Because of Nelson County dropping from 6A to 4A in the middle of the 2-year schedule cycle, necessitated by the opening of the new Thomas Nelson HS in August, the KHSAA took a rather innovative method to determine what games would be the Cardinals' district games for 2012.

 

They used the ping-pong ball machine — same one used for the Sweet 16 draws.

 

As a result, NCHS, which next year technically competes as a member of 4AD4 with Fairdale, Doss, Moore, Valley and Western, but will play none of these schools. Instead, the games that will determine their district record are:

 

Bardstown

LaRue Co.

North Bullitt

Central Hardin

 

Three of these four will be home games. Should make for an interesting season at NCHS.

I imagine those schools must be thrilled that they have no impact on Nelson County's seeding.

This seems like a really poor way of doing this. Anybody not know that Nelson was splitting except the KHSAA? Nelson could win a district and NEVER play a team in the district...laughable!

This seems like a really poor way of doing this. Anybody not know that Nelson was splitting except the KHSAA? Nelson could win a district and NEVER play a team in the district...laughable!

 

That scenario is obviously in play. But the scenario the KHSAA wanted to avoid was the musical chairs scheduling nightmare that ensued when Shelby County split and they tried to shoehorn SC and Collins into a 4A district. The ripple effect of that was huge, forcing two dozen teams to rearrange their schedule just weeks before that season started. While this scenario isn't ideal in the fact that NC won't be facing their districtmates at any point, it does limit the impact on teams that may have been forced to scramble around to fill open game slots otherwise had the KHSAA used the Shelby Co. approach.

 

In future situations such as this -- a team changing in class in the middle of a two-year schedule cycle -- look for the KHSAA to repeat the model used to handle the Nelson split.

In future situations such as this -- a team changing in class in the middle of a two-year schedule cycle -- look for the KHSAA to repeat the model used to handle the Nelson split.

 

While not necessarily fair, I'm of the belief that Nelson should have just rode it out in 6A again this season and then switched next year.

 

On the other hand, perhaps if you are in the process of opening a new school, that information should be in the hands of the KHSAA early so that school can be placed in a class/district that is fitting for where they will ultimately end up.

OR as said prior, the best way to handle this is no changing in class while in the 2 year cycle. It never "works" for anyone. Too many example of both merger and split show that it screws the whole shooting match up. If you are in a class you stay, just like Mercer got to when they merged only a few months before the season. Fair or not, district titles and the right to go to the playoffs should be decided by the stake holders, not a mix bag of teams. Those schools that are now "district games" for NCHS, other than a W/L, have no stake in the game when it comes to district contention. I understand it's not Nelson's fault, but the KHSAA saw this coming for several years, surely the incredibly intelligent folks up there could have done something better than ping pong balls out of a hat!

While not necessarily fair, I'm of the belief that Nelson should have just rode it out in 6A again this season and then switched next year.

 

On the other hand, perhaps if you are in the process of opening a new school, that information should be in the hands of the KHSAA early so that school can be placed in a class/district that is fitting for where they will ultimately end up.

 

That was part of the problem: The Nelson school system kept going back and forth on whether they were going to include juniors and seniors the first year and didn't finally settle the argument until late in the fall.

 

While this is not ideal, I don't know that there is any ideal situation for handling something like this. I do agree with Julian Tackett that this way at least limited the number of schools directly affected by the split and class drop.

What could have happened is Nelson could have just stayed in 6A one more year. No difference when Harrodsburg and Mercer merged and MercerBurg was 5A and beat up on all the small 2A schools.

That was part of the problem: The Nelson school system kept going back and forth on whether they were going to include juniors and seniors the first year and didn't finally settle the argument until late in the fall.

 

While this is not ideal, I don't know that there is any ideal situation for handling something like this. I do agree with Julian Tackett that this way at least limited the number of schools directly affected by the split and class drop.

 

The LEAST number of schools affected would have been to keep Nelson County in its current obligations for scheduling...

The LEAST number of schools affected would have been to keep Nelson County in its current obligations for scheduling...

 

True, but the KHSAA wanted to avoid situations such as the Mercer/Harrodsburg one as well as the Shelby Co. one.

What could have happened is Nelson could have just stayed in 6A one more year. No difference when Harrodsburg and Mercer merged and MercerBurg was 5A and beat up on all the small 2A schools.

 

1) The 6 class system didn't come into effect until 2007. When the merger happened it was in 2006, so Mercer actually had mid range 3A numbers.

 

2) Harlan County played 3A in '08 during their first season of merger (Cawood, Evarts, Cumberland); Harlan County stayed 3A because Cawood was 3A, but moved to 5A in '09. Amazing how that's forgotten about.

 

The only negative I see for Nelson is having to play Central Hardin as a "district" game. I, for one, would have thought it to be smart that the KHSAA make Marion, Mercer automatic district games since they are both 4A. Their 3rd district game could remain LaRue(3A, border school).

1) The 6 class system didn't come into effect until 2007. When the merger happened it was in 2006, so Mercer actually had mid range 3A numbers.

 

2) Harlan County played 3A in '08 during their first season of merger (Cawood, Evarts, Cumberland); Harlan County stayed 3A because Cawood was 3A, but moved to 5A in '09. Amazing how that's forgotten about.

 

The only negative I see for Nelson is having to play Central Hardin as a "district" game. I, for one, would have thought it to be smart that the KHSAA make Marion, Mercer automatic district games since they are both 4A. Their 3rd district game could remain LaRue(3A, border school).

 

If I remember correctly, didn't Harlan County simply play the schedule that was already lined up for Cawood that year?

If I remember correctly, didn't Harlan County simply play the schedule that was already lined up for Cawood that year?

 

Right you are. Same non district, same district, class, everything. I've always found it amusing how Mercer caught all the crap for playing in the 'wrong' class, when Harlan County's situation was identical.

Right you are. Same non district, same district, class, everything. I've always found it amusing how Mercer caught all the crap for playing in the 'wrong' class, when Harlan County's situation was identical.

 

I guess going 7-3 and getting routed in the second round of the playoffs tamped down some of the anger over Harlan County.

The difference here as compared to the Harlan Co & Mercer Co situations is that in each of those cases schools were closed in consolidation. Here you have a brand new school added to the mix & Nelson Co HS numbers for classification were not known officially until late in the process.