Wedgebuster

Hobart seems like a place where they probably have several solid assistants loaded up and ready to go for this opportunity. Years upon Years of consistency doesn't just happen without multiple coaches that really know what they are doing.

What districts have benefited from the population shift? If someone is a "loser" then their has to be a "winner" right?

Mishawaka probably likes their messy field at the end of the year when they are usually playing opponents that have more speed on the field than the Cavemen. It's football smart. Not in vogue, but smart.

What's your take on that situation?

Just years and years of kids not seeing and therefore not expecting any success? The last winning season was in 2016 and before that you have to go back to 01 and 02 to find back to back winning campaigns. What does Goshen need to do to hit the "reset button" in football? If coach Wogomon couldn't see a way forward.....that speaks volumes.

Anyone have a take on how much of Goshen's struggles are purely due to the demographic changes in that community vs lack of support/vision by administration?

The issue with long drives isn't fans or Varsity Football on Friday nights.....its kids spending 2.5 hours in a bus on a school night to play a JV Tennis Match and all the other sports that don't exclusively play on Friday night. Commuting for football doesn't bother me at all......but go talk to the baseball coach that has to play a double header 80 minutes away and then teach the next day. That burns out coaches and their families very quickly

It seems like schools and AD's get really weird about not having complete control over their non conference games. I always liked the idea of slated conference crossover games in Week #9 based on regular season success. Takes care of AD's worries about scheduling a 3rd or 4th non conference game but not getting to choose who that is, seems to be a big hang up for people. I wonder why? Seems like you could use the idea of slated crossover games to make your ideas in the post above work even better!

Does the TRC have an All Sports trophy? Is there a comprehensive record somewhere of where each Valley Team finished in the TRC last year and in the years prior? Be interesting to see how they compared to the rest of the TRC in all sports. Also, I've heard that some of the frustration for the former NIC schools was lower level games being cancelled over and over again by certain other league teams. I wonder if Valley ran into any of that in the TRC?

People forget that these decisions are made by schools for their overall athletic department, not just one or two programs.

What's the reasoning behind only 32 in 5a? I get the problem that 6a is and why they have 32. Doesn't 32 in 5a only kick the problem down to 4a?

I didn't realize the gap percentage wise from the bottom to top of 4a. Greenfield Central is basically double the size of Norwell.

Is the link not working for anybody else?

Day #1 of Michigan State Finals and Private Schools go 3-0 vs Public Schools winning by an Average score of 46-9.......with no enrollment multiplier or success factor. Seems crazy to me

If Mishawaka can stay in 3rd and 4th and short, get a turnover or two, force FGs and not give up TDs, and have Snider end the first half with the ball but not score........ This could be the type of game that is 35-28 and no one punts or stops the other team.

Any thoughts on why Barron left Plymouth? Things wore thin over time? He read the writing on the wall about where that program is at? Conflict with parents and/or administration?

From what I've seen on TV 46, Hudl Highlights, and the Michigan state championship games the last decade or so, the typical Edwardsburg team would be a handful for any 4 or 5a opponent in Northern IN. I don't think they want to schedule Penn, but they would have the same punchers chance that Mishawaka always seems to have. I think you have to think of Edwardsburg almost like a parochial school. Your going to have high numbers of 2 parent households (discipline, structure, nutrition are all there), athletics matter at home, and they've been good for a long time now (they catch some move-ins that at least have athletics in mind).

Is it hard to find kids that are "Football Guys" and interested in the Fine Arts? Seems like that would be a tough fit.

The Edwardsburg being a "part" of South Bend is interesting. The Eddies have certainly been hyper successful lately. Do a lot of kids who would be Penn or Mishawaka players move north to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond?

You just wish that the SB schools could play some more competition that deals with some of the same struggles as them. When Riley has played those teams this year, they have fared well. When they play John Glenn, New Prairie, Bremen, and Jimtown they won't. Just too many cards in the deck stacked against them. Now....if SB schools had a legit plan in place to develop their athletes, hire coaches, keep some long term continuity in programs, helped foster a youth league, etc. they would stand a chance......but.........

Does Bremen still have 20 something "coaches" on their sideline? I went to a Sectional Championship game at their place about a decade ago and I had never seen so many adults on a sideline compared to the number of players. They obviously weren't all coaching but they were all covered up in Bremen gear.

Plymouth of that era and John Glenn aren't exactly like comparing Apples to Apples. John Glenn probably beats Plymouth this year but it's not even close from 2000-2019 (with a few exceptions).

When you're winning, like Northwood, its a lot easier to convince kids that their Freshman year of not playing a whole lot is worth it. When you're not, and you're a Freshman on JV not playing, or getting your a$$ handed to you, AND your losing......it's a lot harder to sell. Then you enter that downward spiral......lower numbers= lack of success......lack of success then leads to lower and lower numbers. Hope Plymouth can eventually get it sorted out. We've had some good games with them over the years.

No problem, I think I remember reading last year about how some NLC teams were struggling to field all 3. It all blends together sometimes! It seems like 4a football on up that it is normal to have all 3 levels and that you're really behind the eight ball if you don't.

Does Plymouth field 3 levels of Football? How many NLC teams don't have 3 levels?