Umm, doesn't Gage Harrah have a season ending injury, or did the writer and Patch just choose to not fact check? How embarrassing that someone asks a question about how to stop a player that won't even be playing.

http://mchenrycountysports.com/columnists/columns/2011/09/25/r_hokpsmzeqesnw4n8olwhq/

It also concerns me that the coach didn't seem to be aware two days before the game that the best player in all of McHenry County, who is on the team his squad is playing Friday night, won't be playing. This information is openly out there about the Fox Valley Conference and its players and yearly stats every day of the week on the website above.

Considering this is the biggest game of the season for both teams, it's kind of "scary" that Patch's "journalist" and the school's coach both apparently weren't aware of this.

Fan - I assure you the coach, and the entire team, are all aware of this that Gage Harrah suffered an injury. However, at this point, there is nothing in writing that says Harrah will not be playing, and as I understand it, Grayslake Central is preparing as if Gage will be in the game. I would hope that any team would prepare as hard as they could for any game, and always assume that the best player will be on the field. Also, Gage already sat out a game this season for unsportsmanlike conduct, and Crystal Lake still won. The Tigers are deeper than just one player. Did you also read the article you posted - it clearly states his injury put his season in jeopardy. Nothing in that article says he is out for the season. Until the whistle blows on Friday, and we can see that Mr. Harrah is not dressed for the game, I imagine that the coaches and players of Grayslake Central can do nothing but assume he is playing, and do their best to prepare for a very formidable opponent. There is nothing definitive out there that he is not playing, and all we have at the moment are rumors and speculation,so I am glad that Coach Goshe is not resting on the fact that Harrah might be out. What if Harrah plays, and they did not prepare? I am willing to bet you'd be first in line to criticize that as well.

Whatever, the kid can barely walk. This is bad journalism, sorry. If the writer was so aware of the injury, which is as serious as they get, he wouldn't have asked the question the way he did to begin with.

"Patch.com (to coach Goshe above):

Defensively, what does the team have to do to slow down running back Gage Harrah?"

Umm, maybe nothing because he's been hobbling around all week??

No offense, but I'm not the one who looks like an idiot here, the writer and coach do for the question and response. Clearly, neither of them was aware of this or the question wouldn't have been asked or answered the way it was to begin with.

They look foolish, not me. Sorry, but the facts are the facts, and that's the truth. Sorry if that upsets you.

It's obvious the writer and editor didn't fact-check any of this stuff. Apparently you missed the part that said they think it might be career ending. The article also states that it will be difficult for him to return anytime soon, if at all.

Gage Harrah will not play on Friday. This sin't the only article out there that has mentioned this. You'll see, he won't play, and I will be right.

Even if the coach was aware, it's clear this writer had zero clue about the injury, or he never would have asked the question!! Go Rams!

Hey GrayslakeFan.... where's your information come from? As HM said, the article in the NW Herald you seem to be drawing your info from, doesn't say anything but that he may be out, or done for the season. That article was written Friday night last week just after the game was over. There is no doctor's report in the article, or any report anywhere since that I have been able to find. You know he can hardly walk? What "fact check" did you do? At this point Gage Harrah is a player Friday night and if Goshe is any kind of coach he's preparing for him. You think the Rams would be better off not expecting him to play? I don't expect Gage to play tomorrow (Friday) night here in Grayslake, but I sure won't be surprised if he does. And I've even read that he'll miss the game Friday night but Haven't read anything about any injury report. I think the team and Coach Goshe would look a whole lot more foolish if Gage Harrah is dressed and playing if they assumed he wasn't.

Look again genius, the article was updated yesterday. It says right at the top. Not to mention the several other sources that have reported it. And the fact the injury happened a week ago shows me even moreso that the author especially didn't have a clue about it. Thanks for proving my point even more.

Make sure you tell everyone how wrong I was tomorrow night when Gage doesn't play and then we can all have a good laugh about how they spent all week preparing for some who wasn't going to play. When kickoff happens and he's not in the game all night, be sure to come back here and tell me how wrong I was, ok?

