BA vs. Ensworth

[Redtwin]

It may seem like a load of bull to you for a simple reason. You don't have a clue. You just believe what you hear, but when it comes down to it - you don't know. Just like you don't know how many times Coach Flatt and Coach Bowers have gone head to head (NINE - look it up). BA has demanding entry requirements. Not as demanding as MBA or as it used to be, anyway. I have "heard" (see, I don't know for sure so I will not act like I do) that it is much easier to get in to MBA these days with Ensworth snapping up many of your usual customers (and it will get worse).

 

MBA is not remotely worried about Ensworth "snapping up" anyone. In fact, they are quite pleased with their recent enrollments. Ensworth has not had near the impact that many initally thought it would. They are drawing the vast majority of their students from a pool that is different from MBA's. And, I must say, I am very confident in my response, just like I am in my response to how many times Rickey and Carlton have faced each other. MBA still has the hardest entrance requirements in the midstate, as well as the highest output, and it isn't going anywhere but up. This I know.

Edited September 22, 2005 by Redtwin

[rollredroll]

...how does MBA ever lose with the huge enrollement advantage over BA? Coach Flatt did well to win 3.

 

Allegiances aside, and with all due respect, this argument does not hold much water. Inside our "advantaged" private school vacuum (and I say that to exclude public schools, which on the whole contend that their enrollment advantages are more than offset by so-called private school advantages), there are numerous schools with enrollments greater that Brentwood Academy, and even schools (McCallie, Baylor, Father Ryan, CBHS, in particular) with greater enrollments than MBA (MUS is just a hair below MBA based on the latest numbers I have seen). Brentwood Academy has a winning record against all of those schools, to the best of my knowledge.

[USA1]

Allegiances aside, and with all due respect, this argument does not hold much water. Inside our "advantaged" private school vacuum (and I say that to exclude public schools, which on the whole contend that their enrollment advantages are more than offset by so-called private school advantages), there are numerous schools with enrollments greater that <a href='http://www.coacht.com/inside/team.cfm?SchoolID=37&SportID=1' target='_blank'>Brentwood Academy</a>, and even schools (McCallie, Baylor, Father Ryan, CBHS, in particular) with greater enrollments than MBA (MUS is just a hair below MBA based on the latest numbers I have seen). <a href='http://www.coacht.com/inside/team.cfm?SchoolID=37&SportID=1' target='_blank'>Brentwood Academy</a> has a winning record against all of those schools, to the best of my knowledge.

It came accross like I was poor mouthing and whining about the enrollment and I did not mean it that way. My point is this. A larger enrollment is an advantage that MBA and MUS enjoy. A weaker admission policy is an advantage that BA probably has. However, an overwhelming number of the people that you might call an advantage for BA, that would not have been admitted to MBA, would not and did not apply to MBA. In my opinion BA's reason for winning records over most schools with larger enrollments would have been sometimes talent, but most importantly the element that led to your win over BA in 2002 - hardwork, heart and great coaching. Some of those elements don't seem to be a BA advantage for some reason in recent years. So, I am left to whine about enrollment.

Edited September 22, 2005 by USA1

[big red big blue]

MBA is not remotely worried about Ensworth "snapping up" anyone. In fact, they are quite pleased with their recent enrollments. Ensworth has not had near the impact that many initally thought it would. They are drawing the vast majority of their students from a pool that is different from MBA's. And, I must say, I am very confident in my response, just like I am in my response to how many times Rickey and Carlton have faced each other. MBA still has the hardest entrance requirements in the midstate, as well as the highest output, and it isn't going anywhere but up. This I know.

 

I really think the emergence of Ensworth as another private school power is a major plus for all of us in the private school community. As I have written on the public-private debate board (where, itzme, I think you are on the money with everything you write), another Nashville powerhouse takes us one step closer to our football league clearly, beyond any shadow of a doubt, being recognized as the best in the state. I am thrilled honestly about the reemergence of Father Ryan under their new coach. Ensworth under RB will get there in a hurry. JPII with Jeff Brothers, CPA with its new coach: all these schools, along with BA and MBA, are going to make Nashville private school football the premier football league in the state. Much like the catholic leagues are on the East coast.

 

 

Ensworth has a long, long way to go before it will be competing with MBA for its students (Harpeth Hall is the school that needs to be worried). The true test is going to come when a generation of Nashvillians, who attended Ensworth grade school and MBA high school, and have strong ties to both, make the decision about where their kids go to school. I can name about two dozen of them right now. As of now, they are rock solid in the MBA camp but things can definitely change. I suspect Ensworth will really, really push hard for its grade school kids to stay on for high school.

[big red big blue]

I certainly can't speak for things that happened years ago, and I agree with your take that BA and MBA are on equal footing as far as the so-called "advantages".

 

Sorry if I came off a bit too defensive. I just always have felt that we folks who support the independent schools should be supportive of one another.

 

Thanks.

 

...and by the way, I have never heard a BA player who actually plays blame any loss on the refs, including last week. McCallie was the better team that night, plain and simple.

 

I would say we are all like a couple of brothers: we can fight inside our own house, but you better not mess with us once we walk outside...

