Free for All Sideline Edition: RCB & Lincoln

On today's show:

• Greg Carey of MetroNews on NIL in West Virginia and how to evaluate teams in August camps (3:35)
• Chris Johnson of Connect-Bridgeport joins the show (25:01)
• Austin Scott, Head Coach of Robert C. Byrd football (47:05)
• Rob Hawkins, Head Coach of Lincoln football (1:04:48)

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Sports fans, it's time for the Friday Free for All.
Over the next two hours, we'll bring you all the
latest from across the region in high school and college sports.
Now Here are your hosts, Chris Johnson and Alex Wiederspiel.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Good morning, everybody, and welcome in. This is the Friday
Free for All, brought to you by Dan cavatoa Buick GMC.
Great to have you with us for another edition of
the show. I know we were out unexpectedly last week,
so here's the deal. My listeners from my other show
will know this. I unexpectedly took a little time off,
and not in a bad way. I just I had
been really indecisive going down to the wire deciding whether

(00:53):
or not I still had a week of vacation, whether
or not to save it for the very end of
the year, or to use it in August, and I
decided I'd get more. We're out of it in August.
It's easier to take time off around the holidays, so
why use vacation at a time when it's already easy
to take time off? So instead, I'm going to I
used it last week, So we took an unexpected week.

(01:15):
That does put us back a little bit on our
quest to interview coaches, but that's okay. We're going to
interview a couple of really good ones today from RCB.
Austin Scott's going to join the show in just a
little bit from Lincoln. Rob Hawkins going to join the show,
and then we're going to keep interviewing coaches as the
season goes along. Man, We're going to keep keep fighting
through it and getting through as many coaches as we
can talk to even into the season, and we'll keep

(01:36):
going that set. Chris Johnson's also going to join the
show a little bit later. He'll join us after our
second segment. For the rest of the show. Greg Carey
from Metro News is going to be with me in
the next segment talking about a couple of things nil
and we're going to take a couple of looks. I
had some thoughts on some sort of pre season questions,
not so much about like expectations or predictions, but more

(01:58):
like things that he looks for when he's out at
a camp or talking to a coach. What is he
interested in? What is he looking for? I want to hear.
I want to know about that because Greg has done
this for a while now, and he's seen a lot
of these August camps before, and I want to know
what stands out to him when he's there, So we'll
talk about that as well. Plus this the Nil stuff,

(02:19):
if you haven't heard, Chris and I kind of we
kind of did a rundown of it on Wednesday, a
little preview in a moves Boosh. I called it a
little preview piece for today, when I'm sure we'll get
into it a whole bunch more. It's an interesting it's
a really interesting thing because the Nil story goes like this.
You know, West Virginia is the forty fourth state to
do this. It's not new. But at the same time,

(02:42):
it's hard to put to words. What about it makes
me and others so uncomfortable because on the one hand, philosophically,
I do support the concept and idea of people putting
their body on the line getting compensated for it in
some way. And yet on the other hand, I will
not lie that there is a part of me that
is uncomfortable with this arrangement. So the question is, how

(03:03):
can we reconcile those two things in a way where
we can get the best possible compromise and is that
even necessary. I don't know.

Speaker 3 (03:12):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
It's a good question. That said, we'll go ahead and
take a break now. This is the Friday Free for
All brought to you by Dankavitto to buick GMC. When
we come back, Greg Carrey is going to join the show,
and we've got a great lineup of guests joining you
today and as a bonus segment, Chris George going to
join us during the nine o'clock hours to stick around.
Got lots going on on the Friday Free for All,
plus the Morning Spield bonus coming up a little bit later.

(03:34):
We're back in just a moment.

Speaker 1 (03:36):
Time for more high school sports talk on the Dan
Cavatoyo WAGMC Friday Free for All.

Speaker 2 (03:43):
We're now joined by Greg Kerrey of wv metronews dot com.
You can find his work all over the sports section
of wv Metro News right now, whether it's high school,
college or anything else that we cover at the website. There,
Greg is here with us.

Speaker 4 (03:57):
Now, what's up man, Good afternoon and going.

Speaker 2 (04:01):
No complaints here. It's we're in this kind of weird
stretch where we're just kind of counting down days now
until things kind of get crazy again, and we're closing
in quickly on the start of the high school football season,
which again, you know, when you're six weeks away from it,
it feels like a lifetime, and then six weeks really
turns into a week and a half very quickly. So

(04:23):
we're here, We're ready, and I much as become the
August tradition. We had another big high school sports news
story drop that has potential to impact the sport, both
in the short term and the long term. Particularly the
long term, and that, of course is the adoption and
approval and now the implementation of NIL at the high

(04:44):
school and middle school levels, which is just like a
crazy sentence to say, because I think if you went
into a time machine, and again I've told folks this before.
Greg and I had a couple of classes together in college.
And if you told in one of one of those
journalism classes that we were in together, if you told
us you came from, you know, fifteen years in the
future and dropped it and said to this class, hey,

(05:05):
there's going to be a path a mechanism to pay
middle school and high school athletes in forty four out
of fifty states in America. In twenty twenty five, I
would have said, I would have said, you know, you're
smoking something, and yet here we are. Here, we are
in twenty twenty five. That is the reality. So Greg,
it's it's a pretty interesting story. I still think we're

(05:27):
a little early in it, so I don't know what
the impacts look like. But take us through kind of
how we got here.

Speaker 4 (05:32):
Yeah, well, you know, the West Virginia Secondary School Center.
There's that simitty commission that you know, had kind of
been monitoring what had been going on in some of
the neighboring states that already allow this, maybe even some
states that aren't neighboring, But as you mentioned, West Virginia
became the forty fourth. So the minority is, you know,
the flip side of this. And I know a lot

(05:53):
of people don't necessarily agree with it, aren't for it,
and that is completely fine. Obviously, everybody is entitled to
their opinion one way the but you know, to act
like it's not scre and maybe to act like it's
not here to say, I think is a bit delusional,
you know, And there are a lot of variables that
come into play, you know, regarding these specific guidelines, and

(06:16):
you know, but basically there are guidelines in place so
that in a way, West Virginia athletes are afforded similar
opportunities to those from other states. And you know, if
you don't have these in place, and essentially anything would
be against the rules. But now, you know, you know,
at least have guidelines that tell you what is and

(06:37):
isn't allowed. So I agree with you, I don't think
this is something that, particularly in the immediate aftermath of
you know, it essentially starting just a week ago now
almost on August eighth, that this is going to be
anything that is you know, severely impactful, you know, in
the immediate future. I'm personally not sure how impactful it's

(06:58):
going to be in general, just because I I think
there's a lot that goes into the specifics of this,
and I think that adults in particular, whether it's administrators, coaches, parents,
you know, they're going to have to be very selective
and very careful with kind of anything that they choose
to do that you know, may involve going this route
of the newfound you know, nil being permissible across as

(07:20):
you said, middle school and high school athletics in West Virginia.

Speaker 2 (07:23):
Yeah, it's it's wild in that sense that you know,
because the middle school part of it is what's so
fascinating to me that that, again, this is not something
that I'm an expert on, not something that I pay
a close amount of attention to, but I was surprised
by the inclusion of it. What I am curious about.
Do you know who are at this point? Who are
the other six states?

Speaker 4 (07:42):
I'm not sure all of them. I know Ohio is
one of the neighboring states that does not have it,
which I found interesting because you think of all of
the talent, you know, in major metropolitan you know, city
area is really urban areas there and a lot of
obviously really feigned high school basketball and football programs in Ohio,
and there it'd be the Cleveland area, you know, across Columbus,

(08:04):
so we're in the Canton and happens and so on
and so forth to Cincinnati. You know, just a lot
kind of surprised, and I looked that up. I also
can tell you that I've found that when Rhode Island
passed it in late winter of twenty twenty two, I
believe it was in November, they were the twenty first
state at that point. So this thing has essentially, you know,

(08:25):
doubled in states, you know, twenty one to forty four.
It's gone a little bit more than doubling here in
the last two and a half years, give or taking.

Speaker 2 (08:33):
Yeah, that actually does not when you say it, it
makes total sense. Doesn't surprise me that there would be
sort of this picking up of momentum for this. And again,
you know, Chris and I actually talked about this a
little bit on Wednesday about just just from a pure
like moral and philosophical perspective, you know, some of the
issues that we had with it. But I will say this,

(08:56):
and this has been sort of one of the focuses
that has been at the web site, and I encourage
folks to check out these stories, particularly the one that
you wrote outlining what is and is not permissible as
NIL comes into play for youth athletes across West Virginia.
The one thing that's notable here is that while this
is now permissible, it is not the Wild West, at

(09:17):
least not initially. It doesn't seem though, it seems like
there are some restrictions onto how this can be implemented
going on to start in sort of year zero here.

Speaker 4 (09:29):
Yeah, I think that's well said, and you know, Wayne
Ryan said as much obviously, you know, Tuesday he was
on with Metro News talk Line, and you know, basically,
you know, said clear out that he doesn't think it'll
be anything close to kind of what we see, as
you described as the wild West, and it, you know,
basically is in college athletics, where essentially have you know,

(09:50):
quote unquote open free agency now in the off season.
I don't think that this is going to be anything
close to that. And I think really a bigger of issue,
if you want to say call it that, or you know,
bigger potential problem or thing that has surfaced to be
a problem in the last few years, in my opinion,
would be the transfer rule. And it's kind of as

(10:11):
Wayne Ryan said the other day, you know, without the
leniency in transfer rules across West Virginia, I'm not sure
that people would, you know, really be nearly as much
as up in arms as they are about the whole
NIL thing, because I think the two kind of get
tied hand in hand, and now there's going to be
a lot of assumptions, whether they are correct or aren't,

(10:32):
that maybe some of these transfers have something to do
now with NIL and potential compensation, you know, being provided
at one school that maybe wasn't at the school that
you're leaving behind.

Speaker 2 (10:44):
I think that's a good way. That's a good way
of putting it. I think that's going to be the challenge,
and it is, I'll be frank with you. It's the
challenge for me because it's hard not to look at
the potential scenarios that could occur. And my biggest concern
more than anything else, because I do inherently philosophically believe
that you know, uh, if you're utilizing your body this way,

(11:08):
that I think you are entitled to some level of compensation,
whatever that may be. And certainly in the case of name,
image and likeness, that's even that's even far less egregious
than the idea of of let's say a school outright
playing a player. But I think where folks are going
to naturally draw those concerns a sort of we've already
had these conversations going on for a couple of years
about competitive balance and and and and that area of

(11:30):
the game because of the transfer rule. And I think
that's why this is has kind of uh created so many,
so many sirens for folks going off Is that fair?
Is that a fair way of looking at it? I mean,
if we look at it in that perspective, yeah.

Speaker 4 (11:46):
I think I think so. You know, but like I said,
it's just you think that you don't generally hear a
ton or at least haven't heard a ton of issues
with this at the high school level. The fact that
you know, it was alreadydmitted in forty three states, I
would say, would bode well. And some of those states
are in a position where, you know, with a far

(12:07):
bigger population than maybe putting out a far higher number
of Division I prospects on an annual basis, they may
have a lot more schools. They you know, may have
a lot more areas to pull money from. So I
think that's one thing that you know, the s SAC
State Board really took into consideration this summer is you know,
if it doesn't seem really to be problematic in any

(12:30):
sort of way that has caused you know, major issues
in other states, perhaps you know, West Virginia can also
follow that path and make it work, or you know,
at least just have it be an available option, then
something that is more of maybe a pro than a con.

