[sstack]

What's this hope stuff?? lol

Yeah, I know what he meant. Your former starting QB does perform in other capacities though, correct?

Yes, but in a very limited roll. He was the center piece of the offense and touched the ball on every play. I felt he was/is the best player on the team. No disrespect to current QB Towles ( he is doing a good job), but QB's like Bardo do not come along everyday. You got to see the offense without him and how well it worked, now picture the same offense with a QB that is ( In my opinion) head and shoulders better. Take Dillion on your team, use him in "other capacities" and let him only run the ball 3 or 4 times agianst Highlands and see how that would affect JC.

[ram-97]

I thought that some of you NKY posters would let me know where Highlands keeps getting these good players year after year.

[HeHateMe]

99% from the Ft. Thomas Jr. Football League

[ram-97]

Thanks , sounds like they start them early and teach the basics really well .

[Diogenes]

Welcome to REAL 5A Football! Ha, you'll NEVER get farther than a regional runner-up!

Man. And here I thought we'd been playing fake 5A football this whole time.

Really, that's a helpful and informative statement. I'll relay that to Coach Matney, perhaps we can go ahead and fold the program now to save ourselves from your future scorn.

[Boomer80]

Whatever you do make sure you use ground transportation to relay that message to Coach Matney...any form of aerial<style> </style> transportation may only cause him great confusion.

[tradition]

I thought that some of you NKY posters would let me know where Highlands keeps getting these good players year after year.

Their mothers.

[tradition]

In all honesty JC is a very good physical team. But, when they get into a game and they are down by 2 TD's or more in the 3rd, they are going to have to go to a passing game. They need to work the clock. Score quickly. The running game is great if your up by a TD or two in the second half , but if your down in the second half you are going to need all the time you can get to score and that isn't by running the ball down the middle of the field.

Also, the chop block on the Collinsworth touchdown at the beginning of the game was the nastiest I think I have ever seen. The JC player should have been out of the game. Thank goodness Highlands starting center was not seriously hurt.

[ram-97]

Their mothers.

Ok trying to be nice,so where do their mother come ftom eastern Ky.

[tradition]

Ok trying to be nice,so where do their mother come ftom eastern Ky.

Apples don't fall too far from the Tree in the Fort.

[ram-97]

Apples don't fall too far from the Tree in the Fort.

Whats the population in the Fort .

[tradition]

whats the population in the fort .

15,200

[ram-97]

15,200

Should produce some good players with that kinda population .

[Blau Vogel]

Fort Thomas Junior Football League.

4-6 teams in each of three age groups:
3rd & 4th, 5th & 6th, 7th & 8th

Most teams are coached by former Bluebird players, teaching Bluebird football.

By the time these kids hit their freshman year, the have the basic knowledge of what it expected of them on the high school level and can hit the ground running (pardon the pun).

From the Cincinnati Enquirer:

In Northern Kentucky, the many youth leagues include the Fort Thomas Junior Football League, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary. The league has helped produce Highlands' multiple Kentucky varsity state titles.

Hunter Schlosser, a Highlands senior offensive lineman, is a product of the league formed by men including his grandfather, Clem Fennell Jr., legendary former Highlands varsity coach Homer Rice, and former St. Xavier/Notre Dame/Cleveland Browns quarterback George Ratterman.

"I'd see my older brother getting ready for his games, and I couldn't wait for the day I put all that stuff on," Schlosser said. "I really liked watching people hit each other. Now, my fifth-grade nephew loves coming to the games and seeing me play."

Highlands coach Dale Mueller was a guard/linebacker in his Fort Thomas Junior Football League playing days in the 1960s. Mueller idolized Highlands stars of that era, including Tim Racke and Hank Pogue.

"I remember it like it was yesterday," Mueller said. "I used to go on the field after games and try to bump into them, just to have any contact between me and them. Just to get a chin strap from them, it was bigger than you can even describe. I remember seeing Homer Rice coaching on the field, wanting to be part of that in the worst way."

Rice later was head coach at the University of Cincinnati and head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20091...round-here

Any state championship team gets 5 extra weeks of games and practice. This year's Highlands seniors have been involved in 30 regular season games/practices and 13 post season games/practices.( not including their frosh year) IMHO, this doesn't hurt either.

