BDGiant93

It used to be this was the only shop in town. There are many other places out there to yak about high school football now. I think, no disrespect to the current leadership, that we're all still feeling the loss of TA here too. I think the current leadership here does a great job spending time, effort and money to make it great here, but Tim Adams was the guiding light of the Gridiron Digest. He was irreplaceable.

Serious question: How does LESS football grow the sport of football in Indiana? How does this benefit students and education-based athletics? In my opinion, opportunity to play a sport allows students to be connected to a school. It's another connection for those students who are at risk of dropping out to a school. It contributes to the school community to have a team to support and cheer for at events such as Homecoming. I am sure no team enjoys getting its hide handed to it every Friday, but there still is an opportunity to play and improve and get better even in those programs that struggle. I just don't understand how less football benefits those who might need it. If a school wishes to make an investment in a football team and program, I say, in the immortal words of the Bad News Bears, "Let Them Play!"

I have no idea.

You jumped on my yes before I went back and edited it. I was probably typing while you were answering. Sorry. I got locked out of my account and had to fish out my password again...then guess which of the variety of cities my brother has lived in in the last few years to get back in. Here's the rest of what I typed after "Yes". "In the case of 2018, Jason Simmons was not hired until March. From December to March, the program had no leadership as many of Mike Kirschner's top assistants left for their own opportunities. Many of the others weren't sure if they wanted to come back. In effect, the program had no rudder. That, coupled with the loss of 52 seniors, in my opinion sunk Coach Simmons the first year. Yes, you can be rebuilding while retooling too."

You're always in attack mode man. You need to put a little somethin' somethin' in your own Kool-Aid to calm down, brother.

Well, obviously you don't know anything about me. There are some things I recycle, but there are others I don't. I have never done things the same way. I would hope that I am a better teacher and person than I was back in 1997 because of my experience. You make mistakes and you fix them. Each year is different to me. Each group of students is different. Next school year, I'll be teaching a new class I've never taught before, for example. If you take a tongue-in-cheek comment about how many times you've quit this message board and come back and extrapolate that into commentary on career choices, then you took that to a place I did not mean. I apologize.

Yes. In the case of 2018, Jason Simmons was not hired until March. From December to March, the program had no leadership as many of Mike Kirschner's top assistants left for their own opportunities. Many of the others weren't sure if they wanted to come back. In effect, the program had no rudder. That, coupled with the loss of 52 seniors, in my opinion sunk Coach Simmons the first year. Yes, you can be rebuilding while retooling too.

Saturday morning is not Friday night.

I'm assuming this means that you'll go back in a few weeks/months after pronouncing you were no longer affiliated and leaving?

Covenant Christian doesn't even have its own football field.

I absolutely do. What's the incentive for a scout team guy to keep getting his head knocked in during practice? The chance to play in a varsity game under the lights on a Friday night. The mercy rule is fine as is, and I've seen BD on both sides of it. I do think if you're up 49-0 in the 2nd quarter, it might be good to have it kick in. I agree with @crimsonace1.

You did forget the MIC Co-Championship in 2019. I think the Giants still have the same standards. First year was a 3-7 disaster after losing 52 seniors from 2017....22-17 since. BD has three-straight Sectionals and Regionals. BD also defeated Carmel and Brownsburg the last two years in the Regional. Regular season record struggle has been early for BD 10-14 in August & September under Coach Simmons, 15-10 after...15-7 if you take out 2018. Giants have gotten better throughout the year the last few and have been playing good football by October. The last two losses against Center Grove in Semi-State have not been particularly pretty, but who else beat Center Grove the last two years? Unless you were Cathedral or Westfield, it hasn't been particularly pretty. Does that mean the program is satisfied? Nah. I don't think Coach Simmons is either. Time will tell though, you're right.

https://twitter.com/joziahedmond4/status/1537166353857224706?s=20&t=dZNtRutX9B9nqRP4j1mYMg

The travel rule is silly, but it's really silly that you can't host someone further than 600 miles round trip from out of state. --- Our band and choir students raise an awful lot of money to go on their trips and excursions. They sell the heck out of fundraiser stuff. My rule is that I always buy, but it has to be the first person to get to me.

Ben Davis is larger than Warren.

Fair point.

I get what you're saying. It's getting harder to be dominant, and that makes Center Grove's current run pretty remarkable.

I've missed the dozens. #3 is an interesting thought. I would say that Coach Mallory has done enough at LN to justify that hiring, but is there anyone on the current staff that might get elevated? #4 would be a great day. I hope Coach Brevard has a lot of success at Pike (even if he loses a few to his alma mater along the way). #10 Another interesting thought. Not sure I'd leave a good thing. #12 is another hopeful positive. Coach Mullins is a great person.

They did win their Sectional. They also won their Regional as underdogs. But, there's no doubt, it was a watered down Sectional. I know that. I'm not stupid. Also, Coach Simmons motto the last couple of years has been "the standard is the standard." He knows the nine State Championships on the wall under the scoreboard is the standard.

I'm not totally going to disagree with you on this.

Don Carlisle is building a monster in the Ben Davis boys basketball program.

And yet Brownsburg is dropping Ben Davis after this year. I've been watching this thread. I don't have much to add. I think a lot of the narrative around Warren Central sounds like the BD narrative in the late 2000's. Kirschner came in in 2007 after Tom Allen left. People were talking about diminishing returns on the Westside. BD went 7-4 in 2007 losing to Pike in the Sectional. In 2008, the Giants went 10-4 losing to CG in the Semi-State. They were highly-ranked in 2009, but the season unraveled quickly and the Giants finished 5-5. They were 6-4 in 2010 and people like Driven T and folks were writing the obit of the program. In 2011, Kirschner took a team with a former FB at QB to the Regional Championship Game against undefeated Carmel. Matt Brock set a new one-year passing record that year. Of course, then came the Kyle Castner years. 2012, 2013, and 2014...then the Reese Taylor years in 2015, 2016 and 2017. The 2017 team was one of the best ever to play in Indiana. So, yeah, things ebb and flow in large programs. Sustained success is not a guarantee any more. Coaching changes and things are not really that surprising either to me. Kirschner wants people who work at his speed and who have his commitment. He's going to do things right, and he wants coaches that do too. I respect the man tremendously, and it may take some time, but Warren will succeed under him. As far as why they're dropping CG, I have no idea. Those things happen for a number of reasons. It's my understanding that Coach Simmons doesn't want to drop CG at BD. Anyway...that's my 42 cents.

Let's not forget that Avon has had some issues in the Athletic Department that have resulted in a change of leadership. I'm sure that might have something to do with the state of things on Oriole Way.

No need to make it more complex than it needs to be. I have seen both sides of the coin. If you get down 35 in the second half, that's plenty. Let's get it over with.

https://district.wayne.k12.in.us/2022/05/23/ben-davis-high-school-athletic-director-to-retire-june-30/ Congratulations to John Clark. He came to Ben Davis in 1972 and has served in a number of roles in the classroom and outside of the classroom. For the last 20 years, he's been the AD or Assistant AD at BDHS. I wish him the best retirement he can have! I'll cherish our conversations about teaching and about mentoring students.