Why is Celina so good?

[Tromboneking]

Congrats to all state champs. The question I have is this. Celina is a dynasty here...and have been so good for so long...why? What separates them from everyone else? They never seem to have a down year.

[Old Tiger]

The reason any program is good. They run the offense and defense of varsity since Pee wee football. All the kids buy into their system and trust one another and also the coaching staff.

[charlesrixey]

they've had down years

their first two year stint in 3A 2002-2003

they were only 11-1 and 10-2:eek:

:D

it was horrible;)

[Tromboneking]

hehe that is pretty funny...They must build it from the bottom up. It is amazing the consistancy...Southlake Carroll is the same..good every year..

[Rocket Dad]

Why are they good? Because the players on their teams are very talented for 2A or 3A level football. Bottom line.

[DDBooger]

Originally posted by Rocket Dad
Why are they good? Because the players on their teams are very talented for 2A or 3A level football. Bottom line. i think its the system brings out the BEST from avg to a few great players and that can be enough to beat a team with better athletes. the consistency is amazing.

[SNYDER325TIGERS]

Well a man from Celina told me that they recruit there players from towns all around Celina.

[Rabbit'93]

Success breeds success. Simple thinking I know but it's true.

[celinaorange]

To preface my remarks: Been here since 1973...have been to most all of Celina games at most levels...attend practice most of the time year around...have attended 7 on 7 since it has started. We win because: 1. same system is installed and adhered to at all levels. 2. coaching staff has a high degree of stability, longivity, and loyality. 3. very small amount of turn over in coaching staff. 4. tremendous support from community. 5. hard work and dedication from players for 11 months out of the year. AND THE TWO MAIN REASON ARE: STRONG CHRISTAIN leadership from all of our coaches and we have the best offensive and defensive line coach in the state. Bill Elliott (who will take over when Butch decides to retire) will always have a great line. Our games are won on the line of scrimmage and on defense. We generally always graduate most of our offensive and defensive lineman, but we always have twice as many ready to compete for the positions left open. FINALLY, and this statement is not meant to be boastful, just factual (since I have been here) In Celina TRADITION NEVER GRADUATES, and we very seldom rebuild, we RELOAD.

[charlesrixey]

Originally posted by celinaorange
To preface my remarks: Been here since 1973...have been to most all of Celina games at most levels...attend practice most of the time year around...have attended 7 on 7 since it has started. We win because: 1. same system is installed and adhered to at all levels. 2. coaching staff has a high degree of stability, longivity, and loyality. 3. very small amount of turn over in coaching staff. 4. tremendous support from community. 5. hard work and dedication from players for 11 months out of the year. AND THE TWO MAIN REASON ARE: STRONG CHRISTAIN leadership from all of our coaches and we have the best offensive and defensive line coach in the state. Bill Elliott (who will take over when Butch decides to retire) will always have a great line. Our games are won on the line of scrimmage and on defense. We generally always graduate most of our offensive and defensive lineman, but we always have twice as many ready to compete for the positions left open. FINALLY, and this statement is not meant to be boastful, just factual (since I have been here) In Celina TRADITION NEVER GRADUATES, and we very seldom rebuild, we RELOAD.

:clap: :clap:

[Balcones fault]

Originally posted by SNYDER325TIGERS
Well a man from Celina told me that they recruit there players from towns all around Celina.

<I suspect you're stirring the pot with that post but I'll take a shot at a straightforward reply>

Their (sic) ( ;) ) is a small amount of truth in that statement actually, but "recruiting" is inaccurate. Lets just say you've got a job in Dallas and you can choose to live anywhere for your extreme PIA commute. You've got 3 sons that are decent athletes but a tad small. They can be athletes in Plano, Mesquite, Duncanville, Garland, etc., but perhaps in a smaller town they'd get a better chance at playing time, with the added bonus of a championship culture. Maybe your tired of the materialistic upper middle class whitebread culture of a West Plano. NTTAWWT. Celina is a magnet, they don't need to recruit. A similar situation exists with Liberty Hill, Wimberly, and other towns that are exurbs of cities. Its sort of a "build it and they will come" phenomena.

Besides, everyone knows that only Odessa Permian and Brownwood were the only schools to ever recruit players. ;) ;) ;)

[Daddy D 11]

number one reason has to be coaching. most every town has talent, but its what you do to tap into that talent and get the most out of it that is important and Ford seems to do that every year.

[CueroDad2006]

Originally posted by SNYDER325TIGERS
Well a man from Celina told me that they recruit there players from towns all around Celina.

Are there no small towns around Snyder?

[piratebg]

Originally posted by Tromboneking
What separates them from everyone else?

