Football Fanatic

Just some early notes and thoughts...

@SEAL_63 How did Reitz look against VL, if you attended? From what I’ve heard and seen so far, their offense is slow to start but the defense has been solid. Only giving up 7 points and very few first downs in 2 games is a good start to the season. It seems their sophomore class is contributing in a big way so far. 

Harrison seems to be improved this year. Their speed and athleticism gives them opportunities at anytime. If they start putting 4 quarters together, could be a sneaky team. 

Bosse over Central shocked me and many others I’m sure. So one may wonder, is Central really down this year or is Bosse legit? We will see in the next few weeks. Happy for Coach Mullen and the Dawgs on their impressive start to the season. 
 

Mater Dei may have some close games this year but they seem to be the best overall team so far.

Week 1 picks based on players returning, updates from scrimmages, general chatter, etc.

Bosse 21 vs Vincennes 27

Central 14 vs Mater Dei 42

Castle 35 vs North 14

Reitz 55 vs Harrison 7

Jasper 17 vs Memorial 31

51 minutes ago, MHSTigerFan said:

I can’t remember which year it was, but it was during the McIntosh era.  Both Reitz and MD were either undefeated or close to it.  If the bowl could’ve accommodated 15,000 fans, they could have sold it out.  Everybody in town was talking about it, and those who had tickets would let you know about it.

Reitz would go on to win the 4A championship that year.  Maybe the best team in SIAC history — certainly of the last 30 or 40 years.

Also in 2015, when both Reitz and MD were undefeated and ranked #1 in their respective classes, it was completely packed as well. The environment and buzz from that type of crowd at the high school level is unmatched.

23 minutes ago, tango said:

I like how the soccer field lines are black and don't stand out as much.  Do you know if the EVSC replaced the lights?

Agreed, the black lines were a great choice. The field looks great, especially the end zones. To my knowledge, there is no current plans to change the lights, unfortunately.

58 minutes ago, Titan32 said:

Reitz will be be at the GS team camp Thursday.

I've heard that it will be North Posey, Boonville, Reitz, and GS all scrimmaging each other. Sure it is early but those matchups could give some people an idea of where teams stand, at this point at least. I would imagine anybody watching would see GS head and shoulders above the other teams though.

On 6/18/2021 at 9:31 PM, MHSTigerFan said:

Any one of MD, MHS, and Castle could win the conference.  It could be a year where those three teams go 1-1 against the other two.

You can’t ever discount Jasper.  Very possible they’re competing for the conference, too.

Reitz should be improved.  But I still see them as a tier below the above 4.

Central is going to be a question mark for me.  Obviously, they lost a whole lot.  But that doesn’t necessarily mean they didn’t have some really good players who just didn’t see much action while Boberg, Madison & Co. were getting all the reps.

 

Agree with all these statements. The top 3 seem pretty clear. Jasper will be knocking on that door even though they lose Mann and Dawkins. I think this is the year we may see Reitz jump back over Central and North. They will now have a full offseason with no restrictions to learn the Brunson playbook and develop chemistry. Also helps that their will-be sophomore class is solid.

After hearing about some roster updates/transfers and how practices are going, I would predict:

Memorial, MD, Castle, Jasper, Reitz, North, Central, Vincennes, Harrison, Bosse

32 minutes ago, tango said:

IMO new lights would be the better addition to Reitz Bowl.    

Agreed. They could use more balanced lighting for all parts the field. Maybe even a sound system upgrade. But new turf will be a great addition to The Bowl!

ICYMI - Zirkelbach and Central High School have chosen to hire Mary Deig as the first female Assistant Football Coach in Evansville. Mary has been helping with the Reitz football program for years and is well known on the west side. Good for her!  

50 minutes ago, Muda69 said:

Fleur-De-Lis field in Greenfield, Illinois.  Hands down the best high school football stadium in the nation:

That name is what the NO Saints logo is right? Without knowing much about Greenfield, where does that name come from for their football field? I assume something to do with the 1800s and slaves that were harbored in the area, but honestly don't know.

1 hour ago, Trojanmp52 said:

What are the best, worst or most unique stadium you have been to?  It can one that does exist now or was bad but had been updated.

Best - Reitz Bowl

Unique - Snake Pit

33 minutes ago, tango said:

I'm pretty sure he is an engineer and worked at Crane NSWC for quite some time.  I don't know anything current except that he is our OC's brother-in-law and is a pretty good dude.  I still often wonder about what happened with the prior HC though.  It is odd IMO.     

Yes, I would guess he will be able to keep his current job and not be in the building. I agree, the Memorial-Central game will be more interesting, as well as the Reitz-Central game.

On 4/3/2021 at 5:44 PM, TigerFan20 said:

Spill the beans @Football Fanatic! can’t keep me waiting!

Lol. So after what fbcoachD and I said, you know that he is a defensive coach from a nearby foe and a former asst coach at Central. I figured that would give it away. I believe it will be made official tonight at the school board meeting. 

Man there would be 5 years of very angry west side folks if that were true! 

7 minutes ago, Spitting Llamas said:

Well let's hear who you think it is. I'm on the west side as well and haven't heard a word. You must have some connected sources.  

Not trying to spread rumors since I don't know for sure, but I'll say they are getting a defensive guy from a nearby foe.

