MacAttack53

I would rank the SAC as follows: Carroll Dwenger Snider Homestead Luers Northside Southside Northrop Wayne (Concordia)

Yeah, the ‘bone definitely can’t work at a large NLC school and it’s definitely not like any current large NLC school has run it successfully for years, now…

I’ve been a licensed IHSAA Basketball Official for eight years. I think I do a pretty decent job being a solid arbiter of the rules of the game. My daughter plays on a 10u softball team based in our town. I’ve coached baseball and softball for a few years—but I’ve never umpired. I’ve got a good handle on the rules, especially at the 14u level and below. We needed a plate ump for a scrimmage last week for our 12u team. I volunteered to do it. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in an officiating capacity. Idk how patched umpires are as consistent as they are. I’ve never been one to argue balls/strikes, but I definitely won’t now. I’d encourage anyone who wants to argue those calls with umpires to go work one game behind the plate. It will literally and figuratively change your perspective.

Point blank, I wouldn't be the man I am today if it wasn't for Ron Shaffer. He taught me more about myself and more about life from the ages of 14-18 than anyone besides my own parents. He was tough on me, held me accountable, and never gave up on me as a player, or as a young man. He was tough on me--and he knew exactly what it would take and how far he could push me to make me the best player possible. He knows his players and he supports them both in the sport of football, but also outside the gridiron. He knew about my professional aspirations and gave me my first ever coaching job assisting him when I was still in high school. We've stayed in touch long into adulthood, and yeah, I do take this shot at Coach Shaffer personally, as I consider him a mentor and friend. Talking scheme and his coaching acumen...his offense led Maconaquah to their best season in a decade in 2004. His offense produced multiple conference and postseason championships at Cass. His offense took Rochester from an 0-10 team in the TRC, which you described as having several cupcakes to a team that was a perennial conference contender and eventual champion. Maybe he never beat Valley--which I can understand from a rivalry perspective how large that game looms--but a few plays and bounces here and there and Rochester probably gets one of those under his tutelage. No moral victories, but he's taken Rochester from a program that "was" good, to a program that "is" good. It's pretty easy to armchair quarterback decisions and playcalls from the stands, but unless you've done it at the level Shaff has, you need to sit this one out. Plymouth is in a similar spot that Rochester was when he took over. Knowing kids that have had the opportunity to play for Shaff, yeah he's tough and he absolutely has high expectations, which is why roster size is a bad metric of his ability. Those kids that are "hangers on" in lesser programs just won't make it on his teams. It's not because he runs them off--it's because the standard is the standard. Kids today don't want or appreciate that level of accountability. We saw it at Maconaquah. After a coaching change following 2004, a new coach came in with a much more "relaxed" and "less accountable" style that allowed more guys to stay on the team that otherwise would have not been a part of the program. Guess what happened to the culture and eventually the W/L record. Maconaquah would have been LUCKY to have him there for a second run in that program...but if you know what's going on inside Maconaquah football right now, then you know exactly why that didn't come to fruition. It's a shame for this generation of Braves, the same way it was a shame that he wasn't given the chance in 2005. If anyone can help Plymouth get back to being competitive, it's him. He knows what he's getting himself into. Rochester should do nothing more than thank him for what he did for the program and for the young men there during his tenure. Rochester is fortunate that Ike is taking over the reins, as he's had the chance to learn from one of the best there is in this area of the state.

I’m a Maconaquah grad with a rooting interest in East as that is my mom and all of my aunts/uncles (besides one who attended “Columbus High School) alma mater. My uncle and cousins were all East football players and I’ve gotten to attend many big postseason games during the Gaddis era. Coach Campbell (and before him Coach Colby) took Maconaquah from a place where .500 was tolerable and above .500 was viewed as a great success to a point where they were competing for conference and Sectional titles yearly for the past few years. He’s quite an offensive innovator and if he can put up numbers like he did at a rural 3A with a handful of athletes, he can do much more than that at East. Sneaky good hire, IMO, by the O’s.

