Of course I am not talking about Bishop Sullivan University. I am talking about legit VISAA schools who may have had a transfer or two come in who could make an impact on the success of their season.
Any new transfers in private school football that could make a big impact?
- Thread starter d4footballfan
- Start date
D4ball, I think most small private schools all have their share of transfers who come in and help them in athletics. In reference to IWA, if I am not mistaken, last year's leading stat guys at passing, rushing, receiving, and tackles were all players who were in their system/school for years. Yes they had transfers, but they were not the main reason they were successful. I think all D4 playoff teams (IWA, Roanoke Catholic, Richmond Christian, Broadwater) had transfers who came in over the last few years who help them become better teams.
Post not meant to bash schools who have kids transfer in, just curious about good athletes coming in for this upcoming season and who will be fun to watch play..
Post not meant to bash schools who have kids transfer in, just curious about good athletes coming in for this upcoming season and who will be fun to watch play..
The 4-5 record at IWA the year before is a little misleading. A few of those 5 losses were very close games (see the Fuqua game, the team that everyone thought would waltz unopposed to the state championship) and the team was missing a whole bunch of its starters for the last couple of games due to injuries. Make no mistake: the reason that IWA did so well last year was because of the core of kids that had dedicated themselves to the program for many years. The students that transferred in were great additions, but didn't make the season. It's not a good look to try to diminish those player's hard work.
Portsmouth Christian has been heavily recruiting a couple Deep Creek starters (QB Jefferson #14 and RB Morrison #3) all summer long. They are trying to bring in the Deep Creek guys so their star player DaKendal James, a former Hornet himself, will stay and not transfer to Shores or Sullivan.
Heelsfan8, I do not represent any one particular school, nor did I know that was a requirement to be a member of this board, but I simply enjoy following small school football in the Va area. I think incoming transfers can make small private school football interesting to say the least. The thing I find amusing is when coaches of schools who bring in talent from elsewhere act like they have no idea what people are talking about when they make mention of schools bringing in players for their athletic teams. Kids and parents talk, and brag about schools trying to bring them in to their small private school. The kids being "sought" tell and brag about it to everyone they know at combines, 7 on 7 games, camps, etc. The word travels quickly in the football community. I have been around high school athletics long enough to know it happens on a regular basis, in all sports, not just football.
You brought up the word "slandering" in reference to the possible transferring of D.C. kids to PCS. The false accusation (slander) you are referring to is #1 the kids leaving DC and coming to PCS or #2 the fact that the families of these players were not required to pay tuition.
You brought up the word "slandering" in reference to the possible transferring of D.C. kids to PCS. The false accusation (slander) you are referring to is #1 the kids leaving DC and coming to PCS or #2 the fact that the families of these players were not required to pay tuition.
Transfers are always problematic. My thought has always been the odd transfer in eleventh grade is legit but regular transfers n 11th grade or worse, 12th grade, is really problematic. Despite being within the rules, good schools don't accept lots of late transfers. grow the bulk of your players from ninth grade or accept the criticism.
I personally have no issue with transfers, in any grade, as long as it is initiated by the family first, and the kid is not given any special treatment like free tuition. If an 11 or 12 grader wants to go to different private school, that is his option. I love to see a school build from the bottom up, but I do not fault them for accepting transfers as long as it is done the right way. Quality programs build from within, and I respect that, but a quality program, IMHO, has every right to accept a quality athlete if they apply to their school.
I don't know. If you are talking just football, then a team is a team regardless of when the players arrive. But we are talking private schools which should focus on graduates that reflect the school. How can a senior transfer reflect a school when their October SATs are the scores they use for college and they have only been at that school for two months. Your humble opinion is correct, you can accept an athlete in twelfth grade. But are you accepting a student that reflects the mission statement of the school? Obviously there are special cases but these are rare in eleventh grade and more rare in 12th.
So a quality student/athlete from a prestigious private school wants to transfer to another outstanding private school and goes through the interview process with the administration and passes with flying colors should be turned away if he is a junior or senior? If his academic standing acceptable and the student has an unblemished behavior history, I don't know what the issue would be. If that student would be an asset to your student body, as a bonus, he can play a sport pretty darn good, he should be welcomed. Now if a student has been kicked out of another school for academic or behavior issues, and is just looking for a place to participate in athletics, then that is a different situation. Most quality schools have a testing, interview, and background process that will weed out that student from coming into their school.
