OCC 21-22

[dude]

Looks like the first question is who will be the next Madison coach?

[edchambers]

May 7, 2021 12:00:55 GMT -5 dude said:

Looks like the first question is who will be the next Madison coach?

Chris Armstrong

[dude]

Where is he from? Has he been hired?

[edchambers]

He's been an assistant at Madison. They should be announcing it this week.

[dude]

May 23, 2021 8:15:35 GMT -5 edchambers said:

He's been an assistant at Madison. They should be announcing it this week.

Is it not a bit odd that Rickert would hire an assistant that has helped a program go 17-49 in the last 3 years? Just like the Ontario job they must not have had many applicants.

[Willard Fillmore]

An AD alone does not hire and fire coaches.

[ohioraised]

Every school does it different. At ours the AD screens all new coaching resumes. He alone decides if it gets past him. And he evaluates current coaches and recommends their removal if he feels it is needed.

[Willard Fillmore]

Exactly, "screening", "evaluating" and "recommending" is not the same as hiring and firing. Your AD will tell you that he alone does not do the hiring and firing.

[dude]

May 26, 2021 6:33:16 GMT -5 ohioraised said:

Every school does it different. At ours the AD screens all new coaching resumes. He alone decides if it gets past him. And he evaluates current coaches and recommends their removal if he feels it is needed.

Madison's AD would tell you he has total control of who gets voted on and who gets voted out. 

[Willard Fillmore]

SO, you're saying Rickert is where the problem lies at Madison? He was responsible when he was the head basketball coach and is "responsible" for the hires in basketball and football.

[ohioraised]

Rickert says the problem is the shortage of talented kids and not the hires.

[Willard Fillmore]

The reason Mergel left and the reason Rickert wanted to be AD at Ontario

[shelbyrr11]

Removing athletics from the picture, I have always imagined Ontario to be a school district that many prospective employees in Richland County would put at the top of their list along with Lexington. Including athletics, the reasoning solidifies to a degree (though I wouldn't slouch too many of the girl's programs in Madison of late). Hard to deny that a quick look at the district report cards and proximity to nicer neighborhoods & retail tends to favor Ontario.

Side-note, but also relevant. Hasn't there been rumbling potential for the former GM site? I missed a news cycle or two I'm sure, but my recollection is telling me some activity could be going on in the future?

[GHS 1999]

You are correct. Next Generation Films is investing there.

[mrsteel]

May 24, 2021 14:59:44 GMT -5 dude said:

May 23, 2021 8:15:35 GMT -5 edchambers said:

He's been an assistant at Madison. They should be announcing it this week.

Is it not a bit odd that Rickert would hire an assistant that has helped a program go 17-49 in the last 3 years? Just like the Ontario job they must not have had many applicants.

Also realize Madison is having a RIF this year.

[shelbyrr11]

I did read about that in Richland Source. Cash reserves are looking to be stunted in their forecasts. It is tough news to see.

Double side-note that somewhat applies when regarding a local district facing challenges, I once interviewed for the Northern Richland County Economic Development Liaison position that opened a few years ago (i.e. Shelby & Plymouth). It is a position that is presently filled and supported by the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development group.

Factors that led to me not getting the job included my age/experience compared to other candidates & potentially the perception I wouldn't want to stay local (fair enough, I'm in Reno, NV at the moment). Another key facet was my "misunderstanding" of the task at hand. I came into the interview with preparation on NW Ohio regional data I had prepped on like-sized towns to Shelby and where some of their basic economic indicators had trended over the previous decade. Towns that had grown. Schools that had grown in those towns. New, permanent employers, & my other "Moneyball" perceptions of how the problem at-large was being examined. The interviewing group quite frankly didn't even know the names of some of the towns I outlined. It was alarming that members trying to promote our area couldn't tell you who our competitors are (Lima area towns, Findlay Area towns, etc.). Looking back, it was clear that my vision for how to approach the job did not fit with the recommendations the hiring group were using or felt were appropriate. I cannot fault the decision they made due to that. Anyone compelled to hear my set of ideas/concepts/benchmarks can PM me.

This area is putting its money, in some capacity, to drive change. I know local Shelby efforts with extremely enthusiastic and high-energy people at the wheel are making headways in enacting some change. They collaborate with the Richland Area Chamber & the Liaison that has my once wishful job. Based on my interaction with the involved parties, I would very easily say we are missing new-age savvy on analysis. This is not to fault anyone involved with the efforts - but it seems the bulk of efforts is promoting our area for what we have, without any insight into what others do NOT have. That distinction is huge. I can read all day about what our area provides, yet I can't easily find a single resource to verify that we have any measurable edge on another section of NW Ohio without having to dig into 10 different websites. That is a complete failure to actually verify what we have. We offer tax benefits to certain companies that move in, but I cannot find an easy way to compare that to other communities. If I can't, companies can't either without expensing cost to the accounting department. We are the desperate ones. We need to do a better job.