1 hour ago, oldtimeqb said:

When is the next school board meeting?  I keep expecting an announcement about Central's coach but it has been quiet.  And no, I have no information on this, I'm just really curious.  Not very often does the defending conference champ make a change at HC, but Central will be doing it for the 3rd time in 4 years. 

Next school board meeting should be this coming Monday, April 5th. I assume they have made their choice and it will be announced then. Based on west side chatter, I am pretty sure I know who it will be and I would think it will surprise some people.

bump

Thread has been quiet for three weeks. Just checking in with y'all - any news, updates, or thoughts? 

April is here so I assume teams will be having spring camps soon, which has to be exciting considering last year at this time. 

13 hours ago, TigerFan20 said:

Man, I can’t wait for the season to start back up

You're not alone. With strict Illinois starting their spring football season and allowing some fans + Indiana restrictions loosening up even more, you start to feel like we could have a very-close-to normal season. Not only are fans pumped to be able to attend games again, but I'm sure the kids are more excited than ever, and I would imagine more kids will come out this season. Win, lose, or draw, this will be a season where we all can just appreciate what we have with high school football and not take it for granted.

13 hours ago, Titan32 said:

Any word on where any of the SIAC teams will be going for summer team camps?

Not sure of any team camps. But I do know there are plenty of scrimmages and 7 on 7s scheduled, which is great. Hopefully the kids get a *mostly* normal preseason and summer.

My reply/predictions to TigerFan20 post:

"

From some observations/questions 

Who will be the next starting Memorial QB? Ellsperman

Can Jasper maker some noise again this year? Yes but not as much, lose a lot of key players

Can North finally get above .500 after a disappointing end to the season last year? Not this year

Do we see any improvements from Bosse and Harrison? Yes, Harrison returns most of their team

Will Coach Brunson get his first winning season at Reitz? Yes, I would say 5-4 or 6-3

Does a talented MD team finally make it to state? I would say they have a good chance  

Does Castle make some noise in the tournament again? I think they make a Regional run

How will Alices look in their 2nd year in the SIAC? Not much better, lost some key players, but they will never go down without a strong fight

Which SIAC team will surprise the conference? Would be a surprise if MD, Memorial, Castle are not the top 3. Reitz could surprise with a winning record and finish 4th. Harrison may surprise with 3+ wins.

How will Central look after losing tons of talent from their senior class? Lost key skill players and their coach who just brought in a new offense. Could be a tough year for them with lack of experience and new coach/playbook.

"

21 hours ago, Wedgebuster said:

Does this make it harder to hire the next coach?   You would think that S&C job is what a lot of football coaches would be interested in. 

I would think that as well and it could make it more difficult. However, there is also the possibility that Coultis plans to just finish the school year out teaching, and then leaving. Which would open that position for the next coach, next school year. Granted, for that situation to work, that would probably have to be communicated between Coultis and the school prior, which is unlikely. It will be interesting to see how it unfolds because I have no idea right now.

Whether it makes sense to us or not, I am not surprised by this news. And yes, it is possible that Reitz and North will benefit from this, especially if Central looks to be down over the next few years. I would guess some current 8th graders may be looking to go elsewhere. Not sure what to think about the players currently in high school, guess it depends on who they hire.

Chances the teams get a normal summer AND the crowd limits are gone for games? 

If I had to guess, summer will be close to normal. Possibly no more practice limitations, some scrimmages and 7 on 7s will be allowed, but some of the bigger events like team camps and 7 on 7 tourneys may not happen. As far as crowds? I would guess in the SIAC there will still be a crowd limit. If so, hopefully it's at least 750-1000 per school. But man, I really want to see packed stadiums again on Friday nights.

On 12/21/2020 at 8:35 PM, TigerFan20 said:

2021 Reitz QB Reid Brickey has committed to Lindsey Wilson College for Football 

I also heard that Collin Brown committed to UIndy.

Both talented, hard-working, good kids. Hope they can find roles at those schools.

15 hours ago, TigerFan20 said:

Heard a few things about the QB Situation, I’m sure they will find the right guy 

I've heard a few things as well, but I think a majority of them are simply rumors that will turn up false. If I had to bet right now, I would say we will see Ellspermann at QB, and that him and Memorial will be just fine. 

My bold, way-too-early power rankings for 2021:

1. Memorial 

2. Mater Dei 

3. Castle

4. Jasper

5. Reitz

6. Central

7. North 

8. Vincennes-Lincoln

9. Harrison

10. Bosse 

On 12/2/2020 at 1:58 PM, Spitting Llamas said:

Who is the Reitz impact running back next year? I don't recall seeing that kind of player on their roster this year. Brickey and Brown were very good but both are gone. Not sure who else remains. 

I assume it is Jonas Burnett, just a sophomore and did not get many carries until the end of the season. Seems like he is lightning in a bottle, kind of kid who just needs a little space to break it. Good comparison would probably be one of the Evans brothers from Central, as far as size and speed. I've been told he is a track star and fairly raw for football. But I would bet he will be a well-known name over the next few years in the SIAC.

Reitz does lose some seniors but also return a good amount of starters/contributors. Based on who was playing at the end of the season, they should return 7-8 starters on both sides of the ball. I would also bet that their talented freshmen class will have a handful of contributors as sophomores. And as with other schools, there's been rumors of possible new additions/transfers. Will update when I get more scoops from my west side source 😁

Side comment - Here's to hoping we all can actually attend the games next season!