Conner 20 Highlands 17

[colonel-fan]

Is Highlands playing up? I thought the KHSAA didn't allow teams to play up in class?

[TheDeuce]

Wait, so now we’re willing to admit the talent isn’t there like it once was? Because I distinctly remember having similar conversations over the past couple of years and some of the same people told us that the talent WAS there... Seems like a moving target to me.

[TheDeuce]

Is Highlands playing up? I thought the KHSAA didn't allow teams to play up in class?

 

They are. They have no business in 5A.

[Hatz]

HHS is close in size to 4A Boyle County. Just slightly more boys and they lost 30-0. Since HHS is playing up in 5A the talent issue is more pronounced. Maximizing talent on the field is especially crucial playing up in class and that is the coaches responsiblity. From my prospective the current system being used maximizes participation not talent.

 

They might be close in enrollment but Boyle is actually 3A enrollment and playing up a Class.

[Hatz]

Is Highlands playing up? I thought the KHSAA didn't allow teams to play up in class?

 

Yes. If a case is made. Boyle is playing up because they wanted to follow Lex Cath and that District is geographically closer to what they would have had in 3A.

[PurplePride92]

HHS is close in size to 4A Boyle County. Just slightly more boys and they lost 30-0. Since HHS is playing up in 5A the talent issue is more pronounced. Maximizing talent on the field is especially crucial playing up in class and that is the coaches responsiblity. From my prospective the current system being used maximizes participation not talent.

 

Maybe but using Boyle County as a template is a bad example. From top to bottom this Boyle County team will go down as one of their most talented teams of all time. Plus at this time all of the best athletes in the school are in football pads. Can Highlands say the exact same thing right now? Seems like there are some good athletes at Highlands that don’t have on football pads. That makes a difference.

 

And that isn’t to say that you are wrong. I do agree that the best players should be playing both ways when applicable and that sticking to the platoon system should be done as a convenience and not a necessity.

 

I’ll also say that it isn’t 2000-2012 anymore. Highlands should swallow their pride and play in their proper class. They don’t have to prove anything to anyone by playing up. They should be in their proper class and quit playing up.

[rjs4470]

Do you think Conner's kids wanted it a little more than Highlands' guys did or is it all just coaching??

 

The whole "they wanted it more argument" is one of the most overused, and least credible phrase in sports. No one goes out and wants to lose. "Want" comes in way behind talent and coaching in why teams win games.

[9068]

By want I meant digging in when you are down 14-0, not folding your tent, and waiting for the bus to take you home. I have always felt talent is more important than coaching in HS football. When you have great talent, great coaching, and the will to sacrifice for the team great things happen.

[TheDeuce]

I’ll also say that it isn’t 2000-2012 anymore. Highlands should swallow their pride and play in their proper class. They don’t have to prove anything to anyone by playing up. They should be in their proper class and quit playing up.

 

This.

[NKYPrepSportsFan]

This.

 

I think part of the decision to play "up" in 5A can be attributed to the fact that there are only 2 other 4A schools in Northern Kentucky - Scott and Holmes. In 5A, there is CovCath, Conner, Cooper, and Boone.

 

Also, I personally believe that if Highlands would play their best 14-18 players on 80-85% of the snaps, we would not be having this conversation. But, even if Highlands were to play some of the defensive guys on offense, there would still need to be changes to this year's stagnant and ineffective offense scheme.

[TheDeuce]

I think part of the decision to play "up" in 5A can be attributed to the fact that there are only 2 other 4A schools in Northern Kentucky - Scott and Holmes. In 5A, there is CovCath, Conner, Cooper, and Boone.

 

Also, I personally believe that if Highlands would play their best 14-18 players on 80-85% of the snaps, we would not be having this conversation. But, even if Highlands were to play some of the defensive guys on offense, there would still need to be changes to this year's stagnant and ineffective offense scheme.

 

People are thinking way too hard, IMO. The talent just isn't what it used to be at Highlands. They had an awesome run and unfortunately for those now in the program, a portion of the fan base thinks that kind of run is sustainable. I don't know all the ins and outs of the Highlands roster to say which players should be playing where, but even a casual observer can tell the talent is down from years past. That's not on the coaching staff.

