Portsmouth west @ bishop Hartley

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

you got that right brother.

[TRENCHFOOT]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlXDo5WhQXI

[seasick80]

You can only do what you can do. Stop the run West! You have always had great corners and safeties so don't worry about the pass. Your dline is small but very tough. Keep u in the game. Ur LBs are ready to support the Dline! The offense needs to keep those screens and mis direction to keep Hartley off balance. Ur coaches are the best at giving Hartley fits. Good luck!!!!

[xxChampionxx 5]

I'M KINDA SORRY I BROUGHT THE SUBJECT UP. BUT EVERYBODY DOWN HERE KNOWS.

Are these the same everyone's who were accusing the great Bob Lutz of recruiting in the 70's, 80's, and 90's? Great coaches attract great players from across their region. That's understood. It's a low bar to cross to rent an apartment in the school district of a successful program. Surely you're old enough to remember the same kind of BS talk about cash and other prizes that the playa hatas had down in your red neck of the woods when your program was accused of recruiting and having an unfair advantage because the other guys just happened to have the bad luck of not having an awesome HC paired with a deranged tyrant like Schrick pushing ya'll to do 300 with a genuine love for hard work and an unceasing and maybe irrational (to outsiders) belief that you actually had it in you. Hartley was non-competitive for years. We snagged an awesome coach. Lutz awesome? Let's be real and respectful to an icon of Ohio HS football and say no, not yet. But we got ourselves a Shrek for sure, and we prove that with pushing around bigger MFs, Beechcrofts, DeSales, and Thurgood Marshalls. Instead of dishing out invective and innuendo about vouchers, waivers, and scholarships why don't you admit the simple basic truth that we've emulated what you got right for many years but maybe have lost. And admit it with pride! Extreme conditioning! We learned that lesson from programs like Ironton. Other publics have as well. Massie, MSML, Kirtland, they get it. And what they get they got from guys like Bob Lutz. Confront Coach Burchfield after a game. Ask what he thinks of Lutz's Ironton, and you'll hear nothing but respect and the utmost admiration for Ironton tradition. Beating you guys in the rematch in 2010 was a turning point for our program. Like winning a Super Bowl for us. We'd arrived. We'd proven ourselves. The rest of the the playoffs was a blur. We'd beaten the great Bob Lutz with nothing more than hard work and a belief that we could do it. And we have. Stand next to our linemen. They aren't big. None of them this year have the attributes that a D1 college program is looking for. And then follow them into the weight room the next week. And you'll be struck by the similarities to your old great lines.

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

The O.H.S.A.A. is horrible.

I think it should be posted on their site

Every school that has transfers who plays sports and the school they transferred from.

Starting from the jr high up to high school.

Every private school that offers scholarships or what ever it is called should have to provide info showing how many kids receive one and include which of these kids who plays a sport.

I think it would show most kids getting something are those involved in sports and in most cases I bet the race break down will favor one race over another in a large way.

Certain schools would be shown that they know how to work the system much better than most.

[piratepride86]

Thanks to the area fans on the comments on this thread, appreciate the support. You know we might argue with each other during the season but when it comes time for the playoffs we got each others back. Especially when one of us play a private school from up north. Truely proud of being from southern ohio. Besh wishes and good luck to the Pirates,Tigers, Indians and Vikings and the Portsmouth West Senators.

Well said Good luck to all.
Unless we all make it to round 2 then Good luck Pirates.West.Valley,Vikings

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

sap, I agree with a lot of your post. I really do I'm not getting into all the recruiting horsecrap. there is /was this thing called open enrollment in public schools. there is nothing ironton can do about an adjoining district accepting a player. it is nothing like a wave of kids coming in , in a huge metropolitan area. you just saw a post where 48 percent of titles won have been by private schools.in reference to the hundreds upon hundreds more public schools that this is compared to . you're going to sell nobody here on that being academically more sound, and more committed. let's agree to disagee friend. and as far as calling me a hilljack, you're dang right I am, and dang proud of it.i can catch a fish, and run a trot line, cause a country boy can survive. and we play dang hardnosed football down here too with who we got. I take nothing away from hartleys having an amazing program. they are really rolling there, it's obvious. but I'm gonna put this to bed about the private schools.

it's not because I don't want to talk about ironton's history. because frankly it's extensive.the only reason ironton is mentioned at all, is because they were successful.there is not a school down here that has not had open enrollment players. but they are so few and far between. it pales in comparison to handpicking kids from a huge inner city pool and the limits of the Columbus area.

