Pretty good article by Mark Maynard in yesterday's Daily Independent.

 

 

 

Maybe it’s fitting that Johnson Central and Ashland will be playing on Halloween Friday night.

 

The schools have been masquerading as Class 5A classification for the past two years.

 

Both schools feel as if they’re being politically jobbed, or even punished because of their aggressive stances in the public vs. private arena.

 

It’s not so much a matter of competition — Johnson Central and Ashland are playing for the Class 5A district football championship in Putnam Stadium. It’s more a matter of fairness and economic good sense in difficult times.

 

Ashland’s two-year average male enrollment for 2005-06 was 514 but they had only 454 boys when school started and presently have 450. They are competing in a district with far greater male and overall enrollments. Last week the overall enrollment between Bryan Station and Ashland was more than double — 1,900 to 900 (rounded off) — yet the teams were battling in a district game.

 

http://www.dailyindependent.com/columns/local_story_304000557.html?keyword=topstory

Both schools feel as if they’re being politically jobbed, or even punished because of their aggressive stances in the public vs. private arena.

 

So let me get this straight, the Evil Empire (KHSAA according to Ashland and JC) is punishing them because Ashland and JC want to kick the private schools out...

 

Delusional

You beat me to it.

Delusional whining.

When you live on the border of a state you end up traveling some

The part that got me was the terrible amount of traveling they have to do. :eek: I'm sure other teams have the same problem, but that seemed pretty awful.

 

 

And that hurts them in the pocket book more than just the cost of travel. When those teams come to Ashland they obviously don't bring many fans, and that also hurts the money Ashland would make at the gate if they played schools that were closer.

The sad thing is both schools are going to get creamed by Highlands, a school half their size and not a private school.

When you live on the border of a state you end up traveling some

 

 

Boyd Co. doesn't travel. Rowan County is their longest trip.

The KHSAA having a vendetta against Ashland and Johnson Central idea is far fetched. I don't subscribe to that thought at all.

 

But the rest of the article has merit. The same issue was brought up with regards to Corbin's classification. Corbin is in 2A, while their enrollment is solidly 3A.

 

It appears that the KHSAA used school years 04-05 and 05-06 enrollments to do the 2009 realignment. (They use a two year average of male only enrollment for football alignment) If that is true, then it seems like they could have used more recent figures. At least 05-06 and 06-07 enrollments would have been available. I would like to hear clarification from the KHSAA on exactly what enrollment figures were used for the 2009 realignment before casting stones, though.

 

Mark Maynard didn't quote Ashland or JC with his comments, but knowing his past and his reputation, I would give him benefit of the doubt that he probably got their feelings right.

 

I'd like to hear Coach Hart and Coach Matney comment on the article.

This was a good article. I didn't realize the numbers at Ashland were so low in comparison to the schools they have to play. When they moved to 5A, I just assumed that people were having a lot of babies in Ashland from 1990 to 1993. :-)

 

It is pretty apparent that Ashland got the short end of the stick, though, in comparison to our other Northeastern Kentucky area schools. Over the last couple of decades, Russell and Ashland have always had about the same talent. Russell, however, moved down in class so they get to hang state championship banners. Ashland, on the other hand, moved up so they get to play in an incredibly difficult district with the reward of Northern Kentucky powerhouses in the first couple rounds of the playoffs.

 

I had no idea about the political reasons behind Ashland's move up in class.

The sad thing is both schools are going to get creamed by Highlands' date=' a school half their size and not a private school.[/quote']

 

I didn't know Highlands was half their size.

I didn't know Highlands was half their size.

 

 

I don't know Highlands enrollment numbers, but I'm pretty sure that both Highlands and Cov. Catholic play up.

The part that got me was the terrible amount of traveling they have to do. :eek: I'm sure other teams have the same problem, but that seemed pretty awful.

They have multiple district games that require 2-3 hour drives and they are wrong to be dissatisfied with that?

 

Is it only OK to complain about a 3 hour drive if it is for a state championship game?

Only 200 in attendance for the BS/Ashland game? Was the weather that bad in Lexington last Friday?

I don't know Highlands enrollment numbers, but I'm pretty sure that both Highlands and Cov. Catholic play up.

Highlands enrollment is 3A and CCH is 4A. They both play up in 5A.