Ironton and Burg-40+ Years of Excellence--How?

[Omega]

Without question, Ironton and Wheelersburg have been the premier high school football programs in Southern Ohio since
1969. Great coaches, tradition, and community support are obviously part of the reason for their success. Yet other schools enjoy these assets for short periords of time but cannot sustain excellence in their programs as have the Tigers and Pirates. What are the intangibles or other reasons that have kept these school's programs heads and shoulders above the rest for over four decades?

[Kentucky Trojan]

Without question, Ironton and Wheelersburg have been the premier high school football programs in Southern Ohio since
1969. Great coaches, tradition, and community support are obviously part of the reason for their success. Yet other schools enjoy these assets for short periords of time but cannot sustain excellence in their programs as have the Tigers and Pirates. What are the intangibles or other reasons that have kept these school's programs heads and shoulders above the rest for over four decades?

I'd say it has something to do with the 3 R's.

[LucasJackson]

One reason is feeder system. In Irontons case they have always done a good job of getting kids playing at an early age. When I was in grade school each boy played for their own elementary school. That allowed over 80 kids to start and play each and every week. Even when the elementary went to a combined school they still have 4 teams that allows a lot of boys to play every week. There are some schools that combine into one or just two teams in the interest of winning. They have 40 kids on each team and many lose interest.
Secondly, in the late 70's and early 80's when I played, the junior high, freshman and JV program at Ironton was about instruction. Winning was no emphasized as much as fundamentals and execution. When I was in junior high in 79 and 80, Ashland killed our team. They never beat us in the four years of my high school experience.

[fbnut]

I agree there is way to much emphasis in winning at the lower levels. Way to many kids playing out of position at the junior high level for the sake of winning.

[Tigercannon71]

One reason is feeder system. In Irontons case they have always done a good job of getting kids playing at an early age. When I was in grade school each boy played for their own elementary school. That allowed over 80 kids to start and play each and every week. Even when the elementary went to a combined school they still have 4 teams that allows a lot of boys to play every week. There are some schools that combine into one or just two teams in the interest of winning. They have 40 kids on each team and many lose interest.
Secondly, in the late 70's and early 80's when I played, the junior high, freshman and JV program at Ironton was about instruction. Winning was no emphasized as much as fundamentals and execution. When I was in junior high in 79 and 80, Ashland killed our team. They never beat us in the four years of my high school experience.

Thats a good explanation.
I think now our pee wee levels need fixed. One thing is they start them playing flag at like kindergarten age so by the time they are in high school they have been playing football for at least 10 years. You get burned out especially when you got daddies coaching that only wants their kid to be the star. To much of a turnover in coaching at the lower level right now. All these coaches think they are NFL coaches and they want to practice their teams for 2 and 3 hours. Thats way to much. Even in college we only spent an hour 45 minutes on the field at the most.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

WHEN I PLAYED GRADE SCHOOL BALL, WE HAD 7 TEAMS IN IRONTON.
I REMEMBER RUNNING THE CHAINS AFTER OUR GAME , AND GETTING A SUPER CHEF MEAL COUPON, FOR BURGER CHEF, WHERE PEDDLERS STANDS NOW.

[Tigercannon71]

Theres another problem Ironton now only fields 2 teams. Loss of population definitly has hurt Ironton.

[ItownHosscat]

One reason is feeder system. In Irontons case they have always done a good job of getting kids playing at an early age. When I was in grade school each boy played for their own elementary school. That allowed over 80 kids to start and play each and every week. Even when the elementary went to a combined school they still have 4 teams that allows a lot of boys to play every week. There are some schools that combine into one or just two teams in the interest of winning. They have 40 kids on each team and many lose interest.
Secondly, in the late 70's and early 80's when I played, the junior high, freshman and JV program at Ironton was about instruction. Winning was no emphasized as much as fundamentals and execution. When I was in junior high in 79 and 80, Ashland killed our team. They never beat us in the four years of my high school experience.

Thats a good explanation.
I think now our pee wee levels need fixed. One thing is they start them playing flag at like kindergarten age so by the time they are in high school they have been playing football for at least 10 years. You get burned out especially when you got daddies coaching that only wants their kid to be the star. To much of a turnover in coaching at the lower level right now. All these coaches think they are NFL coaches and they want to practice their teams for 2 and 3 hours. Thats way to much. Even in college we only spent an hour 45 minutes on the field at the most.

I will agree somewhat with your post.I have been on the coaching end of some of these teams.And I think the reason for the times of practices being so long is due to teaching the kids how to play.And to play the game safely.I do agree that there are people that are coaching that are doing it to make their child the star,wether they are or are not.Ive seen people coach for the glory of it all,even if it is peewee.Id like to think it was partly my idea of trying to get the little ones more playing time(c-team)which we started doing.I would like to see Ironton put on a football camp for the younger ones.

[osu 77]

I would suggest stopping the winning at all cost everyone must play. If there were 17 to 20 kids on your team 11 ball players would play offense and a different 11 would play defense. This forces every coach to teach all his players how to play ball not just the starters. It works, I have seen this done in many states but none local.
I also think the reason the Ironton program has dropped off is due to population but another reason they used have the best coaches at the little league levels. Many of the coaches did not even have a kid playing on the teams so favoritism was not a problem.

[vladimir]

I think alot of it has to do with soccer. I dont even know if Ironton has a HS boy soccer team. At Wheelersburg, any boy that is any kinda athlete plays football not soccer. This isn't the case at other schools. Also, many of the teams in the Northwestern part of Ohio only offer Football or crosscountry for boys fall sports and look where the state title usually runs through in divisions 4-6 it's: Coldwater, Maria Stein, Patrick Henry, Kirtland, etc. None of these schools offer boys soccer as a fall sport.

