Shelby Valley wasn't that long ago, guys.

Who is going to put on all these mid-season tournaments? The KHSAA has no involvement in the All A. Instead, a lot of individuals donate a lot of time and effort to make it happen. As far as I know, there is nothing preventing anyone from doing something similar for schools of other sizes.

I was just saying it'd be an interesting thing to see. I prefer a classless system and don't think the mid season tournaments would work out. Just thought it would be fun to see.

6 classes would be the way to go.

 

Participation trophies all around!!

Participation trophies all around!!

 

Actually there are more teams that play basketball, we need 7 classes at least.

One Class Today, Tomorrow and Forever!

I would be disappointed if they classify and have multiple state tournaments.

I'm going to ramble a bit, so here goes...

 

We don't need classes for basketball. It's fine just the way it is. Take it from a guy who graduated in a class of 44 many years ago in the only school in the county. My school's high school enrollment is 215 and has never been over 300. But we have been runner up twice in the region and if we ever do win the championship it will be one of the happiest moments in the history of our small county. The state tournament is a dream for all schools but it's especially a goal for all small schools. A class system would change all that and give us a watered down system. Ever wonder why the movie Hoosiers was so popular?

 

IMO the All A takes care of the small schools in their state tournament. However, the Sweet 16 is the Grand Prize and desire of all schools.

I'm really proud of Buckhorn, the neighbor school in the panhandle section of Perry County, 18 miles from my county seat in Booneville. Owsley and Buckhorn are very similar in size and culture, and both are tight knit communities with loyal fan basis. Their community is on cloud 9 right now. Pure bliss. They overcame a huge obstacle and won the 14th region and defeated much larger schools on their way to the title.

 

What makes it even more interesting is Buckhorn won the first of their 3 region titles in 1988 and had never made it out of their district in the history of their school until that year. They'd never played in a region and had been a school since the 1920s. But they've sure been on a roll since, competitive every year.

Good luck to the Wildcats in the Sweet 16.

And long live the single class state tournament!

The schools at the biggest disadvantages are in the Louisville and Lexington areas. It is not the small schools there who usually do the complaining.

 

My school is small (medium 2A) and has never made it to Rupp. I've never heard anyone here complain that it's unfair that there are a bunch of bigger schools in the region. I think our boys have an excellent shot next year (as they did this year) and if they do make it, it's going to be great. Much different than the All-A regional title that we've won before.

 

Small schools win their regions all the time. Some really small schools likely would never go no matter even in the All-A. Just the way that it is. Rather than complain go and build a program like Elliott has. They've built two different state tourney teams including one that was a state semi-finalist. They've been the most dominant program in the 16th the last ten years and they're one of the smallest schools. It wasn't easy. Both runs had kids that had played together for years, and were developed through excellent coaching at the youth levels and going out and finding good competition to get better against. In many ways Elliott has an advantage on most 16th schools because they don't have football due to enrollment and lack of interest. Many other small schools fall in this category. However, if they don't, I've always believed that basketball and football compliment each other greatly. Many schools in the state tourney each year verify that belief.

 

No sense in going to classes. We've seen one class work. How many kids in the state would even want to go to 2-4 classes? Doesn't that cheapen it? It's not football. A school like Paintsville while really good, likely would never have the amount of kids to play against Trinity or Male on the gridiron. If they could for one game it's doubtful they could survive a final three rounds of Bowling Green, Highlands and then a Trinity or Male.

 

Basketball takes a max of 15 and most get by playing 8-10 or so.

 

 

They don't have football, and have an excellent AAU program.