oldschool2

Yes. And the coach should've known his/her players' grades as well. Especially if it was the end of the grading period.

I never said that..and don't believe that. It was implied that Evadale won because they scheduled a tough pre-season schedule and WH didn't. I said that a tough pre-season making you better was a myth. Which is what I believe. I'm not saying to schedule blowout wins every game...but there's a lot to be said about getting some wins and letting your team full of high school kids learn how to and what it feels like to win. I've given some examples proving that...I'm sure there are examples contradicting it as well. I truly believe that in pretty much most small school high school sports it can be guessed pretty accurately how the game will turn out before it starts. Especially a few weeks into games.

Same could be said about Big Sandy those couple years. That's a 2A school with two future college basketball players on it at the same time. Plus it also helps that they start practice in August...while most everyone else has to wait until whenever football season is over.

Battle tested and successful. There's a difference in scheduling a tough pre-season and figuring out how to win those close games...and not. I would still rather have a team that has been winning all season and has confidence in not only themselves but their coach. Even a high school kid is smart enough to figure that a coach may not know what they're talking about if you keep losing games.

Let's agree to disagree. Because I don't think it matters that much. And every school fluctuates between down and up...Big Sandy didn't play the same schedule that they did the year they played for the title.

I don't mean handily as in the final score.. I mean handily as in they were pretty much in control the whole game. But they didn't have a tough pre-season schedule so how can that be? Honestly, your response doesn't matter...I doubt my opinion on the matter changes. If you think there aren't many, many more examples that I could come up with then you're wrong. College football is a fantastic example. If the strength of schedule was ALL that mattered as far as preparation for league play then every school in the country would stay away from FCS or D2 schools. But they don't. Alabama had the weakest strength of schedule of any of the 4 playoff teams...did that matter? Prior to the championship they played only 1 top 10 team all year...and lost. And it's my personal opinion that Silsbee would've won it all last yr regardless. Here's why: They played almost 2 months of district play beating every single team embarrassingly leading into the playoffs. Then embarrassed schools for several rounds before seeing any competition. They were no longer conditioned to play a competitive game by the time they got to state. Yes, I think that if a coach knows their team will be good then they need to schedule better teams. Not for preparation though..they need to see where they stand and to also avoid blowing out a school, every single game if possible. If a coach knows their team will struggle they better schedule some wins early on..otherwise they will completely lose their kids. Hamshire Fannett is a good school to use here. Because they are awful apparently. Would they be better off right now had they played a tougher pre-season schedule?

Non-district games are specifically for preparation for district games. The players good enough to be suited out are there because they might be needed at some point...and they better have a little court time. Grades, injuries, foul trouble...etc. All kinds of reasons why the kids you're counting on may not be there. And a good coach will try to win every game they play...so scheduling a tough pre-season is a good way to make sure your "top 6-7" or so players never come off the court.

3 years ago Big Sandy had as good a chance at winning a state title as anyone in this same classification that West Hardin and Evadale are currently in. Big Sandy played pretty much every big school around here that they could including some very good schools in the classifications just above them. So Big Sandy goes into the State Title game with well over 30 wins including a pretty tough pre-district schedule. In the title game they play Canadian...who not only didn't have a tough pre-season. They didn't have a pre-season AT ALL. Since they won the football state championship they didn't play a single basketball game until district. And even their first 2 district games had to be rescheduled and pushed back because of football. I said all that to say this. Canadian beat Big Sandy pretty handily in the championship game...despite not even stepping foot in a gym until December. And Big Sandy started basketball practice in August...because they don't have football. Then scheduled the toughest pre-season schedule they probably could have. Tell me again how my "second sentence is beyond dumb."

A good coach doesn’t allow a team to fall 20 points or so behind late in the game? Wow..don’t know if you know it but you’re saying that there might not be ANY good coaches in SeTx for sure.

Long story short...better build some confidence in your kids or they won't believe that you know how to win.

Say 2 teams play each other first game of district. Both of similar skill. Team A makes a schedule conducive to winning and is 13-2 going into district. Every kid on the bench got lots of good experience and the team was able to work on any and every situation to come. Team B makes an excruciating schedule ( to prepare for the playoffs). They are 2-13 going into district. The only time the backup players got to play was after the game was too far out of reach to win. In which time they, too, got their teeth kicked in just like the starters did. Which team wins that first game in the district against each other?

The result of this game would have been the same regardless of the non-district schedule. A tough pre-season schedule making you better is a myth.

Seriously just had a conversation about what race a coach should be...wow. lol

Just out of curiosity...what kind of numbers did Central and Ozen have in their high school football programs? I was at a buddy's house talking to a guy that coaches at a school that we speculate will be in that 6A district with them. So just wondering...what kind of numbers might they potentially have?

No need for any more comments. This one ^ wins.

A school can use whatever reason they think is best for the hiring of any employee...I just wish they would stick with the decision long enough to see it come to fruition. That takes longer than a couple seasons. And I know schools can't help it if a coach leaves but if they don't get to at least see their freshmen become seniors then it's impossible to know what kind of impact a coach had on the program. There's too much of a "quick fix" mentality when it comes to stuff like this.

Gang fights coming.

I agree. Yates will be tough though.

I predicted earlier on that they might split. I know EC is probably better on paper but I’m going to stick with that. I’ll say they both win at home.

I think a lot of these All State / All Region type awards are mostly stat driven. When a team has a good team and a lot of good players the wealth is shared... maybe that’s the problem. The people that make these lists only have season stats to go on...for instance if Newton had 3 1500 yard rushers and some other team had a 2000 yard rusher...guess who might be more likely to be on the All State list. Doesnt always matter who’s better just who had the better year on paper.

That is a fact. It is also a fact that the same coach got shut out in round 1 the following year.

I don’t know what happened. But 12 in his 1st year...and 7 the next. That’s literally 1 game away from only winning half as many games one year later. I mean...I’m sure it was because they were gutted by graduation. But according to your logic there’s no reason they didn’t win 12 again.

Great example. I guess I can’t argue that point. Well...unless I say this. Danny Malone came in and led PNG to a 12-3 record his first year and a Round 4 loss. But then the very next year he went 7-4 and was shutout in Round 1. Um...was it coaching that made the difference? It’s simple. Kids graduate...or improve. At EVERY school on the schedule. Maybe a few of the other schools had big senior groups the year before he got there...I don’t know. Saying that he came in year one with the same kids as the year before is not true. Unless you think that a bunch of 16 year old sophomores are the exact same players that they will be as 17 year old juniors. I’m not saying that’s the exact scenario but I think you get my point. A LOT changes from one year to the next. Even if one team has the same kids...because other teams may not have the same kids.

Not sure why nobody ever talks about that...