A Rivalry Game Years in the Making

 

Fans stood on the sidelines loudly yelling their support for their respective teams. On the field there were several hard hits as each team looked to gain an edge and impose their will. Both sides wanted it, that much was certain.

 

The scene was from the 7 on 7 event at South Warren High School when Greenwood and South Warren squared off against one another. Typically at the event Kentucky teams played Tennessee squads exclusively, but a shortage of teams from Tennessee led South Warren to play on that side, setting up a special rivalry preview of their regular season matchup. Things got a little…. heated. Greenwood won handily, but South Warren held back their starters, perhaps preferring to give as little as possible away. But you could still sense the intensity, a rivalry that has been building to the first matchup between these two teams on the field.

 

South Warren was formed primarily from Greenwood High School in 2010 to relieve overcrowding. South Warren had the benefit of brand new facilities, many of the best teachers that had been at Greenwood, and almost every single one of their varsity coaches. That includes Mark Nelson, who had at the time been head coach at Greenwood for nine seasons, since 2001. The previous year he had led the Gators to their first (and at this time only) regional title in school history, and their only double digit win total in school history. South Warren began their first year with only a freshman and JV program, preferring to ease into varsity the following year, when they would begin in 3A. Because of the 4 year alignment cycle, it was almost certain that by the end of the alignment South Warren would have a significant enrollment advantage over the rest of their 3A brethren. These were all advantages the Spartans enjoyed out of the gate, helping propel them to four victories in their first season and a spot in the regional finals their second year. They were advantages that had not been afforded Greenwood when they started. For while South Warren did not play varsity right away, Greenwood was heavily pressured to do so. They had few or no seniors on their first team and very little with experience, as those players elected to remain at Warren Central. Virgil Livers, an assistant at Warren Central did make the trip over, but they weren’t starting with an established head coach the way South Warren did. And within a year Greenwood was in a district with the likes of Bowling Green, Owensboro, and Warren Central. It took Greenwood ten seasons to get their first winning campaign, a feat that South Warren achieved in year two. South Warren won nine games last year alone. Greenwood won their ninth game in program history in their 60th game played – in their sixth varsity season. The only time they’ve won nine games in a season was the aforementioned regional title year in 2009. These comparisons have been made the past two years – loudly. Big brother was surpassed by little brother very quickly, but big brother feels that little brother was given much, much more while he had to scrap for everything. These two schools have already mixed it up in intense fashion in all the other sports. And Friday, the two brothers will butt heads for the first time on the gridiron. It is not to be missed.

Very good article. I do have one question: Was there alot of animosity between Greewood & Warren Central after Greenwood was formed? I don't recall hearing much about it at the time. Really appreciate the great job you are doing with covering South Central KY Football.

Very good article. I do have one question: Was there alot of animosity between Greewood & Warren Central after Greenwood was formed? I don't recall hearing much about it at the time. Really appreciate the great job you are doing with covering South Central KY Football.

 

I'm too young to know on that side, but my gut would say no. I don't think people perceived at the time the negative impact it would have on Warren Central long term in terms of the makeup of the school and financially, and Greenwood did not enjoy many advantages over Warren Central except in terms of newness of the facility (which at that time was dramatic - Central's building was 39 years old at the time). Athletically, Warren Central dominated Greenwood in almost every sport until basketball broke through in the mid-1990s. Greenwood has never really gotten on top of them in football - they've never won two straight against Warren Central.

Long term question, DF: Based on demographics what do you expect the status of Warren County's football programs to be like ten years from now? Why?

Very nice article. The game is going to be great and both sides have been looking forward to this game. No wonder bluegrass cellular picked it as there first battle of the bluegrass game for this football season.

 

As for if warren county football will drop off over the next ten years I don't believe it will i think it will only get better. The county has been experiencing growth and if it continues there shouldn't be a drop off. With the inter county games its only going to push each team to get better.

Long term question, DF: Based on demographics what do you expect the status of Warren County's football programs to be like ten years from now? Why?

 

I'm not DF but am from the area, and did play football there in the last 10 years.

 

I think WC, SW, and GW (Greenwood) will all be redistricted. The area of town where SW is located is absolutely booming, the side of town GW on is growing steadily, but the area where WC is located is pretty well established and is therefore stagnant. Where I lived went to WC before SW came along, now that the new school is there, I would now be going to SW if I were in high school today.

 

I actually talked to a teacher last night from SW, she told me the school is pretty much at capacity already. The school was built to relieve GW of its over-population, and provide room for some growth, but I don't think many within the community would have expected the growth out on Three Springs and Nashville/Elrod road that has occurred. These areas have been vastly developed within the past ten years and are becoming the "hot spot" for families to move to.

 

In my opinion, I think in the near future WC will get back the students it lost to SW, leaving SW with room to take on the students that are beginning to move in the areas I mentioned above.

 

With that being said, from what I have been told from someone close to the program, the feeder school into WC has seen a tremendous setback in its football program. Numbers are becoming a big issue.

 

I don't think the demographics will change much at all with what you are used to seeing from the county schools, with the exception of WC's issue with the middle school program. If this continues to be a problem, I think you would see SW as the top county school, with WC/GW/WE all seeing spurts of greatness.

I go a bit opposite on some of the things Jack mentions. I don't believe they will give anything back to Central from South Warren. The areas I consider most likely to be diverted would come from Greenwood, not South Warren. The school board knew the negative impact they were making on Central when they drew the lines, they did it anyway. I can't imagine they'd reverse course now, even with South Warren rapidly filling up. They want a flagship school, and they've got one in South Warren.

 

Possibly the most likely scenario I foresee is that they will in fact build yet another high school (Cemetery Road somewhere is the one I've heard rumored most). They'll divert Greenwood students there, perhaps even some East students. They'll move some from South Warren back to Greenwood. Central will continue to be ignored. Basically Warren County is playing a game of chicken when it comes to Warren Central. They know things are bad, they just pray it never gets so bad that the state comes in. Their own policies are dooming it. Greenwood hurt it bad. South Warren took another huge piece. And now the stigma surrounding them has gotten so bad that most people who can get away from it do. They can redistrict if they want to - those people will just transfer within the county system if allowed or to Bowling Green. I'm quite pessimistic about it all.

 

Long term question, DF: Based on demographics what do you expect the status of Warren County's football programs to be like ten years from now? Why?

 

As to this original question, I think Greenwood will remain in the same state they've been in, that being up and down years but by and large not having a tremendous amount of playoff success. If they can't get away from Bowling Green (and it doesn't look like they ever will), I can't ever pick them to go too far because they've never beaten the Purples. Warren East is basically untouched as they always have been, so what you've seen come before you will continue to see. Warren Central's problem is developing at the middle school level where the program is bleeding numbers. I'm hopeful that they'll pull a lot of those kids back in when they hit high school, and they'll have to or they may really take a drop. I do fear that Central's consistency as a program may have peaked. We may see them have off years a little more often. A positive for them is in 10 years they'll likely still be in 4A as they'll be after the next alignment, with programs that they've historically been able to handle just fine. And I do think that South Warren will be the jewel of the county if nothing changes. They've got a strong mix of Greenwood (big linemen) and Central (skill players) and support to boot.