Best football per two counties is played in NKY... but the best football played period is played in ONE county.. Jefferson. :thumb:

 

It's called population....If you take two teams and you know the two teams Jeferson Co. isn't that strong...:p

Two teams? I suppose your talking about two private schools huh?

Like... Assumption and Sacred Heart? You're silly.. they dont even play football! They're girl schools! :p:p:p

It's called population....If you take two teams and you know the two teams Jeferson Co. isn't that strong...:p

 

Take Highlands and Beechwood out of NKy and there not that strong either. Male, Ballard, Central, Manual, PRP, Eastern can all play with any NKy team. Yes, it is alot about population, but, the 2 NKy counties you speak of have as many or more teams than most other counties, excluding Jefferson. Wouldnt you agree. Most counties have 2 teams, the city and the county team, some may have 3 that even field a football team, so, doesn't #s play into that, as well, or is that just limited to Louisville...

As much as I hate to admit it, I believe that while Bowling Green may be the best in the West the last 3 years, we still aren't good enough to compete with the football powers of LexCath, CovCath, and Highlands. It burns me and I want to believe we are good enough to compete with these traditional powers in a high stakes game, but the passion, dedication, and commitment to football excellence is just so different compared to Bowling Green's. I have said it before and I'll say it again, we are happy to be there. Don't get me wrong, I am just as proud as PH of our team and staff who continually put together great team after great team, but we need a little more to compete with these guys and honestly I don't know if we'll ever have it and it's really no one's fault, it's just a testament to those 3 schools and how they play and prepare to play. My hats off to all 3 schools, we gave and will continue to give you guys our best shot, maybe one day we will emerge victorious, but I guarantee, if and when we win, people will say that it's actually a down year for Highlands or CovCath and they'll probably be right, but I'll take it. Bowling Green is a great school with a great athletic program, and football is just one of the athletics we happen to be great in, just not necessarily excel in. I know it sounds like I am downing my Alma Mater's football program but when I say excel I use that word for state championships and we only have one. So I will just say we are great, or above average, whatever. Yeah, I'm still disappointed over here. I expected a better showing.

 

Noone is disputing Highlands, CC, Beechwood and NCC..They're very solid programs, but, it's my contention that just because these teams are premier programs within the state, has nothing to do with where there from, but, more to do with there individual programs. Every area has premier programs but that doesn't make there area any better than any other. To me, it says more about these particular teams and thats it.

 

I do think the area the premier teams are from has a part to do with their success. I'm not sure about the Lousiville area, but I've long felt that N. Ky's strong football has had a lot to do with the fact that we are right across the river from Cinti. And make no mistake about it, Cinti is a high school football town. While they've had some success in high school basketball, Cinti has been much, much more fixated on high school football than bball. As a result, the newspapers and television stations give football more coverage. We get those same papers and tv stations. While fans support Elder, Cinti St. X's, Colerain's, Moeller's etc basketball teams, they don't do it any where near the way they support their football teams. While it has changed somewhat over the last 10 years, N. Ky long felt it was the step child of Ky and aligned itself more with Cinti. It was only logical that we'd have the same sports emphasis that the Cinti schools did. Plus, George Ratterman, a Cinti St. X star ended up living in Ft.Thomas and was one of the three men who started the Ft. Thomas Jr. Football League. George was a friend of Homer Rice's who like Homer wanted to see Highlands football be successful because he loved the game so much. While Homer gets a lot of credit for Highlands success (and rightly so), George's input is often overlooked. George by the way just recently passed away after suffering from a long illness. Its a shame he could not have lived until 2009 to see the 50 year anniversary of the starting of the Junior league in 1959. I've talked to the President of the Junior League of doing something special in 2009 and I hope they invite George's widow back to attend and she can make it.

 

I just think Highlands in specific and N. Ky in general has long put a greater emphasis on football because in many ways we were just an extension of Cincinnati and when a lot of the Ky high schools were concentrating on bball, we were concentrating on football. NewCath for several years even played in the GCL. While they took some beatings toward the end of their tenure in the GCL, I believe the strong support at NewCath for football has a foundation based in part of playing against the GCL teams. So I do think the success of Highlands, Beechwood, CovCath and NewCath does have something to do with where they are from.

