Keep hearing Oakdale having down year. Having to replace 22 starters. The last few years Oakdale has had some more athletic players ,yes. But this years team is just a normal Oakdale team. A little small, not fast you know very average. But Merzon gets more from his kids. He has developed this kind of little man syndrome. His kids play way over their size. From the 5'5" 150 pound pulling guard. To the 5'5 140 pound line backer..If Oakdale ends up in D4 they are a contender at section championships.
Oakdale The Kids Are Alright
- Thread starter rocknrolus 12
- Start date
I'm not going to watch them play in any D4 game. Straight up embarking this year.
Embarrassing? Really embarrassing? That's how you feel about a school playing in the division they actually belong based on their enrollment? Playing with local kids? If they win the VOL ( we pretty much now that's not going to happen this year) they will be playing in D3 and that's where they would belong. With all the hard work these kids put in they will never be embarrassing to me. I never remember any talk of certain private running up scores on schools in their enrollment based division being an embarrassment? If you play by the rules you're not an embarrassment if you play where they put you. I humbly find myself in disagreement with you on your embarrassing statement.
Oakdale has imo proven themselves to be a top 10 program in our section year in and year out. Oakdale is a program others replicate themselves after, Oakdale is a measuring stick for some of the best programs around, Oakdale is town full of pride and what makes me proud to be football coach. Im sorry but Oakdale is not a D4 program, they are top notch and I am not excited to see them D4. Im just not. Might it a be good ending for them to win a D4 championship, sure but its Oakdale, Oakdale prides itself on playing top notch competiotion. I got nothing but the ultimate respect for Merzon, the staff, the players and that community.
Sorry Rock, I didn't mean to offend you. Oakdale's my team, but to put them down to D4, when they have been playing for years in D3 is kind of insulting. I know this is a down year for Oakdale, and they will be back next year and the year after but to put them in D4 is not challenging, I feel. Also, Oakdale's enrollment is around 1700. I don't believe that is considered D4 enrollment.
I think Oakdale enrollment at 1556 the last time I checked. Not offended I don't take anything seriously. It just I have watched these kid grow this year. I think they can compete in D3. But my point was they are by enrollment a D4 team. Manteca two years ago and played well and won. It's not in my opinion embarrassing to compete by the rules. If you place a school in higher division and they lose. We aren't actually sending our best team in that division on to state playoffs. Oakdale's opponent in state bowl game was a pretty good team. They were just put against a team that was more depth . That's why I don't have an issue with putting teams in enrollment based divisions. If Oakdale were to actually win D4 this year they could set themselves off to be like CC pushed up to D2. From watching he feeder kids from JV to freshman teams to the Stampede Oakdale has talent to compete even up to D2 . CC started in small school bowl to D3 and by winning earned their way to D2. I see nothing wrong with Oakdale following the way of CC. No offense to Folsom fans but CC is the standard for our section. You can't argue with that 19 section championships.
CC is a private school and recruit kids from all over the area. Oakdale plays with their own.
There's nothing embarrassing about division 4 in the sjs. Last year Placer won the sjs division 4 section title, and then went on to defeat Salinas, which was a Division 1 section winner in the CCS for a Norcal Bowl game. Smaller schools can play super tough, super great football.
There's been a lot of talk here about what makes a "winning" football program, and for a lot of you all that seems to be big schools filled with all-stars dominating everyone they play. But that's not the case for everyone who loves high school football. There's a lot to be said for kids growing up together and playing together for years as youth, now playing varsity Friday nights for their community, with bonds that allow them to play as a unit that is stronger than its individual parts. It's very fun to watch. And a super fun environment for high school football players. Maybe they aren't nationally ranked at the top, but they are having super valuable and life enriching experiences. And we fans love watching them play. There's nothing embarrassing about that.
There's been a lot of talk here about what makes a "winning" football program, and for a lot of you all that seems to be big schools filled with all-stars dominating everyone they play. But that's not the case for everyone who loves high school football. There's a lot to be said for kids growing up together and playing together for years as youth, now playing varsity Friday nights for their community, with bonds that allow them to play as a unit that is stronger than its individual parts. It's very fun to watch. And a super fun environment for high school football players. Maybe they aren't nationally ranked at the top, but they are having super valuable and life enriching experiences. And we fans love watching them play. There's nothing embarrassing about that.
