I think someone has posted something about this in another thread but I wanted to start another one to see what any of you Tilghman fans out there thought about the new alignment and how it will work out for Paducah. Their district is pretty weak under this new alignment, with the toughest opponent being Webster County, who is up and down every year. Then I look at all of class 3A and there are only three teams that stand out to me as contenders for a title but I can't tell how it lines up but I would think that Paducah would only have to be really challenged until they get to the title game and those teams are Highlands, Belfry and Russell. What do you guys think about this?

I would love for the Devils to play Paducah T . Coach Thomas would learn first hand why a member of the 2005 2a State Champs should have been on the Tn-Ky football team. Russell/Flatwoods is a long way from Paducah , so it' easy to tell very deserving eastern ky kids ( only public state champ ) and Coach McGlone - a Ky coaching legend , they don't have anyone who is good enough to be on the team that lost to Tenn.

Looking forward to welcoming Paducah T to 3A .... Bring your lunch ...

Wow, such animosity. Are you implying that Perry Thomas kept a Russell kid or two off the all-star team? Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't there a coaches' committee that puts together the roster?

Wow, such animosity. Are you implying that Perry Thomas kept a Russell kid or two off the all-star team? Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't there a coaches' committee that puts together the roster?

 

That was what was told to me last year when a player from the WKY area wasn't invited on the team. The pendulum swings both ways and I guess some ppl don't like it. :lol:

I was thinking when I first saw this that travel might be an issue for Tilghman, considering Webster, Union and Muhlenberg South are in the district, but a quick look at their current district shows similar travel. The only difference would be that the teams in their district right now are much more competitive with them (Hopkinsville-always; Madisonville and Hopkins Central-occasionally) and theoretically would have a larger fan base.

 

The positive of this alignment would be the seven open dates on the schedule. Perhaps Tilghman could get Mayfield, Graves, Marshall, maybe Calloway from the Purchase area on the schedule. Maybe Hopkinsville, Christian County, Henderson County, Owensboro...two or three of the traditional western Kentucky powers on the schedule. And maybe even squeeze in a game or two with teams from Illinois, Missouri or Tennessee.

 

The other positive is that they should annually contend for a trip to Louisville.

 

Finally...A question for westsider: What is the talent level like at Tilghman right now? I know they were annually a state title contender back in the 1980s and early 90s, but it seems like they aren't at that level any more. Is there a chance of their program slipping, losing players to the other area schools (Heath, Lone Oak, Reidland)? Is their enrollment dropping? Just curious.

I was thinking when I first saw this that travel might be an issue for Tilghman, considering Webster, Union and Muhlenberg South are in the district, but a quick look at their current district shows similar travel. The only difference would be that the teams in their district right now are much more competitive with them (Hopkinsville-always; Madisonville and Hopkins Central-occasionally) and theoretically would have a larger fan base.

 

The positive of this alignment would be the seven open dates on the schedule. Perhaps Tilghman could get Mayfield, Graves, Marshall, maybe Calloway from the Purchase area on the schedule. Maybe Hopkinsville, Christian County, Henderson County, Owensboro...two or three of the traditional western Kentucky powers on the schedule. And maybe even squeeze in a game or two with teams from Illinois, Missouri or Tennessee.

 

The other positive is that they should annually contend for a trip to Louisville.

 

Finally...A question for westsider: What is the talent level like at Tilghman right now? I know they were annually a state title contender back in the 1980s and early 90s, but it seems like they aren't at that level any more. Is there a chance of their program slipping, losing players to the other area schools (Heath, Lone Oak, Reidland)? Is their enrollment dropping? Just curious.

 

Even if the Tilghman plays up, they'll be traveling to Hopkins Central and Muhlenberg North. Their closest games being down the road @ Lone Oak and Calloway County. Not much of a change for Muhlenberg South and Webster, they are used to 1-3 trips to Paducah (Heath, Reidland, and Lone Oak) every year, and Union is right up the road from Webster. The talent level isn't the same as it used to be @ Tilghman IMO. But, they would be the perennial preseason pick to win the district if they played up or stayed. The only team playing up that would pose and of the slightest problem is Hopkins Central, and Lone Oak will fall off as soon as Haskins leaves (and I believe his grandson is a senior this year?).

