Western Boone Future

[cpg1970]

I am from northern Indiana, but have enjoyed the Western Boone success and following them the past few years in state tournaments.  I don’t know much about the school, their coach, program.  Are they going to be solid for some time or was this a case of having a couple really good classes?  Will their coach look to move on to bigger and better things, or is he have ties to the community?  Anyone in the know of the Stars, I would like to hear your assessment.  

[Dolts]

I'd also like to know how they might fair being 3A this cycle.  I was under the impression that a trip to the State Finals in 2020 was a realistic expectation once they got the younger kids coached up this last season.  Is there different expectations in 3A?

[XStar]

I'm by no means an insider but I went there and also follow the program from afar also.  

Historically, the program has had cycles where they were competitive at a state-championship level.  For whatever reason, they seemed stronger at the end of most decades as they won state in 1988, lost at state in 1998, and won state again in 2008.  They were also pretty good in seasons around those runs like 1989, 1997, and obviously 2019-2020.  

So while they have not been competing for state titles every year, they have had intermittent success historically.  

They have had some really talented classes come through lately to win the three straight titles but from what I hear the cupboard isn't bare moving forward.  3A will certainly be another level.  Western Boone has played 3A before but hasn't won so much as a sectional.  I think maybe they were in 3A for 6 or 8 seasons prior to the last 4.  Unfortunately, even when they were good, they were often in a sectional with Chatard, West Lafayette, or another state finalist like Hamilton Heights or Tri-West.  

I don't know the plans of the coach.  His dad coached for a long time at Speedway so hopefully he has similar plans at Western Boone but I can't claim any inside knowledge there.  I will say that there are things at Western Boone that other coaches spend years trying to build up in other communities.  It's a rural, farming community and many of the kids that have played in the program stick around as adults/parents and care about the program.  Parent participation in the youth program is littered with former players that now have kids coming up and those parents are willing to put tremendous time and effort into it.  You don't find that everywhere.

Going forward, they will need to be their best to make deep runs in 3A.  Much will depend on the sectional they are assigned.  At least they can be sure there is no Chatard this time so they have that going for them.  But they will likely find teams like Danville, Tri-West, West Lafayette, and/or Guerin Catholic in their sectional so they will still have to be really good to come out on top.  I think in 2019 they could've beaten almost anyone in 3A outside of Chatard by the end of the season but that was probably the best football team in school history in my opinion.  I don't know if they have state-level talent for 3A coming up or not but I know they started many underclassmen this past year so I think they should remain competitive at least.  I don't know if that translates to success at the 3A level of not.  Will be interesting to see.  

@1st_and_10 and @1st and Goal might have better perspective than me.  

 

[XStar]

23 minutes ago, XStar said:

I'm by no means an insider but I went there and also follow the program from afar also.  

Historically, the program has had cycles where they were competitive at a state-championship level.  For whatever reason, they seemed stronger at the end of most decades as they won state in 1988, lost at state in 1998, and won state again in 2008.  They were also pretty good in seasons around those runs like 1989, 1997, and obviously 2019-2020.  

So while they have not been competing for state titles every year, they have had intermittent success historically.  

They have had some really talented classes come through lately to win the three straight titles but from what I hear the cupboard isn't bare moving forward.  3A will certainly be another level.  Western Boone has played 3A before but hasn't won so much as a sectional.  I think maybe they were in 3A for 6 or 8 seasons prior to the last 4.  Unfortunately, even when they were good, they were often in a sectional with Chatard, West Lafayette, or another state finalist like Hamilton Heights or Tri-West.  

I don't know the plans of the coach.  His dad coached for a long time at Speedway so hopefully he has similar plans at Western Boone but I can't claim any inside knowledge there.  I will say that there are things at Western Boone that other coaches spend years trying to build up in other communities.  It's a rural, farming community and many of the kids that have played in the program stick around as adults/parents and care about the program.  Parent participation in the youth program is littered with former players that now have kids coming up and those parents are willing to put tremendous time and effort into it.  You don't find that everywhere.

