Knipp back in at Rock Hill

[BigChuck]

I predict a movie will be made someday about Rock Hill football. Imagine this:
The scene opens with the interior of the Rock Hill dressing room. The players, seated with blankets draped over their shoulders, are dejected and silent. The door pushes open and Coach Knipp is wheeled in. They look at Coach (played by Pat O'Brien) in mute apology, then guiltily away, as if to avoid his eyes. His dark-circled eyes range over the players for a full moment of unbroken silence. Then, quietly, as if the game didn't matter to him:

KNIPP: Well, boys ... I haven't a thing to say. Played a great game...all of you. Great game.

(He tries to smile.) I guess we just can't expect to win ‘em all. (Knit pauses and says quietly). I'm going to tell you something I've kept to myself for years -- None of you ever knew Coach Knipp. It was long before your time. But you know what a tradition he is at Rock Hill...

(There is gentle, faraway look in his eyes as he recalls the boy's words). And the last thing he said to me -- "Coach," he said - "sometime, when the team is up against it -- and the breaks are beating the boys -- tell them to go out there with all they got and win just one for the Knipper...

(Coach's eyes become misty and his voice is unsteady as he finishes). I don't know where I'll be then, Coach", he said - "but I'll know about it - and I'll be happy."

There is a hushed stillness as Coach and the crowd of boys look at each other. In the midst of this tense silence, Coach quietly says "Alright," to the men beside him, and his chair is wheeled slowly out of the dressing room.

PLAYER # 12: Well, what are we waiting for?

With a single roar, the players throw off their blankets and rush through the doorway.

You Sir...are a modern day Shakespeare....such beautiful prose, wonderful soliloquy ....I have just laughed my ass off!!!

[Game day]

That is funny!

[SWJeeps22]

I see more of a movie scene similar to that of Zach Galifianakis in Due Date..

[REDMEN95]

Hopefully, with your great observation at the Ironton games, you will just keep attending Ironton games! No need for you at RH. BTW, I wonder if you cheered for Ironton or RH? Keep in mind, there are Ironton posts that you can contribute to

Actually Hard To Miss All The Familiar Faces.....So Many...LOL
Only Thing Thats Being Played At RH Is Politics And Many People Are Getting Tired Of It!!
But If You Like Being the Doormat Of Lawrence County Keep The Course!!!

I just assumed with your rambling posts that had little validity, that you must have been observing the crowd
If people were tired they would have stepped up but they didn't:) The fact is this: the "loud" people are few and the support of this staff are many .No politics! 2 board members changed their vote after the team and community spoke up. redman95, you are far more a doormat than I will ever be.

NO POLITICS??? WHAT PLANET ARE YOU FROM
If The Team And Community Want A Doormat For A Football Program Then You Have It......

[gametime]

Actually Hard To Miss All The Familiar Faces.....So Many...LOL
Only Thing Thats Being Played At RH Is Politics And Many People Are Getting Tired Of It!!
But If You Like Being the Doormat Of Lawrence County Keep The Course!!!

I just assumed with your rambling posts that had little validity, that you must have been observing the crowd
If people were tired they would have stepped up but they didn't:) The fact is this: the "loud" people are few and the support of this staff are many .No politics! 2 board members changed their vote after the team and community spoke up. redman95, you are far more a doormat than I will ever be.

NO POLITICS??? WHAT PLANET ARE YOU FROM
If The Team And Community Want A Doormat For A Football Program Then You Have It......

Lol !!!!!

[redmanfan]

Actually Hard To Miss All The Familiar Faces.....So Many...LOL
Only Thing Thats Being Played At RH Is Politics And Many People Are Getting Tired Of It!!
But If You Like Being the Doormat Of Lawrence County Keep The Course!!!

I just assumed with your rambling posts that had little validity, that you must have been observing the crowd
If people were tired they would have stepped up but they didn't:) The fact is this: the "loud" people are few and the support of this staff are many .No politics! 2 board members changed their vote after the team and community spoke up. redman95, you are far more a doormat than I will ever be.

