Why does FPS get to set rules limiting a child's ability to play a sport, in addition to what the governing body they agreed to participate under, has in place? They don't like losing kids to a school that was doing things better, athletically, than a lot of their schools. That's a FPS problem, not a LCA/LexCath problem.

 

Great lesson for the kids. If someone is better than you, figure out a way to bring them down to your level instead of getting up to their level.

 

They don't get to set rules for transfer. They can enter a private agreement about who they schedule though, and past playing mandated KHSAA games such as district games, postseason play, etc., then the publics can decide that they do or don't want to schedule them based on that.

 

Just like the publics can't mandate rules, Lexington Catholic and Lexington Christian can't make teams schedule them (the KHSAA can for examples like I mentioned though).

They don't get to set rules for transfer. They can enter a private agreement about who they schedule though, and past playing mandated KHSAA games such as district games, postseason play, etc., then the publics can decide that they do or don't want to schedule them based on that.

 

Just like the publics can't mandate rules, Lexington Catholic and Lexington Christian can't make teams schedule them (the KHSAA can for examples like I mentioned though).

 

Come on. The only reason LexCath and LCA entered into the agreement was to keep them from spending a ton of money traveling everyday of the week. No, FPS didn't set the rules for transfers but they were going to hamstring the two schools they couldn't keep up with by entering into a silly agreement so they have a chance. Pathetic, IMO.

Come on. The only reason LexCath and LCA entered into the agreement was to keep them from spending a ton of money traveling everyday of the week. No, FPS didn't set the rules for transfers but they were going to hamstring the two schools they couldn't keep up with by entering into a silly agreement so they have a chance. Pathetic, IMO.

 

Hamstringing schools?

 

Would that be like having some of the better players in your feeders that your staff has identified and had the coaches working with transfer out before their freshman year?

 

Would it be like kids like Vee Sanford leaving Lafayette when he's in high school, or Jalen Beckham coming right before his freshman year and bringing his brother who had already played at Station? That kind of hamstrung or is it a different kind?

 

I think it's equal parts "protect ya' neck" and wanting to level the balance of power out some as it is trying to hamstring them.

Catholic is always a well coached team. They make good adjustments. If they Lexington-Fayette Publics feel like their best chance at beating them is leaving it to a one-and-done where it's the postseason, the intensity is ramped up, and there's a good chance you haven't faced one another, then I don't know that you can really blame them for thinking it's their best route.

 

I think it's fair to say that some of Catholic's kids would be rattled by the intensity, athleticism, and toughness that some of the city school kids might have, especially ones who might have a bit of a chip on their shoulder and really try to bring it against Catholic. For them, because of the travel restrictions that most Louisville schools have and the fact that Catholic already schedules teams of the caliber of your Holmes', Warren Central's, Mason County's, etc., then they just aren't going to be able to fill out a schedule with teams that can replicate some things that the Lexington-Fayette Publics are going to be able to do.

Hamstringing schools?

 

Would that be like having some of the better players in your feeders that your staff has identified and had the coaches working with transfer out before their freshman year?

 

Would it be like kids like Vee Sanford leaving Lafayette when he's in high school, or Jalen Beckham coming right before his freshman year and bringing his brother who had already played at Station? That kind of hamstrung or is it a different kind?

 

I think it's equal parts "protect ya' neck" and wanting to level the balance of power out some as it is trying to hamstring them.

 

If they committed recruiting violations, report them. If not, it's hearsay.

 

Yes, hamstring them by making a kid sit a year if deemed a legal transfer by the KHSAA (or not at all considering they weren't even in HS) OR making sure they have to cover the cost for extra travel for regular season games.

 

Transfers happen every year to all kinds of schools. If they are deemed eligible by the KHSAA then they are eligible, period. Regardless of what FPS thinks.

Its pretty evident that the overall talent is down in the Lex Cath athletic department. Its pretty evident that it is because some of the kids who used to transfer to Catholic for athletic reasons (against the rules) are not coming any more. Its pretty evident that Catholic dropping the agreement will get the pipeline of kids transferring for athletic reasons (against the rules) flowing again.

just looking @ the numbers from the last 6 years

 

Lexington Catholic vs. the 5 city schools 2009-2014

 

Boys Basketball 25-11

Girls Basketball 19-15

Boys Soccer 11-15-2

Girls Soccer 24-6-2

Volleyball 3-25

Baseball 30-11

Softball 15-22

Football 4-2

 

Football is 45-19 since 2009 for a .703 winning percentage to date. Their winning percentage over the last 17 years of available info on KHSAA scoreboard was .701, only major difference? the two state titles they won in 2005 & 2007. I am sure that the overall winning percentage would be much higher over the 17 year span but there were also 20 forfeits included into the stats.

