was Gavin Ramsy for the first 2 years he pitched 7th and 8th grade years I believe! I'll check it out for sure, so do you remember that?

No sir I don't. I do remember him pitching a little bit his freshmen year. I think he was thrown into a season opening game against East not last year but the year before. I think we got mercy ruled 14-0. which in my opinion was not his fault. 1) he should not have been throwing that game as a freshmen.2) the umpire had a strikezone as big as a thimble. and 3) The team did not produce hardly anything as far as runs or hits.

On this I will totally agree with you as far as the Darby and Morris guy and the AABC. I know that the morris guy has offered to help the high school at different times but its was like they didn't want any help! I would like to see a lot more interest in the Worthington program. The thing about Hoof was this, over the last couple of years he has had spring football going on while baseball pactice was going on and was with the football team while the baseball team was working out, now he is helping with the girls basketball which takes away too! I think a lot of hoof but time means a lot when working with this bunch and he does not have a lot of it! They have 10 or 11 coaches on the football team and 2 or 3 for baseball.

I will have to agree about the spring football deal. When you have as many assistant coaches as he does(And very knowledgable assistants at that) Why would you need to be there. As far as the girls basketball thing goes he has one daughter in college and one soon to be in college. I think he is trying to make some extra money for their education. I can't blame him for that. If I'm not mistaken They only have one JV coach as of right now. Who's going to help that poor guy this year? From what I hear the Morris guy is out of work right now. I'm sure other than looking for a job he has nothing to do. Why doesn't anybody ask him to help out a little bit?

I think Paul Lewis has done a lot for a bunch of kids in this area and finally got a lot of outsiders to look at the talent that is in this area!!!! He has got a lot of kids into or at least a good look from colleges that may not have given a second look otherwise. Several kids from his post teams are in school that probally would not have been if it wasn't for him. In reality that is what it is all about. I really don't think we have much of a chance of winning the districts when you think about the teams that have something going year round for the kids and then what we have 2 or 3 months to compare to BUT I will still back the Rams all the way!!!!!!!!!!!!GO RAMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr. Lewis gets kids only because he has a monopoly on summer baseball. There is nowhere else for them to play. Otherwise I suspect a lot of them would not play for him. As far as putting kids in colleges most of them were already going to play for a college before they ever started playing for him. The ones that have gotten into college from his team is simply because of exposure(ie the schedule he puts together) it's definitely not because of his wealth of baseball knowledge. He's probably been responsible for blowing just as many kids arms out as has put people in school. I hope Mr. wilson isn't one of them.

I think if you talk to the coaches in the area, Greenup, Ashland, Boyd, Russell and even Post 76 coach Paul Lewis you would see what I am saying, Which is I think he will pull more than his load, the big question is will anyone else maybe your kid step up? Carver,Martin probally will. As far as depth in pitching they have Wilson, Reynolds, Keeton, Mckee as starters with possibly 1 or 2 more filling in.

I don't have a kid on the team. I am just a fan and have been since the early 80's. The last person I would ever ask a baseball question to is Paul lewis. I would rank his opinion right up their with that white stuff that collects in the corner of your mouth when you are thirsty. Like i said before I am not bashing the boy. He has good talent, and he will have to be the man on the mound this year for Raceland to get out of the district. Wilson is the only kid in that list with any real varsity pitching experience. Like I said before, you have a lot of kids that can throw, but only two who can pitch. Look...I hope the win the State tournament, but it ain't going to happen with the list of pitchers you just named. I'm not bashing anybody. I am being realistic.

I would hate to see what would happen in Ramland if they took BASEBALL half as serious as they do Football, Hoof is a great guy but I think he needs to step down and give some other people a shot that really wants to take this program to the next level. We have had several good players over the years and several have said that we need to move forward.

I don't think it's that they take football more serious than baseball. I think their are 3 problems with baseball at Raceland. 1) Most of the kids that play baseball have to play all 3 sports at Raceland which means they don't get to practice all year round like other schools. 2) their is more involvement from the parents in football for example raising money, fixing and improving the field, things like that. I have never seen any parents get really involved with things like that as far as baseball goes. football has their own boosters. They run around like a bunch of little army ants over their raising money for football and taking care of the field. Why doesn't baseball start a baseball boosters? 3) I think the coaching staff should take a little more intrest in the AABC league at worthington. For example how about a preseason camp for the little guys over their. Get them intrested in the sport. Have a coaching clinic for the AABC coaches over their. The Darby and the Morris guy over their have done more for that program than anybody as far as developing talent, but we need for all of the AABC coaches to be able to do the same thing, but so far nobody from the highschool has ever really taken an intrest in their feeder program. Numbers are really rising in the younger age groups over their. I hope somebody steps up and takes an intrest over their. Coach Vanderhoof is a good coach from where I stand. He has done great things with not alot of real good talent. Before you judge me and say that I am a football guy because of some of the things you've read here. I just want to say that my kids have never played football for Raceland.