forgive me for scratchin this itch, but ironton has been in like 9 state championship games. and we've met the mentor lake catholics, the Youngstown cardinal mooney's, the Columbus desales, the akron saint Vincent saint Mary's, the Columbus saint Charles, and the list goes on and on. 14,000/15,000 people see the same thing. and we have enough people that have migrated to Columbus to work from down here, that we too know how it works.i'm really not this type person, I'm a hardwired Christian man, but right is right and wrong is wrong. this will never be settled in my eyes until catholics have their own state championship-------and publics have their own as well. this has nothing to do with catholic people , half my friends are. it's the unfair advantage come playoff time.--------good day brother.

[JasonClaytor]

The O.H.S.A.A. is horrible.

I think it should be posted on their site

Every school that has transfers who plays sports and the school they transferred from.

Starting from the jr high up to high school.

Every private school that offers scholarships or what ever it is called should have to provide info showing how many kids receive one and include which of these kids who plays a sport.

I think it would show most kids getting something are those involved in sports and in most cases I bet the race break down will favor one race over another in a large way.

Certain schools would be shown that they know how to work the system much better than most.

Well I'm glad we have your input. Those are some great thoughts and ideas. Maybe you can start a thread about your ideas, instead of posting it on a forum for a playoff game.

[Jolly P(irate)]

I'M KINDA SORRY I BROUGHT THE SUBJECT UP. BUT EVERYBODY DOWN HERE KNOWS.

Are these the same everyone's who were accusing the great Bob Lutz of recruiting in the 70's, 80's, and 90's? Great coaches attract great players from across their region. That's understood. It's a low bar to cross to rent an apartment in the school district of a successful program. Surely you're old enough to remember the same kind of BS talk about cash and other prizes that the playa hatas had down in your red neck of the woods when your program was accused of recruiting and having an unfair advantage because the other guys just happened to have the bad luck of not having an awesome HC paired with a deranged tyrant like Schrick pushing ya'll to do 300 with a genuine love for hard work and an unceasing and maybe irrational (to outsiders) belief that you actually had it in you. Hartley was non-competitive for years. We snagged an awesome coach. Lutz awesome? Let's be real and respectful to an icon of Ohio HS football and say no, not yet. But we got ourselves a Shrek for sure, and we prove that with pushing around bigger MFs, Beechcrofts, DeSales, and Thurgood Marshalls. Instead of dishing out invective and innuendo about vouchers, waivers, and scholarships why don't you admit the simple basic truth that we've emulated what you got right for many years but maybe have lost. And admit it with pride! Extreme conditioning! We learned that lesson from programs like Ironton. Other publics have as well. Massie, MSML, Kirtland, they get it. And what they get they got from guys like Bob Lutz. Confront Coach Burchfield after a game. Ask what he thinks of Lutz's Ironton, and you'll hear nothing but respect and the utmost admiration for Ironton tradition. Beating you guys in the rematch in 2010 was a turning point for our program. Like winning a Super Bowl for us. We'd arrived. We'd proven ourselves. The rest of the the playoffs was a blur. We'd beaten the great Bob Lutz with nothing more than hard work and a belief that we could do it. And we have. Stand next to our linemen. They aren't big. None of them this year have the attributes that a D1 college program is looking for. And then follow them into the weight room the next week. And you'll be struck by the similarities to your old great lines.

Although I don't agree with everything you say. I do agree with just this one thing. Coach Lutz built a great program and it still resonates throughout SE Ohio with all of our programs. As much as we hated Ironton, we respected them. They were what everyone wanted to be. As far as Redneck. God, Guns and a Bible. That's all I need.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

YUP

[Westfan]

If this multiplier turns into the joke most think it will be (meaning the OHSAA doesn't take it serious); then public school AD's need to follow through and split into public and private championships. That is the only way to fix the problem. Most everything corrupted in this world is because of greed and financial gain. This is no difference. The OHSAA is an organization that makes money. I'm sure they have a board of directors just like any company. Getting into their pockets and putting pressure on the heiarchy's jobs are the only way to get anything done.

As far as the game. What I've seen of Hartley, to me they look to be better this year than last. They are an outstanding football team. Curious what the Hartley fans think?

