I am lucky to be part of the unique
“JJ & Jerry High School Sports Show”, a radio program that airs each
week covering the wide world of Ohio high school sports.
My Bucknuts Radio sidekick, Jerry Rudzinski, hosts this show along with
the inimitable JJ Huddle the man who runs the world’s most popular high school
sports website. The Huddle gets
more than a million hits each day and covers every conceivable sport in Ohio.
Even more
impressively, all of the Ohio coaches participate in the Huddle.
These coaches are divided into two distinct groups:
1) Those who participate openly and 2) Those who participate
surreptitiously. Because of the
deep and broad participation on the JJ Huddle website, the information runs fast
and freely and it is hard not to get addicted.
Yesterday, I
was luckier than usual…I got to substitute for Jerry Rudzinski as the host of
the JJ & Jerry High School Sports Show.
I also got to choose the interview guest and brought along one of my
favorite interview subjects ever: Coach
Jim Place from our local Chaminade-Julienne High School here in Dayton, Ohio.
Coach Place
is the Athletic Director and football coach and one of the great gentlemen in
scholastic sports. His girls
basketball team was rated #1 in the country this year before the star (Megan
Duffy) when down with a season-ending injury.
But his real focus and passion is high school football.
Coach Place has issued the challenge that his Eagles will “play anyone
at anytime and any place”. To
back up that claim, last year, he traveled to Massillon to take on the Tigers in
their home lair and this year issued a challenge to De La Salle, arguably the
toughest team in the country with an unbelievable hundred game winning streak
out in California.
Besides
producing winning teams (and winning people), Coach Place is the head of the
star-making machinery at Chaminade and has rolled out a number of very special
players that have been recruited by Ohio State (or should have been
recruited…) One of those who got
away was Paul Harker who has been starting for Michigan State’s offensive line
these last couple of years.
…And he who
holds the microphone gets to ask the questions!
Here are a few of the tidbits from yesterday’s show that should be of
interest to Ohio State fans everywhere…
Angelo
Chattams…Coach Place helped steer Angelo to Ohio State two years ago and is
still close with the family (Angelo’s brother Andre will be going to Purdue
this fall on a football scholarship). He
related the stories of Angelo’s unique brilliance as a receiver and said
that Angelo turned down a chance to get early playing time at OSU if he had
opted to convert to a defensive back. Coach
Place says Angelo is still convinced he will be star at Ohio State as a wide
receiver and is willing to serve his time and does not seem like a transfer
possibility. He implied that we
should all be as patient as Angelo and that we will hear and see great things
from this young man.
Coach Tressel…Jim
Place has known Coach Tressel for more than 20 years and emphasized what a large
part Jim Tressel has played in the Ohio High School scene. He remarked on Tressel’s sincerity and genuine affection
for people; remembering Coach Place’s wife by name and asking about her every
time they meet. There is no
question that Tressel’s presence looms large over all Ohio high school coaches
and is a vastly different presence than that of Coach Cooper.
Pernell
Williams and Anthony Turner…if you receive Ohio’s Future Stars, you might
know these names. They will be
juniors this year at Chaminade and both are ranked in the top seven in the
state. Not only does Coach Place emphasize the potential greatness
of both players (Williams is a TB/DB and Turner is a QB), but he regaled us with
stories that they’ve already been offered – in their sophomore year – by
Michigan State. Why?
The Michigan State coaches told Place that Jim Tressel has Ohio “locked
down” and their only chance is to offer as early as possible and hope the kids
appreciate it later. Very telling remarks and very key recruits to watch for the
next two years!
Justin Zwick…Coach
Place said he really looked forward to matching wits with Massillon and to show
Justin Zwick a few things he might not have seen before.
Despite his youthful team, Chaminade gave them a run.
Coach Place had a unique analysis of Zwick:
“Much bigger and stronger than we expected”.
He talked about his great arm but talked more about how physical Zwick
was; that Chaminade blitzed him from all angles trying to push him around and
change his game. Place said that
Zwick was so tough that the “intimidation tactics” were worthless.
He also mentioned that all three of Chaminade’s linebackers were
smaller than Zwick…
Shawn Crable…As enthusiastic as
Coach Place was about Justin Zwick, he positively frothed about Shawn Crable.
He said that Crable was a very special athlete with greatness written all
over him but that his “nasty attitude” might be his biggest asset.
Coach Place related the story that prior to the kickoff at Massillon, the
Chaminade players got a little “carried away” in warm ups and walked around
on the insignia in the middle of the field.
Crable went to the Massillon bench and got a big bucket of water and
pointedly came out and washed the emblem prior to the start of the game. Coach Place (and the Chaminade bench) was overwhelmed.
Jim said this is a kid you do not want to let get away…
If you are
lucky enough to live in the Dayton area, you can hear the entire show this
Friday at 6 PM on ESPN WING 1410 Radio. Otherwise,
you can catch the show streaming (or archived) after the airing by going to the
JJ Huddle website. JJ Huddle and
Coach Jim Place all in one evening – it was a great experience for one humble
Mr. Bucknuts!