 

LCA vs. the 5 city schools 2009-2014

 

Boys Basketball 12-23

Girls Basketball 11-21

Boys Soccer 5-20

Girls Soccer 16-14

Volleyball 5-34

Baseball 31-31

Softball 4-33

 

Football, no head to head games against FCPS teams, they have played in F/JV games, BUT since their 2009 championship season going 14-1, they are a combined 28-31 to date over the last 5 seasons.

If they committed recruiting violations, report them. If not, it's hearsay.

 

Yes, hamstring them by making a kid sit a year if deemed a legal transfer by the KHSAA (or not at all considering they weren't even in HS) OR making sure they have to cover the cost for extra travel for regular season games.

 

Transfers happen every year to all kinds of schools. If they are deemed eligible by the KHSAA then they are eligible, period. Regardless of what FPS thinks.

 

 

I don't care if they committed violations or not. I'm the guy whose all for transferring and a free market.

 

I follow the 11th closely. It's not hearsay for me to make a statement like Vee Sanford left Lafayette, the Beckhams left Bryan Station, that some kids went back to Bryan Station when Flener and some of his assistants left and they had a solid run, etc. Sorry, those are just facts.

 

Hamstringing Lexington Catholic with the cost argument is laughable. I'm sure their wallets aren't hurting. Yes, it will hurt them because they will only see the teams once and Lexington Catholic is usually well coached and makes solid adjustments, but I'd imagine they could afford to travel to Louisville for every game they played and still have a bigger operating budget than most any other school wanting to boycott them.

 

No one is saying the FPS can or cannot deem someone eligible. I'm just saying that they can schedule whoever they want.

 

Plenty of teams in regions, especially when they are the #1 and #2 contenders for the regional title, won't schedule one another. Some coaches would rather play it in a one-off and don't want to tip their hands. If that's their strategy, why fault them for it?

 

Let's also not forget that some of the high profile transfers that have left Lexington Catholic also get protested pretty hard in lots of different ways. I always think it's odd that Lexington Catholic raises the hell it has historically when the shoe falls on the other foot in regard to transfers.

 

Here are some names that have left Lexington Catholic: Jaylen Beckham (Bryan Station), Rodney Haddix (Scott County), Joe Harden (Henry Clay), Larry Morton (Dunbar/Bryan Station). Funny how all of those kids had some real difficulties getting eligible (if they even got eligible) when they chose to leave Catholic. I wonder if they had those same troubles getting eligible at Lexington Catholic??? Hmmmm....

 

I'm a fan of the 11th as a whole, but I can say that schools deciding not to schedule a team with more resources and advantages that they don't have wants to take your kids, but will fight the hell out of it if they ever decide to come back, regardless of whether or not they'd have even helped Catholic.

I don't want this to be taken as me hating on Catholic. I'll say this: you can send your kids there and they will have the opportunity to get a quality education. I don't blame parents when they want to send their kids there. If they make the choice to transfer, then let them play. You can't make the Lexington Publics play them if they don't want to though. I'm sure Catholic has turned down teams who wanted to play them, and this is really no different.

 

I've said for awhile that I thought Catholics feeders were drying up of the talent that they used to get at some of your lower levels, and said so for a variety of reasons. I've heard people say that it was partly administration/admissions, partly Lexington Christian Academy (I could see kids like Taylor Barnette, Matt Rose, Tre' King, Branden Burdette, etc. having gone to Lexington Catholic if you could put things in a vacuum and go back to a time when LCA wasn't open or nearly as big as it was), some different things. I don't think they make the move to get out of the agreement if things were like they were in Haney's last days there when no one played them but they still crushed everyone anyway.

 

Lexington Catholic has been one of the most successful teams in the 11th. They have their system and they run it with surgical precision. They're always well-coached and disciplined. I'm not going to call them the Evil Empire or anything like that.

 

 

Here's the worst I can say about Catholic:

 

• I wish that their regional game against Bryan Station during Mack's senior year wasn't "pretty bad" when we're talking about the calls (and that's in the words of more than a few people... I think there were 5 T's on Station, including one on Mack, who I don't think is a guy whose gotten many, if any at all, during his career after).
  
