2A Classic set to launch in 2019

[brooksville]

This brought a tear to my eye ^

 

Very well written.

[rjs4470]

No problem. It will never go to classes in baketball.

 

That I agree with. I don’t see it happening either.

[rjs4470]

I'm not demeaning the award winning efforts of any athlete. I just couldn't care less about how other states run their programs. I am saying that the way it has been done in Kentucky, is the very reason we have the Sweet 16. A one of a kind experience. From listening to the Sweet 16 on the only radio a family owned or driving the car in the direction of the radio station broadcasting the games, so we could hear the games. Watching it for the first time, on television on Ch. 19 out of Newport,Kentucky . Making the trip to Freedom Hall to see it live, sacrificing spring break for love of the game. Then watching it the first time in Rupp Arena. Many of these young men, playing in Freedom Hall or Rupp Arena, had never played in a gym that held more than a couple hundred fans. It was THE pinnacle of basketball and to win it all was something an athlete dreamed about growing up. From their very first shot made thru a woven wood basket nailed on the side of their barn or corncrib. As you said you're not a native Kentuckian, so you didn't live, sleep and eat basketball. Lots of small schools couldn't field or afford a football team. But they could put a basketball team on the floor. THE SWEET 16 is the ultimate TRADITION and that's what you don't feel. It is the way we do tradition in Kentucky, it Is the right way and ALWAYS should be. I hope.

 

I hear you, and again I understand. Not being from KY and being a wrestling guy perhaps clouds my thinking.

[sweet16]

You get a trophy! You get a trophy! You get a trophy too!

 

So would you say that there doesn’t need to be classes in any sports?

[sweet16]

You get a trophy! You get a trophy! You get a trophy too!

 

So would you say that there doesn’t need to be classes in any sports?

[NKYknowitall]

So would you say that there doesn’t need to be classes in any sports?

 

I would say that basketball, even baseball, are much different than football when it comes to classes. Smaller schools can beat the bigger ones in those sports much much more often than in football. I don’t think there needs to be any changes to Kentucky high school sports.

[sweet16]

I would say that basketball, even baseball, are much different than football when it comes to classes. Smaller schools can beat the bigger ones in those sports much much more often than in football. I don’t think there needs to be any changes to Kentucky high school sports.

 

Cross Country?

Track and field?

[brooksville]

Let’s try to keep this on topic of the 2A. Is the success level of schools with 500-1000 kid schools that the need to start their own tournament fro recognition? There would be 66 schools in this. At around 4 teams per region with and right now only 40/66 have committed.

[ESPNdeux]

I have some family in Clarksville, Tennessee that play basketball and football. Tennessee uses 6 classes for public school football and only 3 for public school basketball. I am sure that is the norm in other states as well. My cousin's boys play 5A football and 3A basketball at their school.

 

I believe Tennessee also splits divisions because some schools can offer scholarship and some can’t

[The Professor]

No problem. It will never go to classes in baketball.

I agree. I don’t see that ever happening in Kentucky. The Sweet 16 has too much tradition, makes a lot of money for the KHSAA, and a large majority of the small schools want to keep it like it is. To get it changed the small schools would have to be the ones grumbling and asking for it and that ain’t happening.

[camelman]

I agree. I don’t see that ever happening in Kentucky. The Sweet 16 has too much tradition, makes a lot of money for the KHSAA, and a large majority of the small schools want to keep it like it is. To get it changed the small schools would have to be the ones grumbling and asking for it and that ain’t happening.

 

Amen!

[Jim Schue]

Let’s try to keep this on topic of the 2A. Is the success level of schools with 500-1000 kid schools that the need to start their own tournament fro recognition? There would be 66 schools in this. At around 4 teams per region with and right now only 40/66 have committed.

 

I feel like my earlier post answered that quite well.

[Jim Schue]

I'm looking at the list of schools this tournament is targeting, and it is interesting to say the least.

 

I especially took note of this one, because it's where I am:

 

Region Five – Bardstown, Thomas Nelson, Hart County, Elizabethtown, LaRue County, Adair County, Taylor County, Nelson County, John Hardin, Marion County

 

Bardstown is back in All A Classic competition this year, as consolidations have dropped them into the bottom 125 in enrollment in the state (not 120 as the article linked in the OP states), and Bardstown has a long history of success in the All A. Given their 'druthers, I'd say they stick with the All A.

 

Also in the 5th Region are essentially the top four favorites this year to take the overall region crown: John Hardin (currently T20 on BGP), Adair Co., LaRue Co. and E'town (past SW16 winner), as well as Taylor Co., the 3-time defending region champ. Bardstown is a little down from what they're used to this year, but they are also a regular contender for the overall 5th Region title.

 

Examining this list some more finds historic statewide powerhouses such as:

• LexCath (No.13 BGP and a past SW16 winner)

• Warren Central (past SW16 winner, 11 region titles)

• Paducah Tilghman (No.12 BGP and winner of 26 region titles)

• Holmes (SW16 winner and a slew of region titles to its credit — more if you count Covington and/or Covington Grant with those)

• Mason Co. (15 region titles and 2 SW16 crowns, generally the dominant team in the 10th)

Corbin and Clay Co. (each with state titles and historically the 2 dominant teams in the 13th)

• Ashland (historically the dominant team in the 16th, with a state title to its credit)

 

 

Sooooo … what again is a tournament such as this hoping to accomplish for the Webster Countys and Union Countys and similar-type schools around the state? Don't Union County's best winter athletes opt for wrestling anyway?

 

I'll go ahead and bring this back up to the current to see if this helps.

[westernky]

Illinois has 8 classes in football and only 4 in basketball. IF Kentucky classifies basketball they should only have 3 classes IMO.

[WKY]

Cross Country?

Track and field?

 

There is no good reason to have classification for cross country and track when you have sports like baseball and basketball that don't have classification. Those are individual sports where enrollment does not matter. There are classes in those sports to get more people involved thus bringing in more dollars at the gate when they host the state meet. A few years back they changed it for track to where the top 2 finishers in each region along with the next 10 best in the state all made it to the state meet. My nephew made it last year and it was very eye opening to how those sports have turned into the participation trophy league. There are so many runners that they do not even do preliminary and finals races anymore. You just run your heat and the best time out of all of the heats is the winner. Stuff like this is why I am against classification for anything other than football.