As Far As I'm Concerned, Portage Won D6

[Big Ike]

Schedule is important on gaining confidence and with gauging your program...I don't know if Portage has any openings on their schedule but it would be helpful (like CT did last year) to schedule a decent* WPIAL team or a McCort to gain that experience of playing teams with different tendencies...That said for a single A team to have 60 players suited up the past few years all districts should take notice...This is what SCA has done at their level...No i am not saying Portage will have the personal they had/have but SCA started getting beat several years in the finals before they went on thier historical tear...They also in recent years moved to a conference were they played and Scheduled better A-AA-AAA teams...SCA a few years ago did not have a better starting 11 than Duquesne but they had 33 contributors on all sides of the ball and wore the Dukes out to the tune of a 55-22 drubbing...Portage probably went against McCort in Awe this year but if they keep interest up I would not be suprised in a couple years they become a real player on the state level...THey just need to take some of the formentioned steps...1) Schedule Johnstown, Forest Hills etc if at all possible as a non conference...You have the numbers 2) Each year Portage is getting closer, Beating Windber, undefeated seasons and making it to the district finals...*Decent means a decent WPIAL teams, just becasue you are inthe WPIAL does not make that much better, I am certain half the teams in the Tri county south or old Black hills conference are on par with the WestPac or Heritage.

[D6Guru]

I think that the WestPac has only one open week. Pretty sure that Portage played Chestnut Ridge this year, which isn't a bad pick up for them. I think the Heritage would be a good move for Portage, but the Heritage is full. Also, didn't they beat the Heritage undefeated champ rather easily. It makes me laugh when people expect Windber and Portage to jump into the LHAC, even though they would be playing schools much bigger than them.

[it20]

I actually think Portage should move into the LHAC for one year just to try it out. Now they wouldn' dominate but they could be an average team like BC and maybe make the playoffs. And yes it is about the strenght of your schedule because look, Portage actually goes into play a LHAC team and what happens? 42-7 ring a bell?

[D6Guru]

Yes, McCort stomped Portage, but McCort stomped everyone this year. This doesn't mean that the entire LHAC would stomp Portage. If you want to play the scores game, then explain Tyrone beating Central, Central Cambria beating Tyrone, then Central destroying Central Cambria.

Could you imagine Portage moving all of its sports to the LHAC just so the football team gets more challenges? What about in the future when the towns population rapidly declines? This school graduates about 70 students and they are declining. I would love to see the Rangers play Portage again, but it wouldn't be fair. Forest Hills is almost a AAA school.

[Big Ike]

Actually Guru I see what you are saying and actually Portage completely moving to the LHAC may not be the best move...But I do wish they had 2 openings a year to play one or 2 of those "Bigger" Schools just to get them more acclimated for the playoff runs. and like you said they may be doing that playing teams like Ridge...A full LHAC schedule would be rough but amazingly with 60 kids out there seems to be some depth

[Portage Alum]

Maybe Portage could be the Notre Dame of District 6 football? They could sign a lucrative contract with WHPA 93.5 to have exclusive rights to broadcast all of their contests. The Mustangs could just pick the top teams from the LHAC, ICC, Heritage, and even a couple WPIAL schools...a stellar independent schedule. That would make them a much better football team and just think of the advertising revenue WHPA would make seeing everyone in District 6 wants to listen to Portage football.

And, Coach Gouse could host a weekly radio show after his live press conference each week. This could be big I tells ya!

~PA

[Eaglealum]

I'm not saying this as a slam...Some people need to lay off, some people need to check egos. Tyrone used to scrimmage Portage back in the day, and maybe some were competitive, but the 3 years I played were downright ugly, the only thing that went wrong for us was, Mort(our longtime bus driver) ran over a fence pole at their field. I believe the one year we scored on like 5 of the 9 offensive plays we ran, and that was before Franco came to town, and when Portage was either AA or very close to it, I believe they were 8-2 or 7-3 that year. I can't fathom the Mustangs playing weekly in a bigger conference.Self-destructive would be the best word. Before you start, all I'm saying is, respect what Portage is doing. Which is creating one heck of a tradition at a small school. Don't make more out of it. Franco has done wonders here but Tyrone wouldn't have beaten Altoona more than a few times in the 15 years he has been here. Take it for what it's worth.

[vman]

Maybe Portage could be the Notre Dame of District 6 football? They could sign a lucrative contract with WHPA 93.5 to have exclusive rights to broadcast all of their contests. The Mustangs could just pick the top teams from the LHAC, ICC, Heritage, and even a couple WPIAL schools...a stellar independent schedule. That would make them a much better football team and just think of the advertising revenue WHPA would make seeing everyone in District 6 wants to listen to Portage football. And, Coach Gouse could host a weekly radio show after his live press conference each week. This could be big I tells ya! ~PA

BRILLIANT

But perhaps Juice in Gouse's stead for the interviews!

[TBone]

I think that the Heritage would be a better conference for Portage. It was down this year but I think if you look back when the old App. conf. was divided into two sections, the current Heritage teams dominated. Purchase Line was a weak representative this year but remember a couple of years back when the top two in the Heritage (Blairsville/Northern Cambria) played the top two in the Westpac (Portage/Windber) in the playoffs. It was quite a different story. They are both A conferences but I feel that the Heritage has a few better teams overall than the Westpac. I am sure that the Westpac folks on this board may disagree but you know what they say about opinions - everyone has one.

[Xylo]

I have to agree with EagleAlum. A few years ago all the talk was about why Windber should move to the LHAC just and only because they had a good run in the Westpac. Now Portage is having its' turn and everyone on here seems to have advice on how they can improve their program.

Give it a few years, this current cycle of kids will move on and Portage will go back to being an annual competitor with Windber, Township, and the others that are generally the same enrollment size as Portage.