Bear54

Sorry boys, it's been a busy summer. Hog farming ain't an easy job. Just ask @Donnie Baker. No predictions today, I'll wait til the actual season gets going. But from the sounds of it, there might be some interesting match-ups this season. But I do have to ask, @BillyBettis, you OK? You seem a little upset. Anyways, I heard there is a scrimmage tonight at North Putnam that features two of our beloved WRC teams, North Vermillion and Riverton Parke, along with North Putnam, Owen Valley and the mighty Blackhawks of Sheridan. Quite the assembly of teams. Should be a fun one to watch.

What happens when you don't have the athletes to run that offense? Out the door you go, on to the next shiny thing. Rinse and repeat. Leave all those 'inferior' coaches and players behind to figure it out. If it works so well, why not stay and build something? That's why I like seeing guys like Coach Sanders start to have success. And why it scares everyone else. Because once they're on top, it's hard to knock them off. Because they've put in the time and the work and actually built something. And deep down I think he probably cares more about helping make great young men than making history. Do things the right way and the success will come. Save your money, I already know you and Kevin...

Lol, and the 14 NV team would've put 50+ on 07 Rockville in the first half, and so on and so on... Why is it when the Panthers are good, it's because the conference sucks? Pretty sure that 07 Rockville team didn't win state. All or nothing right? Or it's just a good season? And @BillyBettis, I'm not that into you. I just like to comment on some of the nonsense that comes out of your mouth because I know it drives you crazy. I'm definitely not a keyboard warrior. Not hard to figure out your bubble screens, quick slants and QB draws. I think the people in the northern half of the county would embrace wearing burgundy and navy when consolidation comes.

This is all hypothetical what ifs. Yes, Montezuma Elementary is closing down because Southwest Parke is moving towards a one campus model similar to most corporations their size. But any talk of PH and RP consolidating is just that. There are no serious moves being made in that direction any time soon. You must really want to be a Panther Billy. If I could offer you a suggestion, maybe not try to beg for a job on the GID. And as I'm looking at the numbers, I'm pretty sure the Panthers were #1 in scoring, defense and margin of victory in class 1A last year, and top 5 in each category for all classes with most of their guys back this coming season. Didn't they drop 74 against your Woolfs?

So much wrong with these statements. First off, visors aren't allowed on RP sidelines. Neither are polo shirts. State law... And you said spread, at RP, lol

Agreed, Coach. I've seen them play quite a bit too. It took SP overtime to finish off RP, but they seemed to handle Sheridan and Milan fairly easily. That being said, I think they are well prepared for Pioneer's ground attack. Should be a great game. But I think the Eagles will win.

Oh boy, that's a heck of a comparison. The kid you're referring to is still just in junior high. Not to be mean, but nobody cares what kind of numbers your middle school offense put up. You can have fully grown 14 year olds playing against 12 year olds that have never seen a razor. Definitely LOTS of factors still in play. Maybe your young Woolfs should work on some run defense. Until they convince me otherwise, PH will always just be a basketball school that occasionally wins some football games. In the meantime, keep dreaming Billy Boy. And quit derailing this thread from the conversation at hand... Sectional Championship - South Putnam @ Riverton Parke - The cliche holds true - Unstoppable Force vs. Immovable Object. This rematch of last year's championship game has seemed predestined to happen since last year's final buzzer sounded. The Eagles seem to be primed to make another run at state. They've reloaded their roster and look just as impressive as they were a year ago. Can they dictate the pace and simply outscore and pull away from the Panthers? Speaking of the Panthers, they have done nothing short of simply destroying everything in their path to get back here. They look much improved over last year's edition. Their offense gets a lot of hype, but their catalyst is really their defense. Can they get enough stops against the Eagles' offense? I do not see a repeat of last year as some have been saying. I don't see this version of RP letting that happen. And weather could be a factor this year. It's no secret that SP has played a lot of games on turf. A wet, muddy surface could play right into RP's style of play. We shall see. This will be a great game. Too many story lines to discuss on here, but I think the Panthers will pull out a close one. RP wins

Cats? As in Wildcats? Cougars? Panthers? Tigers? What type of cats are you referring to? LOL, have you been on the recruiting trail Billy? So you can take credit for the resurgence of Woolf high school football? Or do you mean kids that can play? Because I have seen your middle school Woolfs. I have my doubts that several of them will transition to the gridiron in high school. Hardwood, more likely. But we do agree that South Putnam probably won't stay in a 3 man front.

