2025 Stow-Munroe Falls Football

BadCompany

BadCompany

Active member
What’s it going to take to bring the largest school in Summit County back to winning football games?

The last three season’s they have won 5 games. Unacceptable.

Make Stow Football Great Again.
 
 
Here's my uneducated bet. Larlham ends up as the head coach. Feldman liked him enough to bring him in. Outside chance of the DC getting the job. The program will start to come around as the 7th and 8th graders in the youth program are decent. If Poder did anything well, it was to help bring the youth program back.
 
I am wondering if the administration is going to be held accountable for any of this? A record is a record and Poder’s record isn’t great… but the youth program is doing well, and the varsity did have more wins than last year. ( I think?).

Think it might be time for a facility upgrade? That stadium is in rough shape. Who’s responsible for that?

The band is the best band in summit county.
 
clarkgriswold said:
Here's my uneducated bet. Larlham ends up as the head coach. Feldman liked him enough to bring him in. Outside chance of the DC getting the job. The program will start to come around as the 7th and 8th graders in the youth program are decent. If Poder did anything well, it was to help bring the youth program back.
Click to expand...
If anything he turned around the youth, good job. Gotta start at the bottom and build the feeder program. He just had a tough break and took the job at the wrong time. Maybe he’ll get another coaching job? Maybe he’ll leaving coaching and go back to fertilizer sales?
 
perry1480 said:
I am wondering if the administration is going to be held accountable for any of this? A record is a record and Poder’s record isn’t great… but the youth program is doing well, and the varsity did have more wins than last year. ( I think?).

Think it might be time for a facility upgrade? That stadium is in rough shape. Who’s responsible for that?

The band is the best band in summit county.
Click to expand...
The AD spent all the money (plus some) on the fieldhouse, which they don’t even have anyone certified (here comes a massive lawsuit if anyone gets hurts) running the weight room.

Fixing the stadium may not happen while stow has this AD in the corner office.


And no, administration won’t take the blame on this and just fire and hire a new coach
 
Well, having fights in the school weekly doesn't make it attractive for a lot of parents to want their kids to go there. Having open enroll kids all over the school causing problems, I don't know that I'd want my kids there.
Football is one thing, but the school is the other issue.
If you are a parent in Stow and have a kid that loves football, there are better options. Especially now with EdChoice.
In order to turn Stow around, it's going to take a full collective effort that won't change overnight.

Also, the stadium and turf is absolutely terrible.
 
Popcorn said:
Well, having fights in the school weekly doesn't make it attractive for a lot of parents to want their kids to go there. Having open enroll kids all over the school causing problems, I don't know that I'd want my kids there.
Football is one thing, but the school is the other issue.
If you are a parent in Stow and have a kid that loves football, there are better options. Especially now with EdChoice.
In order to turn Stow around, it's going to take a full collective effort that won't change overnight.

Also, the stadium and turf is absolutely terrible.
Click to expand...
Stow is Summit and Portage counties dumping grounds for troubled students.

But back to football. What can save the program?!
 
Poder is a nice guy, but even close to the level of Alexander at Walsh, Tyrell at Hoban, Gough in Hudson or Fox in Nordonia. I appreciate that he's made some strides with the youth program, but he's not a leader. I've seen kids around town that play for Stow. Anytime I ask how the season is going, they consistently answer "We Suck"...they aren't wrong.

There isn't belief that the program is moving in the right direction. The program needs more than a good coach. They need a great leader. Poder built a staff of inept or coaches with issues. The OC has been ushered out of a couple other programs because of his own personal demons. I don't begrudge someone for their past and appreciate the 3rd chance opportunity. But he's not a guy to help rebuild a program.

They have a couple coaches on staff that barely know football. One short bald coach posts ridiculous pictures on his Facebook page of him flexing or that delve into political crap. If you want to be a football coach for a public school and a leader, you can't post on FB like a teen girl taking selfies. I've heard from parents I know in the program that he's the laughing stock of the staff, but there are other coaches that have zero respect from the players as well.

So, to answer your question - blow it up, hire a new AD and new coaching staff. Then keep your fingers crossed that you chose correctly. Until then, continue to watch as all the good players choose to play at Walsh or Hoban. If I had a kid in the system, there is zero question that he wouldn't be a bulldog. You play HS ball once in your life. Play where you can win and be developed. Not where every week it's miserable.
 