What I am saying after having kids in some of the best private schools in the country, is that none of them have accepted senior transfers unless they are moving to the area. None. They value their diploma.
As for juniors, there are instances where I feel it appropriate but a school should not make a living off of junior transfers. I remember North Cross with a junior transfer a couple of years ago that was a pretty good running back, a difference maker, and he is at UVa right now (not playing football).
Schools need to do what they need to do to stay open but it is better to build from ninth grade up. That way you develop a program. Basketball is the worst because one late transfer makes such a huge difference.
Fishburne has picked up a few local athletes, from what I was told they did pretty well Saturday against VES and lost to STAB giving up only one score.
True that the freshman running back from Salem is a nice pick up. He stepped in nicely in the absence of starting running back that was hurt in first quarter of first game. A non reclass ninth grader that should represent the program well over the next four years.
Not true on the "going out and getting" if you are referring to recruiting. The kids older brother played and graduated from North Cross two years ago and is now at UVA. The kid's dad is a history teacher at North Cross. And not a coach that gets slotted in to a history or PE teaching position to recruit good players. In fact I don't think he coaches any sport.
Not true on the "going out and getting" if you are referring to recruiting. The kids older brother played and graduated from North Cross two years ago and is now at UVA. The kid's dad is a history teacher at North Cross. And not a coach that gets slotted in to a history or PE teaching position to recruit good players. In fact I don't think he coaches any sport.
The quote on the 4A fall board says it like this: Salem "lost" a freshman to North Cross. Didn't say recruited. But I have been involved in and around high school football for years, and I am not saying all private schools recruit, but they do roll out the red carpet, bring out the glitter, and make it enticing for students to come on over.
Not sure this could ever be construed as recruiting. The kid graduated from junior high school and chose to go to the high school where his brother went and his dad works. He never even attended Salem High School so how could they lose him? Now if he had gone to Salem for ninth grade, then left and reclassed, then they could say they lost a freshman. Can't lose what you never had.
You wrote "went out and got from Salem." I assume you were just having fun with a little loose language and did not mean to imply that North Cross recruited this player from Salem.
Certainly North Cross has rolled out a red carpet for athletes but football is not the bandit operation it may have been pre Coach Alexander. Compare last year's roster to this year's roster. A new senior that was convinced to play football for the first time, a new Chinese kicker, a junior exchange student from football powerhouse Australia, a transfer 10th grader from Roanoke Catholic, and a couple of ninth graders that came over from middle school.
Basically the starting roster will be the same roster that gave up 110 points in two games to NSA last year. No wholesale changes or additions beyond normal admissions and normal graduation.
You wrote "went out and got from Salem." I assume you were just having fun with a little loose language and did not mean to imply that North Cross recruited this player from Salem.
Certainly North Cross has rolled out a red carpet for athletes but football is not the bandit operation it may have been pre Coach Alexander. Compare last year's roster to this year's roster. A new senior that was convinced to play football for the first time, a new Chinese kicker, a junior exchange student from football powerhouse Australia, a transfer 10th grader from Roanoke Catholic, and a couple of ninth graders that came over from middle school.
Basically the starting roster will be the same roster that gave up 110 points in two games to NSA last year. No wholesale changes or additions beyond normal admissions and normal graduation.
I am not living in a glass house, D4Ball. I am aware of what North Cross does with respect to re-classing. I have also seen it make all the difference in the world athletically, academically, and developmentally, for the college prospects of their students, their primary mission statement.
Just be careful that when you start throwing rocks, someone might bring up a sterling running back at Catholic that re-classed upon transferring in as a junior from a large public school. I know for sure that Catholic accepted the student with the best of intentions and I fully believe that the young gentleman is better off at Catholic than he was at his public school. Why is it hard for you to accept North Cross' decision to re-class two young, full or mostly full pay students? North Cross did not force them to re-class, their parents obviously felt that the extra year would make a positive difference in their children's futures.
