#PACtion™ 2024

Rich Kotite said:
I could have stopped and got some readers this morning on the way to work. But I drove past the drug store and got tacos for breakfast. It's taco Tuesday, after all.

Look at #664 on the list. The Oberlin Yeo-People are tuff when it comes to studying music or campus protests, however.

If the Mustangs can't turn it around under Broc Dial then I vote for Tuslaw to become the Oberlin of #PACtion.

Just become the most anti-sports extreme Marxist radical school in the whole league and dare to be thrown out. Even though that's 100% opposite of the community's culture, I say that might be worth going for.

Stand out from the crowd.

The first all vegan concession stand. Non-binary/non gender bathrooms. No scores kept on the scoreboard. No mascot or name for the teams. No music at the games but guest speakers before the game discussing the glory of Noam Chomsky and other topics like Hegel and Marx dialectical materialism.

Let's face it: Oberlin College could be just another #275 like Ashland University and no one would remember them. They're all-in being not just bad, but the second worst of all the bads. They are so bad they just miss out being #665. They can't even win that award. Fitchburg State does.
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I work out with the team sometimes. Admittedly, I ask myself how many high schools in Ohio would beat them. I put that number at 227. But don't tell them I said that.
 
Playoffs??? said:
Definitely something in the water at Hiland, they continue to pump them out. I know a kid that played travel with my oldest; sophomore lefty throwing in the mid-80's that did not crack the varsity lineup 😳
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Could this Hiland lefty make the Chicago White Sox?

I don't agree with the Illinois Governor JB Powdered Donut about virtually anything but I do agree with him that the crappy Pale Hose don't need a new stadium paid for with Chicago tax dollars.
 
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Bluestreakoffice said:
I have to go to a lacrosse match and when I come back we are talking D2..D3...college....Livvy Dunne (who)...Paul Skenes (who)...I sometimes I wonder about you gentleman....our solid base is high school ball...especially Stark and Summit County...and food...Stark, Summit, Holmes, Wayne, and every now and then Tuscarawas county...never Carroll County...and then you have branched into talk about baseball officiating....what the hell is going on here!
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It's tuffness, that's what.
 
SpeedSafety25 said:
I work out with the team sometimes. Admittedly, I ask myself how many high schools in Ohio would beat them. I put that number at 227. But don't tell them I said that.
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Ed Helms and Danny DeVito need to spend some cash on Oberlin football. Or Gibson's Bakery could take some of the millions of dollars they won suing Oberlin College and dump it into the sports programs. They want more revenge? Good sports would really peave off the Oberlin College crowd.

I'll also say this to be fair: I stayed at a B&B in Oberlin that was a house on the Underground Railroad. The place was beautiful and had an in-ground pool. Free tickets to the classic 50's movie theater in Oberlin that DeVito owns/owned and dinner at a Spanish restaurant in Grafton. While that restaurant is likely gone there is no shortage of cool restaurants in Oberlin. Great food at the B&B, too. It was owned by a couple of retired teachers. Wonderful time. Those old teachers could cook! I just didn't talk politics there. It was several years ago.

I also have had dealings with the college over the years and it was positive.

Oberlin has some cool stuff. Go there.
 
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Bluestreakoffice said:
I have to go to a lacrosse match and when I come back we are talking D2..D3...college....Livvy Dunne (who)...Paul Skenes (who)...I sometimes I wonder about you gentleman....our solid base is high school ball...especially Stark and Summit County...and food...Stark, Summit, Holmes, Wayne, and every now and then Tuscarawas county...never Carroll County...and then you have branched into talk about baseball officiating....what the hell is going on here!
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Streaker.....always remember that #PACtion™ is the sauce. We are the sauce unlike Carrollton or the usual boring Stark County threads & arguments.

The lineup here at #PACtion™ has Yappi superstars who combine to make an internet forum recipe much like my chili. It's unique and it can't be explained except for.....

Even with 0.00% participation from The Silent Flock.....We are the sauce.