Popcorn said:
Poder is a nice guy, but even close to the level of Alexander at Walsh, Tyrell at Hoban, Gough in Hudson or Fox in Nordonia. I appreciate that he's made some strides with the youth program, but he's not a leader. I've seen kids around town that play for Stow. Anytime I ask how the season is going, they consistently answer "We Suck"...they aren't wrong.

There isn't belief that the program is moving in the right direction. The program needs more than a good coach. They need a great leader. Poder built a staff of inept or coaches with issues. The OC has been ushered out of a couple other programs because of his own personal demons. I don't begrudge someone for their past and appreciate the 3rd chance opportunity. But he's not a guy to help rebuild a program.

They have a couple coaches on staff that barely know football. One short bald coach posts ridiculous pictures on his Facebook page of him flexing or that delve into political crap. If you want to be a football coach for a public school and a leader, you can't post on FB like a teen girl taking selfies. I've heard from parents I know in the program that he's the laughing stock of the staff, but there are other coaches that have zero respect from the players as well.

So, to answer your question - blow it up, hire a new AD and new coaching staff. Then keep your fingers crossed that you chose correctly. Until then, continue to watch as all the good players choose to play at Walsh or Hoban. If I had a kid in the system, there is zero question that he wouldn't be a bulldog. You play HS ball once in your life. Play where you can win and be developed. Not where every week it's miserable.
Click to expand...
This is it. Now do you think anything happens this off season?
 
BadCompany said:
This is it. Now do you think anything happens this off season?
Click to expand...
Nope. More kids will head to the parochial so the Stowbilly parents to bitch how "We would win if Walsh or Hoban didn't recruit our kids away from us."

It's BS. If you had a good program, they would stay. They aren't being recruited. They are LEAVING a program. And I don't blame them.
 
xhscoach said:
How many Kimpton kids are really leaving for parochials?
Click to expand...
I don’t know the answer to that. I’m very uneducated about the youth level teams.


I’m curious, though. What happened to Poder’s right hand man Tyla? I didn’t see him on the sidelines this year.
 
clarkgriswold said:
Here's my uneducated bet. Larlham ends up as the head coach. Feldman liked him enough to bring him in. Outside chance of the DC getting the job. The program will start to come around as the 7th and 8th graders in the youth program are decent. If Poder did anything well, it was to help bring the youth program back.
Click to expand...
Love to see Dan get the job, he did a great job at CVCA and got stiffed by SVSM (sorry Clark), great fit he lives in Stow also.
 
perry1480 said:
I am wondering if the administration is going to be held accountable for any of this? A record is a record and Poder’s record isn’t great… but the youth program is doing well, and the varsity did have more wins than last year. ( I think?).

Think it might be time for a facility upgrade? That stadium is in rough shape. Who’s responsible for that?

The band is the best band in summit county.
Click to expand...
Falls band is top notch, real swing marching band, not to knock Stow's.
 
Popcorn said:
Nope. More kids will head to the parochial so the Stowbilly parents to bitch how "We would win if Walsh or Hoban didn't recruit our kids away from us."

It's BS. If you had a good program, they would stay. They aren't being recruited. They are LEAVING a program. And I don't blame them.
Click to expand...
It’s not even leaving a program… public schools, even decent ones, are in rough moral shape. Engaged parents see the garbage happening in public schools and they’re basically moving them based on education, not athletics
 
perry1480 said:
It’s not even leaving a program… public schools, even decent ones, are in rough moral shape. Engaged parents see the garbage happening in public schools and they’re basically moving them based on education, not athletics
Click to expand...
The school itself hasn’t been updated in years either. They still have burgundy carpet in the hallways that looks absolutely disgusting.
 
wildcat71 said:
Plus " free money" to attend school of their choice, taking that money from the local public schools. Fact
Click to expand...
I think the lesson here is don’t bring garbage morality issues into the school and make people abide by them. The result is a flood of every parents or kids with a conscience not in your school system. Who’s left?

CVCA’s enrollment is through the roof. They can’t keep up… and while their football program is decent over the last 10 years, no one’s going there FOR the football program.

Call it what you want… the market is deciding right before our very eyes… people aren’t buying what public education is selling.
 
Last edited:
hsfan60 said:
Falls band is top notch, real swing marching band, not to knock Stow's.
Click to expand...
I have absolutely agreed with this in the past... are they still? I haven't been to a game there in awhile! I used to be connected to the old school band director, Bob Feldbush from WAAAY back in the day. Awesome guy.

