[wayne]

Former MC Coach receives Huge praise. Article from Southtown star. Avery good read

If Craig Buzea hasn’t decided on a costume for Halloween, I have a suggestion for him:

The Pied Piper.

Buzea is attracting players to Homewood-Flossmoor’s football program the way Hamelin’s fabled piper seduced rats. He’s creating followers in droves.

More than 160 sophomore and varsity players participated at a recent H-F practice.

If there truly is strength in numbers, it’s likely H-F will be in line for the Class 8A state championship this season after falling to Mount Carmel in the semifinals a year ago.

It’s a remarkable achievement by the “Buzz Man,” considering the Vikings finished 1-8 two years ago and barely could attract flies, much less players.

Now, there are three players to a locker.

Kids who didn’t play as freshmen and sophomores have, once again, found their passion for football and have returned to the program. That includes baseball and basketball players who can again be referred to as multisport athletes.

Oh, and H-F also is attracting fans. The majority of its home games sold out last season.

Coincidence or not, the Vikings were undefeated in Flossmoor while finishing 10-3 a year ago.

Buzea has rallied the troops in just 18 months on the job, a performance that would impress even Blackhawks president John McDonough.

“Coach Buz ... everyone loves him,” said Jake Thompson, H-F’s senior center. “The feeder program kids want to play for him. The kids who don’t start or get much playing time, they still want to be a part of the team. It’s been a 180-degree turn since when I was a sophomore on the varsity.”

Yes, H-F is a big school, with approximately 1,500 boys walking the hallways.

And, yes, kids like to play for a winner. Finishing one step from the state finals last year definitely qualifies as winning.

Still, it’s not as if Buzea is running a day camp, occupying the players’ time with fun and games — OK, except for the occasional game of dodgeball to mix things up, according to Thompson.

Buzea expects a lot, like many of his peers. Unlike some of those peers, however, those demands haven’t dissuaded students from wanting to strap the pads on.

“If they’re willing to pay the price, we’ll have a place for them,” said Buzea, who had successful coaching stints at Michigan City and Portage before landing the H-F gig. “I’d like to say I’m doing something special and take credit for it. But it’s really been just word of mouth.”

Whatever the Buzz Man is selling, the kids are buying at H-F.

Thompson said it’s more than just kids wanting to be a part of a winning program, though that definitely has helped spike numbers.

It doesn’t matter how many stars a cash-grab, online recruiting service might put next to a kid’s name. Buzea prefers the old-fashioned way of doling out playing time: earn it.

That, Thompson said, has been noticed.

“He gives everybody a fair chance at playing,” Thompson said. “There are no starting spots rolled over from one year to the next. You have to compete. He breeds an environment of competitiveness. Players respect that.

“The first meeting we had after he was hired last year, he laid down the law. He said, ‘This is what we’re going to do and if you don’t believe me, you can get out now.’ ”

In other words, you’re either in or you’re out. Buzea confidently informed the kids he was going to bring back a winning tradition, something the program enjoyed through much of the 1980s and 1990s under John Wrenn.

However, sacrifices would have to be made.

“He makes us reach out to the school and the community and be good people,” Thompson said. “My sophomore year, I got the feeling that the faculty and students really didn’t like the football players.

“Last year when I walked in the school with my jersey on, all the teachers would say, ‘Good luck, and see you at the game.’ Our home games were sold out before 7 p.m. A lot of kids who didn’t play football my sophomore and junior year are coming out again. He makes playing football fun.

“Football is back at H-F ... and it’s here to stay.”










QUOTE(southsiderMMX @ Aug 22 2011, 02:56 PM)

[Southsider2k12]

I'm glad to see him doing well and all, but at the end of the day, he didn't want to be in Michigan City. He pretty much started looking for another job the day he got here. Buzea is done and gone as far as I am concerned.

I'm happy to be in the Coach Karpinksi era.

