DEWEY47

I agree. I don't see Spritzky or anyone else on Dixie's coaching staff cheating. And if anyone has direct knowledge of recruiting (not rumors and hearsay) please provide it to the KHSAA so they can do something about it. Heck even if its rumors and hearsay, tell the KHSAA so they can look into it and see if its legit. Trust me, the KHSAA really is serious about investigating recruiting violations. If you KNOW it's happening but do nothing about it, you are part of the problem. If you don't know its happening but you state on here that's its happening, you likewise are part of the problem. In other words, put up or shut up.

:thumb:

Guys lets guit arguing over open enrollment,because right now Dixie does have an advantage over Scott and SK because of the new sports facility and no one can say they don't. I have been in meetings with the high ups in the county and expressed this before whether you want to believe it or not the facilities is an advantage over the other 2 schools in the county. I don't really care about that all I care about is my own , and if kids want to go to another school other than the one they are supposed to attend so be it.I believe Dixie deserved the new sports facilities. As far as recruiting it is done whether you believe it or not I will leave it at that. So lets drop all the wars about facilities and what kid should be going to what school and just take care of our own and hope we have a good 2007 season because I can't wait til it starts.

That is a very serious statement.

I think you would like to believe it happens but name me one palyer Dixie has Recruited. They come because they want to win just like for those that choose Beechwood, Cov. Cath, or Highlands over Dixie.

I just don't see Coach Spritzky cheating. If you have other info please do tell.

How about this question?

 

Whose challenge is tougher?

 

 

1. Rodenburg - when he accepted the job 2 yrs ago?

 

2. The next coach - who has to live up to last year's team who won state while losing most of the starting lineup?

^ you beat me to it again.I will just let you post my thoughts.

The next Caoch because there are so few starters coming back, Rodenberg recieved a very talented group of athletes, I am sure there is Talent at Cov. Cath but I am not sure they will be as talented as Bleser, Bovard, The sutton brothers, Brown, Castenada, Ellison, the Buckley's, and on and on.

It sucks that he left. BUT I will say he left it in BETTER shape than when he entered the program. I think that is all you can ask from someone. I dont know if Roger Bacon is "better", but maybe the personal situation with family is "better".

^ you beat me to it.

I think that is a bold satement Cov. Cath was a big time job when he got it because of what Lynn Ray and the players before him built.

Cov. Cath. will be fine they don't rebuild they reload. The program was in good shape when he got there and it is in good shape when he left, but I wouldn't say better.

[/b]

 

At least we can agree that Dixie has an advantage of some type. I agree that Dixie's winning record is one of those advantages and more power to them for doing so. As to the facilities creating an advantage, I think it does help to some extent attract the kids to Dixie; but how much is certainly hard to quantify.

 

As you and others have mentioned, some kids have chosen to attend Highlands, CovCath and Beechwood. But there is certainly a cost to doing so; whereas they can choose to attend Dixie at no additional cost. Getting this thread back somewhat to the original tangent :jump:, I believe that Dixie can compete with CovCath and Highlands in the district and that people at Dixie should not be complaining about having to play those two schools. With the requisite committment to football, I think Dixie should be able to attract the better student athletes throughout Kenton County. Of course they can't outright recruit them, but then again, neither Highlands, CovCath or Beechwood outright recruits. Rather the program recruits based on past success and current committment to winning state. I firmly believe that Dixie's program should be able to do the same. Heck, by playing and beating CovCath and Highlands, Dixie should be able to get the Kenton Co. kids to choose Dixie over CovCath and Highlands. And I believe that by playing CovCath and Highlands it will raise the bar at Dixie.

