Football OHP

[northeastNebraska]

The OHP co-op will end after the final game in Lincoln. So dang sad. Why not continue the winning & build something special together? Why split the team up? Just so a kid can wear a High Plains Storm helmet or an Osceola Bulldogs helmet? Ridiculous to me.

Both schools will more than likely be D2 and have less than 25 kids on their respective rosters.

 

[nenebskers]

The OHP co-op will end after the final game in Lincoln. So dang sad. Why not continue the winning & build something special together? Why split the team up? Just so a kid can wear a High Plains Storm helmet or an Osceola Bulldogs helmet? Ridiculous to me.

Both schools will more than likely be D2 and have less than 25 kids on their respective rosters.

Why be a part of a great team in D1 when you could be a part of something average in D2? Sophmore Little Johnny could be a role player on a full rostered D1 school that competes for Chamionships or a starter for an ok team in D2.

 

[newsie101]

Throwing this out there - I really don't know and don't have a dog in the fight. Maybe there's something other than sports behind the breakup??

 

[LikeNebraska]

Throwing this out there - I really don't know and don't have a dog in the fight. Maybe there's something other than sports behind the breakup??

You mean maybe there's more to life than football?

Blasphemist !!!!

 

[fbnut999]

I may be mistaken, but I think this co-operative agreement IS just about football. No other sports or activities are together and I don't think they share any academic programs....

 

[northeastNebraska]

You mean maybe there's more to life than football?

Blasphemist !!!!

There is, but with this co-op, I can’t see what else would be holding them back. I have no dog in the fight, I just like to see competitive football with decent sized rosters.

Both High Plains and Osceola enrollments aren’t growing. They are more than likely going to have to cross this bridge again in less than 8 years. Why not continue on this path?

 

[necoachbw]

I may be mistaken, but I think this co-operative agreement IS just about football. No other sports or activities are together and I don't think they share any academic programs....

you are correct about high school sports and academic programs but they did coop in junior high sports.

 

[northeastNebraska]

I count 28 players on this roster. Say half the kids come from High Plains and the other half from Osceola, that leaves both schools with not enough to even fully scrimmage. I’m just bummed to see a successful co-op stop for no apparent reason that’s been explained.

 

[taptigers_tap]

Probably dates back to the early 1900's when community members from one community tried to move the courthouse to another town? Or the two school boards can't get everything each other wants so let's not lose our identity?

 

[northeastNebraska]

Probably dates back to the early 1900's when community members from one community tried to move the courthouse to another town? Or the two school boards can't get everything each other wants so let's not lose our identity?

To me, OHP has more of an identity right now then they will next fall alone. Just my opinion.

 

[fbgrind]

Think about one of the schools, either Osceola or High Plains, drives through Stromsburg (Cross County) to practice every day. Just think if oh 10-15 years a go, they all could have put there petty differences aside and built a Polk County High School right on the Highway 92/81 intersection. Think of the teams they could have had. This is the same sad story. Parents getting in the way of whats best for kids.

 

[northeastNebraska]

Think about one of the schools, either Osceola or High Plains, drives through Stromsburg (Cross County) to practice every day. Just think if oh 10-15 years a go, they all could have put there petty differences aside and built a Polk County High School right on the Highway 92/81 intersection. Think of the teams they could have had. This is the same sad story. Parents getting in the way of whats best for kids.

Agreed 100%. Parents and bad blood always get in the way. They aren’t thinking 10 years down the road. That would be huge for the county. Polk, Boone, Merrick, all could realistically have one school per county.

 

[speedy66]

I don’t think we should lose sight of the fact that a sports co-op is, by nature, a difficult thing to manage. Two school boards, two administrations, two sets of staff, and two home sites. A tremendous amount of co-operation is needed in positions that are normally filled by highly competitive people with strong personalities. Something that is easier to do in theory than in practice.