Screenshot_20240514-190813-008.png

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The lineup at #PACtion™ deserves an introduction from Bob Sheppard:



We've got a distinguished group of stars:

@Bluestreakoffice - dude argued over grocery prices at the Hartville bent & dent grocery store.
@cuyahogacuse - superior writer and researcher.
@the123kidz - tuffness from Ye Olde Wakefield School.
@Playoffs??? YUGE quick learner here....a Pepper Johnson All Pro. Dude went from Herb Welch at safety to all pro. #Obscure New York Giants 1986 references.
@Stark Sports - Mustangs
@Washedup24 - Mustangs
@Raylan_Givens Rittman Raylan 😂
@dnis30 - 2 a year vs Lucas make it happen and screw the globalist cabal. #Mancow Muller Monday Podcasts. 😲
@CasualFan24 - Crooked Canal Fulton. "Totally corrupt" - DJT.
@TopCat
@SpeedSafety25
@Youngguy
@sheldoncooper
@7Diamond
@camelotcats
@thePITman
@Orrville Man
@RedRider1
@Bluestreakoffice
@Bull GreenDog
@FirestoneFan
@Smoove Mooves
@firewatch 7-2
@Maxie (come back here, 7-2)
@bob99
@Hot_Takes
@jackson03 (well you outta be here, your takes are strong)
@perry1480
@Journey
@BelowTheLine
@WR86
@BobBBaulzack
@bootleg
@Coventry Sports fan. Apply for #PACtion™.

There are other names I'm forgetting. It's a bitc& doing this on a cell phone. You are not forgotten if I did with you.

I neglected Carrollton on purpose. @ShootNation

😂 😂 😂

So tell me to stuff it like a Hungarian pepper if I forgot you @Almost Prideful . 😂

@Struthersfan why don't you have a BellStores?

@wildcat71 - get a BellStores not a Dollar General. And a soccer team.

#PACtion™ and our theme song:


Without being a weirdo beyond my regular weird comments, I really like the Manchester Panther fans here.
😂

And all fans except Carrollton.

#PACtion™

---

Tuffness:

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SpeedSafety25 said:
I work out with the team sometimes. Admittedly, I ask myself how many high schools in Ohio would beat them. I put that number at 227. But don't tell them I said that.
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A friend’s kid went there on a recruiting trip. The mom took him due dad having a work conflict. That evening the mom went on & on about the town, the campus, the buildings. Dad asked the boy how he it went for him “They’re more serious about music than they are about football. No thanks.”

Dad (in retelling me) “I had to leave the room so my son wouldn’t see the tears of pride in my eyes” 😂
 
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Rich Kotite said:
Maybe Bethlehem and Sugar Creek Townships can go the route of the old Franklin Township (Summit County) and become a city like New Franklin. Merge in the villages of Brewster, Beach City, Navarre, and Wilmot.

What can go wrong with a bigger government? But losing the Beach City Police Department speed trap would be heart breaking.

Fairless, Ohio.

Where's the Silent Flock to lend an observation to this?

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😂 😂

Silent Flock liked this.....
 
Rich Kotite said:
Streaker.....always remember that #PACtion™ is the sauce. We are the sauce unlike Carrollton or the usual boring Stark County threads & arguments.

The lineup here at #PACtion™ has Yappi superstars who combine to make an internet forum recipe much like my chili. It's unique and it can't be explained except for.....

Even with 0.00% participation from The Silent Flock.....We are the sauce.