I was thinking when I first saw this that travel might be an issue for Tilghman, considering Webster, Union and Muhlenberg South are in the district, but a quick look at their current district shows similar travel. The only difference would be that the teams in their district right now are much more competitive with them (Hopkinsville-always; Madisonville and Hopkins Central-occasionally) and theoretically would have a larger fan base.

All true.

The positive of this alignment would be the seven open dates on the schedule. Perhaps Tilghman could get Mayfield, Graves, Marshall, maybe Calloway from the Purchase area on the schedule. Maybe Hopkinsville, Christian County, Henderson County, Owensboro...two or three of the traditional western Kentucky powers on the schedule. And maybe even squeeze in a game or two with teams from Illinois, Missouri or Tennessee..

Tilghman already plays Mayfield and Graves County. Marshall County renewed the series with Tilghman a few years ago, then suddenly dropped them again before last season.

 

Over the last decade or so, Madisonville has been very reluctant to play Tilghman in football unless they have to. I don't know what Calloway would do, but they have had the opportunity in the past to add Mayfield to their schedule and declined. Under a new coach, they might have a different philosophy.

 

One reason Tilghman has gone out-of-state over the years is the reluctance on the part of other big schools in western Kentucky to play them.

 

Tilghman and Hopkinsville would keep each other on the schedule, I am sure. Tilghman is also in the middle of contracts with Warren Central and Henderson County.

Finally...A question for westsider: What is the talent level like at Tilghman right now? I know they were annually a state title contender back in the 1980s and early 90s, but it seems like they aren't at that level any more. Is there a chance of their program slipping, losing players to the other area schools (Heath, Lone Oak, Reidland)? Is their enrollment dropping? Just curious.

Enrollment-wise, Tilghman is about half of what it was 30-40 years ago, which is true for most independent school districts. If Kentucky stayed with four classes, Tilghman (as small as its ever been) would be right on the 2A-3A cutoff.

 

The numbers are down, and the talent (outside of the Casey-Cantwell-and-others group in 2003) is generally down from the late-80s, early-90s bunch ... then again, that was an exceptional run of talent for any school.

 

Tilghman isn't losing players to the other schools. The three county schools haven't been all that successsful in recent years, either.

The only team playing up that would pose and of the slightest problem is Hopkins Central, and Lone Oak will fall off as soon as Haskins leaves (and I believe his grandson is a senior this year?).

Haskins doesn't have a grandson on the team. His grandson is a few years away from playing high school football.

 

Haskins is at Lone Oak for a while. He may not coach long enough to coach his grandson, but I think he would like to leave him a decent program in which to play.

Haskins doesn't have a grandson on the team. His grandson is a few years away from playing high school football.

 

Haskins is at Lone Oak for a while. He may not coach long enough to coach his grandson, but I think he would like to leave him a decent program in which to play.

 

 

Hmmm like he did @ Graves and Ballard Memorial? Those are just recent. It's not that Jack won't leave them a decent program, he will. But, I don't see them over-achieving like they do now when he's gone. They will fall off JMO.

Hmmm like he did @ Graves and Ballard Memorial? Those are just recent. It's not that Jack won't leave them a decent program, he will. But, I don't see them over-achieving like they do now when he's gone. They will fall off JMO.

Haskins lives in Lone Oak. His daughters teach there and his grandchildren go to school there, and he's working for a supportive principal that he worked with at Ballard. I'll be very surprised if Lone Oak isn't his last coaching job.

I would love for the Devils to play Paducah T . Coach Thomas would learn first hand why a member of the 2005 2a State Champs should have been on the Tn-Ky football team. Russell/Flatwoods is a long way from Paducah , so it' easy to tell very deserving eastern ky kids ( only public state champ ) and Coach McGlone - a Ky coaching legend , they don't have anyone who is good enough to be on the team that lost to Tenn.

Looking forward to welcoming Paducah T to 3A .... Bring your lunch ...

 

Tilghman is already in 3A and I am sure they would give Russell all they wanted and more.

Tilghman's enrollment is just over 800 this year.

I think they will be a preseason top 4 team year in and year out in the new 3a.

Paducah Tilghman is one school that will benefit greatly from the move to six classes. A year or two ago, it looked like Tilghman might drop down to 2A in the four-class setup, but another surge upward in enrollment (and a few smaller schools adding football) looked likely to send them back to 3A.