August 26, 2023 Valley 6 - 52 Coal Grove

[ValleyStrong]

Valley Administration needs to push for Conference expansion or realignment. Football could change alignment without affecting any other sport. It is not the athletes fault they are playing a lopsided schedule, 1-3 division larger schools. Administration needs to look at what is best for the students they have, and put them in a position of being able to compete. Valley has competitive kids, and a very competitive team if they were playing comparable schools. Valley has lots of skill kids, but just do not have the same #'s for the line. Back filling the skill kids will be an easy task for Valley for the next few years, but filling the line out will be the struggle.

Your post sounds like the NW coach, expecting to play only low level competition so you have a greater chance to win and be a conference champ. What does that help really?

Valley plays in D6, arguably one of the toughest divisions. Playing cupcakes won’t help them neither. They just lost to a tough D6 team who’s probably not even in the top 10 in the division!
They gotta get more kids out period, same as most other schools not named Wheelersburg!
If you can’t learn to play to the level of your competition then nothing is going to help anyway. Nolan and staff are doing the right things and you can only do so much with inexperience.

Large difference here is the actual division size and cb count given by the state. Northwest is a bigger division with quite a few more boys in the school. So your argument is not comparable. Northwest should play schools their size, it is not Valleys fault or problem that they have had a coaching mess over there.

[transplant]

Valley just isn’t producing linemen right now. Couple that with a few small classes of athletes and that’s not a good combination. Low numbers and not big kids. Not going to go well. The kids work hard in the weight room and get better, just can’t teach size.

[Fan of the youth]

First off VHS has some very good players and I have watched them fight the first two weeks while being out numbered in the dept chart. I believe Valley has several players that could contribute anywhere in the area but the lack of depth really hurts them. The numbers at VHS need addressed. Why are the linemen not showing up? I know the past couple of years the HS coaching staff has implemented challenges for the linemen with other schools as the 7 on 7's mainly only feature the backs. This is great and strength improvement is evident, however the fact remains the numbers of the big linemen are low before even reach high school. I admit I hate Flag football as it basically eliminates the big guys but is there more going on that is suppressing the numbers at VHS?

[transplant]

It’s not that they aren’t showing up. There aren’t linemen walking the halls and just not playing. There just aren’t big kids at valley right now. They play tackle starting in 3rd grade. The few linemen we have are playing at young ages. Just not very big kids and not many of them.

[ValleyStrong]

First off VHS has some very good players and I have watched them fight the first two weeks while being out numbered in the dept chart. I believe Valley has several players that could contribute anywhere in the area but the lack of depth really hurts them. The numbers at VHS need addressed. Why are the linemen not showing up? I know the past couple of years the HS coaching staff has implemented challenges for the linemen with other schools as the 7 on 7's mainly only feature the backs. This is great and strength improvement is evident, however the fact remains the numbers of the big linemen are low before even reach high school. I admit I hate Flag football as it basically eliminates the big guys but is there more going on that is suppressing the numbers at VHS?

Yes Valley has quite a few really good athletes that would and could contribute on any team in the area. #'s are low for several reasons. 1. Valley is almost a d-7 school, so the # of boys is limited from the start. 2. Valley is in a very small district, with an aging community. So many athletes are transfers or have lived out of district from the start. 3. Valley #'s of boys are mainly skill kids, not lineman type kids. This is why they do well in every other sport, they compete and excel on a level playing field. Even with #'s rising in the lower levels it does not change the fact a higher percentage are skill kids. Bottom line Valley has taken their thumpings for several years in SOC 2, even though they are 1 to 3 divisions smaller than those teams, and has never complained that I know of.

So truly what good is it for the SOC 2 teams to play them beyond financial(gate money)/playoff point purposes. SOC 1 will compain they are SOC2, but the State division and CB #'s align with SOC 1 schools. The SOC needs to expand to three divisions or re-align to balance State divisions and CB #'s in each conference.

[Izladoom]

First off VHS has some very good players and I have watched them fight the first two weeks while being out numbered in the dept chart. I believe Valley has several players that could contribute anywhere in the area but the lack of depth really hurts them. The numbers at VHS need addressed. Why are the linemen not showing up? I know the past couple of years the HS coaching staff has implemented challenges for the linemen with other schools as the 7 on 7's mainly only feature the backs. This is great and strength improvement is evident, however the fact remains the numbers of the big linemen are low before even reach high school. I admit I hate Flag football as it basically eliminates the big guys but is there more going on that is suppressing the numbers at VHS?