[WestSideFan2002]

In 2002 Youngstown was the better team on paper, and West was a small town 8th seed with a community riding their backs, and full of heart. A group of boys who fell in love with the game together, best friends all the way up. Now that my friends is an advantage, best friends have eachothers backs, yeah Hartley might be more athletic, have more speed, more size, more money. But west has a small community, where everybody knows everybody, High school football is all we have, and you have a 11 players with one heartbeat. The upset may not happen, but man would it be sweet. Boys just go out and lay it all on the line, it's been a fun ride for all of you, you achieved what wasn't thought possible, you are on a win or go home stage... TOGETHER, you put your pants on just like them, strap your chinstraps just like them, Play every play like it's your last, and everything else will fall Into place.
Goodluck and enjoy the moment

[Jolly P(irate)]

This weekend can't come soon enough for us Hillbilly, Redneck, or as I like to say, Appalachian Americans. Let's make some noise in this region and shock the state.

[Bulldog]

Hartley better than last year? Maybe. It's a coin toss right now for me. The team has a lot of impact players that are underclass men. To me the best player in the CCL is #45. He was out with a knee injury after the Watterson game last year. He is a senior. #58 is also having a great season coming back from a knee injury against Coldwater week 2 last year. Overall, I think the senior leadership this season has been outstanding.

[Westfan]

In 2002 Youngstown was the better team on paper, and West was a small town 8th seed with a community riding their backs, and full of heart. A group of boys who fell in love with the game together, best friends all the way up. Now that my friends is an advantage, best friends have eachothers backs, yeah Hartley might be more athletic, have more speed, more size, more money. But west has a small community, where everybody knows everybody, High school football is all we have, and you have a 11 players with one heartbeat. The upset may not happen, but man would it be sweet. Boys just go out and lay it all on the line, it's been a fun ride for all of you, you achieved what wasn't thought possible, you are on a win or go home stage... TOGETHER, you put your pants on just like them, strap your chinstraps just like them, Play every play like it's your last, and everything else will fall Into place.
Goodluck and enjoy the moment

Great post. During that run and the following year has to be tops for school and community pride. We need to get back to that. Everyone wearing a West shirt. W's in car windows. It was great.

We were the 7 seed that year.

[CoachC]

In 2002 Youngstown was the better team on paper, and West was a small town 8th seed with a community riding their backs, and full of heart. A group of boys who fell in love with the game together, best friends all the way up. Now that my friends is an advantage, best friends have eachothers backs, yeah Hartley might be more athletic, have more speed, more size, more money. But west has a small community, where everybody knows everybody, High school football is all we have, and you have a 11 players with one heartbeat. The upset may not happen, but man would it be sweet. Boys just go out and lay it all on the line, it's been a fun ride for all of you, you achieved what wasn't thought possible, you are on a win or go home stage... TOGETHER, you put your pants on just like them, strap your chinstraps just like them, Play every play like it's your last, and everything else will fall Into place.
Goodluck and enjoy the moment

I was blessed to be the "Extra Point Club" (football boosters) president at West in 2002. I had coached many of the boys (including my own) in pee wee football. Those boys had a true love for football, so do these West boys of 2014. Before we traveled to play Ursaline, we all watched film on them. D1 players/starters at QB, TE and OL/DL filled the film as they devastated larger schools. We are undersized, Burg showed that to us in a huge way. But this is such an eerie resemblance to that 2002 playoff run in all other aspects. I'm not saying West wins the region, but these boys won't quit.

[4thgoal]

All of these comments are (IMO) showing that the new staff at West has done a good job at bringing back excitement and more importantly discipline and good fundamental play to West Football. I see West gaining respect as a solid opponent. As CoachC mentioned, this is an undersized group of kids and they have had a solid season and made the playoffs with a new coach/system, which shows that they are buying into what the new staff is teaching. As was mentioned earlier, small things like cleaning up the sideline excessive personnel and kids keeping their helmets on the whole game, go a long way in demonstrating that you are a organized, disciplined group to be taken seriously.