NO POLITICS??? WHAT PLANET ARE YOU FROM
If The Team And Community Want A Doormat For A Football Program Then You Have It......

Again, obviously you are just an angry individual who wants to throw a tantrum and bad mouth the program. Did you ever put on a uniform? If you did and you graduated in 95, you would have played at least a year with my brother. Not once, has he ever disrespected our program or coaches In fact, he still follows them and supports them! What planet am I from? The one that has a clue!

[Game day]

Does everyone at RH believe that what happen is a good thing? You must be crazy. I want to ask one question when was the last time RH had a freshman and a JV football schedule? This is how far your football has dropped because of coaching. And I guess we blame on everyone else except the present coaching staff.

[gametime]

Does everyone at RH believe that what happen is a good thing? You must be crazy. I want to ask one question when was the last time RH had a freshman and a JV football schedule? This is how far your football has dropped because of coaching. And I guess we blame on everyone else except the present coaching staff.

Do you really think coaching is why there is no Jv and freshman team read all the post the kids don't play in all sports not just football

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

as much as this has been a debacle, the rock hill community, and outsiders have to be perplexed by this. a person's loyalty should not be questioned for not understanding this situation.and a poster said something about seeing rock hill fans at ironton games. I can tell you that poster was correct. I see them everywhere there. and most of the time they greet you with a ''I wanna watch a real football game''.those are not my words. anybody that knows me, they know I lived in kitts hill 32 years. and I coached youth sports there. and the district is extremely political.and the fans as well. we built an amazing youth program football wise there then.we were extremely successful after the 1st year where we had 13 players. I was coaching when we combined the 4 grade schools together into one team. my last team had 53 kids on it.which was TOO MANY.i got voted out from basically being an ironton graduate. and I went to ironton games on Friday with my dad.but my loyalty to rock hill was never questioned by at least me. and the year after the axe fell on me after a super bowl win, and league back to back championships. they separated the team into 2 teams, and still had plenty left over. I took my kids on into ironton in the later years of jumior high for several reasons. 1 was I had a bi-racial son I adopted and there were like 2 people of color in the school. I seen him sink 7/8 3 pointers in a row warming up and never getting in the game. and in a game against the ironton team while he was a junior high running back at rock hill. I was running the chains, he got the carry, and was having a great game running. and he flat got stuck by a tiger player and the ball shot straight up. I was running the chains, and a guy I won't mention on the rock hill side stood up and hollered-- I BET HE WOULD NOT HAVE DROPPED THAT IF IT HAD BEEN A WATERMELON''. that crushed me. I had put so much into that program to hear that. there is a problem there whether people will admit it or not. and lastly I lived 16 miles from the rock hill complex. and had kids in 2 different grades traveling to games all over. my wife might be with one in gallipolis,or Chesapeake. while I was with one at south Gallia. it was extremely costly, and exhausting. I was one of the last houses in the rock hill district. I had neighbors that went to symmes valley and taught there as well. but from my house it was 8 miles to the ironton parking lot.it just made sense culturally and financially. and it was a move my kids needed after that incident. it was one of our own fans that hollered that at my son.who'd we had adopted that we were fostering. he was loved by his team mates. but nobody needs to expose their children to that. I'm not in anyway trying to insinuate my kids were superstars, because that was not the case. but all I can tell you there were plenty of kids there to play, and everywhere we went baseball, basketball, and football. we were playing for championships/all star tournaments in all 3 sports.my dad was dying of cancer at a time when I thought, I better start getting rock hill season tickets since I coach here. and I did for 2 years. I can tell you that by the grace of god my dad recovered from cancer miraculously. but as he lay there dying, he told me son, I miss