View attachment 58623
---
The lineup at #PACtion™ deserves an introduction from Bob Sheppard:



We've got a distinguished group of stars:

@Bluestreakoffice - dude argued over grocery prices at the Hartville bent & dent grocery store.
@cuyahogacuse - superior writer and researcher.
@the123kidz - tuffness from Ye Olde Wakefield School.
@Playoffs??? YUGE quick learner here....a Pepper Johnson All Pro. Dude went from Herb Welch at safety to all pro. #Obscure New York Giants 1986 references.
@Stark Sports - Mustangs
@Washedup24 - Mustangs
@Raylan_Givens Rittman Raylan 😂
@dnis30 - 2 a year vs Lucas make it happen and screw the globalist cabal. #Mancow Muller Monday Podcasts. 😲
@CasualFan24 - Crooked Canal Fulton. "Totally corrupt" - DJT.
@TopCat
@SpeedSafety25
@Youngguy
@sheldoncooper
@7Diamond
@camelotcats
@thePITman
@Orrville Man
@RedRider1
@Bluestreakoffice
@Bull GreenDog
@FirestoneFan
@Smoove Mooves
@firewatch 7-2
@Maxie (come back here, just stop it; 7-2)
@bob99
@Hot_Takes
@jackson03 (well you outta be here, your takes are strong)
@perry1480
@Journey
@BelowTheLine
@WR86
@BobBBaulzack
@bootleg
@Coventry Sports fan. Apply for #PACtion™.

There are other names I'm forgetting. It's a bitc& doing this on a cell phone. You are not forgotten if I did with you.

I neglected Carrollton on purpose. @ShootNation

😂 😂 😂

So tell me to stuff it like a Hungarian pepper if I forgot you @Almost Prideful . 😂

@Struthersfan why don't you have a BellStores?

@wildcat71 - get a BellStores not a Dollar General. And a soccer team.

#PACtion™ and our theme song:


Without being a weirdo beyond my regular weird comments, I really like the Manchester Panther fans here.
😂

I think when my parents came south from Medina/Cleveland in the 70's my parents went too far south but my dad was transferred to the Brewster RR out of Cleveland and Tuslaw was closer to the action back then. Massillon/Canton steel and the railroads still boomed back then. Back then Brewster was in the heart of that.

And then he was sent back to Cleveland with the RR around 87-88. All of that was a stupid Wall Street consolidation. #Lobbyists #WallStreet #Elizabeth Dole

Overall it was still cool. All of it.

You could say I have some old school views of it all. #PACtion™

---

Tuffness:

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Come At Me Bring It On GIF by Travis
 
Rich Kotite said:
Streaker.....always remember that #PACtion™ is the sauce. We are the sauce unlike Carrollton or the usual boring Stark County threads & arguments.

The lineup here at #PACtion™ has Yappi superstars who combine to make an internet forum recipe much like my chili. It's unique and it can't be explained except for.....

Even with 0.00% participation from The Silent Flock.....We are the sauce.

View attachment 58623
---
The lineup at #PACtion™ deserves an introduction from Bob Sheppard:



We've got a distinguished group of stars:

@Bluestreakoffice - dude argued over grocery prices at the Hartville bent & dent grocery store.
@cuyahogacuse - superior writer and researcher.
@the123kidz - tuffness from Ye Olde Wakefield School.
@Playoffs??? YUGE quick learner here....a Pepper Johnson All Pro. Dude went from Herb Welch at safety to all pro. #Obscure New York Giants 1986 references.
@Stark Sports - Mustangs
@Washedup24 - Mustangs
@Raylan_Givens Rittman Raylan 😂
@dnis30 - 2 a year vs Lucas make it happen and screw the globalist cabal. #Mancow Muller Monday Podcasts. 😲
@CasualFan24 - Crooked Canal Fulton. "Totally corrupt" - DJT.
@TopCat
@SpeedSafety25
@Youngguy
@sheldoncooper
@7Diamond
@camelotcats
@thePITman
@Orrville Man
@RedRider1
@Bluestreakoffice
@Bull GreenDog
@FirestoneFan
@Smoove Mooves
@firewatch 7-2
@Maxie (come back here, just stop it; 7-2)
@bob99
@Hot_Takes
@jackson03 (well you outta be here, your takes are strong)
@perry1480
@Journey
@BelowTheLine
@WR86
@BobBBaulzack
@bootleg
@Coventry Sports fan. Apply for #PACtion™.

