Week 5 (4-0) Ironton @ (1-3) Portsmouth

[playa_44]

Ironton will have JV's in by half.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

i can't imagine being coach clifford right now. but i have been there , although is was youth sports. i watched a program that had won no games the year before. we built into a winning team the next year. to undefeated and winning the super bowl the next year. we were prospering as a team, and a group. but i watched as people had secretive meetings in the stands, heard the comments, and watched as the coaching staff i assembled fall to pieces , because we could not stand prosperity. to getting voted out, and not even being asked to be an assistant. so i went from being an assistant, to the head coach to out. it took me years to forgive everybody involved.please let coach clifford have the respect he has earned, if you've never coached you have no idea the dedication it takes, and it's toll on your family. if a coaching change is made, please don't degrade coach clifford, he's a great guy.don't rob him of his blessings to the portsmouth community.
DON'T ROB THIS GREAT GUY OF HIS DIGNITY. LET HIM THAT IS PERFECT CAST THE FIRST STONE.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

86TIGER IS CORRECT, WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM WE INHERITED, AND SOME GREAT DEPTH ON OUR SQUAD, NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PORTSMOUTH /IRONTON FOOTBALL RIVALRY PLEASE.

[playa_44]

Couldnt agree more with the Bait. Makes me sick to see people who dont even have to say who they are, get on here and down Coach Clifford or any Coach. Whether he should be the Coach is not for this forum PERIOD.

[blue53]

Ironton will have JV's in by half.

Portsmouth will be Fielding a Jv team from opening kick off. The amount of injuries from the minford game plus ones accumulated in practice will take a big toll on an already young team.

[fbfever9]

According to Drew Pastuer's Fantastic 50, Ironton has clinched a playoff spot. It also notes that Ironton has played the #2 toughest schedule in DIV (123 teams), and the #91 toughest in the entire state (720 teams)......... just found those tidbits interesting

[fbfever9]

I don't think the L2 divisor changes to 90 until the week that game is to be played which is week 10 for us.

Coal Groves L2 divisor just changed to 90 this week since their open date was this week.



http://www.ohsaa.org/sports/ft/boys/rankcalc.htm

You are correct. I forgot that the adjustments don't take affect until the week in question. Still impressive that a DIV school has the 6th highest average in the state :12223

[victor creed]

hey gray tiger, who is PBHS.

[dreamweaver]

Paul Blazer High School(Ashland)

[Piratefan2]

ironton should start their second string the first 2 qtrs then their third string the second half.....jmo that way the score will be closer to 66-13 ironton

[bd452]

i can't imagine being coach clifford right now. but i have been there , although is was youth sports. i watched a program that had won no games the year before. we built into a winning team the next year. to undefeated and winning the super bowl the next year. we were prospering as a team, and a group. but i watched as people had secretive meetings in the stands, heard the comments, and watched as the coaching staff i assembled fall to pieces , because we could not stand prosperity. to getting voted out, and not even being asked to be an assistant. so i went from being an assistant, to the head coach to out. it took me years to forgive everybody involved.please let coach clifford have the respect he has earned, if you've never coached you have no idea the dedication it takes, and it's toll on your family. if a coaching change is made, please don't degrade coach clifford, he's a great guy.don't rob him of his blessings to the portsmouth community.
DON'T ROB THIS GREAT GUY OF HIS DIGNITY. LET HIM THAT IS PERFECT CAST THE FIRST STONE.

I'm not saying that I disagree with your post because you make some good points. With that being said, I think that some Portsmouth fans feel like this site is the only outlet through which their voice might be heard. Many have tried more political avenues (unsuccessfully).