You can focus on the re-class situation all you want but given that VISAA allows this option and that as an independent school, North Cross believes that it is an effective tool for their students, you just need to deal with it. The comment line was about a player whose family is committed to the school and whose father teaches at North Cross. The player in question was not recruited nor re-classed.
The reality is that North Cross and Catholic differ on their athletic philosophies in many more ways than re-classing. North Cross has a huge athletic facility with weight room, multiple gyms, pool, etc. North Cross has playing and practice fields on its campus. North Cross has a much larger athletic budget than Catholic for a similar size student population. North Cross offers more athletic opportunities for it students. And finally North Cross has an administration that values a competitive athletic program across the board as part of a traditional independent school education. And don't say it is a win at all cost mentality or else they would drop down a division to compete for state championships in football.
You've got to get over the "it is tough for the two teams to meet on the football field" chip on your shoulder. The reality is that they played this year and it was a one score game with 1:00 left in the first half and Catholic put the ball on the ground three times. Catholic could have easily been up or tied at half time. Barring a pick six with no time left on the clock, this was a two touchdown game. That is much more appropriate than the 80 point beat down you dropped on Massanutten. Hate to think about all of the re-classed students at that military boarding school… Guess that game created another AD that will cancel the series with Catholic (see Brunswick and Rappahannock).
Can't wait to see your reply about the North Cross 50 point win against VES. Admittedly, it was ugly, could have been uglier, and even at that, was still 30 points better than Catholic-Massanutten. But VES and North Cross will keep playing each other because they both interpret a defeat as a challenge to get better regardless of the score. You can't get better without challenging yourself.
Just be careful that when you start throwing rocks, someone might bring up a sterling running back at Catholic that re-classed upon transferring in as a junior from a large public school. I know for sure that Catholic accepted the student with the best of intentions and I fully believe that the young gentleman is better off at Catholic than he was at his public school. Why is it hard for you to accept North Cross' decision to re-class two young, full or mostly full pay students? North Cross did not force them to re-class, their parents obviously felt that the extra year would make a positive difference in their children's futures.
You can focus on the re-class situation all you want but given that VISAA allows this option and that as an independent school, North Cross believes that it is an effective tool for their students, you just need to deal with it. The comment line was about a player whose family is committed to the school and whose father teaches at North Cross. The player in question was not recruited nor re-classed.
The reality is that North Cross and Catholic differ on their athletic philosophies in many more ways than re-classing. North Cross has a huge athletic facility with weight room, multiple gyms, pool, etc. North Cross has playing and practice fields on its campus. North Cross has a much larger athletic budget than Catholic for a similar size student population. North Cross offers more athletic opportunities for it students. And finally North Cross has an administration that values a competitive athletic program across the board as part of a traditional independent school education. And don't say it is a win at all cost mentality or else they would drop down a division to compete for state championships in football.
You've got to get over the "it is tough for the two teams to meet on the football field" chip on your shoulder. The reality is that they played this year and it was a one score game with 1:00 left in the first half and Catholic put the ball on the ground three times. Catholic could have easily been up or tied at half time. Barring a pick six with no time left on the clock, this was a two touchdown game. That is much more appropriate than the 80 point beat down you dropped on Massanutten. Hate to think about all of the re-classed students at that military boarding school… Guess that game created another AD that will cancel the series with Catholic (see Brunswick and Rappahannock).
Can't wait to see your reply about the North Cross 50 point win against VES. Admittedly, it was ugly, could have been uglier, and even at that, was still 30 points better than Catholic-Massanutten. But VES and North Cross will keep playing each other because they both interpret a defeat as a challenge to get better regardless of the score. You can't get better without challenging yourself.
It is fun and I will drop this thread after this text, thus allowing you the last word. Don't run down North Cross when we put 100% of our athletes in college, had one third of our most recent graduating class playing college sports, one third of the graduating class accepted to UVA and half the graduating class being accepted to a top 35 university or liberal arts college (US News and World Report). They do what is best for their students and obey the rules of the governing body under which they play. If Catholic cannot understand that reality then I will cease calling for a rivalry game. They can live in a world of 83-6 blowouts.
D4ball are you speaking of the RB who transferred in to RC from Franklin County and reclassed due to grades grades? I believe he had 6 TD's in this weeks game against Fishburne didn't he?
