Is your school a football or basketball school?

[StrongSide]

They are good at every sport.

 

:laugh:

[ATLCat]

Yes he did. Late 80s early 90s. Raymond Jr had some great teams at Belfry.

 

Just my humble opinion, but as someone who played on Justice's last Belfry team, I honestly think that the lack of competitiveness for all these years can be attributed to making a move away from Justice that may have been premature.

 

Justice took Belfry to the Regional Finals my Freshman year and only lost to a great Paintsville team in a hard fought game. Belfry had high expectations the next year and laid an egg against an absolutely brutal schedule. The KHSAA listing for that year is actually incorrect as I remember specifically going to Madison Central against Marquise Estill and Kenneal Jenkins and losing in a game I got dunked on by Jenkins. We also went to Mason County and lost to I believe Fleming County and it is not shown, I also want to say we lost to Lafayette in the AIT. But I digress...

 

Long story short, Belfry only won a handful of games and it coincided with longtime Williamson, WV Head Coach David Hatfield being interested since his daughter was at Belfry so Belfry made the move for Hatfield. I loved Coach Hatfield and he is a great man, but I honestly think if Justice had that Belfry team 1999/2000 team he would have had a lot a ton of success and would have been able to weather the storm for several more years with "good, but not great" type of teams that would have won Disirct Titles and a Regional Tourney Round or Two here or there.

 

Hatfield was in the twilight of his coaching career and I don't think he had the passion or "want to" that Justice would have had. They were two totally different styles of coaches and just speaking personally I felt like myself and the guys in my graduating class would have best responded to the aggressive disciplinarian style of Justice a little better.

 

It also then begs the question that if Justice could have held on a little longer at Belfry and Cameron Justice came up through the system what kind of lasting impact would that have made? I remember watching little Cameron shoot hundreds of shots on his little Playskool goal during practice on the end line.

[Oldercoach]

Beechwood is a Football (and Baseball) School.

 

Basketball has always been an afterthought.

 

Please be sure to list what school you are talking about.

 

Band might be ahead of baseball.

[mexitucky]

Historical success (i.e. state championships) NewCath is a baseball school. Recently, NewCath has been a mix of basketball and football. Both have ebbed and flowed together since at least the mid 70s.

[theguru]

Band might be ahead of baseball.

 

I can tell you, the Band outranked the Football Team when I went to Beechwood. They could use the football field all the time, we could not. Bottom line is the Band used to tear the football field up and wear abstract patterns into it.

[Randy Parker]

I would say Bracken County is a basketball school, although football excitement really increased this season.

[Oldercoach]

Band might be ahead of baseball.

 

Beechwood's band was State Champs 6 of last 7 years, with approx. 25% of all HS students participating. Band competitions have larger crowds than most basketball games, both home and away. Great program at an awesome well rounded educational experience at an academic and football school.

[Oldercoach]

I can tell you, the Band outranked the Football Team when I went to Beechwood. They could use the football field all the time, we could not. Bottom line is the Band used to tear the football field up and wear abstract patterns into it.

Your sounding more like a guy from my generation. My first year of coaching, we too had conflicts with band director, and we weren't very good. He showed us by having his season's show titled..."Bridge Over Troubled Waters". Still hate that song.

 

Isn't that BW artificial turf complex an awesome solution?

[CBDV]

Just my humble opinion, but as someone who played on Justice's last Belfry team, I honestly think that the lack of competitiveness for all these years can be attributed to making a move away from Justice that may have been premature.

 

Justice took Belfry to the Regional Finals my Freshman year and only lost to a great Paintsville team in a hard fought game. Belfry had high expectations the next year and laid an egg against an absolutely brutal schedule. The KHSAA listing for that year is actually incorrect as I remember specifically going to Madison Central against Marquise Estill and Kenneal Jenkins and losing in a game I got dunked on by Jenkins. We also went to Mason County and lost to I believe Fleming County and it is not shown, I also want to say we lost to Lafayette in the AIT. But I digress...

