I know for a fact that Raceland has been trying to get this game for years and Russell keeps turning it down! I think this game would be a wonderful both schools! They play in basketball why not football! They would make a kiiling off the games to!

I think parents should be parents, fans should be fans and coaches should coach. Just my 2 cents. IMO anybody that is second guessing what Coach V is doing these days doesn't know a lot about 1A football. He has put together an outstanding staff and the numbers are beyond impressive for a school of Raceland's size! The youth league seems to be very solid in the games I have seen them too. It seems as if they have a vison for their program and are executing the plan.

I understand being upset if your kid is getting knocked out of a spot but life isn't always fair. If you are getting it done on the field and in the classroom then there is no reason to worry. 1 or 2 big time athletes can be all the difference in the world in 1A. If you are too worried about not playing because you were beat out then you are in the wrong sport.

As for Russell/Raceland I think that would be GREAT for both communities but I think the Russell poster is being a little arrogant by thinking that Russell shouldn't play them if they have to play at Raceland. I doubt Russell's staff feel the same way.

:thumb: Spoken like a Champion, stick, Thanks for the support!!

OldRam,

All players on this year's team has been with the team during spring and most of the summer unless invovled in other sports. However, sometimes kids are allowed out to help get the numbers up so that a small school can compete. Bottom line about playing time, if you can play you play, as long as you are doing what is ask of you. Some kids work very hard and still are not able to get the playing time they want because someone is better at their position. High school is not JFL where everybody plays, but what I have seen from most coaches is those players that work hard are rewarded with playing time on special teams or whenever a game allows a coach to get those kids in. Coaching little league is different from high school, coaches job's are on the line.

I kind of felt this was the way things were. Thanks for clearing things up. Let's all remember that it is just a few days from kickoff so we need to give the kids our support and not distract from their concentration. The key word here is" KIDS" A big welcome to BGP LifeisFB,glad to have you here.

I know for a fact that Raceland has been trying to get this game for years and Russell keeps turning it down! I think this game would be a wonderful both schools! They play in basketball why not football! They would make a kiiling off the games to!

:thumb: It would be great for the gate.

I don't think it was arrogance by Devil58, it was logistics.

Maybe it wasn't arrogance but I'm not buying the no home field advantage thing. Would Russell go to Raceland to play 2 years with Raceland not coming to Russell?

About the playing time thing you also have to realize that recruiting kids out of the hallways is a HUGE part of being a High School coach. IMO that is one of the biggest things that seperates highly successful programs and programs that never get to that next level. You also have to realize that coaches usually have somewhat of a rule when it comes to this but things are usually handled on an individual basis. I know where I went to school a lot of kids worked on farms in the summer. If they didn't do their work in the summer then their families couldn't survive. There aren't many people I know that love High School football as much as I do but I know it's not the only thing on Earth (although it feels that way sometimes:)

Maybe it wasn't arrogance but I'm not buying the no home field advantage thing. Would Russell go to Raceland to play 2 years with Raceland not coming to Russell?

 

Not trying to be arrogant at all...Why does Raceland agree to play Ashland at Ashland everytime they play?? My point is if you agree to play at Ashland everytime, why not agree to play at Russell everytime for the same reasons...

 

We are aware of our problems keeping grass in the middle of our field...We've tried everything imaginable short of artficial grass..:confused: They water the field all spring & summer...It's the same problem I have on the top of my head... At least at Russell if you are on the track you are out of bounds...

 

They do not play soccer on the football field...Soccer has its own field and so does the JFL...

 

If Raceland had the facilities to hold a crowd as big as would probably turn out I would have no problem playing there...I love your new gym, it's great...

 

Actually, I'll attend no matter where they play...I was just trying to see if you would agree to the same arrangement you do with Ashland & if not, why??...

Not trying to be arrogant at all...Why does Raceland agree to play Ashland at Ashland everytime they play?? My point is if you agree to play at Ashland everytime, why not agree to play at Russell everytime for the same reasons...

 

We are aware of our problems keeping grass in the middle of our field...We've tried everything imaginable short of artficial grass..:confused: They water the field all spring & summer...It's the same problem I have on the top of my head... At least at Russell if you are on the track you are out of bounds...