Speaker 2 (12:46):
So on that note, let's jump over to the on
field play, because, as we discussed earlier, I just don't
see this having a big impact in the early stages.
I think this is more something to keep an eye
on for the future. If sort of the what the
the those who are either naysayers outright or folks like
me who are I think cautiously concerned, there's probably not

(13:08):
much to be concerned about in this first year. So
let's let's let's take a look at Let's go on
to the field now. So there's obviously a fast approaching
start to the season here, which is kind of crazy.
We're basically two weeks out from the start of this thing, Greg,
and I know you can feel it. I'm curious about
when you talk to coaches when you go around the state,

(13:28):
and I know you've been doing a lot. I know
Joe's been doing a lot of the preview preview work,
but I am curious when you start doing this over
a course of as many years as you have, you
ever start to notice trends that you start to pick
up on that makes sense to you when you say,
you know, I think that team might be a little
bit better than they were last year, and it's because
of X. You ever noticed that as a guy who's

(13:49):
done this for a while now and has seen so
many of these camps up close, Yeah, I think.

Speaker 4 (13:54):
I think it might be even a little bit more
challenging to kind of navigate that aspect of it today,
just because of you know, the and it's obviously not
in bulk like it is say going on at you know,
West Virginia now or many other college. But yeah, there
are transfers to consider. There are transfers that come into play,
you know. I would think that returning experience is still

(14:16):
one of the top traits. You know, there's really no
substitute for it at any level, but particularly at high school.
You'll often hear a lot of concern raised from coaches
at this time of the year when there isn't experience,
and that's obviously due to the unknown factors. They're not
exactly sure from a consistency aspect what they might be getting,
you know, add to more inexperienced positions on a daily

(14:38):
basis or a weekly basis or what have you. So
that's certainly one thing that I look for, you know,
when you're out out of practice too, if it's a
team that you might have some familiarity with a player
you might have some familiarity with. Pretty easy to tell
whether or not you know certain programs, certain players are
following a weight program, maybe how often they may be doing. Sure,

(15:00):
you're not going to look at a guy immediately and
just say, oh, you know, I know he increases bench
press seventy five pounds from this year to that year.
But you know, generally you can see changes in body
types or tell us a line on either side of
the ball, you know, is essentially big enough to probably
measure up to top tier competition in that regard. But
you know, as far as predicted records or you know,

(15:21):
rankings or things of that sort. Always, yeah, I mean,
everybody kind of has their their educated guesses or ideas
or whatever you want to say. But you know, we've
we've been spot on with some, we've been far off
with probably more so, you know, it generally takes I
guess a couple of weeks, you know, to kind of
form the top you know, kings, and regardless of what

(15:42):
class that may be. You know, if you're if you're
not talking about maybe a state title team that brings
a lot back.

Speaker 2 (15:47):
And that's why I framed the question that way, because
unlike with you know, and I think some folks will
obviously forget this from time to time with college even
with college football, and as difficult as it is today,
the amount of eyes that we have, the amount of
media eye that we have, the amount of observers that
we have on these camps and practices and everything else,
you're able to form a little bit of a narrative

(16:09):
about maybe what's going on at you know, Ohio University,
who's going to be a WVU opponent later this year,
and of course with a brand new coaching staff. Or
you can form an idea of what's going on at
WVU based on the narrative we know of these seventy
or so new players. It's a lot harder to say, oh,
I know exactly what's going on over at you know,
over at Lewis County, I know exactly what's going on,

(16:31):
you know, over over at Shady Spring, or even if
you get even more more rural, which certainly we can
in classic way. So the reason I set this question
up for you, though, is what I want to take
away from this segment with you give me, give me.
You know, you can do more than one. But if
you want to give me a team from like each
classification you think will benefit the most from that lack
of year over year turnover in terms of most bonus

(16:54):
points you'd give them for guys returning.

Speaker 5 (16:59):
Yeah, well, you know, I mean.

Speaker 4 (17:01):
The one thing kind of that I kind of failed
to mention the last that you have to also bring
an effect now, and it's not that you know, new
coaches or anything can't work, but how about you know,
staff transition as well on a year to year basis,
and you know retention. You know, I mean, how many
of these schools now generally about fifteen to twenty if
not even twenty five percent of you know, the high
school football programs across the state are switching head coaches

(17:22):
on an able basis. So you know, that would be
another thing just to kind of getting back to, you know,
what you're looking for, and that would gward. But as
far as you know, looking at some of the teams
that obviously return a lot, I would think that Huntington
High in four A, you know, with a number of
college bound prospects and high level college prospects, you know
they're going to be challenged right off the bat, playing

(17:44):
a high profile six A program out of Tennessee and
their opener, So you know, wouldn't rush to judgment if
things don't necessarily go their way in Week one, but
if they do go their way, or if they're highly
competitive in that game, you know, probably assigned that vodes
well for a Huntington team that has been right there,
you know, for what basically seems like the better part
of the last eight to ten years now and obviously

(18:06):
one of the teams that has at times been able
to measure up to Martinsburg. So I would expect them
to have a very successful season, you know, looking at
maybe some of the lower levels. You know, South Harrison
is a team that I think can be a bit
of a surprise this year, a team that brings that
we'll be returning not you know, a ton, but we'll
bring back a decent core, I guess, if you want

(18:28):
to say. And it's a team that really has just
continued to take steps since Brad has Away has gotten
that job, that now become a fixture in the playoffs,
and I think a lot of people were surprised maybe
how competitive they were in that playoff game a season
to go against Bluefield, and even though they come up short,
I think that is certainly an opportunity for the Hawks
to you know, really build off of that, you know,

(18:50):
and Single A, you know, with really central returning what
it does in moving down you know, to that level,
I think they're going to be a force to be
regal with forty much start to finish this season. Uh,
you know, don't want to discount anybody else in Single A,
but I think it's it's pretty safe that, you know,
across the board, across the state that the feeling would
be health permitting and you know, obviously got to have

(19:12):
some breaks so your way here and there. But I
think the Maroon Knights are in a pretty good position
to be considered the favorite in you know, Class A
after Kuahama one of the year ago.

Speaker 2 (19:21):
Yes, that's funny, you know, and I know I'm a
little biased here because I see them every week, but
South Harrison's exactly who came to mind for me when
I was thinking about the coaching continuity. I mean, they've
been really really fortunate in that respect. I mean it's
it's a really really uh dedicated coaching staff and they
they've even been able in years past it to you know,
make it a little bit bigger. It seems like year
after year rather than they're not so much subtracting guys,

(19:42):
they're able to They're able to, you know, redefine who's
got what role and and and got guys to be
a little bit more focused player to player. And that's
been super helpful for them. And it was obviously super
helpful for them last year when when they returned what
was essentially almost the entirety of the team that had
won four games the year before but had all grown
up a year. And you know, they did lose one

(20:04):
or two pretty important players, but they're bringing back most
of what the guts. That's a that's a good example.
How about conversely, on the other side of it, a
team that you're maybe unsure of as they enter into
a new era, either because of mega turnover at the
player spot or mega turnover on the coaching staff.

Speaker 4 (20:20):
Yeah, I'll give you two of the you know, maybe
the bigger programs off the bat that I've actually kind
of had his discussion with a friend the other day,
and two hot profile programs. Wouldn't necessarily say that they'll
take a big step back in any regard, but I
do think because of what you just mentioned the turnover rates,
whether it be through coaches and or players that both
Spring Mills and Fairmont Senior are kims to kind of

(20:41):
watch early to see how long it maybe takes them
to gel. I think Marcus Law of the Spring Mills
head coach, has done a really good job of building
a program, you know, instilling a work ethic amongst his team,
the white program and the off season conditioning and all that.
You know, I know he's had a lot of good
things to say about the Cardinals in that regard each
to the last few years. Along those lines, he was

(21:03):
also very you know, offered a lot of praise. I
guess was very pleased with what he got from last
year's senior class, not only on the field, but off
the field with leadership. We know with spring Mills was
able to accomplish in basketball with a couple of those
guys that kind of went both you know and do
a sport athletes. And you know, it's a Cardinals team
that really was flawless throughout the season. Did deal with

(21:25):
some off the field controversy, but you know, had two
extremely competitive losses to Martinsburg, including in this state title game.
So you know, you flip a play or two here
or there, string Mills not only could have won a
state championship, they also could have you know, meet Martinsburg
in the regular season and been undefeated. So don't know
if they're going to you know, get over the hump
and win SA championship this year, but certainly a team

(21:46):
that I'll be eager to see how they kind of
handle the success and having a bigger target on their
back and replacing a really successful senior class Fairmont Senior
the same way lost a number of senior standouts. Obviously
you think of Trevor Bigelow, who was a catalyst on
both sides of the line. He's now at West Virginia.
But how about with Nick Bardick, you know, moving stepping
down and moving on. They're kind of, you know, walking

(22:08):
away from the scene. So Mark Sampson takes over and
you know, Pharamondon Senior is going to kind of see
if they can keep this train rolling. And obviously the
measuring stick really for them and everybody else in Class
Triple A is a bridge four team that put a
running clock against every one of its opponents a season.
They go and route to winning a state championship. And
I think it's you know, fair to expect and to
think even though that you know, the Indians did lose

(22:30):
a lot of notable seniors that they are again going
to be considered the favorite and triple A until proven otherwise.

Speaker 2 (22:35):
Well, it's also so it's funny too because the I
guess the the what you would sort of put the
asterisk for any whenever we're having that conversation about a
program losing a lot of players, the asterisk is what
type of system do they have in place that can
potentially mitigate that? And I think if anyone almost coming

(22:56):
to mind immediately first would be, well, it's the Bridgeport Indians,
who I mean, this is this is what they drill
in at almost every level in Bridgeport is how to
play in this Bridgeport system. So guys come in and
the same learning curve is not usually there. It's really
just the development and growth curve exactly.

Speaker 4 (23:13):
Maybe that's something that I should have touched on when
you asked, really what traits I'm looking for and identifying,
you know, throughout the preseason and early in the year.
You know, I mean, Bridgeport obviously has the togetherness aspect,
the camaraderie, and as you mentioned, you know, a lot
of it starts at the youth levels, and they are
a theme that you know, really I mean, you look

(23:34):
back at what they accomplished last season, and I understand
coach speak and you can find things that nitpick here
and there when you find film, but you know, from
a competition aspect and standpoint, nobody significantly challenged them. They
had a running clock, as I mentioned, in every game,
and this year they have you know, done maybe a
little bit more to kind of beef up the schedule
so be interesting to see. And that's not even necessarily

(23:56):
knock on the schedule last season, but they certainly have
you know, maybe gone out and done a little bit
more to kind of enhance their challenges. Picked up a
couple of out of state opponents and also the plan
Sprint and Valley this year, which is probably one of
the teams in Triple A that the Indians will keep
a close eye on throughout the season because you would
have to expect the Timberwolves will be somewhere in the
top four to sixteens in that class.

Speaker 2 (24:16):
Greg really appreciate everything you do at the high school
level and everything else as well, Folks. Reminder to find
his work at the sports section of wv metronews dot com.
Any other plugs before I let you go, Man.

Speaker 4 (24:27):
Well, you know we'll have coverage obviously you have, you know,
West Virginia's football camp continuing on through the end of
this week, and then a lot of high school previews
up until the season opener. We're obviously only a couple
of weeks out from that now, so that'll be it
in the meantime, and then hearing about this next ten
days eleven days, I guess it'll be. We'll have the
week one Metro News high school football power rankings, so

(24:48):
taking on for those and time to kind of sit
down and further on with the pre season research.

