Thor of Asgard

Newport has around 25 players as of right now, give or take a few, some freshmen included. I know Holmes has not had great numbers in recent years, but they always have more than 25 players in their top three grades. I hope Newport is able to get more kids out for the team, it's always been a fun rivalry with them in football. One of the Holmes coaches said it is the oldest football rivalry in No. Ky. I had forgot they had an unexpected coaching change at Newport last year. Could this have contributed to the low numbers at Newport?

This is what some of the Holmes people have said about the situation at Newport. Is it truth only 20 or so players out for the football team?

This is just plain incorrect. Newport is much bigger than both of those schools. I could see Dayton shutting its doors in the next decade due to low enrollment and the city deteriorating as it is doing presently. Bellevue is a very small city but has a great community. The problem for Newport appears to be people are leaving that city in droves, the land is being used for business-only purposes (Levee, new mall on Grand Avenue), and the few residents remaining are not encouraging kids to play sports. That is bad news for Newport football.

Is this a new school? I never heard of Ballevue. Should it be Bellevue, or did another school just start up.

I heard the same, built an addition to high school to house 7th and 8th graders. Problem is, 7th and 8th graders don't increase a football roster in high school. If they only have 20-25 players total, that is a problem.

Heard Newport is struggling with its numbers to field football this season. We (Holmes) usually play them in football, always a good rivalry. Any Newport people who can offer reasons for the low numbers for football?

Drove down to the game expecting a blowout, turned out to be entertaining. The crowd was nonexistent, probably less than 400 if the gym really holds 2,500 as it says. That aside, Faulkner is a very good player. He and Williams could be NKU's two best players next season. They two kept Kentucky in the game. The rest of Kentucky's roster seemed overmatched by Indiana. I would agree it's time to end the series if they can only get 400 fans at an all-star game.

No second chances at Newport. Snapp dismissed Hollis, end of story. That is why it concerns me that Listerman is so willing to let Hollis play for Holmes.

Hollis was kicked off Newport's team late last season. That is what @Wildcats1 is saying.

As a Holmes graduate, I'm both concerned and disappointed in Listerman to "accept" Hollis after what happened at Newport. Hopefully Listerman has spoken with Snapp and found out why Hollis, Mullins, Covington were dismissed late in the season.

See the box score from the KHSAA site. Hollis was not on the team for Newport's final game vs CovCath. 2015/16 Kentucky High School Boys Basketball

Hollis, Mullins, and Covington were all kicked off Newport's team near the end of last season. Hollis was no longer a member of Newport's team and that is why he is now at Holmes. The spin about his "residence" is not relevant, he wasn't playing at Newport again.

Have you been paying attention the past few months? Go revisit the past threads.

Your certainly have a sad outlook on things, and I feel badly for you. It sounds like you might be a Gramke-hater as well. That is fine, you have an opinion, I have mine.

You just answered your own question. Because Winstel knows NDA is a complete mess, she would not want him to have to deal with all the crybaby parents and other outside influences that have made NDA impossible. Beechwood was perfect for Gramke.

Funny. It's an afterthought, but yet we have two pages now here on BGP about Beechwood girls basketball. All because they hired Chris Gramke. Guess his presence is already paying dividends in the PR dept.

No, I'm saying there are lots of potential transfers, INCLUDING those who are fed up with what's going on at NDA, who could end up at Beechwood. Or Holmes. Or NewCath. Or Highlands (See Martin thread).

You will never be mistaken for the eternal optimist, that is for sure. I bet you find the slightest faults in perfect sunny days during June and July.

Any great program has endured tough times before turning things around. Do you realize CovCath football in 1975 and 1976 had a combined 1-20 record? Yes, 0-10 followed by 1-10 records for CovCath football! Since then they have won 6 or 7 state titles. You have to build a program. Gramke will build the Beechwood program, but he has the advantage in basketball of only needing one or two good players. And parents will want their kids to go to Beechwood because he is the coach. There are tons of good players and their parents looking to transfer as we speak (see Notre Dame Academy) who would fit in really well in a Gramke-coached system. And Gramke coached with Nancy Winstel, who is very involved at NDA. 2 + 2 = 4.

I can assure you Chris Gramke will have a full squad when practice begins. I'm a Holmes graduate and have no (Bull)dog in the Beechwood fight, but I would not want to play Beechwood in an elimination game at district time once Gramke gets his system implemented. Check out his record at both Seton and St. Ursula and you will understand why.

I didn't say Beechwood was going to win the 9th Region, I said they will be competitive. A Gramke-coached team will play hard, be fundamentally sound and well-prepared. With some decent talent thrown in at Beechwood, and given how poorly some of the teams in the 9th Region are coached, Chris will make an impact sooner than later. Gramke is also a person who doesn't back down from a challenge. As I mentioned in an earlier post above, Chris, Tom Gamble, and Don Weber literally smashed the proposed NKU football program to pieces years ago on the TV show The Press Box. Chris called out Bill Erpenbeck on one of the shows and said something like "Erpenbeck's construction company will get the right to build the NKU football field" to expose the travesty that was being pushed. Many of the NKU people were extremely pleased with Chris, so much they hired him as an assistant basketball coach despite the protests of some of the "football crowd" at NKU. He never backed down from those people, football got the boot from incoming NKU prez Jim Votruba, and nobody ever heard from them again. What I'm saying is, Chris Gramke is a remarkable person who wins at everything he does. Beechwood is getting a great coach.

Competitive means Chris Gramke will instill a system that makes Beechwood play to its full potential and with great intensity, regardless of the opponent. Chris will not stand pat and watch Beechwood lose 10 of its last 12 games, something the Tigers did this past season. The wins will take care of themselves because there are a number of poorly coached teams in the 9th Region who have talent. Beechwood was winless against district opponents last season. That could change in a hurry once Chris implements his system and the players adapt to the style of play.

That's why Chris Gramke was a great hire. He has already reached out to a number of the players and potential players. Chris will have more than enough players as far as numbers. The parents and boosters were thrilled with the choice as coach. His experience and basketball Xs and Os will make Beechwood competitive in a hurry.

Chris was also Nancy Winstel's assistant coach for NKU's 2000 national championship team in Division II. While Chris was an assistant at NKU, they won several Great Lakes titles and went to the elite eight a few times.

Yes, it's the same Chris Gramke. At that time, Chris was the sports editor of the Recorder Newspaper and he appeared with Tom Gamble and Don Weber on The Press Box. Chris left the Recorder Newspaper to become Nancy Winstel's top assistant coach at NKU. What many might not remember is Chris, Don Weber and Tom Gamble pointed out the flaws and political agendas that were driving the push for NKU football on The Press Box and informed viewers of all the wrongdoings of NKU interim president Jack Moreland and Bill Erpenbeck. As we know, NKU football and Moreland were punted, and Erpenbeck is in prison. People in N. Ky. were lucky to have three reporters like Chris Gramke, Tom Gamble, Don Weber all exposing the wrongs of the push for NKU football.