Julian Tackett, assistant commissioner of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association, said sales for this year's football state championships were the lowest since 2002, the first year the finals were played at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

 

Tackett said the KHSAA took in $219,747 for the four state finals played Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. That's down from $281,912 last year, Tackett said.

 

Total attendance for the four games was 29,212, the lowest since 28,707 attended the four games at old Cardinal Stadium in 1998.

 

Tackett said attendance was good for the three finals played Dec. 1 but that rain kept fans away from the Class 4-A final between Trinity and Ryle on Nov. 30.

 

"It will not lose money by any means," Tackett wrote in an e-mail to The Courier-Journal, adding that total expenses won't be determined until mid-January. "It just won't make what was projected in the budget based on the past few years."

 

What did they think would happen, when they let the two best teams in the state play on November 18th on Preston?

There were a number of factors. The 4A game being played in the rain on Thursday night. The 4A game didn't have the marquee match-up in the final (how did 06 attendance compare with 04?). The frigid weather on Friday. In the defense of the KHSAA, most of these factors were out of their control.

What did they think would happen, when they let the two best teams in the state play on November 18th on Preston?

 

From what I saw the Raiders fan base outnumbered the Rocks and I for one spent over $500 on apparrel since this was our first trip to the finals. IMO it was the rain more than the level of competition.

From what I saw the Raiders fan base outnumbered the Rocks and I for one spent over $500 on apparrel since this was our first trip to the finals. IMO it was the rain more than the level of competition.

 

 

From my vantage point it looked to me like Ryle fans outnumbered the Rock fans too. :cry:

 

Where were our multitudinous fans that night?

From my vantage point it looked to me like Ryle fans outnumbered the Rock fans too. :cry:

 

Where were our multitudinous fans that night?

 

I also think being a Thursday night might have played a factor.

I know for one, me and my wife had to take a day off from work to attend. Not all employers will allow people to take a day off to attend a football game.

you must be mistaken, the two best teams played on November 30 at Papa Johns stadium. It was Ryle and Trinity

you must be mistaken, the two best teams played on November 30 at Papa Johns stadium. It was Ryle and Trinity

 

 

The two teams that made it the furthest into the playoffs were playing on Nov. 30 and Ryle rightfully so will should be ranked #2 but male, x, HC, were better than Ryle

From my vantage point it looked to me like Ryle fans outnumbered the Rock fans too. :cry:

 

Where were our multitudinous fans that night?

At the risk of being called arrogant I think that many Trinity people didn't bother coming because they felt the game was a foregone conclusion. The Ryle people showed up because they follow their team AND because it was their first trip to the championship. On a less stormy night there would have been more Trinity fans. FWIW it bothers me that the weather kept people away. We need to hold off on any talk of how great our fans support is for a while.

 

you must be mistaken, the two best teams played on November 30 at Papa Johns stadium. It was Ryle and Trinity

Ryle earned their way to the championship by following the path that was put in front of them BUT IMVHO at least two and possibly three of the teams that Trinity beat would have beaten Ryle had they faced them.

 

Ballard and Ryle would have matched up very well. That is a toss-up

 

Ryle played exactly the offense that Male's silly "D" is designed to stop. Despite talk to the contrary they had no passing game to speak of. Male big.

 

Ryle didn't have the horses to stay with Henry Clay. Minnifield, Boyd and Jeter would have run past Ryle's defenders all night. HC wins.

That is what the KHSAA gets for changing the brackets. Sure it gave someone else a chance to play in the finals, but honestly more people would have rather seen Trinity vs Male or Trinity vs St. X. Not taking anything away from Ryle, but the best teams were in the east bracket in 4A. Plus, the Thursday & Friday set-up didn't help.

St X, Trinity, and Male should hope they keep the playoff format the way it is. That is who you have to beat to win a state title whether it is the 2nd round, 3rd round or the championship game. If you play in the second or third round you get to keep the gate money and not the KHSAA!

The two teams that made it the furthest into the playoffs were playing on Nov. 30 and Ryle rightfully so will should be ranked #2 but male, x, HC, were better than Ryle

Who cares about #2, it doesn't distinguish them as the second best team in the state.

It was the "Perfect Storm" nearly for this year's finals:

 

1. Trinity playing on a Thursday night against a team not generally believed to be capable of producing a close game.

 

2. Rain Thursday night.

 

3. Freezing cold and wind on Friday.

 

4. Teams generally used to playing in Finals (NCC, Danville, Russell, BG, CovCath) so the "Ryle its our first time factor" was only present for Ryle and Mercer Co.

 

5. Rush hour traffic and no help from the City of Louisville or the County or whoever should have been directing traffic between 2 PM and 8 PM. Hard to spend money while sitting in your car.

 

Hey look at it this way. No way next year can be worse. It would be hard to have worse weather and Friday/ Saturday and 6 games mean profits go way up.

I really don't think you can say that any of those teams could beat ryle. It is my opinion that any body can win on any given night. No outcome of a game will ever be certain. Thats just the way it is. So, IMO Ryle is the second best team in the state....again, IN MY OPINION, Ryle is the second best team in the state

I really don't think you can say that any of those teams could beat ryle. It is my opinion that any body can win on any given night. No outcome of a game will ever be certain. Thats just the way it is. So, IMO Ryle is the second best team in the state....again, IN MY OPINION, Ryle is the second best team in the state

Sure I can, just like you have your opinion I have mine, I thought that's what this board is about. I told you why I thought Ryle would lose to Male and HC would you care to share your opinion about why Ryle would beat those teams?

 

Ryle traveled the road that was set for them and you will never hear me say that they did not deserve to be in the championship game BUT IN MY OPINION Ryle would not have made it that far had they faced the teams Trinity did.