Speaker 3 (24:53):
Love it.

Speaker 2 (24:53):
Thanks man, We'll talk to you soon. Sounds good, all right,
see you Greg. All right, folks, we're gonna go ahead
and take a break and we'll be back after.

Speaker 1 (25:00):
This time for more high school sports talk on the
Dan cavatoryo w at GMC Friday, Free for all.

Speaker 2 (25:09):
Friday, Free for all, rolling on here, brought to you
by our friends over at Dankvitz at a Buick GMC.
Alex Wheeterspiel here with you and now joining me for
the rest of the program. Chris Johnson of Connect Bridgeport.
My co host is here, Chris.

Speaker 3 (25:22):
What's up?

Speaker 6 (25:22):
Man?

Speaker 3 (25:23):
Oh man? I was just we're just talking to you know,
off airs, tired of humidity. But uh, I keep looking
at the calendar and I know in like two weeks
we're gonna have actual football games.

Speaker 2 (25:35):
Isn't that crazy? That crazy? It's we're gonna have so
and I want to talk about that with folks. So
we got we got a lot going on obviously coming up.
We're going to do next Friday. We're gonna start because
it's our CB who plays Thursday night?

Speaker 4 (25:51):
Right? Let me check out?

Speaker 3 (25:54):
Hold on, I gotta go back and forth. I gotta
go back and double check Morgantown and Parker's Burger playing
on Thursday.

Speaker 2 (26:00):
Yeah, okay, so here, if I'm correct, this is RCB
and Lewis County are that Thursday night. That's according according
right now of four seasons football, which admittedly every now
and then sometimes occasional typo in there and and in the.

Speaker 3 (26:15):
Defense sometimes things are maybe schedule for Thursday, but then
they have to go back to Friday or true.

Speaker 2 (26:21):
You know, I should go check the w v S
s a C website just in case but point being,
and I believe because I believe Bill Nestor had pointed
it out to me that the plan was we're going
to have Bill on. Uh So, like we're still going
to do coaches next Friday, but we're gonna have Bill
on because we won't be able to do a preview
of the first game with him, right, we got to

(26:42):
do it next week. So Bill nest is going to
join us, assuming I'm right about that, that that has
stayed like that, Bill is going to join us as
well next Friday, so that we can talk about that
first game coming up. And that's a that's a that's
a real good one. By the way, r CB Lewis
County early on not not no.

Speaker 3 (26:59):
And I get it.

Speaker 2 (27:00):
It's always tough to know you know, who's who at
the start of the season, but in theory, based on
what we know about these programs, that could be a
big swing game for points at the end of the year.

Speaker 3 (27:07):
Yeah, and you know, there's definitely some history between the
two programs, but if I'm not mistaken, this is the
first time they've ever met. Week one, I can't recall.

Speaker 2 (27:18):
I'm going back and checking right now. You first, I
believe are correct. So the the earliest that they have
met from what I'm seeing here in September twenty eighth,
which would be like week four, week five, So yeah, wow. Typically,
in fact, the series, historically almost all the games have

(27:39):
been played around Halloween between October twenty eighth and November eighth.
That's where all but four of the games in their
nineteen game series have occurred. And then more recently twenty
seventeen through twenty twenty is when it started getting a

(28:01):
little bit earlier. So they aos haven't met in five
years by the way, last meeting was twenty twenty. Yeah,
so this is pretty good. This is this is a
good match. We don't get to see this a lot. Obviously,
there's some history that.

Speaker 3 (28:14):
You know that's good, that brings uping. You know, a
good point too. It's like when you just look at
big ten schools, like the way it's set up for them,
make their schedules where they kind of like rotate opponents
every I forget how many years it is, it's two, three,
whatever it is, but we're seeing we're going to see
some matchups this year we haven't seen in a couple

(28:35):
of years, you know. Bridgeport Philip Barber. I know they
haven't played in several years. And you look at like
Bridgeports like all time record, they have played draft in
more than any other school in the state, but they
haven't played them in about ten years. Yeah, so wow, Yeah,
I mean so some some you know, not necessarily first

(28:58):
time matchups, but some fresh.

Speaker 2 (29:00):
Match Yeah, we haven't seen these in a while. So
I'm excited to talk. Of course, Austin Scott's coming up
next on the other side of our of our of
our upcoming break. I wanted to know, so since you
and I talked on Wednesday, Yeah, any additional thoughts on
the NIL situation and the listeners know we just talked
about this with Greg. Any additional thoughts, any changes to

(29:23):
how you feel about it.

Speaker 3 (29:24):
I still don't like it. I'm I'm I'm probably not,
as you know, ready to get up on you know,
in the mountaintop.

Speaker 2 (29:30):
You're ready to run through a wall on Wednesday.

Speaker 3 (29:33):
I still don't like it. I just I don't like
that we're at this point. I understand a lot of
what the SSA C and by proxy the boarder directors
that voted for this, they're trying to get ahead of it.
They're trying to regulate it as much as they possibly can.
It's been well documented now. It's like, if you're going
to be an athlete that accepts some sort of innil package,

(29:56):
just like you can't be as it can't be associated
with the school. You know, you can't you know, just
play Robert Sheed Bird. You can't show up in Robert
Sheedbird uniform. You can't mentioned Robert she Bird High School.
It's got to be independent all that stuff. So they're
really setting it up so like the way the athletes

(30:19):
that they can't use the school to like help, you know,
get them money.

Speaker 2 (30:25):
So yeah, when this you do, you feel like inevitably
someone's going to violate the rule though, And the question
is going to be what happens that, Like how significant
of a pushback or blowback is they're going to be
from the governing body.

Speaker 3 (30:38):
Yeah, I don't know. I mean, it's this is this
is a new ar I mean, it's weird because we
all kind of saw that coming. But and you know,
and I'm at the top of the list, I'm still
like shocked and it's actually here. So man, this is
just a brand new territory for not just schools that

(30:58):
we talk about every week, but just the whole concept
of amateur athletics. Yeah, you know, youth athletics. Like I said,
and there's no way of knowing. I wonder if I
wouldn't as be as you know, controversy or or or

(31:19):
as passionate about not liking it's here if it didn't
involve middle school kids.

Speaker 2 (31:24):
You know that just that does feel awfully odd. Yeah, okay,
let me ask you this, if you were a business owner,
can you actually see a scenario where it would make
sense for a business owner to even use a middle
school athlete in that way? Like, like, I'm having a
hard time even thinking of a scenario where it would
even make sense for a business owner because middle school

(31:45):
athletes are nowhere near as well known in their can
And I'm not saying high school athletes are like celebrities,
but some of them are. Yeah, they're they're known a
little better. I mean, you get lots of people showing
up Friday night, Like you get people who are just
like in the community and maybe their kid graduated a
long time ago or you know whatever, but they'll show

(32:07):
up for a Friday night game between RCB and Lewis
County Because they happen to live in Lewis County and
and and they have some connection way back when.

Speaker 3 (32:14):
But but I don't I.

Speaker 2 (32:16):
Don't think that's the same way for middle schools, when
those are way more granulated. Yeah, granular. I guess I
should say I don't know. I I'd love to hear
from a I mean, i'd love to hear from a
business owner if they want to, Like, if a business
owner would want to reach out to us, you're welcome
to do that. I'd be I'd be curious. We have
an email for the show I got to I got

(32:38):
to find it here in a second. But I'd be curious.
I'd be really curious because I my one thing is
like I just don't even see where like like that
would be enticing for a business owner. I'd be like,
I'm gonna throw a really like kind of goofy example out.
But do you remember the show Parks and Recreation. Okay,
so Parks and Reck. You remember Tommy's not Tommy's closet.

(32:59):
That was the that was the rip off rent a
swag was was Tom Haverford's business. Because the joke was
that Tom was this undersized little dude and so all
of his clothes perfectly fit for middle schoolers who could
rent them because they constantly grow out of the clothing,
so with their parents never want to buy them anything new.
Really good business idea. By the way, I wonder if
a real version of that ever exists. If a real

(33:21):
version of that existed, I could see that being useful.
That could be useful for a middle schooler.

Speaker 3 (33:27):
You know what I mean?

Speaker 2 (33:28):
I could not say, I don't Other than that, I'm
not really sure, Like I don't really see it, know
that I get it. What business with it with an
actual advertising budget is in the market to use middle schoolers.

Speaker 3 (33:38):
Yeah, no, no, that's a good point. I want to
touch on something parsont real quick in just a second
play best But you know, you mentioned like not knowing
a lot of people not knowing who like middle school
athletes are. But you know, I can think of two
in particular, both associated with school you do play by
play for Like, everyone kne who Freddy Canary was in

(33:59):
Seventh Days, right, everyone knew who Jayden Haffield was.

Speaker 2 (34:02):
Okay, you know, so I guess maybe I mean maybe yeah, maybe.

Speaker 3 (34:09):
You know, I'm not saying to the level of you
could you know just put them into a uh, you know,
commercial for you for a car company or something.

Speaker 2 (34:20):
Yeah, I don't know. And I guess the thing that's
weird is because like you could always have done that
in a in a sense like you like, right, couldn't
you always have said, hey, we want to use your
kid for a commercial. But like, obviously, I guess I'm
almost then asking the question what's different now? I want
to know what's different now? And if it's specifically because

(34:44):
of their athletics, that's why this is just so odd
to me. And I guess maybe it's because the transfer
situation has kind of changed the whole game. Maybe that's
why this is still so odd to me because we
would never have had that conversation five years ago, right,
Like it wouldn't have been No one would have been
worried about that. It's it's the element for abuse through again,

(35:07):
this is the simplest way to say it, through a
theoretical black market of free agency that nobody wants to
see occur, which already sort of might kind of exist.
Nobody wants to see that occur, and certain nobody wants
to see that expand upon.

Speaker 3 (35:21):
Yeah, I'll if I can't I'll do a real quick
tease for something coming up. We'll connect Bridgeport. On Sunday,
my co worker Jeff Taquino wrote a blog and he
talked to both Wayne Ryan, the executive director at SSAC,
and he also talked to Bridgeport Athletic director Tom Sears,
and both kind of explain things pretty well about we're

(35:43):
not crazy about this, but this is why passed. This
is while we're doing it, and a lot of it
is about you getting in front of it. But Tom
had one really good statement that really stuck out to me,
and just talking about how like how do we get
to this point? And like Tom was like, you know it,

(36:05):
it used to mean something to put on your uniform
for the school in the community that you play for,
and that's slowly dying.

Speaker 4 (36:13):
You know.

Speaker 3 (36:13):
It's just, you know, we talk about the community pride
from like the adult standpoint. It's like, man, that pride
used to be a lot more there from the student.
And I'm not saying it's it's still present, yeah, yeah,
probably a lot more than what we're giving a credit for.
But I mean that used to be enough, right, I
mean to just like, hey, I want to put on

(36:35):
the uniform of the school I grew up, you know,
watching supporting you know these older kids I rode the
bus with and my next door neighbor, and it's like
it's just not enough for some kids anymore.