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee108/coryb3308/boobies.png

[block&tackle]

Originally posted by Balcones fault
<I suspect you're stirring the pot with that post but I'll take a shot at a straightforward reply>

Their (sic) ( ;) ) is a small amount of truth in that statement actually, but "recruiting" is inaccurate. Lets just say you've got a job in Dallas and you can choose to live anywhere for your extreme PIA commute. You've got 3 sons that are decent athletes but a tad small. They can be athletes in Plano, Mesquite, Duncanville, Garland, etc., but perhaps in a smaller town they'd get a better chance at playing time, with the added bonus of a championship culture. Maybe your tired of the materialistic upper middle class whitebread culture of a West Plano. NTTAWWT. Celina is a magnet, they don't need to recruit. A similar situation exists with Liberty Hill, Wimberly, and other towns that are exurbs of cities. Its sort of a "build it and they will come" phenomena.

Besides, everyone knows that only Odessa Permian and Brownwood were the only schools to ever recruit players. ;) ;) ;)
Some truth to this statement with a qualification-

If you move here with a kid that is already in high school that kid will have a hard time playing. We have had a lot of folks that have moved in here with athletically inclined kids in the 5th through 7th grades that have learned the system and done well. Later than that and it is very rare for them to even contribute, much less excell.

The thing that blows the whole "recruiting" argument out of the water is how good these kids are all of the way through:

1st-2nd grade team - 9-1
3rd grade team (playing 3rd and 4th graders) - 7-3
4th grader team - 9-1
5th grade teeam - 8-1
6th grade team - 10-0
7th grade "A" - 7-1
8th gradde "A" - 7-1
JV Orange - 10-0
JV Gray - 8-0
JV White - 9-1
Varsity 16-0

The guy wo coachees the 6th grade team has not lost in his last 100+ games.

While we did have the athletes this year, the system that all of these teams run is one that is more dependent on execution than on athleticism. Combine that with great coaches and great tradition and that is why we enjoy so much consistency.

[runthequarter]

1. work
2. work
3. work

And transfers?
I understand the fullback from LH has been in 3 or 4 schools.

Celina dont recruit. People live where they want too. Same with SLC. But understand this. 1/2 of the Texas population of approx. 21 million lives 10 miles ethier side of I-35. People are moving to these areas. Celina runs the same plays from birth to graduation. Notice other schools with the same tradition in the same area? Plano, SLC and Celina. All have used the same formula for a long time. hard work, sipmle system, good coaching, and community support not parent interference. Tom Brady said it best on 60 minutes. On the field is easy if you spend time in the film room. It takes work. Many dont want to put that in.

[BILLYFRED0000]

All I can add is this. WE play with execution and pride. WE don't usually have the best athletes but we seem to have the best team. IMHO that is the way to play and the way Celina has played for years. WE keep it up and come back. We have been doing it for a long time and I hope we can keep it up till my 7 year old gets his chance. Cause that is what keeps the chain intact. All the little guys here that hope that someday they too will be a Celina Bobcat.

[emileq]

It is the system. You rarely hear about the great athletes in Celina or Liberty Hill. Every playoff game in the last two years LH was up against teams with better and bigger athletes. I know that in last year's Celina game LH wasn't worried about great athletes. We were worried about Celina's execution, persistence and HEART. Celina wins because they work all year as a team to make it happen. LH is the same. It would be nice for LH to have some D1 athletes, (a Jordan Shipley would be acceptable, he he), but we don't need them to win in 3A. Maybe to beat Katy???

[GreenMonster]

Tradition, hard work, loyalty, solid fundamentals and teamwork. All of these things start at home. When Mom and Dad believe in these things and teach these qualities to their children instead teaching them me first principles that most people teach then the school is in an advantage before the kids ever step on the field. The kids all know their role and that each and every role must be performed at a high level for them all to achieve success. Coaching is tremendously easier when the kids understand this and it gets reinforced at home. So many people out there are so worried about "My Kid" and "Coach doesn't know what he's doing because my kid isn't the star" that they forget football is a TEAM game that requires 22 positions and 2 or 3 specialty positions with every one of those positions working together as one solid unit with one united goal. Celina understands this at the elementary level all the way up through the high school.

[VWG]

One guy said it in an earlier post, stability on the coaching staff.
Look at Cartwright over in Boyd, Taylor at Idalou, Sandifer at Wylie.
That isn't the only thing that makes good programs successfull, but it is a major part of it. Forget about the elementary school teams, it starts at the "professional level" of coaching. 7th grade through High School.
Go through and look at coaches whose tenure runs long at a school and you will see success throughout the program. This goes not only for football, but basketball and baseball too.

[Leopards,class of 75]

Originally posted by Daddy D 11
number one reason has to be coaching. most every town has talent, but its what you do to tap into that talent and get the most out of it that is important and Ford seems to do that every year. This is what I think too! Well said daddy D11.

[SpeedOption]

Just like MOJO back in the day running the same plays from jh up.

[runtherace]

Originally posted by CueroDad2006
Are there no small towns around Snyder?


Look at a map; there is not any population around Snyder to be a magnet to.

[KTJ]

I really wish Celina would start playing some 4A schools.

I know they can beat them and it would do nothing but add to their credibility that they, the Celina Bobcats, the only 8-time state champion in Texas High School Football History, can beat anyone, anytime, at (almost) any level.

