As we bridge the gap toward the anticipation of the start of football season I wanted to do a study on Geography and Football Success.

 

Using data from 2000 until the present I have broken down the entire State of Kentucky by County (for those that play football).

 

I developed a formula which takes into account State Titles, State Runner-Ups, Semi-Finals Appearances, and Regional Championship Appearances. I figured up a win percentage and the number of total winning seasons. I also factored for the total number of teams and the subsequent "Wins Per Season Average" for the teams in the County. Most importantly of all, I factored in the total population of the County based off the 2012 Census.

 

The end result is a "Strength Rating" which can be used to compare and rank the Counties.

 

 

 

Without further ado... let's begin our study with the Ten Counties That Ranked The Lowest

 

 

#108 Muhlenburg County

Population: 31,332

Number Of Schools: 3* (One Current Consolidated School, Two Others Calculated During The Time Frame)

Finals: 0

 

Record: 64-187 (25.5%)

Winning Seasons: 3

Regional Finals: 0

Semi's: 0

W.P.S. Average: 2.46 (11.54%)

 

Strength Rating: 0.043

 

 

 

 

#107 Jessamine County

Population: 49,586

Number Of Schools: 2

Finals: 0

 

Record: 164-208 (44.09%)

Winning Seasons: 12

Regional Finals: 0

Semi's: 0

W.P.S. Average: 4.82 (35.29%)

 

Strength Rating: 0.056

 

#106 Madison County

Population: 84,759

Number Of Schools: 3

Finals: 0

 

Record: 234-325 (41.86%)

Winning Seasons: 21

Regional Finals: 2

Semi's: 0

W.P.S. Average: 4.59 (41.18%)

 

Strength Rating: 0.056

 

#105 Laurel

Population: 59,446

Number Of Schools: 2

Finals: 0

 

Record: 144-218 (39.78%)

Winning Seasons: 11

Regional Finals: 1

Semi's: 0

Wins Per Season Average: 4.24

 

Strength Rating: 0.058

 

#104 Todd

Population: 12,661

Number Of Schools: 1

Finals: 0

 

Record: 28-147 (16.00%)

Winning Seasons: 0

Regional Finals: 0

Semi's: 0

W.P.S. Average: 1.65

 

Strength Rating: 0.065

 

 

#103 Knott

Population: 16,048

Number Of Schools: 1

Finals: 0

 

Record: 36-141 (20.34%)

Winning Seasons: 0

Regional Finals:0

Semi's: 0

W.P.S. Average: 2.12

 

Strength Rating: 0.066

 

 

 

#102 Grant

Population: 24,566

Number Of Schools: 1

Finals: 0

 

Record: 54-121 (30.86%)

Winning Seasons: 2

Regional Finals: 0

Semi's: 0

W.P.S. Average: 3.18

 

Strength Rating: 0.069

 

 

#101 Jackson

Population: 13,315

Number Of Schools: 1

Finals: 0

 

Record: 22-93 (19.13%)

Winning Seasons: 1

Regional Finals: 0

Semi's: 0

W.P.S. Average: 1.83

 

Strength Rating: 0.075

 

 

 

#100 McCreary

Population: 18,053

Number Of Schools: 1

Finals: 0

 

Record: 44-129 (25.43%)

Winning Seasons: 2

Regional Finals: 0

Semi's: 0

W.P.S. Average: 2.59

 

Strength Rating: 0.078

 

#99 Carter

Population: 27,353

Number of Schools: 2

Finals:0

 

Record: 132-227 (36.77%)

Winning Seasons: 7

Regional Finals:0

Semi's:0

W.P.S. Average: 3.88

 

Strength Rating:0.078

 

 

 

#98 Montgomery

Population: 26,875

Number of Schools: 1

Finals:0

 

Record: 68-114 (37.36%)

Winning Seasons: 5

Regional Finals: 0

Semi's:0

W.P.S. Average: 4.00

 

Strength Rating:0.085

 

 

#97 Hart

Population:18,424

Number of Schools: 2

Finals:0

 