I say all this due to the mention of Madison's financial concerns. It bothers me. We could be doing better for the area, even beyond the efforts we are making. In my mind, that means that if Findlay/Lima areas grab one data-savvy individual, they could promote their area better than we could. I make it sound easy. It isn't. But that's why it is distressing that people who interviewed me hadn't even heard of Coldwater, OH. Barely the St. Mary's Lake area in general. We don't understand enough that a 20-person company going to the Lima area has a bullwhip effect on the network of companies/industries for our county, and some of the leadership cannot even point out the winning towns on a map.

[shelbyrr11]

May 30, 2021 18:14:27 GMT -5 GHS 1999 said:

You are correct. Next Generation Films is investing there.

Is this an expansion of the Lex operations, or an entirely new move? 

[Willard Fillmore]

Charter NEX and Next Generation Films merged and is now called Charter Next Generation. Due to the merger, they've leased the only building left standing on the old GM property. A 45,000 sq.ft. building and 6 acres from ICP, the new developer in charge of the property. Who's put over a $1 million into the building for Charter. Dan Nis President of Charter Next Generation and a major benefactor to Ontario schools expects to create 300 jobs and sees further expansion at the GM property. Also, ICP has plans to build a 200,000 sq.ft. spec building on the property.

Another Nis company, Nis Aviation, purchased Richland Aviation and is investing $2 million at Lahm airport by building a new hanger and signing an agreement to supply 24/7 fixed-based operator fuel service and maintenance at Lahm. Nis has also approached Ohio State about providing flying lesson classes for branch students. 

[dude]

May 30, 2021 18:52:18 GMT -5 mrsteel said:

May 24, 2021 14:59:44 GMT -5 dude said:

Is it not a bit odd that Rickert would hire an assistant that has helped a program go 17-49 in the last 3 years? Just like the Ontario job they must not have had many applicants.

Also realize Madison is having a RIF this year.

It is not completely uncommon for a coach outside the district. I guess you would have to know of anyone who applied. And they currently have multiple teaching positions open and being advertised.

[dude]

Watched the Mansfield game this weekend and had a talk with a fan about their running back. I was told he and two other transfers will be suiting up for the basketball team this season.

[marchmadness]

What school did they transfer from?

[dude]

Sept 13, 2021 9:48:40 GMT -5 marchmadness said:

What school did they transfer from?

I was told one came from Wooster Triway and the other two came from Loudonville.

[dude]

Ashland's Luke Denbow commits to West Liberty for basketball.

[dude]

Sept 21, 2021 10:23:02 GMT -5 dude said:

Ashland's Luke Denbow commits to West Liberty for basketball.

I also believe his older brother Garret is at West Liberty.

[Ramsfan09]

Watching the Madison vs Shelby game tonight showed me that Madison has plenty of Talent. Im going to say after one game I like how the new coach plays. Reminds me alit of when Rickert was coach. Mergal was a terrible coach a d im glad hes Ontarios Problem now. I doubt he has much success at Ontario but we shall see.

[dude]

Nov 27, 2021 1:39:34 GMT -5 Ramsfan09 said:

Watching the Madison vs Shelby game tonight showed me that Madison has plenty of Talent. Im going to say after one game I like how the new coach plays. Reminds me alit of when Rickert was coach. Mergal was a terrible coach a d im glad hes Ontarios Problem now. I doubt he has much success at Ontario but we shall see.

"Plenty of talent" for what? Rickert had one great season of 18-2 with a loaded senior class and a jr named Delvonta Cheathem who went on to play college ball. Remove that season and in his 5 years as head coach he was barely over .500 with a record of 42-38.

[dude]

What the OCC has returning from their all conference selections a year ago.

Luke Denbow POY ASH

1st Team
Grayson Steury ASH
Maurice Ware MANS
Micah Mckee WOO

2nd team
Baden Forup LEX
Jayden Jeffries MAD
Beau Bridges MV
Blake Morrison WH
Drew Dossi WOO

Honorable Mention
Luke Jurjevic ASH
Hudson Moore LEX
Jack Depperschmidt LEX
Isaac Brooks MAD
Amil Upchurch MANS
Hudson Rohler -inj MV
Jack Williams WOO

[unc4life]

A few things...I expect the league to be a little bit more balanced from top to bottom this year than it was last year. A few teams had some rough starts to the year with Covid shutdowns and just weird schedules last year. Really the only teams I'm not sure right now are Madison and West Holmes. Madison with a new coach could go either way, and West Holmes is going to get a late start do to a great football run. I can tell you in the past teams that make big runs in football tend to struggle getting the life back in basketball. I do expect more from Lexington this year, Mansfield will be solid again along with Mount Vernon. Should be a fun year.

[Ramsfan09]

Mansfield looked good Against Wooster even with making a bunch of mistakes.

[Ramsfan09]

Mansfield Sr knocked off Lima Sr tonight in Overtime. Mansfield is definitely the team to beat this year in the OCC and honestly they may not lose a OCC game if they keep playing like they have the first two games