There are other names I'm forgetting. It's a bitc& doing this on a cell phone. You are not forgotten if I did with you.

I neglected Carrollton on purpose. @ShootNation

😂 😂 😂

So tell me to stuff it like a Hungarian pepper if I forgot you @Almost Prideful . 😂

@Struthersfan why don't you have a BellStores?

@wildcat71 - get a BellStores not a Dollar General. And a soccer team.

#PACtion™ and our theme song:


Without being a weirdo beyond my regular weird comments, I really like the Manchester Panther fans here.
😂

I think when my parents came south from Medina/Cleveland in the 70's my parents went too far south but my dad was transferred to the Brewster RR out of Cleveland and Tuslaw was closer to the action back then. Massillon/Canton steel and the railroads still boomed back then. Back then Brewster was in the heart of that.

And then he was sent back to Cleveland with the RR around 87-88. All of that was a stupid Wall Street consolidation. #Lobbyists #WallStreet #Elizabeth Dole

Overall it was still cool. All of it.

You could say I have some old school views of it all. #PACtion™

---

Tuffness:

View attachment 58627
Click to expand...
1715777950647.png
 
Rich Kotite said:
Streaker.....always remember that #PACtion™ is the sauce. We are the sauce unlike Carrollton or the usual boring Stark County threads & arguments.

The lineup here at #PACtion™ has Yappi superstars who combine to make an internet forum recipe much like my chili. It's unique and it can't be explained except for.....

Even with 0.00% participation from The Silent Flock.....We are the sauce.

View attachment 58623
---
The lineup at #PACtion™ deserves an introduction from Bob Sheppard:



We've got a distinguished group of stars:

@Bluestreakoffice - dude argued over grocery prices at the Hartville bent & dent grocery store.
@cuyahogacuse - superior writer and researcher.
@the123kidz - tuffness from Ye Olde Wakefield School.
@Playoffs??? YUGE quick learner here....a Pepper Johnson All Pro. Dude went from Herb Welch at safety to all pro. #Obscure New York Giants 1986 references.
@Stark Sports - Mustangs
@Washedup24 - Mustangs
@Raylan_Givens Rittman Raylan 😂
@dnis30 - 2 a year vs Lucas make it happen and screw the globalist cabal. #Mancow Muller Monday Podcasts. 😲
@CasualFan24 - Crooked Canal Fulton. "Totally corrupt" - DJT.
@TopCat
@SpeedSafety25
@Youngguy
@sheldoncooper
@7Diamond
@camelotcats
@thePITman
@Orrville Man
@RedRider1
@Bluestreakoffice
@Bull GreenDog
@FirestoneFan
@Smoove Mooves
@firewatch 7-2
@Maxie (come back here, just stop it; 7-2)
@bob99
@Hot_Takes
@jackson03 (well you outta be here, your takes are strong)
@perry1480
@Journey
@BelowTheLine
@WR86
@BobBBaulzack
@bootleg
@Coventry Sports fan. Apply for #PACtion™.

There are other names I'm forgetting. It's a bitc& doing this on a cell phone. You are not forgotten if I did with you.

I neglected Carrollton on purpose. @ShootNation

😂 😂 😂

So tell me to stuff it like a Hungarian pepper if I forgot you @Almost Prideful . 😂

@Struthersfan why don't you have a BellStores?

@wildcat71 - get a BellStores not a Dollar General. And a soccer team.

#PACtion™ and our theme song:


Without being a weirdo beyond my regular weird comments, I really like the Manchester Panther fans here.
😂

#PACtion™

---

Tuffness:

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First...we are the sauce...some secret...some spicy...some messy....but THEEE sauce of Yappi! Intelligent minds are the driving factor of this force!...mind you May 4th was just 11 days ago.....and when was the last time you saw the aurora borealis....not till the sauce was introduced!.....the sauce company Slap Ya Mama has nothing on us!

Oh and that grocery store you so called out.....did put me thru college! The IGA's of America did this country proud!
 