I also believe that your comments are easy to say, being that you’re an Ironton supporter. Ironton has averaged something like 9+ wins per year over the last four decades. That's like sitting on the "mountain top." I would be curious to see what Ironton fans would be posting if they were 1-3 instead of 4-0. Or better yet, imagine that the Ironton Tigers were averaging a mere 4 to 5 wins per year over the last decade. Wooo! I bet that many Ironton fans would read the last part and say "that isn't possible." For your program it isn't. I mean that as a compliment to your program, sincerely. If someone says that Ironton is the best football program in the state; that's a legitimate statement, and can't really be disputed thoroughly.
Portsmouth and Ironton have been historically linked for the last 100 years. From the economy, size of the city, all the way to high school football. These cities, although die hard rivals, seemed to be mirror images of one another. But just look at football and you can see that something changed years back. Portsmouth is no longer a fierce rival but rather a doormat. Many Trojan fans just want to know what the reason for this is. How could 2 programs, once so similar, be so far apart? Some believe the difference is coaching. Fair or foul, it's what they have come up with. We all know that Tiger fans bleed the black and orange. It's engrained in their culture. Many upset Trojan fans still bleed the red and blue. For many, the passion is still there even through the bad seasons. It will always be there. That's where the anger comes from. We have sunk so low that some schools would rather not play us because they don't get any computer points even with a win. Could an Ironton fan imagine the Tiger program being so low that many people just laughed at the thought of your football team? You obviously cannot and that is a great thing. But that is a Trojan fan's reality. It makes many upset and the negative posts are just a result of that anger. Right or wrong, it has become an option many choose to take.

[sider]

I remember Ironton and Portsmouth being the game of the year, every year. In 2000 when Ironton played Portsmouth at Spartan Stadium, it was like being at a smaller version of the shoe. If you wanted a seat you had to go when they opened the place up it. It was standing room only for numerous rows. Honestly being at that game (and times when Ironton and Portsmouth are good) it was almost comparable to Massillon Washington vs. Canton Mckinley. It was truly the second best rivalry in the state of Ohio and the best south of I-70. Now, it has been reduced to Ironton's easiest opponent of the season. I understand that talent runs in cycles and both towns (especially Portsmouth) have taken a huge hit, but the gap should never grow this wide.

I give credit to Clifford where credit is due. He has been the Coach through some very good times, has winning record, and help build the reputation Portsmouth has for winning. But, sometimes change is needed. I remember a time when West beating Portsmouth was an upset, now (even though they won this year) West has had the upper hand in the series as of late. I know as a fan at West if this would situation would of happened to someone as tenured as Dick Tipton back in the day, we would of been calling for his job. Coaches are typically teachers/leaders first and if the adminstration wants to let him finish when he wants, then thats completely fine, he has given the city and school almost 40 years. However, you can't attack fans and parents who are calling for his job after going a combined 42-64 with 2 playoff appearences (0 wins) since the regional title run in 2002.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

i can't imagine my post seeming as an attack, if that was directed at me, and maybe a coaching change is inevitable. but there are always better ways to part.and i'm very proud of the ironton/portsmouth rivalry. and i realize it has been lopsided in ironton's favor for years.

[fbnut]

tobias would be so proud that i used his vid. maybe

Clifford could have done some great things with that team.

[victor creed]

thanks dreamweaver, i actually knew who pbhs was i was just setting it up on the tee all nice and pretty for gray tiger to fire out "its just ashland!!"

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

too bad , it's the day before a big rival game vs. portsmouth , and we can't actually talk about football

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

dude you ain't botherin me a bit. i'm too stupid to be insulted. i just wanted to talk football, with my portsmouth friends. your babbling and maybes don't bother me at all.and you basically are the only trojan fan posting. and may or may not even be from portsmouth, in my opinion. i hope to see my friends in portsmouth, and get ready to watch the great rivalry that is the second longest battle in the state of ohio----ironton vs. portsmouth football. they'll do their talkin on the field.which frankly suprises me, there are portsmouth regulars on here saying nothing. i know they are down this year---but this is not very supportive, by these kids not seeing anything. i hope it's a great game myself.

[trojanparent2012]

And just how do you suppose the boys are suppose to "step up" and "help" their coach when there are so many key players out injured? I've been nice up to this point, but EVERYONE sees the NEED for change!! These boys win the area teams from 3rd grade up to high school, then all of a sudden they lose year after year. Did they all of a sudden become untalented? I for one and tired of the blame being put all on the boys when others outside of the district sees the talent we have year after year. Now, that's all i'm going to say about that!!! I have a kid that plays on the team and i'm fully aware of what's going on. I will continually support these boys no matter what, but things need to change and soon!!!

[urban buck]

This game won't even be a good one to watch. More like a slaughter especially if the 2 key players on offense are still out, as they were at the half last week.

[dreamweaver]

Sorry Victor, didnt mean to steal your thunder! It was just Ashland, now it is just Portmouth.