Looks like you can insert your feet into your mouths JFrank and HM. Turns out GrayslakeFan was absolutely right, Harrah is out tonight.

http://mchenrycountysports.com/articles/2011/09/30/r_fe8aefv6st5oe5bjsifq/index.xml

Excuse me .... my foot isn't in my mouth and neither is HM's. If you bother to read and actually understand what we wrote, it was that we didn't know Harrah wasn't playing because it wasn't published anywhere yet and I asked RamsFan what "fact-check" he did to KNOW Gage Harrah was out. Yes it was published this morning, but like I said before, I hadn't been able to find that information earlier.
And if you actually read what I wrote you would have noticed the line "I don't expect Gage to play tomorrow...." Looks like I was right doesn't it!

Fan and Gridiron -This is not a contest. Neither JFrank nor I said Harrah would play. We both pointed out that no article definitively said he'd be out, and that the Rams would have been foolish to not prepare for him to be in the game. Gridiron, citing an article that was published just after midnight does nothing but reinforce what JFrank and I said. This is the first article that states Harrah will be out. The article that Fan cited initially does not say that.
Additionally, I have a son who plays for the Rams, and they could care less whether Harrah is actually playing or not - they know they have to prepare for a very tough game. Whether Harrah is there or not, Crystal Lake is going to be a strong, physical team, and they realize that even with Harrah is out, they have thier work cut out for them. They have prepared well, thanks to a coach who does not let this nonesense interfere with the task at hand.
And finally, this article was likely written very early in the week when there were sketchy details on the extent of the injury, and there was nothing corroborated by any doctor who saw Gage Harrah, nor any of the Crystal lake coaches. I prefer to know the facts when they are made evident, and not to rely on conjecture and rumors. It seems that last night, in the wee hours (12:58 am to be precise), it was stated in print that Gage Harrah would sit out. There is your fact check. The author of this piece did not have that information when he wrote this.

Grayslake Fan...thank you for commenting on your first article to talk smack about the coach. You have no idea if Goshe would have been 100% sure that Harrah would not be playing. You say you are a Grayslake Fan but all you have done is criticize the coaching staff and the writer. Mike Stiffler has been doing a phenomenal job covering the team all year and all you have done is sit back and tried to find the negatives in the article. If you think you can do better then how about you try and write for The Patch.

I completely agree with the comment previous to mine. If you are a "real" Ram fan you would have pride in your coach and instead of trying to find slip ups or mistakes you would just be happy the team is 5-0. Coach was trying to do his job to the best of his ability and prepare to coach a team who has a star running back. If he doesn't play and they prepare for him is it going to hurt them... no, but what if they ignore him and he does that will definitely be detrimental to the success of the Rams.
In fact injuries are often create as a decoy, almost every week Bill Belichick uses this tactic to confuse coaches and create gameplanning issues. If you guys were at knowledgeable about the game you would know that gameplanning for everything that could happen on friday night is necessary and coach would not be doing his job if he didn"t. Also Mr. Stickler is a dedicated journalist for the Rams showing up for games that are very far away and providing positive press for them. If we want them to succeed public opinion will have to be positive about the team. Your negative comments will do nothing but create distrust. If you are a real ram fan you will be supportive.

Grayslake Fan: how about you start drinkin the GCHS koolaid because Coach Goshe has taken this program a complete 180 and done a phenominal job with the culture that losing isnt acceptable. These kids mindsets have been reprogrammed not only mentally but physically. Look at them, they are multi sport athletes and have had success. That didnt happen on its own. These Coaches work well with the other sports Coaches and have respect for each other and preach the same philosophy. So either you hold on for the ride "cause this train is moving" or get off NOW and take your negativity to the other side of town.