Stow's band is louder than Hudson's band.
 
Wouldn't be surprised if Larlham got the job. However, he did NOT impress the group that was tasked to interview candidates after Nori left. They ultimately were overruled by then superintendent Tom Bratton who went with Tom Phillips. The decline began then. By the time Poder got the job much of the damage was done. A dip in talent and not a great staff have led them to where they are. He has tried to do the right things with regard to culture, the weightroom and paying attention to the junior high and youth programs. The unstable board of education won't help, and the AD has about another 1 and a half years left. If you left it in place I would think you would see incremental improvement (5-6 wins and a playoff appearance next year). However, if he is let go then you try to get the best candidate outside of this mess. This trainwreck was several years in the making and will take time to fix.
 
gusterboy said:
Wouldn't be surprised if Larlham got the job. However, he did NOT impress the group that was tasked to interview candidates after Nori left. They ultimately were overruled by then superintendent Tom Bratton who went with Tom Phillips. The decline began then. By the time Poder got the job much of the damage was done. A dip in talent and not a great staff have led them to where they are. He has tried to do the right things with regard to culture, the weightroom and paying attention to the junior high and youth programs. The unstable board of education won't help, and the AD has about another 1 and a half years left. If you left it in place I would think you would see incremental improvement (5-6 wins and a playoff appearance next year). However, if he is let go then you try to get the best candidate outside of this mess. This trainwreck was several years in the making and will take time to fix.
Click to expand...
he did NOT impress the group?

That is the problem with schools trying to hire people who know a hell of a lot more than the interviewers!
 
perry1480 said:
I think the lesson here is don’t bring garbage morality issues into the school and make people abide by them. The result is a flood of every parents or kids with a conscience not in your school system. Who’s left?

CVCA’s enrollment is through the roof. They can’t keep up… and while their football program is decent over the last 10 years, no one’s going there FOR the football program.

Call it what you want… the market is deciding right before our very eyes… people aren’t buying what public education is selling.
Click to expand...
They are in Hudson, Solon, Mentor, Orange, etc.
 
Popcorn said:
Well, having fights in the school weekly doesn't make it attractive for a lot of parents to want their kids to go there. Having open enroll kids all over the school causing problems, I don't know that I'd want my kids there.
Football is one thing, but the school is the other issue.
If you are a parent in Stow and have a kid that loves football, there are better options. Especially now with EdChoice.
In order to turn Stow around, it's going to take a full collective effort that won't change overnight.

Also, the stadium and turf is absolutely terrible.
Click to expand...
I think you are on to something. here. Open enrollment, while a major help in luring talent during Nori's years is now a deterrent to Stow kids. Walsh, CVCA and even Hoban are all too good and close to pass up for many of these families. Ed Choice is a big plus for those families.

While the stadium is not very good, I don't think it is impacting the quality of program much, if any. It is more about the school itself.
 
hsfan60 said:
he did NOT impress the group?

That is the problem with schools trying to hire people who know a hell of a lot more than the interviewers!
Click to expand...
Let's just say that if the Superintendent were to have gone with the group's recommendation they would not be looking for a coach now. He was superior to ANY candidate, including Larlham.
 
Tarblooder_Rocketgrad said:
They are in Hudson, Solon, Mentor, Orange, etc.
Click to expand...
Yep. Claiming public education is the culprit is a convenient excuse, not a reason. I'd throw Aurora in there as well. No problems keeping a lot of good football players home there either (although there are a few that feel that they are better than Aurora and have pretty much sat the bench at their private school).

I'm hearing that Hudson may've gotten a kid to come home that opted for a grass is greener situation out of middle school and went to a private school. I don't know the details except he's a lineman. Assume it was from Walsh or Hoban. Imagine how different Stow's season would have been if the Walsh QB or Ed's LB would've decided to come home to Stow.
 
What does it take to close “open enrollment” school board vote? Superintendent only? What’s that process like? Does school get state money for being open enrollment?
 
perry1480 said:
I am wondering if the administration is going to be held accountable for any of this? A record is a record and Poder’s record isn’t great… but the youth program is doing well, and the varsity did have more wins than last year. ( I think?).

Think it might be time for a facility upgrade? That stadium is in rough shape. Who’s responsible for that?

The band is the best band in summit county.
Click to expand...
The visitors stands are like sitting on a trampoline, if there wasn't a hill underneath them I swear they would fall in.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top