Deep seated town rivalries can complicate things even further. In a merger, these things have a tendency to fade over time because everyone is under one tent so to speak. In a co-op they don’t necessarily fade because the schools still exist. Many of us thought that Maywood and Hayes Center co-oping made little sense initially but it seems to be successful. I wonder how much the fact the two communities weren’t rivals has attributed to it working.
My point is I’m not sure if a co-op is worth the headache if both schools have enough kids to field teams, regardless of how successful they are

 

[bruiser84]

It seems that most of us on here, have the same or similar opinions. I want to hear from the other side. What is the logic behind not co-opping or not consolidating? Yes I can stand up and say " they are afraid of losing their identity", or " that town has been feuding with this town for years". But I want someone who has some skin in the game to say "We don't like this because. . . ." I really want to hear from someone who wants to own this position. I for one promise not to bash you for standing up and giving us your opinion.

 

[ReasonableThinkerQuestionMark]

It seems that most of us on here, have the same or similar opinions. I want to hear from the other side. What is the logic behind not co-opping or not consolidating? Yes I can stand up and say " they are afraid of losing their identity", or " that town has been feuding with this town for years". But I want someone who has some skin in the game to say "We don't like this because. . . ." I really want to hear from someone who wants to own this position. I for one promise not to bash you for standing up and giving us your opinion.

Sometime co-ops make sense, kids and coaches have no problems, but problems can arise from school boards and administrations. Co-ops work best when schools are relatively the same size and in the same situation. But everything needs to be equally shared. Sometimes the powers that be don't want to make certain compromises, practice location, game location, coach assignments, school colors and mascots, transportation. etc. If one school board/administration thinks they bring more to the table than the other school they may not be as willing to compromise.

 

[taptigers_tap]

To me, OHP has more of an identity right now then they will next fall alone. Just my opinion.

I'm speaking of a different situation. The state seemed like they were trying to let schools feel like they are doing it on their own by limiting $$$ to each school. Like the state was choking small schools down financially to "encourage" them to consolidate. I don't think they anticipated the will of schools to keep their identity. At one time wasn't a C-1 school considered the most financially efficient model to educate students?

 

[Llama57]

I'm going to guess a few school board member's fresh/soph sons didn't get to play & get the snot kicked out of them. That's why it ended.

 

[northeastNebraska]

I'm speaking of a different situation. The state seemed like they were trying to let schools feel like they are doing it on their own by limiting $$$ to each school. Like the state was choking small schools down financially to "encourage" them to consolidate. I don't think they anticipated the will of schools to keep their identity. At one time wasn't a C-1 school considered the most financially efficient model to educate students?

To me, Nebraska needs more class C1 and C2 sized schools and less D1 and D2 schools. Like you said financially efficient is how I look at the game.

I understand some places it’s impossible. But there are a lot of places it should have happened 15-20 years ago.

 

[northeastNebraska]

https://plattevalley.newschannelneb...es-for-championship-game-as-end-of-coop-nears

"It is tough knowing that it is coming to an end," Wood said. "This group started as seventh graders and they're going to be the group that finishes together. Being able to do that into a state championship game, and to hopefully come away with a championship and knowing that we did it the right way is exciting."

 

[northeastNebraska]

Happy for OHP seniors. Feel really bad for the underclassmen. Wish this co-op was continuing.

I heard today Osceola is going to co-op with SRC in JH sports next year?

 

[BigBallerRed]

Ya, feel real bad for two schools to load up for a two year go to just to save face of two mediocre years. And don’t start northeast... so what if every school within 30 miles of each other start doing this? What about the teams that do it right and stay with their districts and just try to work hard? It sends the message... we won’t be real good but if we can just join up for 2 years we might be great. we will spend tons of money on travel and logistics and spend 10,000 on 8 coaches and new equipment but... hey if we have two good years... we win! Not the Nebraska way!

 

[BigBallerRed]

You are going to see more schools do this for the short term and it’s nothing more than a fancy recruiting stunt!

 

[BigBallerRed]

Northeast neb... must be asleep. The O-hp thing is not right.
You probably like the the Dodge/ Howells thing. Right. Man some other teams need to get this together. CrZY. CUZ we made them look like fools.

