BC/BG/BM Laurel Highlands

[bigrig15]

BC was pulling kids from the soccer team and from the hallways mid season. CC had the probably its smallest senior class ever which played a big role. Over the last 5 or 6 year they hovered around mid to upper 40s. They have a decent amount of middle school kids coming in this year and they are not losing many seniors. I think it's hard to guess BC's future numbers cause I'm pretty sure they don't have a JH program

[benchpress]

Only two kids who played football were also on the soccer team and one has been on the football team for four years. A few freshmen were left off that maxpreps roster, also. Last year's BC jr. high went 4-4, with 2 losses being by one touchdown. One of those wins was Central Cambria. There is no way to guess future numbers, but rumors about BC closing have been going around for 30 years.

[CCDevil2012]

CC had 37 kids on the roster in August, 7 seniors. The junior high team was around the same with just 7th and 8th grade.  In 2-3 years I believe CC will be back in the mid 40's numbers wise. And yes they are technically a AAA team now, but that hardly carries any weight because they were AA under old classification. It's not like they are the size of Johnstown getting just 37 kids out. 

[benchpress]

But they are also not the size of BC fielding similar numbers. Interest in football is declining and not just in Ebensburg. Those numbers just reinforce that point. Other sports have ample participation and these conferences will have to adjust their thinking soon in terms of football-based conferences affecting all sports. BC and CC are extremely competitive in other sports.

[highheat]

So what is the verdict? And didn't this happen just a few years ago with BC and the Appalachian Conference?

[bigrig15]

Wasn't It a very serious question about mid season whether BC would forfeit the rest of its games? 

[benchpress]

Listen, BC didn't have a huge group nor did they have a team with much chance of winning, but the concerns about them fielding a team obviously never materialized. Those rumors were brought up on here and took on a whole life of their own. I think we've all seen recently how information can be manipulated to serve certain agendas. I could point out numerous programs who have had falling numbers and continuous lack of success without this type of backlash which leads many to believe the ultimate goal is the riddance of all Catholics. The students certainly deserve a lot better than the decisions being made based off of hearsay and innuendos.

[Crimson's Ghost]

They trotted out 18 dressed kids on opening night this season, I don't think anyone had any ulterior motives in saying that they had doubts Bishop Carroll would play all 10 games at that point.  Obviously some kids got healthy and they added a few extra kids along the way, but at that point - I didn't think they'd finish the season.  And I have nothing against Bishop Carroll, it's just at that point back in August with 18 players, I didn't see much optimism they'd continue playing. 

[Crimson's Ghost]

So what is the verdict?  And didn't this happen just a few years ago with BC and the Appalachian Conference?

Nothing has happened as of right now.  The same 12 schools in the league right now are unchanged at the moment. Many thought today would be the day we learned something, but that's not the case. But the really only scenarios left are....


A) Nothing happens, but it'll be really awkward.
B) Carroll gets voted out, and Chestnut Ridge replaces them and they stay at 12 teams. 
C) The LHAC dissolves and the nine public schools form a new league with Chestnut Ridge. 


I figured B was what was going to happen, but I'm getting that C is very much on table.  There's one LHAC member really pushing for that outcome. 

[bigrig15]

I really don't think a lot of the public schools in the LHAC really complain about the catholic school recruiting thing or anything that goes with that cause most of them are bigger and don't end up playing them in playoffs most complaints are the schools within the district I know for example portage that have had some really good team get beat on the last couple of years by the private schools. It probably has a bigger effect on basketball though then football. You pick up on quality kid on a football team it makes u better but u still need 10 more decent guys. Basketball u can win a lot of games with one or two really good players.