Lastly, tradition is sometimes an over used word, but in this case it is not. Next Thursday when Fort Thomas families get together to give thanks, there will be a good bit of "talk" aimed at this year's players from brothers, cousins, uncles, fathers and perhaps a grandfather or two that have rings. Current players want theirs too.

[whackem'n'stackem']

U notice that not one JC poster has an answer for the reasons why their team, down 42-14, continued to run the clock out from late 3rd qtr til' the end of the game with a stalled running attack? It was quite humorous to watch. The coach should've loaded up the bus after the half......

[BlackcatAlum]

U notice that not one JC poster has an answer for the reasons why their team, down 42-14, continued to run the clock out from late 3rd qtr til' the end of the game with a stalled running attack? It was quite humorous to watch. The coach should've loaded up the bus after the half......

Is that final comment really needed? Johnson Central's coach Matney is an arrogant coach like majority of coaches. JC obviously doesn't have a passing game and will not pass unless they absolutely have to. So please, don't bait folks into saying something that they may regret.

[Eagle_Fan442]

U notice that not one JC poster has an answer for the reasons why their team, down 42-14, continued to run the clock out from late 3rd qtr til' the end of the game with a stalled running attack? It was quite humorous to watch. The coach should've loaded up the bus after the half......

Well its 2 a.m....at least give them til tomorrow afternoon.

Did you ever have a answer for Mr.Kimball when he called you out on the statements you made about this not being a healthy Highlands team that beat JC. When in fact their own coach said they were at 100% with health issues? :zzz:

[Diogenes]

U notice that not one JC poster has an answer for the reasons why their team, down 42-14, continued to run the clock out from late 3rd qtr til' the end of the game with a stalled running attack? It was quite humorous to watch. The coach should've loaded up the bus after the half......

To avoid making the final score more lopsided than it was? We know it's over when it's 42-14. Coming out and throwing interceptions and stopping the clock when our defense is already beyond exhausted doesn't help us at all. There's no reason to let HHS make it 70-14 with a running clock. Our kids don't deserve to be embarrassed just because they run out of gas after three quarters against a national top ten team, and this is Coach's way of keeping it respectable. There's your answer.

[Eagle Eye]

There is very little dispute that JC and it's coaching staff play dirty football. It looked, at times, last night that Highlands wasn't playing Johnson Central but more like the Mean Machine in the movie "The Longest Yard."

Clueless!! Sometimes I wonder if people even watch a game without blinders on!! Embarrassing for most Highlands fans to have to read this garbage from one of its "own"!!!:popcorn:

[whackem'n'stackem']

To avoid making the final score more lopsided than it was? We know it's over when it's 42-14. Coming out and throwing interceptions and stopping the clock when our defense is already beyond exhausted doesn't help us at all. There's no reason to let HHS make it 70-14 with a running clock. Our kids don't deserve to be embarrassed just because they run out of gas after three quarters against a national top ten team, and this is Coach's way of keeping it respectable. There's your answer.

When Highlands played Boyle Co. for the State Title they were down and started airing it out despite the score in order to try and get back into it. A pride based loss earns little respect, but when the fans see that a coach is giving every thing he's got on the field, well.... thats heart. We agree to disagree

[Can you dig it?]

Embarrassing for most Highlands fans to have to read this garbage from one of its "own"!!!:popcorn:

Yeah, it is.:HitWall:

[kywldcat01]

Congratulations to Highlands for a good win and good luck. But I would like to point out that Highlands only put one more point up against JCs defense than Covington Scott did. So would everyone that slammed JCs defense for allowing Covington Scott to score 41 points agree with this statement ? It must have been the Blue birds defense that won the game last night, because Highlands Offense is only capable of scoring one more point than Covington Scott. Please remember that no one can use the fact (excuse) that it wasn’t Highlands 1st O in, at the end of the game because if I remember correctly JC wasn’t allowed to use the fact (excuse) that most of Scotts points were scored on their 2nd and 3rd D. So considering that JC won the Covington Scott game the only difference was that Highlands defense stopped JC offence when Covington Scott couldn’t,.

Hold on now...you can't have the best of both worlds.

All of Highlands points came against JC's FIRST TEAM DEFENSE...not their second and third like Scott's. Big difference there bud. You can't make a comment about Highlands only putting up one more point than Scott when all we heard the whole week after the Scott game was all their points came against the second and third team.

