Underrated Programs in the State of Kentucky

[OlDog75]

In 6A Boone has to be mentioned.

 

 

For some reason, I cannot agree with Boone being an "underrated program" in the state. They're a perrenial play-off team and ranked in the top ten almost every year.

[Coach Hard]

What about some of the small 1A programs? Anyone got a favorite that has been a strong but under-rated program? I'm partial, and I know they've been up and down, but Campbellsville seems to always put together a strong run in the playoffs ever 3 or so years. Especially when you consider the small school numbers.

 

I also think about Hazard, Pikeville, and Bardstown.

[BrewU]

Sk does have an up and coming program. The history is not there, that I will whole heartedly agree. But given there history the back to back to back winning seasons and finally some stability at the head coaching position. Some respect has been earned over the past few years. And please DO NOT put Simon Kenton and Scott in the same catagory. Simon has won a play-off game vs Boyd County in their very first play-off appearence, losing to the eventual state champ Cov. Cath. in the second round. And until this year they have lost in the play-offs to the eventual state champion in each of their play-off appearences. To borrow the quote from the Coach from Colorado "This is 6A football" not not intramurals.

[CentreRocks]

For some reason, I cannot agree with Boone being an "underrated program" in the state. They're a perrenial play-off team and ranked in the top ten almost every year.

 

Would Boone win 5A if they were in that class?

 

How about 1A?

[colonel-fan]

Yeah. Simon Kenton hasn't even won one playoff game. Don't really think they should be mentioned in the best programs unless you want to put Scott ahead of them on your list, with their one playoff win.

 

 

I think SK did win a playoff game back in the early 90s. I seem to recall a NKY sweep of NEKY in the first round for an all NK Region 3 semifinal. I could be wrong though.

[pnthr4life]

Would Boone win 5A if they were in that class?

 

How about 1A?

 

Boone would compete in 5A just as they do in 6A. However, I did watch 5A Owensboro beat them this past season. I also agree that Boone can't be considered an underrated program. They're always ranked no matter what class (4 or 6) they play in.

[Ram]

Sk does have an up and coming program. The history is not there, that I will whole heartedly agree. But given there history the back to back to back winning seasons and finally some stability at the head coaching position. Some respect has been earned over the past few years. And please DO NOT put Simon Kenton and Scott in the same catagory. Simon has won a play-off game vs Boyd County in their very first play-off appearence, losing to the eventual state champ Cov. Cath. in the second round. And until this year they have lost in the play-offs to the eventual state champion in each of their play-off appearences. To borrow the quote from the Coach from Colorado "This is 6A football" not not intramurals.

I think SK did win a playoff game back in the early 90s. I seem to recall a NKY sweep of NEKY in the first round for an all NK Region 3 semifinal. I could be wrong though.

Now you guys show up, after a Raceland fan had to get hot and bothered on behalf of a Northern-Kentucky football team. Please take it and run with it, I'm tired.

[lcdawg4life]

Leatherneck, I understand what you are saying and I am not going to argue with you about Northern-Kentucky football, because I know that you, as well as many others, know more about NK football then I do. But, again I was only naming programs that come to my mind when I think about Kentucky football. Not, necessarily, winning programs, or programs that win Championships, just programs that I think of.

 

I like to know what people think of, when they think of programs from my area, and I was only giving that same information about Kentucky football to other people. I know, what I concider to be, a fair amount about Kentucky football, but to the casual fan some programs are unheard of. For example: most casual fans in North-Eastern Kentucky who think they know quite a bit about HS football, have never heard of Ryle. I have had many conversations about HS football and mentioned Ryle and people do not know who I am talking about.

 

Highlands is another example. I have had people argue with me that Fort Thomas and Highlands are two different schools. In North-Eastern Kentucky you all are known as Fort Thomas, if I say something about Highlands, I have to correct myself and say Fort Thomas. I once said something about Jared Lorenzen playing for Highlands, and someone said, "No he did not, he played for Fort Thomas". I just said, "Oh, your right", and went on.