sitting and traveling with you to fighting tiger games. he said tell me I still got more tiger games to watch before I die.what do you say to that, of course I said yes.and I was torn and decided to give up my season tickets at rock hill and return to ironton games. I have no ill feelings toward the district even though the district and board were always in upheaval. I can tell you ipersonally addressed the school board at a board meeting asking them to please use the old high school football field for a homecoming game. and they refused to let us. and that chaffed my a--, being a taxpayer in the district. no lights were needed, concession or anything. we handled all of the concession out of the back of my pickup truck, ''ole blue''. I was the first one on the hill and the last one off. my whole 12 x 20 office back at home was full of equipment from 53 players helmets, pads everything. concession stuff. I was also the treasurer and was at pick n save 2/3 times a week loading my entire truck with pop, candy, chips. the joke was it was a ''toms truck''.and you vote a guy out who was winning nearly every game. and we practiced behind the high school. where it used to be a landfill. we could not use the old facilities, even after the new ones were built. every day after practice. I had 7/8 adults that would stay after and walk the fields picking up glass, lumps of coal, and sharp rocks from the practice field that all the cleats had turned up.it's a very spread out district from hanging rock to the coal grove district, it borfered the franklin furnace and spread all the way to Decatur. it is also a farming system, so kids also needed to do farm work.i don't know how many kids I packed home after practice in my truck all corners of the district, because numerous parents did not have license. people will have you believe the district is poor.they have the best facilities in the whole county. and the parents would drop 10/15 bucks a night buying concessions for their familes. I tell you one thing. the fans there were die hard commited , with whole families surrounding the field and bleachers for our PRACTICES, not talking about games here yet. and the grade school football fanbase totally filled out most of the local high school stadiums, with maybe 100 standing around the fences.those were great times. I had parents who wanted to fist fight at games and after practices. by the grace of god that never happened, but it was constant turmoil as another group of guys who were coaching baseball wanted to take over the program. I affectionately called them the ''baseball bunch''. I remember the night I was voted out. the guy running against me was a great guy. I wanted him on my staff. as the results were coming in, he was sitting right beside me. he said ozzie I have a question why is everybody against you , and all you guys do is win. I told him the truth. I GO TO IRONTON GAMES WITH MY DAD ON FRIDAY NIGHT. I stood on park avenue in the blistering heat, and downpours with other parents collecting money for equipment. traveled the whole county getting donations from businesses getting donations. I made hundreds of programs myself for each game. god bless Vickie evans and fred evans for the use of copiers to make the programs. we cleaned all the equipment repaired it, re-painted it. I handled everything bill wise and the checking account. did the grunt work. had great helpers. had to drive all over the county to collect the equipment that kids would not turn in. I was like a collection guy. when they just had to turn it in after the last game. I had a kid named casey roach that was tim roaches son, and when we passed out pads and inside the pads it said timmy roach in them. that's how old they were, they were his dad's old pads. we replaced all the equipment, helmets , jerseys, balls, chinstraps, and on and on. I made countless trips a week to bob linns buying equipment each week. and I was paying them every month. when I got voted out at first they were refusing to pay bob linn's and I was responsible for the balance , finally they paid it off. I was asked to coach the high school team by a couple board members. I told them I would, but I could not accept any pay because I was on disability. the pay was 3,000 and I told them, i'll set up an account and I will disperse the whole amount to the youth programs and cheerleader's for uniforms and equipment. that's when the hired andy hall. -------------- I want to make something perfectly clear. I still love the rock hill district I lived there 32 years and was very active in the community and schools. I ain't asking anybody to