Record:103-260 (28.37%)

Winning Seasons:4

Regional Finals:0

Semi's:0

W.P.S. Average:3.03

 

Strength Rating: 0.089

 

 

 

#96 Rowan

Population:23,427(37.78%)

Number of Schools:1

Finals:0

 

Record:68-112

Winning Seasons:3

Regional Finals:0

Semi's:0

W.P.S. Average:4.00

 

Strength Rating:0.093

 

 

 

#95 Ohio

Population:24,028

Number of Schools:1

Finals:0

 

Record:67-116 (36.61%)

Winning Seasons: 5

Regional Finals: 0

Semi's:0

W.P.S. Average:3.94

 

Strength Rating: 0.094

 

 

 

#94 Woodford

Population:25,049

Number of Schools: 1

Finals:0

 

Record:73-108 (40.33%)

Winning Seasons:5

Regional Finals:0

Semi's:0

W.P.S. Average:4.29

 

Strength Rating:0.097

I wasn't exactly sure which schools I would see on the list, but I've got to say, as I read every single one I was thinking:

 

Do any of the bottom 15 surprise you?

 

What factors would you consider has held some of the larger Counties back?

 

What would it take to be successful coaching in these Counties?

Laurel county is a head scratcher, no reason those programs haven't had more success.

North has been steadily improving but for ever decent year south has, they have 4 or 5 bad ones.

Hold it!!!

 

How did Fulton County not make this list?

 

Did you forget to run thier numbers?

Hold it!!!

 

How did Fulton County not make this list?

 

Did you forget to run thier numbers?

 

I would also have Webster County down near the bottom. Hopkins Central, too.

Hold it!!!

 

How did Fulton County not make this list?

 

Did you forget to run thier numbers?

 

I ran them... Fulton's population is their saving grace. Still not a very high score but the Population density definitely lifts them above others.

 

Despite having two teams with really bad numbers it is one of the smallest Counties in KY.

 

They have Strength Rating of .0158 which puts them around Bath County, Trimble County, and Morgan County

I would also have Webster County down near the bottom. Hopkins Central, too.

 

Webster would surprise you

 

People forget (I know I did) but Webster actually had a State Semi-Final appearance.

 

They are in at a somewhat respectable #53 thanks to that Semi-Final push and a pretty small population

 

Hopkins checks in at #85. Hopkins would have been much lower but they do have 12 winning seasons and 3 Regional Championship game appearances between the two programs.

For comparison sake what is the Strength rating for a top 10 county? I figure there will be a similar thread for those schools also at some point.

For comparison sake what is the Strength rating for a top 10 county? I figure there will be a similar thread for those schools also at some point.

 

#10 = 1.244

#5= 1.935

 

... and yes sir

 

I have a lot of fun staff planned for the Geography research I did

Madison County is a surprise to me.

Madison County is a surprise to me.

 

Same here, at least on the surface. If you dig a little deeper, though, it makes more sense. Central has never quite been as good as their geography would suggest and they've never broken through with a title like neighbors Clark and Scott. Southern has long underperformed but does appear on the uptick over the last five years.

Too many counties in this state.

Laurel county is a head scratcher, no reason those programs haven't had more success.

North has been steadily improving but for ever decent year south has, they have 4 or 5 bad ones.

 

Not really. They think of themselves as basketball/baseball/softball schools. Most of the schools that consolidated into the old Laurel Co. HS back in the day didn't have football. Only London HS did, I think.

 

I would argue that's probably the case for all these other big county schools on the list.

Not really. They think of themselves as basketball/baseball/softball schools. Most of the schools that consolidated into the old Laurel Co. HS back in the day didn't have football. Only London HS did, I think.

 

Yeah I know, but they have enough population base they should be able to produce decent teams more than they have. I think North is on the right track now but South has been horrible for most of their history in football. Laurel County is surrounded by Pulaski, Knox, Rockcastle and Whitley counties that all have had traditionally successful programs.

 

FWIW they haven't been good at Basketball or Baseball really that much either consistently over the past few decades either, but their softball programs are top notch.