 

[SPbObRT]

northeast, u want more C 1 AND C2 schools. what a joke of a answer, some of the C2 schools should already be playing 8 man, Stanton for example. how the hell can you even qualify a a answer here about more class C schools with most schools and towns having dwindling enrollements as it is. Or do you want more coops so schools can go together to make c1 and c2 caliber teams. I think your off your rocker imo.

 

[northeastNebraska]

northeast, u want more C 1 AND C2 schools. what a joke of a answer, some of the C2 schools should already be playing 8 man, Stanton for example. how the hell can you even qualify a a answer here about more class C schools with most schools and towns having dwindling enrollements as it is. Or do you want more coops so schools can go together to make c1 and c2 caliber teams. I think your off your rocker imo.

I agree there are some C2 schools who should be 8 man. Stanton especially. While Stanton doesn’t really have anyone close by to co-op with, they should drop to 8 man.

My point has always been I want more teams to co-op or schools to consolidate that are 7-15 miles down the road from each other. I think there could be a lot more teams in C2 with healthy and full rosters. There are too many small schools (in close proximity to another school) that don’t have enough kids on a roster to field competitive teams.

 

[northeastNebraska]

Ya, feel real bad for two schools to load up for a two year go to just to save face of two mediocre years. And don’t start northeast... so what if every school within 30 miles of each other start doing this? What about the teams that do it right and stay with their districts and just try to work hard? It sends the message... we won’t be real good but if we can just join up for 2 years we might be great. we will spend tons of money on travel and logistics and spend 10,000 on 8 coaches and new equipment but... hey if we have two good years... we win! Not the Nebraska way!

I’m on your side. I don’t like that the co-op is ending after two years. I think it’s ridiculous to only have a co-op for two years. To pay for uniforms and get the kids hopes up is selfish.

It should stay in place for the future because Osceola and High Plains can’t do it alone and be successful. Co-ops and consolidations bridge the gap for schools.

Look at BRLD. BRLD would not see any sustained success in football if they wouldn’t have started the co-op. BR had fallen off after 2010, Lyons as well.

OHP separated will have small rosters that are not full and playing 140 pound freshmen. OHP has 28 kids out. Split that in half and they won’t even be able to practice. Schools need to understand that co-oping and pool their resources is the future. Especially for those who have a neighbor 8-10 miles down the road.

 

[northeastNebraska]

Northeast neb... must be asleep. The O-hp thing is not right.
You probably like the the Dodge/ Howells thing. Right. Man some other teams need to get this together. CrZY. CUZ we made them look like fools.

I do like the Howells/Dodge consolidation because both schools enrollments were getting too low to function as separate schools. The move was perfect. Saved money and has helped enrollment.

Many schools in eastern Nebraska need to realize this. Look 10 years down the road and not 10 days.

 

[BigBallerRed]

OHP had 38 out this year... Last year 40. (Not 28). They had plenty of kids to play.. just chose not to get beat like all teams eventually have to go through. It's called cycles. They chose to skip the down cycle and beat the system and "make a winner". Most "Normal" D schools have about 20-25 kids out, Tops. They would have had those numbers. I think they set a bad example with their model. If your too small to play to D-2.... Then go play 6 man. We have a `competitive 6 man field now a days. (With D-1 schools playing 6 man). LOL.

 

[northeastNebraska]

OHP had 38 out this year... Last year 40. (Not 28). They had plenty of kids to play.. just chose not to get beat like all teams eventually have to go through. It's called cycles. They chose to skip the down cycle and beat the system and "make a winner". Most "Normal" D schools have about 20-25 kids out, Tops. They would have had those numbers. I think they set a bad example with their model. If your too small to play to D-2.... Then go play 6 man. We have a `competitive 6 man field now a days. (With D-1 schools playing 6 man). LOL.

This photo looks like their whole roster and coaching staff. I count 28 kids.



