Coach Dowell

To respond to the question about why stay in the HHC? Initially the argument form those living in the past was that Madison was one of the founders of the HHC and that the rigors of Conference Play get You ready for the IHSAA Tournament. I pulled out a confernece hanbook once and went through HHC results of all sports. In all the sports on the boys side it was like 2% and the girls was like 4% So combined it is in the neighborhood of 3% of all conference titles reside in Madison. Madison used to get some imported athletic talent when the Jefferson Proving Ground was in existence. When that closed so did the army brats school attendance. It is a mystery why the cubs stay in the HHC. They had a chance to join the EIAC when Rushville and Connersville came in. Originally the thought was that the EIAC wanted a North team and a South team (Madison). I believe the demographic make up of town is like 12,000 people. 2017 numbers says the county population is 32089. Within this county are 3 high schools. Madison, Shawe, and Southwestern. Southwestern just had a run in Boys Basketball where they were top ranked in 2A for much of the year. Nothing against the other schools but their is that "bailout or excuse" lets go to Southwestern for basketball. You don't even have to move and it does not become the IHSAA's business if you do it prior to 9th grade enrollment. Back to the thought. If Madison could find a Conference of like demographic schools I thoroughly believe that they would be competitive as well as successful in athletics. A few wins turns it around. Confidence goes up, numbers come up and expectations go up. Or lets just look at going independent. Here's my schedule - Winning Season (Probable) 7-2 Most Likely 8-1 Maybe 9-0 (With some luck and a break hear and there) Nothing against any of these programs.. I am just building a successful schedule Crawford County Connersville Scottsburg Clarksville Jennings County Owen Valley Edinburg Switzerland County Brown County If the Madison Coach had that schedule he would win a bunch of games and would be in the Hall of Fame with all those victories.

You talked about attendance and online streaming. It is an interesting concept. Let us film your game and run it live or on tape delay. The school usually allows the radio/video entity to do this for free in order to promote their programs. Speaking for the fans (I think) If I can stay home in my temperature controlled home and watch the game? What a great idea. I do not have to drive to the game or buy a ticket. I do not have to buy any concessions and I can flip back and forth on the screen. Now the forethought. This may be another topic in itself. Why doesn't the school create their own video dept or hire a company to do the game. Say that expense is $500. Now will the game to the Fans pay per view? Subscribe to High School XYZ's website. You can purchase a game or the entire season for a reduced fee. How does that not generate revenues. $500 outlay and a sell 200 viewerships for 10 dollars each. Hypothetically that is $1500 profit. Do that for 4 or 5 home games and you are bringing in 6000 to 7500 dollars. do that in basketball softball and baseball and you are generating some serious revenues. not to mention the ability to sell Advertising. Anyone know if any of the schools are doing this?

