Johnstown leaving the LHAC

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12HankQB
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Re: Johnstown leaving the LHAC

Post by 12HankQB »

DCor50 wrote:Greater Johnstown isn't leaving the LHAC.  But what I find ironic, is the same people stating reasons for them to stay (Konjo78) are the same ones that post that Ligonier Valley should leave the Heritage because they are AA.  Johnstown is the only AAAA team in the LHAC.  So that means they should win the conference every year.  Right?  They're the biggest so they should win.  That's Konjo78's theory on LV.  Hmmmm....
Ligonier is also closer to better competition of their own size than J-Town is.
If only closed minds came with closed mouths
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Re: Johnstown leaving the LHAC

Post by richie »

Winning games against local schools is what the students and the local community most care about. Discarding those rivalries in order to travel to far away destinations for state playoff games
is only great to very few high school football fans today. As proof, just look at the decreasing attendance of the district playoff games the last few years.
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Re: Johnstown leaving the LHAC

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GoldenRamsFAN wrote:With them now being the only 4a team in the LHAC would it be a smart move for them to maybe get out of the conference and get into a bigger one? I can’t see how playing mostly 2a schools will benifit them in the long run. Somerset is going down to 3a and FH is down to 2a while McCort is eligible to play 1a
FH is dropping to 2A???
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Re: Johnstown leaving the LHAC

Post by BoStillKnows »

BoStillKnows wrote:
GoldenRamsFAN wrote:With them now being the only 4a team in the LHAC would it be a smart move for them to maybe get out of the conference and get into a bigger one? I can’t see how playing mostly 2a schools will benifit them in the long run. Somerset is going down to 3a and FH is down to 2a while McCort is eligible to play 1a
FH is dropping to 2A??? Starting in 2018???
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Re: Johnstown leaving the LHAC

Post by BlackRock »

Without a doubt the LHAC is a prominent conference, not second guessing that by all means. 

Considering Jtown is significantly larger than most of the LHAC, and historically (http://www.trojannation.net/id18.html) their program has played outside of the general area, it is reasonable IMO for folks to wonder why the Trojans don't play elsewhere. Granted, two things; life has changed a lot since the Trojans played elsewhere and many of the schools listed no longer exist, second the LHAC has been good for the Trojans (don't fix whats not broken...) 

I myself have always thought about a conference between I-80, I-99, MD Border, and the Chestnut Ridge. Granted lots of driving, but some historical value, and school districts that have similar socioeconomic background (6A - 4A (mostly 4A)). 

Jtown
Clearfield
Dubois
Indiana
Bellefonte
Somerset
Altoona
Holidaysburg
Central Cambria (We played but I think they're too small now, maybe not if Ebensburg continues to grow like it is) 

Throw in a couple out of state or out of conference games. 

I know it's a complete pipe dream crossing districts, and is a lot of driving but we played most of these guys as I was growing up and it makes some sense to me.  
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Re: Johnstown leaving the LHAC

Post by Crimson's Ghost »

Johnstown just is never leaving the LHAC unless all 11 schools all drop to single A and they remain in 4A. You can throw history out the window, the ability to play all their games for all sports with reasonable travel time and have local rivalries is way better than trying to be the Johnstown of the 1970's, that just is never coming back.

Coming to the LHAC saved their athletic program.
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Re: Johnstown leaving the LHAC

Post by CCDevil2012 »

Ask Altoona how much fun it is for players, family, and fans to travel to Harrisburg or Pittsburgh 2-3x a week in basketball season
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Re: Johnstown leaving the LHAC

Post by Crimson's Ghost »

Yeah that's the biggest issue, not football, but every other sport.
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Re: Johnstown leaving the LHAC

Post by dougkeklak »

Yep, Johnstown's boys' basketball schedule used to be all over the place. Erie teams, Pittsburgh City League teams, etc. The basketball schedules for boys and girls pretty much writes itself.

I'd rather look at expansion prospects for the LHAC. Chestnut Ridge replacing BC but also perhaps adding LigValley and Indiana?

As an alum that didn't play local schools in football, I can say I am completely over entertaining ANY thoughts of the Trojans' athletic program leaving the LHAC. My only gripe with football is not scheduling a non-league game week ten.
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Re: Johnstown leaving the LHAC

Post by dougkeklak »

Crimson's Ghost wrote:Johnstown just is never leaving the LHAC unless all 11 schools all drop to single A and they remain in 4A.  You can throw history out the window, the ability to play all their games for all sports with reasonable travel time and have local rivalries is way better than trying to be the Johnstown of the 1970's, that just is never coming back.

Coming to the LHAC saved their athletic program.
We sucked in the 70s anyway, 37-59-1.  There is so much revisionist history when it comes to our old alumni base.  Some of these guys go around talking like playing different teams somehow made them "better" and they just assume their teams would have beaten the local teams.  Why?  Because you played Derry, Latrobe or Norwin.  Get over it.  From 1970-2000 there were THREE playoff participants in WPIAL play.  Granted fewer teams made it in those days (and I really don't know the story behind why the '73 team at 8-1 didn't go), but still, it's not as if there was some great, year-in, year-out tradition of those years.  Truthfully had Davitch not revitalized the program coming back in '85 the losing culture we saw in the late 90s might have just continued on through. 
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