2025 Stow-Munroe Falls Football

clarkgriswold said:
This will be a shock to many on here but I have it on very good authority that Poder is being brought back for next year.
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Ugh. But in Stow's defense, would a great candidate really want that job right now? They are a few years away from turning things around even if Bill Belichick takes over. Poder isn't a good coach, but Stow's football team isn't all his fault.

Hopefully there is more of a grass roots effort to build football up in that community. Streetsboro is a great example. They have a great booster club that is very active in the community and with all levels of football in town. And Streetsboro has a ton of community pride. Stow needs that. For all the bad things that people have said about Stow in this thread, there are a ton of good things about it. Stow is a very nice community with very nice people. When you have a base like that, a turnaround is possible if they try.

Bottom line - Stow could be a sleeping giant (or as much of a giant as a Suburban League team is capable of being). But I think that getting that giant out of REM sleep and at least stirring a little is what is needed before a new coach will have any chance of success. Can both things be done at the same time? Absolutely. But the school will need to be patient because there will be some lean years before they see any success. I fear that a Dan Larlham would either get burnt out busting his rear end to improve things and quit or the community would turn on him before success happens.
 
It's like the Browns. Nothing will get better until they get a new AD.

Poder really needs a better coaching staff though. He has a couple complete jokes on there, especially the volunteer coaches. Don't add people just to have more bodies. Adding guys that can't coach doesn't help, even if they volunteer for free.
 
With any luck, Poder will finally get to start seeing some rewards from his work with the youth program.

As to his assistants, I understand the DC and Larlham were thrust upon him by the AD.
 
Popcorn said:
It's like the Browns. Nothing will get better until they get a new AD.

Poder really needs a better coaching staff though. He has a couple complete jokes on there, especially the volunteer coaches. Don't add people just to have more bodies. Adding guys that can't coach doesn't help, even if they volunteer for free.
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Staff is not good. Defensively they are not sound. Bad scheme and poorly coached. Offensively, I'm not sure they have true spread personnel.
Quite true about the AD though he can't be blamed for the coach that succeeded Mark Nori (Tom Phillips). This is when the regression began. Hopefully the current Board stays out of athletics. They are a joke.
 
FriKnights91 said:
What was Stows record last year with Phillips? Was it on the down spiral then or is it just last three seasons. Walsh and Hoban are different animals right now not sure it’s fair to compare Stow to them, maybe I’m wrong?
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Stow was 1-9 in 2023 and they made the Playoffs and had to play St. Ed's in the first roundification. Ain't no player or coach wantin' to stay out for another game and have to get drillified by the best team in the state. Nor do any parents want to go see the murderification of the whole team. It don't do no ones no good!
 
Smoove Mooves said:
Stow was 1-9 in 2023 and they made the Playoffs and had to play St. Ed's in the first roundification. Ain't no player or coach wantin' to stay out for another game and have to get drillified by the best team in the state. Nor do any parents want to go see the murderification of the whole team. It don't do no ones no good!
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Smoove came on here to talk about some Stow football? Where you been hiding brotha? Johnny J's on Manchester Rd.?
 
BadCompany said:
Stow just can’t get out of their own way. It’s a shame what the school is becoming. A once great school, turned in the dumping grounds, laughing stock of Summit county.
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I'm not surprised whatsoever about this. I know some Stow parents who used to own a restaurant there. To say Stow people are soft is an insult to Charmin. Listening to their views of the world is like sitting with a table full of Martians. They're a bunch of soft, out of touch people who've never left the Stow/Akron bubble in their lives.

What @perry1480 talks about with the poor morals being promoted in public schools I largely agree with that and knowing the Stow people that I know.....they either aren't aware of it or wouldn't care anyways. They'd hire 15 DEI champions instead of 9 if they could and football and/or school district excellence isn't even a remote concern to these people.

Stow is mostly on board with the wealthy, white collar cultural elitism that's in vogue with upper income America....what's going on in Stow is culturally acceptable to them and they'd never want to be like those hillbilly rubes down in Stark or Wayne County. @perry1480 and I are from the 1980's Stark County world.....an opposite of today's Stow or Hudson.