 

Over the last several years, I've heard a lot of Dixie supporters justify the losses to Highlands by the fact that Dixie doesn't peak early and is often times not in good physical condition early in the season; rather Dixie looks at the early part of the season as almost scrimmage games as they do not matter in district competition. Assuming those supporters to be accurate, this year I expect Dixie to be much more competitive with Highlands (and maybe even be the favorite with all the starters returning at Dixie) since Dixie does not play Highlands until I think around mid season and since the game will be a district game and will matter. And as stated above, if Dixie starts beating us and CovCath, even on a semiregular basis, I do think the Kenton Co. kids that otherwise would have considered CovCath or Highlands, will choose Dixie for cost and convenience issues.

 

I agree 100% :thumb:

If the coach chooses to use what he has at his disposal, it can make a great deal of difference. When you can attend the local middle school and peewee games and practices as a nuetral prospective coach, it can help attendance.

 

Which is ?

 

I believe that were several youth league and middle school games played at Dixie, I could see this helping, but I still don't know what The coach can do short of cheating to convince kids to come to Dixie. Coach Spritzky was my coach and I know he wouldn't cheat.

Yes, I do know this as a fact. We will see if this doesn't have an even greater impact in the future. After all, this was just the first season for the new facility. It still confuses me as to how a schoolboard could build that type of faciliy for one school and not all, and have open enrollment within their district. It also confuses me as to how one can believe that this doesn't give a given school an advantage. This is even before the facility was built, but didn't Dixie have a good tailback 4-5 years ago that lived within visual sight of Scott High?[/QUOTE]

 

 

As I said they are going to put Turf on those two fields. If you read the Kenton County website they explain that because there is not enough room for practice facilities, so they decided on Turf,

 

He was actually a QB, he was the one I was speaking of.

 

I agree there is an advantage for Dixie over SK and Scott, but I don't think it is a turf field. (As I stated in another post) it is winning, but when players have shopped for different schools for winning puposes I would bet more have landed at Beechwood, Cov, Cath or Highlands then Dixie.

 

I just don't know how much control you think Dixie Heights has over weather Johnny the great athlete is going to choose Dixie over the others.

Simon Kenton and Scott both have ZERO out of area enrolled football player. Dixie has a huge advantage over those two schools. Maybe I missed something, but I didn't notice that Kenton county schools built a new football facility at Scott or SK. If you think that doesn't attract perspective athletes from around the county, you are living in fantasy land.

Do you know this as a fact?

Not yet but they will have turf fields soon. The only player that i can think of that was a huge impact player came to Dixie, played on one of the worst fields in the state, with no practice field, make shift locker rooms, and weight rooms for most if not all of his career. Since they got the new Facility they lost one of the best Football players in Kenton County Schools. He moved and he did not take advantage of Open enrollment.

My point is that Open enrollment has not had that great of benefit for the Football team as outsiders would like to believe. Once again Dixie can not recruit these kids because it is against the rules.

Northern Kentucky public schools, for the most part, are several cuts above most of the rest of the public schools in the state. Therefore, I do not think a vast number of people will part with $6000 for tuition because in that part of the state they will not see "a good Catholic education" as worth that much more than the market already offers for free. That said, I disagree that "with the right coach at CCH, the Colonels could dominate all of NKY in football". I have concluded that good Catholic football and good public football are, on balance, equal. Unfortunately, the examples cited in favor of Catholic football are usually St. X and Trinity. Both are fine schools, St. X with far more overall National Merit scholars and total state athletic titles and Trinity perhaps more of a football school. Both have dominated 4A football. But both have 35% to 65% more male enrollment of many of their opponents in football. They dominate because, primarily, they have a vast numerical advantage. Would St. X and Trinity win as often if Male or Manual had 1500 boys and they had 800 boys?

 

Where numbers are similar, Beechwood, Fort Thomas, and Boyle County win at least as frequently as Lexington Catholic, Covington Catholic, DeSales or Holy Cross.

Great post.

We have definitely beneffited from kids not wanting to play football at SK. I'm not sure if we've benefitted more than Dixie as I don't know whom has attended Dixie rather than attending SK. I can't honestly remember Highlands ever getting a Scott football player. But perhaps we have.

