Saltsburg forfeit

[BlueYonder]

This isn't a case of group of good players coming through.

No, this isn't the case at all.  Before 2016, the Ligonier Valley Rams were 0-3 against LHAC teams.  The last two years they were 5-0 and four of those games weren't close.  Prior to 2016, they really didn't fare well against AA non-conference teams (as pointed out many times on this site).  LV is not going to have a Collin Smith, Jackson Daugherty, Elijah Parrish, or Aaron Tutino every year.  The graduating classes of 17 through 20 each have several really good football players.  Smith's sophomore year the team was 4-6.  The first six years after the consolidation, LV was 1-5 against Penns Manor. 

[tubmill]

RamFan1 LV was graduating more than 30 students per year. Which Laurel Valley student starts this year?

[Fballrules17]

This isn't a case of group of good players coming through.

No, this isn't the case at all.  Before 2016, the Ligonier Valley Rams were 0-3 against LHAC teams.  The last two years they were 5-0 and four of those games weren't close.  Prior to 2016, they really didn't fare well against AA non-conference teams (as pointed out many times on this site).  LV is not going to have a Collin Smith, Jackson Daugherty, Elijah Parrish, or Aaron Tutino every year.  The graduating classes of 17 through 20 each have several really good football players.  Smith's sophomore year the team was 4-6.  The first six years after the consolidation, LV was 1-5 against Penns Manor. 

I could care less about how Ligonier does against LHAC teams.  I'm talking about Ligonier in the Heritage since their merger.  Again their conference win percentage is above 86%.  The fact that they can now beat quality teams that are actually their size shows that they have outgrown their conference.  The 4-6 team you mentioned was 4-4 in conference play.  That is the low water mark since 2010.  Even with the small class of 5 that someone pointed out they will still have rosters in the mid 40's.  It's easier to find a tutino/ daugherty in a group of 262 boys than 90.  You mentioned Penns Manor.  When they find another Ferens they may give Liggy a game.  Let me know when that happens. 
Look I understand not everyone has the same opinion on this and that's fine.  That's what message boards are for.  Your entitled to think that if a team can't compete (and by that I mean physically compete) they should just fold up and join with someone else.  The thing is from what I've seen from Saltsburg they can compete with pretty much everyone except NC including a couple of substandard AA's (Again MC won't be there for long and I'm waiting for WS to turn the corner) 
Honestly, I think if people would put their egos away, give Saltsburg and LV the week 0 play date,  Let LV schedule someone that will challenge them from the WPIAL.  A double A team, or heck, since numbers don't matter I'd love to see them go out and schedule Derry, Freeport, North Catholic, or South Fayette.  I'd pay to see that.  Saltsburg could go play Leechburg or someone like that.  Of course Saltsburg games won't count in the conference standings for anyone but at least only 2 teams would have to look for 1 game on the easiest play date to find it.  Just my opinion. 
How did Liggy's junior high team do this year?

[Fballrules17]

tubmill, this isn't a co-op, it's a merger. There aren't any LV students anymore but there are approximately 262 boys walking through the high school to choose from.

I've waisted enough time expressing my opinion, and I've enjoyed getting different perspectives. I hope it works out for everyone but we know that won't happen. Good luck to LV in the play-offs. The Richland game should be a great one.

[konjo78]

No one should be suprised LV Rams have become the dominant heritage team in football. Both Ligonier and Laurel valley were seen as upper class heritage football teams before they were merged.

The fact 2 upper class regions came together as one lead to one strong program makes perfect sense. Putting bville and saltsburg tohether wont make another Ligonier team, but if it was say northern and penns manor it 100% would.

Idk geography of other schools in different conferences but i am sure there are some small neighbors that if they were put together could make one strong as hell AA or AAA team

[Aiks19]

Idk geography of other schools in different conferences but i am sure there are some small neighbors that if they were put together could make one strong as hell AA or AAA team

That would make a fun discussion on another thread. 

[knowitall]

Don Bailey once proposed a Forest Hills-Richland merger

[wagonrider242]

You’re wrong, Fbrules17.  The group of kids that has come through the past few years has been exceptional, but it’s not just an endless supply of talent.  2 seasons ago, LV’s junior high team went winless. They have a sophomore class of 5 players.  Their JV team has struggled all season.  

People need to get over this “LV is 2 schools” garbage.  Laurel Valley closed 9 years ago.  They were graduating somewhere around 30 kids per graduating class.  1 starter on their team lives in the old Laurel Valley District.  It would be like Harmony closing and sending their kids to Purchase Line or Northern Cambria and me saying they have a competitive advantage...

Also, pretty sure that Berlin has a co-op with Rockwood.  Shade with Shanksville.  Not that it matters, because West Shamokin is AA and so is Marion Center, and both lost to Saltsburg this year.  If the size disparity was the issue, why did the Heritage invite West Shamokin into the conference?!  I may be wrong, but when they came in, they may have been the biggest school in the conference.  Haven’t beaten LV yet.

LV has beaten McCort (twice), Cambria Heights and Dunmore in the postseason over the past 2 years.  All are AA.  They beat Westmont in 2016, who is AAA.  They did it with teams led by athletes Colin Smith, Jackson Daugherty, Aaron Tutino, and special linemen like Jake Neiderhiser and Mike Petrof.  This isn’t a Southern Columbia situation where kids move to Ligonier to play for LV.  This cycle will end.

Credit needs to be given to the coaching staff, too, for being willing to evolve.  Beitel ran the Wing-T his entire career before scrapping it 4 years ago for a current, modern system while everyone else is still running the Power I, Wing T, or the Veer.  That’s when LV’s offense exploded.  But no one else has evolved.  3 yards and a cloud of dust, while Aaron Tutino breaks the all-time State record for touchdown receptions.  And it’s not that other teams don’t have the talent to do it, because several have and do now.  That’s on the coaches of those programs for being stuck in the past and unwilling to learn and change with the game.

It’s also evident that LV does what Roger says, and that’s that their kids live for the weight room. Northern Cambria was bigger than LV this week, but LV was stronger, more explosive, and more athletic.  

It’s also amazing still how LHAC teams like Johnstown and Somerset play down to everyone all season but you never hear about this “competitive advantage” with them.  Both teams are terrible this year but are the biggest schools in that conference, so the logic that bigger schools = better teams is competely void of any truth.  

LV is on a great run.  Give them credit and enjoy the show.  If your team can’t beat them, either get better or wait, they will one day.  Or, just keep showing your complete ignorance and lack of sportsmanship.  

Hey hey leave Somerset out of it. Bob Landis and his joke of a staff got lucky one time and will not be competitive until they are all gone. But there is a Somerset cult that sits around and drinks the kool-aid who are simply happy with just getting dressed on Friday night! If you take one player off that team they are winless and not even close to competitive. It took Somerset 6 weeks to have someone not named Hyde to score a touchdown(minus a JV garbage time touchdown against CR). Just a prime example of you can have numbers and even an all state player (but not all trib-dem...HMMMM). You can say they made the final 4, but that was a full cycle ago and Somerset hasn't changed a thing.

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[Jimjohn81]

Wagonrider, its easy to blame the coaches. Who will be the next coach? Ive heard this is the worst group of athletes somerset has had in a long time. Basketball is terrible and wrestling can hardly fill half of a line up.

[wagonrider242]

I can agree with some of the down athletes... But no development of a quarterback and a blatant misuse of players is not excusable either! They change stats and misrepresent numbers to make others excel. To top it all off after each loss, they blame the kids and continue to use the phrase "Trust the process."

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