• 
  
• I think their students are really supportive, but sometimes cross the line with chants like "where's your Dad at?".
  
• 
  
• It may not be the fault of the coaches, but I wish they didn't protest transfers so hard when a kid wanted to leave. I really doubt Rodney Haddix would have been "failing" if he had decided to stay, but I also know the've disciplined some really good players (Duma Green comes to mind), so maybe that's unfair of me. When it's a a move like that which can throw a real wrench in a kid's career, it's something where I'd prefer to err on the side of caution, especially when he's no longer in your program. Personally, I'd think hard about if I had a child who had the potential to be a college player and we needed to decide on a school, not because I'd be afraid of my child failing, but that I'd be afraid there'd be backlash if it wasn't working and a change of scenery was best for all.

 

 

I'm not trying to be a hater. Past those, most of which have long passed, I have nothing bad to say about Lexington Catholic. Great school. Top notch education. Good facilities. Well coached. Disciplined. Play hard. I understand why people would want to send their kids there. I have no problem with parents choosing to do that if that's their choice. If people send their kids there, I hope they get eligible. All good. Still, you can't make someone who doesn't want to play them put them on the schedule past what's already mandated.

I don't care if they committed violations or not. I'm the guy whose all for transferring and a free market.

 

I follow the 11th closely. It's not hearsay for me to make a statement like Vee Sanford left Lafayette, the Beckhams left Bryan Station, that some kids went back to Bryan Station when Flener and some of his assistants left and they had a solid run, etc. Sorry, those are just facts.

 

Hamstringing Lexington Catholic with the cost argument is laughable. I'm sure their wallets aren't hurting. Yes, it will hurt them because they will only see the teams once and Lexington Catholic is usually well coached and makes solid adjustments, but I'd imagine they could afford to travel to Louisville for every game they played and still have a bigger operating budget than most any other school wanting to boycott them.

 

No one is saying the FPS can or cannot deem someone eligible. I'm just saying that they can schedule whoever they want.

 

Plenty of teams in regions, especially when they are the #1 and #2 contenders for the regional title, won't schedule one another. Some coaches would rather play it in a one-off and don't want to tip their hands. If that's their strategy, why fault them for it?

 

Let's also not forget that some of the high profile transfers that have left Lexington Catholic also get protested pretty hard in lots of different ways. I always think it's odd that Lexington Catholic raises the hell it has historically when the shoe falls on the other foot in regard to transfers.

 

Here are some names that have left Lexington Catholic: Jaylen Beckham (Bryan Station), Rodney Haddix (Scott County), Joe Harden (Henry Clay), Larry Morton (Dunbar/Bryan Station). Funny how all of those kids had some real difficulties getting eligible (if they even got eligible) when they chose to leave Catholic. I wonder if they had those same troubles getting eligible at Lexington Catholic??? Hmmmm....

 

I'm a fan of the 11th as a whole, but I can say that schools deciding not to schedule a team with more resources and advantages that they don't have wants to take your kids, but will fight the hell out of it if they ever decide to come back, regardless of whether or not they'd have even helped Catholic.

 

Regardless of your opinion, the bolded is one of the reasons for the agreement.

 

And I'm not saying the kids transferring is hearsay. I'm saying the recruiting violations are. If everyone has such incriminating evidence, report them.

 

As for the second bolded, you're talking coaches strategy vs an agreement drawn up by school admins. Two completely different things.

 

No other way to put it but you are reaching and attempting to justify an agreement drafted by the FPS that is doing nothing more than attempting to "level the playing field" in athletics, by bringing someone down instead of building themselves up.

Morton didnt leave Lexington Catholic to go to Dunbar. He attended Beaumont & played up @ Dunbar as an 8th grader. Never actually attended Dunbar, enrolled @ Catholic, then left LexCath & finished out @ Station.

 

very good discussion all around on this everyone.

Here are some names that have left Lexington Catholic: Jaylen Beckham (Bryan Station), Rodney Haddix (Scott County), Joe Harden (Henry Clay), Larry Morton (Dunbar/Bryan Station). Funny how all of those kids had some real difficulties getting eligible (if they even got eligible) when they chose to leave Catholic. I wonder if they had those same troubles getting eligible at Lexington Catholic??? Hmmmm....

