tib

Here are fort thomas 8th grade blue team highlights, with very fun audio and grx compliments of talented, gracious Dad Mike S.! Thanks Mike - so much fun. FT Blue vs. Red Devils highlights with fun audio: FT blue vs. Bellevue: Enjoy sports fans !

Fort Thomas games cancelled and moved to tomorrow/Sunday night. FT Blue vs. Cov. at 6pm followed by FT White vs. Red Devils...should be two very entertaining competitive games at HHS Sunday night. Perhaps Collinsworth should stay home and broadcast those regular season Sunday games from the Fort - they'd be more interesting

Not certain where Diego's family is from. He's a physical beast with quick feet & speed. Played for Coach Mic last season & sure to lead league w/his patented backfield bear hugs.

There are a lot of talented young athletes...across both Fort squads..and CCRD team from what i watched yesterday - great stuff.

Red Devils and Fort Thomas Blue team both looked really good for the very first game of the season. Kudos to both coaching staffs and the boys for all the great work leading up to this exciting start !!

I believe NKYFL, but haven't seen schedule.

Fort Thomas Highlands 8th grade has (2) teams that will compete in NKY league. There are about 15-16 players on both teams. First practice was last night.

6 state titles? State of Kentucky - football? The population doesn't warrant two titles. Six ? Ridiculous...

Congrats to Coach Dawn, AD Detzel, Jimmy Pangallo, Coach Meyer and all the BRED family & hoopsters that continued working so hard for this moment. Good luck in the Sweet 16 and thank you for all you do. Not just for NCC - but for all of Campbell County hoopsters you cross paths with. You are always so gracious with your time and talents and many, many of us say thank you - appreciate your passion for the game, friends and family.

Happy B-Day Lawnboy ! (Boo-Ray Poker Prez '85-'89!)

Qryche11, i have to get a real job where i don't have this much free time to enjoy reading BGP. Kidding - but seriously - love starting every morning w/great cup of coffee and reading all this great HS sports commentary and content...love it - so thank you to you ALL..

Ok Dokey. Honey - this was directed at the Fort campus - NOT the Woodland crowd - luvbug. Not sure why your are tearing Niece down... I was commenting on Highlands basketball coaching strategies - and the comfort level of the athletes on the stage - but I'm sure - you and i make for great content and reading for those reading this - AGAIN - love Woodland and the coaches and players brother - enjoy these this wonderful weekend of fab. weather

Regarding 7th grade boys HMS vs. Woodland CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. Woodland Neace - amazing. Congrats - love that game.. Highlands coach - tie game to start 2nd quarter - sends in 5 new players to start 2nd quarter. The 2nd unit? On this stage? And get this - these kids - haven't played ALL YEAR. Again- these players - wonderful athletes - have not played the entire season - for the most part. K - it's a championship game - how fair is that to these athletes? I don't care what grade - i care about the athlete. Sooo - credit to these highlands 7th grade 2nd unit now entering the championship stage - they hung for a while - and came out with a couple minutes to play before half - DOWN 7. Insert athlete starters - been sitting for 15 minutes. Get it goin boys... Coach Listermann - or whomever - you are the campus hoops program for the time being - enough about football - this has nothing to do w/football - it's an extracurricular sport - get vested in the young kid hoopsters (middle school) coming up - or the best athletes will absolutely - opt out of this NONSENSE. Please. Thank you.

The 7th grade game was dominated by IHM's two bigs. They are fantastic, talented basketball players - (sorry don't know names). They have handle, size, shooting - everything - and totally dominated Highlands for 3 quarters. They will be AWESOME high school basketball players. Highlands 7th grade team is special in that they have a handful of kids that can score - at any time from anywhere. Highlands has NOT pressured full court - for a few games now- and forcing an up tempo game is their go to bread/butter. That did NOT happen last night, until the last quarter of the game. They also have a few athletes that can get into foul trouble if pressing full court entire game - and this has to be a consideration as well for coach NOT to pressure full court always. But they were forced to for fourth quarter and the Birds starting hitting 3's and stealing the ball and converting layups attacking the rim. Interesting stat of the game - I believe it was final score of like 41 to 40. Well the birds scored 20 points - half this - in last 3 minutes. #51 for Birds scored most of his points (& steals) for the game during this stretch - so a few of the birds just simply got hot. It's a shame IHM had to lose that - they played magnificently and are a class act - and those 2 bigs - watch them in next five years - wow. Kudos to Birds - those kids and players just don't quit and wow can they fill it up when they need to.

