jbwill2

Why? Did Highlands get some new "transfers" from Cincinnati last week?

yeah, your mama...

Highlands is taking state because Uncle Rico finally built that time machine and will be suiting up for the Birds this postseason.

I do think the winner of 5A will either be BG, Owensboro or Pulaski County.

Wrong, wrong and wrong.

Isn't Urban pretty well known for recruiting criminals?

Highlands is taking state.

Fair enough but surely you get the JV part you are a smart man.

Multiple times this year Coach Stoops has had to address whether there is a QB controversy at UK (whether he will stick with Towles or make a change to Barker). Up until the MSU game Stoops has stuck with Towles. It seems that Coach Stoops has really opened up the matter of a potential QB controversy now that he actually made a QB change in a game, and I figured that in order for him to "pull the trigger" and make this change there must be a very good reason for doing so. It's hard for me to believe that he opened himself and the program up to the question of a QB controversy in order to give a player some game experience in preparation for starting 1-2 years from now (ie, the JV argument). But, perhaps he did...

I honestly think Jbwill has a laughable concern here considering in mist recent years it has been the basketball program that has suffered due to some very good athletes ending their basketball playing and focusing on on football. Many made their choice because of the competitiveness to earn a position as well as the requirement to attend various practices/training sessions,etc all through the year.

 

I'm having a hard time feeling sorry for the football program if they don't get a group of boys who never played a down in their life.

 

Kudos to JB for getting baseball only kids out and putting some focus somewhere other than football. State runner up this past year. I'd love to see Listerman get tge Birds back to where they are at least mentioned in the 9th Region Top Ten.

 

Stick to the football threads JBwill.

 

I will write one more comment and then leave the basketball forum (per your request):

 

The varsity football team currently sits at 4-5 and has been on the unlucky side of the mercy rule in multiple games this year. No one is talking about the current squad being a viable contender for making it to the state title game (let alone winning it), which is quite a departure from the norm for a program that has won 7 of the last 8 state titles and gone to the last 8 championship games. This year's team is also at risk of finishing 2015 with a non-winning record, which has not happened at HHS since the 1950s. I have been told that the main reason for the team's dip in success this year is a decrease in talent on the team. I have heard from several sources in Fort Thomas that the team's prospects next year will be similar to how things have gone this year. So, as someone who is a big fan of Highlands football, when I hear that there will be more Highlands athletes in the near future who choose not to play football (and focus on other sports) than there has been in the recent past, it concerns me.

 

And with that, I will shut up and leave this thread to the basketball fans.

Question did you play football? Sometimes a Friday night/Saturday game, turns into a JV game to an extent.

The extent of my football playing was backyard with school buddies back when I was a teenager, so I have very little context to understand why UK decided to make a QB change in the game.

Do you have any idea what you're talking about? If you look at both the offense and defensive units late in the MSU it was the majority of 2nd team guys. According to your logic Boom may not be the starting RB either since he was "benched" with Towles.

 

The QB position is least of the staff concerns. How about a 6'7 360lb DT who thinks he's still starting at John Hardin as opposed to an SEC school?

Please educate me. Why did the coaching staff pull Towles in the game? What purpose did it serve? Was it to protect Towles from suffering an injury late in a game that was no longer in doubt? Was it to give the coaching staff the opportunity to see how Barker would perform in a real game, in order to help determine who the starting QB should be going forward in the season? If Barker would have come out and played outstanding would he have played his way into the starting lineup next week, or is the starting spot Towles' no matter what at this point? What was the reasoning behind the benching?

If they have never played football, how is that impacting the football program?

HHS is not a very big school. In recent years HHS has been getting 1 out of every 3-4 boys to play football. By doing that they were ensuring that the best athletes in the school were playing football and also ensuring that they had the numbers to do things like platoon and develop depth. If over the course of the next few years the football program is drawing something like 1 out of every 6-7 boys it is hard to believe this will not have a negative impact on the program, unless HHS experiences a huge numbers increase as a school.

 

If you guys think otherwise, please explain to me how this would not have a negative impact on the football program.

1. Your analogy to top academics makes no sense. I don't understand the point you are making. One can be a top student and never participate in academic competitions. That's a red herring.

2. They're kids. They have a four year window, and for most, that's it. Most won't play at the next level. Play as many (or as few) sports as you want.

3. If you are ok with boys playing multiple sports, then we're on the same page. However, the last sentence of your post suggests that you really aren't ok with the boys playing multiple sports. Frankly, some of your prior posts reflect that very premise.

4. I'm "ok" with one thing and one thing only. The boys playing whatever they want to the best of their ability. And, I submit that will not result in the football program "sliding."