 

Lawrence Co is on my list, they have had a lot of trouble in recent years, but I think they are a great football school/community, and I think they are just on the brink of being successful. They are just outside of what is needed to be a winning program. But, Lawrence Co loves their football through thick and thin, they will straighten things out. They are on my list because they are a great football community, not because of the number of State Championships they have.

 

As for Simon Kenton, I know they are not the best team, I can not name a player that playes for them, but on a state level, by the casual fan, they are well though of. This is not an all inclusive statement, but if you asked someone to name the football teams is Northern Kentucky Simon Kenton would be on the list and Ryle and Scott would not. Not because SK is better, but because SK is better known. Honestly, I would say most people from North-Eastern Kentucky have never heard of Ryle or Scott, and if you said Scott, they would think that you were talking about Scott Co.

 

On the grander scheme of things, SK, in my opinion, did not do to bad last year. I know many people from Northern Kentucky will argue with me, but they beat Ryle in the regular season, and lost to them in the playoffs. They finished the regular season with 4 losses, three of them were to NCC, Boone, and Dixie; all of which had good seasons. I am not trying to argue on behalf of SK, apparently North-Kentucky fans do not see SK as a good program, but they would be a team that I would think of when talking football.

 

The same situation occurs when talking about North-Eastern programs. Programs from NE may be well thought of in the area, but people on the state level do not think of them as quality programs. Such as: Raceland. I would venture to say that every team in the NE would respect the Raceland program, because most teams in the area have been beaten by Raceland, but if Raceland is mentioned as a state contender, people say, "what have they done to deserve that". The same way with Russell, until three years ago Russell had not won a State Championship since the '70's, but everyone in NE Kentucky new they had a quality program.

 

Again, my list was not about championships, it was merely a list of programs that I think of when thinking of HS football in the state - the first teams that come to mind.

 

Thanks for the love from a LC fan and coach:thumb:

[Ram]

Thanks for the love from a LC fan and coach:thumb:

 

Only honesty, Lawrence is close and only needs the right coach now. I hope they get one that will give them the edge they need.

 

They also need a coach that will get Raceland back on the schedule.

[westsider]

For many years, when Raceland would have to play the Northern-Kentucky Champion, Raceland would lose in the first or second round of the playoffs, to the eventual State Champion, and many times that was the closest anyone came to the Northern-Kentucky team until the State Championship game.

Not true. Not even close.

 

In the four-class era, that was only the case in 1990 and 1977, and the latter was when only district champions reached the postseason. That is two seasons out of 32.

[Ram]

Not true. Not even close.

 

In the four-class era, that was only the case in 1990 and 1977, and the latter was when only district champions reached the postseason. That is two seasons out of 32.

 

Westsider I'm not going to argue with you, but I meant to say, the way I have said it several times before: "the eventutal state finalist". I will take the blame for misstating that. But, Raceland did lose to the eventual state champion in 2006, and to a state finalist in 2007.

 

Raceland Playoffs

Playoff Appearences: 25 (since 75 Raceland has Qualified for playoffs 78%)

Playoff Games: 32

Playoff Games Won: 7 (21% winning percentage)

Playoff Games Lost: 25 (78% lossing percentage)

........Playoff Games Lost to Eventual State Champion: 6 (24%)

........Playoff Games Lost to Eventual State Runner-Up: 5 (20%)

........Playoff Games Lost to a Non-Finalist: 14 (56%)

 

Raceland has won or lost to a eventual state finalist: 56% of the time (7 wins for 21%, 6 loses to Champion 24%, and 5 loses to Runner up for 20%)