Speaker 2 (36:47):
I mean, I don't even necessarily know. I guess I
look at it this way is because they can they should,
I guess is kind of how how I view it
from the kid perspective. If you can capitalize or monopolize
in a world where in a world where it's very

(37:08):
hard to get ahead doing anything, where financially the middle
class is smaller than it's ever been and it's harder
to do, Like, you can't just go be a teacher anymore.
You have to be a teacher and also a bartender.
You can't just go be a journalist anymore. I actually
I had a buddy of mine who was simultaneously he

(37:30):
was working seven days a week. He was a reporter.
And I'm not going to say where, and it's not
for this company, because I'm not going to throw my
company out of the bus, but I'm not gonna say where.
But he was a reporter five days a week, and
then on the weekends he was a he was a
waiter and that seems to be what used to be
middle class jobs. Folks could buy a home on it.
And again I don't want to get you know, we

(37:52):
did this on Wednesday, and I know I don't want
to get super deep on this, but the point is
is that in a world where it's harder than ever
to get ahead. I think about the movie Air and
and For Folks are not familiar with the Michael Jordan
movie where they talk about the shoe deal, and it's
crazy to think that a movie about a shoe deal
could be interesting, fascinating movie in a lot of ways,
but the basic premise was at the end, Matt Damon's
basically saying to Michael Jordan's mom is basically saying, this

(38:16):
is just not how the industry works. Like I agree
with you that you deserve everything that you're asking for,
but that the industry is not designed for people like us.
It's not designed for people to get that kind of
of equity in capital. And if there's an opportunity to
get ahead, I do support that because I think inherently

(38:38):
that is something that most people are unable to do
and it used to be. Hey, I go work at
the mom and pop bakery, or video store when those existed,
and both yeah, both both jobs that I had. By
the way, both jobs that I had, they used to
go do that. And that was how I would have
money for the summer. That's how I would have money

(38:58):
for whatever it was I was going to do, whether
I was going to go do something with friends or
whether I was going on some kind of vacation. I
wanted some pocket money whatever. That's how it used to
be done. But that was not It's not like that
was a lot of money. And if there was an
opportunity when I was fifteen and someone said, hey, you're
good enough to do X, and let's say it was,

(39:19):
because it certainly wasn't athletics. So let's say it was
good enough to talk about the NFL draft. And someone
was like, I'm gonna pay you. I'm gonna pay you
ten grand to talk about the NFL Draft on my
on my car commercial remote. And you're the NFL draft guy,
and that's what you're known for. You're gonna come do that.
I would have said, yes, I get it. So from

(39:39):
the kids perspective, I totally understand it.

Speaker 3 (39:41):
Even as upset as I was. You know, a couple
of days ago when I first broke and I was like, man,
I'm still like it, Like I wouldn't blame the kid
for DoD I mean because I'm I definitely did not
grow grow up with a silverspoon in my mouth and
someone offered me like any kind of financial stability like

(40:03):
that at that age. Yeah, I mean, I'm being ho
percent honest. I'm like, I'll probably yeah, sun me up.

Speaker 2 (40:11):
But and that's why it's going to be. I think
it's going to be really hard and and.

Speaker 3 (40:17):
And you know, also it's like I don't want to
see kids taking advantage that, you know, is it right?
And that's the thing is like, not crazy about the
way it is in college sports, but with the.

Speaker 2 (40:28):
Age they're adults. Yeah, yeah, I mean they can make
they they they're not they don't have fully developed brains yet,
but they can make those choices because they're adults.

Speaker 3 (40:37):
I don't want to see a world where a thirteen
year old has promised the moon and then something happens
and then yeah, their life is significantly worse.

Speaker 2 (40:47):
Yeah, or or just imagine like the social impact of again,
if if we're worried about the possibility of sort of
these black market free agency which we don't want to
see at the high school level, which is what obviously
college turned into it. It's not a black market, though,
it's an open and free market, and again different reasons
for that. But if that were to occur, if this

(41:08):
follows that path in that direction, then all sorts of
other questions come out, because that's not really good for
a kid. It's one thing to be maybe a sixteen
year old and make that decision, but a thirteen year
old or a fourteen year old, that's and so one
thing I will say, and so we got a few
minutes left here. One thing that's instructive is that there

(41:29):
are other ways that sports are done at different levels.
And I think part of the problem is, so I
think about like the European soccer model, particularly the British
soccer model, when I think about the Canadian hockey model,
there are different models for this where it's not tied
to the school system. And the issue is is that

(41:51):
we would have to completely and totally change sort of
the value system behind how we treat what I would
describe as sort of this minor pro or amateur amateur
compensated sports. Because in hockey you have like the major
junior system, right, And so they're paid a little bit
of money and they play in the major junior system

(42:13):
up until they're twenty. If they want to, they can
now they can go to the ns DOAA after they
turn eighteen. But they play in the major junior system
and they get put up by a billet family, you know,
cause let's say they get drafted halfway across the country,
they get put up by a billet family. They still
attend school, but their school and their sport are separate.
And I think that's not all that dissimilar from how

(42:36):
it works in soccer as well. You have all these
different academies that are run by, you know, the teams
at the highest levels in the Championship League or in
the Premier League or whatever. But the issue here, I
guess as I see it, is that we're completely unset
up for that system. So what winds up happening here is,
in an effort to compensate, we now tie this into

(42:57):
a place where it was never meant to be tied into.
And that's where I see this, Like, I don't think
this is just clutching pearls. I think there's a legitimate
problem here. It's an issue of there are basically two
ways of doing this, and if you merge those two
ways into one way, I don't know that that's the
right way.

Speaker 3 (43:16):
That's a great point, I mean, And you know how
many times throughout the years we've talked about, you know,
a coach, it doesn't matter what sport that fond of
that has gotten up in age, and then they step
away and the talk is always made, well the sport
kind of passed to buy. Maybe a lot of us

(43:37):
are kind of maybe that maybe this is really this
is the reality, this is the future, and we're having
trouble wrapping our minds around every aspect of it because
I mean, this just isn't what we grew. I mean,
sports passing us by. Maybe maybe high school sports are
or now to the point where they're passing me by.
You know, that's kind of a scary.

Speaker 2 (43:57):
Thought, I will say, I think, think, I hope it's
not that. And my guess is what it's more likely
is is that the way we talk about it is
probably going to change again. I don't know how soon.
I don't know how much we know it because we watch,
like you use this example with Greg that with with

(44:22):
college sports, they're even at the lowest D one levels,
you've got so much media and so much coverage, and
you have so much alumni attention and communities that support.
Whether it's Ohio University who is going through like a
total rebuild with a brand new coach, who WVU is
going to face later this year, or it's WVU, who
is more of a brand name program, even if not

(44:43):
from a big area. Historically a kind of a brand
name program. I think still the leader in all time
wins without a national title, Pretty sure, I'm right about that.
But historically kind of a brand name program going through
this kind of major change, seventy new players, there are
always going to be interest in eyes balls on that,
and it makes it easier to kind of adjust at

(45:04):
the high school level that doesn't exist. So it's going
to be really hard to adjust over the years as
we watch this take fold, because a lot of it's
going to be happening just in kitchens and on practice
fields and you know, in little league stadiums, little league fields, whatever.
But it's going to happen in a way that we're

(45:25):
going to have a much harder time grasp with because
we're not seeing it every day. So I don't know, man,
I don't know where this is going. I don't, Like
I said, I'm fine with it for the kids. I
don't have a problem with it for them. I'm worried
about what it could lead to outside of that.

Speaker 3 (45:39):
Yeah, unfortunately, Like like we talked at the stary and we.

Speaker 2 (45:44):
Got games, thank god, thank goodness.

Speaker 3 (45:48):
Focus on that. I mean, shoot, you know the golf seasons.
I mean Bridne Sports golf teams already played on.

Speaker 2 (45:52):
The saw that who was the kid who shot even
Park came in second freshman. Yeah, Alex Randall, good for him,
that's a great accomplishment as a fourteen year old.

Speaker 3 (46:02):
They've got Bridge Sports got a really good one two
punch with with Alex. And then you know Audrey Kerr,
who's a junior this year. She's the one that won
the girls state Invitational last year. I mean she you know,
other than that match, she plays against the boys throughout
the sea and there's a lot of female golfers like
that in the state that are pretty good, but Audrey's

(46:24):
at the top of the list. That's a good one
to two punch.

Speaker 2 (46:26):
Yeah, hey Alex or Audrey, if when you want to
come help me fix my short game greatly greatly, could
greatly appreciate it. My short game is a mess.

Speaker 3 (46:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (46:35):
Yeah, On that note, let's go ahead and take a break.
We're gonna, we're gonna, We're gonna move on to some
actual on field stuff.

Speaker 3 (46:40):
Yeah. Well, in the closing segment, though, I want to
come back to parks.

Speaker 2 (46:43):
And right, yes, yeah, oh, we also got to talk
about the six pm dinner.

Speaker 3 (46:46):
Yes, talk about the yeah dinner.

Speaker 2 (46:49):
All right, we'll do all that coming up. And uh,
I didn't, I didn't. I know we were gonna do
more movie talk. We're gonna save that for another episode.

Speaker 4 (46:56):
I did.

Speaker 2 (46:57):
I didn't do my homework on that, So we're gonna
save that for another apple. All right, we're back in
a moment. This is the Friday Free for All, brought
to you by Dan Cavattyota Buick GMC.

Speaker 1 (47:04):
Back in a moment, Now back to the Dan Cavatoyota
of WWICK GMC Friday Free for All on one O
three three w KMC.

Speaker 2 (47:13):
Friday Free for All rolling on here and as we
continue our segments on the sidelines, we're not literally of course,
we're jumping in with Austin Scott, head coach of Robert C.
Byrd back for another year after the Flying Eagles made
a trip to the playoffs last year, though it was
delayed of course, like everybody else's trip to the playoffs
was delayed by the court battle going on. But I

(47:34):
guess it just meant some extra practices, right, coach. That's
that's how I imagine every coach took it as we're
just gonna practice a whole bunch more.

Speaker 5 (47:40):
Yeah, absolutely just gave us a well we didn't really
know who were gonna play, but it gave us a
few weeks to get something, to get better at least.

Speaker 2 (47:47):
How do you guys feel like taking everything that went
into last year? There were a lot of really tight games,
kind of a roller coaster of a year. You know,
there was and I remember talking to Bill Master about
this as well, but there was, uh, you know, the
the Preston County game just it kind of got away
from you, guys in a game that was probably winnable

(48:08):
on the road, but but winnable, Uh, kind of got
away from you. But then you also have fantastic performances,
like you know, coming down to the wire against Elkins,
And how do you keep a team focused when there's
sort of that roller coaster of a of a of
emotion over the course of an entire season, from game
to game.

Speaker 5 (48:27):
Yeah, I think it's just, uh, you know, when you
look back at those games, win or lose, I think
you look at like the key you know, little things
that you might have did right or might have did
wrong there, you know, to put you in that situation.
When you look at the losses, I mean, it's usually
like just a key mistake that made a made a
have momentum swing the other way. So I mean, you

(48:49):
just I think, you know, with the team that we
had last year, I felt like we were very young
and inexperienced, and I just think each week, you know,
they look back and they understood those mistakes that put
us in those situations sometimes. And for the seniors this year,
I think they vividly remember, you know, all the things
you know, Preston County. We felt like we could have
had that one and then we let it get away

(49:10):
and then Philip Barber at home came down to the
wire and it was really just you know, you know,
having some GrITT and grind to you. And I think,
you know, especially the seniors, are going to look back
to those games as motivation this year.

Speaker 3 (49:23):
Yeah, you know, coach, you know, the the inexperience. You know,
if kids, you're kind of putting a position that you
weren't have to play, it's kind of going to take
care of itself or at least you hope, so you're
during the course of the season. But you guys were
snap bit with injuries last year too. It seemed like
anytime you got some traction, you'd lose the guy here

(49:43):
or lose the guy there. What's like you working that
into your you're trying to get to your message out
to the kids, are being prepared from week to week.