feel sorry for me. that's not my intent. ------------------------but unless there have been wholesale changes in the whole district. then I'm telling you 1st hand what I encountered for years coaching there, the good and the bad. the moves was good for my family as well transferring to ironton in junior high. I did not have the coaching responsibilities. the drive to ironton was 8 miles. to rock hill it was 16. my son taville won the ''NEVER GIVE UP AWARD'' at ironton as a senior on the fighting tigers because of his tenacity, as he was very undersized, but he kept coming back for more. I remember an ironton varsity game where my son taville broke a long run and scored the touchdown, and my son cody kicked the good extra point. and they got the opportunity to play under bob lutz who is Ohio's all time leader in high school football wins. they were in the SEOAL. and you think things are spread out in the OVC.we were going anywhere from Marietta to Zanesville, logan, Jackson and all over the state of ohio and Kentucky as far as belfry. that travel was the eventual death of the oldest public high school league in the state that was the SEOAL. who is playing their final season as a league this year with 3 members, Jackson, logan, and warren.i guess in closing remember I loved the district, loved the community, went to church at MAMRE BAPTIST CHURCH at kitts hill. I had several reasons for my kids transfer. if the district is still being ran the same way. you cannot question the fans for being upset. sports jobs, voluntarily or pais are performance based. like it or not. if you are not successful you will be replaced. and if you are successful you still may be replaced. I know one thing the kids we coached were playing against ironton in playoff games. and they were every bit as prepared and tough as the fighting tigers. and KC Christian went onto play at OHIO STATE. several others played baseball at RIO GRANDE. jesse Carmon played college ball, arena pro ball and semi pro football and was an ALL STAR at all levels --- college, pro, and semi pro. I got to coach jesse as a coach coaching a semi pro all star game in Beckley,va.so those kids were thriving. semi pro football briefly.i went to each of the 4 rock hill schools Decatur, pedro, kitts hill, and hanging rock and literally recruited grade school kids to come out and play ball. I promised them championships if they joined.and we had more kids than we had equipment. so the district sports wise was thriving. praise god I got to be a small part of it there coaching youth baseball, basketball and football. I had great parents that were there every practice. and built an amazing staff of parents from right there in the district. so what has happened. I hear todd knipp was the only applicant. whether that was true or not I cannot confirm that. and if in fact that is the case. then no one wanted any part of it, or the board. so they had to re-hire the previous coach they just fired for lack of success after many years coaching there. as great of a guy as him and his staff are. they just were not getting it done. so please don't question peoples loyalty because they question this stuff. we never ever neede kids from adjoining district's and never asked. so what in the sam hill has happened there that there are no applicants for a high school football coach, and the school district has the best facilities in the county. is it the pay, is it the board, is it the kids/parents.i coached the kids there with an ironton playbook, and added a few wrinkles. and practices were hardcore and 2 hours long. just like at ironton, if you were the best you played,we subbed as much as we could, but not at the sacrifice of losing a close game.and I felt sorry because I had way too many great players/. praise god they split the program into 2 teams after I was gone. if you were not a starter you got in in a lopsided game. just that simple . I wanted to build a program that was just like ironton's as a feeder program for the junior high and high school.and if they lost they did not want to be there Monday. just like you didn't want to be at an ironton practice after a loss Monday. and even though parents despised it as a whole. it worked and we were very successful. I know i'll get raked through the coals, but I'm being completely honest with you, every word. but take my observations seriously as a method of fixing what is wrong there. if you keep doing the same thing and it's not working then shame on you. in closing I want to tell todd he's a great guy, as is his staff. and I hope they have amazing success this season and in the future.