Celina should have no problem scheduling a Frisco, a Denton Guyer, or a McKinney High.

[BobcatBenny]

I have talked with coach Ford about this in the past. He said there really is not any motivation for a larger school to schedule Celina. We used to schedule Lake Dallas, Little Elm and such, but we kept beating them.

For a larger school to schedule and play Celina, it is a lose, lose situation. If they win, they beat a small school as they should, shame on them for scheduling that opponent, but if they lose, they were embarassed.

If you were a 4A coach, would you schedule Celina?

I would not.

[marler1972]

Maybe we need to travel a liitle bit for non district due to local 3a teams not wanting to play us. I wish we could play some teams from the south in non district. Liberty Hill, WOS.......just a thought

[Daddy D 11]

just a question, do teams really NOT run the same plays all the way up from junior high to high school? you hear about Celina and LH and whatever programs running the same plays and schemes from pee wee or junior high to high school and im curious as to why you would do anything besides that?

and great post billyfred:clap:

[nobogey72]

Originally posted by Daddy D 11
just a question, do teams really NOT run the same plays all the way up from junior high to high school? you hear about Celina and LH and whatever programs running the same plays and schemes from pee wee or junior high to high school and im curious as to why you would do anything besides that?

and great post billyfred:clap:

Turnover in coaching staffs would be one reason. New coaches bring in new offenses and coordinators. I'm sure every 3A school would love to have the same Varsity Head Coach for 6 or 7 yrs in a row so there would be some consistency in offenses run in the Jr. High level. What made Permian special and unique back in the day, is that they would go down to the Jr Highs that fed into Permian and teach their schemes to those coaches and have them help with spring training etc., to ensure that when kids came into Permian as Sophmores they were'nt starting from scratch. Back to the original question about Celina------ another factor that I don't think has been mentioned yet is that their kids EXPECT to win. And, they know that they are EXPECTED TO WIN. And, their season doesn't start with 2 a days, it starts in January.

[Daddy D 11]

good point, didnt think bout change of coaches, its been 7 years since Vance arrived in LH :devil: :)

and on your last statement, i think that could be the one thing that helps our team in 2008, they will be a little fresh, but the expectations put on them to win i think will HELP them win week in and week out.

[nobogey72]

Originally posted by Daddy D 11
good point, didnt think bout change of coaches, its been 7 years since Vance arrived in LH :devil: :)

and on your last statement, i think that could be the one thing that helps our team in 2008, they will be a little fresh, but the expectations put on them to win i think will HELP them win week in and week out.

Just think about all those little Celina kids going to all those playoff games and watching their big brothers, neighbors, etc. actually win it all. You don't think they are chomping at the bits for their "turn". Before Wylie won it all in '04, my thought of a state champion team was some freaky athletes that just happened to come along. Wylie's 04 team was not the best group of athletes (exc. QB) that has come through Wylie. But, a lot of little kids saw them win it all with just a bunch of kids that they all knew. Just normal kids, that have all the right ingredients, coaching, tradition, support, work ethic, etc. There is nothing magic about it.

[WO-S 89]

Originally posted by marler1972
Maybe we need to travel a liitle bit for non district due to local 3a teams not wanting to play us. I wish we could play some teams from the south in non district. Liberty Hill, WOS.......just a thought


It would be pretty cool if WO-S and Celina could play in week zero in the Dave Campbell classic in San Antonio.

[mwynn05]

Those JV kids getting to practice 6 extra weeks every year doesn't hurt them any either

[Jack_Daniels]

Originally posted by Daddy D 11
just a question, do teams really NOT run the same plays all the way up from junior high to high school? you hear about Celina and LH and whatever programs running the same plays and schemes from pee wee or junior high to high school and im curious as to why you would do anything besides that?

and great post billyfred:clap:

You would be amazed at the people who dont. A real problem in inner city districts where there are many JH's and little control over them. This is one of the biggest problems for inner city schools. People wonder why with all that supposed talent they dont win. This is a major reason.

[Stownhorse]

Originally posted by block&tackle
3rd grade team (playing 3rd and 4th graders) - 7-3

Good excuse for 3 loses in a season. :evillol:

[KTJ]

wrong quotes

[KTJ]

Originally posted by BobcatBenny
I have talked with coach Ford about this in the past. He said there really is not any motivation for a larger school to schedule Celina. We used to schedule Lake Dallas, Little Elm and such, but we kept beating them.

For a larger school to schedule and play Celina, it is a lose, lose situation. If they win, they beat a small school as they should, shame on them for scheduling that opponent, but if they lose, they were embarassed.

If you were a 4A coach, would you schedule Celina?

I would not.

Actually yes, yes I would. I would bet the bank that my 4A/5A team could beat a 3A team. And if they couldn't, they'd learn a valuable lesson from it...you can bank on that.

If I was coaching, I'd have the mentality that my team would play anyone, anywhere, at anytime. I only wish Mack though the same way.