Speaker 5 (49:53):
Yeah, I think some of them absolutely understand that part
of the game. I mean, you know, it's really just
about depth. I think at that point. You know, football
is a physical game. That's something we've been you know,
trying to hit home through camp is just you know,
it's gonna be physical. You're gonna get bumped and bruises.
Guys are gonna get injured, so you know, the next
guy just has to be ready. I mean, and yeah,
we had a young team, so you know, it was

(50:15):
like one of those things. If one guy gets hurt
sometimes it's you know, throwing a really even more younger
kid out there in the fire, and you know, sometimes
they can handle it, sometimes they can't. But I think
it's just one of those things. You know, it kind
of comes with football, especially here in West Virginia. I think,
you know, you just got to build depth, and that's
what we're trying to do right now. And I think
we're doing a pretty good job of it, probably better

(50:35):
than we have, you know, in past years. So yeah,
I think this year we have, you know, some good
depth and I think, you know, those guys are you know,
we're being physical. You know, we're not trying to take
it easy on each other, and we're just trying to
get better and prepare for the schedule that we have.

Speaker 2 (50:50):
What would you say as a as a as a
coach when you're you're now entering a couple of years
of this and what would you say is sort of
your your north star at this point?

Speaker 3 (50:58):
Is it?

Speaker 2 (50:59):
Is it that physical reality that that that you want
them to have night in and night out that maybe
was sometimes there sometimes not there that last season.

Speaker 5 (51:08):
I mean, yeah, just you know, the first two years,
I think I learned a lot. I mean, I've been
an assistant coach for a long time, and you definitely see,
you know, the things that you might do differently than
the head coach, or the things that you might keep
the same. But yeah, definitely these last two years, I've
learned a ton, you know, things that I wish I
wouldn't do, things you know, that I want to do more.

(51:29):
Being physical was definitely one of those things. I think,
you know, through the years, especially when we had a
young team, I just was like, hey, maybe we got
to take it easy, you know, trying not to get
anybody hurt. I think I've kind of switched back, you know,
to the old school way of thinking. It's just like, hey,
you got it. You just got to get ready and
battle through the toughness. And because that's football. The other
thing I think that I really look to is just connectivity.

Speaker 3 (51:51):
You know.

Speaker 5 (51:52):
You know, football is a team game. I think it's
the greatest sport in the world because of that. It's
the ultimate team game. And you know, you got to
be brothers and you gotta be a family. And I think, uh,
just you know, trying to build that culture of connectivity,
you know, everybody staying together and having that connection. And
I think this year is probably one of our best
years as far as culture and connection.

Speaker 3 (52:13):
It coached before we talk a little bit more about
this year's team and you got that. Oh man, the
season opener coming up real real soon.

Speaker 4 (52:20):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (52:22):
You know, football, Robert C. Bird has always been a family.
You've been a big part of that family as you know,
you know, a standout player then as a coach. Uh,
the Robert C. Byrd family lost one of the best
high school football players I ever covered. And you know,
Jamal Garrett. Over the summer, I was wondering if you

(52:44):
had any any We didn't get a chance to talk
to you. We kind of did the show in his honor,
if you had any stories about Raw or uh, just
the legacy to the player like that, Uh, you know
leaves behind on the program.

Speaker 5 (52:58):
Yeah, I'm glad you had that. I mean, he was
a brother to me. You know, we played together and
we remain friends, you know, ever since we graduated. And
I think just the biggest thing that I think everybody
in the world that ever knew Raw would tell you is,
you know, this guy would just light up the room.
It didn't matter who you were. You know, you could

(53:19):
be a complete stranger. And he's probably gonna put a
smile on your face. And that's kind of the legacy
he left behind just as a person. And then you
wouldn't know that, you know, if you just knew him
as a football player, because he was probably one of
the most nasty players that's ever came through here. I
mean just athletically, a freaking run sideline the sideline, hit
you in the mouth. And that's the legacy that he

(53:42):
leaves for football. But I mean just a great man,
a great friend, and a great brother. And once again,
he just put a smile on anybody's face, just a
guy filled with joy. And actually we were gonna we
were gonna do something in his honor, you know, just
because I know all these guys, you know, they're younger
and they probably never watched the play. But forty four

(54:03):
is now a legacy number for us, and every year
it'll be our senior defensive captain that honors that.

Speaker 2 (54:09):
So love that love that. Let's let's transition. Let's transition
to this year's team. And just before we brought you on,
we were talking a little bit with you about the numbers.
Numbers looked really good. This year had a nice infusion
of talent from from Liberty obviously with them the school
closing from Mountaineer Middle as well, and then of course

(54:31):
there's some added interest. This was a playoff team a
year ago and kind of that that roller coaster I
talked about it, a playoff team that did it on
the heels of of a huge defensive stop in a
one point win over Elkins in what basically amounted to
the final play of the regular season for you guys.
So it seems like there's some there's some there's some
juice right now in this program this year. What does

(54:53):
it mean to you as the coach to watch this
thing kind of build back up numbers wise?

Speaker 5 (54:58):
Yeah, I mean it's awesome. As a player, you know,
I remember the times you know that we were and
as a coach, you know, we've competed in some great years,
you know, deep in the playoffs, and I'm you know,
just trying to stress to these guys that that's the expectation,
you know, going four and seven and three and seven,
four and six, those those aren't the expectations for Robert C.

(55:19):
Bird And I think, you know, they're starting to understand that.
And you know, I'm glad there's juice and I'm glad
there's expectations because you know, that's what we're trying to
hit home is you know, you're expected to play well,
and play as a family and play hard when you
when you wear the blue and green. So I'm glad
there's some pressure and expectations because we've been missing that
for a few years.

Speaker 3 (55:41):
Yeah, and you know, I'm sure you guys are ready
are working hard to continue to get better. But man,
it did seasons, you know pretty much here what we
we're actually gonna be talking about actual football games and
you know about a week and a half.

Speaker 5 (55:57):
Two weeks, so yeah, I mean it's it's exciting. We
get the scrimmage Saturday, so you know, after a long summer,
you know, you got all these flex days that we
can use, and we're competing against each other, so you know,
even you know, we're clawing at the bit just to
scrimmage and face somebody else and not have to hit
each other. So it's exciting, and you know, we have
a good opponent coming up week one, so we're very

(56:19):
excited about that.

Speaker 2 (56:20):
Yeah, I'm really glad you brought up Lewis County. They've
been they've been definitely feisty. Over the last couple of years,
they've they've had some real moments. That's been a tough
place to play. One of the things I'm curious about
when when you're coaching, when do you start paying attention
to that week one opponent. At what point do you
have to start saying, all right, it's time to actually
we're not just you know, we're not just doing something
for the for the the greater good of RCB football.

(56:42):
We're doing something for the the the actual first game
of the season, when does that focus kind of come
into play?

Speaker 5 (56:49):
I mean, i'd be I'd be lying if I didn't
tell you the truth. As soon as I know who
the first games are our schedule, I'm thinking about it
in December and January. You know, just win in that
first game, I think is you know, sets the tone
for your season. And that's something that we definitely hit
home on. I'd say every week at least is trying
to prepare for that game. And you know, trying obviously

(57:10):
you're doing the regular stuff, you know, your based stuff
on offense and defense, special teams. But I'd be lying
if I didn't say I myself have been preparing for
them since probably January.

Speaker 2 (57:22):
I'm not so I kind of am not surprised by that.
I just I remember going way way way back now,
But I think it was Nick Saban who who I'm
pretty sure I'm right about this that it was Nick
Saban who had this long history, whether it was at
the NFL or College of basically being unbeatable in week
one because he was he was, he was prepared. It

(57:44):
might have been Sean Payton, but it was someone in
that Parcels tree who was basically unbeatable when when week
one came around because they were always they were. There
was nobody who would start prepping earlier than them.

Speaker 5 (57:57):
Yeah, I mean, it's just something you gotta do, and
definitely with you know, a team like Lewis County, you know,
I mean, if you know who they are, you know
they've been running the wing tea. I don't even I've
never even seen them run another offense, and they do
it well. So it's something that you definitely have to
pay attention to and it takes a lot of time
to prepare if you want to stop it. So they're
a physical team. Every year, you know, they're always going

(58:19):
to have a couple guys that can carry out those
jets and that inside traps. So I mean that's those
are just things that you have to be you know,
dialed into and you can't just you know, spend a
couple of days and get ready for them.

Speaker 2 (58:30):
And by the way, that was it. That was a
team that got better as the year went on. Do
you ever when you're incorporating as you're prepping for a team,
do you incorporate that into your you know, trying to
kind of predict what their level of mental toughness or
fortitude is going to be. Do you try to put
that into your game plan or talk about that with
your kids when you say, like, hey, these guys actually

(58:50):
like they started slow and then really kind of got
hot later, Like do not sleep on them? Like, how
do you incorporate that into your process?

Speaker 5 (58:58):
I think one thing that we always say is, you know,
you respect every opponent, but you fear none. I think
that's something that you know, we always say. And no
matter who you're playing, I think you know, if you're
playing in our conference, I think you know every team
is going to be, you know, at least pretty good,
and you know they're they're program much like ours. I
think they've hit you know, kind of a plateau. But

(59:19):
now they're on their way up, and I think they
have some juice and expectations as well. So I mean,
I'm sure they're preparing and just as excited for that
first game as we are. Plus we haven't played them
in a few years, so there's going to be a
little bit of extra juice to that game, I think,
I coach, I know.

Speaker 3 (59:34):
You as a player had had a game or two
against Lewis County.

Speaker 5 (59:39):
Yeah, I mean it was always my favorite game. I'm
sure you remember.

Speaker 4 (59:43):
C J.

Speaker 5 (59:43):
ROMs. We played against the every year since we were
five years old, and that was always our last game
on the schedule, and it seemed like, you know, you
always had to win that game to get in the playoffs.
So we definitely went a bunch of rounds, you know,
from high school and further back than that, so it
was always fun to play that one.

Speaker 2 (01:00:01):
All right, I got one. I got one more for you.
So this was a funny one that came up on
Twitter X or whatever we're calling it these days, uh, yesterday,
and I got a huge kick out of it because
the responses were phenomenal. I actually really appreciated a lot
of folks who responded to this, Uh so, the bet
MGM tweeted out, if you were given ten carries in
an NFL game, how many yards would you finish with?

(01:00:23):
And there were actually a lot of really realists who
were like, I would have one carry for minus four
yards in my career would be over after I took
my first hit, And I was like, that's that's that
actually is legitimately accurate. I wonder though, what it got
me thinking? It got me down a total rabbit hole,
because I think thinking about like running backs, folks just
think like, well, you just yeah, the quarterback gives you
the ball and and and that's it. But you know

(01:00:43):
the one there's there's sort of the depth of where
the ball is going to come, and there's the footwork
for the running back. There's footwork for the quarterback, there's timing,
there's all sorts of other things go on.

Speaker 3 (01:00:53):
How good those guys up front and trenches are?

Speaker 2 (01:00:55):
Oh yeah, there's a million different things that go into that.
And I'm wondering if you want, if you want to
leave us with with one thing. When folks go to
an RCB game this year, what's one thing that they
should be watching for that they might otherwise miss if
they're not paying attention one of those little things, whether
it's footwork or something else, something that you guys really
pride yourselves on.

Speaker 5 (01:01:13):
I mean as far as the backfield, you know, I
tell these guys all the time, I think it's just
about your aiming point. That's something that we stress a lot.
And you know, with every different run play there's probably
a different read for the running back. So yeah, a
lot of people think it's easy just to take the
handoff and go, but there's a lot that goes into it.
As far as the NFL question, you know, we talk

(01:01:34):
about all the time, as far as you know, high school,
how many carriers you can get, and my number will
probably be like five. So NFL, maybe I get one
and I probably called it it.