[MBAWR5]

Much agreed Big Red Big Blue... I graduated from Ensworth in 2002, and there was already a sense of pressure to stay in the system. What is going on at Ensworth is really great, except for the fact that the feeding system from Ensworth middle to MBA has gone somewhat awry. That aside, the new Ensworth High School will supply some great opporitunities to learn from some great coaches (Bowers, Pack, Caudill, Chanaca, Batten) and thankfully will add another powerhouse into Divison II in the coming years. Maybe as early as 2008, BA, MBA, Ryan, Ensworth will all be in contingent for the State title, all of whom are in the midstate, and would supply a great amount of competition and desire to be the best. It's through this competition that will really crank out some hardworking, heart-filled kids and I think will look really really good for the middle tennessee.

[Redtwin]

Ensworth has a long, long way to go before it will be competing with MBA for its students (Harpeth Hall is the school that needs to be worried). The true test is going to come when a generation of Nashvillians, who attended Ensworth grade school and MBA high school, and have strong ties to both, make the decision about where their kids go to school. I can name about two dozen of them right now. As of now, they are rock solid in the MBA camp but things can definitely change. I suspect Ensworth will really, really push hard for its grade school kids to stay on for high school.

 

I couldn't agree more. Ensworth has always pushedhard for kids to stay through all the way, which used to be just middle school, but my friends at MBA in 7th and 8th grades who came from Ensworth received a lot of pressure from friends and faculty to stay at Ensworth, so I'm sure a similar, probably more intense pressure will be applied for high school. I also agree with your point about with who will be the he critical generation of potential students. MBA has faired well, however, with several die hard Ensworth families whose children later attended MBA already, one of which had a parent on the Ensworth faculty, and whose son was a real commodity as an athlete. I really think MBA will be fine, and Ensworth will develop well on its own because there is such a demand from private education in Nashville that there are plenty of students t pick from.

[big red big blue]

I couldn't agree more. Ensworth has always pushedhard for kids to stay through all the way, which used to be just middle school, but my friends at MBA in 7th and 8th grades who came from Ensworth received a lot of pressure from friends and faculty to stay at Ensworth, so I'm sure a similar, probably more intense pressure will be applied for high school. I also agree with your point about with who will be the he critical generation of potential students. MBA has faired well, however, with several die hard Ensworth families whose children later attended MBA already, one of which had a parent on the Ensworth faculty, and whose son was a real commodity as an athlete. I really think MBA will be fine, and Ensworth will develop well on its own because there is such a demand from private education in Nashville that there are plenty of students t pick from.

 

 

you are right...there is plenty of demand for private education in Nashville for everyone to have its share. Put it this way: a guy I know from grad school relocated with Dell to Nashville. He has young kids, and was advised by Dell's HR people to negotiate private school tuition into his compensation package, which he did. That sort of thing is unheard of anywhere else in the country. Competition can only be good for both of us...

[big red big blue]

Much agreed Big Red Big Blue... I graduated from Ensworth in 2002, and there was already a sense of pressure to stay in the system. What is going on at Ensworth is really great, except for the fact that the feeding system from Ensworth middle to MBA has gone somewhat awry. That aside, the new Ensworth High School will supply some great opporitunities to learn from some great coaches (Bowers, Pack, Caudill, Chanaca, Batten) and thankfully will add another powerhouse into Divison II in the coming years. Maybe as early as 2008, BA, MBA, Ryan, Ensworth will all be in contingent for the State title, all of whom are in the midstate, and would supply a great amount of competition and desire to be the best. It's through this competition that will really crank out some hardworking, heart-filled kids and I think will look really really good for the middle tennessee.

 

they are both going to be great schools for a long time. Lots of talented people in charge at either place.

[cut it out]

hah i love how BA fans still won't accept the Halloween robbery of MBA's #9 national ranking. if that game had happened as it should have, MBA would have finished no lower than #5 in the polls, what D2 fan would not want that for any team in the league...oh yeah, BA fans, holier than thou, tsk tsk.

 

i think ensworth only sent two kids to mba this year after 8th grade which is fine by me as an mba grad. that trend will definately continue and probably make its way down to zero.

 

ba will have it varsity players in sweat suits at halftime.

[itzme]

hah i love how BA fans still won't accept the Halloween robbery of MBA's #9 national ranking. if that game had happened as it should have, MBA would have finished no lower than #5 in the polls, what D2 fan would not want that for any team in the league...oh yeah, BA fans, holier than thou, tsk tsk.

 

What does that have to do with this thread? Maybe you missed the umpteen page discussion about that game when it happened.

Edited September 22, 2005 by itzme

[USA1]

hah i love how BA fans still won't accept the Halloween robbery of MBA's #9 national ranking. if that game had happened as it should have, MBA would have finished no lower than #5 in the polls, what D2 fan would not want that for any team in the league...oh yeah, BA fans, holier than thou, tsk tsk.

 

i think ensworth only sent two kids to mba this year after 8th grade which is fine by me as an mba grad. that trend will definately continue and probably make its way down to zero.

 

ba will have it varsity players in sweat suits at halftime.

I think whoever snapped the ball over the punter's head should assume some responsibility. I don't think a #5 team in the country does that sort of thing late in the fourth quarter. Maybe things have a way of working themselves out in the high school national top ten.

 

Just a thought.