Chester Football...*Eric Holton New HC*

[JCfan]

It doesn't necessarily make that good of sense to the ones that live there and I can promise you it will be avoided as long as possible because I have heard that mentioned at least since the mid-nineties. They will exhaust all options before that were to happen. The school is vital and important to the community and the people there. They take pride in it and do the best they possibly can. 

[BearBryant]

The reason most do not want to consolidate is that the community loses their identity, sense of school pride, and the big school simply ends up eating the smaller school.  There is very rarely a true consolidation.  Usually its the little school that loses their mascot, school name etc..  not the bigger school. 

[88Warrior]

[quote name="Jbdfan" post="789405" timestamp="1271124010"]
I think it is a coach from Legacy that is coming with the new baseball coach they just signed! I do not think the baseball coach has been coaching for a couple of years, but he  is a class act and baseball guy. His dad lead Chester to the state quarter-finals at least twice in the eighties and then came back in 96 and led Chester to an undefeated year in the regular season that year. The football guy is a trustworthy leader of young men I am sure. This is a promising accomplishment for Chester and will bring good ethics and respect to the program and kids there. I do not know the football guys name. [b]Mark Young[/b] will coach baseball.
[/quote] Great hire for Chester....Mark is a good man who loves the Chester community..wishing Chester all the best...hang on as long as you can...small towns revolve around their schools and when the school goes so does the town...Good Luck and Best Wishes..

[Guest ECBucFan]

[quote name="bearbryant" post="789516" timestamp="1271157639"]
The reason most do not want to consolidate is that the community loses their identity, sense of school pride, and the big school simply ends up eating the smaller school.  There is very rarely a true consolidation.  Usually its the little school that loses their mascot, school name etc..  not the bigger school. 
[/quote]

Truer words were never spoken here! FORGET consolidation!

[little d]

Does anyone know where Mark Young coached at last? I know his dad but don't know anything about Mark.

[KFDM COOP]

The new Head Football Coach at Chester is Legacy Christian Head Football Coach Eric Holton.

[RETIREDFAN1]

Good hires by Chester....

[HI_#20_Mom]

Good for Chester!
Best of luck to you.  :)

[little d]

Welcome to Chester coach Holton and coach Young :)

[CoachSpivey]

[
[/quote]
Apple Springs, Oakwood, Trinidad, Levertt's Chapel and Karnack are all in this area playing 6-man.....that would make a pretty good district with
Chester added into the mix.....I hate to see Chester having these problems and hope that things work out.....
[/quote]

Anyone thinking this is feasible hasn't done the math.
Apple Springs - 39 miles
Oakwood - 99 miles
Leveretts Chapel -117 miles
Trinidad - 145 miles
Karnack - 158 miles
It get's discussed every 5 years or so, but it won't happen.

[CoachSpivey]

That being said, welcome to Chester, Coach Horton and Coach Young. Best of luck.

[little d]

[quote name="AnOldCoach" post="792937" timestamp="1271868397"]
[


Anyone thinking this is feasible hasn't done the math.
Apple Springs - 39 miles
Oakwood - 99 miles
Leveretts Chapel -117 miles
Trinidad - 145 miles
Karnack - 158 miles
It get's discussed every 5 years or so, but it won't happen.
[/quote] Here's a comparison Evadale-62 mls,Burkeville-63 mls,H I,-105 mls,Sabine Pass-104 mls, Chester's saving 225 mls staying in the 11 man district as long as they are able.

[Rebel Yeller]

[quote name="little d" post="793481" timestamp="1271954580"]
[quote author=AnOldCoach link=topic=67116.msg792937#msg792937 date=1271868397]
[


Anyone thinking this is feasible hasn't done the math.
Apple Springs - 39 miles
Oakwood - 99 miles
Leveretts Chapel -117 miles
Trinidad - 145 miles
Karnack - 158 miles
It get's discussed every 5 years or so, but it won't happen.
[/quote] Here's a comparison Evadale-62 mls,Burkeville-63 mls,H I,-105 mls,Sabine Pass-104 mls, Chester's saving 225 mls staying in the 11 man district as long as they are able.
[/quote]

Most districts are spoiled when it comes to travel. Have you ever looked at some of the West Texas districts. Check the mileage between San Angelo and Lubbock as they have been in the same district of late.

[little d]

It's not just the mileage everyone has to deal with but the money they save on the travel distance. When your enrollment drops so does the money the school receives which I'm sure your already aware of. Some of the districts can afford to put the kids up in a motel if they travel a long distance Chester can't. I'm sure that if the enrollment keeps dropping it will come to 6 man or no football at all,but untill then Chester will continue to try to play 11 man.

[BIGMO44]

This is WAY off the subject, but if Spurger, Zavalla, Big Sandy, Leggett, Goodrich and Chester played 6-man along with Apple Springs, that would be a nice district.  But I realize the start up cost for those schools to play football would make it an impossibility....Just Saying.  Plus those schools would have to be interested and I'm sure none are.  I've always thought Spurger could compete as they always have some good sized kids on the court.  And yes, I realize basketball and football are not close to the same sport but in smaller schools, sometimes a great player in one sport is at least respectable in another...

At any rate, Good Luck Yellow Jackets!!!

[little d]

Didn't Spurger play six man football many years ago?

[kville-backer]

Good luck Chester,wish ya'll the best...And good luck also to the coach...

[little d]

Looks like Chester will be playing six man this year.They had a meeting at the school and everyone there voted to play in the six man division.It's not yet set in stone but it's getting there.