Speaker 2 (01:01:43):
Yeah, I saw that. That was probably my favorite of
the responses was was I would be done after the
first hit, because it's true, I one hit from one
of those I think one hit from one of your guys,
and I think I'd be pretty cooked.

Speaker 5 (01:01:54):
So yeah, yeah, I used to run around with these
guys maybe five years ago, but now I've chilled a
little bit.

Speaker 2 (01:02:01):
Coach, we really appreciate it. Best of luck you guys.
We're gonna be talking about your game against Lewis County
next week. So really excited when we do the show
next week because you guys play on a Thursday, right, yes, sir, yep,
how do you feel about it?

Speaker 4 (01:02:14):
Like?

Speaker 2 (01:02:14):
Do you like opening on a Thursday? I'm curious.

Speaker 5 (01:02:17):
Well, it's actually a thing between me and my ad. Uh.
I don't know if you've ever been around here, but uh,
Labor Day weekend, there's an Italian hair dis fessial. Oh yes,
we made a deal. Anytime we have a home game
during the Italian Hairtage Festival, we'll go on a Thursday
to start the weekend off, right, you know what.

Speaker 2 (01:02:34):
I did not know that, but that makes total sense.
I wouldn't want to miss that Italian cooking either. I've
been to a few of.

Speaker 5 (01:02:40):
Those festivals absolutely, So hopefully, you know, we get a
win Thursday and then we can go eat at the festival,
take the day off.

Speaker 2 (01:02:47):
I'm sure they'll still I am sure they'll still let
you eat. There will probably be I've I've met I've
met some Italians in my day. There there will be
enough food. There will be enough food.

Speaker 3 (01:02:56):
It tastes better Thursday.

Speaker 2 (01:02:58):
That is true.

Speaker 5 (01:02:59):
Oh yeah, for sure, that is true.

Speaker 2 (01:03:00):
Hey coach, thanks again, all.

Speaker 5 (01:03:01):
Right, appreciate you guys, Thank you all right.

Speaker 2 (01:03:04):
See coach that's Austin Scott. He is the head coach
of Robert ste Bird Football And looking forward to the
year that they have Chris, yeah, I think they could
be much better.

Speaker 3 (01:03:13):
Oh yeah, and like you know, I mean he talked
about it how they kind of were battling some inexperience
and injuries and they worked through it last year made
the playoffs. I think this is a playoff team again,
said you got a couple of key pieces of that
puzzle you're coming in from Liberty. So yeah, I think

(01:03:35):
this is definitely going to be a you know, a
playoff caliber team in class Triple A.

Speaker 2 (01:03:40):
Yeah, I think so too then, and it's Triple A
has been missing them. Triple A has been missing them.

Speaker 3 (01:03:46):
And coach Scott, I mean I believe this would be
his third year. Yeah, you can tell just about talking
from him. He he's you know, his comfort level last
year was a lot better than his first year, a
lot better this year. Yeah, I feel like he's kind
of getting comfortable in his role, and you know that's

(01:04:07):
only going to create more of a comfort level down
the chain to his players.

Speaker 2 (01:04:11):
I might have to, you know what, maybe maybe a
good that might be a good game to attend the
Thursday night game against against Lewis County. It'd be worth
checking out.

Speaker 3 (01:04:19):
Depends on I mean I I was at most of
those Lewis County uh RCB classes he was talking about,
you know in the C. J. Rahming, you know, Brandon
Scott Eras. There's some fun games for sure.

Speaker 2 (01:04:31):
See if I can be organized enough to be far
enough ahead that I'm not scrambling Thursday night before the
first South Harrison game, We'll see.

Speaker 3 (01:04:39):
All right.

Speaker 2 (01:04:39):
On that note, we'll take a break. We're gonna talk
with Rob Hawkins of Lincoln coming up on the other
side of this break. We're right back after this on
the Friday Free for All brought to you by Dan
Cavatota b A GMC.

Speaker 1 (01:04:48):
Back to the w k MC locker room for more
high school sports on the Dan Cavatoyota w at GMC
Friday Free for All.

Speaker 2 (01:04:57):
Friday Free for All rolling on here and we continue
our segments on the sidelines and joining us now it's
our our final one from Harrison County. The very well
traveled Rob Hawkins, head coach of Lincoln High School coach,
thanks for being part of the show today. Glad to
be back on and I was sad to hear not
as well traveled this summer as in previous summers. But
did you guys make any trips at all this summer?

Speaker 6 (01:05:19):
Well, we went on a cruise in the spring. So
the only National park trip we made is we did
make it down the Great Smoky Mountains.

Speaker 2 (01:05:27):
Okay, And hey, cruise you'll get international water time too.
That's pretty good.

Speaker 6 (01:05:32):
Yeah, we got a little of that in this year.

Speaker 3 (01:05:34):
Yeah, I'm a I'm a big cruise guy now after
I went on my first one year two years ago,
and me and my daughter went back you know last
winter now too, So yeah, I'm I'm team cruise all
the way. I mean, I had. I don't know how
the Hawkins family did, but I know we loved our
experiences out on the high seas.

Speaker 6 (01:05:55):
No, we do. And my son Peyton graduated college this
year and that was just graduation. He wanted to go
on a cruise, so so in April we uh, yeah,
we went down the Caribbean.

Speaker 2 (01:06:07):
Well, congratulations to Peyton and have fun with the job
market as old. What's what's what's what's peyton planning? What's
Peyton planning on doing? Does he have does he have big,
big career plans?

Speaker 6 (01:06:17):
He is in physical therapy school at wv U. He
started in June, so he went straight you know, a
couple of weeks after graduation. He was right back at it.

Speaker 2 (01:06:27):
Smart kid, that's that's the way to go.

Speaker 3 (01:06:30):
Man. This is his first summer without football, you know,
your athletics and in quite a while. Then how did
he adjust to that?

Speaker 6 (01:06:38):
He has missed it, he really has.

Speaker 3 (01:06:40):
I imagine he's.

Speaker 6 (01:06:41):
Made it to He's had a couple of weeks off,
so he's made it quite a few practices, which obviously
is a dad. It's good to have him around. And
he has a lot of knowledge too that he's picked
up along the way, so you know, he's he's been
you know, helping our line a little bit, talking to them,
trying to trying to help them with take nique. So
it's been great having him around.

Speaker 2 (01:07:02):
That's and and I'm sure that's helpful, particularly you know
this this group coming back a very odd year last
year for you guys. In a lot of ways at
times it looked like it was going to go off
the rails, and then they put together a really gritty
performance and and maybe not necessarily win, but really take
it to a team that ultimately wound up being in
the playoffs. You guys were right there with and I

(01:07:23):
know this is never a consolation for a coach, but
you were right there with Lewis County and Robert C.
Byrd in back to back weeks, two teams who both
wound up getting into a playoff spot. And so I
am kind of curious when you when you look back
at last season, what do you take from from last year?
Because I know Chris and I both were surprised by
the by the final record, but we also looked at it.
We both thought, man, they're they're awfully close in a

(01:07:44):
few of those games. What's what's the difference. What did
you learn from last year and what can be the
difference this year?

Speaker 6 (01:07:49):
Well, you know, we were in experience coming in and
did not play well the first several weeks of the season.
Then about about midway through, we had those two quo
games with Lewis and Byrd and then had a good
win against Liberty, a really good win against the you know,
Philip Barber. So you know, we had four games there

(01:08:11):
right in a row where we kind of started turning
around and almost knocking the playoffs. Once they made a decisions,
we'd be double a sou Here's the thing. The effort
from the kids was good, you know what. They went
out and they battled, they battled, and they improved along
the way. And so the main thing is we just

(01:08:31):
hope that we can carry that on. Obviously, we lost
some good players, you know, Aiden Rice, who's who's gone
on to play at Glenville, was a big loss for us,
but we have so many kids back that got so
many snaps last year. And the biggest thing is can
we do the things that we were doing late in
the season that you know, where we showed improvement. Can

(01:08:52):
we start the year doing that better? And I'm talking
about you know, we did much better come stuck stopping
the run in the second half of the year year,
and then we had some receivers besides Aiden step up.
You know, if those guys can continue that because all
those receivers are back, and then most of that defense
is back too, So hopefully, you know, we can carry

(01:09:13):
that over. And the scary part is that's nine months ago.

Speaker 3 (01:09:16):
So.

Speaker 6 (01:09:18):
It's not like we're carrying over from one week to
the other. So we just hope that that the things
we learned and uh, and we got better as a
year went. We just hope that will carry over now
that they're all a year older.

Speaker 3 (01:09:29):
Yeah, and coach, does it help, you know with that
quarterback position, you know, having him have another year under
his belts coming into the season.

Speaker 6 (01:09:38):
Yeah, I mean, that's that's the one thing they're having
having him back there, and obviously having him there last
year helped stabilize this. But yeah, knowing he's back, even
with with a younger group of receivers. Uh, just knowing
that he's back there, and his understanding the offense obviously
has continue to grow. And and he's got a little

(01:09:59):
bigger f physically and got more confident running the ball
as the season went on last year and kind of
became a threat with his feet too. And again that's
one thing that you know, we're hoping that carries over.
But he's he's really stepped up as a leader this
year too, which I think is really going to help
us out because it's hard when the coaches are the

(01:10:21):
only voice they're hearing when they're hearing their teammates, and
their teammates, you know, are getting them on the same page.
That makes a huge difference. And our seniors that we
have this year have really done a good job of
that so far in preseason camp.

Speaker 2 (01:10:34):
That's such a great point. It's one of the things
that I think people forget about every single year. I
sometimes forget about it as well, that it can be
easy for voices to get stale, right, Like, you got
to have that good mix because when they tune out
the coaches, they're not going to necessarily tune out their teammates, right, Yeah,

(01:10:55):
that's absolutely right.

Speaker 6 (01:10:56):
And and as a head coach, you know, I have
these kids for four years and they hear my voice
a lot. Well, sometimes they do tune me out, and
I understand that. And that's why when you have a
really good senior class who are leaders, it's left on
on the coaches to say some things. You know, we
can leave that to the kids, and especially when the kids,

(01:11:19):
you know, their goals obviously are the you know, we
want to have a winning record, we want to make
the playoffs, we want to do this, we want to
do that, and that's the voice they're hearing. Yeah, it
stays fresh. And then a lot of times it means
a lot more to them when it's the guys that
are out there battling with every day instead of the
guys you know who are standing there telling them what

(01:11:40):
to do.

Speaker 3 (01:11:42):
Yeah, that's a great point. And like you said, you know,
it helps when you have, you know, a player like
Bart that can do that, you know, being a quarterback.
And even going back to what you said about Peyton
being around, because even though he's a former player, he's
still not a coach. He's you know, he's a kid
that there's players on your team that went to Lincoln games,

(01:12:02):
you know as a youth football player, and like, oh
my gosh, you that's Peyton Hawkins.

Speaker 4 (01:12:06):
You know.

Speaker 3 (01:12:06):
I mean, uh, they might not come out and say it,
but you know they did.

Speaker 6 (01:12:11):
Yeah, and his stature doesn't help, doesn't hurt. He's six seven,
sixth eight, and that they know he played four years
of college and then you know he's an All conference
player at Gimble, So yeah, it helps me. Don't listen
to him more than they will me. I haven't played
offensive line in thirty five years. You know, we weren't
allowed to use our hands. We were still blocking with

(01:12:31):
our forearms and our shoulders. So so yeah, they coming
from coming from those younger guys, it does help. Uh.