Rich Kotite said:
Ed Helms and Danny DeVito need to spend some cash on Oberlin football. Or Gibson's Bakery could take some of the millions of dollars they won suing Oberlin College and dump it into the sports programs. They want more revenge? Good sports would really peave off the Oberlin College crowd.

I'll also say this to be fair: I stayed at a B&B in Oberlin that was a house on the Underground Railroad. The place was beautiful and had an in-ground pool. Free tickets to the classic 50's movie theater in Oberlin that DeVito owns/owned and dinner at a Spanish restaurant in Grafton. While that restaurant is likely gone there is no shortage of cool restaurants in Oberlin. Great food at the B&B, too. It was owned by a couple of retired teachers. Wonderful time. Those old teachers could cook! I just didn't talk politics there. It was several years ago.

I also have had dealings with the college over the years and it was positive.

Oberlin has some cool stuff. Go there.
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I have been there numerous times....Allen Memorial...probably one of the smallest hospitals in the state...25 beds...hopefully they stabilize you and get you to Elyria or Lorain quickly.......
 
cuyahogacuse said:
PAC Game of the Year - 2009 | CVCA (7-2, 5-1 PAC) at Manchester (8-1, 6-0 PAC) | Week 10 | October 30, 2009
This is the eleventh in an ongoing series, highlighting the PAC Game of the Year in each season, from 1999 through 2023, which will lead up to the start of the 2024 high school football season. For a look back at prior summaries, click here for 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
__________________________________________

This series has chronicled the dominance of the Manchester Panthers over the first 16 years of PAC play. But after that 2004 season, the bloom was a bit off the rose in Panther-land. Sure, Manchester had a 9-1 season in 2005, but they lost the PAC championship that year in a head-to-head matchup with Tusky Valley. After that, consecutive seasons of 7-3, 5-5 and 7-3 followed. The 2007 and 2008 teams finished fifth and fourth, respectively, in conference play. So when 2009 rolled around, not a single Panther player had won a conference title. And there was no postseason experience either. The Panthers had missed the playoffs in three straight seasons.

The Panthers season began at home with a 34-21 win at home against Division 5 Smithville. But they tripped up the next week at Coshocton in a 21-13 loss. It turns out the Redskins were pretty good, as they went on to be state semifinalists in Division 4. Week 3 saw the Panthers bounce back with a big 48-7 win at home against Black River. And with the nonconference schedule out of the way, the Panthers dispatched of Triway 34-20 at home in Week 4. The Titans were coming off an 8-2 regular season and were one point away from a perfect spot after a narrow 28-27 opening night loss to West Holmes. So, with four weeks in the books, it appeared the 2009 Panthers were on to something.

The season played out and pointed toward a culmination in Week 10 at James R. France Stadium. CVCA had won a share of the PAC title in 2008 and entered the 2009 season with a 26-4 record over the prior three regular seasons. The first true dominating era of CVCA football was entering its fourth season and Alex Utley was carrying the rock for the Royals. But the season's first half didn't exactly go according to plan. Ray Carroscia's crew eked out a 19-18 road win in the opener against East Canton, but followed that up with a 34-24 loss at home to a pedestrian Norwayne team that would go on to go just 5-5 in Week 2. After an unusual 6-2 victory over a mediocre LaBrae team in Week 3, the Royals entered conference play at 2-1, but with much room for improvement. They righted the ship against Tusky Valley in Week 4 by a score of 35-14, but got stomped 27-6 by Triway in Week 5. Halfway through the season, playing for a conference championship by season's end seemed like a far-off thought. But the scheduled softened in the second half. The Royals emerged victorious in two overtimes against Tuslaw, and put together a four-game winning streak with wins against Fairless, Timken, Indian Valley.

Remember that win by the Panthers in Week 4? Turns out it was the last game Manchester would play against a team with a winning record as well, until Week 10. Triway kept winning and suddenly Week 10 arrived and if the Royals could defeat Manchester for the fourth year in a row, with Triway playing lowly Timken in Week 10, there was the potential for a three-way tie for the conference championship.

