RallyNorth.net: High School Sports – Merrimack Valley and Southern NH

Hector you are right on the money. That is exactly what they should do! Why can’t they see that? I would think one Catholic school girls league would help out another fellow Catholic School. Wouldn’t they? Finally some one admits it. Terrific you just earned my total respect but if I were you I would shut off my cell phone, you know what’s coming!

Let’s remember that Central football was barely .500 the last 2 years. I was at CCHS when we were in the Catholic Conference (60s-early 70s), and it sucked. Every school in the league is far away, the bus rides were long, and the attendance was lousy. Kids today are lazier than ever, so don’t fool yourself to think that a carload of students are going to Westwood for a Xaverian game, or to Braintree for a game vs Archbishop Williams, etc. There were barely 100 students on each side at Central the other night vs Andover, AT HOME! Another thing, since Central is coed, their boys enrollment grades 9-12 would be the smallest of 5 schools Hector mentioned. Look it up on the MIAA site – Central 617, Catholic Memorial 628, Malden Catholic 735, Xaverian 1053, St Johns 1158, and BC High 1300. For argument sake, the boys in 9-12 in other MVC schools – Andover 881, Billerica 773, Chelmsford 872, Dracut 574, Haverhill 980, Lawrence 1263, Lowell 1954, Methuen 971, Tewksbury 532. Let’s leave Central alone – you won’t won’t even think about it once basketball is over.

couldn`t the CC girls basketball stay in the MVC boys. ?
At least 2 games over 500 the first year.

Times have changed. It is not the 60′s and 70′s anymore. It is the 2000′s and the difference between Catholics and Privates are pretty clear in each sport, every year. Be Honest!
I could really care less about the students taking the car ride to watch the game as much as the students playing the game, that is the argument. You should probably give the CENTRAL CRAZIES more credit than that, they have no problem traveling from all over to go to school, why can’t they travel a little bit to go to a game.
I always love when someone brings up Central’s enrollment numbers as if they are the underdog, overcoming huge odds. It is laughable, again, to compare enrollments of publics vs. privates. Apples and oranges. When, what you are getting in many cases are top students, who have to pass an exam to get in to a limited number of spots. Never mind that many of the athletes are the best in the surronding towns for many miles. Be honest! You have to understand that. I love when people make it sound like there is this wide descrepency, it’s an exam school it has a great athletic tradition. The numbers are not the same as a public high school’s numbers. Here’s my problem again, admit it, IT IS NOT THE SAME!
Two tough football years, travel to other schools, enrollment numbers. These arguments do not stand-up to my very basic question: IS IT FAIR to the whole MVC?
Cmon! You can say it. It will feel good. Central has an unfair advantage. Now doesn’t that feel good to tell the truth.

If Central was first in golf and nothing else would there be such ‘suggestions’ or calls from opposing coaches? Who are these coaches who don’t have the stones to complain publicly? Why are they afraid? Might they fear that most fair-minded people would be extremely critical of them (or that they would be labeled as ‘cry-babies’)? Mr. Longo – why don’t you inform your readers how Central did in sports this fall? Why don’t you compare the various enrollments of the MVC schools and open your readers’ eyes up to reality? Ask your readers if they know that Lawrence, Lowell, Andover, Haverhill, Chelmsford and Methuen each have student bodies that are at least 50% LARGER than Central (see below – from MIAA site). Ask your readers if they feel the same away about Central’s Boys’ finishes this fall (overall MVC large and small): Football – 5th. Soccer – 7th. Boy’s CC – 4th. Golf – 5th.

Let’s be brutally honest – we all know this comes down to the fact that some “adults” out there (probably associated with basketball) would prefer to have their kids win by avoiding competition rather than relishing it. Would prefer to avoid being measured against a great basketball player. Would prefer to avoid trying to knock off a great basketball team. Would try to change the rules to avoid it. And when they can’t avoid it and happen to win, jump up and down ecstatically. And when they lose, be a sore loser, cry foul and let their kids learn from that too. Give me a freaking break. Get a life. It’s high school sports.