Speaker 2 (01:12:38):
You know, it's interesting. I'm looking at your your schedule
to start this season, and you're gonna come up with
those first three games. There's gonna be uh uh. You
get two teams who run the ball as well as
anybody in in the state, essentially in Elkins and South Harrison,
and uh, then you come right back and it's going
to be grafted the next week. Who's Who's uh kind

(01:12:58):
of claim to fame has been in the past couple
of years. Their ability to throw the ball and even
when their defense struggles, they stay in games because of
how well they throw the ball. Talk to me a
little bit about the preparation process when you go in
knowing that you're going to start with, you know, a
couple of teams that are stylistically similar, and then you're
going to see kind of a total one to eighty
not long after that.

Speaker 6 (01:13:18):
Yeah, those those first two obviously you know Elkins. Elkins
had a great year last year and they've added some
pieces to the puzzle. And and that's one of the
teams early in the year gave us fits because of style.
You know, we're used to seeing spread every day and Elkins,
you know they are run heavy and had that big
offensive line and that they're just going to keep sending

(01:13:39):
blockers at you. So uh, and we struggled with them
last year. So that game obviously is a big one,
and we're trying to do some prep We're trying to
prepare a little different defensively than May we have in
the pass and our guys are getting a lot more
run heavy stuff because those first two games and then
you have South Harris. You know, they were in the

(01:14:01):
old stick eye as well as anybody does right now,
and so we know those first two games. It's kind
of a clash of styles. And in the last couple
of years we've matched up well drafting because Grafton's kind
of doing the same thing we do every day in practice,
so it's kind of an easier matchup. But I think drafting,
you know, now that Poli's graduated, I think they may

(01:14:22):
go a little more run. So obviously we'll have some
film on them by the time we get to Grafton.
But yeah, it's always important to get off to a
good start. And you know last year we get Last
year was you know one of the first years we
had to go down to Nitro and open up who
was a really good team, and then and then we
went to Elkins and Elkins Elkins kind of had their

(01:14:44):
way with us, kind of shell shock. So we definitely
want to get off to a better start than we
did last year with those first two. And like I said,
it's kind of a clash of styles where we traditionally
a lot better defensive team against spread teams than we
are power run teams. So that's one thing that we're
gonna have to be prepared for now.

Speaker 2 (01:15:03):
As I recall that Nitro game, wasn't that what that
ended at? Like twelve thirty at night? Right that you
guys had crazy weather if I recall correctly, Yeah.

Speaker 6 (01:15:11):
We we got delayed getting there and we had very
short time to warm up, and then it gets delayed
for yeah, our hour, hour and a half or whatever
it was, and then they were loaded for Bear. So
and even though we competed with them, you know, did
a better job competing against in week one, we actually

(01:15:32):
did Elkins week two. It just it was not a
good way to start. You know, We're rolling off the
bus at three in the morning getting back. So so yeah,
that was it was an inauspicious beginning to the season
last year.

Speaker 2 (01:15:44):
Yeah, and one other quick note on before we move on,
just the South Harrison thing is is particularly notable and
obviously but you little bias because I cover them on
game days, but also just because this is I love
Harrison County matchups. I think they're great. And this is
going to be the first time that South Harrison and
Lincoln have met in ten years and what was once

(01:16:06):
a game that was played essentially every single year. So
again I love stuff like that when the way the
classification system has worked has obviously not always been perfect,
but it has allowed, I think for more meetings like
this where we can get a little bit more going
on in the county between two schools like this.

Speaker 6 (01:16:25):
Yeah, I think it's great that we're renewing this rivalry,
you know, useless trivia. Other than Big ten teams, we've
played South Harrison more since we've been to school than
any other team, so as good we get to renew
that rivalry, and since we're both in Double A, I
think it's just the natural thing for us to play.
And we also picked up Dodgorge, which is school we

(01:16:48):
haven't played. But now that we're both Double A and
fairly close to each other, I think that's another good
school for us to pick up. So yeah, I think
you know, we haven't adjusted our schedule much. Stone have
three doubles, so we're still playing you know, one quad
and six triples, which will help us strength the schedule wise.
But but no, we we plan to remain in a

(01:17:10):
Big ten even though we've dropped down the double and
so but yeah, I'm with you on the South Harrison thing,
and it'll be it'll be fun to get back to
playing them.

Speaker 3 (01:17:18):
Yeah, I'm pretty sure I was. I covered the last
South Harrison and yeah, I know I cover quite a
few of them when I was at the Exponent. But
your coach, that's what you mentioned Doddards County. That's what
I would have lost money if that was like a
trivia question. I just you know, and I knew before
you said it because I've looked it up and you know,

(01:17:38):
about a month ago. But that was one I saw it.
I'm like, oh, wow, this is the first time they've
ever met in football. I just would to assume that
somewhere along the line, the classifications would have lined up
in Dodders County, Lincoln would have would have played. But
I think that's that's kind of a really neat matchup,
you know, I think, you know, I think coming up down.

Speaker 6 (01:17:58):
Yeah, we've we've had the opportunity to play them JV
several times over the last couple of years, again because
we're so close, and it's always worked out if if
neither of us had a game out week, we would play.
So we have a good relationship with them, and we
played them in some other sports and everything. So I
think it's one of those things. You know, for a
long time we were tripled, they were single, and then

(01:18:19):
even when we were double and they were still single. Uh,
it just it was like it was an invisible, invisible
barrier if the daughter's coming line, because they really didn't
play too many teams from Harrison County, yeah, you know,
they kind of stayed over in LKC territory. So I
do think it's nice that we're going to get to
play them too short trip for both fan bases, and

(01:18:41):
you know, they have a solid program going right now,
and so you know, if we want to be a
really good double A team, that's a team we definitely
should be playing.

Speaker 2 (01:18:49):
Yeah, one other specific one I want to ask you
about because I feel like every year this winds up
being a really good measuring stick game, not just for uh,
for Lincoln, but also for Nicholas County in a lot
of ways. But you guys have had some absolute battles
over the last years. Last year was a little more lopsided,
but twenty twenty three was a one point Lincoln win,

(01:19:10):
twenty twenty two was a three point Nicholas County win,
twenty twenty one was an eight point Lincoln win, and
then a four point Lincoln win in twenty twenty. And
you guys have played a lot of football against each other.
What is the familiarity and what did the scores say
to you about sort of the way these battles wind
up going down?

Speaker 6 (01:19:28):
Yeah, that uh, you know that that series we've had
with them, it just kind of came out of the
blow that you know, they need a game, we need
a game. But we've had some battles and like you said,
a couple, don't you know the one the one year
they we stopped from one of two point conversion at
you know, with a minute to go the other year

(01:19:49):
we ran a inn the last kickoff back to get
the win. I think it was two years ago that,
uh they forced two fumbles in the last four minutes
and beat us late. It's They've been some great games
last year. Not as close as we would have hoped,
but but yeah, they've been really good games. And and

(01:20:09):
that's why I've kind of kept it going. I really
hated to hear coach Morris has stepped away, he retired
from teaching and retire from coaching, because uh, you know,
he's a good coach. I enjoyed getting to know him
over the last several years. So I do hate the
fact that I'm not going to get to see him
and go up against him again. But uh yeah, that
that's one of those, uh, one of those things that's

(01:20:32):
kind of turned into a nice little rivalry.

Speaker 3 (01:20:34):
Yeah, and actually it's been a pretty good rivalry in basketball,
uh too. And you I know you've been involved with
some of those games, and uh, you know, I'm sure
Alex doesn't. I don't Alex, you I'm positive you weren't
in the area. But a lot of people forget I mean,
Nicholas County joined the Big Ten. Coach what was it
for two years? Three years?

Speaker 6 (01:20:54):
Yeah, I think it was two years. I was still
coaching boys then as well at the time as a
matter of fact. But yeah, they were, they were big ten.
We didn't play them in football though, yeah, we never
did play them, but but yeah, every other sport was,
you know, playing home and home with them. We played
home and home and boys basketball for a couple of years.
So yeah, they were. They were making a trip up

(01:21:16):
seventy nine a lot there for a while.

Speaker 3 (01:21:17):
Yeah. Yeah, And I think that's the only reason they left,
is like they just I mean, they were traveling a
little too much.

Speaker 2 (01:21:23):
It's a long trip, but it is. It is kind
of a it's it's just it's just two it's just
two roads. It's just nineteen nineteen seventy nine.

Speaker 3 (01:21:29):
It's easy to get there.

Speaker 6 (01:21:30):
Yeah, it is. But especially those weekday trips. Yeah, priming,
that's kind of different animal, but it was it was
all those other sports, you know, all those teams are
having to travel, and it was more of them, you know,
from Harrison County. If we have to go down you
know once every cup once a year, on a week day,
it's not a problem. They were making that trip two
and three times a week sometimes, so I think it's

(01:21:52):
just a travel guy. Was the reason that it really
didn't work out.

Speaker 2 (01:21:57):
So Coach, I'm we've we've taken up a lot of
your time. I want to leave you with one thing
here that I asked a coach Austin Scott from mercyb
about as well. So there's a little funny thing on
Twitter yesterday and was asking it was bet MGM and
they asked if you were given ten carries in an
NFL game, how many yards would you finish with? And
I was actually surprised by the number of very realistic

(01:22:19):
answers folks being like, oh, it would be you know,
it'd be minus twenty yards. If I'm lucky, it would
be one carry for minus four yards, and then my
career would be over because I would get I'd take
one hit and be done, which is kind of how
I would feel. And it got me thinking about got
me down a rabbit hole a little bit because one
of the things we were talking about with Coach Scott
was about, you know, there's all sorts of other different
things that are involved with you know, you're not just

(01:22:39):
taking a hand off and going you got like a
like four or five six different things. Your footwork's got
to be right, you got to make the right read.
There's a lot going on there, and it got me
thinking about and I wish I could have asked this
question of every coach, but I'm glad. I'm glad I
have it now with you. Coach, what's one thing that
happens on the field when Lincoln plays that you take
a lot of pride in as a coach that maybe

(01:23:00):
the average fan might might miss, might not see it
when it happens. Well, something that you take a lot
of pride in as a coach.

Speaker 6 (01:23:10):
Truthfully, Uh, I think it's it's offensive line play and
when those guys work together and it works right, it's
a thing in beauty, you know. Talking about running ball
in the NFL. I thought you were going to ask
me how many yards I get?

Speaker 2 (01:23:24):
I think, yeah, we will, We'll get there. We'll get there.

Speaker 6 (01:23:27):
It depends on what offensive line I have. But yeah,
I think that's it because it's a unit within the unit,
and you know, that's something that's it's an ongoing process
over the course the year to try to build those
guys to work together and and do the right things.
And there there isn't an offensive world that works without

(01:23:47):
those guys kind of working together. And I think that's it.
And especially when you get those guys that that get
close as a group, you know what I mean that
on an off the field, they consider them themselves a unit.
So I would say for me, and of course, I'm
a former lineman. I mean, anybody who knows me knows
obviously about playing receiver. So you know, I've always had

(01:24:09):
a soft spot for that position. And I think, you know,
you get a game, let's say we get two hundred
yards passing, one hundred and fifty yards rushing. Yeah, just
seeing those guys and what they were able to do
to help us get those yards, I think, to me,
that's that's one thing that I really enjoyed.