 

And I agree with you that the spread between Highlands and Dixie is not as great as that between Dixie and Trinity (although I don't remember ever stating that Dixie's advantage over Highlands was as great as Trinity's advantage over Dixie). Nonetheless, Dixie does have an advantage if you believe that having more boys is an advantage, and I think most folks in Ky so believe.

Don't get me wrong. I realize that Highlands has some things that can offset that advantage: tradition, a committment to winning and the ability to attract some players from other schools. I'm not saying that Dixie should be dominating Highlands just because Dixie has a couple of hundred more boys than Highlands. But Dixie should have been more competitive against Highlands than they have been over the last 15 or 20 years. And no one from Dixie should ever complain that its unfair that they have to now play Highlands in their district competition. That's almost insulting to the Dixie players.

Jared Lorenzen lived in Edgewood and was in Scott district until 9th grade and His brother did go to Scott, and Justin Frisk was an Edgewood boy until 10th grade, maybe he came from Cov. Cath but when he left there he didn't go to the school district he lived in

I don't know how anyone from Dixie could complain about enrollment #'s heck they showed on the right night they could beat Trinity in the Playoffs.

Don't ever underestimate these things, they are great advantages, but it is something that was earned not given

I agree, if you want to be the best you have to beat the best.

no they haven't try the thread that talks about next in line at Cov. Cath

Moving up for competition purposes was not a valid reason to request a move up. The only valid reason for requesting a move up was for geographical reasons.

 

As to Highlands being half the size, I must have remembered incorrect numbers. I thought Highlands had 393 to Dixie's approx 650. If the KHSAA site has Highlands with 423 to Dixie's 636, you are right. But I assume you'll agree that an extra 200 plus kids does/should give Dixie some advantage, or at least certainly takes away Dixie's ability to complain about Highlands moving up.

And I assume you would agree that Dixie has probably benefitted from the Kenton Co. open enrollment policy than any other school in the district. They haven't attracted every good athlete that has taken advantage of the open enrollment policy, but I'd venture a guess, and its just a guess, that they have attracted the most.

I agree that it should help. However it isn't as significant as the adavantages that some schools have for example Trinity has almost 700 more boys then Simon Kenton does. To me that is the numbers advantage people complained about.

I can name 1 player who was a significant Football player that I know was open enrolled and his family had previous ties to Scott. Other then that I don't know of any big time Football players that came to Dixie for football purposes. I would say Highlands has benefited from kids who don't want to play at Scott or SK more than Dixie has would you agree?

It is not a wash. Dixie has traditionally been the most football competative high school in Kenton County. It now has new fascilities that give it an even bigger advantage when it comes to open enrollment. I do not understand the complaints about playing a school that has much smaller enrollment. It is not against the rules. If it were, the BOC would not have accepted the appeals. Lets face it, the descision is better for NKY, and better for competition across the state.

I never did complain that Dixie is competeting with HHS and CCH. Dixie has played these 2 teams for a long time. Heck they played Highlands when few teams from NKY would.

I disagree I think the decision was best for CCH and Highlands schools, and Communities, and no one can blame them for wanting to move up. But ask Scott, Holmes, or Dixie if it was best for them. I think the KHSAA went wrong when they said some teams could move and others couldn't. That is my only opinion.

As a fan of Dixie Heights I look forward to the challenge of playing them, I hope the boys step up to the challenge.

It is not a wash. Dixie has traditionally been the most football competative high school in Kenton County. It now has new fascilities that give it an even bigger advantage when it comes to open enrollment. I do not understand the complaints about playing a school that has much smaller enrollment. It is not against the rules. If it were, the BOC would not have accepted the appeals. Lets face it, the descision is better for NKY, and better for competition across the state.

Just because you have had success does not mean Kids are automatically going to come to school there when they live in Kenton County. Two examples are Tomy Gibson and Michael Haught they were 2 of the better underclassmen in Kenton County in 2005 both changed schools and they ended up at SK. Recruiting is against the KHSAA rules, so unless a parent decides to transport their child to Dixie for the purpose of playing Football, the Football program has no say over who comes there.

