[sstack]

While I agree with a lot of your post and have great respect for JC's team and program, you have to get over the bolded part if you are referring to the Highlands program. It's not true. I can think of two players in all the years I've followed Highlands that were from Cincinnati. Two. That's all. One stayed only his frosh and sophomore years. The other stayed all four and was a decent, not great player.

Furthermore, the oft repeated myth that we attract stud players from throughout N. Ky is way over blown. Yes we have attracted some really good players in certain years. Then again JC has attracted some players from other areas of Ky also. If you want to deny that, I can dig up the number of transfers into JC over the last 5 years if forced to.

Finally, on this year's Highlands team, I can think of only a couple of players that didn't grow up in Ft. Thomas that are making a significant contribution. Guidugli the qb is a Ft. Thomas kid. The Running backs of Crawford, Head and Fennell are all Ft. Thomas kids. Dempsey, Schlosser, Bardgett and Grubbs (O linemen) are all Ft. Thomas kids (honestly don't know about the center Combs. He didn't play football at all until his frosh year, which is why I don't know for sure. Most of the other kids I am familiar with due to involvement in the Junior Football League). Roller the TE is a Ft. Thomas kid. Receivers Collinsworth, Buten, Horner, and Hogue are Ft. Thomas kids. On D, Rosenhagen, Welz, Frank, Dierig and Beck (D linemen) are Ft. Thomas kids. We do have a junior D linemen that gets some playing time and who moved from Indianapolis, but I serously doubt our football program had much of anything with his family's move to town. Linebackers of Roller, Newman, Martin and Laber are Ft. Thomas kids. Alford is originally from Newport. All the dbs are Ft. Thomas kids. Our stud running back, Conner is from Newport, but in light of the fact he's been out almost the entire season with a broken leg, he hasn't really made any meaningful contribution this year.

Bottom line: if it works out that Highlands beats JC this year, please don't use the excuse that Highlands has a Cincinnati all star team or even a N. Ky all star team, because its just not true. I thought Matney's comments about losing to CovCath a couple of years ago came across as whiney and beneath a great football coach. If anything, because of the loss of many very talented Ft. Thomas kids who are Catholic to NewCath, Highlands in most years loses many more quality athletes than we receive, which is a fact lost on many people critical of Highlands success.

Good luck to JC this week against Belfry. If it turns out that Highlands plays JC in several weeks, I'm sure it will be a great game. I've seen JC play this year and believe they are very, very good.

You are so right on! Look at all the good players on Newport Cath. that are from Ft Thomas! And if you know anything about Ft Thomas, you would know that we get teased all the time about living in a bubble because not many people leave this town. You should see how many second, third and fourth generations are on this and every team. Bankamper's dad was star running back, Dempseys dad played for HHS, Collinsworth's Mom was a cheerleader and track athlete( Bankamper's cousin), Rossenhegen's family played at HHS, Fennell,Schowsser, Roller, Dierig, Newman all all second or third generation. I am sure there are more, but that is all I can think of off the top of my head.