Speaker 2 (01:24:27):
Well, listen, you're you're you're speaking to the right audience
of two at least, if not to the to the
wider audience listening. When I was so I'll tell you
this story, guys, when I was, when I was let's see,
I'm going back aways here, I wasn't quite seventeen yet,
but the the uh, the twenty or the two thousand
and six NFL draft, I'm a big new York Jets fan.
The Jets were coming off a horrible season, and it

(01:24:48):
was the first time as a football fan that I
was really paying attention to what happens when things sort
of deteriorate along the offensive line. And I'll tell you
the reaction I had. I was running around my house
like a lunatic. How excited I was when the Jets
drafted not only to brickishaw Ferguson with the fourth overall
pick offensive tackle out of Uva, but also center Nick
Mangle out of Ohio State with the twenty ninth overall pick.

(01:25:11):
This is the right audience for any offensive line talk
you want to have.

Speaker 6 (01:25:14):
Coach, Well, that's good, I appreciate it, all right.

Speaker 2 (01:25:19):
So now the real question is how many yards, how
many how many carries, and how many yards could you
could you do?

Speaker 6 (01:25:27):
I don't think I might get the team care I
don't don't don't. Let's say let's say I get the
ball five times and I could get close to back
the line, because soon as one of those guys got
their handle on me, I'm probably done. And I'm not
very fast at this point. So let's say minus ten
yards and if I could do five carries and not fumble.

(01:25:50):
I would consider that success.

Speaker 2 (01:25:51):
I think that's reasonable. Yeah, I think that's reasonable. Hey, coach,
thanks again for coming on and best of luck this season.
We'll be excited to watch your games. And I'll come
by and see it during the Lincoln South Harrison game
and say, Hi.

Speaker 6 (01:26:04):
All right, they always play talk to you guys.

Speaker 2 (01:26:06):
Thanks coach, Thanks coach.

Speaker 3 (01:26:08):
All right.

Speaker 2 (01:26:08):
That is coach Rob Hawkins, head coach of Lincoln, one
of my favorite guys to talk to. Uh and uh
I I listen.

Speaker 3 (01:26:16):
As well, man, I'll I think the world Coach Hawkins.

Speaker 2 (01:26:19):
I wanted to point this out, by the way, so
so because I forgot to you know what kind of
radio host am I? I forgot to point this out
when we were talking about that stretch they had right
where it was like because we were both really taken
aback by what happened with Lincoln football last year. But
if you actually look at what they did after they
sort of kind of figured some stuff out, let me
let me just read you these so and you know,

(01:26:41):
I don't care about losing by fifty seven to Bridgeport.
Bridgeport did to them what they did, I'll tell you
what every how.

Speaker 3 (01:26:47):
Was that that game, and Lincoln played as well against
Bridgeport as anyone else year.

Speaker 2 (01:26:51):
So thirty four to twenty eight loss at home against
Lewis County Playoff Team, thirty five, twenty eight loss at
home against Robert Bird Playoff Team, forty eight, thirty five
win on the road beating Liberty Harrison, and then the
one that still stands out to me, the twenty one
to eighteen win over Philip Barber. That's that's what we're

(01:27:11):
talking about. We talked about like they had a sustained
month of legitimately taking steps. Yeah, so there's there's reason
for optimism here.

Speaker 3 (01:27:21):
And I like what coach Hawkins talked about how like
some of the younger receivers got better as a season
for progress, they got better stopped to run as the
season progressed. We're definitely going to miss Aidan Rice. Yeah,
no question, anyone would miss aid Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:27:34):
Heck of an athlete.

Speaker 3 (01:27:35):
I mean, Aidan Rice would have played football for any
team in.

Speaker 2 (01:27:38):
The Yeah, absolutely, I mean he was just that good.

Speaker 3 (01:27:41):
I mean and when they needed a big play, Aiden
Rice nine ten toms delivered, you know, and you know
those players are special and they're hard to replace.

Speaker 2 (01:27:49):
Yeah, all right, very good. We're gonna take a break.
We'll come back wrap the show, talk about a few
goofy things we've got on the on the agenda.

Speaker 3 (01:27:57):
We promise no more in il, no more, and we
are done.

Speaker 2 (01:27:59):
Yeah, we're we're done with the nil someone us money,
sure the state. Yeah, that's right, We're we're we're open.
Well listen, okay, all right, we'll take a break back
right after this here on the Friday Free for All
brought to you by Dan Cavatio to.

Speaker 1 (01:28:11):
Buick GMC time for more high school sports talk on
the Dan cavatoyot w at GMC Friday Free for All.

Speaker 2 (01:28:21):
Friday Free for All wrapping up here and special thanks
to all of our guests today. They were fantastic. Our
coaches Rob Hawkins of Lincoln Austin Scott RCB, Greg Kerry
from Metro News coming on to talk a little ni
l By the way, folks, just as a little bonus, Uh,
there's actually more to that conversation with Greg at the podcast,

(01:28:44):
So check out the show in podcast form at the Spreaker,
Wrap or w KMS news dot com or just your
preferred podcasting platform. That said, no more football talk, Chris
we we had a couple of funny, funny agenda items
that we needed to get to. The first is, did
you know that the six pm dinner is the invention
of Generation Z?

Speaker 3 (01:29:04):
I did not know this.

Speaker 2 (01:29:06):
This brand new information to me.

Speaker 3 (01:29:08):
Yeah. To me, what was funnier was like some of
the and I'm big on don't read the comments, but
I end up reading the comments. I mean people acting
like eating I mean at dinner at six is like
the most crazy thing heard.

Speaker 2 (01:29:22):
I'm shocking. What was blown away? All right, let me
do my let me do my job as a radio host.
I'm so bad about I'm so bad about this, but
I just want to talk about it. So so, there
was an article in The Guardian, which is a pretty
decent publication. You know, they do a lot of political
stuff and whatever. But every now and then they post
these goofy stories that are like, uh, culture, I guess
is where I describe them In this one, this one

(01:29:45):
the headline, I couldn't even believe this got greenlit. But
the second article from the Guardian in like the last
couple of months that I've read and gone, I can't
believe that headline. Someone allowed this to run. But the
headline was essentially see if I if I have it exactly,
I believe. The headline was, gen Z has brought us
the six pm dinner, and I am not prepared for it.

(01:30:07):
And I read that and thought to myself, I have
been eating dinner at six pm my entire life. And
that's because I don't have a set dinner time. Sometimes
they eat a six, sometimes they eat it.

Speaker 3 (01:30:16):
Eight, sometimes a file forty five.

Speaker 2 (01:30:19):
That's true. Here it is, I got it. This is
from Polly Hudson. Gen Z has brought us the six
pm dinner, and I am not ready for it. I
got it, I got it. I nailed it straight out.

Speaker 3 (01:30:29):
I can't.

Speaker 2 (01:30:30):
Did you know that gen Z invented the time six p?
And this is nothing against gen Z. That's just a
crazy headline.

Speaker 3 (01:30:37):
Before then, I don't know, you know.

Speaker 2 (01:30:41):
So that is true way back in the day, way
back in the like I don't actually know how far
back in the day. But once upon a time, the
lunch used to be the big meal. That used to
be the dinner meal, because then you'd go out and
you'd do more work and and and a lot of
that was back in the manual labor days or working
in a factory or working on the farm, but even
still even still in sort of this post industrialized error era,

(01:31:05):
not error era. I don't think I have a set
dinner time.

Speaker 3 (01:31:08):
Yeah, I mean, like you see you give or take
a half hour showing up to an hour. I mean
it's pretty much breakfast round seven, lunch around noon, dinner
around six. That like my whole life.

Speaker 2 (01:31:20):
Yeah, I didn't know that.

Speaker 3 (01:31:21):
I mean it basically is like whenever mom had food cooked.

Speaker 2 (01:31:24):
One waits, are your kid your kids are gen Z?
Aren't they? Or are they young millennials gen Z's Oh boy,
it was nineteen ninety six to two thousand and ten,
I want to say, or twenty eleven something like that.
I'm not sure or any like or no, as in,

(01:31:45):
are any of your kids? Were they born after nineteen
ninety six?

Speaker 3 (01:31:48):
Yeah, Glenn was born in ninety seven.

Speaker 2 (01:31:50):
Okay, so she invented the six PM dinner. Go congratulator,
I will that's her doing. Yeah, we got to thank
her for that. What would we do without gen Z
bring us the.

Speaker 3 (01:31:59):
Six I mean, I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:32:01):
I guess it's better than it's better than millennials getting
blamed for closing Applebee's. I guess that was the other big.
So that was the other That was the other big
so in about ten years ago, the other big like
these weird generational articles. The other big one would always
be like, oh, millennials are killing the fast casual dining industry,
be like, guys, is it millennial's fault that jewelers are closing?

(01:32:24):
And it's like, God, you can't blame us for everything.

Speaker 3 (01:32:26):
Yeah, come on, And that was yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:32:28):
So I guess this is a little bit more positive.
I just didn't know that gen Z invented the six
pm what time you have in dinner tonight?

Speaker 3 (01:32:34):
Six pm?

Speaker 2 (01:32:35):
All right, Hey, there you go.

Speaker 3 (01:32:36):
I'm gonna watch dinner six pm watching Parks and w
rec All right, I.

Speaker 2 (01:32:40):
Love it so so yeah that let's let's close it
out with some Parks and rec That was what you
wanted to circle back to.

Speaker 3 (01:32:45):
Here. There's two things, in my opinion, that set Parks
and Wreck apart from the majority of other sitcoms that
we've grown up watching and have been around past decade,
twenty years. Whatever. One's Ron Swanson. Yeah, Ron Swanson and
one of the best TV characters of all the time, agreed.
But two, this one, you work with me a little
bit on this because I know you're in a very happy,

(01:33:08):
stable relationship and most of the time you probably consider
Brittany your best friend. Yeah, yeah, no, that's I consider
my wife Teresa my best friend. We don't you know
it's enjoyable to watch a sitcom or not. I know,
I'm not dogging friends because I've watched I Yeah, I know. Okay,
they break up, they get back together, and there's drama,

(01:33:31):
and then Leslie they get together and there's never any
drama and it's like a perfectly fun, loving couple throughout
the course. And as someone who identifies with that, it's
kind of refreshing to see.

Speaker 2 (01:33:44):
Their best friends.

Speaker 3 (01:33:45):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:33:45):
And the only the only reason like as spoiler alert,
the show's been off the air for like a decade now.
The only reason they they they they're one breakup is
because of a work thing, because they legally.

Speaker 3 (01:33:57):
A couple of episodes.

Speaker 2 (01:33:58):
Yeah, it's great, folks would check out Very very functional, healthy, Healthy.
And before we go, because I'm running, we're running low
on time. Here, just one thing I want to note
that Adam Scott one of my all time favorite actors
and maybe we'll save more time for this next week,
So I do like some sitcom talk big phono telism.
Yet he is. He got to Parks and rec thanks

(01:34:20):
to the boost he had on a little show called
Party Down, which is probably my favorite show ever made.
And folks, have you've never seen Party Down? It's hilarious.
But on that note, we got to go. We're running
super low on time, so we will see you all
next week on the Friday Free for All, and make
sure you check out the podcast. We're going to be
talking about our first game preview next week. RCB Lewis County.

(01:34:40):
See you then.

Speaker 1 (01:34:49):
You've been listening to the Dan cavatoyot of you at
GMC Friday Free for All. Be sure to tune in
every Friday as we review and preview local high school sports.
This has been a special presentation of w v RC
Media and one O three three w.

Speaker 4 (01:35:03):
K M Z

Speaker 5 (01:35:07):
M HM