Congratulations to the Hiland Hawks on winning State Title Number 6!!! Shows what hard work can do. It's no accident Hiland wins. This spring and summer when others were hiding in fear they put in work!!! They were will to do what other weren't!!!! Congratulations!!!
Congratulations to the Hiland Hawks on winning State Title Number 6!!! Shows what hard work can do. It's no accident Hiland wins. This spring and summer when others were hiding in fear they put in work!!! They were will to do what other weren't!!!! Congratulations!!!
While I agree that the "hiding in fear" comment was out of line, to jump from that to implying cheating is a big leap with no real info.Are you inadvertently implying that Hiland cheated in some fashion? GREENDAY beat me to it, but recall that the OHSAA declared all school athletic facilities and physical contact b/w coaches and players off limits until early June. My school took it a step further and told us that any coach violating the OHSAA's ban would be terminated with no questions asked. My school's girls basketball team began practicing as soon as the OHSAA ban was lifted. They won 7 games. It wasn't due to them "hiding in fear."
You got every reason to be excited about Hiland's victory, and I'm happy for them, too. It would've been cool to see them play Waynedale in the final, a la baseball a few years ago. To claim others were "hiding in fear" is simply asinine though.
While I agree that the "hiding in fear" comment was out of line, to jump from that to implying cheating is a big leap with no real info.
You can go to wklmfm.com to the state championship celebration and listen to players and coaches talk about what they did last summer. Hint: it wasnt cheating. It was something a little more old fashioned and virtuous.
While I agree that the "hiding in fear" comment was out of line, to jump from that to implying cheating is a big leap with no real info.
You can go to wklmfm.com to the state championship celebration and listen to players and coaches talk about what they did last summer. Hint: it wasnt cheating. It was something a little more old fashioned and virtuous.
Well, I'm perhaps jaded by history. Because every time some team gets their arse kicked, or just some general fan looks at their success, this crap comes out.IVVGuy - to be clear - I don’t think anyone is referring to the summer.
You mentioned that there is no real info - but there is. After the game - numerous players and Coach Schlabach openly discussed how they started practicing immediately (one player even said “in March”) after the state tournament was cancelled last year. I admire this work ethic - the problem is that it was 100% illegal and cheating - because the state was CLEARLY (no debating this AT ALL) in a no-contact period for months (until summer).
Then - to top it off - the now much-discussed Indiana trips....the state also clearly laid out that once skillwork was allowed to start, teams were not allowed to scrimmage or play other teams. What does Hiland do? They take an “AAU team” named the Hawks - made up of all Hiland players to Indiana to play (eventually the rule was changed and teams were allowed to a scrimmage).
One basketball fan’s (me) thoughts:
Hiland was far and away the best team in D3. They had a special group of players and coaches. This was not because they were the most athletic or physically gifted or even particularly lucky. It was because they worked hard and bought into a special mission - one that they ultimately accomplished. They played a tough schedule - developed depth - won close games - bought into their roles. With that being said - they didn’t need to do what they did in the spring and early summer (while darn near everyone else in Ohio was following the rules) to win a state title this year.
The powers that be and most basketball fans in Ohio don’t seem to care - so no worries. Leave other schools (who were following the rules) out of it though. It doesn’t mean anyone is hating on Hiland’s championship or suggesting that they don’t work extremely hard - it’s simply saying that after winning a state title (which they earned) - nobody wants to hear this story about how they worked so hard for a year (breaking the rules) while everyone else stayed at home “scared” of COVID.
Agreed.I don't know if any rules were broken, but I know what the rules were from the middle of last March to early June. The poster to whom I was responding appeared to imply that the Lady Hawks had gone above and beyond those rules, so I asked a question. I don't know why the poster to whom I was responding had to dump on most everyone else who simply followed the rules that the OHSAA put into place for nearly 3 months. I'll say again that my school's team began training as soon as the OHSAA's ban was lifted. The fact that they won only 7 games (an increase over last year, BTW) was not due to "hiding in fear."
Lol. Well, you hit a nerve!I don't know what all some of you are talking about. I was referring to the people who wouldn't even let their kids go outside, let alone shoot outside. And kids working out on their own.
When you get into deep into the tournament, you notice that the officials allow more physical contact. Being strong with the ball becomes very important.They are so fun to watch and agree that it’s ridiculous that some completely shut things down all spring and summer then want to complain. One thing I like about Hiland and we saw It Saturday they play defense almost like it’s a football game and I am saying with every compliment intended. The area I am from the officials simply call games tighter and the kids are soft as butter. Heard the announcers say several times that OG was gonna have to adapt to the style the game was being called and never did and you could see the frustration early and never recovered. OG is very talented but the physicality of Hiland was just too much.
