The reason for the move up request to 5A was there were no 3A schools near Highlands and there was only one 4A school near Highlands (CovCath), while there were a lot of 5A schools near Highlands. With CovCath requesting a move to 5A, had that been approved, then there would have been no 4A schools. I fully realize that if CovCath had stayed in 4A and Highlands moved to 4A, that would have been two, but even then there would have been considerable travel involved for those two schools. By allowing both schools to move to 5A (in a district that could accommodate the two schools), considerable expense was avoided and perhaps excess travel for kids, coaches and fans avoided. To require all schools to play in their correct size classification simply to allow a true 5A school to win the 5A classification puts winning over cost and safety concerns and issues. That would in my opinion be misplacing the priorities of the KHSAA. I believe its the desire of the KHSAA to place any school requesting a move up in the closest larger classiffication that alleviates the geographic isolation problem. And as Birdsfan pointed out, even if they had requested a move to 6A, there was "no room at the inn" in the N.Ky 6A district as I recall. Hence no move up by those two schools to 6A. Hope that helps.

 

I can appreciate Highlands reason for wanting to be 5A - to avoid travel, expense, and for the safety of the team - but that arguement can be used for the rural central Kentucky counties - very few that I am familiar with play in districts w/o a lot of travel time - we travel at 1 hour, 1 1/2 hours and 2 hours for our district games - that is just the way the numbers work - contiguous counties are 3A and 4A for us and our opponents.

 

Highlands progam will be fine wherever they play - I am really more concerned with the majority of the programs. I know there isn't a simple solution, but maybe if enough people talk it out - someone will come up with a brillant plan.

 

Although there is nothing wrong with wishing that the 5A championship could be won by a 5A school - just because you have an enrollment number doesn't guarantee you a successful program - you may have other obstacles.

 

I am sure Lex Catholic is glad Highlands doesn't play 4A

So, it was fine for Highlands and Cov Cath to play in a different classification in order to avoid travel and expenses but it wouldn't be Ok for Johnson Central and Ashland to do the same? Is there double standard here or I am reading something wrong.

Sure there's a double standard. There's the one standard where Highlands and CovCath play up based on their enrollment, which should put them at somewhat a disadvantage on that front, and there's the standard where teams aren't allowed to move down in enrollment because of the theoretical advantage that gives.

Sure there's a double standard. There's the one standard where Highlands and CovCath play up based on their enrollment, which should put them at somewhat a disadvantage on that front, and there's the standard where teams aren't allowed to move down in enrollment because of the theoretical advantage that gives.

 

Depending on the numbers, that is what I read in the article, if you are within say 20 (just a number that I pulled out of the air) kids shouldn't travel, expenses and safety(these are the issues that LN used) be used for making that determination. How can you say that moving down is an advantage? The last time I checked Bell County and Lexington Catholic are very good teams and they are in 4A and I am pretty sure that both have beaten Highlands and Cov Cath. So, who are they dodging.

So, it was fine for Highlands and Cov Cath to play in a different classification in order to avoid travel and expenses but it wouldn't be Ok for Johnson Central and Ashland to do the same? Is there double standard here or I am reading something wrong.

One big difference ... Highlands and Covington Catholic are playing up in class against schools with larger enrollments.

 

Ashland and Johnson Central are wanting to move down in class.

It is not about dodging it is about playing in your true class. If a school wanted to they could say ok we are full and no more students we can not hold more than say 350 to stay in a lower class which I do not think this is an issue anywhere but to allow a team to play out of class because of safety and travel expense and not to allow another pretty much for the same reason and numbers dropping really is a double standard in my opinion.

 

Marshall Co. is a little over a 2 hour drive from Owensboro and they came here 3 times this year 2 for district games against Daviess Co. and Apollo and a non district game against Owensboro that is pretty bad and actually 6A would acommidate Highlands if they really wanted to go up there because there is only 5 teams in that district and that would make it 6. There are districts with 6 teams if I am not mistaken.

 

Like I said before Highlands is in a class like T and X ever since they started winning state title on the average of 7 out of every 10 years and in my opinion would make them even a bigger national power to move to 6A and play T and X and Male every year talk about kids wanting to come there as opposed to any other NKY school. WOW can you imagine.

 

For the enrollment numbers I would say Highlands has almost 50% of the boys in the school playing football. I would even go out on a limb and say that their freshman team out numbers most of the 5A varsity teams I know it would ours. That in itself is good reason to move all the way up to 6A but hey if not that is fine all of us in 5A will just take our shot every year and eventually somebody will pull a rabbit out of the hat and knock you off your purch for a year but for the most part 5A and 6A are a forgone conclusion from now until whenever something changes.

 

I liked what they used to do where you had a state at large state champ then you went on to play Trinity or St X or Male for the overall state title in the old classes. Maybe they should do that with all the classes now. Since pretty much they have it aligned where there is going to be a powerhouse long run as in years of teams winning state title after state title.

 

OK enough on my opinion and it will be an honor to be the team to try and knock off those Bluebirds come December at the pizza box if we get that far. Bowling Green has had their chances so now it is time for another team to take a shot!:ylsuper::ylsuper::ylsuper:

One big difference ... Highlands and Covington Catholic are playing up in class against schools with larger enrollments.

 

Ashland and Johnson Central are wanting to move down in class.

