Bishop Walsh Football is BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PowerRamRight]

It took Cumberland shrinking to nothingness before FH started beating Allegany..

I think your research and analysis skills need some sharpening.

From 1940 to 1959, FH was 13-6-3 against Alco.
From 1960 to 1979, FH was 12-7-1 against Alco.
From 1980 to 1999, FH was 12-9 against Alco.
(Total = 37-22-4)

FH has been beating Alco for a while now....good teams on both sides though.

But I didn't know that Cumberland "shrinking to nothingness" began in the 1930s.

 

[cumbfanatic]

It’s going hurt the area schools when they get a stud player, but it’s an awesome opportunity for the kids. Mikey Allan played bb last weekend in front of hundreds of scouts. That is an awesome experience and opportunity the kids need and deserve. If you want the best for the kids you would agree.

 

[alco65]

I wonder what would be the cost of relaunching the football program. If I am not mistaking BW got rid of everything related to football. I would think it would have to be well into the six figure range.

 

[loco09]

Honestly I think it would be a better use of funds to rent Greenway or Bobcat Stadium instead of renovating Spartan Stadium to accommodate an elite football team. There are no visitors bleachers that are usable, no goalposts, and obviously chains, yard markers etc.

 

[BrianH1974]

I really could not see BW ever getting access to Greenway. Alco and FH already fight over who gets what day for football, boys/girls soccer, band. Especially on weekends. To tell Coach Appel or Coach Hansel they can't have the field because BW rented it would never work.

 

[loco09]

They used to all share it but that was before a lot of the activities that take place today were around

 

[BoyznBlue]

It’s going hurt the area schools when they get a stud player, but it’s an awesome opportunity for the kids. Mikey Allan played bb last weekend in front of hundreds of scouts. That is an awesome experience and opportunity the kids need and deserve. If you want the best for the kids you would agree.

Great point!!

 

[BrianH1974]

I suspect Allegany will be the first to hit rock bottom. Their Braddock teams didn't win a game for 2 years and barely put 13 kids in a uniform. Even if BW never fields a football team the Camper program is in big trouble. If BW was capable of stealing just a couple kids Alco may close the program. Which is why I suspect Alco won't be playing BW in any sport in an effort to survive. Sad what Cumberland has become.

 

[cumbfanatic]

Noone coming up for Allegany is good enough to play at that level. Alco won’t be losing anyone, sounds like you are hoping they do and the statement that the Warriors won zero games in 2 years is not true

 

[alco65]

Noone coming up for Allegany is good enough to play at that level. Alco won’t be losing anyone, sounds like you are hoping they do and the statement that the Warriors won zero games in 2 years is not true

Braddock actually won 2 games the last two years. Last year they beat a Hagerstown team. The year before they beat Ridgely

 

[redtheperson]

I would hope most of us root for both Cumberland teams to come into HC 8-0.. and now play in a 1a championship game... every year.... I look at it like we can talk shit about each others team, but if paw paw comes up talking smack about alco I'm still going to defend my hometown teams...

One real good question I've always wondered was how many 1a championships does alco win if fh wasn't there to bounce them out?? (I'd say at least 2) I understand why alco was rooting for MCC, but I also think it was petty (we're talking about kids so I'm not pressed) but watching alco parents leave disappointed I thought WTF? That's probably one of the best games we've seen... (21-20... twice! Has to be right up there tho) but my whole point is alco or fh.. they're still our children, dont hate on them because they're not wearing your color that day....

 

[Lagmeister]

I think your research and analysis skills need some sharpening.

From 1940 to 1959, FH was 13-6-3 against Alco.
From 1960 to 1979, FH was 12-7-1 against Alco.
From 1980 to 1999, FH was 12-9 against Alco.
(Total = 37-22-4)

FH has been beating Alco for a while now....good teams on both sides though.

But I didn't know that Cumberland "shrinking to nothingness" began in the 1930s.

I always enjoy reading someone responding in a respectful way.

 

[Lagmeister]

I would hope most of us root for both Cumberland teams to come into HC 8-0.. and now play in a 1a championship game... every year.... I look at it like we can talk shit about each others team, but if paw paw comes up talking smack about alco I'm still going to defend my hometown teams...