Round 2... Seeger @ Lewis Cass - As expected, LCC put up more of a fight last week against the Patriots. I think the Kings will put up a good fight too. This one will be close. Patriots pull off another one point win. Seeger 35 Cass 34 South Putnam @ Fountain Central - As expected the Eagles didn't take it easy on the Ramblers til the end. The Mustangs whipped the Woolfs for the second week in a row. It's put up or shut up time in Veedersburg. I just don't think FC has enough dudes. SP 42 FC 21 North Central(Farmersburg) @ Riverton Parke - The T-Birds showed some grit beating Covington last week. The Panthers were methodical and very efficient last week against the inspired Falcons. 528 rushing yards with mostly back-ups isn't anything to shake a stick at. I don't think NC has the dudes up front to deal with the dudes that RP has. Panthers advance. RP 48 NC 12

Tough to hear of the passing of Coach Blank, sad day in the WRC. He will be missed. Prayers to his family. Round 1 picks... Lafayette Central Catholic @ Seeger - The Knights had high expectations, but got bullied by the Patriots in the first game of the season. They haven't really recovered since. Fitting they'll end their season in a rematch against Seeger. Patriots handle business again, but it's a bit more competitive. Seeger 35 LCC 21 Sullivan @ South Vermillion - Pretty similar to the other 2A game. The Golden Arrows roughed up the young Wildcats early on in the season. This time around might be a bit closer, but not by much. Sullivan advances. Sul 45 SV 18 Attica @ South Putnam - A much improved year for the Ramblers comes to a sudden end. How much mercy will the Eagles show? Harrell prediction says 35-0? Lol. Maybe in the first quarter. SP will showcase their arsenal to the rest of the Sectional field. SP 63 Attica 0 Parke Heritage @ Fountain Central - The Woolfs have finally come back to reality, despite the rantings of one Billy Bettis. Their prize for being ranked 10th by the coaches two weeks ago was back to back (to back) butt whoopings by the Panthers and Mustangs. On to basketball in Rockville. On the other hand, Herb's team is on a mission to prove they aren't just a hype machine and paper tigers. We'll have to wait until Round 2 to see. FC 42 PH 16 Covington @ North Central (Farmersburg) - Probably the most intriguing match up of the first round. The Trojans can score some points against the right defense. The Thunderbirds can as well. On a side note, both head coaches are last named Wheeler. Any relation? Anyways, I think this one will be a shootout, with the home team coming out on top. NC 42 Cov 35 Riverton Parke @ North Vermillion - The WRC Champ Panthers now shift their focus to a winning a Sectional Championship. The Falcons may have a little extra motivation this week, but do they have the dudes? The first meeting between these two was close for a minute. Look for RP to quell any upset hopes very early this time around. Panthers advance. RP 44 NV 10

Final week! Hope everybody got the draw they wanted... Attica @ South Vermillion - The Ramblers can win this game. Again, they have to have balance to compete. The Wildcats hope to get one more win this season. Not bad after the Visor left. Next week is a different story for both teams. Close one in Clinton. SV 28 Attica 20 Covington @ Riverton Parke - The Trojans will finish with a .500 record after starting 3-0. The Panthers should get to double digit wins this season. This week is no different than the past 6 weeks in the WRC. RP = Undefeated WRC Champs. Who on here really saw that coming? RP 49 Cov 6 Fountain Central @ Parke Heritage - The Mustangs should be healthy and hitting on all cylinders. The Woolfs were ranked for a second. Hard to recover from that beating. These two get to do it again next week. Mustangs are too physical. FC 34 PH 16 Seeger @ North Vermillion - The Patriots look to fine tune some more before stepping into a winnable sectional. The Falcons have a rough two weeks ahead of them. But they'll still play hard. Seeger 42 NV 7