 

 

I really don't care one way or the other but it I like someone else on here it should be you play in the class that your numbers represent. It isn't fair for one school to be on the border and want to play in a class that would save them money or a school want to play up in a class to save them money. You say the up in the class is a disadvantage for Highlands, well if you are getting the best players all the way around you, then you are at a disadvantage.

It is not about dodging it is about playing in your true class...to allow a team to play out of class because of safety and travel expense and not to allow another pretty much for the same reason and numbers dropping really is a double standard in my opinion.

No, it actually is about dodging. Asking to be placed into a numerically more difficult class is the absolute opposite of asking to be placed into an easier one--even if the reasons for doing so are the same.

 

For the enrollment numbers I would say Highlands has almost 50% of the boys in the school playing football. I would even go out on a limb and say that their freshman team out numbers most of the 5A varsity teams I know it would ours.

I think your numbers are way off.

Birdfan I may be a little off but to be a 3A so called school and I looked on the KHSAA website and Highlands has us out numbered by several and we have all of our freshmen listed and Highlands only has 10-12 graders so I would say the numbers are higher for Highlands over most of the 5A schools as in actual players on the team and usually we out number most of the teams in the western side besides maybe Bowling Green.

 

Remember I am not complaining just putting a little bit of fact behind the numbers and as to why Highlands is always sometimes way above the rest of the schools in every class minus the big 2.

 

Highlands would beat almost every school in 6A this year and maybe one of the big 2 this year. I would really like to see you guys play at least one of them to see where you stack up. Just be thankful you are fortunate to have all the support of the community and the success you are currently having because you never know when it could change and I know you guys do appreciate what you have. We have 4 schools within 10 miles of each other so all of our support is scattered amongst the 4 schools.

 

If we could maybe pool some of the talent into one school for football we may have a powerhouse ourselves here in Owensboro but that will never happen so we take what we get use it to the best of our ability and see where we get each year.

 

For me I would be happy with the state semi-finals maybe the finals and possibly a state title once in the next 3 years and a full D1 scholarship for my son and I would say high school was a big success. He already has one state-semi and we will see what happens this year and the next 2. Not everybody can be state champions and they shouldn't be measured by that alone.

 

Good Luck to you all and may you have a good playoff season and win or lose feel good about what you have accomplished this year no matter how small the gains may be.:thumb:

I really don't care one way or the other but it I like someone else on here it should be you play in the class that your numbers represent. It isn't fair for one school to be on the border and want to play in a class that would save them money or a school want to play up in a class to save them money. You say the up in the class is a disadvantage for Highlands, well if you are getting the best players all the way around you, then you are at a disadvantage.

You want to try and explain that again?

You want to try and explain that again?

 

From what I take is that he is saying that Highlands is at a disadvantage for not playing the best teams in the state. It only makes the team and the players better...

B

 

We have 4 schools within 10 miles of each other so all of our support is scattered amongst the 4 schools.

 

 

 

There are about 20 or so High Schools within 10 miles of Highlands.

 

Highlands doesn't have that many players. The school has ~400 boys nowhere near 50% participate in football. Its usually around 20-30% of boys as Frosh and goes down from there each year.

 

95%+ of HHS football players grew up here, most are second or third generation players.

 

Ft. Thomas isn't parachuting kids in from De La Salle on Friday's to win games. These kids work year round in a program for this. Most start in the Ft Thomas Junior Football League as third graders and and stay with it.

 

BTW Highlands has played St. X & Trinity in the past and probably will from time to time in the future.

From what I take is that he is saying that Highlands is at a disadvantage for not playing the best teams in the state. It only makes the team and the players better...

 

Let's see.....

 

We played the number 8 team in the nation at the time in Colerain this year.

 

We played the 4A State Champs in Lex Cath

We will play the AAA Champs in Central next week.

We played St. X in 04 or 05. We played Trinity in 2000.

We scheduled HopTown when they were really playing well.

Madison Central is one of the top rated 6A schools.

Our Disctrict Schedule is what it is and CovCath is usually awesome (and plays as tough a schedule as anyone by-the-way)and they did beat HHS twice in O6.

 

Should a tiny little public school with 1/4 to 1/3 of the enrollment play both T & X every year???

Depending on the numbers, that is what I read in the article, if you are within say 20 (just a number that I pulled out of the air) kids shouldn't travel, expenses and safety(these are the issues that LN used) be used for making that determination. How can you say that moving down is an advantage? The last time I checked Bell County and Lexington Catholic are very good teams and they are in 4A and I am pretty sure that both have beaten Highlands and Cov Cath. So, who are they dodging.

 

First, I was saying it's a perceived advantage. Most tend to equate more numbers with an advantage. I mean, isn't that a major point of the article, that Ashland is disadvantage because of the enrollment differences?

 

Secondly, Bell County and LexCath are two very fine programs. What was the score of that LexCath game? 41-0? They're not Highlands.

Raodrunner if you can compete year in and year out with them I say why not! I want our kids to play them just for the recognition if they were to give them a close game. We probably would like the rest of them and lose by 50 or so but hey you can't knock a team for trying.

 

You guys have 20 schools within 10 miles of each other and you guys are the only ones that win every year???? Just kidding!

 

You guys have 20 schools within 10 miles of each other and you guys are the only ones that win every year???? Just kidding!

 

NCC, Beechwood & CovCath win a few too