XStar

I'm pretty surprised that nobody has ever returned 3 kickoffs for a touchdown in one game.  

So is Western Boone moving their game to Sheridan?  Seems as if it is, at a minimum, possible. 

https://twitter.com/WeBoAthletics/status/1163787985546022913

Win or lose, Eastbrook will be better off for challenging themselves against a good 4A program early in the season.  It might be baptism by fire for some of the younger talent stepping up to varsity level for their first game but they'll know immediately where they stack up against a top team and what areas they need to improve in.  Looking forward to seeing them compete in this game.  

19 hours ago, CvilleFan said:

Anyone been able to get pictures or videos of the installation? Its always fascinating to me to watch the progress of these things.

10 hours ago, superjay said:

Conference predictions?

1.  Webo

8T.  Danville

8T.  Tri-West

8T.  Southmont

8T.  Lebanon

8T.  North Montgomery

8T.  Frankfort

8T.  Crawfordsville

Webo outscores opponents 6259 to 14.  2019 Conference and State champ t-shirts are already on sale.  

Who scores the 14 and how do they do it?  Maybe WeBo just takes a Victory safety near the end of all 7 games?

40 minutes ago, 1st_and_10 said:

The official start of the season today...

New Coach in CVille, Interim HC  in Lizton... Webo coming off of the best season is school history... I hear Danville has a new QB that moved in from Avon?  Lebanon has a stud at QB with the younger Harker. 

So... thoughts on the season?  18 days until Week 1!

 

 

How's the field looking?

15 minutes ago, Temptation said:

You are fine but based on the comments above even THE COACHING STAFF is frustrated.  You've been exposed.  

You are fine because you don't have to walk the front lines and actually PLAY in the game.  You are the instigator that starts the fight between guys by convincing your best friend (Snider) that another guy (Carmel) is disrespecting you and YOU should do something about it.  Then once the fight (football game for this analogy) begins, your guy gets stomped while you are in the stands stuffing your face with popcorn and hot dogs.

I'm not saying anything should change.  Just stop pretending that Snider is this big bully that will take on all contenders because they beat some powerhouse programs consistently 20-30 years ago.  That is not how high school athletics works.

Let's say there is a large talent drop off at Snider that lasts 3-5 years.  Should those kids be "forced" to "take on the best" because some clowns in the stands thinks so?

Does the Snider athletic administration give a damn what you think?  You are not going to stop going to the games in protest of them not accepting a challenge to play in 6A.

This seems like a case of you thinking you and your opinions are more important than they are when the kids playing the game matter most.

 

 

I have nothing to do with Snider.  Never been to a Snider football game in my life.  To my recollection, I've never set foot in their school for any reason.  Try again.  

So again, I suggest your take your own advice.  Go find a team playing up and talk to them.  

1 hour ago, Temptation said:

Are the members of the coaching staff referenced above by Robert included in that group?

Only one way to find out.  Perform the experiment and get back to me.

I'm fine with the way things are.  If you think it should change, you're the one that should probably be trying to validate your reasons for wanting to change.  Go find a qualifying team to survey and let me know how it goes.  

51 minutes ago, Temptation said:

Hit up your local high school and pose this question because this is what it boils down to...

Kids, would you rather extend your season and play 15 games knowing you have a great shot at winning a state title?

OR

Kids, would you rather "play the best" and end your season a month earlier knowing that teams you previously have beaten are taking the above path?

You're delusional.

I used the New Pal/Carmel scenario for an example of the difference in enrollment.  Other than CG, schools in the lower 2000's in terms of enrollment have not proven they can play with the top dogs of 4/5k.  

Can it happen?  Sure.  But the deck is certainly stacked against it.

I think highly successful people think differently than you.  

1 hour ago, Temptation said:

All opinions "matter" but some matter more than others.  While I see your point coming from a fan/alum standpoint, your time commitment to the program is a handful of hours per week.  You attend the games and cheer/support the team.

Telling 15-18 year old kids who bust their asses all summer/fall that you are going to "play up" and take the risk of voluntarily getting spanked when other schools your size are competing for state titles is asinine.  Kids want to win.  Kids who bust their tails DESERVE the opportunity to win.  No disrespect intended to either program but if I am a student-athlete (you know the ones who are actually WALKING the front lines and PLAYING in the games here) and you give me the choice of playing against New Pal in the semi-state (a school of similar enrollment) or playing Carmel (a school double the size of mine) you bet your ass which route I am taking.

Kids graduate.  Success varies at times.  You can't ask a group of kids to sacrifice a deep run because you want to "prove something" or "lose with honor."

Do you work in education?

Well in order to attain the ultimate goal of a state title you would have to beat THE 6A power of the south depending on whom it was going to be that year (Carmel. CG, BD, Warren).  Not saying Snider "couldn't do it" but the 6A state title game has been played long before the teams in Lucas Oil suit up on Thanksgiving weekend most often than not in recent memory.

Facts are facts.

Just because you can't fathom a world where winning a state championship, no matter what level of competition, isn't the end game for every player doesn't mean there aren't players who would rather take on a greater challenge than keep on going after the same one already conquered.  

