Not quite. Schools like Michigan, Penn St., Texas, Wisconsin, Purdue all have 40,000+ students and are known to be some of the best universities in the country, as well as some of the largest. Large schools do not necessiarly equal poor education levels and small schools don't always equate to a strong education.

Please tell me you aren't comparing high school and college. It's like comparing apples and durians.

The only fault I have with them is how they so easily find fault with programs whom they have distinct advantages over.

 

But the point some have brought up is that years ago, the numbers advantage wasn't what it was and in some cases, the private schools were at a disadvantage, but they still won a large majority of the titles. Also, why does this numbers advantage not translate to a sport like basketball? St. X used to have a very competitive basketball team, but apparently now that we're larger than all JCPS schools by such a wide margin, we can't field a successful team (compared to our football team for example).

Please tell me you aren't comparing high school and college. It's like comparing apples and durians.

 

I'm not comparing anything, I'm refuting another poster that is comparing high schools to colleges. Reread my post and the post I quoted.

This is my take, btw:

 

Over the course of cycles, the top public high schools tend to have a talent superiority to X and T (although, it should be noted that X and T have plenty of D-IA players at Louisville and Kentucky at the moment, and have certainly been on an upswing of talent in the past few years.) This is cyclical, but it basically boils down to every couple of years a school like Manual or Male or PRP or Henry Clay will be loaded up for their run. Male had a particularly nice run, but that looks to have tapered off as Manual's turn came up. But the point is that it's a cyclical advantage. With football's star power in Louisville on the rise, I'm actually not that sure this will hold up (see the recent surge in talent at X and T, just a few years behind the surge at public schools) but for now lets hold it as a given. I would also say that at Manual's height last year, they had only a few more talented players than X or T (and Trinity has the best football player in the state at any position playing middle linebacker.)

 

X and T, on the other hand, have two big advantages to the top public programs. First, they have a solid grade school feeder system that begins preparing them to play ball at those two schools. Second, they have the numbers.

 

Rockpride (and you know I love ya, brother) stated that RRR wants the talent AND the numbers as an advantage. Not quite. Take out the numerical advantage by consolidating Males and Manuals, and then you've removed it from the equation. Then, the public consolidated schools have a (cyclical, but more stable) talent advantage while the private schools have the (constant, not going away) preparatory advantage.

 

In closing, we hear all the time that X and T have better coaches, alumni support, tradition, appeal, stadium lights, etc. I don't know that they sweep that board, but they come close. But I think if you remove the numbers advantage, it's a ball game.

I'm not comparing anything, I'm refuting another poster that is comparing high schools to colleges. Reread my post and the post I quoted.

 

:thumb:

In closing, we hear all the time that X and T have better coaches, alumni support, tradition, appeal, stadium lights, etc. I don't know that they sweep that board, but they come close. But I think if you remove the numbers advantage, it's a ball game.

 

I don't think there is any doubt we have that one over Manual.

 

Or Manuel for that matter. :lol:

Also, why does this numbers advantage not translate to a sport like basketball? St. X used to have a very competitive basketball team, but apparently now that we're larger than all JCPS schools by such a wide margin, we can't field a successful team (compared to our football team for example).

With only 9 or ten players needed for a basketball team the numbers game isn't as significant. Also Basketball is one of the ONLY sports in which these two programs don't have an extreme level of success. Its your lone bad apple and a poor example of your entire situation.

With only 9 or ten players needed for a basketball team the numbers game isn't as significant. Also Basketball is one of the ONLY sports in which these two programs don't have an extreme level of success. Its your lone bad apple and a poor example of your entire situation.

 

 

Baseball

Baseball

Your pretty doggone good in baseball.

Basketball is nothing like football. In basketball, individual talent can win out. In basketball, precision in execution is not critical to offensive success. In basketball, there isn't the possible advantage of specialization for offense and defense.

 

In basketball, you have five guys on the floor and maybe ten others on the bench. In football, you have 11 on the field and maybe 89 on the sidelines. Stop bringing up basketball.

X and T, on the other hand, have two big advantages to the top public programs. First, they have a solid grade school feeder system that begins preparing them to play ball at those two schools. Second, they have the numbers.

 

 

Here IMO, is the crux of the issue. The feeder programs. I'm willing to bet, that if you look at the consitently sucessful football programs around the state, you will find that the feeder programs a more established and overall a bit better than others. My thought is these feeder programs are below middle school level. The Catholic schools in Louisville do it, Highlands in NKY does it, Lexington Catholic and Lexington Christian combined have one. I think this is where the ground can be made up, if the commitment is in place. Is funding an issue, probably, and I don't know if that is the only one. But lets say that the funding is there for the High Schools to create a feeder program, such as the ones others have done. Wouldn't some of the kids that go to play in the Catholic feeder program(because it's the only one) now have another choice, and now choose, as an example: Manuels feeder program, because big brother , or a cousin plays there, and little Johnny wants to be like him? Just some thoughts. I don't really know that much about Jeff. Co.

Here IMO, is the crux of the issue. The feeder programs. I'm willing to bet, that if you look at the consitently sucessful football programs around the state, you will find that the feeder programs a more established and overall a bit better than others. My thought is these feeder programs are below middle school level. The Catholic schools in Louisville do it, Highlands in NKY does it, Lexington Catholic and Lexington Christian combined have one. I think this is where the ground can be made up, if the commitment is in place. Is funding an issue, probably, and I don't know if that is the only one. But lets say that the funding is there for the High Schools to create a feeder program, such as the ones others have done. Wouldn't some of the kids that go to play in the Catholic feeder program(because it's the only one) now have another choice, and now choose, as an example: Manuels feeder program, because big brother , or a cousin plays there, and little Johnny wants to be like him? Just some thoughts. I don't really know that much about Jeff. Co.

:irked:

 

And funding is a huge nut to crack on that one. I don't think it's happening.

Your pretty doggone good in baseball.

 

 

We may be competetive but we are hardly dominant. We still have 0 titles to show for our efforts, at least as far as I know.

I don't really know that much about Jeff. Co.

There are optimist leagues in Jefferson Co that provide pre-high school football. They aren't as feeder driven as the Catholic system or other similar systems, mostly due to open enrollment in Jefferson Co.

In other words the Middletown Eagles don't simply produce players for Eastern High School. Many of these players end up at Ballard, Trinity, Male, Manual, or other schools so Eastern doesn't get as significant an impact of prepping these players.

Manual itself is unique in that it has NO feeder school at all. There is no local district to assume or develop talent in anyway.

There are optimist leagues in Jefferson Co that provide pre-high school football. They aren't as feeder driven as the Catholic system or other similar systems, mostly due to open enrollment in Jefferson Co.

In other words the Middletown Eagles don't simply produce players for Eastern High School. Many of these players end up at Ballard, Trinity, Male, Manual, or other schools so Eastern doesn't get as significant an impact of prepping these players.

Manual itself is unique in that it has NO feeder school at all. There is no local district to assume or develop talent in anyway.

 

To be fair, just because a kid plays for Our Lady of Lourdes or Holy Spirit doesn't mean he will be going to Trinity either.