purple_eagles_416

Let's see who can answer this bad boy or add to it: Name a team that beat two state champions in the same season, but did not win a state title themselves? Clue 1: Class AAA school (now 5A) Clue 2: Did not even make the playoff's that year

They may get him on the field at Ball State, but not at quarterback for at least two years. Nate Davis, their QB may be the best sophomore quarterback in America. Suprised a QB w/ those skills would pick Ball State w/ Nate at QB Full Name: Nate Davis Born: May 25, 1987 Hometown: Bellaire, OH Height: 6-2 Weight: 214 lbs. Age: 20 Pos: QB Class: Sophomore RAT 141.2 | YDS 3,376 | TD 27 Profile Stats Game Log Passing Stats YEAR TEAM CMP ATT PCT YDS AVG TD LNG INT RAT 2006 BALL 150 245 61.2 1975 8.1 18 81 8 146.7 2007 BALL 245 429 57.1 3376 7.9 27 77 6 141.2 Rushing Stats YEAR TEAM ATT YDS AVG LNG TD FD FUM LOST 2006 BALL 29 -48 -1.7 19 0 0 0 0 2007 BALL 65 197 3.0 46 5 0 0 0

Richardson was the QB in '84 and then got hurt his senoir year, can't remember against whom. Gabbard though was at QB against HHS in '85 though because a BGP regular (new to this here stuff) sacked him as time expired on NCC goal line before he could pass to a wide open Frank Jacobs (right over Steve Webber I do believe).

I dont have a problem with his rationalization here. Are you saying that Highlands is a win at all cost program? If he made poor decisions with personnel during game situations outside of this rationalization then I can see why many folks were upset but if this was the only thing he did that ticked folks off then thats a problem. No, it wasn't like that. He just wouldn't let go of pre-concieved notions that the kids that didn't fit his mold were still good kids that just needed to be lead. Highlands is not a win at all cost program, but we are also not a program of all choir boys. If an athlete worked hard during the off season, didn't get in trouble but hung with a certain crowd it would be held against them under Jack. Didn't matter if those players gave their all on the field and were good teammates, they were judged by other means than that. The other scenario was players that were good kids he like dbut had troubles off the field might start beacuse their playing was good for their personal issues. No issues with this if those players were the best players, but that type of stuff outweighed their on the field contributions. I have been in contact w/ Jack in the past few years and really like the man. He had good intentions, but his adherence to an inflexible offense and other things really were achilles heels for him. This is not meant as any slur to Jack.

They were toe "Dark Years" of Highlands Football and having lived through them as a player I can tell you it was much darker from the inside than it was from the outside. Jack was a good man, but wasn't the coach needed at that time. He would start players with less talent due to moral reasons and he ran talent off that didn't fit his mold of what a HHS player should be (guys that had tons of talent but might party too much). Looking back on those teams, they were not bereft of talent. The '85 team had talent that should and could have done something if it had been coached properly. You had 4 players on that team that went on to play college football on scholarship (NCAA Division II - Hoffman, Hergott, Giglia, Monfort) and one player that went on to be the NCAA Division III Defensive Player of the Year (Bezold). The talent was there, but was never put into a system that allowed it to shine. The '85 team did beat the AAAA State Champion (back then it was State Champion vs. Jefferson County Champion), Lafayette (at Lafayette no less). Also, with the way the playoff system was then there were no second chances. Newport had arguably their best teams since the '60's and Cov Cath's '85 team lost deep in the playoff's (Von Handorf's senior year).

I forgot Jimmy went both ways. He was one heck of a player.

I'm pretty sure Pat Richardson started for NCC in '84, but I could be wrong.

Not a home loss, but the first one that comes to mind for me was Conner in 1983. We lose, the Melvin Miles Conner goes onto win it all. Should have been 3 straight. We had our chances, an unfortunate penalty (offsides) changed the outcome of that one. I still cringe when I think about it; no one would have touched us if we got out of NKY.