They didn’t beat the system. They chose to co-op. Which was the right move. If your school is too small to play D2 and have a school who is less than 20 miles away, you should consider co-oping and not dropping to 6 man.

6 man serves it’s purpose but not when you have two D2 schools side by side geographically. They should co-op or consolidate. Nebraska does not need 100 schools playing 8 man football.

 

[MacMan92]

There is so much more that goes into a coop than just saying “coop” three times and clicking your heels. I agree it is generally the ideal solution, but realistically it is not always viable.

Without fail the main issue is with parents. My kid will start on a crappy 1-7 team but not see the field if we coop and create more competition during practice. Now my kid has to practice at another school and gets home at 7:30 every night. When I played against School A in high school they were a bunch of jerks. I don’t want my kid associated with those people. On and on and on.

Then are issues of school and community pride. What colors? What’s the mascot? Why are School A’s colors represented more than School B’s? So we have to repaint our facility? What do we do with all the old gear? On and on and on.

Finally, the logistics. Where do we practice? Where do we play? How do we transport to these locations? Why does School A have more home games than School B? On and on and on.

Can all these problems be addressed? Of course, but problem number 1 often makes problems 2 and 3 worse and sometimes insurmountable.

 

[ClkTwr2011]

I don't understand the insinuation of cheating or taking a weak approach.

There are rules in place. Teams can co-op sports. It is very much within the rules that the schools have adopted.

What we have here is a double standard that is being brought to light because of success. If Osceola/High Plains would have had a 3-5 season, there would be none of this talk.

 

[northeastNebraska]

There is so much more that goes into a coop than just saying “coop” three times and clicking your heels. I agree it is generally the ideal solution, but realistically it is not always viable.

Without fail the main issue is with parents. My kid will start on a crappy 1-7 team but not see the field if we coop and create more competition during practice. Now my kid has to practice at another school and gets home at 7:30 every night. When I played against School A in high school they were a bunch of jerks. I don’t want my kid associated with those people. On an

Then are issues of school and community pride. What colors? What’s the mascot? Why are School A’s colors represented more than School B’s? So we have to repaint our facility? What do we do with all the old gear? On and on and on.

Finally, the logistics. Where do we practice? Where do we play? How do we transport to these locations? Why does School A have more home games than School B? On and on and on.

Can all these problems be addressed? Of course, but problem number 1 often makes problems 2 and 3 worse and sometimes insurmountable.

I get all that. But with more teams doing it and the shrinking rural population schools/parents/administrations need to wake up. It’s not 1999 anymore, the landscape has changed.

When push comes to shove parents are going to opt kids out to a more stable environment.

 

[Drake1979]

I'm going to guess a few school board member's fresh/soph sons didn't get to play & get the snot kicked out of them. That's why it ended.

This guy right here is 100 percent correct, I think they call it daddy ball. Parents not being able to control their children’s destiny. And just saying middle school has been undefeated for two years, jv went undefeated this year and now a state champ. Don’t know how or understand how a board can say that’s not successful.

 

[viewfromthebooth]

I was told by a patron of one of the schools just a couple weeks ago that he understood it was only going to be a 2 year deal from the onset. And then each school would go back to being on its own. Not sure why one or both would agree to this but that is what I was told.
And I did find an article about this in the York News-Times from August 16th 2018. And a couple of items from that article. And Wood is current OHP football coach Greg Wood.
Wood does not see this decision being reversed anytime soon and any challenges at this point seem to be minor.
And then a quote from Wood. "For now our numbers are down for the next couple years at least. The way these kids have pulled together and worked together is just makes sense that it happened," Wood said. "If the numbers came back up then we might go back to the old situation, but for now I think we will be together for a while."