1975 Ludlow 27............Raceland 0..................Ludlow State Champion

1977 Bellevue 22..........Raceland 6..................Belevue State Champion

1979 Bellevue 33..........Raceland 0..................Belevue State Champion

1980 Bellevue 36..........Raceland 6..................Bellevue State Finalist

1982 Beechwood 21......Raceland 0

1984 Beechwood 12......Raceland 0..................Beechwood State Champions

1986 Beechwood 37......Raceland 12

1987 Raceland 30.........Ludlow 0.....................Raceland won

1987 Beechwood 35......Raceland 14

1988 Raceland 27.........Carool Co 7.................Raceland won

1988 Beechwood 34......Raceland 14

1990 Belevue 10...........Raceland 0.................Belevue State Finalist

1991 NCC 37................Raceland 8

1992 Bellevue 24...........Raceland 6

1993 Lloyd Memorial 42...Raceland 8

1994 Lloy Memorial 45.....Raceland 16

1995 Dayton 22.............Raceland 12

1996 NCC 49.................Raceland 8

1997 Raceland 32...........NCC 21...................Raceland won

1997 BathCo 30.............Raceland 8

1998 Bellevue 27............Raceland 26

1999 Beechwood 44........Raceland 12............Beechwood State Champions

2001 NCC 56..................Raceland 7.............NCC State Finalist

2002 Raceland 34............Dayton 15.............Raceland won

2002 NCC 47...................Raceland 7

2003 Beechwood 44.........Raceland 15..........Beechwood State Finalist

2004 NCC 56...................Raceland 13

2006 Raceland 43.............Paris 26..............Raceland won

2006 Raceland 20.............LCA 13...............Raceland won

2006 NCC 46...................Raceland 27.........NCC State Champion

2007 Raceland 13.............Fairview 0...........Raceland won

2007 LCA 34....................Raceland 32........LCA State Finalist

[Ram]

Not true. Not even close.

 

In the four-class era, that was only the case in 1990 and 1977, and the latter was when only district champions reached the postseason. That is two seasons out of 32.

 

Where did you get your information?

 

Raceland has lost to the eventual State Champion 6 times (75, 77, 79, 84, 99, and 06). In 1990 Russellville beat Belevue for the state Championship.

 

Raceland has lost to a eventual State Runner-up 5 times (80, 90, 01, 03, and 07).

 

Raceland has won 7 playoff games (87, 88, 97, 02, 06, 06, 07).

 

And your math is skewed. 32 is the number of playoff games Raceland has played in, not the number of playoff appearances. The number of playoff appearances is 25, 32 is the number of games. So Raceland has lost to the eventual State Champion 6 out of 25 times (not 2 out of 32), and to a eventual State Runner-up 5 out of 25 times.

[westsider]

Westsider I'm not going to argue with you, but I meant to say, the way I have said it several times before: "the eventutal state finalist". I will take the blame for misstating that. But, Raceland did lose to the eventual state champion in 2006, and to a state finalist in 2007.

You can't argue against the facts.

 

Your original post made it sound like Raceland had played a lot of close game against state finalists and that those teams kept the Rams from making the carpet. It's not even close to reality.

[westsider]

Where did you get your information?

From the state scoreboard site and the state football program that lists playoff scores from every year since the playoff system started in 1959.

And your math is skewed. 32 is the number of playoff games Raceland has played in, not the number of playoff appearances. The number of playoff appearances is 25, 32 is the number of games. So Raceland has lost to the eventual State Champion 6 out of 25 times (not 2 out of 32), and to a eventual State Runner-up 5 out of 25 times.

The "32" refers to the number of years in the four-class system. Only twice in that span did Raceland give the northern Kentucky representative a tougher game on the way to the finals than their other opponents, a far cry from the "many years" you claimed.

[Ram]

Your original post made it sound like Raceland had played a lot of close game against state finalists and that those teams kept the Rams from making the carpet. It's not even close to reality.

 

I was not trying to slant the information, I have submitted the complete list of information. I was merely stating that, the fact that Raceland has had to go threw Northern-Kentucky first has stopped Raceland from going further in the playoffs. I believe that to be fact, and I don't see how that can be disputed. I do not think that that other districts would have been cake walks, and I don't think Raceland would have beaten them every year. But, I think Raceland would have some Regional Titles.

 

Face it Northern-Kentucky is strong in 1A football. the West has some good teams, the East has some good teams, but not as strong as Beechwood and NCC has been, and not as strong as Ludlow and Belvue used to be.