Madison Football is a very unique situation. They are the smallest school in the HHC. The Cubs are a 4A School playing in a 5A and 6A conference. If Madison is in a league with schools of similar demographic makeup, then I thoroughly believe that they win more and very possibly finish the season with a winning record every now and then. All I can say from being the head coach for 4 seasons that the kids will give you everything they got. They will compete and they will play their hearts out every Friday night. Jut look at Sectional of 2018 Madison with one win travels to a 6-3 Edgewood Squad. Madison does lose but it is a ballgame the whole way through. A break hear and there and Madison comes home with a victory. (Edgewood won 28-19) I came down in 2003 - 1st season 0-10 We had some injuries to some key players in weeks one and two. I started majority freshman and sophomores. As coaches know it is hard to win on Friday nights with your JV squad on the field. We were defeated in the sectional by a very good Pat Parks Shelbyville team. 2004 - 0-10 Again. However, we made strides we were up 14 at half in week one. They finally figured out where to run the ball at in the second half. We lost 21-20. Week 4 we are at Jeff. Thy got PJ Thomas - all state baseball player and punter at QB and Trey Burgess (future IU running back). It is 4th and 4 under 2 min Jeff has just used their last timeout. We are nursing a 16-14 lead. We stuff their ISO play for a 2 yard loss. Madison has never beaten Jeff.. We get called for a facemask. Kid did not mean to do it but it happened. Sectional we draw East Central. 21-17 East Central with 2 min to go we are driving. 25 going in on a 3rd down play my Q throws an interception they take it nearly all the way back and score late for the victory. Their principal comes in to our locker room to tell us how much respect he has for our program. How the fans at the beginning of the game were making plans for running clock and being able to get home early. We also did not have 2 of our best players for that game. 2005- We start out of the gate 3-0 and are the WLKY team of the week. Jeff week 4 Operation football and the whole 9 yards. We make a miscue hear and there and lose by 14 very competitive game bounce back with a win vs JC and sit 4-1. Get New Albany, East and BNL who are all ranked and they show us what we need to work on. Play JC in sectional and get our first playoff win in a number of years. Lose in the semi finals to a very good SD team who we had beaten in week two. Our offense was potent that year. Coach Ketchum went for it on 4th down every time to keep our kids off the filed. My Q set the record for completions in a game that night 37 What is most impressive is he did that on 44 attempts. 2006 - A season of high hopes. Make some mistakes week one lose 21-8. Week 3 we bounce back and beat a sound FC team. Play through some injuries and such come in at 2-7 on the year. Lose to JC in overtime on a 4th down QB Draw. We knew it was coming. Our kid just did not get low enough on the hit and their Q bulled into the endzone for the win. could we have won more that year maybe but we played hard every week and we never gave up. 7 and 34 is not going to win anyone any coach of the year awards. However if you consider who the Cubs have to play week in and week out I call it respectable. I have experienced great success in football as well as other sports prior to Madison. I have experienced great amounts of success in football and other sports post Madison. And while at Madison I experienced success. What means the most to me is all the great kids that I got to work with and be a part of their lives. A majority of my former players are doing great things in all parts of the world. A few of them I have stayed right at home. # 60 Patric Morrison would eventually become Madison's Head Football Coach. Former All-State Lineman Ryan Lamb would join Patric as an Asst. Coach for the Cubs. I got a big list of others that are near and dear to my heart. I will not bore everyone with an already lengthy post. Just know this. Before you bash a program or suggest a team fold tent and give up... please consider all the factors. Consider the kids that give their time and energy to 40 guaranteed Friday Nights. Consider all the work the coaches put in.. not to win but to just be competitive and not be embarrassed by a wide margin of defeat. And consider all the parents and community that desperately want a winner and who support their teams no matter what the outcome. Thanks Mike Dowell

After getting Coach's approval... Roy Bruce will be Eastern Greene's new football coach. Roy and family are ready to begin their life as Thunderbirds. Congrats to Coach Bruce as he begins his tenure! Coach Bruce comes from Bedford North Lawrence where he has been Varsity Wrestling Coach. Additionally Coach Bruce has worked with both the high school and middle school football programs over the years. As i stated previously this is a good hire for Eastern. Coach Bruce will bring the energy and the kids will play hard for him. Again Best Of Luck Coach!

Board Meeting was conducted last evening and they have hired their guy. Coach announced it via face-book last night and is really excited about getting the job! Is that official enough to announce it?

Could that jumping through the ring of fire in the previous post count? I mean that is a great corporation/business development team building activity. Way back in the dark ages there were life licenses. Then the state thought of a brilliant idea, lets make everyone go to school and chase a Masters Degree. Then its the PGP points. What a joke. Now I have to learn how a business is run? I give you all a hint , some of us know how business is ran. Most on the up and up, some shady, and other corrupt. Just another bright idea from great minds!

I totally agree with the Wedgebuster. It seems like districts are proud of the fact that they only pay a given number of years of experience these days. Once had an excellent school district with an excellent football program tell me the following. "We would love to hire you and bring you into our school and football program..... However, we can only pay up to 5 years experience." In my mind I had the conversation with my wife. "Honey I have a chance to move our family to an excellent district and have a chance at a ring each year.... It will only cost us 20 thousand dollars a year while we are there." Yes I got knocked up side the head in my mind as well. Schools today miss out on a lot of highly qualified and experienced educators due to the fact that they do not pay what people have rightfully earned. It will come back to bite the Hoosier State in the rear end sooner than later.

Do your research and you too shall find the candidate.

That is a very good hire for Eastern Greene. Good Coach, Good Teacher and Great Person. Has high school experience in football and has HC experience in other sports. Kids will be tough and kids will play hard. Good Luck Coacher!

Here are the factors. 1) Class Basketball 2) Spring Break Time 3)One that is a major one that no one talks about. The live streaming of games. I can be anywhere and watch a game. If it ends up not being a good game to watch I can merely change the channel or do something else. 4) Having games during the NCAA tournament does not help.

There are not many openings remaining. I will not let it out but the one that had AD/Football would be an interesting choice. In my opinion of course.

Assistant at Franklin Central for Football and Head Softball Coach at New Palestine.