Biggest Surprises/Disappointments

I believe we will see spikes during regular season HS play and the tournament once things get back to "normal." I like to follow a couple of programs / coaches in Central Ohio. I am anticipating larger than normal student sections and more locals to attend games. Hopefully that will play itself out at the state tournament as well. I remember boards on JJ Huddle blasting programs for their AAU connections. I do not have a horse in the race anymore. I just want to watch live football and basketball next season. Some of the streaming was a bit sketchy at times depending on the program.
 
What teams do you consider AAU teams just curious? SVSM and who else? Some of the lower division schools?
You haven't been following along in the Richmond Heights thread have you? We have discussed teams from almost 10 years ago that have had people move in and things like that because of a coach. Go read through that thread for the discussion.
 
The "debate" board is already a cancerous tumor to the site in general, regardless of political affiliation. No need to have it spread further lol.

My personal surprise was seeing TCC advance to the regional semis even though their regular season wasn't the best. They also played really close to Buchtel until that string of turnovers effectively put them out of reach. Gets me excited for what's next to come. I really hope Chico Johnson stays and that I can go back to Elida's gorgeous fieldhouse sooner than later.
 
Ah yes, finding out if your kid has contracted the virus that is known to cause MIS-C as well as the disease that has killed 500K+ Americans is a “disappointment.”
You are a truly misled if you still think the 500k Americans died from Covid alone. Heart disease w/covid, cancer w/covid, old age w/covid, previous poor health w/covid, car accident w/covid, have all been proven included in stats. Major portion of the number was fighting to live past 2021 regardless. The common cold was a deadly threat for many of them.

IT IS A MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT THIS COUNTRY WENT THRU WHAT IT HAS IN THR LAST 12 MONTHS.
 
Couple things to note re: attendance...

1) There were at least two schools who participated in the D2 and D3 finals that encouraged their fans to watch at home via TV or streaming. Those schools were likely following the lead that was set from the beginning: focus on getting parents and family to the games first, and whatever is left should have students as first-priority. AD's are not ticket salesmen for OHSAA tournaments beyond plugging a URL link to order out of. You expect them to hustle out codes?

2) The only chance OHSAA really had to capitalize on the unsold tickets was to make 11th-hour announcements on social media. It is very lofty to expect to attain many fans from the General Public on a couple-hours notice, to attend games at a site that -- in many cases -- was further away from where they lived compared to where the games were held in the previous years.

3) The games were played on Sunday. What do you expect?
I went to the state tournament for 26 consecutive years until last year and this is largely the reason why I didn't go again this year. I would have considered going down just for one day to say I was able to go, but only if I had assurances that I could get a ticket for all four games since I live an hour and a half away to make it worth my while. And as we saw, that wouldn't have been possible since each day had at least one game sold out.
 
That is not the case. The tickets that were given to playing schools where open to general public if not all sold. Every head coach and athletic department was given codes to purchase tickets and could have sent them to anyone. The only limit was on the total tickets per event but each event had the same total available.
I wanted to go to the games but I didn't want to have to purchase 2 seats to go... Also I didn't want to have to sit in the top level. For many it wasn't worth the hassle I just watched it via my TV in my recliner with my beer. Great experience!!
 
I wanted to go to the games but I didn't want to have to purchase 2 seats to go... Also I didn't want to have to sit in the top level. For many it wasn't worth the hassle I just watched it via my TV in my recliner with my beer. Great experience!!
Same here but if I have a disappointment it's how bad the video was on Spectrum watching the state games. It was blurry and I saw HS broadcasts with better picture than what the OHSAA tournament was. It's 2021 and they couldn't get a decent picture.
 
I wanted to go to the games but I didn't want to have to purchase 2 seats to go... Also I didn't want to have to sit in the top level. For many it wasn't worth the hassle I just watched it via my TV in my recliner with my beer. Great experience!!
Good for you. It doesn't change the disappointing fact that almost 700 seats were empty for the pinnacle event of a high school basketball players career and the emerging reality that less and less people care about certain teams. They could move the finals to Rupp Arena and if my school was playing I would be there. Plenty of time for a beer afterwards.
 
Good for you. It doesn't change the disappointing fact that almost 700 seats were empty for the pinnacle event of a high school basketball players career and the emerging reality that less and less people care about certain teams. They could move the finals to Rupp Arena and if my school was playing I would be there. Plenty of time for a beer afterwards.
Good for you...
 
You are a truly misled if you still think the 500k Americans died from Covid alone. Heart disease w/covid, cancer w/covid, old age w/covid, previous poor health w/covid, car accident w/covid, have all been proven included in stats. Major portion of the number was fighting to live past 2021 regardless. The common cold was a deadly threat for many of them.

IT IS A MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT THIS COUNTRY WENT THRU WHAT IT HAS IN THR LAST 12 MONTHS.
I think you mean the last four years.
 
Biggest Surprise:

Gilmour Academy (11-10)

It's always good to see a Cinderella story in high school basketball. The Lancers had a 7-9 record going into postseason play and seeded #10, and also came off their second quarantine of the season.

Once the postseason began, they picked up some huge wins. They beat Warrensville Heights (a very tough out in postseason play and district champs last year), on their home court, and then beat Padua at home in a grind-it-out contest to qualify for regionals for the first time since 1997.

They also beat a really talented Chaney team before falling to the eventual state champs SVSM in the regional final.

Three standouts from that team include potential MLB draft pick Ben DeMell (Penn State commit), Ryan Mueller (junior), and Andre Rodgers (senior). Rodgers hit the game-winning basket against Warrensville Heights, Mueller had the go-ahead bucket against Padua, and DeMell had some huge contributions against Padua and Chaney.
 
Speaking of AAU teams, Rossford has to be the most over hyped over rated sectional champ of all time. That staff has state championship level social media, pre-game videos, swag and introductions, but are an epic fail at everything else.
That thud you just heard was the poorly built Rossford super team imploding. Mass defections of 3 starters and only home grown kids, top 8 kids, deciding not to play because of the superstar treatment of the out of district kids. When will that administration/board get it? I guess when you fully buy yourself into the district you'll be allowed to do anything with no recourse. If I was a head high school coach and I had kids on that Turf team, I'd be keeping my eye on my players, beware Defiance, SJJ and Tiffin Columbian.
 
That thud you just heard was the poorly built Rossford super team imploding. Mass defections of 3 starters and only home grown kids, top 8 kids, deciding not to play because of the superstar treatment of the out of district kids. When will that administration/board get it? I guess when you fully buy yourself into the district you'll be allowed to do anything with no recourse. If I was a head high school coach and I had kids on that Turf team, I'd be keeping my eye on my players, beware Defiance, SJJ and Tiffin Columbian.
Who all left and to where?
 
Boravicks to Swanton
Deweese back to Eastwood.

Early money has the Turf funneling Hornbeak and Revels to Rossford next year.
Why would Hornbeak leave SJJ? He's their best player! You just sound like a mad parent or former player at Rossford that didn't get to play/watch their kid play!
 
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