You can't be serious in trying to compare Scott's offense to Highlands' because of this score.

Regardless of the class of some fans and posters. Bottom line is JC is knockin on Highlands door.

Knocking on Highlands door? C'mon man. Last year was JC's best team in program history and they still couldn't beat the Birds.

JC is building a great program down there but they're far from knocking on Highlands door. 35-21 and 42-21 speak for itself. When JC beats the Birds, then you can say they're on the same block as Highlands.

I thought that some of you NKY posters would let me know where Highlands keeps getting these good players year after year.

Ft. Thomas Junior Football League is one of the best in the state, if not THE best in the state.

Look at Highlands current roster and you'll notice there are only TWO kids (out of 80) who didn't play in the FTJFL.

[BlackcatAlum]

Lets stop taking shots at one another and keep it civil in this thread. There have been a lot of immature comments coming from both sides that each should be ashamed of.

BTW, if anyone see's a post that they feel needs to be reported then tell me or another staff member and it will be taking care of... thanks!

[Can you dig it?]

When Highlands played Boyle Co. for the State Title they were down and started airing it out despite the score in order to try and get back into it.

True, but Highlands had and have the capability to pass the ball. Nothing against JC, but when they pass, it seems less like a planned route and more like a prayer.

[Mr.Kimball]

When Highlands played Boyle Co. for the State Title they were down and started airing it out despite the score in order to try and get back into it. A pride based loss earns little respect, but when the fans see that a coach is giving every thing he's got on the field, well.... thats heart. We agree to disagree

Probably did that because they are more of a pass oriented team than JC is , huh? Really wouldn't make sense in our situation, would it?

We have a very good offense, but the downfall is that if you get in a hole, it's hard to make the quick strike to get back into it. We have to be able to take care of the ball better, and develope a better quick stike defense, for our system to be as effective as it can be.

[whackem'n'stackem']

True, but Highlands had and have the capability to pass the ball. Nothing against JC, but when they pass, it seems less like a planned route and more like a prayer.

On at least two pass plays of the few they threw, JC racked up impressive passing yards against the Birds; pass interference or not.

[Can you dig it?]

On at least two pass plays of the few they threw, JC racked up impressive passing yards against the Birds; pass interference or not.

Great point.:eyeroll: One was against the reserves and the other was uncatchable.:please:

[Old School]

To avoid making the final score more lopsided than it was? We know it's over when it's 42-14. Coming out and throwing interceptions and stopping the clock when our defense is already beyond exhausted doesn't help us at all. There's no reason to let HHS make it 70-14 with a running clock. Our kids don't deserve to be embarrassed just because they run out of gas after three quarters against a national top ten team, and this is Coach's way of keeping it respectable. There's your answer.

There have been many on here, who say JC has to develop a passing game to ever have a shot at a state title. However I disagree with that theory, sure 5 or 6 passes a game would be ok, but if you look back to the 2006 game with CC, and the 2008 and 2009 games against Highlands, JC was able to move the ball on the ground without much trouble. They were in all three of those games at the half, it appears that JC's problem has been running out of gas in the 2nd half, because so many of the kids play both ways. In each of those three games the opponent for the most part ran seperate offensive and defensive units, which is a luxury JC and most Mountain schools do not have. I'm confident with JC's ability to run the ball in these games, that if they were able to have seperate offensive and defensive units they could have won these games.

Just my three cents worth.

[sstack]

There have been many on here, who say JC has to develop a passing game to ever have a shot at a state title. However I disagree with that theory, sure 5 or 6 passes a game would be ok, but if you look back to the 2006 game with CC, and the 2008 and 2009 games against Highlands, JC was able to move the ball on the ground without much trouble. They were in all three of those games at the half, it appears that JC's problem has been running out of gas in the 2nd half, because so many of the kids play both ways. In each of those three games the opponent for the most part ran seperate offensive and defensive units, which is a luxury JC and most Mountain schools do not have. I'm confident with JC's ability to run the ball in these games, that if they were able to have seperate offensive and defensive units they could have won these games.

Just my three cents worth.

Or was it better coaching making half time adjustments?

[cougarpride08]

Teams will only get better when the youth is brought up right in sports, and having numbers does help.