If open enrollment is started then Reitz football will surely loose its tradition, we have kids here on the westside that eat sleep and bleed blue and gray and can not wait to go up the ranks and play for Reitz. Us parents and the coaches instill tradition into them and they buy into it , but what happens when they get to the point where they are ready to start and some kid whom never lived on the westside or has any clue of the great Reitz tradition just comes in and takes their spot because they may be a little bigger or whatever, do we just tell that kid "hey, we know you have been here for years and we still want you to believe in our tradition but step aside". Doesnt seem right to me. Its going on now with kids transfering just because we are state champs and they want to get a ring and it will get worse if open enrollment is allowed. . Its great being state champs but do we want to sacrafice our tradition and our kids whom believe in it .

I see your point but schools like Cathedral have about 60 to 80 kids a year on the roster that are 2nd 3rd and 4th generation football players, mixed with 30 to 50 kids that are 1st generation. I think you can have the best of both the worlds. I sure would love to have Carrington Crutcher this year.

Like I said, you can have the best of both worlds. Look at this years team. mcintosh isn't from the westside(or even Evansville) but you have Ke Andre and Schnarr who's parents were all state players for Reitz 20 and 25 years ago. And k3 playing frosh ball(Hanson).

It will be a very interesting topic in the next few years and unfortunately has the potential to be a very divisive one too. Questions that quickly come to mind which reasonable people will probably differ in opinion on:
--At what point do boys become these, as you say, "kids on the westside" . . . . . . . have to be born here? what about move to westside in 3rd grade? 6th grade? 9th grade? maybe they've lived on the westside their whole life but always attended catholic grade school, lutheran school, home school? Maybe they've attended school on the westside but lived downtown or always lived on the northside but their mom worked at USI?
--Does the school have any responsibility other than to put the best players on the field who attend RHS in grades 9-12 regardless of player/family history or should legacy, or things like previous camp attendance (or R-men, Big Blue Booster, etc) factor in? What eventually happens, if anything, to volunteer support, like at Rantoul, or $$ contributions if kids from those families are bumped?
--What will happen to the coaching philosophy of cub teams or pre-high school workouts if kids regularly are transferring in & out? At some juncture there would be no point in having school-named cub teams if there is a mass flux of transferring after 8th grade.
--What would happen to teams at places like Bosse and Harrison right now if they lost more of their better eastside players than they do now. Those games vs Reitz would be worthless for both teams to play each year. Who would Reitz find as worthwhile regular season opponents, or what would happen to Evansville football overall, if we became the clear magnet football school of Evansville for all the best athlete prospects? Would it even be meaningful to win state that way if other places didn't have those capabilities?
--Will the RHS faithful tolerate multiple 6-4 teams of pure-bred westsiders if someone like North or Castle would hypothetically get a new staff who goes 10-0 by aggressively recruiting and obtaining the best middle-schoolers in town, or would the RHS faithful want to step up the non-local recruiting as well?

I have my opinions on these questions but will just leave them as issues for now. It's probably more of a complex web than would appear on the surface. But open enrollment is basically here now, so it needs to be dealt with - the EVSC is not checking addresses anymore for district residency. If Reitz's roster this year listed each player's school histories, I think there would be more kids than people would guess who have not grown up eating/sleeping/bleeding blue & gray and inevitably they're playing ahead of some who may have grown up that way. Speaking of a can of worms, I've been told that a boy who attends the New Tech Institute on Lynch Rd who never sets foot in the Reitz building for 4 years can do extracurriculars (incl football) at Reitz depending on where they live, since Tech has no sports. It's also my understanding the EJFL is a lot more all-city-ish and less westside-ish than it used to be, again the attraction being youth want to play at the best place. I would liken the issue somewhat to Calipari/UK basketball - the fans would probably prefer to win with 4-yr players who come from in-state as opposed to one-and-dones from nationwide, but in the end most would rather win than lose however that gets done.

My biggest fear is what will happen to teams that have been down like Bosse and Harrison. I don't know how I fell. Sure I'd love to have the best kids in town, but not at the cost we kick the crap out of everybody we play.

Lets just have the Mcintosh and Crider boys mate with several women. Some small and fast, some big and mean and some attractive. That way we have a lot of future 2nd generation athletes in the future.

Right now Pat Mallory's boy and Adam Schiffs boy and Nick millers boy are all in the same grade. Could you imagine if we could see another Schiff to Mallory with a Miller in the backfield at MD? Thats scary. This is why these stud Reitz grads need to get busy!

