Programs turned around
- Thread starter HSfootballfan50
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What was it like before Coach Bailey took over? How long did it take for the program to be truly successful?
Joplin is playing with confidence and is building a family like program but its to early to say turn around I think. I do think its possibly a program on the rise. Jasper is 20-9 at joplin.
Such a great question and I think different people will have different answers. I believe the furthest a Lamar team had made before Scott Bailey became coach was the 1988 team which his brother (and asst coach)Steve played on and they lost in the quarter-finals. Since then it had been average most of the time. Several great players thru the years just not great teams as a whole. I think it was a combination of a lot of things--willing boys who worked year round in the weight room, parents who were willing to do whatever it took, a great coaching staff that has stayed thru all this, then Bailey himself. I hate to say much about coach's before him because I didn't have a kid playing then, but the rumor was several good coachs got let go for not playing the right kid. If you know any of the Bailey's you know they frankly don't take any crap in life in general and football is no exception. As a parent you didn't go to him and complain because your little Johnny was a superstar and should be playing....he was coach. Your job as a parent was to let him and his staff coach. He is a home town boy which I think has helped as well because he's been fine to stay here. I think had another coach had this type of success they probably have moved on to bigger schools after one or 2 state championships.
Carl Junction was 3-7 the year before Buckmaster and 11-2 Buckmaster's 1st year.
I agree...it's hard to tell after just a couple of years, or one, but I agree that the program is in a different direction than it was going. It makes you think about the programs that are successful and the extent the "family" atmosphere and attitude plays into that success.
Lamar was honestly the perinnial doormat of the Big 8 before Bailey arrived and have been the highest standard of excellence since.
Carthage was 21-29 with only 1 winning season under 3 different head coaches from 2000-2004. They had not made the playoffs since 1988. Guidie took over in 2005 and got Carthage to the State Quarterfinals in his 3rd year at Carthage. He's had 13 winning seasons in as many years and has led Carthage to 3 straight state playoff appearances.
Glendale under Mike Mauk for sure. No way we're 11-1 last year with another coach and his staff.
Moberly was 8-92 in the decade before Jason Ambroson took over. They had never won a conference championship, district title or been to the state playoffs in school history. Between 2003 & 2013, his teams won 3 NCMC titles, won 4 district championships, made 4 playoff appearances and had 2 undefeated (10-0) regular seasons.
Webb had only made the playoffs once that I can remember and that was coach Rods senior year then Jerry Kill came in 88 and went 11-1 then 14-0 the following year and have not stopped since.
MVBT Liberty probably won maybe 5 games in the decade and a half before Darin Acklin took over.
Fred Bouchard changed the football culture at Harrisonville. The previous coach Tim Dade went 64-58 in 12 seasons with 6 winning seasons, 5 losing seasons and 1 even season. He only had one state playoff appearance in those 12 years, the 1998 team made the Class 3A semifinal. When Bouchard showed up the program was coming off of a 1-9 season from the 2001 campaign. He took Harrisonville to the playoffs all 6 years he was at Harrisonville. Five straight state championship game appearances winning 4 out of 5. His impact went clear into the youth leagues. He was the first HS coach at Harrisonville to embrace the youth football program as a building block to future success at the HS level. It still rings true to today. His successor Chuck Lliteras went 60-16 in 6 seasons making 5 playoff appearances, two of which were Class 4 Semifinals. Current coach Brent Maxwell is 41-9 in his fourth season with 3 playoff appearances, two quarterfinals and a state championship in 2016. Fred Bouchard's impact on our program has been immeasurable.
Speaking of Chuck Lliteras.
He changed the culture at Maryville when he got there in 1990 and built it into the current successful program it has been since. Coach's may have changed a few times since but the program hasn't.
In the 80's people went to the games to watch the nationally recognized marching Spoofhounds perform and not the football team.
Still as amazing a coach Kill was and how impressive it has been since I don't consider it a turn around. WC had been an average to slightly above average program in the years before Kill. 6-4 in 87, 6-5 I think in 86, semifinals in 85.
A turnaround is a program that went from bad to good. WC had some down years but has never really been at the bottom. To be a turnaround you need to start at the bottom (or the top if it is a bad turn)
Lamar is the best example and Moberly and Mt View look like good examples.
Im a little biased but....
Mark Johnson at Smith-Cotton. Record at S-C: 85-70 (155-111 Overall). Winningnest coach in program history
He took over one of the worst programs in the state. From 1959-1998, S-C had 3 winning seasons. He had 3 players showed up to the first summer weights workout in '99 (at a Class 4 school). The first away game had less than 10 fans in the stands (4 of which were family)
Johnson had the same amount of winning seasons in his first 4 years as the previous 40 years. From 1999 until his retirement, S-C had 8 winning seasons, 4 conference championships, 2 district titles, 2 state qualifier appearances, 1 quarterfinal appearance, and the first undefeated season. He was instrumental in getting approval and financial support for a new football stadium and weight room as well as new youth football facilities. Much like Coach Bouchard in Hville, he changed the outlook of football in Sedalia from youth football up through the middle school and high school.
Since his retirement, his successors have added 2 more undefeated regular seasons and multiple conference championships.
Not too shabby....
Mark Johnson at Smith-Cotton. Record at S-C: 85-70 (155-111 Overall). Winningnest coach in program history
He took over one of the worst programs in the state. From 1959-1998, S-C had 3 winning seasons. He had 3 players showed up to the first summer weights workout in '99 (at a Class 4 school). The first away game had less than 10 fans in the stands (4 of which were family)
Johnson had the same amount of winning seasons in his first 4 years as the previous 40 years. From 1999 until his retirement, S-C had 8 winning seasons, 4 conference championships, 2 district titles, 2 state qualifier appearances, 1 quarterfinal appearance, and the first undefeated season. He was instrumental in getting approval and financial support for a new football stadium and weight room as well as new youth football facilities. Much like Coach Bouchard in Hville, he changed the outlook of football in Sedalia from youth football up through the middle school and high school.
