Montini 21 Rita 0
- Thread starter RRH1
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Rita needs a miracle Grateful Dead ticket to get to playoffs this year.
Montini varsity won 38-7 and the Montini Sophmore's also won 22-21...
Fewer boys playing football at the school. Not getting the caliber of athletes that MC, Providence or Loyola is getting. One of their best athletes elected not to play this year to focus on baseball.
Next year won't be any better. Only glimmer of hope is that Frosh are supposedly pretty good,
First win for Montini over a CCL Blue team. It seemed like the Montini offense was very conservative in the 3rd quarter. The defense never really gave up any points as I would charge the 7 points from St. Rita coming from a miscue on the Montini special teams.
Overall Montini looked very good and their defense has been surprisingly good as it seems like they force 3-5 turnovers every game.
Overall Montini looked very good and their defense has been surprisingly good as it seems like they force 3-5 turnovers every game.
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I would say Marist and Rice now having strong programs would have something to do with Rita's recent decline. Those 3 schools battle for the same pool of south side grade schoolers (even Saint Laurence is thought to have some nice young talent). I know Marist beat the Mustangs a couple years ago in a much hyped week 1 game at Soldier Field (Weishar/Nagle) and I believe BR is 4-1 vs SR in the Badke era.
Just might not be enough to go around for all 4 of those schools to be trending up at same time. Rita will bounce back before too long.
Just might not be enough to go around for all 4 of those schools to be trending up at same time. Rita will bounce back before too long.
It's important for all of us in the CCL Blue for St Rita to have a strong program.
No Montini would have to increase their enrollment level from 700 students to 1100-1200 students before even considering joining the CCL Blue. Right now it would be a bad move for Montini. Marist has a large enrollment and would make a better fit.
Marist has continually declined the offer. They have a nice thing going in the ESC that gives them an easier path than playing in the Blue year in and out
Observations of Rita
- Their QB is young and is still making some mistakes - he'll get it going over course of the year. He needs to be more mobile though.
- Too many TOs - can't beat teams when you're turning over ball
- Some dumb penalties- had Montini stopped to force a 4th and do a late hit out of bounds...
- They should play the Soph RB Allen more and keep SR RB on defense - the SR plays both ways and that is a lot of wear on a kid playing both of those positions
- Their OL is big but a little slow - alllowing smaller quicker DLs to get a lot of penetration
- Down 21-0 in 3rd and still doing slow huddle and eating a lot of time- need to have a better gameplan to conserve time and keep the opposing D on their heels
- I'd say if Rita loses to Provy then they'll go 4-5 - if they beat Provy still a chance for playoffs at 5-4
- Their QB is young and is still making some mistakes - he'll get it going over course of the year. He needs to be more mobile though.
- Too many TOs - can't beat teams when you're turning over ball
- Some dumb penalties- had Montini stopped to force a 4th and do a late hit out of bounds...
- They should play the Soph RB Allen more and keep SR RB on defense - the SR plays both ways and that is a lot of wear on a kid playing both of those positions
- Their OL is big but a little slow - alllowing smaller quicker DLs to get a lot of penetration
- Down 21-0 in 3rd and still doing slow huddle and eating a lot of time- need to have a better gameplan to conserve time and keep the opposing D on their heels
- I'd say if Rita loses to Provy then they'll go 4-5 - if they beat Provy still a chance for playoffs at 5-4
Disagree with you if you look at the rice roster majority of there impact players are not south side kids. They decided to try to go more towards the south suburbs for talent and got players from Richton park, park forest, country club hills, south holland, Homewood, matteson.
Anyone have any info on Montini uni's? Looked like Va Tech? And not their traditional maroon and gold.
