IUP Football 2019

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

I would highly doubt IUP is/was looking at him.

big arm not really; good wheels, yes, if he plays anywhere at the next level. I would think he would be a safety

The big thing about the LV/United matchup was that it was to played at Laurel Valley. I am sure a lot of us original Ram alums would have showed up just for the nostalgia.

Yeah, that is unfortunate that the game has to be called off. It would have been great for the old Laurel Valley crowd. Such great teams out there over the years with the legendary Jerry Page. I still recall players like Rich Dohoda, Bill Conrad, Randy Lavely, Tim Howard, Jason Burkhart, et al. They had some good ones.

I'll give you a blast from the past on this date----Sept. 3, 1983. Penns Manor defeated Laurel Valley up at Kenwood. I only mention it because it was the very rare win over Page's charges. And I mean very rare. I recall the LV QB was named Swatsworth that evening. Does any of that ring a bell?

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[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Indiana can't even merge elementary schools without a 5-year holy war. I can't imagine them trying to merge high schools. Lol.

But, yes, it needs done. But there are major logistics. IHS isn't that big now. I couldn't imagine just dumping Marion Center in to it.

No, I was certainly not talking about IHS being a part of the consolidation. I don't even know how it would be handled.

Maybe something like Blairsville and Saltsburg going together since they are already the same district in theory. Matter of time before they merge. Maybe Homer-Center and United go in together. Penns Manor-Purchase Line. Marion Center and West Shamokin. You get the idea. It is insane to keep all of these schools open. Next June look at the class sizes of the graduating classes. It is a far cry from what it was when I attended a local school 30 some yeas ago. It belies a dead/dying area to be sure.

Northern Cambria for instance back in the 1980s played in the Laurel Highlands Conference and usually had a roster of 60 to 70 kids on average each season. Maybe more. You usually didn't even get to play there until you were a senior unless you were very talented.

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[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

Here's one for IUP football historians-----25 years ago on this date Sept. 3, 1994 IUP defeated Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly and his Grand Valley State team in a thriller at Miller Stadium in a battle of top-ranked D-II teams. IUP QB Ken Ferguson heaved the game winner with an 80-yard bomb to Mario Hardison late in the contest. Probably one of the very best games ever at Miller.

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[IUPbigINDIANS]

No, I was certainly not talking about IHS being a part of the consolidation. I don't even know how it would be handled.

Maybe something like Blairsville and Saltsburg going together since they are already the same district in theory. Matter of time before they merge. Maybe Homer-Center and United go in together. Penns Manor-Purchase Line. Marion Center and West Shamokin. You get the idea. It is insane to keep all of these schools open. Next June look at the class sizes of the graduating classes. It is a far cry from what it was when I attended a local school 30 some yeas ago. It belies a dead/dying area to be sure.

Northern Cambria for instance back in the 1980s played in the Laurel Highlands Conference and usually had a roster of 60 to 70 kids on average each season. Maybe more. You usually didn't even get to play there until you were a senior unless you were very talented.

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It's amazing to see rosters now. IHS's whole varsity team is basically 9th and 10th graders. As you said there was a time not long ago it would be unheard of at IHS to play varsity even as a sophomore.

Most schools (even somewhat big schools) don't even have freshmen teams anymore.

[IUP CRIMSON HAWKS]

It's amazing to see rosters now. IHS's whole varsity team is basically 9th and 10th graders. As you said there was a time not long ago it would be unheard of at IHS to play varsity even as a sophomore.

Most schools (even somewhat big schools) don't even have freshmen teams anymore.

Absolutely! Back in my day of the 1980s there basically were no freshmen who appeared on varsity rosters (maybe a few in very odd circumstances). Freshmen played junior high football. And yes, it was pretty rare for sophomores at even the smaller schools to see the field in any sort of a real role. Usually only a sparse few would win letters.

IHS was pretty big back then. They had rosters of probably 60-70 guys (like Northern Cambria). Yeah, it was mostly seniors who played there as well unless you really had some major talent as an underclassmen.

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[EyeoftheHawk]

I would be surprised if IUP would be after Silk to be honest. He was a great athlete for the Heritage but they don't have anybody like he would see at IUP or the PSAC. I don't think he ever did anything as a passer IIRC.