[WOSgrad]

[quote name="little d" post="814575" timestamp="1277443694"]
Looks like Chester will be playing six man this year.They had a meeting at the school and everyone there voted to play in the six man division.It's not yet set in stone but it's getting there.
[/quote]

Given the numbers that I heard were going to be in the program, six man in probably the best course for Chester.

I guess a few questions I have (and probably ones that were resistant to moving from 11 man have as well) are:

1.  Given the late date of the change, will Chester be able to fill up a schedule?

2.  If Chester does opt for 6 man, since they waited until this point to do so, will they have to compete as a UIL 6 man independent for the next two years?

3.  What does this do to the rest of 14-1A (Div. II)? As it was, this was only a five man district to start with.

[Rebel Yeller]

I can fully understand if Chester moves to 6 man, but I just wonder why they waited so long to make this call, (if they have?) Grad has some valid questions. It will be difficult for them to fill out a schedule as an independent, I can't imagine the UIL placing them in a district at this late a date.

It also makes for difficulties for the other teams in 14A. Every team will now have a second bye week that will be difficult if not impossible to fill at this time. I never heard if HI had found a replacement for the other game they lost due to a private school dropping their program.

I am sorry for every one in Chester if this turns out to be true, but I also wish they would have thought about everything else that this decision will come back on when realignment was still fresh and changes could have been made to find additional games by the others teams that this will effect.

[WOSgrad]

Last I heard, HI had not filled that hole left by Brazosport Christian (who interestingly enough dropped that game because they opted to play 6 man this year).

I had pm'd this to HI Cardinal, but may just need to post it here:

http://www.tapps.net/football_GamesNeeded.html.

[WOSgrad]

Apparently, this is a done deal:

http://www.sixmanfootball.com/board/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=11449

[little d]

[quote name="Rebel Yeller" post="814636" timestamp="1277492812"]
I can fully understand if Chester moves to 6 man, but I just wonder why they waited so long to make this call, (if they have?) Grad has some valid questions. It will be difficult for them to fill out a schedule as an independent, I can't imagine the UIL placing them in a district at this late a date.

It also makes for difficulties for the other teams in 14A. Every team will now have a second bye week that will be difficult if not impossible to fill at this time. I never heard if HI had found a replacement for the other game they lost due to a private school dropping their program.

I am sorry for every one in Chester if this turns out to be true, but I also wish they would have thought about everything else that this decision will come back on when realignment was still fresh and changes could have been made to find additional games by the others teams that this will effect.
[/quote]  The way I understand it our new coach just got on the job 6/21/10 and he got the community meeting together as fast as he could.He said at the meeting he most likely will not be able to get 10 games but maybe 5 to 6.He also said that a decision needed to be made fast to give the other schools in 14-1a as much time as possible to try to locate another game.Hope this answers some of your questions.Don't feel bad for Chester most everyone is excited about this move,we feel we will be much more competitive in the 6-man division.Chester can always return to 11-man if or when the numbers come back up.

[WOSgrad]

[quote name="little d" post="814718" timestamp="1277528990"]
[quote author=Rebel Yeller link=topic=67116.msg814636#msg814636 date=1277492812]
I can fully understand if Chester moves to 6 man, but I just wonder why they waited so long to make this call, (if they have?) Grad has some valid questions. It will be difficult for them to fill out a schedule as an independent, I can't imagine the UIL placing them in a district at this late a date.

It also makes for difficulties for the other teams in 14A. Every team will now have a second bye week that will be difficult if not impossible to fill at this time. I never heard if HI had found a replacement for the other game they lost due to a private school dropping their program.

I am sorry for every one in Chester if this turns out to be true, but I also wish they would have thought about everything else that this decision will come back on when realignment was still fresh and changes could have been made to find additional games by the others teams that this will effect.
[/quote]  The way I understand it our new coach just got on the job 6/21/10 and he got the community meeting together as fast as he could.He said at the meeting he most likely will not be able to get 10 games but maybe 5 to 6.He also said that a decision needed to be made fast to give the other schools in 14-1a as much time as possible to try to locate another game.Hope this answers some of your questions.Don't feel bad for Chester most everyone is excited about this move,we feel we will be much more competitive in the 6-man division.Chester can always return to 11-man if or when the numbers come back up.
[/quote]

I, for one, am excited about the move of one of our teams to 6-man.  From seeing the scores on a weekly basis, it appears to be a very high scoring game packed with lots of excitement!  Heck, as soon as I heard that they were going, I started boning up on the rules.  I know that Coop and I since last year have been talking about making a 6 man game and this may make it a lot easier.  

I am also excited because, as little d noted,  Chester is in a division of play where they can be competitive.  And moreover, they are in a division where it will allow them to complete a season.  Even though it was not through their own fault, I can imagine that the folks in Chester didn't feel real good about having to forfeit games last year because they were unable to field a complete team  From what I heard about the numbers coming out for the football team this year, a repeat of that was likely had the Yellow Jackets opted for 11 man.

Kudos to Coach Holton for making this decision!

I do feel for the remaining teams in 14-1A as even though Coach Holton brought the community to make the decision as soon as he possibly could, it will be very difficult for those teams to find a replacement game given that it was during district play and there are few teams that have BOTH an open date and a 10th game at those times.  And it will make for some very short seasons as at this current time, it appears that no team will have a 10 game schedule and Burkeville is looking at having as little as 7 games. 

[little d]

What coach Holton said the other night was Chester had 13 boys signed up to play football and one was hurt and most likely not going to play.Everyone knows you can't play and complete a season with 12 or 13 on a team.That's how kids get hurt playing both ways and special teams.They get so exhausted injuries are bound to happen.