One real good question I've always wondered was how many 1a championships does alco win if fh wasn't there to bounce them out?? (I'd say at least 2) I understand why alco was rooting for MCC, but I also think it was petty (we're talking about kids so I'm not pressed) but watching alco parents leave disappointed I thought WTF? That's probably one of the best games we've seen... (21-20... twice! Has to be right up there tho) but my whole point is alco or fh.. they're still our children, dont hate on them because they're not wearing your color that day....

I don't think there is a person from Cumberland who would wish that a local school would lose a state championship game.

I once made a comment about karma..... that was in reference to the coach.... not the young men.

 

[bigdawgrefwmd]

I like to see Both Schools Have Good Teams but I don't mind seeing them have numbers problems because maybe one day soon it will get in the heads of the Board of Education that they should of Consolidated ALREADY!! Like before Building Allegany they should of built a Middle School on the Memorial Hospital Property and then they could of Built a NEW High School right at Fort Hill and did it while still having both Schools Combined in that building til it was done or use the 2 middle schools and build at Memorial and have both campuses both right by greenway but nope they built on top of the mountain and it's a total mess already. Leaking roof, They built windows all along the class rooms so that if "Knock on Wood that it never happens" a School Shooter can see every target. smh
The Schools should of been combined 5 years ago but won't happen til about 2025 when there is about 1100 Students Combined.

 

[eaglesinsider]

I agree. They could have a team on the FH/Alco level by Fall 2020 and could be on the next level by Fall 2021. If they hire the right coach - like they did with b-ball - the coach can bring 12-15 guys with him. And they can get 15 more kids from the area. Imagine a BW vs. DeMatha home and home series, even if they get beat bad the first year, it's going to attract kids who want to play against the best competition. BW football could be on ESPN within 3 years.

I doubted they could do it in basketball as quickly as they did so I'm not doubting any more. And I do understand that it's more difficult to assemble a football program from scratch, but it's not like rocket science.

It's not rocket science at all. Spend money, get a coach who is first and foremost a good recruiter, pay him well, load up your schedule so kids want to come play the best.

It's more about the cost than the complexity. If they can get into the WCAC, the cost is doable because it'll give them 5 local games a year (DeMatha, Good Counsel, McNamara, Saint John's, Gonzaga) plus a championship to play for. Some of the MIAA A schools might be OOC possibilities. The Ohio powerhouses are always looking for games and BW is already a few hours closer to them than the DC/Baltimore private schools. Add in Pittsburgh Central Catholic or whichever other PA powers you want and you can have a great, highly challenging regional schedule within 5-6 hours of Cumberland that would still be one of the toughest schedules in the country. The NJ Catholic schools are not that much further either. Always Canadian teams looking to play anyone that will schedule you to fill open home dates.

I imagine they'd try to schedule similarly to Good Counsel or DeMatha, WCAC league games, 1 long OOS trip, a few power teams from bordering states and fill it in with whatever Maryland teams want to play.

If they can't get in the WCAC, maybe it's doable, maybe it's not. Just depends on if you can fill 10 games when most teams are in league play the second half of the season.

 

[cumbfanatic]

They will have a corporate sponsor to pay cost and expenses like BW basketball has Nike.

 

[redtheperson]

Would they field a alco county all star team? Or do yall see most of the kids coming from outside our lil tri-state area?? Fh could handle two or three players and still compete in 1a.. Frankfort alco keyser n MR really couldn't afford thos loses... they really cant compete now imo...

 

[loco09]

My guess would be similar to how the basketball program was put together. Majority will be out of area kids brought in with a couple locals filling out the roster.

 

[cumbfanatic]

WCBC has a story that says the BW and Alco boy students that play want to play each other in soccer. The kids are losing

 

[loco09]

Anyone go to the meeting tonight at 1812? I didn't make it out.

 

[cumbfanatic]

It was changed to loafing barn for air condition, I didn’t make it either

 

[loco09]

So from what I've been able to gather from Facebook and other places, I haven't seen a timeline for this to happen, no coach has been announced but they are working with recruiters to get the word out to players in the DMV and beyond. There is no plan to actively recruit local players but they of course would allow locals and possibly have scholarship opportunities available if local students want to come but they will be bringing in kids from outside the area just as with the basketball program.

