Over the years this game has went from an all star game to one last game for seniors. I’m sure there are a lot of reasons for this, but the quality of play is just not what it was in years past. 

On 5/14/2025 at 11:49 PM, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

Just a point of clarification, it's not exactly an "invitation" scenario, per se. There isn't any "all star game selection committee" voting to choose the participants for this game. The coach from each NKFCA program is just told that he can enter up to 5 seniors from their team for the all-star roster. Frequently the kids who have accepted notable college offers decline the opportunity to participate, and unfortunately there are oftentimes coaches that don't really pay much heed to the whole thing until a day or two before the practices are taking place.

On 5/15/2025 at 12:22 AM, rjs4470 said:

I wouldn't even call this an "All-Star" game. It's a nice event, that gives many of the participants one last chance to strap on the gear and compete, and a chance for coaches to reward a few outgoing seniors for a job well done during their career.

On 5/15/2025 at 12:45 AM, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

Completely agree with you, and basically that's what I was alluding to. I definitely can appreciate that the game takes place, but I think calling it an "all star" game is a pretty big misnomer. Personally I think I would opt for "Northern Kentucky East-West Senior Bowl".

I think the two posts below were what @rjs4470 and I were alluding to in our three posts above when we said this is honestly tough to call an "all-star game"....which is a bummer.
 

4 hours ago, MaddenCurse44 said:

The East had a tough time getting kids to play. Simon Kenton sent 8 kids, 3 of them played WR last night and were not even starters at WR during the regular football season.

2 hours ago, Pi said:

Over the years this game has went from an all star game to one last game for seniors. I’m sure there are a lot of reasons for this, but the quality of play is just not what it was in years past. 

I unfortunately I agree. I believe it’s the trickle down effect. Pro bowl, meaningless college bowl games, even the playoff games. It’s not that important anymore and I don’t like it.

Time to change the format or even the date. Most play theirs in December. 

42 minutes ago, BLUEHOUND said:

Time to change the format or even the date. Most play theirs in December. 

Not many people will show up in December. It was a good crowd yesterday.

9 minutes ago, MaddenCurse44 said:

Not many people will show up in December. It was a good crowd yesterday.

What makes you say that? Personally speaking, I think it's about getting the right players in the game moreso than the right butts in the stands, so I'm not even all that concerned with the crowd size. Give folks a good game, and then you're going to get a good crowd.

On 6/5/2025 at 6:04 PM, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

I realize there have been some teams added in over the course of the 40-ish years the East/West All-Star Game has being held, and that is bound to change the way schools are assigned to the East team and West team. But still...it admittedly gives me a pretty good chuckle when I see things like literally half of the schools from the West team being located geographically to the east of East team school Dixie Heights. Makes me wonder if St. Elizabeth Sports Healthcare might not need to put in a little more time making sure everyone follows proper concussion protocols. ?

EAST:
Bellevue, Bishop Brossart, Campbell County, Covington Catholic, Dayton, Dixie Heights, Highlands, Newport, Newport Central Catholic, Simon Kenton

WEST:
Beechwood, Boone County, Conner, Cooper, Holmes, Holy Cross, Lloyd Memorial, Ludlow, Ryle, Scott

I believe next year Scott will be moving to the East team to be with the other two Kenton County Schools on the East. While Walton-Verona will now be part of the All Star game and be on the West. Which will make it an even number on both sides next year, after the West had one more team than the East this year since St. Henry joined the game this year. 

9 hours ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

What makes you say that? Personally speaking, I think it's about getting the right players in the game moreso than the right butts in the stands, so I'm not even all that concerned with the crowd size. Give folks a good game, and then you're going to get a good crowd.

29 degrees compared to perfect 70 degrees.

8 hours ago, futurecoach said:

I believe next year Scott will be moving to the East team to be with the other two Kenton County Schools on the East. While Walton-Verona will now be part of the All Star game and be on the West. Which will make it an even number on both sides next year, after the West had one more team than the East this year since St. Henry joined the game this year. 

Scott sent one player. St. Henry had a kid play in it as well.

These events are really tough from coaching standpoint.  It seems each year fewer and fewer players want to participate (and if they have a college scholarship, their school doesn't want them to play.  So that right away takes away most top end talent.  Then, kids commit, then don't show up for practices, or I've even seen kids not show up on game day. And many times you have kids playing different positions because you get 9 different LBs and 1 playing safety or something else.  Combine that with the weird rules on defense that most of these events have that you have to play a straight 4-3 or 3-4 the entire game with no stunts or blitzes and have to commit to a single coverage, all of your defensive kids get real bored real fast.  

These events just aren't that great IMO, and it's a time for above average seniors to play a game and meet lots of other kids.  It's a social event.  But then coaches from the losing team many times end up getting trashed for why they did this and didn't do that.  So, even coaches don't want the headache most of the time.

Don't call it an all star game, call it the Senior Bowl or whatever, make sure each team has the same number of practices...4 or 5, and whatever happens, happens.

Part of the issue now is that colleges are telling recruits not to play. That eliminates some of the players. 

26 minutes ago, New Colonel said:

These events are really tough from coaching standpoint.  It seems each year fewer and fewer players want to participate (and if they have a college scholarship, their school doesn't want them to play.  So that right away takes away most top end talent.  Then, kids commit, then don't show up for practices, or I've even seen kids not show up on game day. And many times you have kids playing different positions because you get 9 different LBs and 1 playing safety or something else.  Combine that with the weird rules on defense that most of these events have that you have to play a straight 4-3 or 3-4 the entire game with no stunts or blitzes and have to commit to a single coverage, all of your defensive kids get real bored real fast.  

These events just aren't that great IMO, and it's a time for above average seniors to play a game and meet lots of other kids.  It's a social event.  But then coaches from the losing team many times end up getting trashed for why they did this and didn't do that.  So, even coaches don't want the headache most of the time.

Don't call it an all star game, call it the Senior Bowl or whatever, make sure each team has the same number of practices...4 or 5, and whatever happens, happens.

They where blitzing.

And how is it really even safe? 3 days of practice for kids that for majority have done anything physically as far as training to be in any kind of shape, let alone football shape,  to go out and try to play a game 6 or 7 months after the fact. Do it the week after state,  and be done with it. 

Also,  would be cool to see a draft or a way to more evenly split the teams. 

 

13 hours ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

What makes you say that? Personally speaking, I think it's about getting the right players in the game moreso than the right butts in the stands, so I'm not even all that concerned with the crowd size. Give folks a good game, and then you're going to get a good crowd.

Ever go to the Kentucky vs Louisville all star game? It was never very crowded oh yea thry don't play it anymore either.

2 hours ago, BLUEHOUND said:

And how is it really even safe? 3 days of practice for kids that for majority have done anything physically as far as training to be in any kind of shape, let alone football shape,  to go out and try to play a game 6 or 7 months after the fact. Do it the week after state,  and be done with it. 

Also,  would be cool to see a draft or a way to more evenly split the teams. 

 

They do it in Ohio with no issue.