2024 St. Ignatius Football

Doublehelix said:
True, but football is an enormous part of the identity at both of these schools. It's more important.
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Exactly. And the conversation is around why is football struggling these days.

The dynamics of all the other sports are are much more similar to one another than they are to football. All the other sports can follow a similar blueprint for success. But football's blueprint is much different. Reliance on the feeder schools to provide that solid base of talent and supplementing it with a handful of public middle school superstars isn't going to cut it any longer.

Iggy fans can tell me I'm full of BS. And I am most of the time. But I know what I'm talking about here. You can shoot the messenger if you'd like. Won't bother me. But you'd just be sticking you head in the sand.

I strongly believe that NE Ohio high school football is more fun when Ignatius is good. Would like to see it happen again. But it won't until some changes are made.
 
bluengold said:
2000 to 2022: steady decline
.. 2005: ~40,000 students
.. 2010: ~35,000 students in ~110 schools
.. 2014: ~30,000 students
.. 2022: ~26,000 students in ~90 schools

2022 to 2024: some growth
.. 2024: ~28,500 students
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Really incredible numbers. I didn’t realize enrollment went down that much. Different ethnic groups (much more diverse now compared to even 10-15 years ago) as well now in the city and inner ring burb CYO schools, with groups that are less likely to play football (which is my theory on OLA not having a team and some others).

Catholic grade schools are about to take a nosedive in enrollment in my opinion. The younger millennial and older gen Zers are now in their 20s. Even if they have kids, the financials are just not going to be there. If you plan on sending your kid to Ignatius, it’s wise to save the money on 9 years of grade school. I know a lot of families that are doing that already and think in the next 10 years it’s going to really pick up.

The high schools have gone a completely different direction from the grade schools
 
It can’t just be a coincidence that the football program is the only major sports program struggling mightily at Ignatius.

The schedule is a major issue, as is playing on Friday nights. Those are two somewhat fixable roadblocks.

And Ignatius may have talent but they can’t keep playing their JV against varsity teams.
 
David Wooderson said:
Exactly. And the conversation is around why is football struggling these days.

The dynamics of all the other sports are are much more similar to one another than they are to football. All the other sports can follow a similar blueprint for success. But football's blueprint is much different. Reliance on the feeder schools to provide that solid base of talent and supplementing it with a handful of public middle school superstars isn't going to cut it any longer.

Iggy fans can tell me I'm full of BS. And I am most of the time. But I know what I'm talking about here. You can shoot the messenger if you'd like. Won't bother me. But you'd just be sticking you head in the sand.

I strongly believe that NE Ohio high school football is more fun when Ignatius is good. Would like to see it happen again. But it won't until some changes are made.
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It's interesting the dynamic between the north and south.

St X and especially Moe have branched out considerably from the feeder talent. They are literally pulling kids from everywhere. The east and northern part of Cincinnati are consolidating to X, Moe, Winton Woods, Lakota West and Princeton. Literally all of the talent heading to one of 5 schools, with Moe really leading the pack with athletes across all the sports.

Elder has stuck to its guns with really just targeting Catholic feeder kids. They have branched out a little bit, but they're pulling in very little non-Catholic feeder talent. You can tell when they play the schools mentioned above. They hang in there, but the talent difference has become glaring.

Interested to hear what else you think Iggy has to do if they are already using their feeder base and pulling in outside talent. Do you think they need more, or referring to something else?
 
ColinCat said:
All of Ohio is weak with the exception of maybe 15 schools. D1 is incredibly down.
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Have noticed this as well and I think it will get worse honestly.

The best talent is consolidating to like 10 schools state-wide. It's like forming its own BCS.

Mentor
Eds
Pick Central
Pick North
Gahanna
Moe
St X
Lakota West
Winton Woods
Princeton
Springfield

Not sure the Dayton region will compete for state titles anytime soon, outside of Springfield. Elder and Iggy now on the outside looking in.
 
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Doublehelix said:
Have noticed this as well and I think it will get worse honestly.

The best talent is consolidating to like 10 schools state-wide. It's like forming its own BCS.

Mentor
Eds
Pick Central
Pick North
Gahanna
Moe
St X
Lakota West
Winton Woods
Princeton

Not sure the Dayton region will compete for state titles anytime soon. Elder and Iggy now on the outside looking in.
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Say what you want, but Colerain falling off is not good for Ohio football.

Same with Warren Harding, McKinley, etc.

Ignatius is a huge, wealthy, all boys school. Being down in football almost seems impossible. Especially this down.
 
Doublehelix said:
It's interesting the dynamic between the north and south.

St X and especially Moe have branched out considerably from the feeder talent. They are literally pulling kids from everywhere. The east and northern part of Cincinnati are consolidating to X, Moe, Winton Woods, Lakota West and Princeton. Literally all of the talent heading to one of 5 schools, with Moe really leading the pack with athletes across all the sports.

Elder has stuck to its guns with really just targeting Catholic feeder kids. They have branched out a little bit, but they're pulling in very little non-Catholic feeder talent. You can tell when they play the schools mentioned above. They hang in there, but the talent difference has become glaring.