Yes Valley has quite a few really good athletes that would and could contribute on any team in the area. #'s are low for several reasons. 1. Valley is almost a d-7 school, so the # of boys is limited from the start. 2. Valley is in a very small district, with an aging community. So many athletes are transfers or have lived out of district from the start. 3. Valley #'s of boys are mainly skill kids, not lineman type kids. This is why they do well in every other sport, they compete and excel on a level playing field. Even with #'s rising in the lower levels it does not change the fact a higher percentage are skill kids. Bottom line Valley has taken their thumpings for several years in SOC 2, even though they are 1 to 3 divisions smaller than those teams, and has never complained that I know of.

So truly what good is it for the SOC 2 teams to play them beyond financial(gate money)/playoff point purposes. SOC 1 will compain they are SOC2, but the State division and CB #'s align with SOC 1 schools. The SOC needs to expand to three divisions or re-align to balance State divisions and CB #'s in each conference.

You bring up a great point that I have been telling people for awhile that Lucasville is mainly an aging community it’s the same families that’s been here forever and most of the younger people move away after college because of job opportunities. There was a time that the strength of valleys teams was the lines and big running backs but those type of kids do not roam the halls of the school anymore. If valley played in a 7 on 7 league they would be a serious contender. This is a problem that without some transfers it’s something valley can’t fix.

[ValleyStrong]

First off VHS has some very good players and I have watched them fight the first two weeks while being out numbered in the dept chart. I believe Valley has several players that could contribute anywhere in the area but the lack of depth really hurts them. The numbers at VHS need addressed. Why are the linemen not showing up? I know the past couple of years the HS coaching staff has implemented challenges for the linemen with other schools as the 7 on 7's mainly only feature the backs. This is great and strength improvement is evident, however the fact remains the numbers of the big linemen are low before even reach high school. I admit I hate Flag football as it basically eliminates the big guys but is there more going on that is suppressing the numbers at VHS?

Yes Valley has quite a few really good athletes that would and could contribute on any team in the area. #'s are low for several reasons. 1. Valley is almost a d-7 school, so the # of boys is limited from the start. 2. Valley is in a very small district, with an aging community. So many athletes are transfers or have lived out of district from the start. 3. Valley #'s of boys are mainly skill kids, not lineman type kids. This is why they do well in every other sport, they compete and excel on a level playing field. Even with #'s rising in the lower levels it does not change the fact a higher percentage are skill kids. Bottom line Valley has taken their thumpings for several years in SOC 2, even though they are 1 to 3 divisions smaller than those teams, and has never complained that I know of.

So truly what good is it for the SOC 2 teams to play them beyond financial(gate money)/playoff point purposes. SOC 1 will compain they are SOC2, but the State division and CB #'s align with SOC 1 schools. The SOC needs to expand to three divisions or re-align to balance State divisions and CB #'s in each conference.

You bring up a great point that I have been telling people for awhile that Lucasville is mainly an aging community it’s the same families that’s been here forever and most of the younger people move away after college because of job opportunities. There was a time that the strength of valleys teams was the lines and big running backs but those type of kids do not roam the halls of the school anymore. If valley played in a 7 on 7 league they would be a serious contender. This is a problem that without some transfers it’s something valley can’t fix.

Couldn't agree more. If they are not there how do you fix it? You can't, you either just keep taking thumpings, or demand the SOC to balance the conferences out. This is an Administration and SOC problem that needs to stay front in center until change comes. This is not a D5 chool asking to play d6 and d7 schools to rebuild, this is a small d6 almost d7 school that should be playing the same.

[Fan of the youth]

This is the 2023-2024 breakdown. Valley is at 131 count.

Division
Adjusted Enrollment
Schools
I
620 and more 70
II
619 - 385 105
III
384 - 274 105
IV
273 - 206 105
V
205 - 158 106
VI
157 - 115 105
VII
114 and less 105

Total Schools
701

In my opinion if Valley ever drops to a conference it will forever seal their fate, there would be no attraction for players to come, other than the fine education....Does little Marion Local suffer from playing in the MAC?