Hoof does an excellent job @ Raceland. I played for Hoof back in the early 90's and I would still run through a wall for the man to this very day. Granted, he wasn't the head football coach at the time, but none the less, I guarantee that Hoof still puts in as much for the baseball team as he did in years past before he became head football coach.

 

As for the comment about how Raceland doesn't take baseball half as serious as they do football....well, I find that hard to believe. Let's just put it this way....when I graduated in 1993 we didn't have lights or a press box and we only had the grey uniforms and the black batting practice jerseys. Look at the facilities now....look at their uniforms now. Seems to me that if the schoool didn't take the baseball program that seriously, they wouldn't invest so much money into it. We didn't travel to Florida on spring break, either.

 

Sorry to rant on, but I know what Hoof puts into the baseball program and I know how much the school backs the program as well.

I am with you to a certain extent. I played in the 80's under Jody hamilton. We didn't even have a field to play on. We had to play in worthington on the Baberuth field. We called it the launching pad. As far as the facilities go now, The lights are the best thing about the place. The playing surface and the field itself are in sad shape. The backstop could fall on the press box at anytime, and last year the home dugout facade was rotting. Again though like I said before to me It's lack of parent involvement. When the work starts you can't seem to find anybody to help, but when the games start people come out of the woodwork.

I would hate to see what would happen in Ramland if they took BASEBALL half as serious as they do Football, Hoof is a great guy but I think he needs to step down and give some other people a shot that really wants to take this program to the next level. We have had several good players over the years and several have said that we need to move forward.

I don't think it's that they take football more serious than baseball. I think their are 3 problems with baseball at Raceland. 1) Most of the kids that play baseball have to play all 3 sports at Raceland which means they don't get to practice all year round like other schools. 2) their is more involvement from the parents in football for example raising money, fixing and improving the field, things like that. I have never seen any parents get really involved with things like that as far as baseball goes. football has their own boosters. They run around like a bunch of little army ants over their raising money for football and taking care of the field. Why doesn't baseball start a baseball boosters? 3) I think the coaching staff should take a little more intrest in the AABC league at worthington. For example how about a preseason camp for the little guys over their. Get them intrested in the sport. Have a coaching clinic for the AABC coaches over their. The Darby and the Morris guy over their have done more for that program than anybody as far as developing talent, but we need for all of the AABC coaches to be able to do the same thing, but so far nobody from the highschool has ever really taken an intrest in their feeder program. Numbers are really rising in the younger age groups over their. I hope somebody steps up and takes an intrest over their. Coach Vanderhoof is a good coach from where I stand. He has done great things with not alot of real good talent. Before you judge me and say that I am a football guy because of some of the things you've read here. I just want to say that my kids have never played football for Raceland.

IMO Peyton Martin (Raceland) is the best all-around player in the region. As far as defense goes he has an good glove and above average range for a high school shortstop. However, I dont think he is the best defensive SS in the region but he is still very good. Offensivley he has the speed to beat out throws coming from SS and 3B if he chooses to slap the ball to opposite field (he bats lefty) but he can also drive the ball in the outfield gaps and he has also been known to knock a few HR's every now and then. He is one of the best all around hitters I have seen in this region since Kasey Hamilton (Boyd Co.). I think he is similiar to former Raceland great Thomas Tolliver but with a more size and more power. And I definetly think there will be some schools missing out if they dont take a chance on Martin.

I agree RamCat. to me he is the top player in the region this year. He does play shortstop, but I think his natural position would be 2nd base. I think he is definitley taylor made to say....play at a morehead or a marshall. Especially morehead. His lefthanded bat is Taylor made for Moreheads short porch in Rightfield. That's why I would bat him in the 3 hole if Raceland could find another lead-off hitter. He is definitely better than NAIA or d2 or d3. I will be dissappointed if he doesn't get looked at by some of the small d1 schools.

Bass master; You must not attend very many Ram games The Wilson kid has pitched on the Varisity team since the 7th grade all the way thru and has pitched in key District games every year since I have been following and from what I hear he does very well during summer and fall ball as well. I was told from a coach that he has a Junior Legion STATE championship with 2 wins in the State Tournment as well , so how can you say that he has not shown it?

Mr. pickoff....I have had a child on the team since 2002. I know for a fact Mr. wilson has not been pitching for the varsity since he was in the 7th grade. And just like I said, I have heard that he done well in summer ball, but the fact still remains.....It hasn't happened at Raceland yet, and yes I am at all of the games and I have considerable knowledge of the game of baseball. You say from what you have heard he has done well....Maybe it is you who hasn't been to many games. As far as Raceland goes I don't have to hear, because I am their watching. And as I have stated in a seperate post I'm not bashing the kid I'm just simply stating that he is going to have to be the man this year if we are to have any hope of beating Greenup in the district assuming we draw them.