MDAlum82

MD rarely dresses Frosh until they get to the playoffs. This year they added 6-10 frosh to playoff roster, many of whom will need to make a contribution right away next year. It is not lost on me that the sheer number of volunteer coaches Mater Dei has been blessed with makes them unique and provides the players with a great deal more 1 on 1 coaching & attention. I know this is not the case with many/most schools and we are very fortunate.

Families who put a higher value on the service still produce slow, unathletic, 140 lbs WRs & DBs who see the field for 3 plays their entire career or play in the band or are on the Speech & Debate Team Club or who don't do anything extra-curricular in nature - i.e. "dead weight" from a football classification perspective and they produce them in similar numbers as other schools do. Trust me, I have this in my own home where one child was involved with exactly ZERO extra-curricular activities in their 4 years at MD, but had a 4.0 GPA and a close knit group of non-athletic friends. Yes, there may fewer of these at MD with an enrollment of 600 vs a large public school with 1200, 1500 or 2000 kids but some people like to act as if the zombie apocalypse occurred in their school and 50% of the kids are infected and all they do is walk around the halls eating their more athletic classmates.

Unless you are including freshmen, I don't believe MD has ever had "80 - 100" players on the varsity team, even back in the initial years of real success back in the late 1990s & early 2000s when the roster was truly huge because every kid wanted to be on the team. Typical is 60 - 70, not including frosh - still very good numbers but hardly "80 -100" cited. Here are roster numbers for last 5 years from Max Preps. Now, they could fill a Hadi Shrine clown car on Thanksgiving with all their coaches, there is no disputing that!🤡

It's not just a river in Egypt...

Nice attempt at deflection. You don't actually have any "proof" so you try bait & switch. Again, I respect your "opinion" but do not accept it as "fact" or "truth" simply because you fervently believe it. fwiw, here is another Google snippet for you paid for with my private education dollars....it might help you resolve some of your confusion over truth vs fact. Too many people believe truth and fact are the same thing. If something is true, it must also be a fact, right? Wrong. A fact is something that’s indisputable, based on empirical research and quantifiable measures. Facts go beyond theories. They’re proven through calculation and experience, or they’re something that definitively occurred in the past. Truth is entirely different; it may include fact, but it can also include belief. Oftentimes, people will accept things as true because they fall closer to their comfort zones, are assimilated easily into their comfort zones, or reflect their preconceived notions of reality. Fact is indisputable. Truth is acceptable.

So we can establish a baseline for an "Apples to Apples" comparison and an informed discussion, this is what "empirical evidence" means. Please reference the sources for your "provable, irrefutable, empirical evidence". Empirical evidence is the information obtained through observation and documentation of certain behavior and patterns or through an experiment. Empirical evidence is a quintessential part of the scientific method of research that is applicable in many disciplines.

The "truth" is typically what the individual wants it to be or perceives it to be. That does not make it the truth, it makes it their opinion based on their experiences and beliefs. While I respect someone's right to have their own opinion, how strongly that opinion is held does not make it the "truth" nor make it "fact". It is still an opinion.

For those mathematically challenged, SHOULD this scenario play out, it would be magical "3 years in a row" which seems to be the acceptable norm among posters... Hope he misses the bus? 😁 Loading the box to attempt to stop the run seems highly likely...and then hope to put enough pressure on QB for some errant throws...stay tuned...

Appreciate the insight into the story behind the question. I understand your position much better now and, I actually agree with it. Thanks.

It says digital tickets can be purchase "during business hours" but does not say what those are. "Assume" ticket window will be open at least an hour before the game like the gates but also hate to "assume" anything with IHSAA & Ticketmaster... Digital tickets may also be purchased in person at the Lucas Oil Stadium Box Office (without service fees) during business hours (credit card or cash purchases only).

Lucas Oil only allows for E-tickets so I went online to buy them for State Finals. There is a $5.60 per ticket fee PLUS a $5.60 per order fee for a total of $16.80 in FEES ..wth? 🤑

This harkens back to the old "pod" system in the 80's. Unfortunately, under this system, there were many occasions "deserving" teams did not even get in the playoffs. Easy to see a team like FW Luers NOT make it due to their season record yet still be one of the better teams for their class/region. Now, to deal with these situations, you have to create a review committee and a set of rules to govern these kinds of scenarios which makes it subject to human bias...which was the genesis for the "all teams get in" movement in the first place.

Honestly, while I am a fan of high school football, I really only follow my high school, which is currently in 2A, and other teams from So. Indiana. I don't follow Chatard or other teams outside of my area not in 2A. However, I think it is accurate to say that MOST, not all, but most teams that are bumped up, find little success at the higher level and fall back to their original class in short order. One exception I am aware of is Evv Memorial, who moved from 2A - 3A - 4A over the past decade and have had a high level of success as each level. Certain there are other examples from other parts of the state, I am simply not familiar with them. I believe LCC has moved up to 2A and back to 1A at least once in recent memory, possibly twice(?)