In order of grade. Girls first then boys, 6th grade thru 8th. 9am start with 6th grade at Twenhoffel gym. I believe the 7th grade boys (for example) is scheduled right at 1pm - following 3 games.

Highlands 7th grade - down 17 with 3:30 left in game? Is that correct?

K well no clue what Fort Thomas is planning with their teams...we shall see..

Great question - i have no idea - no authority here...I'm purely making comments on what I've observed over the last few years...speculation...PLUS - not much PT for majority of 7th graders...could lead to quiting sport...again - not sure why now the league is doing this. Again, watching the games and practices over last few years - something had to be done...

And the community of Fort Thomas has a great history, 50+ years of outstanding little league football program for kids grades 3 thru 8. Net an established feeder program for Highlands....so there has been no need for middle school team. However, last few years, as mentioned prior - football and safety concerns..has led to sweeping changes (shall we say) and it is impacting the numbers across board - and at the 7th/8th grade level - league is dealing w/concussion safety theme woven into the fabric of sport now...and separating the 8th graders from 7th graders is proper initiative - and the NKY league is good option.

7th grade tonight semi's at Camp Ernst is Highlands vs. IHM and Conner vs. Woodland

And why (2) 8th grade teams? Why not one ? Numbers suggest one i believe... Many folks know better than I...but seems one is appropriate given last five years declining participants etc...

WOW that is great news for some eager 8th grade-to-be football players next season!! Any word on coaching for these Ft. Thos. teams? Reason I ask, this should be a very different beast now - versus recent seasons in the Fort TJFL - coaches had to prepare 2 teams (7th grade team and 8th team) on the same squad - and this translated into very little-to-no hitting during practice, for fear of 8th hitting a 7th etc. Net, with the concussion issue working it's way thru little league football etc. over last 5 or so years - and balancing 7th/8th grade personnel - there was as i said no hitting - and practices basically became walk thrus...and the league (culture) itself turned more and more recreational - and not very competitive etc... Any hoot - i'm rambling - but this would be potentially a very different place for coaching staffs and practices and competitive games/league - looking forward to how that plays out.

I'm not saying they always draw the best from those communities - sorry - i simply meant - the ability to always draw from EVERYWHERE - (mcdonald/schulte/weyer/pangallo/moeves) will always be part of their programs. They cover Campbell communties...

One other important consideration - that Coach Hicks and Coach Listermann would probably both say is there number one hurdle - to building consistent quality program - is lack of bodies from August thru December. IF you are a 3A enrollment school or below - lets say 100 boys per class or less AND you have very popular, successful football AND soccer program playing in fall - you simply run out of athletic bodies to compete against, to practice with in they gym for hoops during the fall. Soccer didn't exist 20+ years ago. Net, lack of competitive athletes/bodies - outside of soccer and football in the fall - is a real problem for basketball coaches at smaller enrollment programs like Beechwood, Bellevue - HHS - just don't have the numbers with the emergence of quality fall soccer and a solid football program.

Highlands is missing the two most important components of an elite basketball program - at any level: Multiple zip codes on the roster AND (obvious here) talented scorers in the gym NOT playing football from August to December 7th. Look at any great roster - they come from multiple communities. That is what Highlands had during the eighties - when a great covington native (coach shields) was coaching them and his childhood buddies started sending their kids to HHS to be with Coach Shields. Fred Terry, Draud, Lankheit, Maile, Draud, Blasengame, Hergott - Beagle from Boone Co. and on and on and on. Southgate, Newport & Bellevue athletes were contributing as well - Kremer, Fisher, Schuett etc. NET - more than 1 zip code. NCC - they draw best athletes from Alexandria, Cold Spring, Southgate, Newport and 40175. Cov Cath- multiple communities - Moeller/St. X - you get the drill. THEN - YES, you have to have talented kids IN THE GYM FULL TIME from August to December. In the eighties - again, Terry, vories, sullivan, SCHLARMANN, Koehling, Draud, Fisher, Barth, Buten, Cowie - athletes that were also winning state tennis championships and regional golf championships. NET - talent in the gym all fall that could put the ball in the basket. Again, what is missing? Multiple zip codes and (non-football) talent working on their game exclusively - all fall. It's not rocket science - just is what it is. You can have great football players playing hoops - i love it - but you have to sprinkle in some basketball talent that is not running thru grind of football AND yes, in the gym. I worry about writing and trying to communicate feelings and ideas like this - because it is often misinterpreted. I'm not calling out any kids - as not talented - those highlands kids are very talented, they are just competing on a small stage and activity - like golf or tennis - takes (at times) - a talent to score consistently and with today's great athletic defenses - takes real hard work and skill to get it done..