On 1/14/2023 at 7:20 PM, Tigerpride94 said:

Central has 100% kids on free or reduced lunch and they have good football program and won state championships. 

that's where someone mentioned the advantages being population density more than just the $$$ numbers.  Not saying I agree with it all but being in an area where kids are all within a short distance is a HUGE advantage to using the numbers you do have.  If you are at a rural county school, you may have 1,000 kids in the school but if they live a 30 min drive away on a farm, you lose a bunch of those kids due to rides and getting back and forth.  I don't know a way to fix the issue, its always been one of those things you just have to live with not being a city school but it would be nice if it was considered somehow rather than just pure enrollment. 

On 1/15/2023 at 7:05 PM, Falcon Pride said:

I won’t try and get in the head of the person who proposed this BUT money (or lack thereof) has never been the reason someone is good or bad.

What HS sports is supposed to teach you is to compete, be a good teammate, work hard, listen to the people charged with coaching you and MAYBE then you have a chance to succeed.

Life isn’t fair. Kids should be introduced to this early in life to garner the inner strength to combat the things life throws at you.

Spot on. I come from Michigan. Some of the traditional football powerhouses in the state come from very low income areas. 

20 hours ago, BillNye said:

Losing is one thing.  But the old saying "some are born on 3rd base and think they are winning" comes to mind here.

I believe that would be, “Born on 3rd base thinking you hit a triple”, but your message definitely resonates. 

Those Boone County District numbers are atrocious. 

19 hours ago, TheDeuce said:

While I do think that schools that are in predominantly "well off" communities may hold some advantage, I do not think that advantage is so great that classification should be changed because of it. 

Highlands isn't successful because Ft. Thomas is an upper-middle class community. They are successful because they have, over decades, built a feeder system and literally built their football teams from the ground up. 

Central is in one of the poorest neighborhoods in all of the state, how have they had so much success?

I'll even use my Frankfort Panthers. While they have experienced some down years recently, they have had plenty of success in a small, average-income town with two other larger schools to compete with. 

But what allows Highlands to have such a good feeder system? 

1 minute ago, hector607 said:

But what allows Highlands to have such a good feeder system? 

Participation and commitment, mostly. 

3 hours ago, Colonel 17 said:

that's where someone mentioned the advantages being population density more than just the $$$ numbers.  Not saying I agree with it all but being in an area where kids are all within a short distance is a HUGE advantage to using the numbers you do have.  If you are at a rural county school, you may have 1,000 kids in the school but if they live a 30 min drive away on a farm, you lose a bunch of those kids due to rides and getting back and forth.  I don't know a way to fix the issue, its always been one of those things you just have to live with not being a city school but it would be nice if it was considered somehow rather than just pure enrollment. 

I have heard on multiple occasions of kids not playing football because they live 30 minutes down a backroad and there is no one able (or willing) to take them home in the absence of school transportation. Couple population density with economic prospects. If mom and dad work in another county or work 3rd shift, who is there to take care of the that kid or younger siblings. Some kids lose out on all sorts of extracurriculars in low income, low density, rural communities.

My brother in law coaches in Ohio and he says to me all the time: I have no idea how you even have football given your resources, lack of levies, and drive times.

20 hours ago, theguru said:

There would be a mass firestorm if you tried to take anyone currently assigned to Cooper, Conner, or Ryle and tried to force them to Boone County.  

Then close BC high school down build another new high school "out in the County" and re-district BC kids to one of the four county high schools.  But, they won't do that either because the board has poured millions into the BC campus.  So, its a circular problem with Boone County High School being left to "figure it out."  

1 minute ago, James Graham said:

Then close BC high school down build another new high school "out in the County" and re-district BC kids to one of the four county high schools.  But, they won't do that either because the board has poured millions into the BC campus.  So, its a circular problem with Boone County High School being left to "figure it out."  

I agree Boone County is being left behind.  I don't think Cooper should have ever been built, they could have expanded Ryle, Conner, and Boone but it is what it is and I think Boone should withdraw from district play and schedule teams they can be competitive with. 

I think there needs to be some kind of multiplier for the percentage of the enrolled boys that play football, or a sport of any kind.  I think we have proven the number of boys in the hall does not do a good job of classifying football programs. 

I think this is more of a Boone County Schools problem than a KHSAA problem to fix.  

9 hours ago, James Graham said:

Then close BC high school down build another new high school "out in the County" and re-district BC kids to one of the four county high schools.  But, they won't do that either because the board has poured millions into the BC campus.  So, its a circular problem with Boone County High School being left to "figure it out."  

No one at Boone County seems to remember when they were the heavy hitters .... While the "Pig Farmers" with similar FaRL number got hammered for years. They certainly didn't care at that time. 

Were things as bad in the 70's, 80's and early 90's for Conner .... I am sure most people will say no. I call bologna.

So in a way, it is interesting to see "what comes around goes around" after all this time. It does carry a little more weight that Coach Warner is part of this effort.  At the same time I can't shake the feeling that this is a big middle finger to all the kids who currently go to BCHS ... And a back door way of telling them that someone will always find a way to make an excuse for you if you aren't successful with the opportunity that you are in. 

Mayfield lost their entire town last year ... And have a much larger FaRL percentage. There answer? We will be back quickly. And they were. They lost a heartbreaker to a program they have consistently beat in the past. Their answer? 

"Great game ... See you next year" 

That is something to rally behind. No excuses. As a famous person said after the game (paraphrased) "those kids have to go home to nothing". Those are the skills that should be celebrated.

On 1/18/2023 at 11:47 AM, theguru said:

I agree Boone County is being left behind.  I don't think Cooper should have ever been built, they could have expanded Ryle, Conner, and Boone but it is what it is and I think Boone should withdraw from district play and schedule teams they can be competitive with. 

I don’t get the whole opting out of district, or emails asking the commissioner to put them in a new district that you posted in a different thread. In the district they are going into this year, there may be only two games where they may go in knowing it may not be competitive.  They were competitive with Conner last year, beat Scott last year, and could probably compete with Dixie. So they should stop with the excuses and trying to run away to an easier path. Go compete like you can and go win a district game or two and make the playoffs this year and then build off that. 

2 minutes ago, futurecoach said:

I don’t get the whole opting out of district, or emails asking the commissioner to put them in a new district that you posted in a different thread. In the district they are going into this year, there may be only two games where they may go in knowing it may not be competitive.  They were competitive with Conner last year, beat Scott last year, and could probably compete with Dixie. So they should stop with the excuses and trying to run away to an easier path. Go compete like you can and go win a district game or two and make the playoffs this year and then build off that. 

I understand opting out of district play in some select situations but in the case of Boone County I don't get it at all.  Like you said, other than a couple of district games Boone should be somewhat competitive and then can play a bunny schedule outside of their district.  I don't understand Coach Warner on this one.  I tried to engage him on it with no luck. 

8 minutes ago, theguru said:

I understand opting out of district play in some select situations but in the case of Boone County I don't get it at all.  Like you said, other than a couple of district games Boone should be somewhat competitive and then can play a bunny schedule outside of their district.  I don't understand Coach Warner on this one.  I tried to engage him on it with no luck. 

I don't see much of a reason to drop out of district play, except for certain instances for a 1A or small 2A school that can't complete.  I can't see a larger school dropping from the district.