[Gatti-Ward]

I am not from Belfry, but my son has played in middle school for a the last couple of years. Hold backs are a reality in middle school like it or not. Please don't down play what these kids from Belfry accomplished. You are kidding your self if you think the Belfry kids didn't play against other holds backs all weekend or all year for that matter. Congratulations to the young Pirates from Johnson County. Way to make the mountains proud!

I am not taking anything away from the team's accomplishments in the state tournament. I have absolutely no dog in that fight. As a parent from a school where hold back players are not allowed, I feel justified in voicing concern about our true, first time eighth graders facing at least 9 or 10 hold back players. And before you accuse me of not knowing what I am talking about, we got those numbers straight from Belfry coaching staff. Now we all know how much development occcurs physically and mentally from one year to the next with players this age. Having hold back players gives a team an unfair advantage and more importantly endangers the kids. Holding a child back for sports should not be allowed ever. It is shameful and a waste of tax payer money. But hey, congrats on a great freshman/iv season.