West Catholic to play St. Edward
- Thread starter Stalker
- Start date
I see it on the website, but still trying to get confirmation on this. I talked to Coach Fluck the other night and he didn't mention it.
About a month ago he asked what I knew about them. I heard their name before and did a little recon. Saw that they were a strong program, who played a national type schedule. I recommended for WC to pass on this opportunity.
WC can compete with most of the teams in SE PA, but they're not at a SJP, Wood, IC level right now, and those are the type of teams that could compete with this team based off of recent history.
So, combine that with having to travel to Ohio, it's an expense, and it being week six, then I don't see much to gain. Especially, if St. Ed's is loaded again. No reason to go there and return with a 49-0 shellacking. Maybe, I'm overrating them some, but that's my hunch.
***As I was writing this Coach Fluck sent me a text saying he hasn't finalized the game with them yet. So, at minimum there is a communication breakdown somewhere if they are posting it on their site. We'll see...
Fluck has always taken on all comers during his career, so I know he'd like to fill the slot.
Lastly, this is what happens when local teams who do have openings turn down games. LaSalle, Episcopal, & Chestnut Hill all have openings. The two Inter-AC schools posted they were looking for games in week 5 & 6. When WC called them they said, well if we don't find games in week 5 we'll play you. A few hours later each return calls saying we found a week 5 game and want a bye week in week 6. LaSalle just wants a bye week.
Hey, to each is own, but bye weeks at the HS level (Unless a reasonable game is unavailable) are just dumb, IMO. You don't get these weeks back and for most (90%) HS kids this is the last level they will play. Just play a game. Heck, WC even offered to play at SCA and EA.
About a month ago he asked what I knew about them. I heard their name before and did a little recon. Saw that they were a strong program, who played a national type schedule. I recommended for WC to pass on this opportunity.
WC can compete with most of the teams in SE PA, but they're not at a SJP, Wood, IC level right now, and those are the type of teams that could compete with this team based off of recent history.
So, combine that with having to travel to Ohio, it's an expense, and it being week six, then I don't see much to gain. Especially, if St. Ed's is loaded again. No reason to go there and return with a 49-0 shellacking. Maybe, I'm overrating them some, but that's my hunch.
***As I was writing this Coach Fluck sent me a text saying he hasn't finalized the game with them yet. So, at minimum there is a communication breakdown somewhere if they are posting it on their site. We'll see...
Fluck has always taken on all comers during his career, so I know he'd like to fill the slot.
Lastly, this is what happens when local teams who do have openings turn down games. LaSalle, Episcopal, & Chestnut Hill all have openings. The two Inter-AC schools posted they were looking for games in week 5 & 6. When WC called them they said, well if we don't find games in week 5 we'll play you. A few hours later each return calls saying we found a week 5 game and want a bye week in week 6. LaSalle just wants a bye week.
Hey, to each is own, but bye weeks at the HS level (Unless a reasonable game is unavailable) are just dumb, IMO. You don't get these weeks back and for most (90%) HS kids this is the last level they will play. Just play a game. Heck, WC even offered to play at SCA and EA.
This is a total mismatch. LaSalle,Prep,wood,Imhotep North Penn, Neshaminy maybe . but not WC. WC has a solid program at the AA level and cn compete with some of the big guys , but St Eds is a National program year in and year out. Pine -Richland with one of the best QBs in the country may give them a game . Why schedule a game like this?
I'm working on a piece on St. Edward and will get it out soon for the West guys and....are they ever a special program!....a big notch above many programs and on par with most of the national powers across the land.
I've never seen a team play the schedule they played last year, winning their 2nd consecutive big school title. Check it out at Max. But was thinking I would like to have seen them play the 2008 team, and others back when Burrs were competing for state honors regularly. I know, small vs big but in a one and done! That was a special Burrs team as were a few others.
Huck, can't they get more realistic games with Berks Catholic, Lancaster Catholic and Wyomissing types in D3 for example, all great programs?
I've never seen a team play the schedule they played last year, winning their 2nd consecutive big school title. Check it out at Max. But was thinking I would like to have seen them play the 2008 team, and others back when Burrs were competing for state honors regularly. I know, small vs big but in a one and done! That was a special Burrs team as were a few others.
Huck, can't they get more realistic games with Berks Catholic, Lancaster Catholic and Wyomissing types in D3 for example, all great programs?
