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

 

So you highlighted my statement, but I don't see where that applies to who you listed. In 2012, Scott Co hadn't really arrived as a football powerhouse in my opinion. And the rest are not the big schools from Louisville. Other than Lafayette last year, all the others were considered a little above average. Everyone jumped on Dixie that year and they had a great run, but if I'm not mistaken, that was one of the cakewalk years to the finals for that side of the bracket.

 

AGAIN, insert any team you want here that consistently has a great regular season record and falls short at playoff time. That's why I believe in scheduling strong.

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

 

Well you mentioned Scott Co. Lafayette beat Scott Co both the years SK played them in the playoffs.

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).

 

Once again, I don't totally disagree. I do disagree with the idea that Beechwood is a bad game. One, they will provide a test, as can other 1A and 2A schools. Granted, a typical 1A or 2A school isn't a good test for a good 6A school. But Beechwood isn't usually typical 1A school. Two, like it or not, SK competes with and loses a few kids to Beechwood every now and then. I think it's a game that SK needs to play sometimes.

 

I've never said you shouldn't challenge your team. I don't however believe you have schedule all super tough games. I also don't believe that schedule makes a big difference for most schools. You have to keep a balance between tough games and winnable games. Scheduling all hammers and finishing 5-5 every year isn't going to do much to keep interest and support in your program. And some of scheduling is based on geography, costs, and availability.

Well you mentioned Scott Co. Lafayette beat Scott Co both the years SK played them in the playoffs.

 

Scott Co of 2012 is not a team I would consider a powerhouse. After that, yes. And I think Lafayette was good last year. At the end of the day, I would stand by my statement that they are consistently still not the best of the rest. They have a great regular season, get ranked really high, they blow teams out, they score all kinds of points and then fizzle as soon as they meet a challenging team in the playoffs every year. So if it's not the scheduling, what is the reason they can never win the first challenging game they come to in the playoffs? Because you would think they would eventually get past their first challenging game at some point if they are prepared and the schedule had nothing to do with it. I hear a lot of times people say "the speed" of the other team got them. Well that comes with playing teams that have that type of team speed. If you don't see it before the playoffs, that's really hard to overcome.

 

I really don't care who SK or anyone plays. I'm talking about what I think brings success. And I'm saying playing a tough schedule will always contribute to success. And playing a "banquet schedule" will always get you just that...a great banquet. Joe threw for this many yards. John ran for this many yards. Our defense held teams to this many points. We set scoring records on offense. These are all great banquet topics, but if you don't produce when you have to, it's really just talk.

Once again, I don't totally disagree. I do disagree with the idea that Beechwood is a bad game. One, they will provide a test, as can other 1A and 2A schools. Granted, a typical 1A or 2A school isn't a good test for a good 6A school. But Beechwood isn't usually typical 1A school. Two, like it or not, SK competes with and loses a few kids to Beechwood every now and then. I think it's a game that SK needs to play sometimes.

 

I've never said you shouldn't challenge your team. I don't however believe you have schedule all super tough games. I also don't believe that schedule makes a big difference for most schools. You have to keep a balance between tough games and winnable games. Scheduling all hammers and finishing 5-5 every year isn't going to do much to keep interest and support in your program. And some of scheduling is based on geography, costs, and availability.

 

I hear ya. I think you play equal or better though. And I also hear you about Beechwood. But many schools lose kids to Beechwood. Most of that is probably not always sports related. But I still don't think a team that is striving to be an elite 6A team in the state should have any 1A school on their schedule...regardless who that 1A team is.

 

With the size of SK and the growth of that community, they should be striving to compete with Trinity, Male, St X and Scott Co every year. It may not ever happen, but that's what at program like that should be at least striving for. If sure doesn't appear that way though. Take more chances, go get your but whipped and let a team expose your true weaknesses. Go see real team speed for at least 2-3 games in a season. Then come back and fix it. If you don't, all that gets exposed in situations where it's too late to address it.

With how close SK, and really any northern school is to Cincinnati, I'm shocked to see so little scheduling with them.