CB - Tom Raisbeck S - Pallouci (sp??) Offense: Center: Tom Spritzky Gaurds: Wenstrup and Dusty Tackles: Hermman and Ted Beiting TE: Beagle QB: Kremer FB: Whaley TB: Bankamper Going off of memory, but I think I am in the ballpark. Rich Maile may have been the strong safety (Monster), but I thought it was Pao. That defense was as good as it got. Not as much collegiate talent as some of the others Highlands has had; but just a solid scholastic unit.

Those games should not and probaly won't be moved. Canton/Massillon is the football playing heart of Ohio. Pro football Hall of Fame, Paul Brown Stadium (north that is), Massillonw Washington's tradition; high school football's soul is there. If you haven't gone, you should make a trip. These games are really a boom for a slowly decaying area and that are fully appreciates the importance of the games. Move it to Columbus and it's simply just another game in town. Cold and impersonable and sanitized football which isn't good for anyone. Tressell made some remarks a few weeks back about getting the games and was quckly rebuked by the Stark County football powers that be and it made the news here in Columbus. It would be awful PR for OSU to take a means of financial substinance from an area which produces an awful lot of DI talent. All kinds of props to St. X on such a great season. Took on all comers and beat them all. Where is Ashley going to end up??

The 6 Class System is a good thing for everyone involved. Granted you get early playoff games that are less competitive; but the games are for the kids not for us. Give it time to work all the way through. It's like an IRA; year one isn't real impressive but once you get into the later years it does payout. Of course tradition rich programs will do well, they'd do well regardless of how the system is set up. That is just the nature of the beast. Let's look at the bigger picture though. Now you have teams that have another week of practice, which in conjunction with spring ball gives players more time to develop. Granted it's not much time, but don't discount the importance of younger players having more time to learn their systems; it will only make the football in the Commonwealth that much better. Also don't discount the moral victory of teams who have never seen playoffs now making them. In my proffesional life I deal with athletics. Talking to many coaches, confidence is a key thing in developing kids and programs. Slight moral victories do pay off over time. The financial implications are good too. Some of these programs if they can get extra games can add $1000's to their atheltic budgets (through ticket sales and booster driven monies on concessions). A few thouand dollars can go an awfully long way for some of these programs. It may be the difference between better practice tools (sleds, dummies, etc.), coaching tools (video systems, etc.) and training tools (weight room equipment, speed and quickness training tools). Now once kids see more money being put in their programs morale builds, pride grows and iin time tradition may sprout from this. For tradition rich schools, these games may seem to be a giant pain in the rear, but there are alot more have not's than have's in the Commonwealth. Now did the private school debate really get settled with this? No way, established traditions will not suffer and alot of the private schools have much better programs than others. Here's the thing that really gets me with those the deride the private schools; go out and make your program better. Believe me, it's much easier for a public school to raise funds and build infrastructure than it is for private schools, especially Catholic schools (most donations to a catholic school must go through the diocese and be approved whereas at a public school you can give to directly to the programs). Go raise funds and build nice stadiums, get better coaches (public schools can offer a much better financial package than private schools;from a better salary to better retirement options), put in nicer weight rooms. Most public schools have direct feeder programs that give your high school programs a larger span of control over what comes into their programs. It's also gives them a better chance to sell their programs to impressionable youth. Go get involved with your schools booster clubs, start TD clubs; the only disadvantage public schools have is in the larger base for enrollments that the private schools have; but if you do the right things you will start to win that battle too. Give it time friends, give it time. The Highlands, Trinity's, St. X's, Belfry's and Danville's of the world didn't develop over night. Time and pressure carved the Grand Canyon and time and pressure will build up other programs if the sytem can only be allowed to do what it can.

Frank329 that's an awful good looking Avatar you have there. Sure beats those old gold helmets I remember!!!! You guys are going to have bring the Chili down to Louisville this week. I think I might have to come down for this one.