[ValleyStrong]

This is the 2023-2024 breakdown. Valley is at 131 count.

Division
Adjusted Enrollment
Schools
I
620 and more 70
II
619 - 385 105
III
384 - 274 105
IV
273 - 206 105
V
205 - 158 106
VI
157 - 115 105
VII
114 and less 105

Total Schools
701

In my opinion if Valley ever drops to a conference it will forever seal their fate, there would be no attraction for players to come, other than the fine education....Does little Marion Local suffer from playing in the MAC?

So i get what you are saying, playing up makes you better but that only happens if you have the right horses.. I get it if the roster would fill out to include enough lineman for both sides of the ball. But it isn't and hasnt for many years. Simple truth the big kids are not there in enough #'s. State does not allow recruiting, and what jobs are bringing people to little old Lucasville. There isn't any beyond what has been here, and everything else doesn't pay. So what draw is there for families to move back? If the kids are not there that is just the way it is, and has been for several years I will be pushing for Conference expansion or realignment based on State #'s, and will keep pushing for it. Is the SOC meetings open to the public? I would be more than happy to go state the case of what is in the kids best interest, based on facts provided by the State cb #'s, divisions. It is not.a Death sentence to have your team play equivalent schools, playing down is different than playimg your equals.

[FIDO]

The reality is most teams in Scioto County and all the surrounding counties will never, ever be in a semi-final or state final game. Give kids an opportunity to compete in weeks 1-10.

[jujubean]

You all keep mentioning transfers. If I ain't mistaken both the qb and rb are transfers from West. My point is something attracted them to Valley. But what will attract more players to come out is them knowing they'll be competitive. Just my opinion but I think there's some who look at Valley's schedule and say no thank you. What would be the harm if schools wants to play in a mid-SOC conference that they couldn't. Very few are playing college ball and only 1 team in DVI wins the state. So, if a realignment would get more kids to play, why shouldn't we do it?

[Izladoom]

There definitely needs to be some balancing going on. Sure we have some good players coming up but we have some good players now but with no one to block for them it doesn’t matter who we have. Lucasville is an aging community and it’s only going to keep getting worse. They have the best facilities in the county and scored the highest academic grade in the county but yet still have low numbers. That’s not going to change. You can’t just magically make players appear. In the game against cg something like the 8 biggest players on the field was all on cg. That’s how players get hurt. It’s going to be like that all year. I have seen middle school teams with more size.

[RollCoal]

I wasn’t at the game. I did watch both teams last week and thought it might be an interesting game. Valley might have given up a lot to Portsmouth. But I thought they moved the ball well for the most part. It hurts not having the numbers
and lack of size. Good luck and good health to both teams going forward.

[Dan-The-Man]

The player size issue is something that is coincidence. Sometimes you don’t have big kids. Valley is so young. I remember looking at the roster a few years ago and you could see this coming. I personally think Valley is better than I would have predicted a year or two ago by looking at the numbers in the junior and seniors class. Playing as many young kids as they are is not an easy thing with that schedule.

[purplegold]

Valley is basically putting a JV team on the field. They have more freshman and sophomores getting minutes than juniors and seniors. Anybody whose been around the program knew this was what it was going to be. Freshman and sophomores getting major minutes in Varsity football is totally different than getting minutes in any other sport. Expecting a 14/15 year old to line up across from a 18/19 year old no matter how talented is a recipe for disaster. Again we are not talking about having just 1 freshman/sophomore getting minutes. We are talking about more than half your players getting tons of minutes. Numbers are good at the lower levels. There are some big boys in the grades below that will be a good compliment to the skill kids (we just need to keep them playing and letting them know they are the most important member of the team). We will take our bumps this year. It will only get better. We just need to keep the young kids healthy and not discouraged.

[Hoopster98]

Valley is not there yet physically. Valley used to get a small number of transfers but here lately that has settled down. I agree with transplant, the linemen are not walking the halls like they use to at Valley. Valley will get there but it will take some time. I think this is the first time in a very long time that Valley is going through a youth movement. Valley has always been a consistent football program. No need for them to play in the SOC I and I don't think they want that.