I say welcome them with open arms. We have a tradition of excellence on the field, in the classroom, and blue collar work ethic here on the West Side. If they come in and embrace our tradition, put in the work on the field, and are good student/athletes, then why shouldn't the they be part of the team? Maybe they'll be the 1st in a long line of their family members to attend Reitz and play for the blue & grey. Every family has a 1st member to attend at some point.

I just don't want us getting all the top players in the city because that would kill siac football. I'm actually proud of Carrington Crutcher for sticking with Bosse. The easy thing to do is to attend a school with a dozen state titles over a school with 3 sectional titles.

I have mixed feelings about it. I'd love to get the cream of the crop but no at the extent we dominate the siac. Mater Dei and Memorial will get what they usually do, but the public schools will take a huge hit.

I don't see the revolving door that most are predicting on here. Do I see a bunch of kids jumping from Harrison and Bosse to Reitz for football. No, not enough to cause the Armageddon that is being predicted for programs in Southern Indiana. I can see a player here and a player there. Most incoming players (from transfers) know that they are already behind because of the full year plus jump that they players who went a Reitz feeder school got in cub ball.

I know that it has been said that Crutchner will be a starter at the varsity level as a freshman for Bosse this year. But, I am pretty sure that he would have probably been playing freshman ball this year for us, and then stuck behind Vaughn for two more years. I can tell you, that is not a situation that I would want to be in. You say you are happy he stayed. I say I believe that he stayed because that was the best chance that he had at playing and being the man for at least 3 years, and maybe even 4.

Good players, no matter whether they transfer in, or are home grown boys from the west side, are going to earn their way on the field with their play and their ATTITUDE. Yes, I said the A word. That is what has made the tradition on the hill. Players could have all the talent in the world, but if they don't have the attitude, you don't play. I have seen Reitz teams with far less talent that have won, but I have never seen a Reitz team with more talent and a bad attitude. And that is what will continue to make Reitz the winner that they are. Not the players that transfer in.

Well put, however I want to be clear that in the two games I watched Crutcher last year he was a man among boys. This kid will be or at least should be Ricky Crider good.

And what I was trying to say its admirable of him to stick with his friends. Sure I'd of loved to seen him in blue and gray, but not at the exspense of the Bosse football program. This kid is the type of player that COULD change the siac.

Not attacking you on being happy. I don't think it was as difficult of a decision as would be believed though. Look at transportation costs to get him to Reitz (since it is not provided by the schools.), and the fact that he probably would not have been a full time starter until his senior year at best case.

I'm glad he stayed too. That gives Bosse a huge piece to try to build around for the next few years.

And while I'm thinking about it. Where have all the regulars been so far? Lt. Clark, foghorn, Tieken, Kass, BigBlue just to name a few. Please come back guys. It's lonely with you guys not around.

I am always lurking in the corners. I agree that open enrollment will not be the death of SIAC football, i also agree that Mr. Crutcher is a man amoung boys...wow is really the only thing that comes to mind. I also know that he would have a better shot at getting to play at the next level with Reitz. Having said that i am REALLY excited to watch K. Vaughn play...i played two years with his old man and from what i seen from him in the first two scrims he has follwed right in his dads footsteps.

Open erollment wont change anything...the kids that wanna come to Reitz now, do.

Foghorn. It's good to hear from you. Been lonely in here with out have all the usuals around to talk Big Blue football. Hoping for another great season this year. Will be over at HC, and making sure that I keep a running time just in case the scoreboard goes out again!!!

Oh yeah, i will be in henderson! I cannot wait. Debating on painting my face blue and grey again...i did it last year for MD and all the playoff games but i thik this year i might do it for all of them.

Do it. I'll be looking for you. LOL. Have you happened to hear from any of the other? Especially Lt. Clark. He is usually the most informative on things like summer practice, Rantoul, players, etc. Hadn't heard anything, and was wondering if there was a change in his life that is preventing him from being able to get on here as much.

Also, do you know who all is injured at this time? I've heard (from non creditable sources) that Harris rolled his ankle in practice yesterday and is out. There are a few others I have heard about as well, but I don't want to throw them out here for certain reasons. We all know about Cuda, so no real update needed there.

I have no clue about Lt. I really hope Harris didnt roll his ankle...i have been really wanting to see him play this weekend. I know Breshawn (*sp) hasnt been dressed for either scrim...i heard he dislocated his shoulder..not sure how true that is.

Harris did roll his ankle, he was going in today for x ray. I heard this from a dark haired coach that grduated in 97. he also played qb for the panthers 96 team. I won't say any names, but if you are a true Reitz fan you should know who I am talking about. He has a half dozen family members that have played for Reitz and most of them were all state.

Take a wild guess l o l