IMHO, Beechwood beats Newark Catholic but not like in 2005. That Coldwater game was incredible. It's as big of an upset as you will see, but Mooney was down thier stud quarterback which means instead of 7 Division I signings Coldwater beats a team w/ 6 DI players; pretty impressive stuff. Wetzel's Big Walnut team might become a force in D3 in Ohio. Scott's a great coach, it's a vibrant school district that really supports their program w/ enthusiasim and financial support. Enough about Ohio, it's time to crown the kings of the Commonwealth. Newarkcatholicfan, do you live out that way? Graduate from there?

Congratulations to Billy Franks, Head Football Coach. His first title, and it couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Won him some titles playing there, caught the game winning pass that won University of Dayton a DIII Title and now coach's them to a state title. Exciting weekend for the Newark area w/ Licking Valley playing for a title (didn't pull it out. This team has stud of a player called Storn Klein; committed to OSU and just a solid football player). Played with Newark Catholic grad at Ashland in the eighties.

Leatherneck, thanks. Playing during the Eicher years, I gotta say I sure didn't hear the cannon enough. Always tried to explain the feeling of walking out onto the field to my college teammates; and they didn't get it at all. But playing ball in Ohio, none of them knew who HHS was. It's funny though, alot of those guys are coaches throughout OH now and know exactly who we are and call me and ask how we do what we do. A coach I do business with in East Central OH even asked me to help organize thier junior football league because he had heard such good things about FTJFL. The real 12th man at Highlands isn't that cannon but the tradition. Walking into the field seeing the state titles. The field feeling like it could close in on you. Granted the cannon is part of the tradition, but alot of teams are already besides themselves by the time the cannon goes off. Heck I remember a scrimmage against Harrison County and the coaches were telling their players that the birthplace of football in KY was right under their feet. The cannon is just the olive in the martini. .

Remember well an official against Bell County taking a big dive after the cannon went off for the first time that night; captured on game film to eveyones Saturday morning amusement. I never really remember hearing it except for when running out onto the field. The smell of popcorn from the Lions Club, all the kids lined up, plaid skirted cheerleaders in a line and the clicking of the old steel tipped cleats hitting on the steps and then "BOOM". Always gave me chills, still does. Love that cannon.

The year of that state championship was 1977, I was just a real young lad then (9 years old). The day was frigidly cold, but I can't remember if Bellevue was playing in the title game then (If so it would have been the Charlie and Jon Sutkamp team). I do remember 1981 w/ Bellevue in the title game as well. Remember they had the cannon in the far endzone at Cardinal Stadium (open side).

Coach Fisk had a plan to improve the program. Due to professionalism, it's not something I can mention; but he was actively working on a plan the week before the Highlands game. The plans would have taken more than just a cermonial commitment to changes, but a full financial commitment too. I think that is what will be the biggest thing to improve Scott's program. You can bring in the best football coach available, but if you are not willing to financially support the program it won't matter. To build the program you must be willing to enable the new coach to bring in a staff of his choosing at all levels that feed the program (Let's say $200,000 in salary for all the new coaches). You will need to put $50K into a real weight room, and if you want it to really pay benefits to all of your athletic programs you should look at $40,000 for a strength coach (chosen by the new football coach). Any Scott fan's think they are willing to do this??

Only looked at the USA Today rankings, but I'm sure UPS can ship humble pie pretty quickly to Columbus.

Wrong St. X, that's the one in Cincy not Louisville.

Trotwood would compare to some of the better Male teams of the past few years as far as raw athletic talent. It's Higlands by 10 IMHO based on depth and speed. Lexington Catholic is a real good team, but don't think this one matches up well for them this year.

Cov Cath returns the kick to the 5

Glenville has a very good team this year with their usual load of speed and talent. St. X's depth might hurt them, but this is no way a walk in the park.

Always been a big Trotwood fan. Think the world of their AD, Jim Ladd; great guy and Maurice is a great guy. Would love to see them win it this year. If not Trotwood I'd like to see Toledo Central Catholic

That was a great cheer, many a time my ears heard and my mouth did speak/shout that old classic