[Jason Vorhees]

I just don't understand why the Rock Hill School District would rehire a guy who has had an overall record 43-76 and an 0-3 record in the playoffs. He had a string of seven consecutive losing seasons. I am not saying get rid of him off of a whim; however, one would have to look at his whole body of work, and then if he and his coaching staff is furthering the program. If they're getting less and less kids out per year playing, something that isn't good has to be going on there.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

somebody needs to be honest here and accountable for the downfall of the sports programs, and the way the district is run. and be honest why no-one, if that was the case even applied for the job. I love the rock hill district as much as I do the ironton community.and now I live in waverly, and back their team as well. my allegiance to the district was never in question other than the fact that on Friday nights I was with my dad at ironton varsity games on Friday nights. then Saturday morning I'd be up before the roosters woke up getting everything together to lead the rock hill redmen/redskins into battle on Saturday mornings. and I was at the field for the very 1st game even if I had to be there at 8am, and we did not play till 4. I stood in the crows nests, and the top of the stadiums everywhere with a notebook scouting. I never was anything near like a bob lutz, but he was a hero to me and his mehods worked. and I copied them. nothing wrong with trying to lead like your mentor. and my kids were never all stars at rock hill or ironton but they were very much involved in the programs and they always got in the games as starts/backups , because ironton was destrying their opponents and everybody got in. but never at the expense of a win because of parents causing near riots at their coach because their kid got little playing time. not everyone can coach/play. I didn't play after my sophomore year at ironton after blowing out my knee. I went to the trade school and learned welding. but I did and still do know the formula for success and I lived it, and if you played for me you were accountable for it. and we prayed before and after each practice/game. and I didn't care who knew or cared or was against it. it was a time with god and the kids, and many times after everybody dispersed kids stayed after basically for some godly counsel about a family problem. maybe a kid had not eaten, a dad was beating his wife, mom was on drugs. just a multitude of things every one of us encounter on a daily basis. we cared, we praised the kids, we had MVP trophies for the best athlete. bought the kids trophies, and championship and super bowl shirts. that district was set up not to fail with this group coming up. and as I said they encountered ironton in playoff GAMES, and tanks memorial stadium was electric and could barely hold the crowd/band. and the stadium roared on both sides news helicopters flew over taking overhead pictures for audience from the tri-state area to Columbus and Cincinnati. and again praise god I got to be a very small part of that. trust me there is not a prouder moment than watching your kids in fighting tiger uniforms playing the enourmous kids we had on the rock hill team I coached. i'll never forget that feeling. and watched a bunch of those kids from both sides getting to play in playoffs and championship games.so what exactly has happened, why no interest in coaching or playing there. and a big part of the rock hill fans are at ironton games on Friday nights. did or will anything change re-hiring a coach that weeks before was fired.well I can tell you I hope so, because I fearly love todd and the guys on his staff. and I know 1st hand how much commitment and time it takes and all the other facets nobody sees.and as I told you the pay was 3,000. at least that was what was quoted to me. and I wasn't even going to keep a dime of it.-------------- everybody in the tri-state area tried to hire bob lutz from ironton.i've heard stories of him interviewing at other districts. and legend has it he'd lay his w2 form down and stated if you can beat this we'll talk. if you can't good day.i have no idea the validity of this. or if it's an urban legend. but it worked , and he retired as the winningest ohio high school football coach ever. so who would not try to replicate that, even as an unpaid volunteer. because it was working. when I coached even during the regular season we had scrimmage games against the teams in the league, sometimes twice a week. you could never do that now, and I agree now it was nuts. and we even scrimmaged in Russell and Ashland during the regular season against their all star teams. I know now it was whacked AND CRAZY IN MOST WAYS. but trust me when I tell you everybody got to play weekly. we'd scrimmage the tough ironton tesams through the week at the old high school on the practice field behind the old stadium, and we'd alternate and head to ironton and scrimmage behind central Christian church and any/everywhere in between, all we wanted to do was play football all week. I remember a scrimmage against a Russell team we didn't know anything about. and my teams were huge sizewise and these kids from russell dwarfed them.it was at halftime we were behind 14-6, and I was ripping the kids for not executing. and a guy comes up to me in an Ashland tee shirt. he was there scouting Russell's team. we were only down 14-6. the guy came up to me and said excuse me coach, can I talk to you a minute. I told him I was busy but we would chat while they warmed up for the second half. and he said coach how old are your kids, and I tell him 5th and 6th graders. and the guy tells me . do you know you are playing Russell's junior high team, and he told me it had a few freshman that weren't getting enough playing time.------------------so I had to call the game off. the guy told me that one kid had been held back, and actually was a freshman with a drivers license. and with god as my witness while we were explain the problem with the Russell coaches, and everybody was leaving the kid got in his car and drove away. the Russell coach tells me coach I had no idea you were a grade school A TEAM. he said we'd have never played you had we knew that. the 2 teams were actually very equal sizewise, but we were somewhat smaller. both sides were full of full of fans watching a scrimmage game. and we had a game with the ironton eagles two days later. this will be my last comment. I want the rock hill district to be as successful as ironton's program and I love both communities. ------------ but how did they get from what I'm telling you to this. I really honestly would like to know. but I truly wish coach knipp and coach vass all the luck in the world. and at ironton games I get to watch one of my former players jesse Carmon get to coach ironton's lineman, who also played early in the rock hill district and transferred to ironton for high school.frankly I don't r am I not trying to start anything. I hope that todd has great success there. I truly do. but what if the team tanks this year and nothing has changed and you had the opportunity to hire someone else. and you have mark ''hammer'' lutz in the rock hill district now as the head junior high school. who is not only from the lutz coaching tree, and bob Lutz's nephew. but he is a lutz.bob lutz was winning OVC championships with tiny saint joe, before ironton hired him away. god bless ya';ll for taking the time to read this, love both districts, and wish em both success. god bless you, Tom''Ozzie''Osborne aka YOU'RE TIGER BAIT. Waverly, Ohio

