I am a HHS fan, but I'm not throwing this out there to gloat about how good HHS is. I am very curious to understand others thoughts on why teams shy away from playing HHS. Maybe that is just a perception we HHS fans have and that's not the case at all. Maybe HHS doesn't try to schedule the local teams. I really don't know. But it seems that there is a perception that others won't play HHS. Why is that?

 

I have some thoughts, but I'll wait to see where this goes.

Its the same at any level of sports, if you consistantly beat the snot out of other teams over a period of time, those teams will decieded its not in their best interested to play that team. You see it in all sports. Why schedule a none district game, that I have no change in hell of even competting with. Doesnt benifit either team to play the game so dont schedule it.

I think a better subject would be "Why does Highlands need to schedule NKy teams?".

 

NKy teams don't schedule HHS for the same reasons HHS does not fill its non district schedule with GCL teams.

 

I believe the dilution of the talent pool in NKy by the addition of programs like Cooper, Walton Verona and Brossart has reduced the competitiveness of a number of programs in the area. Note two of those programs are on Ryle's borders.

Highlands is in a curious place. They are the best team in Northern Kentucky by far so teams outside of their district must play them and others are wary to. Then again, Highlands and Trinity don't play in the regular season game which I have been saying for years is a natural.

 

The Birds aren't as good most years as the powerhouse GCL schools-so Highlands is in a tough spot of being way too good for other Northern Kentucky schools, and not as good as bigger powerhouse schools In Cincinnati. It must make scheduling for Highlands year in and year out a pain. Kudos to the teams that do schedule to play Highlands, and to Highlands when they slate Elder and the like.

I think a better subject would be "Why does Highlands need to schedule NKy teams?".

 

NKy teams don't schedule HHS for the same reasons HHS does not fill its non district schedule with GCL teams.

 

Highlands does play a GCL team every year. It would be stupid for them to play multiple GCL teams on a yearly basis. The Birds just don't have the size in number of big guys to compete against them 3 or 4 times a year..

Apparently in a few years they won't have a problem scheduling anyone. They'll be beating down the door for retribution.

Apparently in a few years they won't have a problem scheduling anyone. They'll be beating down the door for retribution.

 

Really??? What do you base that statement on? Curious to hear and see the reply to this.

Does HHS have a financial need to schedule NKy teams? If so, could part of the motivation be a conscious attempt to starve HHS of funding????

Highlands does play a GCL team every year. It would be stupid for them to play multiple GCL teams on a yearly basis. The Birds just don't have the size in number of big guys to compete against them 3 or 4 times a year..

 

 

About as "stupid" as expecting programs you can beat by 50 to line up to schedule dates!

1998 season, I would say is a major reason that teams stopped playing them. I know that a lot of coaches during that time had a major issue with Mueller personally. However, I would have to think that now it comes down to the fact that big schools just don't want to get embarrassed locally when they can schedule competitive games. Those are the only teams that would benefit Highlands annually, but they never seem to be able to put it together. 2 or 3 years out of 10 Highlands would get a game from Beechwood or NewCath that would be fairly competitive. Those other 7 would be large margins of victory. Not sure how beneficial that would be.

In the past some schools have suffered enourmous beatdowns (see Campbell County in last game they played Highlands giving up over 70 points). Whether it is intentional or unintentional why take that abuse. Same reason why Highlands does not schedule 3 GCL schools in the same season. Why take that abuse.

 

 

I am glad Campbell County is finally getting Highlands back on the schedule but I dare say if Coach Lickert was not our coach that would not be happening.

 

Who in Northern Ky. should schedule Highlands? No Class A or AA school with any sense is going to. That leaves 5A and 6A. Boone and Ryle have taken their turn at getting abused on the scoreboard by the Bluebirds so they have no interest at all.

 

Highlands is in a very difficult position when it comes to scheduling. But those at Highlands cannot ask schools to do something they are not themselves willing to do; that being expose themselves to a beatdown.

Easy.

 

Wins. Everybody looks for people they can beat or at least have a chance with. I get it.

 

But, Highlands isn't the only one that has trouble. Scheduling is the one thing that 6 classes has caused a major headache for.

 

In the old days with 4 classes, most everybody was in 6-8 team districts. What came with that? 5-7 guaranteed games, and typically there were 2-3 of those games that were "gimmies".

 

Not today......

 

I think that's one of the reason why you are seing a lot more 7-3, 6-4, 5-5 teams in all classes. A lot of teams with these records were 7-9 win teams before they made the change. (at least it seems to me that there are more of these type teams since we went to 6 classes, maybe it's just my own stupid rationale :confused:.)

And yes Mexitucky is correct. There are schools (Campbell having been one of them) that had a real problem with scores in the losses and the perception that they were having them run up on them.

Well, look at what Trinity has been faced with in the recent past. At least there are non-district teams in KY that will play Highlands. Over the last few seasons Trinity has not been able to schedule a single non-district KY opponent, and in fact has not been able to fill out a full 10-game regular season.

 

To answer the question posed in this thread, I am sure that most programs do not want to schedule a team if the chances of actually winning the game are very slim or nil. If Highlands keeps up what they have been doing against KY competition, I wonder if they will be forced to play KY teams like Trinity and St. X (which also have difficulty getting KY teams to play them, since they are so good every year) and out of state teams.

I have a good friend coaching at a private school near Buffalo, N.Y.

They have to travel to fill out their schedule because none of the local schools will play them.

They schedule St. Ignatius, St. Ed's in Ohio every year, they have been to Cincy for games at St. X,

and travel to Erie, Pa, Rochester, Syracuse & Long Island, NY to get games other than required league games.

 

It seems this is what Trinity has had to do the last few years & Highlands is in the same boat.

I'm sure that Pendleton, Harrison, & Holmes would not have them scheduled if they were not required for district play.

 

At this point in time, and for the past 10 + years, the Highlands program is that much better than the other NKY programs.

Until a program proves it is capable of competing, they have nothing to gain by scheduling Highlands, and honestly,

Highlands has nothing to gain by scheduling a team that can't push them.