Bismarck Dominance

[InsideMan]

It wouldn't be a question of the number of state championships they have won. It would have more to do with the economics of the school and the population.

[Eminence]

They have a good coach who gets the best out of his players. But what it really comes down to at the end is the player who steps up and makes the plays and the coach that gets him to do it.

[scoobyx2]

It wouldn't be a question of the number of state championships they have won. It would have more to do with the economics of the school and the population.

True. Bismarck has to decide if they are going to be a lot stricter on their residence boundaries. Right now, you have kids from the same family going to different high schools depending on their interest and preference. They say you can't cross over, but you can say you are transferring for music, drama, gymnastics, etc. and it doesn't seem to be a problem. At South, they are trying to enforce a "no exceptions" rule for next year- you play where you live.

[The Schwab]

It wouldn't be a question of the number of state championships they have won. It would have more to do with the economics of the school and the population.

True. Bismarck has to decide if they are going to be a lot stricter on their residence boundaries. Right now, you have kids from the same family going to different high schools depending on their interest and preference. They say you can't cross over, but you can say you are transferring for music, drama, gymnastics, etc. and it doesn't seem to be a problem. At South, they are trying to enforce a "no exceptions" rule for next year- you play where you live.

I have heard that bismarck doesn't allow transfers who live outside of the city, how is that possible when our state has "open enrollment" or can each school decide? I'm confused by this whole thing, can someone help me out?

[scoobyx2]

It wouldn't be a question of the number of state championships they have won. It would have more to do with the economics of the school and the population.

True. Bismarck has to decide if they are going to be a lot stricter on their residence boundaries. Right now, you have kids from the same family going to different high schools depending on their interest and preference. They say you can't cross over, but you can say you are transferring for music, drama, gymnastics, etc. and it doesn't seem to be a problem. At South, they are trying to enforce a "no exceptions" rule for next year- you play where you live.

I have heard that bismarck doesn't allow transfers who live outside of the city, how is that possible when our state has "open enrollment" or can each school decide? I'm confused by this whole thing, can someone help me out?

The state does have open enrollment, but it is up to the schools to decide if that is feasible. That's for all schools in ND. Bismarck has been discouraging out of town transfers simply because of overcrowding. From my understanding, many families who commute to Bismarck for work were trying to get their kids into the school district so they could have better/more extra-curricular and childcare options that was closer to their work.

[InsideMan]

or if coach miller recruits them to come to bismarck which is the case with more than a reasonable amout of their players. Something needs to be done because it makes the program look very sketchy.

[Indy5]

or if coach miller recruits them to come to bismarck which is the case with more than a reasonable amout of their players. Something needs to be done because it makes the program look very sketchy.

I guaruntee you recruiting does not take place. It is not Bismarck's fault that kids want to transfer there and play for MIller. If he recruited that would be saying he went to their homes or schools and personally talked to them and told them to come to BHS. That didn't happen. Dewanye Liggins moving up to Bismarck from Memphis, do you think Miller flew down to Tennessee to recruit Dewanye?

[whateverittakes]

Yes but most of the good basketball players in biskmarck go to bhs also finley transfered there everyone wants to play for coach miller

[balla45]

Liggins is purely coincidence. I'll give you that.

Jalen Finley, Caley Fox, Kevin Poitra. Not pure coincidence. Having some of your players show Finley the trophies and talk about how fun it is to play at BHS and how they win titles is sketchy at the least. Finley was going to Mandan until he went to an open gym at BHS. Poitra might not seem like a big deal, but this was also Turtle Mountain's best player, making their team much worse.

Ask Devin Yellow Wolf and his dad which high school coach was calling them before this season started. I think you know the answer to this question, but I'll let you put 2 and 2 together.

There is only one coach that told a certain Mandan player that he would look good playing in the maroon and white. There is also only one high school coach to call this player's parent about his son.

I am also told by Century players about how districting works. I might be off on this, but according to my sources, Jordan Wilhelm should have gone to CHS.

I'm not going to get into the players that were picked up in the past anymore than that because I don't know them personally.

[InsideMan]

He puts on camps in order to evaluate the players. All of the coaches know it is dirty and while they respect the winning, they don't respect and the job that he is doing because recruiting is supposed to be tabboo.

Liggins was coinsidence

I personally heard about that certain mandan player as well. Just absolutely dirty. How can anybody defend it? The catch is that the coaches are getting more upset about it especially deano from minot and rightfully so. I bet Miller retires.

Take the bhs st. mary's game this year when he got in the face of preston tescher. What would have happened if somebody got in one of his players faces? It would have been a big deal.

Jordan maybe should have gone to CHS because he lives closer but there is no particular rule to inforce it so he didn't do anything wrong.