[gametime]

You can't hire someone if they don't put in and you don't wait til may to start looking and for Lutz nothing against him but the only RH. High school game he came to last yr was Ironton he don't come to weight lifting didn't practice on field you have to show some interest

[redmanfan]

Does everyone at RH believe that what happen is a good thing? You must be crazy. I want to ask one question when was the last time RH had a freshman and a JV football schedule? This is how far your football has dropped because of coaching. And I guess we blame on everyone else except the present coaching staff.

Again game day this is another example of how people can post whatever, for others to believe, with out any facts:
So, here are some stats and facts:
In 2005, we had 250 boys in the school and were a large Division 4 school, with a 50 man roster, we has 20% of the boys playing. In 2015, we had 150 boys in the school and one of the smallest schools in Division 5. We started the season with 30 boys, again 20% of the boys in the school. Again, we are averaging 20% of the boys in the school playing football.
The majority of kids leaving happens in grade school and middle school. Additionally, the kids that are leaving are physically moving out of the district, not transferring thier kids to play sports. Realistically, we don't live in a wealthy community in which families can just go buy homes in local areas for their kids to participate in extracurricular activities. People are moving out of the area due to limited industry and opportunities, review some facts from our Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Appalachian Rural Commission.
I challenge you this: as you seem to have such insight to all the issues in the RH football program:

Please name 15 kids (I would settle for 4) that live in the district now and play sports for other schools.

Next, name 10 kid, in the last 5 years, that have moved from the RH district and are playing ball for other OVC schools.

Finally, name 10 boys in the RH high school that should be playing football and are not. This doesnt include young men that are involved in other sports during that football season.

[redmanfan]

You can't hire someone if they don't put in and you don't wait til may to start looking and for Lutz nothing against him but the only RH. High school game he came to last yr was Ironton he don't come to weight lifting didn't practice on field you have to show some interest

Exactly, they could have fired the staff in January and saved a headache for the prgram. Kids would have been upset but would have had time to adjust. In saying that, Todd and Bob still should have had the job.
As for Lutz, he is a great guy, and I am sure he knows football. HOWEVER, I have never read that ONE COULD BE genetically predisposed to being a great football coach. At the end of the day it is the name (wich all respect to Bob Lutz) but if or when Mark coaches at RH high school, he will be exposed to the same chaos that other man has faced. Take Andy Hall- obviously, he cant coach worth crap because he lost at RH so, why is he so successful now hummmmmmm?

[Game day]

Once again I will ask when was the last time RH had a freshmen and a JV team. I don't want hear you cry about things I asked a question. Same size schools as you have with a lot less facilities have both in the OVC.