 

I do think the area the premier teams are from has a part to do with their success. I'm not sure about the Lousiville area, but I've long felt that N. Ky's strong football has had a lot to do with the fact that we are right across the river from Cinti. And make no mistake about it, Cinti is a high school football town. While they've had some success in high school basketball, Cinti has been much, much more fixated on high school football than bball. As a result, the newspapers and television stations give football more coverage. We get those same papers and tv stations. While fans support Elder, Cinti St. X's, Colerain's, Moeller's etc basketball teams, they don't do it any where near the way they support their football teams. While it has changed somewhat over the last 10 years, N. Ky long felt it was the step child of Ky and aligned itself more with Cinti. It was only logical that we'd have the same sports emphasis that the Cinti schools did. Plus, George Ratterman, a Cinti St. X star ended up living in Ft.Thomas and was one of the three men who started the Ft. Thomas Jr. Football League. George was a friend of Homer Rice's who like Homer wanted to see Highlands football be successful because he loved the game so much. While Homer gets a lot of credit for Highlands success (and rightly so), George's input is often overlooked. George by the way just recently passed away after suffering from a long illness. Its a shame he could not have lived until 2009 to see the 50 year anniversary of the starting of the Junior league in 1959. I've talked to the President of the Junior League of doing something special in 2009 and I hope they invite George's widow back to attend and she can make it.

 

I just think Highlands in specific and N. Ky in general has long put a greater emphasis on football because in many ways we were just an extension of Cincinnati and when a lot of the Ky high schools were concentrating on bball, we were concentrating on football. NewCath for several years even played in the GCL. While they took some beatings toward the end of their tenure in the GCL, I believe the strong support at NewCath for football has a foundation based in part of playing against the GCL teams. So I do think the success of Highlands, Beechwood, CovCath and NewCath does have something to do with where they are from.

 

 

Whatever..You have the right to your opinion. I do agree being in a metropolitan area, does help due to #s alone, but, I disagree about NKy being better than other areas. I still contend its a few programs and thats it, nothing more, nothing less. If the Ky teams feed off the GCL area as you claim, why aren't all the programs feeding off it, not just an elite few? I don't see the Simon Kentons, Scott, Holmes, Newports, etc. being anything but mediocre and they would be mediocre if they were in EKy, WKy, CKy, SEKy or anywhere else.

Sorry guys but I am not buying the bad luck theory. I just think that NKY plays some of the best if not the best football in the state. I know HHS and CovCath has owned the 3A and now 5A market for what about the last 10 yrs or so and unless their is another realignment in the near future it will probably stay the same. If there is any bad luck then its BG falling into the same classification as HHS and CovCath. Now if you want to use the "best ever" theory then maybe you can label teams other than the two above that upset NKY in the finals. You cant be best ever every year, can you?

 

Actually did BG "fall into the same class" as HHS this year? I thought HHS moved up from 3A to 5A....

 

 

Whatever..You have the right to your opinion. I do agree being in a metropolitan area, does help due to #s alone, but, I disagree about NKy being better than other areas. I still contend its a few programs and thats it, nothing more, nothing less. If the Ky teams feed off the GCL area as you claim, why aren't all the programs feeding off it, not just an elite few? I don't see the Simon Kentons, Scott, Holmes, Newports, etc. being anything but mediocre and they would be mediocre if they were in EKy, WKy, CKy, SEKy or anywhere else.

 

 

 

And you have that same right to your opinion.

 

Simon Kenton by the way is soon going to be beyond mediocre. Holmes may also if Lickert stays there. Ryle is also going to be a force to be reckoned with if the opening of the new high school in Boone County doesn't hurt them too much (I really like their coach, Bryson, and the program he's building there). As for their being only an elite few up here, of course that's based on the definition of elite, but you have Highlands, Beechwood, CovCath, Dixie, NewCath, and Boone. Admittedly, Dixie and Boone haven't won state titles, but Boone has been to the championship game at least a couple of times; Dixie has beat Trinity in 04 (which is a great credibility stamp on their program) and in my opinion, had they not had to deal with Highlands and CovCath, they'd have been in Louisville this year. Not sure they'd have beaten BG, but they might have. That's 6 definitely better than mediocre programs with 2 or 3 probably getting there shortly. That's pretty strong. Does the population concentration help? Sure, but that doesn't fully explain it. If it did, Lex would have better football than just Henry Clay, LexCath and LCA, would it not? Louisville would have better programs than just X, T, Male, Manual and now Central wouldn't it? You can think my opinion is wrong, but having lived here my entire life other than when attending Centre and on active duty, I have a pretty good feel for the influences on N. Ky football and I'm convinced that the proximity to one of the nation's hotbeds of high school football has had a strong influence on N. Ky football.

 

 

 

And you have that same right to your opinion.

