Christian County/Hopkinsville Consolidation? (Update: Yes)

[The Flea Market]

Both teams are down and it will take a coach to rebuild from the ground up. Not much coming back at each school. Coach at Hoptown is ready to retire as soon as he gets win 300 and the coach at Christian has very little experience and was a shock when he got the job   One of his friends was on the search committee and pushed for him. It will have to be a young energetic person that knows how to build a winner? Not many out there?

[Socially Distanced]

I would love to see a 6A powerhouse in WKY. I had hopes that would be McCracken 8 years ago. Instead they have reduced the size of that program to a level less than 4A Lone Oak was before consolidation. 

I think doing the "not so popular" nationwide search would be good in this case. Get some new ideas, new staff, new energy to match the new resources. 

[WKY_Football]

On 8/31/2021 at 6:27 AM, The Flea Market said:

Both teams are down and it will take a coach to rebuild from the ground up. Not much coming back at each school. Coach at Hoptown is ready to retire as soon as he gets win 300 and the coach at Christian has very little experience and was a shock when he got the job   One of his friends was on the search committee and pushed for him. It will have to be a young energetic person that knows how to build a winner? Not many out there?

Both schools have quite a bit coming back. Christian County only has 6 seniors and are starting numerous freshman and sophomores. 
 

Hopkinsville has a very good junior class that has one of the best players in the state in the Mercer kid. 
 

I also would say that Christian County is down right now but I don’t believe Hopkinsville is. They are coming off a State Semi-Final appearance and have lost games to 6A #7 Ballard and 2A #3 Mayfield. All scheduled and losses are not the same. 

[WKY_Football]

5 hours ago, Socially Distanced said:

I would love to see a 6A powerhouse in WKY. I had hopes that would be McCracken 8 years ago. Instead they have reduced the size of that program to a level less than 4A Lone Oak was before consolidation. 

I think doing the "not so popular" nationwide search would be good in this case. Get some new ideas, new staff, new energy to match the new resources. 

I can see that. To me I think you need to look in Metro areas that match the demographics that this new school will have. Discipline, Accountability, organization, and ability to relate to kids should be the top 4 traits that the hiring committee should look for. 
 

They also need to make sure they keep the best coaches from each school as well. You can hire outside but you also have to have the ability to retain your own to make the transition smoother. 
 

Are they going to try and merge before they get into the new school building? If so I think that would limit the pool of established coaches as well. This job will go to a HC that has experience. This job will not go to a coordinator or anyone without large school head coaching experience. 

[Joe Tracy]

It will be 2-3 years before this school would be finished Juniors and sophomores now will most likely not be there, have to wait and see what's left when school is finally finished.

[gchs_uk9]

15 hours ago, Socially Distanced said:

I would love to see a 6A powerhouse in WKY. I had hopes that would be McCracken 8 years ago. Instead they have reduced the size of that program to a level less than 4A Lone Oak was before consolidation.

I believe the newly consolidated Christian/Hopkinsville school will be in a better position to compete in 6A than is McCracken County. Outside of UHA (who doesn't have football), the new Christian County school will get all of the players. McCracken County is a 6A school but there's a ton of talent down the street at Paducah Tilghman, a very solid program. I don't know that the new Christian County school will be a threat to Trinity, Male, St. Xavier, etc. but they should have a bigger pool of players to pick from than does McCracken.

[The Flea Market]

With the new resident rule you can go to any out of county school and carry your state daily money with you, there could be several around the state that could go to the next county if they are not happy where they are? 

[Region2 Hype Man]

Christian County as a program is just gone. I've attended games for 30 years and there just is not a fanbase for my Colonels in football. Hoptown has a loyal legion of fans as they've been a fun tradition for over 100 years. The Hoptown/County game is usually the biggest event in WKY no matter how down either school is and it is the biggest event in the community. Once they consolidate, I doubt you'll ever see that many people in the stadium again for a high school football game.

The problem with this area is that it's not a football area anymore. After Clayton left in 2004, Hoptown was the program that knew how to build a football team. Lovelace did that at Christian, but he mainly just maximized his athletes and played tough defense. They never really were a threat as a top team in the state. We haven't really seen a team here with elite potential since probably 2002 when Hoptown narrowly went down to Jacob Tamme at Boyle.

The kids here love Basketball and this school will become a basketball powerhouse. I really think you'll see this school win like 18 of 20 region 2 titles. But with that comes competition, the best athletes will now focus on only 1 sport, and that will hurt football. They'll know if they play baseball or basketball that their spot will be gone if they miss time for football. And that's what has happened, the best athletes now play basketball and football gets the leftovers. I think you'll see the consolidated school as a team that probably can be a WKY power, but that is about it. They won't have a chance in 6A and apathy in the community will set in.

Hopefully my Colonels can have one more big run in the next 2 years before it's over and Hoptown too. IT will be a very sad day and shame on the school board for making it happen.

[Purple88]

1 hour ago, Region2 Hype Man said:

Christian County as a program is just gone. I've attended games for 30 years and there just is not a fanbase for my Colonels in football. Hoptown has a loyal legion of fans as they've been a fun tradition for over 100 years. The Hoptown/County game is usually the biggest event in WKY no matter how down either school is and it is the biggest event in the community. Once they consolidate, I doubt you'll ever see that many people in the stadium again for a high school football game.

The problem with this area is that it's not a football area anymore. After Clayton left in 2004, Hoptown was the program that knew how to build a football team. Lovelace did that at Christian, but he mainly just maximized his athletes and played tough defense. They never really were a threat as a top team in the state. We haven't really seen a team here with elite potential since probably 2002 when Hoptown narrowly went down to Jacob Tamme at Boyle.

