IVC 2022

Garaway is the Favorite, but would not be shocked if IV wins. Wood has to replace a lot. SV Claymont and TV looking to get up into the top 3. Why does everyone think to be successful you have to win state championships? The MAC and Kirtland are right now the best teams in the state period. If you are judging teams based of them, then yes all other teams are bad.
Heard that, 3 tiers, Bad teams, great teams, then there are teams that are the standards for everyone else.
 
Ridgewood has 7 playoff victories over the last 4 seasons, 2 of which were the result of expanded playoffs against teams that didn't even have winning records. But even if we give them 7, that is still averaging less than 2 playoff victories a year. I'm sorry but that is NOT a great program. There are teams that will get 6 playoff victories this year alone.

Secondly, I agree with you that there was bad luck with Tingle's injury but that actually proves my point. Great programs aren't so reliant on a single player. Ridgewood is a good program. The best in the IVC. The last few years they raised their game due to having a single player that they normally don't have. It sucks that they didn't get a chance to take advantage of Tingle.
2 wins over teams with losing records or not, 2 regional championship appearences in 3 years speak for themselves. How you can argue that is beyond me. Teams wait years on years to get to a regional championship to do that 2 out of 3 years is special. 28 straight regular season wins that's hard to do playing against yourselves. When you go 10-2 and thats a dissapointing year for a program, you know that there is something different about them than everyone else. I think you're saying kirtlands the coldwaters of high school football are great programs which they are but they're on a whole different pedestal than everyone else. They're the standards for every program. They're what every program wants to be some day.
 
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Ridgewood has 7 playoff victories over the last 4 seasons, 2 of which were the result of expanded playoffs against teams that didn't even have winning records. But even if we give them 7, that is still averaging less than 2 playoff victories a year. I'm sorry but that is NOT a great program. There are teams that will get 6 playoff victories this year alone.

Secondly, I agree with you that there was bad luck with Tingle's injury but that actually proves my point. Great programs aren't so reliant on a single player. Ridgewood is a good program. The best in the IVC. The last few years they raised their game due to having a single player that they normally don't have. It sucks that they didn't get a chance to take advantage of Tingle.
And to say that just because a team is so reliant on a player doesn't make them a great team is crazy in my opinion especially in todays day and age. The offenses that are ran are relied on that position. It's not like division 5 is like 1/2/3 where you have a kid that is able to hit the ground running with no stumbles. I mean the kids thrown for over 1,500 yards the past 4 years that's 1,500 yards that are going to someone else too, it's not like he's running the ball for 1,500 yards alone. Not to mention we are talking about just a offense and not a defense which arguably was the best defense in the state in divison 5 last year.

You're entitled to you own opinion I understand but I can't get myself to agree with you on it lol.
 
Just my opinion, but If you've got 100+ teams in the division and you're one of the last 16 playing in a regional semi finals... you're great. It used to be you had to be good to make the playoffs. Now I think the benchmark is you need to win a couple playoff games, thanks to the OHSAA moneygrabbing round.
 
2 wins over teams with losing records or not, 2 regional championship appearences in 3 years speak for themselves. How you can argue that is beyond me. Teams wait for years on years to get to a regional championship to do that in 2 out of 3 years thats special. 28 straight regular season wins that's hard to do playing against yourselves. When you go 10-2 and thats a dissapointing year for a program, you know that there is something different about them than everyone else. I think you're saying kirtlands the coldwaters of high school football are great programs which they are but they're on a whole different pedestal than everyone else. They're the standards for every program. They're what every program wants to be some day.
I will use the college football analogy. Which college football programs would you say are great over the last 20 years? Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson, LSU, Oklahoma and there are probably others.

But would you call Wisconsin great? They are always good. They win a lot of games. They've won the Big Ten. They had a special player in Russell Wilson that one year that took them to new heights. That's who Ridgewood is. A well respected, good football program.

The great small school programs are the Kirtlands, Maion Locals, Coldwaters, Mogadores, Newark Catholics, Irontons of the world. It's an exclusive club.
 