Uncertain what you are trying to say here: " but they could Gerrymander Sectionals for repeat offenders... that Some peeps want off their streets.... jus not in my back yard..... n on it gose...." but your concern seems to be with teams that have easier/more difficult sectional paths..but I may be missing something ... Sectionals have always been geography based to a large extent to reduce travel times & distances, largely as a safety and financial consideration for the schools involved. These are HIGH SCHOOLs we are talking about with limited budgets, resources. Success in sectionals has always been a case of who "ur thrown in with" (SIC). At some point - Regionals, SS, etc. you have to play the better teams. Would you propose teams from North of Indy play in in a sectional in southern/northern Indiana, 3-4 hours away to appease some sense of "fairness"?

The reality is Mater Dei has been fortunate in the timing of most of their deep runs. Last year was year 2 of previous SF cycle and this is year 1 of new 2-year cycle. They finished with 5 pts, 1 shy of 6 needed to be bumped up to 3A. This has happened a couple of times since the SF was implemented. fwiw, many see next year to be a bit of a "rebuilding" year so uncertain what to expect. Lots of talk about current frosh and 8th grade teams as next back to back classes with a good deal of football talent from what I have heard. Time will tell.

So is LCC a wolf or a sheep? Seem to be a wolf in 1A but more of a sheep in 2A. Why is the SF a failure in your eyes? How does gerrymandering address the issue(s)?

You can watch online here: https://www.ihsaatv.org/ Not certain about the cost. Locally, Bally's shows all 6 Indiana State Championship games for free on Spectrum Cable but no idea about outside the local network. You can also find the IHSAA Champions Network on Roku, Google TV, Firestick and other streaming services.

Also, fwiw, MD has moved up to 3A on 2 occasions previously then moved back down to 2A.

These scenarios also have to occur within the same 2 year period. The IHSAA reorganized after last year so this year is year 1 of next 2 year evaluation period.

I forget the origin of the now often used quote: "You cannot stop him, you can only hope to contain him", but it certainly applies here with Bowen. Few, if any, would argue Bowen will be the best player on the field. That being said, even the best players have off nights or someone else steps up and has the game of their life to negate them. Ref. Dan Dakich guarding Michael Jordan in 1984 Sweet Sixteen.

Please elaborate...haven't heard much about this game yet.

This game did not go the way many thought it would. While I expected - hoped for - a MD victory, I never thought MD would put up 24 pts before LS has its first 1st Down. Best offensive half this year, IMO. MD scored on every possession. One often overlooked aspect of the high school game is the kicking game. IMO, a good kicking game can such be a BIG factor in high school. The Marx kid put every KO inside the 5 with lots of height so kick coverage could easily get down the field. The Miners' BEST starting field position in the first half was the 20 yd line on a touchback. Coach Knight's defensive plan worked really well too. The MD Defense completely stifled the LS offense for most of the first half. The Miners only had 1-2 first downs when Gennics took it to the house from about 70 yds. LS made a run, closing to 31 - 16 at half but that was as close as it would get. The curse lives on for at least one more year...

Honestly, for MD to come out on top, they will have to find a way to "contain" Bowen and outscore Andrean in a 42-35 type game. Not sure MD can put that many points on board against a strong Andrean D. Perhaps the best way for that to occur is for Bowen to miss the bus... 🤪 MD's offense has really been clicking the last 2-3 weeks and the defense has really stepped up. They seem to be playing their best football at the right time. That will need to continue next week. Wunderlich threw some absolute dimes last night - the pass down the sideline to Stoltz, the slant to Turner across the middle - perfect touch, perfect timing... Pierre had well over a 100 yds and was able to sneak through the line and get into the secondary often. Last year Andrean shut down MD's passing game with pressure on Wunderlich - often Bowen on a blitz. When Wunderlich gets uncomfortable in the pocket, he tends to force some ill-advised throws, i.e. the INT near goal line last night. If he can remain calm and make some good passes, MD has a chance.

y'uge...IF

I read that Bowen hung 200 yds ad 3 TDs on Luers...in the first half. That young man is a FOOTBALL player. Did I hear he has an offer from Notre Dame? Reminds me of the Combs kid from Evv Memorial a few years back. MD will have to find a way to slow him down and put some pts on the board too. Last year's game was dominated by the defense until mid-way through the 3rd qtr. Once the dam broke, Andrea pulled away for the win. Mater Dei has their hands full...