Does anyone have a take on these games?

[sportsfan1000]

JD,
While some of the whining and crying are way out of line there is no way you can say there is not some truth to BM running up scores on people. I've given many examples before. I'll give you another one. Heck, I think you may have even been on the team.

Here is 2 relatively similar scenarios and how two different teams handled them.

In 2009, BM had a 33-21 lead on Johnstown with 1:00 left. Johnstown had no timeouts. BM had the ball inside the JHS 15 yard line. Take a knee and get out with a win right? Wrong. They very quickly ran 2 or 3 plays to score. No need to score there, but they did.

Now, 2 weeks ago, Johnstown vs. Richland. JHS up 8pts with 1:00 minute left. 1st and goal at the Richland 5 yard line. Johnstown takes two knees to end the game. The final score could have been 42-27 and JHS may have even got some more respect with pollsters. But who cares! I would bet all the money I have if BM is in this scenario against RHS or JHS they punch it in.

Was BM wrong to score that extra td against JHS? Certainly not. But that is where the perception comes from, and rightfuly so. The righteous catholic school punches one in while the "undisciplined" public school takes a knee.

Now, I'm sure you can come back and give me examples where BM has taken the foot of the gas. However, the above scenario I described happens an awful lot (under Salem) and that is why the perception exists.

[animus2001]

Clairton fan here:

Essentially what happened was Avella had a plethora of poor snaps on punts that gave Clairton the ball inside the 5. Clairton raked up 76 points in the first half. In the 2nd half both schools agreed to have 8 minute Quarters including the mercy rule. Clairton scored a touchdown due to a fumble in the endzone. And Clairton took knees the entire 4th Quarter. So if Clairton really wanted to run up the score, we could've put up 100+ w/ relative ease. My only explanation for going for 2 on that last TD was to give the JV team some work running our muddle huddle. But our JV team was in the entire 2nd half and most starters was pulled in the 2nd Quarter. Its just one of those cases where it was a complete mismatch coupled w/ Special Teams mistakes during a rainy night. It'll be very hard to keep the Bentworth game under 60/70 this Friday night because they aren't much better than Avella.

If this exact same scenario happens in McCort vs Avella everyone whines, moans, and complains about how classless the Crushers are, how they ran up the score, and should be thrown out of the PIAA.

If McCort is as good as they was 2 years ago, I think it would be extremely hard for McCort to keep the game under 70, and if the dominoes fell like it did Friday night under 80.

[animus2001]

JD,
While some of the whining and crying are way out of line there is no way you can say there is not some truth to BM running up scores on people. I've given many examples before. I'll give you another one. Heck, I think you may have even been on the team.

Here is 2 relatively similar scenarios and how two different teams handled them.

In 2009, BM had a 33-21 lead on Johnstown with 1:00 left. Johnstown had no timeouts. BM had the ball inside the JHS 15 yard line. Take a knee and get out with a win right? Wrong. They very quickly ran 2 or 3 plays to score. No need to score there, but they did.

Now, 2 weeks ago, Johnstown vs. Richland. JHS up 8pts with 1:00 minute left. 1st and goal at the Richland 5 yard line. Johnstown takes two knees to end the game. The final score could have been 42-27 and JHS may have even got some more respect with pollsters. But who cares! I would bet all the money I have if BM is in this scenario against RHS or JHS they punch it in.

Was BM wrong to score that extra td against JHS? Certainly not. But that is where the perception comes from, and rightfuly so. The righteous catholic school punches one in while the "undisciplined" public school takes a knee.

Now, I'm sure you can come back and give me examples where BM has taken the foot of the gas. However, the above scenario I described happens an awful lot (under Salem) and that is why the perception exists.

If BM had in their backups or JV team I really don't mind BM scoring another TD. Sometimes you gotta give them some work to. If the starters was in, thats a different story. I'm more of a fan of taking a few knees and going home. But I can understand why a school would run a few plays.