[wayne]

Let me know if you are saying the same thing after tomorrow night and after the olves finish 1-8 for the second consecutive year. Scoreless with a 19 player Roosevelt squad after one quarter. Really?

I'm glad to see him doing well and all, but at the end of the day, he didn't want to be in Michigan City. He pretty much started looking for another job the day he got here. Buzea is done and gone as far as I am concerned.

I'm happy to be in the Coach Karpinksi era.

[Southsider2k12]

Let me know if you are saying the same thing after tomorrow night and after the olves finish 1-8 for the second consecutive year. Scoreless with a 19 player Roosevelt squad after one quarter. Really?

I am absolutely serious. I don't want a coach who doesn't want to be here. Of course they aren't sticking around to see the devastation caused when they stand up kids who invested their lives into him personally, so why should they care? High School sports is about more than wins and losses. It is about instilling values into kids that they will be able to use for the rest of their lives. Things like teamwork, and work ethic. Loyalty and faithfulness are two big ones, that get forgotten all too often.

[taxthedeer]

I am absolutely serious. I don't want a coach who doesn't want to be here. Of course they aren't sticking around to see the devastation caused when they stand up kids who invested their lives into him personally, so why should they care? High School sports is about more than wins and losses. It is about instilling values into kids that they will be able to use for the rest of their lives. Things like teamwork, and work ethic. Loyalty and faithfulness are two big ones, that get forgotten all too often.

That's well said, I've experienced the same thing at work, corporate sends an executive headquarters to run the plant, they stay for a short time, get another promotion and then relocate, the pitty is the whole time they do not even choose to to establish or maintain their residency in Michigan City dor them and their family and commute instead commute from and back to some other locale such as Granger, Munster or Valpo. I worked at ANCO for 18 years, I can't tell you how many plant mangers Cooper and Federal-Mogul sent through the front office, it almost became comical, they clearly had no vested interest when it came to Michigan City.

Kids, that's just how corporate Michigan City seems to work.

[MC Born & Raised]

Let's not get nuts here. Buzea had a GREAT opportunity elsewhere and he took it. I don't know that many or any of us would turn down an opportunity to increase their salary almost two-fold while moving to an established, well-respected company (or in this case, school). I, too, am hopeful and optimistic about the Karpinski era, but I don't think it's fair to look negatively on a guy who did what any one of us would have done. I, for one, am rooting for Buzz.

[Southsider2k12]

Buzz was a great guy and all, but it took a lot of wind out of my sails to find out he never wanted to be here. It wasn't like someone came and found him, he went and found them. That makes a big difference to me. Who knows how many other lesser jobs he tried to get along the way.

[taxthedeer]

Let me know if you are saying the same thing after tomorrow night and after the olves finish 1-8 for the second consecutive year. Scoreless with a 19 player Roosevelt squad after one quarter. Really?

So you're saying with a roster of 81 kids out for football. The Michigan City Wolves football team cannot muster more than one win (over bewildered Gary Roosevelt) in each of the two seasons in the post-Buzea era?

Is the Michigan City Wolves football program that bad or is the rest of the competition just that great?

What do you think is the root cause of the problem?

What suggestions would you make in order to correct this trend?

[MSFOOTBALL]

I'm glad to see him doing well and all, but at the end of the day, he didn't want to be in Michigan City. He pretty much started looking for another job the day he got here. Buzea is done and gone as far as I am concerned.

I'm happy to be in the Coach Karpinksi era.

I second that notion !! I am happy to have our coaching staff and confident that they will deliver. The players have respect and discipline for the staff. I have not heard a negative comment about any of our coaches and that is how it should be. I think that stems from having staff that are sincere and honest to the players. They may have lost last Friday night but they played a darn good game and by no means were we out coached. The JV won big on Saturday morning in South Bend and they were doing everything the Varsity did---they didn't have a #4 to contend with for four quarters. I am excited to see the game this Friday at home against Chesterton. It should be a good one !!! GO WOLVES !!!