[lovinball40]

Ok ....first of all Kevin Poitra was NOT recruited. He left Turtle Mountain due to personal reasons. If you have ever grown up in a small community you would know exactly what I mean. Kevin is a hard worker, a great kid and very easy to get along with. He did not go to Bismarck to play basketball, football or track. Kevin had a chance to go to school in Minot, Fargo, Grand Forks and the list goes on. It was a matter of personal choice....not a coaches choice and definitely not to play for Miller. So please, before you say anymore about a kid who you know nothing about.....just ask....talk to KP. He is at the YMCA every night working out and playing ball.

[balla45]

I have yet to use the word recruited. I stated that Caley, Jalen, and Kevin were not pure coincidence. Poitra's decision obviously isn't based in basketball, or he would not have quit. However, I do not consider it a coincidence that he chose BHS. Maybe not BHS basketball, but still BHS.

[Indy5]

Wow I wasn't aware of those situations. I knew Liggins obvisously was a coincidence. When I made my statement, I was using the logic that all class B schools being accused of recruiting have. They didn't recruit the kid, he just chose to come (which is how it almost always is).

[InsideMan]

yeah sketchy enough to the point were it was brought up at the last coaching meeting. He is a good coach - why not leave it at that? Now we are left to question the legitimacy of how he does things. Its too bad.

[DSCP1]

Bismarck High doesnt even have that much kids (its like 1200) fargo south had like 2000 kids just because a school is consistantly good doesnt mean the school should split

[trigger]

Does anyone have the actual breakdown of # of students at each school by grade level? 9-12 or 10-12

[Baller]

Does anyone have the actual breakdown of # of students at each school by grade level? 9-12 or 10-12

http://www.ndhsaa.org/files/MemberSchoolDirectory.pdf

[Baller]

BHS 10-12 = 1450

South 9-12 = 2100

[Baller]

BHS 10-12 = 1450

South 9-12 = 2100

It doesn't even necessarily go by population. it is more about how many students can your school hold. Fargo Public Schools wants the high schools to be 9-12 and South cannot fit that many students in one building. Bismarck has their high schools 10-12 and BHS can hold all the students. Minot has a large population but only has to hold 11-12 in one building. I believe that West Fargo has about the same number of students as BHS but they are bursting at the seams so it all depends on how big the building is.

[InsideMan]

I don't know if any of you drive by bhs when school is in session but the parking is a mess. Kids have to park blocks away. Im sure it irritates the home owners around the school.

[squeak63]

bismarck high school is beginning to get to full also. I know for a fact that the 08,09 and 10 classes have consecutively been the largest classes to attend bismarck high and i believe that the next 2 or 3 classes that will go through bhs are all going to set records for class sizes...

[InsideMan]

The problem is they really don't have anywhere to go unless they completely relocate which isn't a bad idea and considering our state's budget surplus we should be able to get it done. I don't think our state's focus is there though even though it should be.

Oh yeah and build them a bigger gym - the biggest school having the smallest gym doesn't make sense. I don't want to see them playing in the civic gaining that unfair advantage

[scoobyx2]

The problem is they really don't have anywhere to go unless they completely relocate which isn't a bad idea and considering our state's budget surplus we should be able to get it done. I don't think our state's focus is there though even though it should be.

Oh yeah and build them a bigger gym - the biggest school having the smallest gym doesn't make sense. I don't want to see them playing in the civic gaining that unfair advantage

They will not relocate BHS and I would guess they are not planning to put too much more money in it to expand. In fact, there have been talk of building a new middle school and eventually a new high school on the northeast side of town since that is where all the major building projects are. They just built a new elementary school there. Century is the school that is going to find itself in a space crunch just like South did in Fargo.

[InsideMan]

Its crazy to think how bismarck is growing. I take it Horizon is at capacity?

[oldcoach2]

Bismarck (BHS) will continue to dominate in sports until the district puts a stop to the kids selecting what school they wish to attend. A majority of the top athletes tend to go to the programs that are more successful. Some of the BHS top wrestlers live in the Century area of town. One or two contributors to BHS football should have attended CHS. While one of the top Girls players for Century JUST moved to the CHS area of town this year and had lived in the southern (BHS) part of town since middle school. This activity is not limited to sports as the district allows kids in academics, music, and other activites to choose the school they wish to attend. The District does have a formal transfer policy and format to follow but it seems to end up being just a signed statement of which school you wish to attend. Very few, if any, denials of transfers.

The traditionally good programs attract the best kids. It must be frustrating for the kids in the programs that could use one more member/teammate to take them over the top or the kids that have spots taken from them because someone decided they should come to the better program. IE a girl decides to play for CHS and lives in the BHS area, attends CHS, makes a team and takes a spot from someone that lives in and attends CHS or vise-versa .

Bismarck( BHS) does have some great coaches in the BHS Programs. But so does CHS. CHS is losing some of the talent they could have to BHS Tradition. CHS does have some programs that draw kids, but in the end BHS wins out is the overall Bismarck talent pool