I can't pretend to know what every kid would want to do.  I just know what I would want if I were in their shoes.  In your hypothetical you said if you were a kid choosing between playing Carmel or New Pal in semistate, you would undoubtedly choose New Pal.  Let's not forget that this isn't just any random team that would be in this scenario.  To be in that scenario, that team likely would have had just beaten New Pal a couple times on the way to state titles.  Given that, I would almost assuredly want a bigger/better challenge if it were me.  

Are there kids that think like you and just want the easiest path possible to a trophy?  I'm sure there are.  I don't think it's as one-sided as you seem to think though, especially on the teams that are good enough to actually be in that position.  

17 hours ago, Gridiron_Junkie said:

there is a young Andrean team up to the Northwest that has a lot of returning players from last year's team. They might have something to say about it.

If Andrean did not lose much from last season, they are probably the favorites.  The only losses they had last year were to a 6A team and the 3A state champs.  

1 hour ago, Temptation said:

Tell that to your outgoing seniors who poured their heart and soul into the season...

"Hey, see that team over there that we beat by 21 in the regular season?  We could have been in their sectional/regional but chose to play up a class and get beat."

If winning is all it's about to you, then you will never be convinced it's a good thing.  

2 hours ago, OldschoolFB said:

IMO, If this is really your stance then you have to apply it both ways.

In other words,  Why don’t you apply the same thought process to the school striving to win in their class level by beating the perennial powers?  To use your own words, challenge yourself to achieve something greater by beating the perennial power?  Look forward to beating these perennial powers as it will be so rewarding.   

Just saying   

 

It has been applied exactly that way until recently and teams have always had to beat perennial powers to win their class.  Nothing wrong with that either.

Control what you can control and set out to conquer the challenge before you, whatever that may be.  The only difference now is that when a program conquers that challenge repeatedly, be it a perennial power or not, they get a bigger challenge.  As a competitor that just strikes me as the way it should be.  Clearly not everyone agrees.

8 hours ago, Temptation said:

Even for the “perennial powers” playing up voluntarily wound be asinine.  It’s still a bit cyclical as even Cathedral went 6-6 last year.

Would be a tough sell to those who follow your program, your parents and your young kids to attempt to “forego” a deep run at a state title to “prove something” and probably exit early.

1.  Voluntarily playing up a class isn't unprecedented.

2.  Cathedral having a mediocre regular season record certainly doesn't make them incapable of postseason success.

3.  If a team moves up and can't handle it and it results in early exits, they move back down.  Problem solved.

Maybe he's mixed up on the message.  Maybe it's not meant as a punishment for winning.  Maybe it's meant as a challenge to enable programs that master one level to continue to grow and get better?  That's how I've always viewed it. 

I've always wondered how much satisfaction a perennial power feels for continuing to roll to titles at the same level year after year rather than challenge themselves to achieve something greater but not as assured.  If you're Chatard and you've won approximately half the 3A titles over the past 20 years, do you not look forward to try doing something bigger and better that hasn't been accomplished with your program before?  Or is it more fulfilling to continue beating programs that you've already demonstrated yourself to be superior to?  

Saw this with some good info on Western Boone moving into 2019 and how things will change from last season.

https://twitter.com/Will_Willems/status/1141899559628496896

How's the turf coming along at Western Boone?

Did Eastbrook pass the ball much when he played?

Not sure if it's still around, but Sigler's in Mechanicsburg is just south of Frankfort and is/was pretty much an institution in that area.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the way this runs right now is that they look at distinct 2-year periods for reclassification.  

For example, Southridge won state in 2A in 2017 and won their 2A regional in 2018 and consequently moved up to 3A.

Western Boone lost in the regional in 2017 but won state in 2018.  But if they go on to win their regional in 2019 they do not move up unless they do well in 2020 even though they attained the same results as Southridge over a 2-year period.  The only difference being that Southridge's success fell within that specific 2-year window while Western Boone's would straddle 2 different windows.  

Am I interpreting this correctly? 

Have no idea what Luers have coming back from last year, but whenever they are in 2A they seem to be almost always in contention to win it.  

How good is Andrean going to be?  

11 hours ago, Fballfan15 said:

Tipton only returns 5-6 starters. They will be starting a lot of Juniors and sophomores next year. Juniors to be are a very talented class but outside of a few are inexperienced. Should be average/solid this year and then really good again the following year. 

You can say that again.  

2018 Top 100 Sagarin Teams by 2019 Sectional

33 - Andrean (57), Whiting (90)

34 - Pioneer (22), Bremen (68)

35 - Luers (47)

36 - Eastbrook (51), Tipton (81)

37 - Western Boone (34)

38 - Shenandoah (69), Scecina (71)

39 - Triton Central (70)

40 - NONE

TEAMS just outside the top 100 - Woodlan (102) in sectional 35.  Evansville Mater Dei (104) in sectional 40.  Lewis Cass (106) in sectional 34.

What are the objectives?  Is it all about travel or is competitive balance in sectionals and and the state overall a factor?  A couple of those scenarios really stack the north half the state.  

On 3/9/2019 at 11:58 AM, BTF said:

I don't think most head football coaches are going to voluntarily play up a class. They would rather be on a level playing field than compete with schools that are bigger and have more resources.

I think many would argue that 3A is the level playing field and not the 2A where they go to the state finals every other year no matter what.  They were very competitive with some great 3A teams.  

Really, I think the decision should be left to the returning players.  I can respect that they'd rather play better teams and more competitive football where success is a bigger challenge and not as much of a guarantee.