Just my opinion, but If you've got 100+ teams in the division and you're one of the last 16 playing in a regional semi finals... you're great. It used to be you had to be good to make the playoffs. Now I think the benchmark is you need to win a couple playoff games, thanks to the OHSAA moneygrabbing round.
Ridgewood has advanced to the regional semifinals 6 times in the last 20 years.
 
I went back and looked at the last 10 years. Here is the number of playoff wins for each IVC team. I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

Ridgewood - 8
Garaway - 7
Indian Valley - 5
Malvern - 3
Sandy Valley - 2
East Canton - 2
Buckeye Trail - 0
Claymont - 0
Newcomerstown - 0
Strasburg - 0
TCC - 0
Tusky Valley - 0
 
Ridgewood has advanced to the regional semifinals 6 times in the last 20 years.
And they were great those years! But this year’s was a 9-2 one and done team compared to those. They’ll be back, but 2021 Ridgewood was just on the ridge of being good when it mattered most.
 
And they were great those years! But this year’s was a 9-2 one and done team compared to those. They’ll be back, but 2021 Ridgewood was just on the ridge of being good when it mattered most.
So 6 great years and 14 good years. So I'm no math major but that sure seems like that would equal out to being a good program.
 
And they were great those years! But this year’s was a 9-2 one and done team compared to those. They’ll be back, but 2021 Ridgewood was just on the ridge of being good when it mattered most.
10-2 was a good year. Lost 2 games to quality opponents. Garaway on a tipped ball at the 10 with Tingle driving for the win. Had no business being in that game losing turnover battle 4-0. Wheelersburg again driving and a fumble lost ends a drive. Turnovers and penalties were an issue for Ridgewood this year. They will be fine going forward and as I believe Garaway and IV will be favorites next season. Don't be shocked if Ridgewood finds a way to win one or both of those games.
 
So 6 great years and 14 good years. So I'm no math major but that sure seems like that would equal out to being a good program.
Sure, but clear where their ceiling is at this point. Need to up the schedule to improve.
The team they lost to in the first real round of the playoffs won the next week by beating Ironton 17-14, who was the same team that they originally lost to in week 1 6-40.

Why did that happen? I think 1 big reason was their schedules. On the same day Wheelersburg was playing 10-3 d3 Jackson and losing and getting better, Ridgewood was beating 5-4 d6 E Canton.

Some programs are scheduling so they can compete in the tournament, most teams schedule so they can get into the tournament. I would argue Ridgewood is in th 2nd group when they should clearly be in the 1st. Especially now that the OH$AA has added another round.

Just my 2 cents, but IVC will get more respect as a conference and more success in the tournament when all it’s best programs challenge themselves by scheduling up. River View doesn’t prepare you for Wheelersburg.

Garaway gets it, they played 3 playoff teams in their non league. It certainly helped when they did end up playing Ridgewood. And when they won a real playoff game.
 
Sure, but clear where their ceiling is at this point. Need to up the schedule to improve.
The team they lost to in the first real round of the playoffs won the next week by beating Ironton 17-14, who was the same team that they originally lost to in week 1 6-40.

Why did that happen? I think 1 big reason was their schedules. On the same day Wheelersburg was playing 10-3 d3 Jackson and losing and getting better, Ridgewood was beating 5-4 d6 E Canton.

Some programs are scheduling so they can compete in the tournament, most teams schedule so they can get into the tournament. I would argue Ridgewood is in th 2nd group when they should clearly be in the 1st. Especially now that the OH$AA has added another round.

Just my 2 cents, but IVC will get more respect as a conference and more success in the tournament when all it’s best programs challenge themselves by scheduling up. River View doesn’t prepare you for Wheelersburg.