Since his retirement, his successors have added 2 more undefeated regular seasons and multiple conference championships.
Not too shabby....
A
anon_utvqikut1knht
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This year in the KC Metro it has to be Raytown. I believe it has been a quarter century since the Jays have had a winning record and last Friday's win over arch rival South sealed that. Should win easily next week. One year ago it would've been totally unthinkable any of us would even entertain the possibility they could make a district final let alone win it.
Chuck Lliteras doesn't get the credit I think he deserves here in Harrisonville. He did a pretty damn good job following the legend of Fred Bouchard. He kept the wheels on the bus, and he did it in Class 4. He scheduled Webb City as his first game. Harrisonville was in the midst of a 41 game winning streak at the time, not many coaches would risk that, or take on a perennial power when making that jump up in Class. He has been knocked by a few for not winning a title at Harrisonville, but his road was much more difficult in Class 4. I have nothing but respect for him and what he did here. We have been blessed. Harrisonville has not had a sub .500 season since 2001, and Coach Lliteras is a huge part of that success.
Park Hills Central was bad for 30 years before this coaching staff turned them around. I don't think they will ever make the class 3 finals or anything but they were really really bad for a long long time.
I don't know who the HC at Ritenour is, but that program was dreadful for decades...the Huskies were the doormat of the old Suburban North conference that featured frequent state championship teams like Hazelwood Central and Hazelwood East. They've been *very* competitive at the C6 level for a few years now finishing in the upper tier of the newly formed Suburban 12 South conference with Pattonville, Kirkwood, Webster among others.
The Huskies have now appeared in 5 straight state playoffs:
2012
Won vs SLUH
Lost vs CBS
2013
Lost vs SLUH
2014
Lost vs Howell N
2015
Won vs Howell N
Lost vs CBC
2016
Lost vs SLUH
The Huskies have now appeared in 5 straight state playoffs:
2012
Won vs SLUH
Lost vs CBS
2013
Lost vs SLUH
2014
Lost vs Howell N
2015
Won vs Howell N
Lost vs CBC
2016
Lost vs SLUH
Mark Johnson is beyond criticism, period. But…since his departure SC has played one Class 5 (Republic) team in three years outside districts, none this year at all, and only one Class 4 team this year (Moberly). All the the rest were Class 3 at best (St. Michael would likely be Class 2 if they were to compete in districts this year). I understand the AD/Coach McFail have scheduled the three public high schools from Columbia already for next year. I hope that is true. I get conference obligations, travel restrictions, etc. but you don't get better by continually "punching down." I wish SC the best in districts, I hope they win it all, but "the proof will be in the pudding" against Battle, Raytown, & Belton.
Here’s a really important question: what do all these coaches have in common that assisted them in successfully turning a program around?
One thing about Coach Johnson. He was never afraid to schedule larger schools. You can’t get better playing lower class schools. In their defense, the conference is only made up of 2,3 and 4 classes. In 2008, SC finished fourth in the state behind Webb, Kearney and Helias. This current team couldn’t hold their jock straps. It’s an embarrassment that SC plays the schedule they do but that’s not the kid’s fault. I will also say Boyer and McFail couldn’t have pulled off the season 2008 had. They simply aren’t the Xs and Os type of coaches.
They were very good in 2000 and were decent in the '80s and '90s. Starting in 2001 they slid down fast and stayed at the bottom for several years.
"Mark Johnson is beyond criticism, period. But…since his departure SC has played one Class 5 (Republic) team in three years outside districts, none this year at all, and only one Class 4 team this year (Moberly). All the the rest were Class 3 at best (St. Michael would likely be Class 2 if they were to compete in districts this year). I understand the AD/Coach McFail have scheduled the three public high schools from Columbia already for next year. I hope that is true. I get conference obligations, travel restrictions, etc. but you don't get better by continually "punching down." I wish SC the best in districts, I hope they win it all, but "the proof will be in the pudding" against Battle, Raytown, & Belton."
FWIW, S-C's first four opponents this year were Class 4 - Moberly, Pleasant Hill, Warrensburg, and Marshall. Coach Johnson did a great job of turning around S-C's program and it started with a commitment to off-season conditioning, recruiting the hallways, incredible assistants (!) and instilling toughness into the program. S-C joined the West Central Conference in the early 2000's and it had several smaller schools. The WCC is no more after this year and S-C becomes an independent, so they are free to schedule whoever they want in the future.
FWIW, S-C's first four opponents this year were Class 4 - Moberly, Pleasant Hill, Warrensburg, and Marshall. Coach Johnson did a great job of turning around S-C's program and it started with a commitment to off-season conditioning, recruiting the hallways, incredible assistants (!) and instilling toughness into the program. S-C joined the West Central Conference in the early 2000's and it had several smaller schools. The WCC is no more after this year and S-C becomes an independent, so they are free to schedule whoever they want in the future.
Johnny Walker also likes to talk about how great of a QB he was back in the 80's
Sorry about above, errors. Marshall & WHS are still Class4, but Pleasant Hill is a Class 3. That is still three schools out of the nine that are Class 4, no schools from class 5 or 6. Even a struggling program like Springfield Central schedules a Class 6 school among the Class 3 or 2 schools that dominate its schedule. My point remains the same: only one class 5 school in the last three years ultimately hurts the program in myriad ways.
Now youre starting to sound like Mox!