 

[northeastNebraska]

I was told by a patron of one of the schools just a couple weeks ago that he understood it was only going to be a 2 year deal from the onset. And then each school would go back to being on its own. Not sure why one or both would agree to this but that is what I was told.
And I did find an article about this in the York News-Times from August 16th 2018. And a couple of items from that article. And Wood is current OHP football coach Greg Wood.
Wood does not see this decision being reversed anytime soon and any challenges at this point seem to be minor.
And then a quote from Wood. "For now our numbers are down for the next couple years at least. The way these kids have pulled together and worked together is just makes sense that it happened," Wood said. "If the numbers came back up then we might go back to the old situation, but for now I think we will be together for a while."

They shouldn’t have put an end date on it. That’s so short sighted.

 

[highschoolfootballnut]

This guy right here is 100 percent correct, I think they call it daddy ball. Parents not being able to control their children’s destiny. And just saying middle school has been undefeated for two years, jv went undefeated this year and now a state champ. Don’t know how or understand how a board can say that’s not successful.

unfortunately its not about successes or what is best for kids, its about moms and dads who dont care if the win as long as their sons get to play

 

[viewfromthebooth]

If I'm looking at the enrollment numbers correctly they would've had a combined number of 49. Would that have pushed them to C-2? There are several schools around that number and most of them played 11-man. Most of you on here understand the enrollment and classification stuff better than me so just asking.

 

[bgclub]

Would've been D1. Get a two year grace period since they would've had an established coop.

 

[viewfromthebooth]

There is so much more that goes into a coop than just saying “coop” three times and clicking your heels. I agree it is generally the ideal solution, but realistically it is not always viable.

Without fail the main issue is with parents. My kid will start on a crappy 1-7 team but not see the field if we coop and create more competition during practice. Now my kid has to practice at another school and gets home at 7:30 every night. When I played against School A in high school they were a bunch of jerks. I don’t want my kid associated with those people. On and on and on.

Then are issues of school and community pride. What colors? What’s the mascot? Why are School A’s colors represented more than School B’s? So we have to repaint our facility? What do we do with all the old gear? On and on and on.

Finally, the logistics. Where do we practice? Where do we play? How do we transport to these locations? Why does School A have more home games than School B? On and on and on.

Can all these problems be addressed? Of course, but problem number 1 often makes problems 2 and 3 worse and sometimes insurmountable.

Not sure how many of you have had the chance to attend co-op formation meetings but this is spot on but there are other things as well. I did get to attend some of these meetings when co-oping was being discussed around 10-11 years ago for our school. But some of things you hear at these meetings makes you wonder what people are really thinking.
Our district had girls numbers that were terribly low (6-7 out for basketball) but were going to get much better. But the boys number was bad enough that single digit participation for football and basketball was going to happen also. We finished the previous year in football with 9 players in last game of season. Some people thought we should keep girls sports only and let boys opt out to wherever they wanted. Some guy thought playing varsity basketball with 6 would be fine and got mad when another patron questioned what do you do if injury or foul trouble occurs. Later that night he had to go to hospital for chest pains because he was upset other patron questioned that his 6 man roster wouldn't work. The football coach was against it even though there was very good chance there would be no football team. And with his wife being a teacher he had a group of teachers convinced that a co-op would lead to consolidation. It's actually helped keep the school open. And let's not forget the gal that shows up 45 minutes late so lots of things have to be repeated. And then there's the older guy who is completely against it because "our town" will lose its' identity and we will lose the grocery store, post office, etc.
I was for the co-op because I was tired of my daughter's teams being pretty much uncompetitive in volleyball and getting beaten by 30+ on a regular basis in basketball. And even having to watch them finish a game with only 4 players on the floor. Even though she was only part of the co-op her senior year. You'd really be surprised how different an attitude can change in going from 1 and 2 win teams to a double digit win season. Fortunately the co-op did get approved and has been successful. There are still some things that pop up once in a while but good administrators who are willing to listen and try to work things out make things easier.
And on a final interesting note. One guy who was against it even mentioned that we probably should have considered co-oping a couple years earlier.
So when I see these boards and/or district patrons that are against a co-op it makes me shake my head.
My apologies for getting long-winded.
And on a side note. After attending the meeting I told some friends that I wish I would have been carrying a roll of "stupid stickers" to hand out.