Parking is awful at Hazard.

Anyone got a picture of Knott's gym?

 

 

 

 

Wish I could get the picture to load up automatically. You can see they have a nice hanging scoreboard with a view on all 4 sides. Horseshoe style gym with a lot of seating along one baseline, but it's elevated a few feet up from the floor so fans aren't right on top of cheerleaders, players, etc.

 

Really big and spacious. Always go there for the Mountain Classic, so I don't know what it's like for a regular home game, but I can imagine that it feels cavernous on nights when it isn't full.

 

Hard to beat in terms of old time atmosphere and all of that though. It's actually big enough that the bleachers along the sidelines are in two sections and there are letters painted on the wall above each section.

KCC's gym could possibly be the best gym in the region. I've not been to Breathitt's. Anyone have a picture of that one?

KCC's gym could possibly be the best gym in the region. I've not been to Breathitt's. Anyone have a picture of that one?

 

Don't have a picture but know that if it's the one they used to have that the roof/ceiling is a wooden dome type.

KCC's gym could possibly be the best gym in the region. I've not been to Breathitt's. Anyone have a picture of that one?

 

It is the best in regards to the the number of people it can seat, and there's really a great view of the game regardless of one's seating area.

The only negative I have with Knott's facility is there's only one entrance/exit road into their parking sections (unless they've built another one since the last time I was there, about 4 years ago). They can park a lot of cars but it's a LONG wait getting back on the main road. Everything bottlenecks at the lone exit route.

Other than that one issue I can't see any problems with the venue.

 

Perry Central can also seat a large crowd, probably about 500 less than Knott Central, have excellent parking and can get the cars back on the road quickly.

 

Powell County and Breathitt County have nice facilities, too, not as large of gyms as the above mentioned two but big enough to host the tournament. Powell has excellent parking and two different routes to get the vehicles back on the Mountain Parkway. Breathitt probably has the worst parking situation of the four venues but they always seem to manage to handle the traffic and get everyone parked. One might have to walk a distance but it works.

It is the best in regards to the the number of people it can seat, and there's really a great view of the game regardless of one's seating area.

The only negative I have with Knott's facility is there's only one entrance/exit road into their parking sections (unless they've built another one since the last time I was there, about 4 years ago). They can park a lot of cars but it's a LONG wait getting back on the main road. Everything bottlenecks at the lone exit route.

Other than that one issue I can't see any problems with the venue.

 

Perry Central can also seat a large crowd, probably about 500 less than Knott Central, have excellent parking and can get the cars back on the road quickly.

 

Powell County and Breathitt County have nice facilities, too, not as large of gyms as the above mentioned two but big enough to host the tournament. Powell has excellent parking and two different routes to get the vehicles back on the Mountain Parkway. Breathitt probably has the worst parking situation of the four venues but they always seem to manage to handle the traffic and get everyone parked. One might have to walk a distance but it works.

 

 

When it comes time for region, the only long ride home is one after a loss. Everything else is gravy.

When it comes time for region, the only long ride home is one after a loss. Everything else is gravy.

Lol.

True, but a loss stings even more when you have to wait an extended amount of time in a gym parking lot before even getting back on the highway to home.

http://bluegrasspreps.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=46490&d=1408814233

 

Nice lookin gym:thumb: with that said still looks like 5000 ppl is a stretch. Unless the pic doesn't do the gym justice. Not knocking it by any means just dosent look like 5000 will fit.

http://bluegrasspreps.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=46490&d=1408814233

 

Nice lookin gym:thumb: with that said still looks like 5000 ppl is a stretch. Unless the pic doesn't do the gym justice. Not knocking it by any means just dosent look like 5000 will fit.

You're correct in your assumption---the picture doesn't do justice to the size of the gym. It's big, and 5,000 is not a stretch. If you're ever able to see a game there you will know what I mean.

You're correct in your assumption---the picture doesn't do justice to the size of the gym. It's big, and 5,000 is not a stretch. If you're ever able to see a game there you will know what I mean.

 

This. Huge place. Clay County's gym is massive in terms of what high schools have but Knott County Central is on another level. Bleachers all throughout it. Feels like a smaller version of Memorial Coliseum (without the end zone being built up so far). When you are on one sideline, you can't really make out all the faces across the gym from you. That should tell you all you need to know.

 

When I took that picture, I wasn't all the way at the top of the corner section that you can see the perspective from. If I'd went to the other end of the horseshoe and taken the picture there when looking downward at the whole end zone seat that goes just as high as the seating you'd seen on the other side, it'd be more apparent how enormous the place was.

 

I can't imagine what the atmosphere in the place is like for a home game in the middle of December that no one is up for would be like.

 

In terms of gyms, it's the biggest high school venue that I've been in if we're talking ones that regularly hosts games. That includes any of the teams in the 13th that have the regional rotation (sans Harlan County, which I haven't been to, but including Cawood, Clay County, Whitley County, Bell County, or any of the other schools that have hosted... is also bigger than Perry County Central, Scott County, Henry Clay, Lexington Catholic, Tates Creek, Dunbar, Lafayette, LCA, or any of the other 11th schools that I've been to but might have forgotten.

 

Maybe it's just when you get in there, the openness of the architecture makes it seem as such, but for my money, with no chair backs to be found, I'd say that if I had to pick a place out of everywhere I'd been to try and break a regular season attendance record, that Knott County Central would be my first choice.

It use to hold 5,500 due to some construction to provide for handicap access they took out a few rows of seats on one side. Its the top high school only gym in KY. in my opinion and I played or coached in a lot of places.

I agree with polarbear: if the 5,000 number is accurate, that picture certainly doesn't do it justice. I was at least expecting a railing halfway up all the way around...dividing an upper section from a lower section.

I agree with polarbear: if the 5,000 number is accurate, that picture certainly doesn't do it justice. I was at least expecting a railing halfway up all the way around...dividing an upper section from a lower section.

 

Agreed I was expecting upper and lower levels. The Fieldhouse is also a horseshoe design with two levels and if needed the stage has several rows of bleachers. I guess I was expecting it to somehow mirror the Fieldhouse :idunno:

KCC's gym goes on up behind where the picture was taken and all the way to the wall on the left hand side.

The big issue with KCC is not so much parking as the way that incoming traffic is allowed to enter the area after a game. There is a public road that goes up by the football field and I suppose that it is impossible to restrict traffic into that area. However, I have seen parent after parent try to squeeze down into the parking lot after a game to pick up someone and it completely plugs up everything. If the police would position themselves at the top of the hill and refuse to let anyone down the hill I believe there could be two lanes of traffic flowing pretty well out of there.