I tend to agree. SR used to get more inner city neighborhood kids (from Ashland to Pulaski and from 47th through 79th) that would never even consider Rice or Marist. They could basically ignore Mt. Greenwood, Beverley, and the like. But almost all of the grammar schools in those city neighborhoods (St. Rita grammar school, St. Mary's, St. Denis, St. Thomas Moore, St. Gall, St. Turibius, and unfortunately it appears St. Bede as well) are either closed or on life support. Now, SR has to compete with Marist and Rice for kids from Beverly, Mt. Greenwood, and the suburbs. And Rice and Marist have historic ties with those neighborhoods and also have closer proximity to the boys living in those neighborhoods. So it makes it very difficult for SR.
MC is a unique school (being the best football program in the state and having an incredible alumni base) that has flourished for 40-50 years despite not really many feeder grammar schools within a couple miles of the school during those years. Plus, MC has done an excellent job using its proximity to Lake Shore Drive and the expressway to attract kids from the North Side and Indiana. But I have to think the loss of traditional feeder grammar schools in the SE side neighborhoods (such as Hegwish, East Chicago) has hurt MC, as has the closing of some of SR's traditional feeder schools since alot of those boys would choose MC if they didn't go to SR.
Other than Leo, SR is probably the hardest hit by the changing city demographics and high cost of tuition. Many of the kids living in the neighborhood surrounding SR simply cannot afford the tuition. SR has done the best they can, investing heavily in recruiting the suburbs and Beverly/Mt. Greenwood. But its definitely sad not seeing a tough/competitive SR team of kids from working class neighborhoods throughout the city.
for me, its selfish reasons and bias. For me, nothing represented old-school catholic league football more than MC vs SR [two city schools playing smash mouth football, one always among the best 2-3 teams in the state and the other in the next tier; both tough schools]
- if cclers want the blue to be consider the toughest conference in the state, a strong Rita is needed, its good for the conference as a whole.
- I tend not to hit the panic button just yet. This is just not our year. I feel all programs wether they like to admit it or not, have 'waves' of down years some are 1 year to 3. But I feel Rita will bounce back, BUT they have to do a better job at competing with surrounding schools.
- also I think it's about competing for talent, there was always competition with MC, BR,Marist. But now with the western suburbs (GW,Naz,Montini,Hinsdale Central, HS, Francis, OPRF) killing it in football they also have to compete with western suburban teams like Naz and Montini. I know Naz has kids from the midway, who go to schools like St. Daniels, and who could have gone to Rita.
There used to always be those kids from the western burbs who made the travel to MC and Rita, but now I feel those kids are going to programs closet to where they live.
For example, Jahwon Akui played for the Bellwood Spartans and played for Rita in 08, I think if its 2015 he goes to Montini. With Naz having wrestling now maybe even a Roadrunner.
- I tend not to hit the panic button just yet. This is just not our year. I feel all programs wether they like to admit it or not, have 'waves' of down years some are 1 year to 3. But I feel Rita will bounce back, BUT they have to do a better job at competing with surrounding schools.
- also I think it's about competing for talent, there was always competition with MC, BR,Marist. But now with the western suburbs (GW,Naz,Montini,Hinsdale Central, HS, Francis, OPRF) killing it in football they also have to compete with western suburban teams like Naz and Montini. I know Naz has kids from the midway, who go to schools like St. Daniels, and who could have gone to Rita.
There used to always be those kids from the western burbs who made the travel to MC and Rita, but now I feel those kids are going to programs closet to where they live.
For example, Jahwon Akui played for the Bellwood Spartans and played for Rita in 08, I think if its 2015 he goes to Montini. With Naz having wrestling now maybe even a Roadrunner.
You guys are funny, SR just won the Catholic League in football in 2013! This team had 4 to 5 starters on football decide not to play because they are also D1 baseball players with scholarships. So the team just isn't as good this year. This same team when they were freshmen were 9 and 0 and won the CCL championship. Just are not that good because everybody is not playing, that simple.
So what your saying is you are hoping this current freshman group doesn't have any baseball players in it?