[jack daniel]

sportsfan

I get where your coming from in that 09 game, and yes indeed I was on that team, but I mean there were times back when Johnstown was an absolute state powerhouse when back when and little Johnstown Catholic had 20 some kids on the team and Johnstown never held back. Maybe a bit of retribution? But Johnstown wasn't running up the score because it was against what would become the evil Crusher empire so it was okay. And animus, this years McCort team is nowhere near the 2009 team their good but not that good. Plus, they are dealing with injury issues they have now lost 2 lineman that were penciled in as starters in the preseason to ACL tears not good for a team that already had depth issues. And that 09 McCort team could have but 80 on the board easily against Westmont, it was 41-0 after the first, but then the JV came in and just ran nothing but basic running plays with the occasional spot pass just to get Cooper so work and took their grand 'ol time every time they had the ball and didn't score again the rest of the game. But I'm sure in the eyes of some on this site scoring 41 in the first quarter, even when 14 of it came on punt and kick returns, is running up the score when the Crushers do it but not when other teams do it.

[sportsfan1000]

JD,

It's a shame about those injuries. No one wants their senior year to end like that.

Anyway, I'm not that naive to think that Johnstown or any school for that matter has not run up scores before. It happens. Have you ever looked back at some of the score posted against Vo-tech back in their football days? It's just that recent history (under Salem) there seemed to be more of it. The reason why McCort is under a microscope is because they are a successful private school. When you add the perception of the "r" word and the unfair advantage it really puts BM in the spotlight. Therefore, I would think they would be a little more aware of these things. Unless they just don't care and that's ok too.

[jack daniel]

sportsfan

Luckily they are both juniors and will have another go of it next year. And exactly their a SUCCESSFUL PRIVATE SCHOOL. Last year was the first time anyone had complained about Carroll recruiting, and why? Because it was the first successful season they had since 2005. Weren't too many recruiting cries about McCort last year when they struggled to a 8-5 record. People only complain about privates when the private schools has a successful season and their school loses to them. Hmmm.

[hornets69]

sportsfan

Luckily they are both juniors and will have another go of it next year. And exactly their a SUCCESSFUL PRIVATE SCHOOL. Last year was the first time anyone had complained about Carroll recruiting, and why? Because it was the first successful season they had since 2005. Weren't too many recruiting cries about McCort last year when they struggled to a 8-5 record. People only complain about privates when the private schools has a successful season and their school loses to them. Hmmm.

I'm sure the complaining about Carroll had nothing to do with the fact that one of Portages Best Players (Kephart) who was a senior, went to Carroll.

[jack daniel]

sportsfan

Luckily they are both juniors and will have another go of it next year. And exactly their a SUCCESSFUL PRIVATE SCHOOL. Last year was the first time anyone had complained about Carroll recruiting, and why? Because it was the first successful season they had since 2005. Weren't too many recruiting cries about McCort last year when they struggled to a 8-5 record. People only complain about privates when the private schools has a successful season and their school loses to them. Hmmm.

I'm sure the complaining about Carroll had nothing to do with the fact that one of Portages Best Players (Kephart) who was a senior, went to Carroll.

Had Woo left BC and gone to his home school district for his senior year not a single person would have complained. Can you say hypocrite?

[sportsfan1000]

sportsfan

Luckily they are both juniors and will have another go of it next year. And exactly their a SUCCESSFUL PRIVATE SCHOOL. Last year was the first time anyone had complained about Carroll recruiting, and why? Because it was the first successful season they had since 2005. Weren't too many recruiting cries about McCort last year when they struggled to a 8-5 record. People only complain about privates when the private schools has a successful season and their school loses to them. Hmmm.

JD
Glad they are both juniors for their sake. I am not one of the sheep that say "recruit, recruit, recruit." Success makes people want to go to BM for athletic purposes, and that is the unfair advantage I argue. I DO NOT think BM actively recruits student athletes. Back to my original point on running up the score. As long as they are in the spotlight they should expect criticism, so why bring it on yourself? Again, unless you don't care.

[jack daniel]

I DO NOT think BM actively recruits student athletes. Back to my original point on running up the score. As long as they are in the spotlight they should expect criticism, so why bring it on yourself? Again, unless you don't care.

First off I really wish more people would be like you on the recruiting topic. And yes McCort is going to be criticized because their good and people will always will always criticize and hate successful programs for no reason except the fact their successful. And as far as bringing the criticism on themselves yes there have been some plays over the years such as the Johnstown play you cited, or back in like 04 or 05 when the Crushers were up huge on Richland in the second half and did an onside kick. But, McCort isn't the only school that does these things however their the only one that draws criticism. Once again bringing me back to my point of how unbelievable hypocritical some people are.