Stow will continue to be what it is because a majority of the community is OK with it. Private schools will keep benefiting from it and, really, why should anyone complain about that when you know what the alternative is?

Stow people who want excellence from a public school setting need to go to the smaller Woodridge district and take it over by sheer numbers to become the majority because turning Stow around is going to be very challenging.

The problems are far beyond a football coach or turf or stadium or weight room.

That's my fly-in-to-this-thread opinion on this.
 
Rich Kotite said:
I'm not surprised whatsoever about this. I know some Stow parents who used to own a restaurant there. To say Stow people are soft is an insult to Charmin. Listening to their views of the world is like sitting with a table full of Martians. They're a bunch of soft, out of touch people who've never left the Stow/Akron bubble in their lives.

What @perry1480 talks about with the poor morals being promoted in public schools I largely agree with that and knowing the Stow people that I know.....they either aren't aware of it or wouldn't care anyways. They'd hire 15 DEI champions instead of 9 if they could and football and/or school district excellence isn't even a remote concern to these people.

Stow is mostly on board with the wealthy, white collar cultural elitism that's in vogue with upper income America....what's going on in Stow is culturally acceptable to them and they'd never want to be like those hillbilly rubes down in Stark or Wayne County. @perry1480 and I are from the 1980's Stark County world.....an opposite of today's Stow or Hudson.

Stow will continue to be what it is because a majority of the community is OK with it. Private schools will keep benefiting from it and, really, why should anyone complain about that when you know what the alternative is?

Stow people who want excellence from a public school setting need to go to the smaller Woodridge district and take it over by sheer numbers to become the majority because turning Stow around is going to be very challenging.

The problems are far beyond a football coach or turf or stadium or weight room.

That's my fly-in-to-this-thread opinion on this.
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Some people in Stow want excellence but others
Failed to pay attention at election time a few years ago which led to the board they have now.
Now the community is fed up with this woke board and will do nothing with regard to a bond issue to replace the crappy elementary buildings and sub par athletic facilities (see junior high field). Historically, the city of Stow had a chance to have its own Natatorium (like C Falls has) but voted it down.
New superintendent, current board, and AD have no shot at generating public support for the district. Sad
 
Rich Kotite said:
I'm not surprised whatsoever about this. I know some Stow parents who used to own a restaurant there. To say Stow people are soft is an insult to Charmin. Listening to their views of the world is like sitting with a table full of Martians. They're a bunch of soft, out of touch people who've never left the Stow/Akron bubble in their lives.

What @perry1480 talks about with the poor morals being promoted in public schools I largely agree with that and knowing the Stow people that I know.....they either aren't aware of it or wouldn't care anyways. They'd hire 15 DEI champions instead of 9 if they could and football and/or school district excellence isn't even a remote concern to these people.

Stow is mostly on board with the wealthy, white collar cultural elitism that's in vogue with upper income America....what's going on in Stow is culturally acceptable to them and they'd never want to be like those hillbilly rubes down in Stark or Wayne County. @perry1480 and I are from the 1980's Stark County world.....an opposite of today's Stow or Hudson.

Stow will continue to be what it is because a majority of the community is OK with it. Private schools will keep benefiting from it and, really, why should anyone complain about that when you know what the alternative is?

Stow people who want excellence from a public school setting need to go to the smaller Woodridge district and take it over by sheer numbers to become the majority because turning Stow around is going to be very challenging.

The problems are far beyond a football coach or turf or stadium or weight room.

That's my fly-in-to-this-thread opinion on this.
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I've heard of the Hudson bubble. I've heard of the Chagrin Falls bubble. I've even heard of the Aurora and Avon bubbles and a few Columbus area school districts. Never heard anyone refer to the "Stow/Akron" bubble. :)

No offense, but I'm having a hard time understanding what you are trying to say here. I'd think that emulating one of the top school districts in the state would be a good thing, no?
 
gusterboy said:
Some people in Stow want excellence but others
Failed to pay attention at election time a few years ago which led to the board they have now.
Now the community is fed up with this woke board and will do nothing with regard to a bond issue to replace the crappy elementary buildings and sub par athletic facilities (see junior high field). Historically, the city of Stow had a chance to have its own Natatorium (like C Falls has) but voted it down.
New superintendent, current board, and AD have no shot at generating public support for the district. Sad
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I know nothing about the political situation. But I will say that the beauty of our system is that there will be another election soon. If the board is standing in the way of progress, the residents have to either vote them out or be content with the results.
 
