How easy/hard is this to do early in the preseason when you do not know what "level" your team is at? Games are scheduled well in advance of the season.

Usually well in advance.

 

Denny Crum, former U of L men' basketball coach, always wanted to test his team against high quality opponents to prepare the Cardinals for the conference and NCAA tournament. With almost every team guaranteed playoff spot in Kentucky, schedule teams that will reveal your weaknesses. It may be easier to coach the players.

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I'm not trying to bash SK. But you are correct, they have won two games in the playoffs. But if you dissect that, it really wasn't that challenging to do. They don't have a strong district, so they are good enough to win the district and play a seed that probably doesn't deserve to be in the playoffs anyway! (another discussion). So that's one win. Then they have typically played a fairly local team...who they have already beaten or would be considered not a very tough game. Then they get to the third round that is not a cupcake or a familiar team and they lose. So yes, they have won two playoff games each year, but I would challenge how challenging those games actually were. In many cases, the team they lost to often loses their next game. So are they even losing to really good teams?

 

Again, I'm not trying to bash them. It's just my opinion that I would rather be completely tested so the game slows down against good team instead of speeding up. I don't think theirs and many other's schedule prepares them for that. It's not just them. There are teams like that in every high school sport.

 

16 - loss to state runner up

15 - loss to state runner up

14 - loss to state runner up

13 - loss to state semifinalist

12 - loss to state semifinalist

There's no way to know if a tougher schedule would help SK in the playoffs until they try it.

 

Again, I think they've tried. Bryan Station has typically been a good challenge. Meade was a regional finalist two years ago and made the finals 4 years ago. Highlands is Highlands. Beechwood is a defending state champ in Sk's backyard. Unfortunately some of those teams are down this year.

 

I agree their schedule could certainly be a little better, especially with a bunch of good teams in close proximity across the river in Cincy. But their schedule isn't as awful as many make it out to be.

It depends on where your program is at. Are you trying to build it up and put together some wins or is it built and you are trying to win championships? (district, region, state)

 

Exactly. Building a program from nothing takes time and several steps. You have to get some wins to create enthusiasm and improve the roster. As time goes along you begin to challenge yourself by playing better competition. If the plan goes smoothly, you end up playing tougher competition (regardless of class) that will get you enough wins to keep the roster and bleachers full with a good product on the field while not risking your employment as coach. To reach the pinnacle, you have to have the talent and an open/fair path to it. If that path isn't fair, you plateau at your level and become a consistent threat to the title without ever (maybe) winning it while still hoping it's possible.

You can tell a lot about where the coach thinks his program is at by looking at his schedule.

I'm not trying to bash SK. But you are correct, they have won two games in the playoffs. But if you dissect that, it really wasn't that challenging to do. They don't have a strong district, so they are good enough to win the district and play a seed that probably doesn't deserve to be in the playoffs anyway! (another discussion). So that's one win. Then they have typically played a fairly local team...who they have already beaten or would be considered not a very tough game. Then they get to the third round that is not a cupcake or a familiar team and they lose. So yes, they have won two playoff games each year, but I would challenge how challenging those games actually were. In many cases, the team they lost to often loses their next game. So are they even losing to really good teams?

 

Again, I'm not trying to bash them. It's just my opinion that I would rather be completely tested so the game slows down against good team instead of speeding up. I don't think theirs and many other's schedule prepares them for that. It's not just them. There are teams like that in every high school sport.

 

I don't completely disagree with you. You absolutely need challenges during the regular season. But you don't need to run the gauntlet every game either. I've seen good teams get beaten down by a schedule that was tough, and I've seen really good teams win championships while not playing an average schedule.

I've always enjoyed seeing close games (whether it be win or lose) rather than a blowout on both sides. I support scheduling games against teams that aren't significantly better, or significantly worse than you team.

 

Yes it is sometimes hard to avoid having to schedule the occasional blowout but I wanna see some good football, not a running clock at the half. Schedule teams that are even with you.

 

Last year Bracken County had games with margins of: +28, -4, +13, +4, +48, +2, -20, +38, +1, +5. I would much rather see the games in bold than a blowout.

16 - loss to state runner up

15 - loss to state runner up

14 - loss to state runner up

13 - loss to state semifinalist

12 - loss to state semifinalist

 

So 40% of the time they lost to a team that lost their next game. And in some of the cases where the teams went on to the finals was because of the draw. Not that they were necessarily the second best team in the state. That side of the bracket has had some absolute cakewalks to the finals.

 

I'm not here to bash them. Insert any team name you want there that consistently has a good regular season record with blowout wins and then consistently doesn't meet expectations in the playoffs. If they were getting knocked out by the big Louisville teams or Scott Co every year, then it's a different story. But they are showing that they aren't even the best of the rest. High expectations that fall short every year and the question is...would how would you schedule. I'm saying I would schedule differently and I used SK as a reason why I would take that approach. As good as people want to think they are in the regular season, it's apparent they aren't playoff ready when the time comes. Blame it on whatever you want. But to keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result...well we all know what that is.

Again, I think they've tried. Bryan Station has typically been a good challenge. Meade was a regional finalist two years ago and made the finals 4 years ago. Highlands is Highlands. Beechwood is a defending state champ in Sk's backyard. Unfortunately some of those teams are down this year.

