YSU

YSU
NCAA wrong to keepYSU out of playoffs
Fanfare:
As I watched the Division 1AA Play off scores come in yesterday, I once again was reminded that my four time champions Youngstown St. wasn't there. Yes our great coach, Jim Tressel, now calls Columbus home but this happened when he was still here. YSU played Division 1, an former 1AA rival, Marshall last Saturday night in of course Huntington, WV. Marshall won the game, putting it away in the last five minutes. By losing this game, YSU finished the season 8-3. Not great but I felt good enough, especially with their play off history In 1AA, to be one of the teams in the field of sixteen. WRONG! The all mighty NCAA selection committee left them out even though other three lose teams got in. This same committee felt that YSU's wins over two Division 11 schools also hurt their chances. We have to play smaller schools because most Division 1A schools, including nearby Akron an Kent State, are afraid to play us. This whole thing is just wrong, wrong, wrong.
Keith Hipple
Youngstown
Probe of NCAA wantedfor bypassing Penguins
Fanfare:
The NCAA IAA playoff committee should thoroughly be investigated for the way the Penguins were treated the last two years. It was bad enough they were sent on the road last year to play Richmond, but not to be selected as one of the sixteen teams this year is a travesty to the game of football.
The three losses consisted of two playoff teams and at the time Marshall rated 20th in the nation. The Gateway Conference is one of the toughest in football and there was absolutely no reason why three teams could not make the playoffs!
Forget about the Div. II teams, nobody said anything about the Miami Hurricanes schedule of Troy St., Rutgers and Temple. The Penguins were rated 6th in the country before their last game. I find it hard to believe the playoff committee is not jealous of YSU success over recent years, but that's what happens when you have four championship banners waving in your stadium.
Joe Maderitz
Youngstown
PREPS
Give parochial schoolstheir own classification
Fanfare:
Do you think that we can ever expect the Ohio High School Athletic Association to wake up and put all of the parochial schools into one division and call it Division I-Parochial?
Why haven't the Ohio public school principals and Athletic Directors (which outnumber the parochial schools by at least 4-1) banded and looked at reforming the entire system?
The 2001 Championship games in Division I, II, III are as follows: Division I Cleveland St. Ignatius vs. Cincinnati St. Xavier; Division II Toledo St. Francis DeSales vs. Columbus Bishop Watterson; Division III Columbus St. Francis DeSales vs. Mentor Lake Catholic. What is the common denominator?
Ohio divisions are based on the number of BOYS enrolled. Public schools can only play boys that reside in their district, unlike parochial schools, which can pick, choose, and offer "scholarships" to the players they want. Unequivocally, an "un-even" playing field is created. Additionally, the parochial schools can control the number of boys they take in, hereby, controlling their Division number. By doing this, they can increase their playoff chances by defeating some D-J schools, while their own division is only D-3 or D-4. (Walsh made the playoff with a 3-6 record, DeSales 5-5).
How is it that a D4 school like Ursuline (approx. 230 boys) competes with Warren Harding (approx. 760), Boardman (approx. 700+) and Fitch (approx. 700+) each and every year! That means the 60 boys from the pool of approximately 230 "non-recruited" boys are better than the 60 or so kids where the talent pool is doubled, and sometimes tripled in number. That is some SERIOUS coaching.
Isn't it time to allow public schools, who can only develop players within their district, a chance? Aren't we tired of state champions having the same "ring"? St. Ignatius, Walsh Jesuit, Lake Catholic, Columbus DeSales, Canton and Steubenville Central Catholic, Delphos St. John's and the rest?
Marco Marinucci
Youngstown
Dennis Parise
Canfield