Can't wait to see this. Countdown has begun out here to that game. Huge stepping stone game for Pine-Richland. Looks like they lost a lot on O and D, but I suspect they just reload.
Lilromeo, why? One reason. Can't find anyone else to play in week 6. Would rather play a game than not. Still, not sure this game actually happens.
Stalk, I have no doubt that WC would play any of those teams mentioned. The problem is that it's week 6 and most teams are well into their league seasons by then. Hard to find an opponent that drop into the season. The PCL is two 7 team leagues this year, so each team has a bye week. WC and LS have byes that week. LS doesn't want to play. Like I mentioned, EA & SCA have openings. They don't want to play. Rather weak if you ask me.
I don't have a strong opinion about this, but I think a bye week makes more sense now at least for some schools than it might have made a decade or more ago. This year some schools are playing games that count the weekend before Labor Day weekend. Some of those that aren't are playing scrimmages 100 miles or more away. (It isn't always easy to schedule competitive scrimmages.) Teams are generally travelling more than they used to to play non-league games, though the changes in the PCL are making for fewer of those games, though not necessarily for shorter distances. And since joining the PIAA some D12 teams are playing into December when in the past the seasons almost always ended in November.
College teams usually schedule a bye week; the NFL does as well. Of course there's a big difference between playing in the NFL and playing in high school, but a case can be made that 15-17 year olds can use one different, less intense / somewhat easier week during the season than professional players.
Anyway, I'm not sure it matters all that much to high school seniors playing their last season of organized football whether they play one more or one less game.
Last edited:
I don't know tulla, I personally never wanted the season to end.
And amen Huck on scheduling. We'd go to Maryland for games! What a great experience and because most of us weren't getting scholarships that was the end of it. But our coach helped make it special.
St. Edward Note:
They return 2 starters and would still be a tough row to hoe but wow....what an experience. Most games are played at Lakewood Stadium seating 8000; 2000 SRO. Occasionally games are played at Byers Field in nearby Parma, seating 12,750. Both are turf and recently renovated. Nice venues.
And amen Huck on scheduling. We'd go to Maryland for games! What a great experience and because most of us weren't getting scholarships that was the end of it. But our coach helped make it special.
St. Edward Note:
They return 2 starters and would still be a tough row to hoe but wow....what an experience. Most games are played at Lakewood Stadium seating 8000; 2000 SRO. Occasionally games are played at Byers Field in nearby Parma, seating 12,750. Both are turf and recently renovated. Nice venues.
I'm pretty sure Byers Field is the home of St. Ignatius.
Even if this is a real rebuilding year for St. Edward's, the game looks like a major mismatch.
I understand not wanting the season to end, but that's a little different from wanting to play every week. When I played our first game was the week after Labor Day and the season ended on Thanksgiving. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems a much longer and more demanding season now, at least for teams that have all-summer workouts (however informal), travel out of state, and go at least a couple of weeks into the playoffs. Building in a bit of "recovery" time seems like a sensible idea--maybe not from a player's perspective from a coach's.
It is SI's home field tulla and yeah, it has to be a mismatch. But unless you're top of the heap, you're going to face a few of these each year so why not St. Ed's....if you have enough bodies to get through the game with reasonable expectations of health.
And right, sports in general seem far more demanding than they once were; good point. Not that many years ago when things were more reasonable you could play multiple sports. What a concept! I wonder if current players think the season is long?
And right, sports in general seem far more demanding than they once were; good point. Not that many years ago when things were more reasonable you could play multiple sports. What a concept! I wonder if current players think the season is long?
Stalker, I can remember basketball practice the Monday after Thanksgiving and finding it so hard to use different muscles or the same muscles in different ways as we ran up and down the court. We had mixed feelings--sorry to see the end of football season but happy to start catching up with basketball. There seem to be many fewer football players now who play basketball. Over at Bonner John Cappelletti (future Heisman winner and NFL player) got right into basketball as soon as the football season was over. If I'm not mistaken, he was their best basketball player in his senior year.
What once was common (guys playing football and basketball) is now rare. On the whole, I'm not sure that's progress.
Similar threads
Latest posts
-
Easton vs. Phillipsburg: The 117th Meeting (Thanksgiving Morning)
- Latest: CAMoleskinner
-
-
-
-