A little insight for our friend Billy... Covington @ Attica - If the Trojans control the line of scrimmage on both sides, like they should, this one shouldn't be close. But if the Ramblers go back to mixing things up and not relying so much on their pass game, they can keep it close. They also have to fly around on defense and cause issues for the Covington O-line. Covington is a paper tiger. I've said that from the beginning. They looked unstoppable at the beginning of the season because of their schedule. In conference play its been a different story. The Ramblers just need to stay the course. They'll be fine. Hopefully, the clock isn't a factor up at Attica. Trojans win. Cov 35 Attica 21 North Vermillion @ Fountain Central - Is this game big enough for the two egos leading these teams? The Falcons have showed signs of life against most teams they play, they just can't stay out of their own way. Their youth is their weakness. If they buy in, they should be better in the future. The Mustangs apparently can't stay healthy. Maybe a better off-season program would have better prepared them for the bumps and bruises of the season. They've been playing catch up since their 0-3 start. If they play anyone more physical than them, they'll fold. The Falcons are not that physical. FC 35 NV 12 South Vermillion @ Seeger - There was nothing coming back this year for the Wildcats, total rebuild. Take that for what it's worth. Add a brand spanking new head coach and you get what SV has been experiencing. Very similar to its northern neighbor. Is there potential? Possibly. The fact they've won a few games shows that. The Partiots on the other hand were primed to get back to their roots and win some ball games. For the most part, they have looked the part. Except once. I look for them to make some noise in their sectional. Patriots dominate. Seeger 40 SV 14 Riverton Parke @ Parke Heritage - Your're either the steamroller or you're the pavement. Anybody who has paid attention to the Panthers this season knows what they bring to the table. To deny that fact is ignorance. To underestimate or downplay that fact is dangerous. And it isn't just the offense, which is pretty good. Their defense is nasty. They are on a mission whether the WRC or the rest of the state is paying attention. The Woolfs have made progress this year too. Coach Rector has done a great job despite coaching at a "basketball" school. Imagine how good they could be if all their athletes would play football? I look for this week to be heated, but never in doubt. RP wins.

The Lord's Offense... You know what's coming Billy, and you can't do anything about it.

It's apparent that people either love or hate The King. Anyways, Week 7... Attica @ Riverton Parke - Pretty sure I said the Ramblers would win again. Just didn't think it would be against NV. The Panthers pounded SV. Heck, I heard even some linemen were scoring TDs. I think they'll do some more pounding this week. They are on a mission. Sorry Ramblers, you're just in the way. RP wins, again. Covington @ Seeger - The Trojans got exposed by PH last week. They may not win another game. The Patriots proved they were the 2nd best team in the WRC. They should handle business again this week. Seeger 35 Cov 13 Fountain Central @ South Vermillion - The Mustangs slipped up last week, but can still finish with a winning regluar season. The Wildcats are still trying to figure out the color of the train that knocked all their Visors off last week. (Yes, they're still wearing visors) Despite injuries, The King's play calling ability shines. FC 42 SV 28 Parke Heritage @ North Vermillion - Good win by the Woolfs last week. Sets up a nice Parke County show down next week. The Falcons are reeling. Their best chances at a win have passed. PH 30 NV 18

I'm really hoping the rain will finally show up and be a factor this week. I love rain. We'll see... Week 6... North Vermillion @ Attica - The Falcons gave a good effort last week, but were clearly outmatched. This week it looks pretty even. The Ramblers got pounded by FC. I think they can compete, but not sure if they'll pull it off. NV 24 Attica 14 Parke Heritage @ Covington - I think these two are pretty evenly matched. Woolfs were humbled last week. Trojans pulled out a thriller. I think this week will be a similar type game, just a different result. PH 33 Cov 28 Seeger @ Fountain Central - This should be a dandy! Both the Patriots and the Mustangs flexed their muscles last week. This week comes down to defense. Whoever can get the most stops & turnovers will come out ahead. Home team with the close win. FC 35 Seeger 34 South Vermillion @ Riverton Parke - The Wildcats showed some grit against Covington, but came up short. The Panthers looked like the walking dead early on, but finally hit the ON button last week. I expect them to have all systems go this week. RP 63 SV 13

From my understanding they saw North & South Putnam, Maconaquah, Linton, Southmont & Seeger this past summer at various single and multi team scrimmages. Maybe a few more, not sure. I've seen them down at Linton for the past several summers. Yes, it matters. Summer scrimmages are a great way to challenge your team and see their progress. FC will reap the benefits of solid competition by the end of the season.