LV needs to move on from the Heritage. They have simply outgrown it. The conference absolutely needs to dump them after this season.

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[IUP24]

I never understood that dynamic of the Heritage Conference. These teams all play each other, but they are all different sizes/classifications of schools when it comes to playoff seeding. I guess there aren't enough teams the same size as them in their area, so that's why they set it up like that.

What league would LV join? They would be traveling a ton if they joined the WPIAL. Unless they are closer to the Clearfield, State College, etc. region of teams. But those schools are all much larger than they are.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

OK ... so much for beating around the bush here. IUP 'is' recruiting him. As in already happening. It started last year.

As for what position ... ask Tort. I don't know the answer. It's likely he's being seen as an 'athlete' at this point and they'll see what he grows in to.

He's a nice size kid at 6'2", 210 lbs.

[EyeoftheHawk]

I never understood that dynamic of the Heritage Conference. These teams all play each other, but they are all different sizes/classifications of schools when it comes to playoff seeding. I guess there aren't enough teams the same size as them in their area, so that's why they set it up like that.

What league would LV join? They would be traveling a ton if they joined the WPIAL. Unless they are closer to the Clearfield, State College, etc. region of teams. But those schools are all much larger than they are.

[EyeoftheHawk]

OK ... so much for beating around the bush here. IUP 'is' recruiting him. As in already happening. It started last year.

As for what position ... ask Tort. I don't know the answer. It's likely he's being seen as an 'athlete' at this point and they'll see what he grows in to.

He's a nice size kid at 6'2", 210 lbs.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I never understood that dynamic of the Heritage Conference. These teams all play each other, but they are all different sizes/classifications of schools when it comes to playoff seeding. I guess there aren't enough teams the same size as them in their area, so that's why they set it up like that.

What league would LV join? They would be traveling a ton if they joined the WPIAL. Unless they are closer to the Clearfield, State College, etc. region of teams. But those schools are all much larger than they are.

I don't know their exact enrollment. Geographically they'd be a good fit with Derry, Greensburg Salem, Indiana, etc. (but they'd be voluntarily playing up to be WPIAL 4A). But, yes, they are a total joke playing in the Heritage.

I will say, though, the Heritage puts more kids in the PSAC than many think. LV the most obviously. They also have 3 committed D1 linemen right now. The league doesn't have tons of talent but it does produce some 'diamonds in the rough' on a yearly basis.

Remember these D2 colleges sign like 18-25 kids a year. They can't all be 'stars' from big schools.

Anybody remember a little, unknown (somewhat local to Indiana) QB IUP didn't want back in the late 1990s? Does Randy McKavish ring a bell? He was pretty good at SRU and beat IUP a couple times.

Point being there are good players out there in these small leagues. They can be hard to find but they do exist.

One of the knocks on Duane Brown was he was dominating at little Apollo-Ridge (with teammate and current Pitt WR Tre Tipton).

[ironmaniup]

It's great PR to have a local kid that plays on the team, even if they only play on special teams and to run out the clock. The downside is if the locals think the kid is better than he is and he doesn't play. but in the end the upside is pretty good having local communities interested in how IUP football is doing.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

It's great PR to have a local kid that plays on the team, even if they only play on special teams and to run out the clock. The downside is if the locals think the kid is better than he is and he doesn't play. but in the end the upside is pretty good having local communities interested in how IUP football is doing.

Joe Lombardi signs a local every year. He's almost always the 14th man and a walk-on but, yes, it's good for business.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I look at Silk now as a player who can run very well and is currently a strong 6'2", 210 lbs. Project him as a sophomore in college and he could be 6'2" or 6'3" and 225 or 230 lbs. At that size and speed it can open up a lot of possibilities -- LB, TE, big safety, hybrid TE/WR ... who knows.

I know it's like Xmas morning at Kiski Prep due to his arrival. They only have about 19 kids out for football this year and about a third of them are first-year players. Apparently the wealthy there don't want their kids playing football anymore. But, I agree. See what he does there against some elevated competition and many 5th-year seniors (for those not in the know they are in a prep school league).

[IUPNation]

The day is probably coming quicker than most of the rubes of the county would care to admit. Every one cow town wants their own high school and team but it is just not practical any longer. Consolidation will be a real word to add to their vocabulary sometime in the next decade or so.

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Seven high schools in a county of 80k is silly.