[gametime]

Once again I will ask when was the last time RH had a freshmen and a JV team. I don't want hear you cry about things I asked a question. Same size schools as you have with a lot less facilities have both in the OVC.

I don't see them having a jv or freshmen team for yrs so that is a mute point

[redmanfan]

Once again I will ask when was the last time RH had a freshmen and a JV team. I don't want hear you cry about things I asked a question. Same size schools as you have with a lot less facilities have both in the OVC.

Gameday you are killing me:) I have a son on the team who will be a senior and he played in about 8 or 9 jv games as a freshman (not to mention playing varsity as well). He played at least two games as a sophmore for JV, so last year was the first time we didn't have a JV team. One year and we still have the same % of kids playing ball.
I answered yours so now answer mine! RH has went one year without playing a jv game.
Please clarify who the same size schools are as well.
So, I will ask ONCE AGAIN: refer to my three questions in my previous post and answer that.

[REDMEN95]

You Can't Expect Anyone Outside The District To Apply If You Don't Put The Job Opening On The OHSAA Website!

[REDMEN95]

somebody needs to be honest here and accountable for the downfall of the sports programs, and the way the district is run. and be honest why no-one, if that was the case even applied for the job. I love the rock hill district as much as I do the ironton community.and now I live in waverly, and back their team as well. my allegiance to the district was never in question other than the fact that on Friday nights I was with my dad at ironton varsity games on Friday nights. then Saturday morning I'd be up before the roosters woke up getting everything together to lead the rock hill redmen/redskins into battle on Saturday mornings. and I was at the field for the very 1st game even if I had to be there at 8am, and we did not play till 4. I stood in the crows nests, and the top of the stadiums everywhere with a notebook scouting. I never was anything near like a bob lutz, but he was a hero to me and his mehods worked. and I copied them. nothing wrong with trying to lead like your mentor. and my kids were never all stars at rock hill or ironton but they were very much involved in the programs and they always got in the games as starts/backups , because ironton was destrying their opponents and everybody got in. but never at the expense of a win because of parents causing near riots at their coach because their kid got little playing time. not everyone can coach/play. I didn't play after my sophomore year at ironton after blowing out my knee. I went to the trade school and learned welding. but I did and still do know the formula for success and I lived it, and if you played for me you were accountable for it. and we prayed before and after each practice/game. and I didn't care who knew or cared or was against it. it was a time with god and the kids, and many times after everybody dispersed kids stayed after basically for some godly counsel about a family problem. maybe a kid had not eaten, a dad was beating his wife, mom was on drugs. just a multitude of things every one of us encounter on a daily basis. we cared, we praised the kids, we had MVP trophies for the best athlete. bought the kids trophies, and championship and super bowl shirts. that district was set up not to fail with this group coming up. and as I said they encountered ironton in playoff GAMES, and tanks memorial stadium was electric and could barely hold the crowd/band. and the stadium roared on both sides news helicopters flew over taking overhead pictures for audience from the tri-state area to Columbus and Cincinnati. and again praise god I got to be a very small part of that. trust me there is not a prouder moment than watching your kids in fighting tiger uniforms playing the enourmous kids we had on the rock hill team I coached. i'll never forget that feeling. and watched a bunch of those kids from both sides getting to play in playoffs and championship games.so what exactly has happened, why no interest in coaching or playing there. and a big part of the rock hill fans are at ironton games on Friday nights. did or will anything change re-hiring a coach that weeks before was fired.well I can tell you I hope so, because I fearly love todd and the guys on his staff. and I know 1st hand how much commitment and time it takes and all the other facets nobody sees.and as I told you the pay was 3,000. at least that was what was quoted to me. and I wasn't even going to keep a dime of it.