Student enrollments 2008-2009 (from http://www.miaa.net/Enrollment-data-06-09.pdf):
Lowell – 3875 students (237% larger than Central)
Lawrence – 2507 (118% “)
Haverhill -1936 (69% “)
Methuen – 1866 (63% “)
Andover – 1736 (51% “)
Chelmsford – 1732 (51% “)
Billerica – 1531 (33% “)
Central – 1148
Dracut – 1116 (-3% “)
Tewksbury -1098 (-4% “)

As an alumnus, I think moving Central to the Catholic Conference is a terrible idea. Can you imagine what all the additional travel will do to our recruiting budget?!?! And who is going to pay for the jet fuel for those trips to Hendricken? Not me, all my money is tied up in getting those 60″ plasma TVs for the players lounge.

I’ve got a major problem with Andover’s unfair advantage in girls’ swimming. It really irks me that prior to this year they won 8 years in a row. All those Andover kids belong to country clubs or have pools in their backyards. Their parents have a lot of money and pay for them to swim at Cedardale or with clubs or to get lessons from professionals. They travel all over New England and the country to swim competitively to get better. Don’t even bring recruiting up. Their rich parents bring cases all the way to the highest courts to ensure eligibility. I can’t afford any of that. It’s just not fair.

Oh yeah, and I don’t want my girls having to compete against them. They might, you, know, god forbid, lose. It’s just not fair. Wah, wah, wah.

Get a life is spot on-
–the parents and alums from certain public schools come out every few years when Central is doing well–its the same tired and old arguments. No one school really dominates over the years (check your #s). It is a very fair and even playing field thoughout the MVC.
Maybe the MIAA can put a little asterix next to your losses to Central because it wasn’t “fair”

Enrollment argument, again, c’mon turn the page. You must have something more to stand on. Central’s records do not matter, they have an advantage, have the stones to admit that. But you don’t. Use numbers for a phony argument.
’08 Super bowl Champs —— BC HIGH
’08 Basketball Champs ——– Central Catholic
(Beat BC High and St. John’s of Shrewsbury)
’08 Baseball Champs ———– BC High
’07 Baseball Champs ——– BC High (beat Malden Catholic)
Should I even bring up the super eight in hockey basically a Catholic Tournament. (Please don’t tell me about Reading)
How far do you want to go back and see how deep the Catholics go in ALL sports.
BC High ( 1300), Malden Catholic (735), St. John’s Prep (1158) etc. St. John’s Shrewsbury (963) Best one, Holy Name (260 boys) are these schools at a disadvantage also.
Enough with the Public school enrollment numbers. It is amazing what a disadvantage the catholic schools have but somehow wind up winning or competeing for the State Championship in a variety of sports. Some “adults” out there just can’t admit the truth. Private schools have an advantage or I must be mistaken and they are just incredibly lucky.

The Catholic is a better athlete to begin with because he’s been bred to be that way — because of his high thighs and big thighs that goes up into his back, and they can jump higher and run faster because of their bigger thighs. This goes back all the way to the Council of Piacenza when during the Crusades, the Pope – Pope Urban II – would breed his big alter boy to his big woman so that he could have a big Cathlolic kid.

Dear Times Have Changed;

Oh–my boy–you’re so obvious.

Yes, they have changed, the times, I mean–you thought you got screwed 35 years ago–and then, later, you wanted a job there–and then you didn’t–and then you worked across town where you really did get screwed and so you hated that school—and now you defend that school–or pretend to–so you can try to make an anti-Central point–maybe it’s time to let go–get rid of the of the past–all of it—-because, after all, times really have changed.

You brought it up, Time—now, YOU BE HONEST why do you think that every single Lawrence middle school guidance couselor worth their salt–Vocational, Catholic, Public, Protestant–why do they all steer their kids away from LHS—to prep schools– to the Voke –to Georgetown–to Whittier–to Central–to anywhere–BE HONEST yourself, TIME!!

How can you feel MANLY and HONEST (love those caps) about calling out CCHS and actually naming a specific Central Catholic alum, a former athlete, when you know absolutely nothing about the circumstances of his admission to Central– a young man who has overcome things you haven’t even dreamnt about–a young man who today is a successful college graduate and businessman because of his brains and guts and Central’s faith–and so he played basketball–does that proves your stupid point?—IS THAT FAIR—IS THAT HONEST?–Anyone with half abrain and some little knowledge can name hundreds more Central kids just like him that have been rescued by their experience at Central–and only a handful of them have played varsity sports. Come on –have some stones and go down to the MIAA in Milford and make your stupid claims in broad daylight–name the recruiters—the Mafioso—the “movers and shakers and lawyers”–name them—make your case instead of hiding behind rocks and ,cowering, take your stupid shots.