Highlands participates in academic competitions, like quick recall. If the best academic students at HHS decide not to participate in these competitions for whatever reason, how do you think the HHS quick recall team will fare? These kids are not interchangeable parts, there are some who are just smarter and/or more knowledgeable than others, and if those kids are sitting out quick recall the quick recall team's success is going to be impacted. Similarly, if some of the best athletes walking the halls at HHS are not playing football for whatever reason, it is going to impact the quality of the football program. I had initially responded to a post where someone had written that there are a group of middle school athletes who are not playing football. In recent years, HHS has been successful in getting this "demographic" (the athletically talented kids) to play football. My point is that if this changes (if some of these kids decide to forego football and play something else) it will impact the quality of the football program. If you don't have the jimmies and the joes it is going to be hard to be successful.

Wouldn't surprise me a bit if we get posts that the National semifinal playoff losing teams are called frauds...

Well, last year showed that FSU was a fraud. They were given their ranking based upon what had happened the previous year and the fact that they had success against a weak schedule/conference. A few years ago Notre Dame was exposed as a fraud in the national title game.

So, all you guys thought that 3rd place ranking was justified, huh?

No. Highlands (like any other school) needs its athletes to play whatever sport interests them. A vibrant athletic program where the boys are playing as many sports they want is best. That's what Highlands needs.

 

And, apparently to your chagrin, that's the way the athletic program is conducted. As an HHS parent, I fully support the manner in which coaches work together and encourage boys to play as many sports at HHS as they desire.

I think you missed my point. My issue is not with kids playing multiple sports. My concern is if some of the best athletes at HHS are not playing football, it will have a negative impact on the football program. It would be akin to the top academic students at HHS not participating in academic competitions like quick recall. If the best jimmies and joes are not participating (whether it's in football or academic competitions) it is going to impact the quality of the program. HHS is not big enough male student wise to be able to afford having some of its best athletes forego football and still expect to be one of the top 2 programs in the entire state.

 

Now, if you are OK with the football program sliding, becoming one of the top 20 programs in the state instead of one of the top 2 (which is what they have been), so that the other HHS sports can climb the ladder of success, then by all means have the kids focus on other sports and forego football...

You might want to check your memory there. That is exactly what happened in the New England-Kansas City game last season. Brady was pulled from the game in favor of Garappolo who led the Patriots down the field for their 2nd and final touchdown....

Wow... I stand corrected then. I remember watching that game and did not recall his being benched.

 

Heck... If Brady can get benched then I guess any QB can.

So, I am confused. You are saying that in the coming years at HHS there will be less boys going out for football than in previous years (in order to play basketball or other sports), but it won't have a negative impact on the football program's success?

 

Towles was what, 6'5" in high school. I for one am thankful he chose to play football and not focus on another sport like basketball. We would probably have 1 or 2 fewer state titles and 1 fewer Mr. Kentucky Football recipient if he did.

You proved my point.

 

Btw, running scared is not how I Would put it. There are always 2 sides to every story and the HHS and CCH folks always have their side.

What is the other side of the story?

Disagree with that sentence 100%. Basketball program needs kids that play that sport only like in the past and sprinkle in the kids that play football. That is the formula for success at Highlands and I think that Coach L has things heading in the right direction.

I get what you are saying, but do you think Highlands football can really afford having some of the best athletic talent in the school not playing football and expect to compete for state football titles, at least in the next couple of years?

Do you keep a starting pitcher in a game when your down 9 in the 7th inning?

Bad analogy. Its apples to oranges comparing pitchers to QBs.

Bench or pull him out so he doesn't take any more unnecessary hits in a decided game?

Do you think that's why he was benched? To protect him from hits late in a game?

 

I am a Towles guy way more than I am a UK guy (heck, I wish he'd picked a different school to attend). But, it is hard to walk away from the MSU game with the notion that Stoops has full confidence in Towles, given that he benched him in the game.

 

When New England got pounded by Kansas City last season I don't recall Brady getting benched...

USC just proved what 98% of the country thought all along about Utah... frauds.

UK will have a hard time scoring many points against the Vols.

 

Is Stoops done with Towles? Rarely does a coach bench a QB he has faith in, even in blowout losses...

Why was this game on Saturday night? Congrats to Cooper.

I need to relax by asking you a question as to whether he has been showing up for practice or not? Seemed like you knew the answer already. Not going to take this thread off topic, but it is pretty obvious that you are a little sensitive and I cannot imagine why.

 

Most of the football kids have been attending workouts on Sunday's during the football season. Also the season starts about 2+ weeks later than it already had in order to let the football kids get their legs underneath them before playing games. Unfortunately, the program is full of multi-sport athletes at this point in time, but that may be changing a little down the road.

That last sentence you wrote scares me. Highlands needs its best male athletes playing football...

Rutgers has not played a meaningful football game since 1869. Just sayin...