quote:
Yes, I guess so. It does seem to me that the JC and the ECA type schools have far more players than most, so I was looking at it that way. I doubt they would cut, since the success they have often is largely due to depth and specialization. Don't see too many 2 way players.

It just chaps my hide to see all selects lumped in with those two. Where I am, we can only dream of having the athletes a Winnfield has. We likely will start next season with 2 LBS under 5'8" and 160 lbs, a RB at about 5'6" and 135, and our QB also starting at LB.

Curtis, we ain't. But I'm sure we will win our share, as we always seem to. We can't get athletes in here, despite the supposed advantage of having a large geographical area to pull from. Many can't pay, many can't make the grades, many can't stay out of trouble. We figured out that we have to do something different to win. Preparation, film, conditioning,that's all we have.

So, I'm pissed that we are automatically considered 'cheaters', and I'm sure we are not the exception to the rule.

I don't understand how you want to segregate out two schools for working their butts off. Curtis is only 50 years old. Their first football season they didn't win a game. They went through 3 head coaches before JT. They have few rich alumni, and not a single player is given a scholarship. Yes, there are a couple on work study but I know for a fact that not all of them play football. Hell, some on work study don't play any sports at all.

Curtis does what most schools are scared to do. Discipline kids, dare to teach them Christian values (just watch what the coaches do if any kid tries to show off or act dumb), offer an honors program for gifted students (Curtis sends lots of kids to great schools and not just for sports, but don't let the media hype change your opinion), and most of all they work harder than any other team.

Does the program sell itself? Yes. But so what? Are you mad smart kids aspire to go to Tulane and Stanford (which Curtis has sent students in the past couple years)? Are you mad that catholics want to attend catholic school and non public? Don't be mad that there is a draw for some kids and their parents that they don't get from your school.

Complain all you want about not having the kids. As a guy who has coached in the LHSAA before and has worked with his fair share of athletes, I can tell you without a doubt that you can do a whole lot with a kid who isn't much of an athlete in 8th and 9th grade by the time he is a senior. It's just most coaches, and maybe yourself, aren't willing to work with the kid 12 months out of the year (for no money at that). Unless you are spending your weekends, your late evenings, and sometimes your early mornings developing your guys to be the best they can be, I can't really feel sorry for you.

Also, short doesn't mean jack. Eric Thomas is 5'7 and is getting a full ride to Tulane for football. Get in the weight room.

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Posted by yallallcrazy

Member since Oct 2007

762 posts

Posted on 1/30/13 at 11:06 am to GhostofJackson

quote:
I don't understand how you want to segregate out two schools for working their butts off

Don't misunderstand me. I'm NOT in favor of the split, and I agree totally about Curtis. I've seen them play, and have told everyone around here who bitches that Curtis has athletes for sure, but is dominant because they play the most fundamentally sound high school football in the state and maybe the country. Coaches are coaching, not cheerleading.

My only point was that IF the problem is a couple of schools becoming too dominant, then try to fix it without demonizing anyone. I think you would agree that Curtis owes part of its success to being in the NO Metro area. It doesn't need to recruit- there are a lot of folks around there who will beat down their doors to send kids there. If Curtis was located in Winnsboro it would be a different animal. Some have alluded to private schools with 275 athletes out of 350 kids. If that is the issue-- getting too many athletes-- solve that creatively.

quote:
I can tell you without a doubt that you can do a whole lot with a kid who isn't much of an athlete in 8th and 9th grade by the time he is a senior.

Also agree. This is the very definition of what the school my sons play for is doing. We aren't "Dome quality", but we are playoff quality pretty much all the time. I've been all over the internets lately and am just sick of hearing how we have this so-called advantage.

If I misread your post earlier, then I apologize. Likely just punch-drunk from reading the high school sports blogs!