BleacherCoaches.com

I heard some kids who wrestled as 8th graders last year at Johnstown are now at McCort, where they can now wrestle at WH, and play football at BM. Anyone know it this is true? Are LIFT scholarships at BM still available?

I thought the wrestling agreement was over? I could be wrong. I don't keep up with wrestling, doesn't do much for me. You know more about McCort than I do, so I suspect you'll get to the bottom of this before anyone else.

Well, like Kephart at BC a couple of years ago. He left Portage to play football at BC, knowing full well he could STILL wrestle at Portage because of the Portage/BC co-op. Makes sense if J-town kids can play football at BM, and STILL be able to wrestle because of the WH/BM co-op. Unless of course BM is starting their OWN wrestling program.

Wasn't that proposed a couple years ago? That was before....(Boy do I have a follow-up line to that, which would result on getting me banned).

Carroll has the elements to turn things around quickly. The Catholics definitely have the advantage in that aspect. If your school enrollment is down that is one thing but if its consistent you have to wonder why the numbers are down. It comes down to missing talent, bad program, or a bad coach.

I like to believe that in most schools the talent to win football games is there. Maybe not a championship but enough to win games. that said you have to look at the program and coach. Can the coach relate to the kids? Can he identify the talent? Can he adapt to the talent that he currently has? Can he get the kids to buy into the program and come out ? High School football causes coaches to adapt to the kids. You can follow the same summer programs, weight training, camps etc. but at some point you identify the strengths and go from there. You do have years that the talent just isn't the same but you should still win games. You have to find the right combination.

Long time coaches like John Hayes and Don Bailey picked a spot built a program and run the kids through the system and rack up a lot of wins. On the other hand John Franco was in Altoona and couldn't win. Took his program to Tyrone, the kids bought in and Tyrone won a lot of games. Now John is back at Altoona. He doesn't win many games. Different type of athlete, different competition. Maybe doesn't relate to the kids the same way. It all factors in. If you believe in your coach and what he is doing you have to give him a few losses a year. Sooner or later you get that special class that makes the coach look like a genius.

Coach Ridgeley at BC is both a great coach and just a good guy in general. He has coached at other local programs in both football as a long time D coordinator and as a head track & field coach and does have a very good rapport with the athletes he coaches. My feeling is that they have just had a rough start and will improve.

Cleaver you are spot on!

Went to see BG play BC on Saturday. BC looks really bad, I don't think they will win a game this year or next and maybe the following.