Garaway gets it, they played 3 playoff teams in their non league. It certainly helped when they did end up playing Ridgewood. And when they won a real playoff game.
Not as easy as it seems Ridgewood called John Glenn to schedule them on the schedule this year they declined to play, then went and picked up the Garaway contract. Tried picking up Fort Frye they never got back so we ended up picking up Dalton without your starting quarterback in a close game. Garaway game was a close game, East Canton or not Ridgewood played with their 4th and 5th string quarterback with multiple injuries and covid issues. If these games don't make you battle tested then I don't know what will?
 
I agree with journey, would love to see Ridgewood schedule john glenn, waynedale and dalton. Believe it would make them more battle tested than Coshocton and Marlington and River View. Although I think they did play Dalton. The Ironton Wheelersburg theory doesnt really make sense though, Ironton played Jackson, Wheelersburg and Moeller and somehow lost to Wheelersburg. You would think Ironton would have gotten better too. But I do believe that Garaway has made their schedule so much better than Sandy, Ridgewood and Indian Valley and thats why you see them dominating the league. Also a little help from the transfer portal
 
I agree with journey, would love to see Ridgewood schedule john glenn, waynedale and dalton. Believe it would make them more battle tested than Coshocton and Marlington and River View. Although I think they did play Dalton. The Ironton Wheelersburg theory doesnt really make sense though, Ironton played Jackson, Wheelersburg and Moeller and somehow lost to Wheelersburg. You would think Ironton would have gotten better too. But I do believe that Garaway has made their schedule so much better than Sandy, Ridgewood and Indian Valley and thats why you see them dominating the league. Also a little help from the transfer portal
Well you'll be happy to know that Ridgewood has dropped their week 4 IVC crossover and picked up West Branch in week 4. That'll be a veru tough matchup for the Generals.

What would be really nice is if all six programs in the IVC South could get their programs rolling and we have good matchups each week of league play.
 
Have always wondered about Dover and Philly also, why do they schedule so bad. They have Massillon, Hoban and ASVM nearby and they schedule stuebenville a Division 4 school?
 
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yes Ridgewood will lose to West Branch, but it will pay dividends when they beat Garaway at the end. Playing two schools from Division 3 should gurantee a week 10 ten victory and more playoff wins.
 
yes Ridgewood will lose to West Branch, but it will pay dividends when they beat Garaway at the end. Playing two schools from Division 3 should gurantee a week 10 ten victory and more playoff wins.
Divisons have nothing to do with it. It's about playing GOOD teams. Dalton was DVII and playing them helped Garaway a bunch.

BTW, West Branch is a DIV team.
 
I have often thought one of the teams from the ivc north should play the first five games against the ivc south. That schedule would make them unbeatable in their league and provide for a long playoff run
 
Btw, Garaway also added Carrolton next year, who only lost two games.
Yes they did. But to the point of divisions, I kind of wish Garaway would've added DVII Lucas simply because playing Lucas would do about as good of a job as possible for preparing you to play Kirtland.

They don't run the same systems but playing a team that is going to run at you every single play and try to methodically beat you probably would've been really good preparation for playing Kirtland or at least the best you could get. Playing a good spread team does nothing to prepare you for Kirtland. I'm not sure what Carrollton does offensively though.
 
Have always wondered about Dover and Philly also, why do they schedule so bad. They have Massillon, Hoban and ASVM nearby and they schedule stuebenville a Division 4 school?
Literally the hottest take I think I've ever read...

Steubenville, who is d3 btw, has won more playoff games than the entire IVC combined has even played in... Dover played 4 playoff teams in their own region, and a d1 team and some privates. Phila too is nutting up with friggen Chardon who's playing today for the d3 title, and played Canfield who will probably have given Chardon their closest game all year, Likely the #1 and #2 best teams in the division. And they're joining the OCC that has Wooster and Ashland and Mansfield in it. Give me a break.

