[IceQB]

I don't take a lot of stock in JV games because it depends on depth. Raceland, Russell,Greenup...etc has had to start a lot of lower class men because of lack of numbers who on any other team would have had to have played JV these past years.

While I do believe you must look at the success of all levels below varsity with a bit of skepticism, it probably can be the most relative in comparing programs. The more quality programs tend to be able to field higher quality JV teams in my mind because this is the first level where you begin to combine classes. This is when , as DevilWatcher point out, that depth begins to be revealed and typically the one player who may have been dominate in 7,8 and 9th grade games must now compete with older and equally developed players. This more like what they will be competing with/against for the remainder of high school.

The programs who routinely rely on Freshmen to field JV teams are often smaller schools who simply lack the numbers or large school with weaker programs. Smaller schools have had to do this for ever and often JV success can be skewed and not a direct reflection of the program or the future, but at larger schools it is often a pretty reliable indicator of what the future looks like.

Also, a younger player who may be playing varsity at one program could quite possibly not be as good as a JV player at a neighboring program.

I know this has nothing to do with Chuck Smith considering a high school coaching job but just my thoughts on the previous comment.