 

Simon Kenton by the way is soon going to be beyond mediocre. Holmes may also if Lickert stays there. Ryle is also going to be a force to be reckoned with if the opening of the new high school in Boone County doesn't hurt them too much (I really like their coach, Bryson, and the program he's building there). As for their being only an elite few up here, of course that's based on the definition of elite, but you have Highlands, Beechwood, CovCath, Dixie, NewCath, and Boone. Admittedly, Dixie and Boone haven't won state titles, but Boone has been to the championship game at least a couple of times; Dixie has beat Trinity in 04 (which is a great credibility stamp on their program) and in my opinion, had they not had to deal with Highlands and CovCath, they'd have been in Louisville this year. Not sure they'd have beaten BG, but they might have. That's 6 definitely better than mediocre programs with 2 or 3 probably getting there shortly. That's pretty strong. Does the population concentration help? Sure, but that doesn't fully explain it. If it did, Lex would have better football than just Henry Clay, LexCath and LCA, would it not? Louisville would have better programs than just X, T, Male, Manual and now Central wouldn't it? You can think my opinion is wrong, but having lived here my entire life other than when attending Centre and on active duty, I have a pretty good feel for the influences on N. Ky football and I'm convinced that the proximity to one of the nation's hotbeds of high school football has had a strong influence on N. Ky football.

 

Louisville does have more better programs that you didnt mention. What about PRP, Ballard, Eastern, Fairdale, Fern Creek, Desales, Holy Cross. Each of these have had as much or more success than any of the NKy teams you added.. Dunbar and Lafayette have also had some very solid years. I still contend there is 2 elite teams in Highlands and Beechwood with 2 more very good teams in NCC and CC. Boone and Dixie are good programs, but, they're the kind of programs that you find in all parts of the state. I think my point can be made for Highlands and CC, as they're the only NKy teams that ever play the elite GCL teams, like Colerain, St X and Elder. That tells me, those 2 schools are being influenced, not the entire area. I know other NKy teams have played some Ohio teams, just usually not the better ones...

 

Louisville does have more better programs that you didnt mention. What about PRP, Ballard, Eastern, Fairdale, Fern Creek, Desales, Holy Cross. Each of these have had as much or more success than any of the NKy teams you added.. Dunbar and Lafayette have also had some very solid years. I still contend there is 2 elite teams in Highlands and Beechwood with 2 more very good teams in NCC and CC. Boone and Dixie are good programs, but, they're the kind of programs that you find in all parts of the state. I think my point can be made for Highlands and CC, as they're the only NKy teams that ever play the elite GCL teams, like Colerain, St X and Elder. That tells me, those 2 schools are being influenced, not the entire area. I know other NKy teams have played some Ohio teams, just usually not the better ones...

 

Using your words, whatever. I personally think that Boone, Dixie, and Ryle are better than the PRP's, Eastern's etc teams that you mentioned and their quality cannot be matched throughout the state.

Besides Central, none of the "out of NKY" teams that Highlands played would have winning records in their district. Lex Cath maybe .500. Just an opinion based on the 15 games I saw.

 

 

I just think Highlands in specific and N. Ky in general has long put a greater emphasis on football because in many ways we were just an extension of Cincinnati and when a lot of the Ky high schools were concentrating on bball, we were concentrating on football. NewCath for several years even played in the GCL. While they took some beatings toward the end of their tenure in the GCL, I believe the strong support at NewCath for football has a foundation based in part of playing against the GCL teams. So I do think the success of Highlands, Beechwood, CovCath and NewCath does have something to do with where they are from.

 

Obviously it's not in the water... the O and D line in Ohio are a tad taller and much slower!

 

Using your words, whatever. I personally think that Boone, Dixie, and Ryle are better than the PRP's, Eastern's etc teams that you mentioned and their quality cannot be matched throughout the state.

 

You want to mention Boone Co...What have they been to, like 1 championship in the past 20 years. Thanks Shawn. They were decent this year but lost a home game to an Owensboro team that was blown out by BGreen and Meade Co. Ryle, same thing and that was simply because of the draw that year. Dixie didn't win even when they weren't in with Highlands and CC..All 3 are good programs, but, nothing to write home about. I contend Dixie wouldn't win a championship even if Highlands and CC were in there appropriate class. They couldn't compete with BGreen, Owensboro, JHardin or even Lincoln Co, imo. They would, most likely be a top 10 team but thats about it. We'll have to agree to disagree about Ballard, Eastern and PRP. I think all 3 are as good or better than the 3 you mentioned.

How about this: both Louisville and NKY are football hubs, with both regions possessing some of the very best (THE best, in my opinion) football programs, such as Trinity, Saint Xavier, and Male in Louisville and Highlands, Beechwood, and Covington Catholic in NKY.

How about this: both Louisville and NKY are football hubs, with both regions possessing some of the very best (THE best, in my opinion) football programs, such as Trinity, Saint Xavier, and Male in Louisville and Highlands, Beechwood, and Covington Catholic in NKY.

 

 

Just don't tell the NCC fans they were left out.