Congrats to the Bronco with an impressive victory. Was hoping this year was going to be different for Rita; tough task ahead to get two wins against BR, MC, PC or LA.
You know if SR tries to recruit La Grange, Western Springs and other suburbs out there?
I will be seeing you on 10/9, my friend. I shall be a disheveled Witty, thus, reflecting my team's season.
MC's present is felt more. They do a good job reaching to a bunch of programs. Rita, honestly I don't think so, definitely not like MC. It's mostly through alums (like Akui I think) and Rita having a very reputable program and geographically closer than MC.
I'm not saying kids from Western Springs, the LGP area are flooding to the blue. Most graduating classes in the surrounding catholic schools have half go public, half go private. Among those 40% go to Naz %40 fenwick, then a few go to Montini/Benet/Ignatius then there is 1 or 2 kids who goes to a blue team (usually MC).
My main point is I'm not panicking, I just think its a down year and if there are deeper issues Rita can bounce back. Teams around them have stepped up their game and now Rita has to do the same. But right now there are starters on Naz, Montini, Marist who live in Rita's backyard. Naz & Marist, 10 years ago imagine saying that.
I'm not saying kids from Western Springs, the LGP area are flooding to the blue. Most graduating classes in the surrounding catholic schools have half go public, half go private. Among those 40% go to Naz %40 fenwick, then a few go to Montini/Benet/Ignatius then there is 1 or 2 kids who goes to a blue team (usually MC).
My main point is I'm not panicking, I just think its a down year and if there are deeper issues Rita can bounce back. Teams around them have stepped up their game and now Rita has to do the same. But right now there are starters on Naz, Montini, Marist who live in Rita's backyard. Naz & Marist, 10 years ago imagine saying that.
I respectfully disagree. No kid who goes to Marist, Montini, and Naz "live in Rita's backyard". If you account for 1 mile in each direction of the school, which would be the area between 69th and 87th and Ashland and Kedzie, how many kids in that area can afford catholic tuition? less than 5%? Back in the day, Rita could get probably get half their enrollment from kids in those parameters.
The only city neighborhoods (in which a large portion of the boys still go to catholic high schools) in which SR is not at a geographic disadvantage is Beverly and maybe Garfield Ridge, though Laurence still gets alot of those kids from garfield ridge. And Beverly is historically a MC neighborhood, and is now a huge draw for Marist since they are co-ed. Even at the early days of its current location, Rita had geographical advantages for large feeder schools like Thomas Moore, Denis, Bede's, St. Mary's, St Rita grammar school.
I think Rita is doing everything possible to recruit. They are spending alot of time and money in the suburban areas that you referenced. They go balls-out after all the kids living in Rice/Marist backyard. It is just that they are at a geographical disadvantage. And I think Rice, Marist etc. negatively recruit against St. Rita by spreading fear about the neighborhood surrounding Rita even though the campus itself is extremely safe and secure and the school provides transportation to/from the school.
Maybe "Rita's backyard" wasnt the best phrase to use. I should have said something like; Geographical regions not too far from St. Rita, where student maybe 10 years ago would have made the drive to Rita are now going elsewhere. I'm not saying you are swinging and missing on a whole class but key players here and there.
It's as simple as this, with programs in the surrounding areas improving and recruiting harder. Rita has less of the pie to eat from.
As for Rita doing all they can where I live, I said in my previous post I wasn't sure, I was just guessing they didn't because I coach on the grade school level but their presents isn't felt as much as a MC. I can ask around though.
It's as simple as this, with programs in the surrounding areas improving and recruiting harder. Rita has less of the pie to eat from.
As for Rita doing all they can where I live, I said in my previous post I wasn't sure, I was just guessing they didn't because I coach on the grade school level but their presents isn't felt as much as a MC. I can ask around though.
Rita was on one my kids weekly from beginning of 7th grade through the entrance exam. They are doing just as much as anyone else in that regard.