Jaylen Beckham-Left Lexington Catholic and enrolled at St. Benedicts in New Jersey, bounced around to several preps schools before coming back to Bryan Station, that was the hold up, not LC

 

Joe Harden-Left Tates Creek to enroll at Lexington Catholic and left LC and enrolled at Henry Clay and was eligible immediately due to Henry Clay offers classes he needed for a learning disability he had

 

Larry Morton-Played at Dunbar as an 8th grader, transferred to Lexington Catholic as a Freshman, sit out due to the agreement with Fayette County, transferred after his freshman year to Bryan Station and played

 

I can not comment on Rodney Haddix as I am not 100% sure what that situation was

I wish that their regional game against Bryan Station during Mack's senior year wasn't "pretty bad" when we're talking about the calls (and that's in the words of more than a few people... I think there were 5 T's on Station, including one on Mack, who I don't think is a guy whose gotten many, if any at all, during his career after).

 

There was only 1 technical foul, on Terrell Combs in the first half, fouls were Lexington Catholic 18, Bryan Station 16, Free Throws were LC 15 and Bryan Station 14, the reason Lexington Catholic won was because they handled the Bryan Station pressure and shot the ball well. Final score was 79-63, and was over 20 most of the game

Curious why you think transfers into LexCath should have to be considered different then transfers out Joker, if Catholic has to sit them out for a year then they have to sit out a year after transferring away, that's why its the rule. The transfers into Catholic that you mentioned; Sanford, Seth Beckham, and Larry Morton all sat out the required year for transfers. As mentioned above Morton never played a minute for LexCath and had no problems getting eligible at Station. I'm sure sitting out years at Lexington Catholic hurt their athletic careers but that's the rule.

 

I don't even know what you're saying about Catholic protesting these other transfers so hard and causing them to miss years. That's the rule isn't it? Why is the rule different for kids leaving LC? Not only that but your basic facts on the cases you presented are wrong.

 

Jaylen Beckham- Transferred from LexCath over the summer before his senior year, he then attended St. Benedict's Prep in New Jersey, left St. Benedict's for Huntington Prep in WV, and then left for disciplinary reasons to attend Bryan Station. All those schools in 1 year. He sat out until January of his senior year as that was the time when he transferred back from Huntington Prep as a junior.

 

Rodney Haddix- Never even enrolled at Lexington Catholic. His situation has nothing to with the Knights. Long story short, he repeated his 8th grade year at a Catholic school in Georgetown. This made him ineligible for his senior season at Scott County. http://bluegrasspreps.com/ky-football-high/scott-countys-rodney-96744.html here's the thread about it.

 

Joe Harden- here's a link I found that details the situation nicely Former UK athlete sues board The part that's relevant to the situation "said Haney, who did not contest the transfer"

 

Larry Morton- Was never ineligible at Bryan Station. Sat out the one year he was at LexCath.

 

Only basketball transfer that I'm aware of for LexCath that had to sit out because of Catholic was Eric Trigg but this was after the agreement with the FPS. I do know that for LexCath football the couple transfers to the program since I've been here that played varsity (only 2) had to sit out the year. I do know of a three situations where kids left LC's football program and were eligible after playing varsity.

 

Joker, don't get me wrong I love your posts but you'll need to use examples that are actually true if you're going to paint LexCath as some school that is vindictive against transfers away from the school. They actually seem to be the opposite from the facts I've presented and from what I personally know they are the opposite.

I wish that their regional game against Bryan Station during Mack's senior year wasn't "pretty bad" when we're talking about the calls (and that's in the words of more than a few people... I think there were 5 T's on Station, including one on Mack, who I don't think is a guy whose gotten many, if any at all, during his career after).

 

There was only 1 technical foul, on Terrell Combs in the first half, fouls were Lexington Catholic 18, Bryan Station 16, Free Throws were LC 15 and Bryan Station 14, the reason Lexington Catholic won was because they handled the Bryan Station pressure and shot the ball well. Final score was 79-63, and was over 20 most of the game

 

 

Thought I'd read in the Herald Leader that there were a total of 5 techs in the game (2 on Ligon, 2 on Combs, and 1 on Mack). I could be wrong on that. Can't find an archive for the game now. If I'm wrong on that, then my apologies, and I stand corrected.

 

I think you've seen a different account of the game than the one I heard. Station was called for touch fouls all night while Catholic got away with murder was the narrative I was given by a few people whose opinions on the game I really respect. I was also told that the foul difference came late when Catholic was already ahead. I'll go to the grave believing that based on what I was told and who was telling me, especially since they were independent accounts coming from people who hadn't heard one another's stories and most didn't really have anything to gain by making it up or anything like that.