David Wooderson said:
I've heard of the Hudson bubble. I've heard of the Chagrin Falls bubble. I've even heard of the Aurora and Avon bubbles and a few Columbus area school districts. Never heard anyone refer to the "Stow/Akron" bubble. :)

No offense, but I'm having a hard time understanding what you are trying to say here. I'd think that emulating one of the top school districts in the state would be a good thing, no?
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One thing that a person must know about @Rich Kotite is that his sarcasm is unparalleled and often deeply true.

Growing up in stark county, I often thought of Stow as a wealthy community. TBH it is.

Emulating other districts and emulating other programs is part of the issue too. Stow as a district does seem to be unoriginal. The band’s about the only thing within the school system that has its own culture that’s stayed and has remained excellent.

Using ideas of other communities can work, but don’t be surprised when what Kotite suggests as “soft” is because of a lack of original thinking. Sucking the tailpipe of districts that are innovating for their own context is what’s happening at Stow. It’s unoriginal to not give a rip about the school system and make sure your 401k is doing alright and that your lawn looks nice. It’s original when parents and boosters take over for a terrible administration and make the district what they want it to be. Raise the funds for improvements to the stadium… be a dripping faucet to the administration so that the people who want the cushy low maintenance admin job go somewhere else. But it means sacrifice and that’s what I think kotite is talking about. Then those elections are replacing fools with people who care about the community.

That’s what I see when I drive past SMFHS on any given day… (I drive past it nearly everyday).
 
But it means sacrifice and that’s what I think kotite is talking about.
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It’s unoriginal to not give a rip about the school system and make sure your 401k is doing alright and that your lawn looks nice. It’s original when parents and boosters take over for a terrible administration and make the district what they want it to be. Raise the funds for improvements to the stadium… be a dripping faucet to the administration so that the people who want the cushy low maintenance admin job go somewhere else. But it means sacrifice and that’s what I think kotite is talking about. Then those elections are replacing fools with people who care about the community.
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Correct. I don't see the majority of Stow willing to make that sacrifice. I see the majority being fine with the way things are but a loud minority group aka "the originals" (as @perry1480 calls them) will make noise trying to raise standards and fix the issues.

The originals COULD win out just because the "unoriginals" are soft & apathetic and don't have the fire in the belly if they're confronted. The corporate lives and training of the "unoriginals" has taught them to avoid conflict. The originals often have little to lose and love conflict because they truly believe in their beliefs.

Look at how the majority of Stow voted in the November 2024 Presidential election. Stow has followed the trends of white collar communities nationwide. Unoriginals are the majority in white collar upper income enclaves.

I couldn't have said it better:

It’s unoriginal to not give a rip about the school system and make sure your 401k is doing alright and that your lawn looks nice.
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The voters of Stow shot down a school levy last month. This happened after the board upset much of the community on their hiring of a new superintendent. Putting the levy up while people were still angry showed bad judgment by the board.

Also, one need
 
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Send your child elsewhere. The unoriginals. The white collar credentialed and their mad at the world supporters.

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I watched the community comments which air at approximately 90 minutes into the video. There were a couple originals but most were unoriginals.
 
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clarkgriswold said:
The voters of Stow shot down a school levy last month. This happened after the board upset much of the community on their hiring of a new superintendent. Putting the levy up while people were still angry showed bad judgment by the board.
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That would lead me to believe a majority of the upper level administration is tone deaf, or worse, look at the community and think, "you people just don't get it." or worse yet, they're both.

Is that the case?
 
I can't believe this group of people is out of touch, but again, Stow voted for these people and most of Stow voted for the board's national torch bearer, Kamala.

This board, sans one or maybe two of them, is worse than a crowd at a Sara McLachlan concert.

Board Members - Stow-Munroe Falls City Schools

Board Members - Stow-Munroe Falls City Schools
www.smfschools.org www.smfschools.org

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smash mouth 34 said:
Give us the cliffs notes?
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The first 90:00 minutes was "yay, we are such great people and a wonderful school district! Look at us!"