The kids here love Basketball and this school will become a basketball powerhouse. I really think you'll see this school win like 18 of 20 region 2 titles. But with that comes competition, the best athletes will now focus on only 1 sport, and that will hurt football. They'll know if they play baseball or basketball that their spot will be gone if they miss time for football. And that's what has happened, the best athletes now play basketball and football gets the leftovers. I think you'll see the consolidated school as a team that probably can be a WKY power, but that is about it. They won't have a chance in 6A and apathy in the community will set in.

Hopefully my Colonels can have one more big run in the next 2 years before it's over and Hoptown too. IT will be a very sad day and shame on the school board for making it happen.

GREAT post R2HM!  The bolded makes me sad. 

I recall some great Christian County and Hoptown battles with BG at the Stadium of Champions and El Donaldson.  I'm going to miss those.  It will certainly be different and likely not for the better for football.

[Tigerpride94]

I think a key to building up the interest is to schedule wins first couple of years. Play a weaker schedule because the casual fans just see wins and losses. Plus kids want to be on a winning team. I don't know what type of youth football program is down there but building that up can be a key to future success. They need to hire a dynamic coach that can relate to kids, that kids will want to play for. I think the new school has potential to be successful. 

[tackle trap]

2 hours ago, Region2 Hype Man said:

Christian County as a program is just gone. I've attended games for 30 years and there just is not a fanbase for my Colonels in football. Hoptown has a loyal legion of fans as they've been a fun tradition for over 100 years. The Hoptown/County game is usually the biggest event in WKY no matter how down either school is and it is the biggest event in the community. Once they consolidate, I doubt you'll ever see that many people in the stadium again for a high school football game.

The problem with this area is that it's not a football area anymore. After Clayton left in 2004, Hoptown was the program that knew how to build a football team. Lovelace did that at Christian, but he mainly just maximized his athletes and played tough defense. They never really were a threat as a top team in the state. We haven't really seen a team here with elite potential since probably 2002 when Hoptown narrowly went down to Jacob Tamme at Boyle.

The kids here love Basketball and this school will become a basketball powerhouse. I really think you'll see this school win like 18 of 20 region 2 titles. But with that comes competition, the best athletes will now focus on only 1 sport, and that will hurt football. They'll know if they play baseball or basketball that their spot will be gone if they miss time for football. And that's what has happened, the best athletes now play basketball and football gets the leftovers. I think you'll see the consolidated school as a team that probably can be a WKY power, but that is about it. They won't have a chance in 6A and apathy in the community will set in.

Hopefully my Colonels can have one more big run in the next 2 years before it's over and Hoptown too. IT will be a very sad day and shame on the school board for making it happen.

Christian County 2011- 10-2, 2012- 9-3, 2015- 8-4, 2016 9-3 and 2017 10-1. Colonels were pretty good in some of these years maybe the second best team in 5A behind Bowling Green. Just could not get pass them.  Hoptown's 2001 team was the best team as far as should have won a state tittle.

I disagree with most folks I believe with the right coach the new school should be able to compete with Male and the Trinity's of the world. Christian won it twice in 4A when there was only 4 classes. Harder to win it then then it is now. Still the only school outside Louisville to win it twice in Kentucky's highest class. 

[Region2 Hype Man]

3 hours ago, tackle trap said:

Christian County 2011- 10-2, 2012- 9-3, 2015- 8-4, 2016 9-3 and 2017 10-1. Colonels were pretty good in some of these years maybe the second best team in 5A behind Bowling Green. Just could not get pass them.  Hoptown's 2001 team was the best team as far as should have won a state tittle.

I disagree with most folks I believe with the right coach the new school should be able to compete with Male and the Trinity's of the world. Christian won it twice in 4A when there was only 4 classes. Harder to win it then then it is now. Still the only school outside Louisville to win it twice in Kentucky's highest class. 

We had a good group in 2015-2017, but overall they just best down on a bad schedule. We haven't been past the 2nd round since 2010 when we had the best luck ever getting to the title game. A lot of those records were due to Lovelace really weakening the schedule during the later part of his tenure, which during his early years the schedule was tougher and they were much stronger.

I mean I go through the years and I really don't see one BIG WIN over that time. Like no games against the big boys or wins. Just the usual Hoptown, Caldwell,Henderson, Graves, Owensboro type wins, but no real wins over BG teams, Louisville, Lexington, NKY, Nashville, etc type programs. Early in Lovelace's tenure you'd see them play Franklin TN, Boyle County, and teams like that but not lately.

5 of the last 8 seasons Christian County has had a losing record.

We are (6-24) in our last 20 games played. We are (2-18) in our last 20 games.

 

Look at the program since 2011 in the playoffs

2011: Lost 49-0 to Warren Central 2nd Round

2012: Lost 31-17 to Bowling Green 2nd Round

2013: Lost 48-17 to Bowling Green 2nd Round

2014: Lost 13-0 to Graves 2nd Round

2015: Lost 42-21 to Bowling Green 2nd Round

2016: Lost 44-29 to Bowling Green 2nd Round

2017: Lost 24-6 to South Warren  2nd Round

2018: Lost 29-7 to Bowling Green 1st Round

2019: Lost 37-6 to Bowling Green 1st Round

2020: Lost 36-6 to South Warren 1st Round

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

The new school is going to be named Hopkinsville Christian County Academy.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

Hopkinsville Christian...

[Tigerpride94]

8 minutes ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

The new school is going to be named Hopkinsville Christian.

Sounds like a small

private school. 😜