And let me add to this my two cents on Mr. Stickler and Coach Goshe...
Mike Stickler works very hard to write about the best the Grayslake schools have to offer, from the elementary schools on up through the high schools. He is out there with our kids, teachers, coaches and administrators, all so he can share the good things going on in our own backyards. No one else is doing that. For those that criticize, get out there and submit your own articles if you think you can do better.
As for Coach Goshe - I just have one comment. The year he arrived, the Rams did not not win a game, but they are now 5-0, and overflowing with pride in that. He has, along with the help of his coaching staff and some very dedicated parents, created a football program at GCHS. It is something that all the students can be excited about - have you seen the crowds at the games?
Rather than pick apart everyone and everything, we need to look at the positives and support those boys who go out on that field every week, doing what they love to do. Support the coaches that are bringing out the very best in them. And be thankful that Mr. Stickler is there to write about it - if it were not for him, there would not be any buzz about the Rams athletic programs, or about the positive things going on in our schools.

Ya all realize this is just High School football.

To all of our Rams Fans - Thank you for posting your responses to the article. I can't tell you how good it feels to see the community get involved and support the hometown team. All credit to Goshe and his staff for making this happen and to Tom Kim the AD and a very supportive administration, a marvelous parent group, and simply amazing booster club. The kids of our community who attend all of the schools in Grayslake are the future and our shining hope for a brighter future in these days that try men's and women's souls. The doers of this world expose themselves to the slings and arrows of the do nothings who sit back and criticize. But at least the doers act and strive for success. The coaches and athletes at Central and North are doers who actively engage in the attempt to accomplish something positive and often times have to contend with the gravitational pull of past failures and disappointments. Kudos to the Rams, the Knights and all of our kids who fight the good fight and their coaches who teach them about life through sports and the right way to do things both big and small. And I'm a believer yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeaaaaaaaaahhhh!

To jason Flanigan- Did Mr. Stickler strike a nerve with you??? if the shoe fits???

So I made a mistake, big deal. Grant had one win. None of the other teams they played did.

I was upset because the writer of this story insulted the readers, which any editor or boss will tell you is a huge no-no and can usually get someone fired.

And my family spends a lot of money advertising with this site, so when I come on here and see a writer insulting people, I have every right to complain since I help pay his salary.

Apparently all you angry fans haven't leanred anything from the Bartman incident with the Cubs. Your seemingly invincible 5-0 team's fans shouldn't be throwing stones in glass houses when you haven't played ANYONE yet. Heck, Grant was the only team you faced that even has a win! And Grant almost lost to Wauconda if it weren't for a miraculous comeback, and Wauconda couldn't even beat Round Lake!

Oh - and Jason - by the way - We "angry fans" are celebrating our "seemingly invincible" team's 6-0 record tonight. I'm sure you will find a way to diminish that win too. But we believe in these boys and these coaches, and will continue to celebrate them, win or lose, regardless of (and in spite of) the nay-sayers.

SIMPLE FACT: GRAYSLAKE RAMS ARE 6-0 WE BEAT PROBABLY THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN OUR SIDE OF THE FOX VALLEY:
SIMPLE FACT: I AND I SAY AGAIN I BELIEVE THAT WE JUST SAW 2 OF THE BEST DEFENSES ON OUR SIDE OF THE FOX VALLEY CONFERENCE
SIMPLE FACT: WHETHER OR NOT YOU LIKE COACH GOSHE AND HIS STAFF YOU HAVE TO RESPECT THEM FOR CHANGING THE CULTURE OF FOOTBALL AT THIS HIGH SCHOOL. THE WORK THESE BOYS HAVE PUT IN IS AMAZING EARLY MORNING WORKOUTS-OFFSEASON CONDITIONING-JUNE CAMPS - JULY 7-7 WABASH CAMP- END OF JULY CAMP- 2 A DAY CAMPS AND STILL DOING THE EXTRA THINGS TO BE BETTER.