Going forward, they will need to be their best to make deep runs in 3A.  Much will depend on the sectional they are assigned.  At least they can be sure there is no Chatard this time so they have that going for them.  But they will likely find teams like Danville, Tri-West, West Lafayette, and/or Guerin Catholic in their sectional so they will still have to be really good to come out on top.  I think in 2019 they could've beaten almost anyone in 3A outside of Chatard by the end of the season but that was probably the best football team in school history in my opinion.  I don't know if they have state-level talent for 3A coming up or not but I know they started many underclassmen this past year so I think they should remain competitive at least.  I don't know if that translates to success at the 3A level of not.  Will be interesting to see.  

@1st_and_10 and @1st and Goal might have better perspective than me.  

 

I meant to say they won state in 2018, not 2008.  

[1st_and_10]

On 2/4/2021 at 9:32 PM, cpg1970 said:

I am from northern Indiana, but have enjoyed the Western Boone success and following them the past few years in state tournaments.  I don’t know much about the school, their coach, program.  Are they going to be solid for some time or was this a case of having a couple really good classes?  Will their coach look to move on to bigger and better things, or is he have ties to the community?  Anyone in the know of the Stars, I would like to hear your assessment.  

They have classes, but the last few years the success have pieces for a few classes the last few years that have made them successful.  They will lose 10 seniors.  6 or 7 that played a lot (1 that would have, but was injured early in the year).  They played a lot of Sophomores last year and a couple of Freshman.  The Coaching Staff has done a really good job getting kids to buy in and they do a really good job of preparing the kids and adjusting their plans with the talent they have.  They have been in 3A in the past, but as XStar mentioned, they have ran into some really good teams during the tournament.  The Sagamore Conference is a 2A-4A conference/schedule.  They have some talent returning, but they have some talent that graduates (as has been the case for the last few years).  

As for Coach Pelley, I think he has probably had opportunities the last few years to move on if he wanted to.  His Staff is pretty much all former Webo players (with the exception of himself, his Dad, and the Strength & Conditioning Coach).  He is involved in the youth program more than just a figure that shows up every once in a while.  The kids learn a base of the offensive plays in youth and that continues to build into Jr. High.  I think there is something special about the community and what has occured the last several years. 

Parents, kids, local businesses, community support have all bought in.  You have Dads that were former players (and former youth coaches) and their kids are in HS (or already graduated) coming back into the youth program to coach/teach kids because they want the program to continue to succeed.  Players that don't just show up on Saturday mornings after their film/workouts to watch the younger kids, but will come out to practices and help out.... They come out on Saturdays and watch and high five the kids... That encourage the kids.  None of that is mandated or forced upon them by the Staff.  The kids understand the position they are in... They understand these kids watch them every Friday night and the kids love it when those "Friday Night Stars" come watch them.  Many 15-18 year old kids would struggle with that kind of responsibility.  It really is a family type atmosphere.  

[DE]

4 minutes ago, 1st_and_10 said:

They have classes, but the last few years the success have pieces for a few classes the last few years that have made them successful.  They will lose 10 seniors.  6 or 7 that played a lot (1 that would have, but was injured early in the year).  They played a lot of Sophomores last year and a couple of Freshman.  The Coaching Staff has done a really good job getting kids to buy in and they do a really good job of preparing the kids and adjusting their plans with the talent they have.  They have been in 3A in the past, but as XStar mentioned, they have ran into some really good teams during the tournament.  The Sagamore Conference is a 2A-4A conference/schedule.  They have some talent returning, but they have some talent that graduates (as has been the case for the last few years).  

As for Coach Pelley, I think he has probably had opportunities the last few years to move on if he wanted to.  His Staff is pretty much all former Webo players (with the exception of himself, his Dad, and the Strength & Conditioning Coach).  He is involved in the youth program more than just a figure that shows up every once in a while.  The kids learn a base of the offensive plays in youth and that continues to build into Jr. High.  I think there is something special about the community and what has occured the last several years. 

Parents, kids, local businesses, community support have all bought in.  You have Dads that were former players (and former youth coaches) and their kids are in HS (or already graduated) coming back into the youth program to coach/teach kids because they want the program to continue to succeed.  Players that don't just show up on Saturday mornings after their film/workouts to watch the younger kids, but will come out to practices and help out.... They come out on Saturdays and watch and high five the kids... That encourage the kids.  None of that is mandated or forced upon them by the Staff.  The kids understand the position they are in... They understand these kids watch them every Friday night and the kids love it when those "Friday Night Stars" come watch them.  Many 15-18 year old kids would struggle with that kind of responsibility.  It really is a family type atmosphere.  

Love it