I missed the part where LN said it was against the rules. I believe he stated that the criteria for moving a school up a class was strictly based on geographical implications.

Okay he stated the guidelines that were established to determin if a team could move up. Which in my opinion would be a rule.

I don't think that any of those teams petitioned to move up to AAA. There is nothing wrong with moving up a class to increase your competition level. It doesn't make sense to deny it. Dixie, although a public school, has open enrollment. This is an advantage that should allow them to compete with the big boys across the state. If Dixie would have petitioned in time to move up to AAAAAA, then they would have been accepted. They didn't ask for this to happen till they found out Highlands and Cov were going to be in their district.

But as LN said it is against the rules,

As far as Open enrollment Scott, and SK have open enrollment also, so isn't a wash Parents can send their children to any of the schools as long as they are accepted, typically they do not send them to one over the other for sports reasons.

And according to the KHSAA #s Dixie is no where close to twice the size of Highlands in terms of number of boys, projected #s

Dixie 636 boys

Highlands 423 boys

Two a days help immensely with your early season physical conditioning. Nothing gets you in shape for playing football, better than playing twice a day in the head of August. BTW, You are still allowed to have two a days for a whole week. One of the practices have to be in helmets only every other day. I can't imagine being in shape for game one without them.

But if you follow the rules you can't practice in the heat of august. I read no where in the Bylaws that said you could have Two a days for a week I must have missed it.

sml

I am not saying that two a days wouldn't help but I think the reason you said to have two a days (develop young players) is being addressed by holding seperate practice where the younger players get individual reps with the coaches.

Highlands is in a community where the whole community buys into football, look at their Baseball program since the start of Spring Football. I want Dixie Heights to be at the level of Highlands but i honestly don't believe, that a new stadium and two a day practices is the entire answer, you are right though it may be a start. I just think you saying not having two a day practices, is the reason Dixie Heights hasn't won 16 State titles. When I played there we did have two a days.

What Highlands has is something special a rich tradition to be admired by all well almost all, There is a reason for their success and it is a lot more than two a day practices, because if it was just hard work we have been told Highlands out works just about everyone they would be 47 time state champions.

Go ahead a I'll say it for you, Dixie is doing the same thing and expecting different results. Whatever I told you once I do not repesent Dixie Heights football or Tom Spritzky, these are my opinions call him for his thoughts.

Partly! It is twice as many practices. The more practice, the more reps! Also if you read my post I explain my point.

 

Summer practice is where the young kids get the most reps. During the season the young kids are on scout team preparing the varsity kids for that week's game.

 

I did not say it is the only way to develop talent, but it helps! No it is not that simple and read the post as a whole! Not just the part you highlight.

If you follow the rules of Bylaw 25 section 5 at most you could have gotten this year is 4 more practices. and that is if you didn't have to cancel because of the Heat

And Dixie for the past couple years has held a seperate practice for their JV team up until game week.

So I think that would help address the benefit of Two a Days.

I wouldn't consider beating Highlands once in 25 years proves that 2 a days aren't needed.

I agree but in most of the 25 years they had two a days. I feel that if you have better Jimmies and Joes and they work you can beat anyone if you practice 20 hours a day or 3 hours.

Got ya! :thumb:

 

I predict "also ran"! Highlands and CovCath are not going to lower their expectations and work less hard. Dixie is going to have to raise the bar. I just do not see it happening if they will not even have two-a-days!

But they have proven they can beat these teams without two a days.

Can you explain the definition of success?

 

Sounds more like "Insanity": Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

 

Seems to me that Dixie is happy with status quo!

Don't take my comments as the Philosophy of Dixie Heights Football. I am just a fan who doesn't believe in pointing fingers, because it is counter productive.

