Another issue facing the school system is, how many people live in Bellevue without kids, and the ones who have kids send them to NewCath or elsewhere. When I lived in Bellevue, there were literally zero kids on my street. 

1 hour ago, Breds82 said:

Another issue facing the school system is, how many people live in Bellevue without kids, and the ones who have kids send them to NewCath or elsewhere. When I lived in Bellevue, there were literally zero kids on my street. 

That’s a great example, and it actually reinforces the point perfectly. You can even point to Eddie Bivens—a kid who was at Bellevue early on and then transferred out (I believe after his freshman or sophomore year). When families who do have athletic kids start looking around and decide another situation offers more stability, visibility, or long-term opportunity, that’s not about one player—it’s about perception.

And perception matters. Once a few of those moves happen, it sends a message to other families who are on the fence: if even our best athletes are leaving, what does that say about the direction of the program or the school? That snowballs into enrollment issues, community buy-in problems, and ultimately makes it even harder to build anything sustainable.

So it circles back to the same question—how does Bellevue convince families with kids, especially athletes, that staying is worth it long term? Because until that changes, the cycle is going to keep repeating.

2 hours ago, IfsAndButsKY said:

That’s a great example, and it actually reinforces the point perfectly. You can even point to Eddie Bivens—a kid who was at Bellevue early on and then transferred out (I believe after his freshman or sophomore year). When families who do have athletic kids start looking around and decide another situation offers more stability, visibility, or long-term opportunity, that’s not about one player—it’s about perception.

And perception matters. Once a few of those moves happen, it sends a message to other families who are on the fence: if even our best athletes are leaving, what does that say about the direction of the program or the school? That snowballs into enrollment issues, community buy-in problems, and ultimately makes it even harder to build anything sustainable.

So it circles back to the same question—how does Bellevue convince families with kids, especially athletes, that staying is worth it long term? Because until that changes, the cycle is going to keep repeating.

No suggestions because I wouldn't even know where to start, but it would seem to me that it would need to start with a culture shift that requires the Principal, AD, Head Coach, and school board to be involved with.

55 minutes ago, bluebirdwatcher said:

No suggestions because I wouldn't even know where to start, but it would seem to me that it would need to start with a culture shift that requires the Principal, AD, Head Coach, and school board to be involved with.

Agreed. I think a change of leadership at the highest level is needed (Superintendent, School Board changes, and Principal). Heck, my buddy’s kid played on team last year and he said that they were having parades 30 min - 1 hour before the game for homecoming. That doesn’t exactly send the right message about priorities. Can you imagine a Noel Rash lead team or a heck even modern day Volker going out and walking in a parade a hour before kickoff?
 

They NEED someone who is going to take athletics serious. There is a direct correlation between athletics and quality of education if we look at surrounding schools such as Beechwood, Highlands, Cooper, etc. 

On 1/21/2026 at 4:08 PM, IfsAndButsKY said:

Did some further digging and these stats highlight just how significant a loss Trimnell and his defensive staff will be for Bellevue:

Team Defensive Stats:

1st in Class A in total sacks

3rd in Class A in rushing defense

5th overall in total defense in Class A

14th overall in team sacks in the state

7th overall in team interceptions

36th overall in team defense in the state

The defensive line has clearly been the team’s biggest strength, and with most of that staff likely leaving, replacing that production will be a major challenge next season. If Chad Montgomery can retain the rest of his defensive staff, there may be some continuity, but unfortunately, in the coaching world, assistants typically follow the head coach or coordinator who brought them in. While the strength of schedule isn’t elite, Bellevue showed steady growth each year, which I’m sure Scott noticed and factored into their decision to pursue Trimnell.

While I'm sure they played good defense and appreciate the time it took to get these. 

Defensive stats in high school are highly subjective. Especially non change of possession stats (yards, tackles, TFL and sacks). The eye test and scores are a much better indication of how a defense has played. 

I'm interested to see how Coach Montgomery does with a large graduating class. How he replaces them? And if he can keep the momentum moving forward. He's proven to be a great coach and mentor. So I'm sure he has a good plan.

10 minutes ago, BBHCEAGLE said:

While I'm sure they played good defense and appreciate the time it took to get these. 

Defensive stats in high school are highly subjective. Especially non change of possession stats (yards, tackles, TFL and sacks). The eye test and scores are a much better indication of how a defense has played. 

I'm interested to see how Coach Montgomery does with a large graduating class. How he replaces them? And if he can keep the momentum moving forward. He's proven to be a great coach and mentor. So I'm sure he has a good plan.

I don’t disagree with you at all. The motor and effort are obvious and that matters. Kids playing hard tells you the coach still has them, even when things aren’t going well. And yes the score is the ultimate measuring stick, but context matters too. Where you start from absolutely changes how you evaluate progress.

That said, losing that much senior leadership without much production on one side of the ball is a real concern, and it points straight at the offense. Installing a brand new system buys you some grace, but only to a point. A Wing T lives and dies on discipline, and the penalties were killers. You cannot live in first and fifteen and expect to sustain drives. That’s not a talent issue, that’s an execution issue.

Now zoom out and take away the defensive staff that held things together and it gets scary fast. If the offense doesn’t take a real step forward, effort alone won’t save you. You’re looking at short drives, tired defenders, and running clocks. This year tells the story. Either the offense cleans it up and complements the defense, or all that effort just turns into damage control.

2026 Bellevue Tigers:
Aug 7 at Holmes (Scrimmage)
Aug 14 vs. Gallatin County (Scrimmage)
Aug 21 vs. Trimble County
Aug 28 vs. Nicholas County
Sep 4 vs. Pendleton County
Sep 11 at St. Henry
Sep 18 at Iroquois
Sep 25 at Ludlow
Oct 2 - BYE
Oct 9 vs. Dayton (Battle For The Paddle) *
Oct 16 vs. Newport *
Oct 23 at Newport Central Catholic *
Oct 30 at Covington Holy Cross

* District

I am not sure about all the context here but I know there are BGP members that can expand on this picture for us.