-------------- everybody in the tri-state area tried to hire bob lutz from ironton.i've heard stories of him interviewing at other districts. and legend has it he'd lay his w2 form down and stated if you can beat this we'll talk. if you can't good day.i have no idea the validity of this. or if it's an urban legend. but it worked , and he retired as the winningest ohio high school football coach ever. so who would not try to replicate that, even as an unpaid volunteer. because it was working. when I coached even during the regular season we had scrimmage games against the teams in the league, sometimes twice a week. you could never do that now, and I agree now it was nuts. and we even scrimmaged in Russell and Ashland during the regular season against their all star teams. I know now it was whacked AND CRAZY IN MOST WAYS. but trust me when I tell you everybody got to play weekly. we'd scrimmage the tough ironton tesams through the week at the old high school on the practice field behind the old stadium, and we'd alternate and head to ironton and scrimmage behind central Christian church and any/everywhere in between, all we wanted to do was play football all week. I remember a scrimmage against a Russell team we didn't know anything about. and my teams were huge sizewise and these kids from russell dwarfed them.it was at halftime we were behind 14-6, and I was ripping the kids for not executing. and a guy comes up to me in an Ashland tee shirt. he was there scouting Russell's team. we were only down 14-6. the guy came up to me and said excuse me coach, can I talk to you a minute. I told him I was busy but we would chat while they warmed up for the second half. and he said coach how old are your kids, and I tell him 5th and 6th graders. and the guy tells me . do you know you are playing Russell's junior high team, and he told me it had a few freshman that weren't getting enough playing time.------------------so I had to call the game off. the guy told me that one kid had been held back, and actually was a freshman with a drivers license. and with god as my witness while we were explain the problem with the Russell coaches, and everybody was leaving the kid got in his car and drove away. the Russell coach tells me coach I had no idea you were a grade school A TEAM. he said we'd have never played you had we knew that. the 2 teams were actually very equal sizewise, but we were somewhat smaller. both sides were full of full of fans watching a scrimmage game. and we had a game with the ironton eagles two days later. this will be my last comment. I want the rock hill district to be as successful as ironton's program and I love both communities. ------------ but how did they get from what I'm telling you to this. I really honestly would like to know. but I truly wish coach knipp and coach vass all the luck in the world. and at ironton games I get to watch one of my former players jesse Carmon get to coach ironton's lineman, who also played early in the rock hill district and transferred to ironton for high school.frankly I don't r am I not trying to start anything. I hope that todd has great success there. I truly do. but what if the team tanks this year and nothing has changed and you had the opportunity to hire someone else. and you have mark ''hammer'' lutz in the rock hill district now as the head junior high school. who is not only from the lutz coaching tree, and bob Lutz's nephew. but he is a lutz.bob lutz was winning OVC championships with tiny saint joe, before ironton hired him away. god bless ya';ll for taking the time to read this, love both districts, and wish em both success. god bless you, Tom''Ozzie''Osborne aka YOU'RE TIGER BAIT. Waverly, Ohio

No Wonder Why A Lot Of People That I Have Went To School With At RH Choose To Send Their Kids To Ironton. As I Looked Around This Past Year At The Ironton Fans I Saw MANY Familiar Faces That I Have Graduated With Back At RH.
THINGS WILL NEVER CHANGE AT MY DEAR ROCK HILL......SAME OLE COACHES = SAME RESULTS!!!
GO BIG I......LOL

Hopefully, with your great observation at the Ironton games, you will just keep attending Ironton games! No need for you at RH. BTW, I wonder if you cheered for Ironton or RH? Keep in mind, there are Ironton posts that you can contribute to

SEEMS AS IF YOU SPEAK THE TRUTH ABOUT THE SHAPE OF THE RH SPORT PROGRAMS PEOPLE LABEL YOU AS SOMEONE WHO HAS SOMETHING PERSONAL AGAINST THE COACHES.....THATS NOT TRUE AT ALL!!......SOMETIMES THE TRUTH HURTS!!!

[gametime]

You Can't Expect Anyone Outside The District To Apply If You Don't Put The Job Opening On The OHSAA Website!

Your saying no one knew the job was open , most coaches have jobs by may, and tell us redmen95 it went another week why didn't anyone apply then