[Burg_Grad_77]

Pride, dedication, work ethic, great coaching, and community support. All of those are factors for both of these programs being so successful for the past 40 years.

Another program in our area that is making great strides in this direction are the Vally Indians. They have had great success in the past 10+ years and I think they will just keep getting better. I wouldn't be surprised to see them win a state title in the next 5 to 10 years.

[jeep80]

Uh, not to be a jerk here but, I noticed no one has mentioned the infamous "T" word.

Transfers.

I personally know of one school that has lost a lot of football players to both Ironton and Wheelersburg.
Green.

If I am not mistaken, my cousin left Green to play at Wheelersburg,
That is just one school. I know there are other schools who have lost players to both schools in and around Scioto and Lawrence county.
I guess it could be seen as a hugh compliment that the two schools have programs so strong that players want to leave their own schools and play for either team.
But it also hurts their local school and keeps the balance of power tilted.

Anyway. Just throwing that out there as another possible cause.

Blast away Burg and Tiger fans. I'm a grown-up (sort of) I can take it.

[Kentucky Trojan]

Uh, not to be a jerk here but, I noticed no one has mentioned the infamous "T" word.

Transfers.

I personally know of one school that has lost a lot of football players to both Ironton and Wheelersburg.
Green.

If I am not mistaken, my cousin left Green to play at Wheelersburg,
That is just one school. I know there are other schools who have lost players to both schools in and around Scioto and Lawrence county.
I guess it could be seen as a hugh compliment that the two schools have programs so strong that players want to leave their own schools and play for either team.
But it also hurts their local school and keeps the balance of power tilted.

Anyway. Just throwing that out there as another possible cause.

Blast away Burg and Tiger fans. I'm a grown-up (sort of) I can take it.

You can call it transfers all you want...

...I mentioned it above with the 3 R's...

...we know what it is...

[WildWestSider]

Pride, dedication, work ethic, great coaching, and community support. All of those are factors for both of these programs being so successful for the past 40 years.

Another program in our area that is making great strides in this direction are the Vally Indians. They have had great success in the past 10+ years and I think they will just keep getting better. I wouldn't be surprised to see them win a state title in the next 5 to 10 years.

No doubt Ironton and Burg have secured themselves as power houses. And Valley also has had success, but no more than West? West has more victories against Wheelersburg than anybody else, trails in SOC championships only behind burg, and has a state championship appearance that if honestly would have played any team besides Ben Mauk would have won. Not disrespecting valley at all just think another team is a little more deserving of recognition

[urban buck]

Geez, it gets old to keep reading about the population of Ironton being the cause of football issues. Every school has experienced a loss of numbers! And starting football at kindergarten? Not sure I have heard anything more ridiculous. How bout weight training right after diaper training? Most schools have decent feeder programs around here, though small in numbers, big in heart. Coaches at this level ALWAYS tend to be parents of players and they do a fine job for the most part. Who else is gonna care that much at that level? Transfers were a HUGE part of Ironton's success over the years. Burg also to a much lesser extent. Nowadays, Ironton has fast become just another program with some glory days here and there, like everyone else. The Lutz era will always be great and get greater as the years go by,kind of like the fish that got bigger each story. The SOC is now becoming the best and most solid league around..great rivalries, great atmosphere, great coaches, great programs.

[vladimir]

I, for one, would be all for Ironton coming into the SOC along with Portsmouth, Gallia, and Jackson.

Palladan or whatever his name is, many on here disagree with the way he comes across, but at the end of the day, I do have to agree with him. Until teams around here bump up their schedules so that at least 80% of it is against playoff caliber programs, you will never see a program down here win a state title.

I still say soccer is detrimental to any school that wants to be a football powerhouse, and most schools down here offer that sport in the fall. Why not move soccer to a spring sport? Most soccer players would be skill type kids and imagine having 20-30 more to pick from.

[fbfever9]

Uh, not to be a jerk here but, I noticed no one has mentioned the infamous "T" word.

Transfers.

I personally know of one school that has lost a lot of football players to both Ironton and Wheelersburg.
Green.

If I am not mistaken, my cousin left Green to play at Wheelersburg,
That is just one school. I know there are other schools who have lost players to both schools in and around Scioto and Lawrence county.
I guess it could be seen as a hugh compliment that the two schools have programs so strong that players want to leave their own schools and play for either team.
But it also hurts their local school and keeps the balance of power tilted.

Anyway. Just throwing that out there as another possible cause.

Blast away Burg and Tiger fans. I'm a grown-up (sort of) I can take it.

You want to mention transfers, yet you conviently "forget" to mention one of the biggest transfers South Webster received...... FROM Ironton. If Waginger had not left Ironton, that run likely would not have happened for them......

[CharlieHustle]

And if Waginger and Gagai hadn't transferred from Saint Joe, Ironton probably wouldn't have had the success it had in those years. Not knocking anybody, just trying to say it happens everywhere.

[voodoochild]

Alot of kids attend St joe K-6 then go to Ironton after that. Not really the same as transfering to a school district 30 miles away.

[doubleplay643]

Not that this is exclusive to Ironton or Burg, but I think becoming prevalent in a lot of communities, and that is the practice of "red-shirting" kids. 19 year old seniors is pretty commonplace now. I know an 8th grader that will be 15 before end of school this year and seems to be alot of freshman with drivers licenses around. Seems every parent trying to get an edge for "little Johnny" and starting him/her in kindergarten when they are 6+ or waiting to middle school and holding them at 6th/7th grade years.