I agree with you here BM. Rich or poor, they earn their positions. That is why we have guys going both ways, they want it and they are the ones getting it done in practice. Some kids are satisfied with just being part of the team, playing or not. Work ethic is the big factor here, Thats why we don't have 100 plus anymore. Practice is Hard and the coaches are tough and the kids choose the easiest road. It's not good, but it's the truth. This starts at Home people!
As far as the schedule, we should play some local teams. It keeps the flavor going but our schedule should not get weaker through out the season. It kill us come playoff time. We have the players most years, we just don't have the depth in schedule to keep us ready. We start off with a strong schedule and it declines so, when it comes to the playoffs we are not ready for the competition.