JUST LOOK AT THE JUNIOR CLASS STEPPING UP! KOOLAIDE HECK YEAH I DRINK THE KOOLAIDE BOTH GREEN-BLACK AND WHITE-NOW FOR THOSE WHO HAVE A BEEF WITH MIKE STICKLER LETS JUST SAY "I DO NOT SEE ANYONE ELSE GIVING GOOD PUB TO THIS GROUP OF FOOTBALL PLAYERS" IF THIS WAS ANY OTHER TEAM IN THE FOX VALLEY THERE WOULD BE MULTIPLE WRITE UPS IN THE PAPER- BUT AS YOU SEE VERY FEW- YES WE PLAYED SOME WEAKER OPPONENTS- YES CLC WAS OUR HARDEST OPPONENT TO DATE- BUT STILL A WIN IS A WIN WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STANDINGS WHERE DO YOU SEE US-AT THE TOP- HOW WE GOT THERE DOES NOT MAKE A BIT OF DIFFERENCE- GIVE THESE BOYS SOME PROPS AND QUIT ARGUING ABOUT WHAT WAS WRITTEN IN A Q& A ARTICLE . PETTY SIMPLY PETTY- YOU CAN THROW FACTS AROUND ALLDAY TO SUPPORT YOUR VIEWS.

LETS AGREE ON ONE DYNAMIC THING GCHS RAMS ARE 6-0 PERIOD- OH AND MIKE STICKLER WHETHER YOU PROOF READ OR NOT WE KNOW EVERY WORD COMES FROM THE HEART WHETHER IT IS TYPED CORRECTLY OR IS GRAMMATICALY CORRECT. I LOVE READING YOUR STUFF IT MAKES ME SMILE.
TO ALL THE SENIORS I LOVE THE INTENSITY THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS ANOTHER ENJOYABLE SEASON

RAMS DEFENSE ESPECIALLY.
SINCE I HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO COACH SOME OF YOU IT MAKES ME VERY HAPPY TO SEE YOU BOYS SUCCEED( YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE)
COACH WHIT WOULD BE VERY PROUD OF YOU BOYS!!!!!

AND FINALLY TO KEVIN REYNOLDS ONE OF THE FINEST OFFENSIVE LINEMAN I HAVE EVER COACHED WHEN I SAW YOU ON THAT FIELD TONIGHT I COULD NOT HELP BUT GO BACK IN TIME TO YOUR FRESHMAN YEAR AND REMEMBER WHEN YOU TOLD ME YOU WANTED TO QUIT AND I SAID YOU ARE SPECIAL YOU HAVE SOMETHING AND I TOLD YOU TO GIVE IT YOUR BEST AND YOU WOULD GO TO COLLEGE AND PLAY, YOU DID AND BY SOME WEIRD CIRCUMSTANCE YOU GOT SICK AND NOW EVERY STEP YOU TAKE IS ANOTHER STEP THAT I SEE YOU BEING A LEADER- SHOWING THAT NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU IN LIFE YOU MUST KEEP FIGHTING AND EACH DAY BRINGS NEW THINGS INTO YOUR LIFE. I AM JUST SO PROUD TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COACH YOU AND THE MANY OTHER BOYS I SAW OUT THERE ON THAT FIELD TONIGHT

THANK YOU RAMS FOOTBALL PLAYERS-COACHES-PARENTS-BOOSTER CLUB AND FOOTBALL FAMILY(TOUCHDOWN CLUB) WITHOUT YOU DEDICATED PEOPLE WE WOULD BE NOTHING.
GO RAMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU MIKE MCGRAW FOR A WELL WRITTEN ARTICLE ON THE DAILY HERALD WEBSITE0 I JUST READ IT. THANKS FOR THE GOOD PUB!!!!!

THANK YOU MRS BABCOCK-MCGRAW FOR A GOOD ARTICLE ON JOEY V.
ALSO THANKS TO MAUREEN LYNCH FOR YOUR ARTICLE FOR MCHENRY SPORTS.COM

Just read them all. Good job Maureen, Tim, Patricia and Mike. Thank you all for coming out to cover the Rams' great start.