 

A team should never play up, IMO. There is no benefit, maybe other than geography. Especially when not everyone within the football program even wanted to play up.

[THUNDERBIRDS]

I think it is a lack of kids playing football. I believe they only have enough players for 2 teams in 7th and 8th grade where in the past they had more. I was told that they use to have 4 teams in every division.

 

No this is somewhat incorrect.....

 

FTJFL has 40 kids at the 7th grade level and 39 at the 8th grade level in 2019. That's roughly 20 kids per team at each level. Back in the old FTJFL enternal format they use to combine both 7th & 8th grade levels and divide into 4-teams with roughly 20 kids per team. So in theory we have just as many kids playing Football as Ryle does. We choose to divide our teams into 2-equally divided teams rather than have 18-20 kids ride the Pine and never see the field.

 

We have 59 6th graders playing football in 2019 in Ft Thomas. So if we wanted to enter 3-7th grade teams into the Norseman Conference in 2020 we could. Not sure if we will do that but it is a option. So participation in Ft Thomas right now is okay. It's a good problem to have as we speak. That however could change overnight!

[THUNDERBIRDS]

Definitely the talent. There JV and Freshman teams use to beat teams by 30+. They would play with the Ohio powers. Now it seems the lineman are smaller so they don't get the push on offense or defense. The last guy I seen get pancake blocks every play was Bo hebel and Robinson got push in the back field every play. In a time when kids are bigger it seems that Highlands players are getting smaller.

 

So the Highlands Freshman teams play CovCath the past 5 years to a One possession game and quite frankly could of Won of few of those only to be Manhandled at the Varsity level? What changes? So for people to say that the FTJFL isn't getting the Kids ready for Freshman or Varsity Football is Crazy. I watched the HHS/CCH game this past Thursday and it was almost the same game as years past but with HHS finally coming out on top.

[The Double Deuce]

The whole "they wanted it more argument" is one of the most overused, and least credible phrase in sports. No one goes out and wants to lose. "Want" comes in way behind talent and coaching in why teams win games.

 

I can't like this enough. "Want it more" is the single laziest narrative in sports' fandom.

[futurecoach]

Maybe but using Boyle County as a template is a bad example. From top to bottom this Boyle County team will go down as one of their most talented teams of all time. Plus at this time all of the best athletes in the school are in football pads. Can Highlands say the exact same thing right now? Seems like there are some good athletes at Highlands that don’t have on football pads. That makes a difference.

 

And that isn’t to say that you are wrong. I do agree that the best players should be playing both ways when applicable and that sticking to the platoon system should be done as a convenience and not a necessity.

 

I’ll also say that it isn’t 2000-2012 anymore. Highlands should swallow their pride and play in their proper class. They don’t have to prove anything to anyone by playing up. They should be in their proper class and quit playing up.

 

This.

 

I think part of the decision to play "up" in 5A can be attributed to the fact that there are only 2 other 4A schools in Northern Kentucky - Scott and Holmes. In 5A, there is CovCath, Conner, Cooper, and Boone.

 

Also, I personally believe that if Highlands would play their best 14-18 players on 80-85% of the snaps, we would not be having this conversation. But, even if Highlands were to play some of the defensive guys on offense, there would still need to be changes to this year's stagnant and ineffective offense scheme.

 

People are thinking way too hard, IMO. The talent just isn't what it used to be at Highlands. They had an awesome run and unfortunately for those now in the program, a portion of the fan base thinks that kind of run is sustainable. I don't know all the ins and outs of the Highlands roster to say which players should be playing where, but even a casual observer can tell the talent is down from years past. That's not on the coaching staff.

 

A team should never play up, IMO. There is no benefit, maybe other than geography. Especially when not everyone within the football program even wanted to play up.

 

Imo the reason they are playing up is because of Covcath. If Covcath was still a 4A school, then I think Highlands would have stayed in 4A. Those two teams have basically always seemed to be together. Not to mention after Highlands dominated Covcath for years, I think some didn't want the perception that they would be running away from Covcath now that Covcath is the one starting to win that game.

 

For me personally I have zero problem with them being in 5A. If they want to play up good for them. Just like for any other team who plays up.