The day dawned with a crisp feel in the air. The morning temps were in the mid-40's, but the mercury kept rising. Despite a couple back-to-back days with seasonable temps in the 50's, this Friday before Halloween saw the gametime temperature rise to 70°, and it stayed there througout the contest.

CVCA was playing for their playoff lives. Coming it at #7 in Division 4 Region 13, it was a win-an-in scenario, and the Royals struck first when Nathan Rosenberger was on the receiving end of a 29-yard toss from quarterback Antonio Carroscia. But Manchester senior Craig Dougherty got the Panthers even with a two yard plunge in the second quarter, and the teams went to the half tied at 7-7.



No, the Panthers would not be sharing the title, and they used a dominating second half to resume their traditional place atop the PAC standings. Dougherty had been held to just 48 first half yards by the Royals defense. He finished the game with 212 yards and three touchdowns.



Senior Brit Hunter put the Panthers up for the first time on a one-yard dive into the endzone in the third quarter, and then Manchester surprised CVCA on the next possession when they attempted and completed their only pass play of the second half (after being 2 for 8 for 28 yards through the air in the first 24 minutes). Senior tight end John Reinart hauled in a 33-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Steve King to put the Panthers up two scores late in the third.

The Royals wouldn't go without a fight as junior Alex Utley rumbled 59 yards to the end zone to make it 21-14 Panthers entering the fourth quarter. But that's where Dougherty put his imprint on his final regular season game on the famed field at James R. France Stadium.

Just four plays after the Utley score, on the first play of the final stanza, King handed off to Dougherty, who ran to the left boundary. Jonas Fortune tells the story of what came next.



The Panthers led 28-14 and the Royals would get no closer as Dougherty closed out the scoring with another 10-yard touchdown run.

After five years, the Panthers were finally back on top as champions of the PAC. It was the 18th conference title for the storied Manchester program. And Craig Dougherty added his name to the long list of players that led Manchester to the top when he was named PAC Player of the Year after the conclusion of the season. And if you want to check him out, here's a link to some grainy YouTube highlights of the Manchester star from 2009.

The Postscript

Manchester's PAC championship season earned them a home playoff game as the 4-seed in Division 4 Region 13, but the season ended a week after the CVCA win when the Lakeview Bulldogs out of Trumbull County upset the Panthers 24-13.

Despite the Week 10 loss, the math worked out for CVCA, who snuck into the playoffs as the 7-seed. But it was one-and-done for the Royals, who bowed out in a 42-7 loss to Girard.

Triway's 8-2 regular season earned them the 4-seed in Division 4 Region 14, but the home game didn't help, as they suffered a 28-14 loss to Ottawa-Glandorf in Week 11.

Here is the game story from the ABJ, for reference.


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Once again...somehow I was at this game now!...even thou it was almost 15 years ago...that is crazy...where did the 15 go! I am a tad late on this game but Mr. Cuse finally gave me the night off...Lake had Senior Night against the Scarabs of Cleveland East Tech....it was 71 to 14...our crowd gave their players a standing O when they scored their first touchdown....at half they had negative 110 yards total offense....this game was scheduled because we always had to find a week 10 game until the league finally realized they had to do a rotation with McKinley Massillon....it was very important to get Green into the league....the PAC Conference will have an issue with this down the road
 
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Rich Kotite said:
The Tuscarawas Township regime got caught up in the non-stop losing of the Julio Gulling era.

Broc Dial is going to be the Mustang Miracle Worker and he'll convince the township to bring back lawn waste dump sites.

The winning is gonna be absolutely contagious.

The Country Inn will reopen on Lincoln Way West.
Bowdil will cease being the Village of Woe.
The Buckeye Motel will get fixed up.
East Greenville will look like New Albany.
Potholes on Lincoln Way will get patched.
Muffly Ave SW will regain its tuffness.
LaMoore's will reopen.
Nastoff's Little Store will return at 93 & Wooster Street.
The Mustang Mart at 93 & Orrville Street will return.
BellStores will build Tuslaw an indoor football practice facility and indoor swimming pool.
Perennial Vineyards will reopen on Poorman Street.

