What is the 2007 schedule for the dragons who is added and who is gone? What do you think there record will be?

I've been reading this awhile, and against my better judgment, I'll take a stab at this 3-pronged thread (sorry about the book)..

 

On recruiting, that's the first I've heard and therefore, I have no idea or reply. I would agree with "The Brain" that a discussion about a team needing a certain position or that a certain type of player would be in line for more playing time would not qualify as recruiting in my mind...simply assessing facts so that a kid or family can make an informed decision (if they are deciding schools on sports). Like another post said, if you were a guard in the days of Michael Jones and Charles Thomas and Casey Lester, you might have wanted to look elsewhere if you wanted to get in the game (see Nathan Blanton who sat 2-3 years despite being the caliber of an NAIA Conference Player of the Year). If a Cawood coach had told him in conversation that they needed a point guard much more than Harlan did and that he would likely start...how is that a bad thing? [Keep in mind...I am in no way saying that any local coach had such a conversation.]

 

On middle school, Harlan 7/8 had 5 players returning from a team that won 1 game in 2005. They had 14 players total, 4 of which had never seen significant action and none of which had ever played in the backfield. With no experience, skill or depth, you can't blame them for softening the schedule. Even with the weaker schedule, Harlan won 1 game again in 2006. When Harlan High was down in 2000 or so, they played Betsy Layne. Last year when on an upswing, they played M'boro and Breathitt in non-district games. It would be no different than Cawood/Harlan Co. not wanting to schedule Highlands or Boyle County on a down year or not wanting to be 6A and face Trinity or St. X as opposed to 5A with Perry Central. No one was trying to play only guaranteed wins (or take the ball and go home as one person put it), but Harlan had to at least put its kids in a competitive situation to improve. Getting thumped 53-0 at halftime by New Harlan or Bell only serves to run more kids off which could not be permitted when you only have 14 to start with. It's likely only a temporary cycle typical of a small school as Harlan had 32 in the 5/6 grade. Harlan withdrew in plenty of time to allow for scheduling changes and in no way was it done to sabotage the league, which did just fine without Harlan. By the same token, if Harlan County believes it to be in its best interest to kick Harlan out of the other sports, then no one should have a problem with it. It's only when actions appear taken only to harm the other system that people get touchy. For example, not allowing Cumberland and Evarts to even schedule Harlan in non-conference games looks vindictive because that is a good game for the county kids at C'land and Evarts (very competitive, local and a possible win). How does this help the C'land and Evarts kids, especially when most of their coaches and parents wanted out of the league to for the same reasons as Harlan, but simply lacked the ability? Anyway, I digress...Harlan got out as a necessity and not to spite anyone else. Football has classes (unlike the other sports) for a reason because Jenkins could never get on the field with Bell or Rock or Henry Clay due to numbers, plain and simple. Forget an upset, there wouldn't even be a chance for competition. Most would say that if Rosspoint or Hall or Cawood (schools similar in enrollment to Harlan) fielded their own separate teams, then the games would be very close. Harlan's decision should be seen in light of the football facts and not linked to the other sports. However, If it helps the county in some way to boot them in the other sports, then it's a good decision for the county and there should not even be a discussion.

 

Lastly, as to HHS in 2007, the point of this thread, they have district games against Hazard, Jenkins, Pineville, Cumberland and Evarts...non-district against Cawood...that's all I know for now. More about the schedule and how they might look can be set forth after spring practice.

Dragonpappy,

 

This "conglomorated" team that you are talking about are all feeder schools into Cawood High School, what is so unfair about that. It amazes me when people get so upset about the Patriots, I mean these are all kids that should be playing together at Cawood so what is wrong with them playing together in Jr. high. Also Evarts and Cumberland both can hold back kids if they choose to. That is Harlan's fault if they don't choose to allow their kids to hold back.

 

About the recruiting deal, well, let's just wait and see what happens but something tells me that the coach will be called into the Super's office sometime soon.

 

About the jr. high teams, just my opinion, but if Harlan is not going to play in the football league which is fine and dandy but then I glad the county is not going to include them in the basketball league. Also for the record I feel that the county board should no longer allow city kids to play in the pee wee league. Why should the county fund the city kids to play football. If the city kids want to play which again is fine and dandy then I think that city board should pay for half of the budget of the pee wee league.

Its fine to form a "super team", just don't get bent out of shape if my 15 doesn't want to play your 40. Harlan competed with Evarts and Cumberland. Again, ask Evarts and Cumberland how they feel about the Patriots. As to holding back, my opinion is if the student stays back, they don't play sports period, but nobody likes my opinion. As to the pee wee league, you would have maybe 4 teams without the city kids. Folks just ain't going to drive from Lynch, Bledsoe, and Holmes Mill for practice, and even Saturday Games. I know a little about this one, cause I was involved the first year. Again, you need to "think" for yourself and not quote the "company line". Basketball is very different, but if you can't see it, I can't take your blinders off for you. This kind of behavior is what gives the county district a "small" reputation. And hey, if they don't want to play Harlan, fine with me too, but too bad for kids of both districts. And by the way, I think you and I finally agree on something. The Pee Wee league should be a joint venture. I wonder if you know who would agree to let the City help? No, I don't either.