 

I agree their schedule could certainly be a little better, especially with a bunch of good teams in close proximity across the river in Cincy. But their schedule isn't as awful as many make it out to be.

 

You can call Meade and Highlands just bad luck. No real way to know if they could predict that or not. But show me any competitive 6A team that even thinks about putting a 1 or 2A team on their schedule...regardless how good they are. SK is one of the biggest schools in the state. If they want to be considered a contender, then they need to play a schedule that prepares them to be a true contender. I would say that to anyone on any level. If you aren't completely game tested by equal or greater talent by the time the playoffs come around, then you get mediocre playoff runs. Again, I would say that to any coach of any sport. You have to challenge your kids every opportunity you get. Cupcake games show you nothing! Because things you can do against average teams are not going to work against good teams. Again, false confidence. And then those false confidences don't work, you have nothing else to go to. You have to take what you are good at and be able to adapt it to who you are playing. If you play teams and you "go to" strategy always work, you never learn how to react when they don't work. That's why you practice in practice and learn to execute in games (and adapt).

16 - loss to state runner up - Lafayette

15 - loss to state runner up - Lafayette

14 - loss to state runner up - Dixie

13 - loss to state semifinalist - Butler

12 - loss to state semifinalist- Scott Co

 

updated

Exactly. Building a program from nothing takes time and several steps. You have to get some wins to create enthusiasm and improve the roster. As time goes along you begin to challenge yourself by playing better competition. If the plan goes smoothly, you end up playing tougher competition (regardless of class) that will get you enough wins to keep the roster and bleachers full with a good product on the field while not risking your employment as coach. To reach the pinnacle, you have to have the talent and an open/fair path to it. If that path isn't fair, you plateau at your level and become a consistent threat to the title without ever (maybe) winning it while still hoping it's possible.

 

How long does a team get to use "building a program" as a reason?

You can call Meade and Highlands just bad luck. No real way to know if they could predict that or not. But show me any competitive 6A team that even thinks about putting a 1 or 2A team on their schedule...regardless how good they are. SK is one of the biggest schools in the state. If they want to be considered a contender, then they need to play a schedule that prepares them to be a true contender. I would say that to anyone on any level. If you aren't completely game tested by equal or greater talent by the time the playoffs come around, then you get mediocre playoff runs. Again, I would say that to any coach of any sport. You have to challenge your kids every opportunity you get. Cupcake games show you nothing! Because things you can do against average teams are not going to work against good teams. Again, false confidence. And then those false confidences don't work, you have nothing else to go to. You have to take what you are good at and be able to adapt it to who you are playing. If you play teams and you "go to" strategy always work, you never learn how to react when they don't work. That's why you practice in practice and learn to execute in games (and adapt).

 

updated

 

So 40% of the time they lost to a team that lost their next game. And in some of the cases where the teams went on to the finals was because of the draw. Not that they were necessarily the second best team in the state. That side of the bracket has had some absolute cakewalks to the finals.

 

I'm not here to bash them. Insert any team name you want there that consistently has a good regular season record with blowout wins and then consistently doesn't meet expectations in the playoffs. If they were getting knocked out by the big Louisville teams or Scott Co every year, then it's a different story. But they are showing that they aren't even the best of the rest. High expectations that fall short every year and the question is...would how would you schedule. I'm saying I would schedule differently and I used SK as a reason why I would take that approach. As good as people want to think they are in the regular season, it's apparent they aren't playoff ready when the time comes. Blame it on whatever you want. But to keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result...well we all know what that is.

 

16 - loss to state runner up - Lafayette

15 - loss to state runner up - Lafayette

14 - loss to state runner up - Dixie

13 - loss to state semifinalist - Butler

12 - loss to state semifinalist- Scott Co

updated

 

Which of those teams do we consider a very good team?

Which of those teams do we consider a very good team?

 

Exactly my thoughts.

You can call Meade and Highlands just bad luck. No real way to know if they could predict that or not. But show me any competitive 6A team that even thinks about putting a 1 or 2A team on their schedule...regardless how good they are. SK is one of the biggest schools in the state. If they want to be considered a contender, then they need to play a schedule that prepares them to be a true contender. I would say that to anyone on any level. If you aren't completely game tested by equal or greater talent by the time the playoffs come around, then you get mediocre playoff runs. Again, I would say that to any coach of any sport. You have to challenge your kids every opportunity you get. Cupcake games show you nothing! Because things you can do against average teams are not going to work against good teams. Again, false confidence. And then those false confidences don't work, you have nothing else to go to. You have to take what you are good at and be able to adapt it to who you are playing. If you play teams and you "go to" strategy always work, you never learn how to react when they don't work. That's why you practice in practice and learn to execute in games (and adapt).

 

Ok so help me out here. They need to play the 6A schools, but they also need to play competition. Which is it? They already play 7 of the 31 remaining 6A schools. Game 8 is vs a school district rival that is 5A. Game 9 is with another 5A team hasnt lived up to their end of the deal & game 10 is arguably vs a previous state champion that very well could repeat, but they are 1A so I guess that doesnt count.