Interested to hear what else you think Iggy has to do if they are already using their feeder base and pulling in outside talent. Do you think they need more, or referring to something else?
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The concept of feeder schools does not apply to Ignatius. The school draws, and has always drawn, from all over NE Ohio. More infamously the school and its football team was labeled the Seven County All-Stars. When I went to Ignatius in the olden days (the early 60's), the school's enrollment was topped at around 1160. It was the perfect number. St. Joes at that time was 2000+, Eds was 1500 students. When I had to decide where to go to high school (or I should say where my parents decided where I should go), one factor was that Eds was too darn crowded with students. I have trouble imagining where Ignatius is putting 1500 kids.
 
Doublehelix said:
Have noticed this as well and I think it will get worse honestly.

The best talent is consolidating to like 10 schools state-wide. It's like forming its own BCS.

Mentor
Eds
Pick Central
Pick North
Gahanna
Moe
St X
Lakota West
Winton Woods
Princeton
Springfield

Not sure the Dayton region will compete for state titles anytime soon, outside of Springfield. Elder and Iggy now on the outside looking in.
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Glenville
Hoban
VASJ
 
arizonawildcat said:
One significant difference between Elder and Ignatius is that Elder needs more students while Ignatius has way too many. IMO, Ignatius should diminish is enrollment by 200-300 students.
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I agree. I think the school has too many kids and don't get me started on the tuition. No HS is worth the same price as a college. It's become a joke and something I'm embarrassed by - tuition that is.
 
arizonawildcat said:
The concept of feeder schools does not apply to Ignatius. The school draws, and has always drawn, from all over NE Ohio. More infamously the school and its football team was labeled the Seven County All-Stars. When I went to Ignatius in the olden days (the early 60's), the school's enrollment was topped at around 1160. It was the perfect number. St. Joes at that time was 2000+, Eds was 1500 students. When I had to decide where to go to high school (or I should say where my parents decided where I should go), one factor was that Eds was too darn crowded with students. I have trouble imagining where Ignatius is putting 1500 kids.
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Jesu in University Hts use to send most of its football players to iggy, Benny and latin
 
PDC said:
True. I do wonder what he is thinking after all of the lopsided losses, not being on the winning side of the Holy War, etc.
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From a pretty reliable source, his father was the driving force behind the move. Thought his son should have been named a starter. When he wasn't, decided to look around and pulled the plug.
 
David Wooderson said:
I get it. You are taking the moral high road. But the conversation isn't about whether Iggy is a great school with a great mission or not. I don't think many here could craft an argument that would suggest that it isn't. The conversation is around why they have declined in football. And if they want to be good again in football, they will have to adapt to what is happening at their traditional feeder schools.
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No moral high ground just stating facts.Outside of the people on this board and the parents who have kids in the program, no one cares if the football team is good, bad or somewhere in the middle. Ignatius does not need to adapt to what is happening in the Catholic grade schools. Enrollment is @ 1,500 kids. Ignatius is not going to stretch its enrollment standards because athletics are down.
 
PDC said:
Say what you want, but Colerain falling off is not good for Ohio football.
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How much does a head football coach weigh in on Colerain's success over the years. Tom Bolden heads to Lakota West 9 days after losing to St. Ed's in the state finals in 2018, and Colerain's football program heads south.
 
Eagles74 said:
From a pretty reliable source, his father was the driving force behind the move. Thought his son should have been named a starter. When he wasn't, decided to look around and pulled the plug.
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Apologies in advance, but who is it that we are talking about here ? The kid who moved to Florida ?
 
arizonawildcat said:
The concept of feeder schools does not apply to Ignatius. The school draws, and has always drawn, from all over NE Ohio. More infamously the school and its football team was labeled the Seven County All-Stars. When I went to Ignatius in the olden days (the early 60's), the school's enrollment was topped at around 1160. It was the perfect number. St. Joes at that time was 2000+, Eds was 1500 students. When I had to decide where to go to high school (or I should say where my parents decided where I should go), one factor was that Eds was too darn crowded with students. I have trouble imagining where Ignatius is putting 1500 kids.
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And Cathedral Latin/Benedictine were probably around 800-1000 guys as well.
 
Eagles74 said:
From a pretty reliable source, his father was the driving force behind the move. Thought his son should have been named a starter. When he wasn't, decided to look around and pulled the plug.
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Sad that some dads have to ruin their son's sports lives!
Similiar to the kid from Nordonia that went to Walsh back to Nordonia and then an apartment in Brunswick, his life went South from there and a terrible ending!
 
hsfan60 said:
Sad that some dads have to ruin their son's sports lives!
Similiar to the kid from Nordonia that went to Walsh back to Nordonia and then an apartment in Brunswick, his life went South from there and a terrible ending!
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No idea what scenario you’re referencing, but I think the kid that made one transfer after his Freshman year to Ignatius of all places will be ok.
 
Honestly I do get it. If your kid is decent at sports and you live on the Eastside, why not go to Benedictine or VASJ where you know you'll play and not worry about what I'll call the "politics" of navigating Ignatius? All for less $$$ by a lot.
 
jam40jeff said:
The biggest thing hurting CYO is all the travel sports. Everyone wants their third grader to dedicate to one sport year round, and even during the CYO season for that sport, some of the best players are choosing to only do travel and not CYO, and then do no other sports.

It's not just football, either. Soccer and volleyball are big into this now, too.
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Maybe the proliferation of 7 on 7 travel teams will turn that around.
 
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