 

Long story short, Belfry only won a handful of games and it coincided with longtime Williamson, WV Head Coach David Hatfield being interested since his daughter was at Belfry so Belfry made the move for Hatfield. I loved Coach Hatfield and he is a great man, but I honestly think if Justice had that Belfry team 1999/2000 team he would have had a lot a ton of success and would have been able to weather the storm for several more years with "good, but not great" type of teams that would have won Disirct Titles and a Regional Tourney Round or Two here or there.

 

Hatfield was in the twilight of his coaching career and I don't think he had the passion or "want to" that Justice would have had. They were two totally different styles of coaches and just speaking personally I felt like myself and the guys in my graduating class would have best responded to the aggressive disciplinarian style of Justice a little better.

 

It also then begs the question that if Justice could have held on a little longer at Belfry and Cameron Justice came up through the system what kind of lasting impact would that have made? I remember watching little Cameron shoot hundreds of shots on his little Playskool goal during practice on the end line.

 

So much I wanna type.......but won't.

 

I will say I disliked Coach Justice when I played for him, but as I've become an adult and walked a little in shoes similar to his, I'll say I respect and love him for the lessons he taught me.

 

They 99/00 team had Region Title written all over it........

[ATLCat]

So much I wanna type.......but won't.

 

I will say I disliked Coach Justice when I played for him, but as I've become an adult and walked a little in shoes similar to his, I'll say I respect and love him for the lessons he taught me.

 

They 99/00 team had Region Title written all over it........

 

I legitimately would like to hear some additional thoughts on the subject, even if they differ.

 

Much like you this is a revisionist thing for me looking back at it all these years removed and this is honestly the first time I have even addressed the subject internally.

 

Justice was a hard egg for sure.. quick temper.... very aggressive. Hatfield was the polar opposite. Just a genuinely nice and caring guy, maybe even too nice, soft-spoken, more about pushing internal motivation.

 

I learned a lot from both, but just looking at it in hindsight I can't help but think that maybe things would have worked out better under the tough nosed Justice.

 

Once again, would love to see someone else's perspective as I have not ever discussed this topic before..even if by a PM.

[Toothpick]

Mayfield is a football school and football town and it always has been that way. I see some similarities to the Friday Night Lights movie when thinking back to my childhood. That is not really the case today so much for a lot of reasons. Namely the consolidation of the 7 small community schools that did not have football in Graves County. Before they merged the county and the city supported Mayfield and there was not nearly as much to do on Friday nights back then so everyone was at the Cardinals games. Today, Mayfield Football is still a huge source of pride for the little rural community in the middle of nowhere. Even today the barber shops and restaurants are filled with the talk of Cardinal football. It is a unique situation that very few can say they experienced outside of the attempts at recreation through movies. I love listening to the old timers talk of games like it was yesterday from 50-60 years ago.

[Eagle_Pride!!]

Graves county

Basketball school...sense 1985 they have a 722-277 record (.723)

24 district championships, 8 Regional Titles, 2 Elite Eight Appearances, 1 Final Four Appearance, Twenty-four 20+ win seasons. 24 consecutive winning seasons.

Although, our football team was class 5a state runner-up in 2014. Knocking off bowling Green at bowling Green along the way and ending their 53 game win streak against in state opponents!

But most money, etc is spent on basketball endeavors!

[Mike Honcho]

I would say Bracken County is a basketball school, although football excitement really increased this season.

 

To say that Bracken County is a basketball school is an understatement!

 

 

Archery

Baseball

Cheer leading

Football

Track

Cross Country

 

Pee Wee Basketball

Middle School Basketball

JV Girls Basketball

Varsity Girls Basketball

JV Basketball

Varsity Basketball

[LongTimeReader]

10 years ago I would say with 100% certainty that X was a football school. Currently, I'm just not sure; I would have to say they're still a football school, but baseball might be sneaking their way ahead of them.

 

I guess in reality it's a swimming school and every other sport is trying to keep up.

[Vito Corleone]

I would say Bracken County is a basketball school, although football excitement really increased this season.

You can't really expect anything different when you've had football for 10 years and basketball for 100. Culture isn't something that changes overnight.