Legend or Lucky

[robertlangdon]

I believe there are a couple overrated coaches in the area.

Phil DeMarco........Lucky! One word...WESTPAC! They have not won the WESTPAC in over 4 years. Very overrated. Single Wing how about no wing.

Don Bailey..........Legend, no doubt.

Sponsky.............Lucky!........This is the first year he did recruit better than St. Francis University. See the results.

E. Fetzer............ Legend! He wins everywhere he goes.

Gouse............. Toss up! He calls the defense which is suspect every year and someone else calls the "O." Offense is always good.

Salem..........Legend! One of the best judges of talent in the area. Does a great job for his student athletes.

[El-Moldo]

Under Salem: Could you explain what you mean by "one of the best judges of talent in the area".

[Crimsoncrush67]

Fetzer wins everywhere he goes. What about Somerset?

Salem not yet a legand. Soon but not yet. A few more than one district

championships then well talk. Please get over the WestPac stuff.

I played for Demarco in the Lantzy game and he knows his stuff for the

most part. Put him in any Laurel Highlands school and they will improve.

Bailey, brings home the bacon, an over exaggerated legand. But legand

None the lesss.

[robertlangdon]

I think Coach Salem uses the talent he has to the best of their ability. Moving players around and getting the most out of the average players. He also does a great job getting student athletes into college.

[robertlangdon]

Good point about Fetzer and Somerset. As far as DeMarco is concerned what other head coaches do not call either Offense or Defense? He doesn't do either. He can't even take care of business in the WEAKPAC! Put him in the LH he will fold.

I think Salem is over the hump. You are right the next few years will tell.

[El-Moldo]

I thought you meant like how Chuck Noll judged talent before getting that talent to come and be part of his team. You know, like the NFL draft.

[WPIAL~Titan]

There are plenty of "wanna be" legends in Districts 5/6, just like you mentioned. They can win within their league and district and beat up on weak competition, but once outside of District 5/6=FORGET IT!!!!!!

Bailey=Winner in-house and in-district, but take him outside District 6 and Has won ONE playoff game vs. a WPIAL opponent in like 4 decades of coaching...BTW, New Brighton was the Mythical Milky Way Galaxy champs that year, right?

Gouse=Legend in his own mind.

Salem and Sponsky=Put them in AAAA where they belong because of recruiting and they'd be lucky to win 2-3 games every year.

DeMarco=winner, but against CYO teams.

Fetzer=Are you serious?

You guys forgot to mention perhaps the one guy in District 6 who COULD be considered a legend: Tyrone's John Franco. He's been to 2 PIAA title games and has beaten a few WPIAL opponents. They're my favorites to win D-6...

...Here are some true legends who are still active and who have won state championships:


Legends

Jack McCurry (North Hills)

Mike Zmijanic (Aliquippa)

Joe Hamilton (Blackhawk)

George Novak (Woodland Hills)


Everyone else=Nice try, but no cigar.

WT

[flakjacket]

WPIAL T,

Many of us forget about our good competition to the North... Tyrone. Franco definitely brings the heat every year. Is there any Mertiff's or Franco's on the team this year? It seemed like every year there was at least one. I especially liked to watch the bull Terry Tate throw some people around.

The real legends are coaches who bring out the best in their players and make them play as a cohesive unit. Real coaches aid in developing their talent, not relying on talent.

As a side note:
I think that the sidelines are too cluttered these days. Too many assistants! How about a Head Coach, O Coach, D Coach, Trainer, and maybe an all purpose guy. There is such a thing as too much feedback. Especially if it varies person to person.

[Kiltman]

Give Bailey the studs that those coaches had at those schools, or the pool in general, WPIAL, once again, nothing stated about WPIAL on here in any headline. And guarantee you this much. Woody High would have won those titles back in 01 and 02 the way you said they would. Not the way they didnt. bailey has also had a few offers for him to go coach college and not at a D3, D2, D1AA level, and dont go the naia hocus pocus crap either. But he was happy with coaching in his home town, his home school, and any one who knows him, also knows that was his dream and goal in life. 275 wins isnt a bad feat. But hey, your parents told you you could be anything you wanted to be when you grew up and you chose to be a certain part of the body that we all know. At least the men they spoke of didnt end up a used car salesman. God knows you stand behind what you sell, because you surely wouldnt want to stand in front of it.

[WPIAL~Titan]

Kiltie,

Yeah, and give my aunt a moustache and she'd be my uncle...Give Rockwood's coach FHills's "talent" and he'd win too. What solid offers did Bailey have to coach D-1 football? From where? (hears nothing but dead silence) Yeah, that's exactly what I thought...

Bailey has won at The Hills. They have a "winning" program that beats up on the locals year after year. He should be proud of that. YOU should be proud of him. 275 wins is great. What an accomplishment, even if 196 of them have been against Johnstown Vo-Tech, Portage, and Shanksville-Rockycreek. It's not Bailey's fault that FHills has played weak competition, though. He doesn't make the schedule. He just beats who he plays, probably 75-80% of the time.

...However, my main point here is: when FHills has actually played REAL competition, they have never really measured up. Remember Seton-LaSalle a few years back? Not even close. 42-18?

...Except, of course, the year they beat the best HS team everrrrr and 12th ranked in the nation New Brighton.

WT