The ranting! The hatred! The Mafioso! The screaming in caps! Relax. It’s high school sports, as has been said. Listen, –go up to the Dewey–have a couple of cool ones–dial it down. Hey , by the way,–what are those rumors? Hector–get up there fast–are people really setting betting lines on high school basketball?–can it be true?–just talk? Hey, TIME, is it just bulletin board talk? Might be quite a story brewing, Hector–going to be embarrassing if Chris Forsberg or Danny Ventura beat you to it–do you think they might have been tipped?–is Times Have Changed involved?–any chance?–check this out. They wouldn’t like that in JV land–you agree?!

Ah, Hector–you let yourself get buffaloed by a Central hater–but we still love you, as the kids say. Last week you said you wanted to get on with the games–this week you partially caved to an anonymous, one-trick pony–maybe you were just tired. By the way, Hector, everyone knows you’re the only writer within 25 miles who gives a damn about high school sports and we all know that 99 times out of a 100 is pretty damn good even in greedy Raiderville .

By the way, I heard that the AD’s and the Principals of the MVC met recently–they’re going to expand, it turns out–LHS is back! It also turns out that not every team can play every other team in football–but guess what, Time and Hector–just about all of them want to play Central–hmmm. Check that out also, H, and tell us what happened.

Interesting times– all it takes is a 6’10” shot blocking son of a Central Alum and Big Shot Billy, the kid brother of another Central Alum and Times Have Changed and Hector want to banish the Raiders for all time–c’mon TIME–buckle down and teach those third graders to play dodgeball and jump rope–and forget all of this–you’ve got a nice gig–don’t let your bitter, bitter bile and lust for revenge screw all of that up!

Play the games–not just basketball but the other 20 sports also–on three levels,

Hey TIME–did you know that Central with about 20-25% of its student body participating in any given year, has won 16 or17 state titles in track and field?–why can’t the Raisers get it done in the other 19 sports–damn!!

As much as I’d like to see the old Catholic Conference back the only move I’d like to see is Central dropping the Greater Lawrence Christmas Tourney and playing in a national tourney like maybe the New York City Catholic Tourney that they once played in. With Central being such a dominating school in the current tourney I’m sure that the other schools would like some fresh blood like Londonderry to compete with.

Right now it looks like Central will probably have to play Andover 4 times (Xmas Tourney, 2 regular season games and the State Tourney) which is too many. Three games should be enough to determine the better team and no team should have to play four games a year with the same opponent. If you include summer games the number jumps even more.

There is no way to know how long Central (along with Andover) will dominate the local hoop scene but if given the chance to measure itself against some of the better national teams in the US I’m sure both sides can be satisfied. I don’t know what the rules are on the number of tournament games allowed in Mass. but a return of the old Catholic Invitational Basketball Tournament would be great. Maybe Trinity and Central working together to hold it at he Verizon Center in Manchester? The chance to see DeMatha, St. Anthony, Mater Dei, St. Benedict’s etc. would be fantastic to any high school hoop junkie.

It was pretty common knowledge that the Central alum I mentioned at the time of his being admitted to Central had been to a few different schools and there were issues. However, you are 100% correct. I should not have mentioned him by name. I do not know him personally but understand he is a fine young man. I will also give credit to Central for that. I have never argued they do not help sudents(never been an issue). I apoligize it was not meant to be a slap at him.
Go on the attack. Make assumptions, make your passive aggressive threats. It is typical and I expect it.
Hector, I will let it go, but my ONE BASIC QUESTION has still not been answered. And believe it or not, there is room for debate on the issue. The facts are the Catholic Schools throughout the state are dominant. Does Central have an advantage being the only Catholic School to play in a public league?

TIME

1–The CCHS alum who you slandered went to only one school–another person enrolled him at Somerville but he never attended–not for one minute.

2–CCHS is not the only cCatholic School in a mixed coference–you look it up–or else you’ll forget.

3–Hec–only two guys have ever mentioned CCHS playing St Anthony’s—you are one and the other is a local coach who wanted to apply for the CCHS job 3 years ago but didn’t dare—you know who he is, Hec–don’t you?