The definition of success is different at every school, I would say 36-12, a district championship, Regional Runner-up, victories over Highlands (2002, 2004 forfiet), Cov. Cath (02, 03, 04) and Giving Trinity 1 of there 2 playoff losses in this decade, although not State championships can be considered success.

If you have to win a State Championship to be successful, then would you say that Football is the easiest sport in KY to be successful in because 4 soon to be 6 teams can have a successful season but most every other sport only one team has a successful season.

Should Dixie Heights football team work harder, and strive to be State champions absolutley. If they don't they will go from a team that was a power in their district to a team that is an also ran.

My comment was towards someone who is blaming the coaches for something that has not happened yet, and may not even be true.

No two a days. The players want to do them but have been told by the coaches that it isn't going to happen. Who has the commitment and motivation? Sounds like the players want to improve.....

Sounds like a great way to start working together. The 2007 Colonels haven't played a down and you are already blaming the coaches. I don't believe they have had two a days since 2001.(They may have had them in 2002) The 2002- 2005 teams have had sucess, so I am not sure that iwas the problem.

I cant, its 5:30am and I have been up all night still thinking that Rodenburg will change his mind and come back and own the Birds.

 

Memo to CCH fans, you were the better team this year and won. You probably had better talent last year and didnt win. Rodenburg is a good coach but he wasnt the one making defensive plays and hauling in game winning touchdowns. It was the boys ont the field and give them the credit for those victories. If Bleser,Bovard,Flynn, Geisen and Brown along with the other outstanding talent doesnt make plays there is not glory in sweeping Highlands.

 

I just wish he would have stuck around long enough to suffer a few more Losses to the Birds. Oh well.

Amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sounds as if Dixie has a great opportunity to do great things but something or someone is missing. Roster looks decent, great improvements to school and facility so why not winnning more games?

I had to double check with the KHSAA website but their record over the last 5years is 41-18 during that span they have victories over Highlands (02, 04 Forfiet), Cov. Cath (02, 03, 04), Trinity (04), they have a regional Runner up in a game that was played on not so great of facilities at Dixie Heights. So I think it is wrong to say they haven't won many games.

Last Season they went 5-6 which isn't good enough, but when I looked at their schedule on the KHSAA website I could see why, Losses to Highlands, Cov. Cath, Beechwood, Boone Co. and Ryle twice all games played on the ROAD.

I hope they get things turned back in the right direction this season.

Have to disagree with your thoughts about not permitting teams to move up. After all the whining and complaining from some 4A N. Ky football coaches (whom I won't mention, but you know who they are) about how unfair it was for them to have to play against Trinity and X because those two schools are so much larger and have a size disadvantage of approx. 2 to 1, I'm really not all that sympathetic when I hear some of those same coaches whine about having to play CovCath and Highlands. Heck, Highlands is about half the size as Dixie ( I think we had 392 boys in top four and Dixie had 653 in the top four) so Dixie will "enjoy" the same size advantage over Highlands that Trinity had over Dixie. Frankly it would be hypocritical as all get out if the KHSAA, after making much fanfare of the need for 6 classes to eliminate the gross size disparity in the 4 class system, hereafter decided not to allow teams to move up. Either size truly matters (and thus the larger schools have no complaint when a smaller school moves up a class or two) or size doesn't matter and we should go back to 4 classes. A coach can't have it both ways, unless he wants to admit that his school is more interested in finding an easy way to win a state championship than earning it. Sounds harsh, but I don't see any other way to see it.

 

Sorry Ru if that wasn't constructive. Personally I think Dixie has all the tools to win the state in 5A.

Where did you ever see any NKY 4A coach complain about size? If i remeber correctly the ones who were quoted after the move to 6 classes were against it.

"Northern Kentucky guys were all against (six classes)," said Dixie Heights coach Tom Spritzky quote I found you must have found another from a guy who coached one of only 2 teams to beat Trunity in the playoffs in the last 5 years. Please let me know where I can find this info.