I think what you're discounting about that EN/DK game on Friday is that DeKalb's new HC was the Knight DC last year. Besides the extra juice to beat your old staff, he also understands--probably better than anyone--how to defend that offense and what tendencies they have in different formations. FWIW I think Northrop will dogwalk Snider. I've seen Northrop this year and they aren't the Northrop you're used to.

Hard pass.

It would be more of a challenge for a smaller school to host while still playing than a larger school. Warsaw, for example, has 2 ADs and like 35 different administrators. Maconaquah has one AD for grades 6-12 and four admin for grades 6-12. It's a lot more of a burden for the smaller districts to have to double up, potentially. While it's a good problem to have (having your team still playing and "getting" to host) I feel like just due to logistics most of the potential host schools would have to be 4A+.

Adam Berry is the best coach in west central Indiana. The guy is more than just “the dude who lucked into Jack Kiser.” Dude knows ball.

Honestly the thing I was most surprised about was that the white hat was the one who whistled it dead immediately. I would’ve hoped the crew would’ve talked about that possibility in the timeout prior to the play. No wonder the crew looked so confused after CC picked it up and advanced it for the touchdown.

I would’ve liked to have seen how this North Miami team would’ve competed in the TRC this year. They’d probably have ended up with about the same record. They’re much improved. Judson is the best team in either league, but the top half of the TRC is probably slightly better still.

I may have ulterior motives rooting for might Manchester, but it's always hard for me to bet or cheer against a Ron Shaffer coached squad!

Cass Mac Pride Peru Manchester Southwood Go Braves! Go Squires!

East Noble has an Assistant AD--Brandon Durnell, the varsity basketball coach. They also have an athletic secretary. They probably could have allowed Amstutz to continue to serve in both roles if that was desired at the corporation level.

I never thought we'd get to the point where late 90s/early-mid 00s Maconaquah football would derail a thread, yet here we are. I've never been more proud. The Otto Brothers (and their dad/uncle) would probably be considered one of the first families of Maconaquah sports, up there with Betzners, Maples, and Hevezis.

I think even PG4 would concede that! Now combo football/basketball/track/golf manager? Nobody will ever touch Phil in that regard...

Braves Basketball is back, baby. I was at a boys/girls DH against Lewis Cass a few weeks ago and the place was full. Seating has been reduced a bit with some renovations over the last few years, but there were close to 3k in attendance that night. Felt like being in there in the mid/late 90s as a kid again. Josiah Ball may end up being the best player to come out of 256 E 800 S since Corey Burns in the late 90s. Probably has a higher upside than him, too.

Keep 9 games. Take the top 32 teams in all classes, split it N/S and seed them. The rest get put into regional pods and based on their record/Sagarin/whatever get a 10th game against an evenly matched opponent. That becomes their "bowl game." You want to talk about equity for the athletes--a system like this gives probably twice as many young men a chance to end their career with a win as opposed to losing by six scores in the opening round of the Sectional.

ADM = Average Daily Membership. Fancy DOE jargon for the student count.

Woody Hayes: The Guy Fieri of the GID.

Manchester shocks the world on Friday night! Last TRC team left in the tournament!

Unfortunately it’s not just a football issue. Their basketball program is equally undisciplined.

I think Rochester wins, but my hope is that they not only win, but humiliate that program who thought they were all of a sudden too good for the TRC.

Lol no, we aren’t. I was pretty impressed with Triton. We’ve got a lot of rebuilding to do at Manchester.

Oak Hill had a caveat that the entire Grant 4 get an invite. Sort of a tough ask, but totally get them wanting to stick with their county cohort. Eastern was a name I’d also heard. Not sure how far down the road that went, but certainly would be desirable if you’re one of the southern TRC schools. Maybe adding Eastern is enough to entice Oak Hill?? Eastern left the MIC due to wanting to be a big fish. I think their athletic programs would compete in the TRC, but maybe not at the championship caliber they’ve become accustomed to in the HHC.