After 90:00 minutes in are the community comments. Most discussed the Lifewise Academy and how bad it is. A couple people took the board on. Most speakers were pro-board. The last speaker at about 1 hour, 58 minutes in had some tuffness but he was an older man, so that board won't listen to him. He took them to task for cronyism, their spending, etc. But again, one guy only. He was the last two minutes of the video.
 
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This is such a hot mess......again, the community voted for this.

The Superintendent's mess:

First the former.....

www.aol.com

Tom Bratten's new Stow school duties rewarded with same pay he received as superintendent

Tom Bratten, who stepped down as district chief Jan.1 citing health issues, is now the special projects administrator for Stow-Munroe Falls schools.
www.aol.com www.aol.com

Then the replacement saga:

www.yahoo.com

Stow-Munroe Falls school board votes 3-2 to hire Felisha Gould as superintendent

Board selects Felisha Gould as superintendent during a special meeting, where nearly 20 attendees speak in support of fellow finalist Kristen Prough.
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com

This former board member seems like a real gem......and of course his election opponent Weinstein was/is a complete jobroni and a nerd.....

www.beaconjournal.com

Suit accuses failed Ohio Senate candidate Jon Leissler of embezzling $4.1M from employer

Former Republican Ohio Senate candidate Jonathan Leissler of Stow is being sued over accusations that he stole $4.1 million from his former employer.
www.beaconjournal.com www.beaconjournal.com
 
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Look guys In reality Stow isn’t that bad. It’s true that they are 3-7 this year and there is a new superintendent but in defense they are #58 in D2 and #256 overall there are about 700 overall teams and 100 D2 teams. Next year I expect them to be a 6-4 team.
Here’s my predictions
Week 1 Medina W 35-21
Week 2 Barberton W 35-14
Week 3 JFK if doesn’t change W 49-7
Week 4 Hudson L 10-21
Week 5 Solon L 42-14
Week 6 Breaksville W 42-28
Week 7 North Royalton L 52-21
Week 8 Wadsworth L 35-21
Week 9 Nordonia W 28-21
Week 10 Twinsburg W 10-7
Week 11 11 Seed Stow VS 6 Seed Green W 42-35
Week 12 11 Seed Stow VS 3 Seed Solon L 38-14
 
smash mouth 34 said:
Give us the cliffs notes?
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In the October 12th meeting the 4 woke women were so obnoxious and disrespectful to the man who is definitely aligned more to the right that they refused to let him speak. He had to address his concerns during the public comments portion of the meeting.
 
gusterboy said:
Agree the football team should improve. HC is doing a lot of the right things to build a program.
However, he needs to find better assistants.
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The AD did force a couple of decent coordinators on him this year- Larlham and another guy whose name I can't remember.
 
AntiHobanFan#1 said:
Do you know about Stows strength coach because if he’s not good maybe that’s the issue because when Hoban lost theirs they were worse like losing to Avon 35-10
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I'm not sure they even have a strength coach. Up until the recent construction of the field house, they barely had a weight room. I understand the new weight room is better but not great.
 
smash mouth 34 said:
Smoove came on here to talk about some Stow football? Where you been hiding brotha? Johnny J's on Manchester Rd.?
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NAH, Chieftan, just chillin', my brothren!! Goot to hear from you, Smash! What you been doin' to stay outta trouble, my man?! Smoove beent tryin' ta heal up Smoove's elbow, y'all, makes it rilly tough to type when Smoove's elbow in a soft cast. Do not aks whatcht happenated to Smoove....no one gonna believeate it anyhows. So did anyones go down to Canton and watch some ball last weekend? It was too dang cold for Smoove. Smoove kinda a fair weather friend when it come to that stuff. Unless Smoove gots a nice young chickie sittin' on Smoove's lap to keep Smoove warm, along wit' a tumbler of hootch, seein' Smoove out in tha cold ain't gonna happenate!

BTW, Smoove don't hang at that Johnny J's nomore. Smoove like the Johnny J's in Springtucky much betterer! If Smoove gonna hang on Manchester ORad, Smoove hangin' at The Basement! WORD and SPit tha TRUTH! how you beent?
 
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