Cooper on H.S. football: Its time to reshuffle the decks

FILE PHOTO BY DANIELLE PARHIZKARAN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Old Tappan athletic director Tom Kaechele says the football landscape in the Big North has changed in the last three years. Since 2012, schools in the Big North United are 27-1 against fellow Big North schools, with the one win coming from Pascack Valley over DePaul in 2012. Old Tappan lost 42-0 to St. Joseph earlier this year.

In the last three years, Old Tappan athletic director Tom Kaechele has grown concerned as the gap has only widened among the football teams in the Big North.

The landscape has changed dramatically from where we almost beat Paramus Catholic [26-9 in 2011] until now, where if we played PC this year, who knows what the score would be, Kaechele said Thursday. Its a tough one to swallow.

The facts show that in the last three seasons, when schools in the Big North United (The Big Five Don Bosco, Bergen Catholic, DePaul, Paramus Catholic and St. Joseph) play what are called crossover games against other Big North teams, its not a fair fight. And they are becoming games that neither school wants to play any more, not even the ones who are winning, but options are limited.

Since 2012, schools in the Big North United are 27-1 against fellow Big North schools, with the one win coming from Pascack Valley over DePaul in 2012. The average score of those games is 44-9.

Old Tappan only had to play one crossover game this year, a 42-0 loss to St. Joseph. Kaechele said that he tried to opt out of the game with the Green Knights.

I asked out of the game, and [St. Joseph athletic director] Tony Karcich said he felt it was a good game; I said, I dont think so, we cant compete with you at your level, Kaechele said.

Big North Conference rules say that if both schools agree, they dont have to play. In this case, Kaechele wanted out, Karcich couldnt.

[Karcichs] decision was the only one that mattered, Kaechele said. To me, the phrase mutually agreed on is a bone of contention.

Continue reading here:
Cooper on H.S. football: Its time to reshuffle the decks