 

[FHHSAHS]

Anyone go to the meeting tonight at 1812? I didn't make it out.

I attended. They had a breakdown of startup costs, etc for the program. $85,000 to start. Although they had a football pump listed as $129.99. So...anyway...Glenn Cross ran the meeting. No coach, no specific timeline...looking for a national sponsor. And while they initially commented that they had no plans to recruit local kids, in nearly the next breath it was made very clear that there would be a number of scholarship opportunities for local-only players.So idk. They had a sign up going around to be on the football committee.

There was some enthusiasm. We shall see. It was not an "if" situation though...they are definitely moving forward with it.

 

[FHHSAHS]

My guess would be similar to how the basketball program was put together. Majority will be out of area kids brought in with a couple locals filling out the roster.

I just dont see the influx coming here for football. Basketball yes; there are lots of good basketball players from the area, downstate, and internationally, who dont get spots on already limited private school rosters - so there is almost always a supply of players to find.

Football, though, already has a strong private school presence down state and there really isnt much of an international pipeline of American-style football players looking to transfer in. Plus instead of 12 man rosters you have 25+ man rosters.

 

[loco09]

I don't disagree with most of what you said FHHSAHS, I think it will be way more of a challenge than basketball was and that is evident by the timeline, basketball was quick, Coach Prete was hired in May and a very good team built by August. This will take at least a year to build for football, getting the right coaches in place will be crucial to getting it off the ground along with the sponsorship. There are a lot of under the radar kids and kids stuck in depth charts at privates you could potentially get interested in coming up here but again you have to have the right coaches and schedule, etc to attract them away from the Dematha's, St John's, St Frances', the better public's, etc. It will be interesting to see it develop over the next year. As for the locals, the impression I got as I stated above was they aren't going to recruit kids but they won't turn them away either, in fact they will probably need them to fill out the roster. You won't see Glenn Cross peering through the fence with binoculars at Greenway scouting the practice but they'll do what they can to accommodate a kid if they want to come

 

[FHHSAHS]

You won't see Glenn Cross peering through the fence with binoculars at Greenway scouting the practice but they'll do what they can to accommodate a kid if they want to come

lol. Maybe not quite so obvious...but like I said it was openly stated they would earmark scholarships for locals. So if you announce that "scholarships" are available, some kids will go after that. However, I suspect this will be an issue where you wont see as many local "starting" caliber kids jumping ship from the local publics until we see how the program is being run, what success they may have etc. If BW has some decent early success, you will see common names from Cumberland, Frostburg and Keyser on their roster. If they dont accomplish much in, I'd say, 3 years after it starts - I doubt the program will be sustainable.

Having said all that, I will state clearly that unlike basketball - if BW does start a football team, EVERY local school should be playing them. Whether they are as good as Capital Christian or Good Counsel, they are in-county and should be on, at the very least, all Allegany County schedules.

 

[eaglesinsider]

If Bishop Walsh wants to run a DeMatha-esque football program I doubt they'd have much to gain by plucking many players from the Cumberland area. There is a lot of good football talent in Cumberland but not the elite players you need to compete at a national level on a yearly basis.

There might be 1 FBS player per year for the entire Cumberland metro area (including neighboring WV counties).

Right now in the class of 2020 Saint Frances has 13 (11 Power 5 Commits), DeMatha has 6 (5 Power 5 Commits) and Good Counsel has 4 (3 Power 5 Commits) FBS offered players.

If they truly bring in the kids they need to compete at a high level 99% of the local kids would be riding the bench. I'm not sure there's much appeal in that for either side. It's not like there isn't a storied tradition with the Cumberland public schools. I think most kids would rather contribute on a team that wins a state championship than have front row bench seats to Bishop Walsh-Saint Edward (OH) or something.

 

[camper21502]

Last yr. I said BW should bring their football team back and all I got on here was 50 excuses why it won't ever happen. I'm excited to see where this thing goes..