I do not know of any district who has the pee wee football that allows another district to participate in their pee wee league. I could be wrong. If Harlan County pee wee only has two teams then that is fine, they can play against other pee wee teams.

Ride that horse till it dies, huh?

Will someone in cyberspace please redirect me for I am lost and looking for the place to discuss the fortunes of the HHS football team for the 2007 season.

:ylsuper: come on MP, we were just gettin' warmed up!

I think what Tony did was basically the only thing he could of done. Tony is a good guy and does well with both basketball and football. Harlan is lucky he works with their programs and by the way i think he was an old loyall boy if i am correct. My point was that Harlan didn't want to play and it put west harlan and other teams in the field in a tuff spot. Now since they can't play its all the sudden anti- harlan.

I never remember Harlan being kicked out of basketball because they were too good but maybe i am wrong. Seems to me if they were with the anti-harlan administration they would of never gotten back in or so you say! The pee wee situation is another example of a district trying to include and do the right thing------ how could this be with such a anti-harlan administration.

Sounds like to me Harlan is looking to blame someone for their problems and its easy to use the county as the bad guy.

I'll take Harlan's problems any time over County. Maybe the big Patriot creators put themselves in a bad spot taking away Cawood and Wallin's identity in Middle School football.

Cawood Elementary School never had an identity to lose in middle school football. Cawood only added the seventh and eighth grades in the 1980s and never had its own team. Hall had its own team when the Cawood seventh- and eighth-graders were at Hall back in ancient times when I went to school.

 

New Harlan is not a big program, when compared to most around Kentucky. They feed into a 2A school with 650 to 700 students. That's not big, but average at best.

Harlan has a pretty decent corps of seniors returning, led by Howard and Jones up front. Johnson and Heck have some experience at running back and I'm guessing Luttrell will be eligible to take over as the featured back. Jones had a great junior season and will be back at quarterback. The big question I have is who replaces Pope, Sheffield and Goodin as the receivers.

 

Harlan's schedule

 

Cawood

Lee, Va.

Evarts

Hazard

Pineville

Lynn Camp

Cumberland

Jenkins

Perry Central

Clay County

Harlan has a pretty decent corps of seniors returning, led by Howard and Jones up front. Johnson and Heck have some experience at running back and I'm guessing Luttrell will be eligible to take over as the featured back. Jones had a great junior season and will be back at quarterback. The big question I have is who replaces Pope, Sheffield and Goodin as the receivers.

 

Harlan's schedule

 

Cawood

Lee, Va.

Evarts

Hazard

Pineville

Lynn Camp

Cumberland

Jenkins

Perry Central

Clay County

 

 

Wow... for the first time in a long time I think Cumberland has a harder strength of schedule than this. After looking at this I wouldn't be surprised if they clock in another seven win season.

Cawood Elementary School never had an identity to lose in middle school football. Cawood only added the seventh and eighth grades in the 1980s and never had its own team. Hall had its own team when the Cawood seventh- and eighth-graders were at Hall back in ancient times when I went to school.

 

New Harlan is not a big program, when compared to most around Kentucky. They feed into a 2A school with 650 to 700 students. That's not big, but average at best.

I could have sworn that Cawood had both middle school teams up until the New Harlan team was formed? Anyone know for sure?

As for the size, its about your perspective. 14-15 literally against 40 are pretty terrible odds in football.

I am not sure but sometime there were two teams that were made up from the feeder schools to Cawood, West Harlan and JACHS, Wallins,Rosspoint,and maybe Green Hills, made up the West team and Hall and Cawood Ele. made up the Jachs team.

I am not sure but sometime there were two teams that were made up from the feeder schools to Cawood, West Harlan and JACHS, Wallins,Rosspoint,and maybe Green Hills, made up the West team and Hall and Cawood Ele. made up the Jachs team.

 

I'm pretty sure that's right.

Maybe that is what made the Blanton kid from harlan so successful in basketball. We as parents alot of the time send the wrong message to our kids. We look near and far to find a place for our kid to be the star. In my opinion, Jones and Thomas would of been the 2 main reasons my kid would of stayed at that school. To teach him what sports are all about. That its not about playing time as a Frosh or scoring 3,000 pts but instead about finding your place on a team. About hard work, dedication, sacrifice ect. About getting up at 5:30 and shooting 500 shots and working to be the best you can be. Doing whatever was ask of you - practice player or one who averages 20 a game. I don't think many will play on saturday and even less on sunday so what not gain from the game the true meaning. When the house burns down , the wife runs of with the mailman and the dog dies, i have my money on the kid who learned life lessons through sports not the one who's parents found him an easy way out.

In glory days when we played real football "42 Blast out of the L" West Harlan was Wallins, Loyall, and Rosspoint, Cawood was Green Hills, Hall, and Little Cawood. Mount Evarts and Cumberland had their on teams and Mount Evarts with their 17 year old 6th graders wore us out. Harlans best setback will be losing Coach Perry, and JB not inviting Chuke Williams to help coach.

Dragon Pappy,

 

No matter how you look at the situation, whether the coach calls a kids, parent, or talks to him at Wally World, it is illegal for another districts or another schools coach to try and talk a kid into coming to play for him or her.