Last August, football coaches and a few athletic directors from Belle Vernon, Chartiers Valley, Elizabeth Forward, Ringgold, Thomas Jefferson, Trinity and West Mifflin converged on Cedarbrook Golf Course for the first Big Seven Football Conference Media Day.
The event, organized by Ringgold athletic director and new football coach Lloyd Price, was unique for WPIAL football.
It's a common practice in college football, however, as most conferences – from the Big East to PSAC – hold media days.
In speaking with several coaches, there was skepticism entering last year's event but after it was over, the reviews were positive. And why not? It created newspaper and Internet copy during a lean time of year and gave the Big Seven additional publicity.
Given last year's success, the Big Seven will host a second Media Day on Wednesday, Aug. 5.
There figures to be an interesting subplot to this year's event considering the comments Elizabeth Forward coach Garry Cathell made about Thomas Jefferson after the two played last year. Cathell issued an apology but the guess here is there haven't been too many pleasantries exchanged since.
For a refresher,
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/highschool/football/s_591659.html
13 comments:
Cathell is a joke of a coach. He is a lifetime loser, everywhere he's been he and his teams have stunk.
I hope TJ hangs 100 on them this year. Maybe then he'll learn to shut his mouth.
I think Ringgold will probably win a state title this year. Any thoughts??
Yeah, probably undefeated
Anonymous, your posts are a riot!
In all seriousness, Rinngold's football team COULD HAVE BEEN on it's way to title contention thanks to the talent in this year's junior class (Rands, Fiore, Patch). However, as many of you noted, the crushing offensive blows delviered early last season quickly subsided thanks to some untimely coaching changes. Thank the athletic department for that one. Granted, these boys have talent and dedication, but without the "right man" calling the plays, I either think the ship will sink (again) or there will be a mutiny on the bounty. But, that's Ringgold tradition for you!
*delivered
(Before you knock my spelling error...lol)
The debate in AAA is over before it even gets started this year...TJ will be winning the state title yet again...too much talent at least for this year. And while I'm not going to say the well is running dry, after this year or next you may see a drop off in TJ football slightly...
1) Cathell is a good man and gives a damn about his kids
2) He took a team from 0-9 to 5-4 and will probably win 6 or 7 this year.
3) Cherp is a great coach but what he pulled by throwing on the last play of the game last year was BS.
4) Ringgold will underachieve once again. Never fails.
A-wild, AKA Gary, I don't disagree with anything you said. However, being a good man does not make you a good football coach. Yes, EF went from being one of the worst football teams in recent WPIAL history to an average team in his second year, thats not hard to do when you start all under classmen your first year to get them experience.
When a JV team is in the game at the end and throws a pass thats not running it up, thats football. You only get to coach one team, not your opponent, suck it up and make your team better, don't whine in public like a crybaby.
Yea. That was a JV team on the field going against EF first team "D". What better way to get the second team some, for the lack of a better word, "quality" playing time. Too bad Cathell doesn't know how to get his reserves playing time. That's why they are so bad. The pass was a third down play and with that conversion, the game was iced. The victory formation then followed.
Cherp didn't rub it in or embarrass EF, that was left to Cathell and his yapper!
Anon,
Seems like you have bone to pick with the man. You also contradict yourself when you talk about him playing underclassmen and then chide him for not knowing how to get kids in the game.
I don't disagree about public talk but I don't think one public outburst makes him a bad coach.
BTW they will be better than 5-4 this year. Take that to the bank.
it's funny, that with all this ef and ringgold talk, nobody has mentioned the coaching move that was made that the best position coach at ringgold is now at elizabeth.
Cathell has really started to turn Elizabeth Forward into a contender. He's not yapping for himself. He's yapping for the kids he spends time coaching. Nobody wants to be beaten badly and then ran all over just cause that's what can happen. It also shows that the team doing it has no class. Cathell doesn't want the sqaud he coaches to mentally lose focus due to another team running up the score in such a tasteless manner. I would do the same thing. If you have your starters out there and blow the team out 50 -0 in the first half.. don't come out in the second half throwing for the endzone and scoring 40 more points. It's unnecessary and proves even with a win some teams are still losers. Kudos to Cathell for sticking up for his boys and speaking up.
He's a good coach. He sticks up for what is right. My girl went to Peters when he coached there. Everyone loved him at Peters and I'm sure they feel the same at EF. Good Job Coach C!
Post a Comment