Unbelievable winning.
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LaMoore's will reopen....lol
 
Playoffs??? said:
Spot on! Successful H.S. football teams start in the weight room, nothing most of us on this thread no doubt doesn't already know. I don't know the exact time, but my youngest son knows an incoming Freshman at Massillon and they lift before school extremely early and it's not ho hum, All out focus, energy, support kids gathering around for max days etc.

Lifting before school is a huge advantage in my opinion. I know for a fact Fairless and Garroway does the before school thing as well, so school size shouldn't matter for this level of commitment. Get it in, get it done before school, gives the kids afternoons for other things or a second workout, or for the winter/spring/summer athletes, they are able to have that workout as well and still participate in another sport.
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I am behind reading these post so sorry if this was addressed already. Off season S&C is huge. I agree the better teams generally have better off season workouts/attendance.

In PA in the 90s the WPIAL owned the state titles in 3 of the 4 classes. Then CB West in the Philly area went on a 3/4 year run that no one saw coming in the highest class back then 4A. The reason for that run, while all teams lifted, the buy in from that program during those years were off the charts. Their QB looked liked college LBs. They were huge.

As for lifting before school, that is great I'd the area of the district allows it. Some districts cover such a large area, it's just not feasible.
 
cuyahogacuse said:
@Rich Kotite ... it took me a while to unearth this tweet from ESPN's Bill Connelly from last fall. It's certainly not scientific, but it's relevant for this topic. It is a Week 8 2023 ranking of all 665 NCAA college football teams. NAIA is not included in this list, but even without those schools, it adds value.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1714280372178137247

It shows that North Central and Mount Union (ranked 222 and 224, respectively) are better than all but 13 NCAA D2 programs. For reference, Tiffin, based here in Ohio, was ranked at 219, which would mean a game between Tiffin and either North Central or Mount Union would be a PICK-EM game.

Interestingly, both UMU and North Central will be sending WRs to NFL camps this summer. The Purple Raiders' Wayne Ruby has signed with Jacksonville. And North Central's DeAngelo Hardy has signed with the Ravens. Both players can ball (and as a Wheaton parent, I'm thankful to finally see Hardy move on!).

Just as interesting, to me, is Connelly had Cortland as his sixth best D3 team after Week 8. They were not ranked nearly that high in the D3football.com polls at any point in the year, but went on to win the national championship.

Some other interesting takeaways:
  • There's not much difference between D1 Kent State (179) and Mount Union (224)
  • There are 53 FCS teams ranked lower than the top D3 team (North Central)
  • Colgate checked in at 228 - or six slots below North Central. Wheaton's only regular season loss was to North Central, and they played the Cardinals closer than anyone all season until the final two round of the D3 playoffs.
  • Being Cuse fans, the Orange laid a 65-0 pasting on Colgate; ergo, we assumed it would be about a 70-point spread between mid-level ACC Syracuse and the top-level of D3.
All fun with numbers. Not perfect, of course, but I think it gives you the context you're looking for.
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Thank you for posting this. I remember seeing it when it was first posted and it aligned with my observations. As I mentioned before I had a nephew play at John Carroll and I have been watching more FCS, D2 & D3 football the past few years. Just because you are in a higher division doesn't make you have a better program than those in lower divisions.

Here in PA for every Slippery Rock and IUP who have great programs that would smoke 99% of D3 teams, there are 3/4 (I'm not going to name them, the staff and players do their best with what they are given) PSAC teams that would be middle of the D3 Presidents Athletic Conference (the other PAC that is tuff, but not enough to be PACtion).

It is not the division a team is in, but the level of support they get that determines how good the program is. Cinderella seasons happen, but year in year out good programs, that takes a commitment from everyone at the institution.
 
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