If Ridgewood's scheduling mirrored the way Dover and Phila's does, their schedule would look like this-

week 1 Dover-Lake Catholic. RW-CVCA (private school 1 division lower)
week 2 Dover-Canfield. RW-Ironton (playoff team in region)
week 3 Dover-IV RW-Mogadore (playoff team 1 division lower)
week 4-Dover-Akron East RW-Manchester (playoff team in region)
week 5 Dover-Steubenville RW-Piketon(playoff team in region)
week 6 Dover-Warren RW-East Canton (public 1 division lower)
week 7 Dover- Strongsville RW-New Phila (good public 2 divisions higher)
week 8-Dover-Marietta RW-West Muskingum (same division)
week 9 Dover- Linsley RW-Valley Christian School (private 2 divisions lower)
Week 10 Dover-NP RW-Garaway (rivalry)

Compare that to who Ridgewood does play and you can see how silly you sound.
 
I believe you are right journey, no argument from me. but why the lack of success if the schedule is so daunting. Who has more playoff wins in the last ten years, more regional final appearances, state finals? not questioning the comparison, there is none. Just am not seeing the results from such a schedule. Look at West Holmes, thats a schedule, and the results show
 
week 1 Dover-Lake Catholic. RW-CVCA (private school 1 division lower)
week 2 Dover-Canfield. RW-Ironton (playoff team in region)
week 3 Dover-IV RW-Mogadore (playoff team 1 division lower)
week 4-Dover-Akron East RW-Manchester (playoff team in region)
week 5 Dover-Steubenville RW-Piketon(playoff team in region)
week 6 Dover-Warren RW-East Canton (public 1 division lower)
week 7 Dover- Strongsville RW-New Phila (good public 2 divisions higher)
week 8-Dover-Marietta RW-West Muskingum (same division)
week 9 Dover- Linsley RW-Valley Christian School (private 2 divisions lower)
Week 10 Dover-NP RW-Garaway (rivalry)
btw
week 1 Ridgewood-Coshocton (same Division) A school that has been good but wasnt this year, like lake catholic
week 2 Ridgewood- River View see week 8 for Dover only a division bigger
week 3 Ridgewood- Marlington see week 7 for Dover, Strongsville was better though. Ridgewood scrimmaged them
week 4 Ridgewood Dalton See week 9 for Dover only Dalton was better
week 5 Ridgewood East Canton See week 3 for dover
Week 6 Ridgewood Tusky valley See week 6 for Dover
Week 7 Ridgewood Sandy Valley See week 5 for Dover
Week 8 Ridgewood Indian Valley See week 2 for Dover only a division bigger for Wood
week 9 Ridgewood Claymont no week comparable
week 10 Ridgewood Garaway Ill say week 10, although I think Garaway is better
 
OCC is like the exact opposite of the IVC… it has parity. Something Ridgewood has lacked most years. It’s like when Louisville was in the NBC…. Difference there was everyone knew it was Louisville’s problem. Some Ridgewood fans seem to be happy being the big fish in the small pond.
 
btw
week 1 Ridgewood-Coshocton (same Division) A school that has been good but wasnt this year, like lake catholic
sorry I only made it this far, comparing lake Catholic's 3 state titles and 22 tournament appearances to Coshocton who made it last in like 2016 and who has like 2 regional title appearances made me realize it wasn't worth the effort.
 
IMO the 2 big dogs of the IVC should play dover and phila every year those teams schedule teams smaller than them most of the time.. you’re telling me garaway wouldn’t be a better opponent then buchtel? and it would benefit garaway playing a d3 probably that’s just as good or alittle worse next year
 
I didnt mean to attack you or anyone else. I just gave my opinion, is it a good opinion?? Well I am on a chatboard, that should answer your question. I agree that Ridgewood is not great or even superior to the IVC, have they ever won a league title in anything other than football? enrollment wise they are middle of the pack, I get your opinion and enjoy most of your posts, just had a different idea.
 
I just get a little annoyed because TV, Strasburg and Newcomersrown used to be some of the premier programs in the area, but getting beat up on for 20 years because of their schedules has left them as shells of their former selves. And it has also held back the Ridgewoods and Garaways too! Lazy scheduling hurts everyone.

Jeff Cook, Ron Hurst and Dale Martini built programs that almost don’t exist anymore.
 
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