From today's enquirer:

 

Has Northern Kentucky reached the point where too many of its high schools are attempting to field football programs?

 

Sometime in the next decade or so we're probably going to find out.

 

Within basically the past 15 years we've seen five new football programs added in just Boone, Kenton and Campbell Counties (Ryle, Cooper, which will field its first team this season, Walton-Verona, which will field its first varsity team this season, Holy Cross and Bishop Brossart). Three outlying counties have also added teams in that time frame (Bracken County, Pendleton County and Grant County).

 

Is that too many or the more the merrier?

 

"I wish every school with an enrollment over 200 would have a team," said Matt Reinhart, who was recently hired as head coach at Bishop Brossart. "I think it's just another great alternative in those schools that didn't use to have it."

 

That's probably true, but with so many schools in Northern Kentucky overlapping each other geographically when does it become counterproductive?

 

When are schools not going to have enough quality players to field competitive teams simply because there aren't enough players to go around?

 

So far, that hasn't happened. Both Ryle, which started a program in 1992, and Holy Cross, which began in 1998, have had success, with Ryle reaching the Class 4A state championship game in 2006 (when 4A was the largest classification).

 

There's little doubt that Northern Kentucky always has the state's deepest pool of successful postseason teams across a multitude of classes. Even some of the less successful Northern Kentucky teams consistently beat teams from around the state during the regular season.

 

But, what happens in Boone County now that two more schools (Cooper and Walton-Verona) are playing football? Boone County is still one of the fastest growing counties in Kentucky (at one time it was one of the fastest growing counties in the country), but is it big enough to sustain five high schools playing football when as recently as 1991 there were only three high schools and only two had football teams (Boone County and Conner)?

 

Rest of story:

http://nky.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20080624/SPT0302/806240384/-1/SPT&referrer=NEWSFRONTCAROUSEL

I guess Gallatin County isn't considered an "outlying county" by The Enquirer. Typical of the paper's view of NoKy in general -- that they'd rather not bother with it and it might as well not exist.

I guess Gallatin County isn't considered an "outlying county" by The Enquirer. Typical of the paper's view of NoKy in general -- that they'd rather not bother with it and it might as well not exist.

 

I am living in Hilton Head and one day at work I met a man who was an assistant basketball coach at Mason County. I told him that I was happy he could bring a ring back to NKY. Then I told him and his family that us 9th region fans are arrogant like that- when we have top 10 lists, they aren't included. But if they are winning and looking good, then we have always included them! :lol:

While I understand the crux of the argument, I think its very short sighted. The more schools with football teams, means the more kids playing, which means the greater popularity of the sport, which means eventually the better the quality of the football played I think. And while competitiveness is important, high school sports is about participation by as many kids as possible, learning the values of high school athletics.

While I understand the crux of the argument, I think its very short sighted. The more schools with football teams, means the more kids playing, which means the greater popularity of the sport, which means eventually the better the quality of the football played I think. And while competitiveness is important, high school sports is about participation by as many kids as possible, learning the values of high school athletics.

 

My thoughts as well. Dead on LN. :thumb:

While I understand the crux of the argument, I think its very short sighted. The more schools with football teams, means the more kids playing, which means the greater popularity of the sport, which means eventually the better the quality of the football played I think. And while competitiveness is important, high school sports is about participation by as many kids as possible, learning the values of high school athletics.

 

 

Ditto on a GREAT post! :thumb:

Agreed!:ylsuper:

I guess Gallatin County isn't considered an "outlying county" by The Enquirer. Typical of the paper's view of NoKy in general -- that they'd rather not bother with it and it might as well not exist.

Been there, fought that argument, had the t-shirt made, still been shot down.