 

They do not play soccer on the football field...Soccer has its own field and so does the JFL...

 

If Raceland had the facilities to hold a crowd as big as would probably turn out I would have no problem playing there...I love your new gym, it's great...

 

Actually, I'll attend no matter where they play...I was just trying to see if you would agree to the same arrangement you do with Ashland & if not, why??...

My comment about soccer being played on the field was based on the fact that during Spring track season there were soccer goals in each end zone, why, I do not know. I only know they were there. As for why Raceland plays at Ashland I can not give you the true answere only my speculation. One reason would be for the things you mentioned such as size of seating & parking. There has been a mutual respect between the folks of Raceland & Ashland for many years. Ashland has been a big influence in the way the Rams play football and do some of the things they do. Ashland has a top notch program and a storied tradition but has never let that stand in the way of trying to help out our program by giving us a scrimmage or schedule a regular season game. We have a great deal of respect for the Tomcat program so going to their house is a priviledge and our kids look forward to playing there each year. I do not think Raceland would ever agree to play Russell on their field every year & I certainly hope they do not. You may be out of bounds when you are the track at Russell but you may fall into a drain hole before you get there.

Like i said earlier Raceland has been trying to make this game happen for years! Its not Raceland who keeps turning it down its Russell! Abd for Racelands facilities they are improving ever so slowly! Rumor is that they are going to be getting a new press box and other things needed to up date the feild in the next couple of years!

Like i said earlier Raceland has been trying to make this game happen for years! Its not Raceland who keeps turning it down its Russell! Abd for Racelands facilities they are improving ever so slowly! Rumor is that they are going to be getting a new press box and other things needed to up date the feild in the next couple of years!

If it has to be home and home I would turn it down again.

If I were Raceland and Russell wouldn't come to my place then I'd find somebody else to play too. Really I feel the same way about Ashland other than Putnam is one of if not the best places to play in KY.

:thumb: :thumb: I agree cville, NO way would I ever agree to all games at Russell, if they would not go home and home then that is their choice and so be it. I personally would not play. By the way, loved the comment about the drain hole. :lol: Raceland had problems with that kind of thing for a while but never that bad I don't think. Now that the admin. at Raceland has invested in the "spray on" field turf before last season it has practically taken care of any of those type problems.

My comment about soccer being played on the field was based on the fact that during Spring track season there were soccer goals in each end zone, why, I do not know. I only know they were there. As for why Raceland plays at Ashland I can not give you the true answere only my speculation. One reason would be for the things you mentioned such as size of seating & parking. There has been a mutual respect between the folks of Raceland & Ashland for many years. Ashland has been a big influence in the way the Rams play football and do some of the things they do. Ashland has a top notch program and a storied tradition but has never let that stand in the way of trying to help out our program by giving us a scrimmage or schedule a regular season game. We have a great deal of respect for the Tomcat program so going to their house is a priviledge and our kids look forward to playing there each year. I do not think Raceland would ever agree to play Russell on their field every year & I certainly hope they do not. You may be out of bounds when you are the track at Russell but you may fall into a drain hole before you get there.

 

Do you really think that Ashland holds your football program in such high regard?? If you do, you do not understand Tomcat thinking...They scheduled you in the past as a favor to Bill Tom because he coached there and mainly because it gives them another GUARANTEED home game with good attendance because of the great following Raceland brings...If they really respected your program they would travel there to play you on your home turf...They feel they are doing you a favor by allowing you to play at Putnam...I guarantee you any year Raceland is on Ashland's schedule they mentally pencil a "W" next to that game...

 

What does a school the size of Ashland gain by playing you other than a potential big gate?? It's a no win situation other than that...The years that you beat them they were extremely embarrassed...They weren't bragging about how tough they played the mighty Raceland football program...The Ashland faithful were asking for Vic's head after those embarrassing defeats...

 

They only scheduled Fairview after the big turn around they've had in recent years and because they knew the Fairview faithful would turn out in huge numbers = Big Gate!! They felt they were doing Fairview a favor & the Ashland fans didn't respect Fairview...This was a team that had dominated Raceland in recent years...

