Other than a few exceptions, the most successful schools in Ky. football have been successful for decades upon decades. You can have great "attitude and expectations" all you want, but the bottom line is for a community -- one that has not traditionally known success -- to totally invest itself in a program the way the Trinitys and Highlandses of the world are supported, it requires wins, and lots of them. Fans are fickle, and they need more than just assurances that "our plan is working" from the coaches. Therefore, the Trinitys and Highlandses of the world are able to sustain themselves, while the Grant Countys and Taylor Countys of the world just focus on other things where they might have more immediate success.

 

In other words, overnight sensations just don't happen in Ky. football, other than the immediate period following the class split. The same programs that have always dominated continue to do so, and will continue to do so, because they have the structure in place to ensure their continued success.

 

Honestly, isn't Boyle County the last real rags to riches story in Ky HS football? I'm not talking about somebody who's good for a year or two because of a good class coming through, but a program that can sustain itself even after the stud QB or RB graduates.

 

Oh, and don't forget the fact that most county schools were born out of consolidation of schools that didn't have enough people to field a football team. Some 40 years later, those consolidated schools, as a group, continue to struggle with football. Combined with UK's success in the '40s and '50s, it's why Ky will always be a hoops-first state.

 

Unfortunately, most rural schools cannot make football the center of campus life. Rural high schools face issues that the "traditional football powers" have never experianced. Do you think Beechwood or Highlands has to have a day care center on site FOR THIER STUDENTS? Do these schools have to educate students from rural poverty that don't typically place a high value on education? Do these schools educate students with SEVERE needs?

 

When the students walking in your front door are from families of college educated parents and/or you have the abilty to decline enrollments from students considered too challenging to educate, you have a lot of resources freed up to do other things, like making football the center of campus life!

Money is not the factor that you have to duplicate. It's attitude and expectations. Trinity players expect to beat everyone, they are expected to beat everyone, they know what is expected. You don't have to have money to win. Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.

 

It sounds easy, but it's not. You have to change the attitude of making excuses, to excepting no excuse.

 

I had this typed up last night but the site went on hold.

 

While I don't completely disagree that some programs aren't maximizing their potential, some ceilings are higher than others. Most kids at Trinity don't have to work, which leaves time to workout. Most kids at Trinity either have a vehicle or have a parent that is able to transport them to wherever they need to be. Most kids at Trinity have the money for a gym membership. Some even have personal trainers. Some go to camps and learn from college coaches....and so on and so on. All of this, along with a supportive community/coaching staff/administration...etc. is why Trinity is where they are.

 

In the end, to get to Trinity's level it takes money and a lot of schools/communities don't have it.

Unfortunately, most rural schools cannot make football the center of campus life. Rural high schools face issues that the "traditional football powers" have never experianced. Do you think Beechwood or Highlands has to have a day care center on site FOR THIER STUDENTS? Do these schools have to educate students from rural poverty that don't typically place a high value on education? Do these schools educate students with SEVERE needs?

 

When the students walking in your front door are from families of college educated parents and/or you have the abilty to decline enrollments from students considered too challenging to educate, you have a lot of resources freed up to do other things, like making football the center of campus life!

 

 

If Boyle County can do it then I don't see why anyone can't.

I had this typed up last night but the site went on hold.

 

While I don't completely disagree that some programs aren't maximizing their potential, some ceilings are higher than others. Most kids at Trinity don't have to work, which leaves time to workout. Most kids at Trinity either have a vehicle or have a parent that is able to transport them to wherever they need to be. Most kids at Trinity have the money for a gym membership. Some even have personal trainers. Some go to camps and learn from college coaches....and so on and so on. All of this, along with a supportive community/coaching staff/administration...etc. is why Trinity is where they are.

 

In the end, to get to Trinity's level it takes money and a lot of schools/communities don't have it.

 

It takes an attitude and culture change moreso than money IMO.

It takes an attitude and culture change moreso than money IMO.

 

Call Field Turf and see how much they'll put down for "attitude and culture". Just sayin...

 

That's a big part of it, too. The ability to have a solid practice, regardless of weather.

Conner already runs the same O that many schools do including T AND they have been for some time. T didn't invent the KY spread offense.