Yes sir you can see the time they have spent in the weight room. It still amazes me the number of coaches that still dont lift and YES you should even lift during the season. Coaches numbers are almost stupid good lol...major props to him, the kids and you cannot forget the PARENTS AND COMMUNITY because in today’s world everyone wants to whine and complain instead of just letting a person do there darn job!When you get into deep into the tournament, you notice that the officials allow more physical contact. Being strong with the ball becomes very important.
I dont know all of Dave's secrets, but 2 of them that he has shared are that "we intend to be the strongest team on the floor and the most skilled."
You get strong in the weight room and those kids work all year in there - even during the season. And they are ripped. And the skills thing comes from early teaching and a lot of repetition.
Some Hiland parents whine and complain too - they just keep it on the down low. Lol.Yes sir you can see the time they have spent in the weight room. It still amazes me the number of coaches that still dont lift and YES you should even lift during the season. Coaches numbers are almost stupid good lol...major props to him, the kids and you cannot forget the PARENTS AND COMMUNITY because in today’s world everyone wants to whine and complain instead of just letting a person do there darn job!
A common narrative? They recruit. All the successful programs do it, right? The numbers dont back that up. They get kids from adjacent school districts occasionally, but we are not talking about high talent kids usually. A very talented girl came from West Holmes 12 years ago, and, well, there it is. They clearly recruited her. Except that's not what happened. She wasnt happy where she was and her parents made a move to try to make her happy. But the point is, I count less than 5 high profile kids in the last 30 years that transferred in. If Hiland is recruiting, it is the one thing they are terrible at. Lol
Well, as far as I know, there were two girls that live outside the district that were on the 2020-21 team. The first one started at West Holmes, transferred in Jr High, and even though her mother moved to the west end of the county, she continued to open enroll. She was not an elite AAU player that transferred in late in her HS career, but rather a development kid since jr hi. The other one transferred from Garaway, after a coaching change there when she was a freshman or maybe a sophomore. As far as I know, every other kid on the team was from within the borders. But I don't know the families or history of all of those kids.Competitive Balance numbers for the 2021 Div III girls state tournament: Ottawa Glandorf 0, Waynedale 0, Hiland 17 and Purcell marian 56. Hiland's CB numbers the last four years have been 17, 13, 14 and 9. Hiland would likely have been in Div IV instead of Div III the last three years without the CB numbers. This year's Div IV state champ Fort Loramie had a CB of 0. Does Hiland recruit? Don't know. Do they benefit from transfers????
Just to clarify, the one to open enroll from Garaway was there for all of high school. I believe started in eighth (or maybe seventh) grade.Well, as far as I know, there were two girls that live outside the district that were on the 2020-21 team. The first one started at West Holmes, transferred in Jr High, and even though her mother moved to the west end of the county, she continued to open enroll. She was not an elite AAU player that transferred in late in her HS career, but rather a development kid since jr hi. The other one transferred from Garaway, after a coaching change there when she was a freshman or maybe a sophomore. As far as I know, every other kid on the team was from within the borders. But I don't know the families or history of all of those kids.
But my main point is that they are not recruiting elite AAU players to come onto the team - which is where competitive balance problems mainly arise from.
With some caution, I make the following comments. Garaway is the football program I root for and I have tons of friends that have coached, are coaching, and other employees of that district, as well as many people in the community and Pirate athletes.I liked what the OG coach said in the post game press conference. He said, "Coaches admire his program and what he has been able to accomplish". Gist of it. Yea, I think some admire the wins and championships but I think the majority admire his protection. He was able to run a demanding program there that most coaches can't run in other places. Look at Hiland's next door neighbor....Garaway...perfect example. Geoff Stevanus built the program with the help of David Borter (Dave Schlabach's current assistant), piled up almost 400 w's in 20 years....2 trips to columbus and last coach to win IVC outright other than Schlabach.....ran out of town in 1998-99 by parents. His protection ran out. Bardall had the girls program for 5 or 6 years. 2 trips to columbus. Ran out of town by parents. Now, garaway is on to it's 4th coach in the last 10 years.
Two programs a rock toss away with completely different cultures. Hats off to Dave and Dave for what they were able to accomplish in the last 30 years. Double hats off to the administration over the last 30 years for protecting them...from any crazy helicopter parents.