When you compare them to the other teams in the 4A alignment the only teams I see that has consistently played a schedule that you would call "Significantly Stronger" is John Hardin and to a lesser extent Collins. For all the buzz with South Warren their non-district schedule is exponentially weaker than what JC has played the past few years.

 

I don't disagree with this ATL, I just think JC has chosen to drive to Canada when all they had to do was go a county or two over and achieve what I think they were trying to do in the first place. In the playoffs, from my limited knowledge, I have not seen JC beat a team that I thought was ahead, even or just behind them. Until they do that, it's hard for a WKY person to really take them seriously deep in the playoffs.

It is a very fair point you make.

 

I guess the question there is can we say the same for anyone else?

 

Collins is the only program who I think beat a team of Championship stature they shouldn't.

 

John Hardin could never get over the Bowling Green hump, and South Warren has went back to back years entering as the favorite in the West only to fall short of Bowling Green.

I guess the question there is can we say the same for anyone else?

 

Collins is the only program who I think beat a team of Championship stature they shouldn't.

 

John Hardin could never get over the Bowling Green hump, and South Warren has went back to back years entering as the favorite in the West only to fall short of Bowling Green.

ATL, that really is the question. And I think it's pretty spot on. With some of the schools you typically consider to make a 4A run now gone and other good teams moving into the neighborhood, it's a new playing field and this will be the first year to play on it. There are favorites coming in, but like Graves County proved last year; if you get hot late and have a veteran team anything can happen and I guess that's why it's so interesting to keep up with.

It is a very fair point you make.

 

I guess the question there is can we say the same for anyone else?

 

Collins is the only program who I think beat a team of Championship stature they shouldn't.

 

John Hardin could never get over the Bowling Green hump, and South Warren has went back to back years entering as the favorite in the West only to fall short of Bowling Green.

 

I don't think I'd go as far as saying that South Warren was the favorite in back to back years. In 2014, no doubt they were the favorite for their region and their entire side. They fell one round shy. But in 2013 they weren't expected to be as good as they turned out to be, but even at that, entering the playoffs, most doubted them because of their schedule and I saw more than one have them behind Tilghman in their own region. I took a look back at a thread on here ranking the teams entering the regional round, and there wasn't a single person to put South Warren ahead of Tilghman. Which is to say nothing of Wayne County, which was likewise seen as above South Warren at that point (along with Lou. Central). Favorite for that year would be way too strong.

Article about One of several D1 prospects for SW.

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I don't think I'd go as far as saying that South Warren was the favorite in back to back years. In 2014, no doubt they were the favorite for their region and their entire side. They fell one round shy. But in 2013 they weren't expected to be as good as they turned out to be, but even at that, entering the playoffs, most doubted them because of their schedule and I saw more than one have them behind Tilghman in their own region. I took a look back at a thread on here ranking the teams entering the regional round, and there wasn't a single person to put South Warren ahead of Tilghman. Which is to say nothing of Wayne County, which was likewise seen as above South Warren at that point (along with Lou. Central). Favorite for that year would be way too strong.

 

Well said!

We should find out a lot about SW on August 22nd.

We should find out a lot about SW on August 22nd.

 

I was thinking the same thing about the young Bulldogs that evening.

4A has an interesting storyline with John Hardin and Johnson Central. Two strong hs football programs that couldn't get over the hump of the powerhouse programs in front of them.

 

I wouldn't be surprised to see 4 straight title games featuring both of these teams. I doubt there will be a year when at least one isn't in it.

No disrespect to South Warren but I think they have an uphill climb the next few years. If they want a ring, this year better be it. From what I am hearing John Hardin is getting ready to make a run in the next few years (probably beginning the run after this season). I know that this upcoming sophomore class is suppose to be above average so that may be able to help the Spartans win some games locally but apparently John Hardin has something special brewing in E-town.

 

I also think it is nearing time for South Warren to begin scheduling the Purples (not good timing). Last year 7th and 8th grade Purples team handled the Spartans fairly easy.

 

I am not a Spartan hater, my kid even goes there. Although you can still have a great year and not capture a championship I think their timing is pretty bad if in fact they were able to get to finals. Anything can happen in a ball game but I do not see them winning a title game in the foreseeable future.

I'm sure I read somewhere that Johnson Central was going to be very strong the next three or four years.

 

Should be interesting in 4A the next few years.

No disrespect to South Warren but I think they have an uphill climb the next few years. If they want a ring, this year better be it. From what I am hearing John Hardin is getting ready to make a run in the next few years (probably beginning the run after this season). I know that this upcoming sophomore class is suppose to be above average so that may be able to help the Spartans win some games locally but apparently John Hardin has something special brewing in E-town.

 

I also think it is nearing time for South Warren to begin scheduling the Purples (not good timing). Last year 7th and 8th grade Purples team handled the Spartans fairly easy.

 

I am not a Spartan hater, my kid even goes there. Although you can still have a great year and not capture a championship I think their timing is pretty bad if in fact they were able to get to finals. Anything can happen in a ball game but I do not see them winning a title game in the foreseeable future.

 

Why do they need to play the Purples? What's the point?

The team to watch in 4A East is.........Taylor County. I know there will be snickers and some gasps but Dudley will win there.

It's just odd for a small town like Bowling Green to not have the two largest teams/schools play each other. All other sports they play and compete against each other. Why not pigskin?

Well now, don't forget about a reloaded Collins team. Collins will be loaded with size and experience up front to go with along with speed and talent at the skill positions hiwever those kids will have to grow as the year goes on.

It's just odd for a small town like Bowling Green to not have the two largest teams/schools play each other. All other sports they play and compete against each other. Why not pigskin?

In every sport other than Football and Track, SW and BG are in the same District/Region, so they have to compete against one another. In track, BG a SW rarely run against each other due in part to BG not competing in as many track events as they used to and also due to just differences in meets each team chooses to compete in.

 

A large part of Football schedules are predetermined do to the Districts they reside. Seeing as how BG is 5A and SW is 4A, they will never meet during District play unless South moves up or BG moves down (Everyone please refrain from making this a discussion about school size....). Obviously there are still openings on the schedule that SW could schedule BG, and I anticipate they will in the coming years. But SW has done an excellent job building a Strong Football program,ms learned a lot from the mishaps of their predecessors (Greenwood).

 

1)SW did not field a Varsity team their first year.

2)SW has slowly scheduled a more difficult schedule every year.

 

When Greenwood was built, they did not do either of these things, and it did tremendous damage to their football program for years to come... One might say that they are STILL trying to overcome those years of being stigmatized as a Non-Football school. Yes they have had a year or two here and there of success, but I don't think anybody in Warren County would consider them a Football Powerhouse. They took beating after beating from BGHS, and it killed team morale as well as hurt them in terms of building interest in their program (Building interest makes more kids want to come out and play. It also motivates athletes to WANT to move into your school district).

 

When SW was established, Coach Nelson (Former Greenwood Coach) was all too familiar with these issues. He made wise decisions about the Football program, and the moves that need to be made to ensure it's longevity as well as its relevance in the State.... IMO none of these decisions can be questioned (That includes not playing BG) due to the rapid success of the program. And I think that will be reaffirmed this year when they move to 4A.

 

All that being said.... I would LOVE to see these two teams play! I think it would be a GREAT GAME! And this would be a perfect year for it to happen because BGs Seniors and SWs Seniors last played each in the State Semi Finals at Murray State in the 8th Grade where BG won.... So it would almost be like a rematch of that game.

 

In Conclusion, I wish both programs nothing but the best this year, and hope to see them BOTH in the State Championship!