Week 5, Halfway through already? Attica @ Fountain Central - There may be another win or two waiting for the Ramblers this year. But unfortunately, this is not the week. The Mustangs are just too dang big up front. They handled the previously undefeated Trojans last week. FC 35 Attica 18 Riverton Parke @ North Vermillion. What a difference a year makes. The Panthers look to continue their WRC run. The Falcons are looking for their first win. This is also not the week for that. RP Wins Seeger @ Parke Heritage - The Patriots were definitely humbled last week. Can they bounce back this week? The Woolfs are slowly building their case. But I'm not so sure they're as good as they think they are. Seeger 28 PH 14 South Vermillion @ Covington - The Wildcats are in the same category as PH. How good are they, really? This week will go a long way in answering that question. The Trojans were beat up last week by FC. Can they right the ship? This one should be close. SV 27 Cov 26

Thanks @Donnie Baker for trying to get this back on track. @ThePrince you can start a Herb King Lovefest Post somewhere else. Maybe after FC actually wins a game this year. Back to the games... Attica @ Parke Heritage - The Ramblers are heading in the right direction. It takes awhile to crawl out of a hole. The Woolfs have beaten some pretty bad teams. But they have scored well in their two victories. (Something must have been off versus Crawfordsville) Scoring eluded them last year. I want to say the improved Ramblers can take this one, but I got to go with the home team. PH 27 Attica 13 Fountain Central @ Covington - Speaking of the Mustangs winning, I think it happens this week. Regardless if they're healthy or not. The Trojans are a paper tiger. Do not be deceived by the 3-0 record. I think FC is way too physical for Covington to handle. FC 28 Cov 7 North Vermillion @ South Vermillion - Can H.S. football games end in a tie like the NFL preseason? I've heard the Falcons are struggling with numbers and I've heard the Cats are playing plenty of young kids. Either way, both are rough situations to be in. Too close to call. This actually could be a pretty entertaining game. Seeger @ Riverton Parke - Game of the week for sure. The Patriots impressed me by beating LCC in week 1 and followed that up with 2 blowout beat downs of Benton Central and Attica. I believe the Panthers have been more battle tested in playing two solid teams in Cloverdale and Fountain Central. Who should both finish with decent records. Heck, a 2.5 hour drive to play Edinburgh couldn't have been an ideal situation. That being said, the beat down RP dished out last season AT Seeger (40-6) has to be in the back of the Patriots' minds. As Donnie has already pointed out, despite some critics, RP is for real. Can Seeger match their physical play? We'll see, but I'll take the home team. RP 34 Seeger 14

Apparently you're new around here. And your head has been so far up Herb's butt to notice anyone else getting better than FC. RP is 3-1 against Herb since his move to FC. Outscoring them 114 to 47, 80 to 13 the past two seasons.

Because healthy or not, they couldn't beat Southmont or Crawfordsville either. RP is a multi TD favorite against both of those teams. The WRC, which has a tremendous history of building 1A/2A powers, has to come to terms with the fact that RP has arrived. They now have two choices. Get better, or get used to it.

And we’re back! Kind of… Can’t believe it’s almost here again. And can’t believe nobody has been in here. (Or can’t get on here) WRC 2025 Edition, Week 1… Cloverdale @ Riverton Parke- Clovers slowly becoming respectable again. I know they are mad about the 1 point loss at their place last year. I’ve heard they’ve got some dudes to replace #10. (Heck of a ball player)They’re gonna need them. Panthers are primed to get this season going. They also have some dudes. Big ones. But can they replace their previous backfield? I think they can. And this one is close, but comfortable for the home team. RP 35 Clovers 21 Culver @ Attica- I’d be lying if I said I didn’t look up Culver. No clue about the Cavaliers. Just know they’ve handled the Ramblers previously. But the Ramblers have been working hard this off season. And usually hard work pays off eventually. I just don’t know if it will be this week. But some wins are definitely in the near future for Attica. Ramblers make it fun to watch. Culver 29 Attica 18 Fountain Central @ Southmont - The hype in central Fountain county is that the Mustangs are ready and good enough to take the next step. The King has hopes high in Veedersburg. The Mounties are not what they used to be, but should be good enough for FC. Southmont 24 FC 8 North Vermillion @ North Central- The Crabtree Experience is back in Cayuga for a limited time. Can the old ball coach muster up one more magical run? Can North Central score enough points on a regular basis? Time will tell. NV 34 NC 14 Parke Heritage @ Crawfordsville- The Wolfs struggles on offense may continue. Cville looks to keep building. An enigma for sure, the Athenians have all the facilities, but mediocre teams. Something’s got to give. Cville 22 PH 6 Seeger @ LCC- Knights were too much last year. Same thing this year. Although the Patriots have improved. LCC 42 Seeger 7 South Vermillion @ West Vigo- There was a time when the Vikings looked at this game as a win. But the Wildcats have taken a few recently. Does the Post-Visor Era stack up? I think not. WV 27 SV 14 Tri County @ Covington - New coach for the Cavaliers. Is it enough to keep the wins going? Same Coach at Covington. But I heard their numbers were down. At least they’re close to the Beef House. Tri Co 27 Cov 13