 

I'm not trying to be argumentative...Raceland has a rabid fan base with as much pride, & more in some cases, as any program in our area...Anything I've been to at Raceland is always First Class...No one can take that away & I certainly would never try...If Ashland is the measuring stick you wish to use for justifying playing them at their place all the time you have to understand why more than a few Russell fans would expect the same consideration...Over the past 30 years Russell has arguably been the best football program in the area on this side of the river...Again, if Ashland is your measuring stick, Russell surpasses them by holding a 3 game advantage in head to head games over that time period...For Russell, like Ashland, the only true "win" in playing Raceland in football is the gate the game would generate...Most years the games would be fun to watch because of the grudge factor Raceland has toward Russell but the fact is, Russell would win at least 7 out of every 10 games...Over the last 10 years that number would be more like 9 or 10 out of 10...

 

I'm sure Russell would be willing to work out the same financial deal that Ashland does to always play at home...If Raceland would not agree I would not play ONLY because of the seating and parking at Raceland...Because of our district, we have to play too many teams that cannot provide enough seating for our fans...Why would we want to add another??

 

I hope we start playing because of the interest the game would generate in our area but unless Raceland adds more seating & parking the games would need to be played at Russell...

Do you really think that Ashland holds your football program in such high regard?? If you do, you do not understand Tomcat thinking...They scheduled you in the past as a favor to Bill Tom because he coached there and mainly because it gives them another GUARANTEED home game with good attendance because of the great following Raceland brings...If they really respected your program they would travel there to play you on your home turf...They feel they are doing you a favor by allowing you to play at Putnam...I guarantee you any year Raceland is on Ashland's schedule they mentally pencil a "W" next to that game...

 

What does a school the size of Ashland gain by playing you other than a potential big gate?? It's a no win situation other than that...The years that you beat them they were extremely embarrassed...They weren't bragging about how tough they played the mighty Raceland football program...The Ashland faithful were asking for Vic's head after those embarrassing defeats...

 

They only scheduled Fairview after the big turn around they've had in recent years and because they knew the Fairview faithful would turn out in huge numbers = Big Gate!! They felt they were doing Fairview a favor & the Ashland fans didn't respect Fairview...This was a team that had dominated Raceland in recent years...

 

I'm not trying to be argumentative...Raceland has a rabid fan base with as much pride, & more in some cases, as any program in our area...Anything I've been to at Raceland is always First Class...No one can take that away & I certainly would never try...If Ashland is the measuring stick you wish to use for justifying playing them at their place all the time you have to understand why more than a few Russell fans would expect the same consideration...Over the past 30 years Russell has arguably been the best football program in the area on this side of the river...Again, if Ashland is your measuring stick, Russell surpasses them by holding a 3 game advantage in head to head games over that time period...For Russell, like Ashland, the only true "win" in playing Raceland in football is the gate the game would generate...Most years the games would be fun to watch because of the grudge factor Raceland has toward Russell but the fact is, Russell would win at least 7 out of every 10 games...Over the last 10 years that number would be more like 9 or 10 out of 10...

 

I'm sure Russell would be willing to work out the same financial deal that Ashland does to always play at home...If Raceland would not agree I would not play ONLY because of the seating and parking at Raceland...Because of our district, we have to play too many teams that cannot provide enough seating for our fans...Why would we want to add another??

 

I hope we start playing because of the interest the game would generate in our area but unless Raceland adds more seating & parking the games would need to be played at Russell...

I am really amazed as how much you know why we do things at Raceland. Regardless of what you think, Raceland & Ashland do have a mutual respect for the other. It is far more than the Bill Tom era, I can assure you of that. As for the domination by Fairview, I will say that Fairview has had our number a few times but 5 wins in 80 years of football to me does not sound like domination. With the attitude of some (not all) of the Russell faithful that have posted on here I hope the Rams never play Russell. It is not a must for our program to schedule your almighty Devils. It would be great to play in your weak district though. I also find it realy hard to believe that Russell is the best football team in this area for the last 30 years. You have a right to your opinion but I as well as many others believe otherwise.

If Russell wants to play Raceland then don't use the cop out that their place is too small. Lawrence County used to have some GREAT battles (45-44... 3-0 etc) with Raceland and they never looked down their nose at the facilities at Raceland as a cop out to not play them at their place. If the game is that special then people aren't going to care to stand to watch the game.