Your statement above stated he reclassed strictly for grades, not athletics. According to the Roanoke Times, his junior year at Franklin County, he is listed as making the A/B honor roll which means he carried a 3.00 to 3.99 GPA. If a kid with A/B honor roll is reclassing for grades, then there should be a ton more filing for reclassifaication this year.
I'm just tired of hearing supporters of schools talking about they don't reclass for any reason other than academics or injury. Who cares why they reclass! If they want to reclass because the team will be getting new uniforms next year, and they fit all requirements for reclassification, then they should be able to reclass. If they just want to play ball another year, who cares, if they fit the guidelines. If you want to claim and preach that an A/B honor roll student reclassed strictly for grades when he came to RC because it make you feel good, go for it, but you are only fooling yourself. All schools do it for the same reasons, but for some reason, the schools up there in your part of town cannot admit it. Tidewater schools do it for all kinds of reasons, even to get bigger and stronger, just like the kid at NC that you seem to mention. Down in Tidewater, they don't drink that Holier than thou water. If a kid wants to reclassify, he does it. It is even encouraged at many schools. If it is approved by the VISAA, it should not matter the reason, and schools should be open and honest about it
I'm just tired of hearing supporters of schools talking about they don't reclass for any reason other than academics or injury. Who cares why they reclass! If they want to reclass because the team will be getting new uniforms next year, and they fit all requirements for reclassification, then they should be able to reclass. If they just want to play ball another year, who cares, if they fit the guidelines. If you want to claim and preach that an A/B honor roll student reclassed strictly for grades when he came to RC because it make you feel good, go for it, but you are only fooling yourself. All schools do it for the same reasons, but for some reason, the schools up there in your part of town cannot admit it. Tidewater schools do it for all kinds of reasons, even to get bigger and stronger, just like the kid at NC that you seem to mention. Down in Tidewater, they don't drink that Holier than thou water. If a kid wants to reclassify, he does it. It is even encouraged at many schools. If it is approved by the VISAA, it should not matter the reason, and schools should be open and honest about it
That is absolutely the dumbest post yet.. Besides being factually far from the truth, from a competitive standpoint, what difference does it make? A seventeen year old freshman is the same as a 17 year old junior or senior. If such a kid actually existed (which he does not), he would not be allowed to compete after his sophomore year anyway.
Student athletes reclass for various reasons, some are for grades, but many are not. Congrats to NC and RC for setting high standards when it comes to reclassification of student athletes. Apparently, you guys are the only ones who get it right, although you guys are constantly arguing back and forth about the other one doing it wrong.
As far as the reclass of student athletes for reasons other than grades, it is all legit according to VISAA guidelines. If a school and student meet the requirements, VISAA has no issues with it. If schools who only do it for grades have issues with other schools doing it for reasons other than grades, talk to the VISAA and get them to change the rules on reclassification because as of right now it can be done for reasons other than grades. Good luck with the VISAA making a ruling on that! Hell, The VISAA can't even make a decision about a couple schools trying to drop down a division because of low numbers.
As far as the reclass of student athletes for reasons other than grades, it is all legit according to VISAA guidelines. If a school and student meet the requirements, VISAA has no issues with it. If schools who only do it for grades have issues with other schools doing it for reasons other than grades, talk to the VISAA and get them to change the rules on reclassification because as of right now it can be done for reasons other than grades. Good luck with the VISAA making a ruling on that! Hell, The VISAA can't even make a decision about a couple schools trying to drop down a division because of low numbers.
"...what difference does it make?" Ahh, doing your best Hillary Clinton impression, eh? Just messin' with ya
My quote was "from a competitive standpoint, what difference does it make?"
And it doesn't because VISAA has an age limit that prevents the hypothetical kid from playing his last two years. And I know of no school that would recalls a kid to the point that they would have a 20 year senior...
I do believe that the issue of reclassification is more a problem in the Tidewater region as we'll as in D3. North Cross traditionally plays many D2 boarding schools, VES, Blue Ridge, Hargrave, Church, STAB, and reclassing is more common when parents send kids off to school. Those schools seem to better understand the appropriate use of this tool.