 

Having not seen Conner play since 06, I can't say whether it currently runs the same O that T does but I'll definitely take your word on it.

 

But I've seen a whole lot of Ky high school teams and none of them that I've seen run an offense as sophisticated as T does (including Highlands but we are moving in that direction). Running the spread is one thing; running the routes, having the route combinations and having the reads is quite another. I know Collinsworth was quite impressed with what he saw on tape of Trinity from an Xs and Os perspective. Beatty gets and deserves a lot of credit, but Coverdale is the genius behind T's O from what I understand.

Call Field Turf and see how much they'll put down for "attitude and culture". Just sayin...

 

That's a big part of it, too. The ability to have a solid practice, regardless of weather.

 

 

I hear you there but Boyle has Field Turf now and it wouldn't have gotten the financial support needed had Chuck Smith not changed the attitude and culture of Boyle County football back in 1992. Things were bleak back then and his facelift on the program came through affecting the minds on the field not the pocketbooks. The culture change came first, then the money. The attitude currently reflected from Boyle County football provides collateral.

 

It is always interesting to hear the fight over time on that Field Turf also. :lol:

 

Everyone gets to use it but the football team feels they should get Carte Blanche with the field because without the football team it would still be grass over an old farm pond.

 

It's a good point....but.....uh........yeah.

I had this typed up last night but the site went on hold.

 

While I don't completely disagree that some programs aren't maximizing their potential, some ceilings are higher than others. Most kids at Trinity don't have to work, which leaves time to workout. Most kids at Trinity either have a vehicle or have a parent that is able to transport them to wherever they need to be. Most kids at Trinity have the money for a gym membership. Some even have personal trainers. Some go to camps and learn from college coaches....and so on and so on. All of this, along with a supportive community/coaching staff/administration...etc. is why Trinity is where they are.

 

In the end, to get to Trinity's level it takes money and a lot of schools/communities don't have it.

 

Those are some very fair points and help explain why some programs don't do as well as Trinity. It doesn't justify why other programs do not.

I hear you there but Boyle has Field Turf now but it wouldn't have gotten the financial support had Chuck Smith not changed the attitude and culture of Boyle County football back in 1992. Things were bleak back then and his facelift on the program came through affecting the minds on the field not the pocketbooks. The culture change came first, then the money. The attitude reflected from Boyle County football provides collateral.

 

Don't completely disagree. Clearly Boyle had the ability but didn't take advantage. But find that money at Dayton High School.

If Boyle County can do it then I don't see why anyone can't.

 

Try competing in a class where there is no upper limit on enrollment. In 6A, you have to compete with schools that have nearly twice your male enrollment. Boyle County is an outlier. I'd bet though that are socio economic factors the differentiate Boyle county from other rual counties. As another poster has already pointed out, there has not been another rags to riches story since.

Conner already runs the same O that many schools do including T AND they have been for some time. T didn't invent the KY spread offense.

 

They perfected it.

Call Field Turf and see how much they'll put down for "attitude and culture". Just sayin...

 

That's a big part of it, too. The ability to have a solid practice, regardless of weather.

 

NewCath and Holy Cross don't have field turf. They are doing pretty well. Practice is what you make of it.

NewCath and Holy Cross don't have field turf. They are doing pretty well. Practice is what you make of it.

 

Never said it was a necessity. It's part of it.

 

And NewCath and HC are not Trinity.

Try competing in a class where there is no upper limit on enrollment. In 6A, you have to compete with schools that have nearly twice your male enrollment. Boyle County is an outlier. I'd bet though that are socio economic factors the differentiate Boyle county from other rual counties. As another poster has already pointed out, there has not been another rags to riches story since.

 

Maybe not but there has there been proper research as to why Boyle County is an outlier and no one else is? Money isn't the reason Boyle County is an outlier so it's hard for me to use money as an excuse as to why others can't duplicate that success. We still struggle with money to this day but we keep on keeping on. The blueprint for success was laid and we still follow it. Money is involved but you can find success without having it. No sport at Boyle has been as successful as football at Boyle so obviously money isn't the sole reason for success. I can't accept the money argument based on what I have seen from Boyle.

While I agree with Leatherneck's reasons for the most influential change, part of that is the KHSAA adopting spring football.