As far as this game goes, West has nothing to lose in this one and they should let it all hang out because most people aren't giving them a chance. I am sure Coach Johnson will have them mentally prepared, but they will need a couple mistakes to go their way and who knows what could happen.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

In 2002 Youngstown was the better team on paper, and West was a small town 8th seed with a community riding their backs, and full of heart. A group of boys who fell in love with the game together, best friends all the way up. Now that my friends is an advantage, best friends have eachothers backs, yeah Hartley might be more athletic, have more speed, more size, more money. But west has a small community, where everybody knows everybody, High school football is all we have, and you have a 11 players with one heartbeat. The upset may not happen, but man would it be sweet. Boys just go out and lay it all on the line, it's been a fun ride for all of you, you achieved what wasn't thought possible, you are on a win or go home stage... TOGETHER, you put your pants on just like them, strap your chinstraps just like them, Play every play like it's your last, and everything else will fall Into place.
Goodluck and enjoy the moment

great post.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

All of these comments are (IMO) showing that the new staff at West has done a good job at bringing back excitement and more importantly discipline and good fundamental play to West Football. I see West gaining respect as a solid opponent. As CoachC mentioned, this is an undersized group of kids and they have had a solid season and made the playoffs with a new coach/system, which shows that they are buying into what the new staff is teaching. As was mentioned earlier, small things like cleaning up the sideline excessive personnel and kids keeping their helmets on the whole game, go a long way in demonstrating that you are a organized, disciplined group to be taken seriously.

As far as this game goes, West has nothing to lose in this one and they should let it all hang out because most people aren't giving them a chance. I am sure Coach Johnson will have them mentally prepared, but they will need a couple mistakes to go their way and who knows what could happen.

indeed 4th, good southern football from proud communities down here.

[chiefs]

I'm never a big fan of these threads because of the way they end up going. Without a doubt, Hartley has an advantage in terms of the personnel they can grab, as does basically every private school, when they are _winning_. Hartley can more or less have students coming from 3/8 of Columbus, Reynoldsburg, Gahanna, Groveport, Pickerington, Canal Winchester, Pataskala, and even Carroll. However, unlike your Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Youngstown privates, the vast majority of the student population's tuition is paid through actual money paid by parents or even trusts as opposed to vouchers and blanket need-based scholarships. BH has very good parental involvement - for many of those kids' parents private education is sought as a priority rather than an option, especially for the legacy Catholic families. The parishes up there only pay part of your tuition if you're a practicing Catholic - and thus there's a rate for Catholic families and non-Catholic families. The rate for Catholic families is after what the parish picks up. Their athletic programs are generally stout through good coaching in their middle and jr high levels, they're a lot more focused on the individuals as a result of a smaller pool of kids to have to coach rather than the masses of a larger public school program.

Now, there's undoubtedly a non-zero number of Hartley students that aren't well-versed in Catholic tradition. Some of their athletes don't come from the feeder schools, but I'd venture to say they have the same amount of non-athlete students that aren't from the Catholic feeder schools. There's a myth that schools such as Hartley try to keep their enrollment low for athletic purposes; well considering how they play larger schools annually I don't see why they would do such a thing, but more importantly it's an old school. In fact, I believe it's actually at its capacity, or near to it (90% or so?).

There will always be a public/private stir whenever these matchups come along down here, and understandably so. Some of these communities are really invested in their kids and raising the bar so their kids can reach their potential, and to see it squashed by an apparent super team from up north? Racine Southern comes to mind as a school that's been burnt consistently by this (baseball). I think there will always be hard feelings when it comes to these games... not necessarily a "haves and the have nots" deal, but a lot of disappointment in the system.

Yes, Hartley does have attendance zones... however like Sapientia mentions Hartley can benefit from exploits in the "system", families in Carroll, Pickerington, Baltimore and Canal can send their kids to Hartley and there's not much the local Catholic school, FC, can do about it. Athletes or not, we'd love to have them at our school and we'd welcome them with open arms. However, it doesn't seem like many of the families or even the priests at those parishes are willing to give Fisher a chance, come by and look at the school or talk to the principal. And as far as I know, Fisher can't even try to "recruit" out of those areas let alone advertise there by Diocese and OHSAA mandate. Parents and kids are interested and willing to take on the school that is more attractive and can offer what's best. Some of it will be inherently sisyphean and unfair if the Diocese keeps letting the kids that live 10-15 minutes (Carroll area), 20ish minutes (Pickerington/Canal) from our school go to the school that looks better on the outside (athletically and aesthetically) that's inside the 270 outerbelt.

Hartley plays by the rules, but it might be close to a fine line they walk if you look at the egregiously large population of kids they can pull from. However, I'll reserve some gripe for that because it's their parents that are willing to drive the farther distance, pay the higher tuition, etc etc LOL which isn't something you might see with your Youngstowns, Clevelands, Daytons etc The other Diocesan schools such as Fisher , Rosecrans, and TCC have to play ball with a much small population of willing families.