Nice to see some WRC chatter this early in the off-season. Are transfers really a thing in the WRC? I thought that was big city stuff. Really only one 'new' coach to speak about. Lots of key graduation losses for several teams. This season could be a little different than previous years with no clear cut, hands down favorite... yet. Regardless, South Putnam still awaits the 1A teams who rise to the top in sectionals. Linton or LCC await the 2A schools. Attica - Coach Dean had a rough introduction into the WRC in his first year as HC. Only 17 points scored, while giving up 491. The defense struggled. Although, I believe the Ramblers will be improved, and may surprise some folks. But they are several years out until they make any impact again in the WRC. Covington - Coach Wheeler's crew had a respectable 6-5 outing last season, but were plagued by inconsistency. The Trojans will have to replace one of the toughest RB's to bring down in the WRC in Moore, along with several other seniors. So, getting numbers to come out to play will be important in order for them to maintain and build on the successes they did have. Fountain Central - Coach King could possibly have the most coming back with a talented QB and several skill position players on offense as well as several starters on defense. Look for the Mustangs to be much improved from last year. And it's Coach Herb King, so you know he's had all his boys going hard this off-season. He'll have them playing hard when the season rolls around. Some predict a championship season from FC. North Vermillion - Coach Crabtree is back after a one year hiatus. His predecessor probably had one of the better one and done stints in WRC history as a HC. The Falcons look to build on last year's surprise season, but will have to do it with a much younger roster. Might be some bumps and bruises along the way. But, like Coach King, Coach Crabtree usually seems to find a way to put it all together. Parke Heritage - Coach Rector and crew had a pretty harsh ending to last season, bowing out to RP 70-0 in the first round of sectionals. Things haven't been the same in Rockville for a while. Can the Wolves tap into some of that old tradition? They may win a handful of games, but won't crack the upper half of the WRC. Riverton Parke - Coach Sanders has the Panthers believing in southern Parke County. Only questions RP has are... 1. Who do they replace the two headed monster of Price and Goff with? And 2. Can they really win the games that count by only running the ball? (Although they do run the ball very well behind that massive o-line. Which I hear may have gotten bigger.) They also return nearly everybody on both sides of the ball. Defensively, they were among the tops in the state in 1A. Could be the WRC favorite come October. Seeger - Coach Ragan's crew also experienced a rough season in 2024. But I'm sure the Patriots are looking forward to a better 2025. A lot of younger guys got some valuable experience last season. Hopefully, like PH, Seeger can tap into some of that tradition and bounce back. I predict an improved season in the upper half of the WRC. South Vermillion - New SV Coach Miller looks to maintain the success that Coach Barrett built for the Wildcats. As with most new head coaches, there will be some rough patches. But the biggest school in the WRC shouldn't have too much to worry about during the regular season. Can SV win in the playoffs? Undefeated seasons are great, but the people of Clinton want some post-season hardware! Lots of expectations for the young, new head coach.

Terre Haute North looking for a new head coach now... https://www.wthitv.com/sports/terre-haute-north-coach-steps-down/video_3fc4317f-7a32-5688-a2f1-e2abecb0ac84.html

Exactly, it's not that deep. I don't have any problem with any of the kids playing the game. You mean this schedule? https://scoreboard.homestead.com/football/logsSouthPutnam.htm#load Don't kid yourself. RP would have had the same record against that schedule. South Putnam appears to have hired the same Ad agency as South Vermillion. As far as the Sectional 45 Championship goes. I'm obviously biased towards our last remaining WRC team. But I think the will of the Panthers is being underestimated. Everyone has had the Eagles playing for the State championship since before the beginning of the season. No one had RP doing much of anything. But here we are. RP has nothing to lose, and they're defending their home field. Which has proven to be a tough place to play the last few years. SP has everything to lose, so all the pressure is on them. What good is all the State talk, if you can't win the Sectional? This game will be closer that most think. Get your tickets and go watch.

But you are hating. And that's quite the assumption to make about RP. I'm sure the Panthers know exactly what they are getting into on Friday. I've seen South Putnam in person, they're impressive, but not unbeatable.