I'm not sure if there is really a connection; but ironically, Ft. Thomas (and to a larger extent the entire NKY area) is pretty heavily Catholic, as compared to other similar areas.

:thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb:

Trinity & St. Xavier are two of the largest schools in the state in totals of boy population. So when you add their superior numbers with superior coaching and unlimited support from administration & communities then throw in the superior facilities you end up with superior programs. Trinity and St. X are (along with Higlands) the stick by which football in KY is measured and they have only them selves to thank since it is they as a community and administration that put the time, effort, and money into making themselves great.

Highlands is an Independent School (in other words a Public School) not a private school, just putting my 2 cents in there.

 

The same goes for Beechwood too...

 

 

The same goes for Corbin.

http://www.corbinschools.org/

Public Louisville schools really don't have feeder programs. There is no middle school football, only youth leagues. So any given public high school might get a variety of players from multiple youth league teams. These teams have different systems and coaching. When they get to their public high school, that team might have a different scheme and even different coaching. This turns into a hodge podge of players and understanding of football.

 

Teams that have great feeder programs usually dont encounter this problem.

 

Louisville Public schools do have great feeder program. East, West and South enda have very good leagues. I would take the Optimis AND Muhammid league champions over the Toy Bowl Champion any day. T/X is getting a hodge podge of players from various coaching schemes as well. It all boils down to coaching. Redman, Higgins, Johnson would like to compare to the X/T coaches, but they don't. It's coaches first then support second. If Coach Bocko could find a good coach, who knows what would happen at Bulter.

Football rules at both schools and yes all boys/young men attend which as one poster said the vast majority do not play football. One questions why they do not dominate in basketball or baseball. Is there not a feeder system for that? Would players that excell at basketball or baseball rather play other places that win in those sports? I can only assume. I mean you do hear about these schools in football season, but then they pretty much disappear when baseball and basketball dominate the headlines so as I said football rules there and swimming also, but you would think with that many males that additional sports would be more "headliners". However they can hang their hats on those football games.

I think you forgot something very important. PARENTS & ADMINISTRATION. At most public schools, there is a sense of entitlement. A sense that because I am a Senior I should start and play the whole game. When that does not happen, the parents then go crying to the coach for their son is entitled to play. Can ANYONE picture a parent doing that with Beatty or Glaser? NO. If the public coach does not allow this type of meeting, then the administration climbs their back.

 

Bottom line - most Private Schools hire the BEST COACH for the job and they let him COACH. Most public schools find the best person, that fills a teaching need and will not rock the boat for the administration. Winning cures a lot of ills. Whether parents of X & T players like the coaches will never be known as long as their bench sitting son is given a championship ring.

 

:ylsuper::ylsuper::argue::banana::banana:

Football rules at both schools and yes all boys/young men attend which as one poster said the vast majority do not play football. One questions why they do not dominate in basketball or baseball. Is there not a feeder system for that? Would players that excell at basketball or baseball rather play other places that win in those sports? I can only assume. I mean you do hear about these schools in football season, but then they pretty much disappear when baseball and basketball dominate the headlines so as I said football rules there and swimming also, but you would think with that many males that additional sports would be more "headliners". However they can hang their hats on those football games.

 

There are a lot of young kids who dream about suiting up for X or T in football. I don't think you can say the same about our basketball or baseball teams. With the new arena, X is making a commitment to basketball. It will be interesting to see how things go with Klein, an alumnus, at the helm.

 

Don't think though that X just hangs its hat on football though. Through three fall championships thus far this year, X is 2 for 3 and has a runner up trophy as well.

IMHO - T & X compete totally in all other sports. Both have made great gains with their Baseball Teams. Why both do not reach the same heights in BAsketball is an entirely different debate and source on consternation.

 

One other thing. Attend any other Friday night contest (except T or X) and take note of the crowds. It is questionable whether there is even one fan for every young man on the team. SUPPORT AND COMITTMENT. Don't think you can lay that fact "off on us."

NO CONNECTION?? Really? No connection that the two schools (and a few in NKY) are Catholic/private. I will not get into it more than that but, take a look at the public/private forum.......

 

Highlands and Beechwood...again, are public. There are two Catholic football schools of note in NKY are NewCath and CovCath. Last I checked, Highlands owned CovCath and it wasn't until 2001 that NewCath and Beechwood became a rivalry.

It's called discipline and understanding.

Perhaps X & T -- do not have the better atheletes. They merely make the better teams.

 

I was looking at St.X web site and found that 9 players from ST.X are on UofL's football roster this year. Not bad for not being good athletes. X & T have dominated high school football for the last 40 years and it will continue. They have the players, coaches, facilities, and tradition. St. X usually graduates 40 Seniors every year. Very few games with X & T have even been competitive this year

http://www.saintx.com/page.cfm?p=415&newsid=46

I think you forgot something very important. PARENTS & ADMINISTRATION. At most public schools, there is a sense of entitlement. A sense that because I am a Senior I should start and play the whole game. When that does not happen, the parents then go crying to the coach for their son is entitled to play. Can ANYONE picture a parent doing that with Beatty or Glaser? NO. If the public coach does not allow this type of meeting, then the administration climbs their back.

 

Bottom line - most Private Schools hire the BEST COACH for the job and they let him COACH. Most public schools find the best person, that fills a teaching need and will not rock the boat for the administration. Winning cures a lot of ills. Whether parents of X & T players like the coaches will never be known as long as their bench sitting son is given a championship ring.

 

:ylsuper::ylsuper::argue::banana::banana:

 

Been my experience that just the opposite is true.

IMHO - T & X compete totally in all other sports. Both have made great gains with their Baseball Teams. Why both do not reach the same heights in BAsketball is an entirely different debate and source on consternation.

 

One other thing. Attend any other Friday night contest (except T or X) and take note of the crowds. It is questionable whether there is even one fan for every young man on the team. SUPPORT AND COMITTMENT. Don't think you can lay that fact "off on us."

 

Which came first support and commitment or winning?

Football rules at both schools and yes all boys/young men attend which as one poster said the vast majority do not play football. One questions why they do not dominate in basketball or baseball. Is there not a feeder system for that? Would players that excell at basketball or baseball rather play other places that win in those sports? I can only assume. I mean you do hear about these schools in football season, but then they pretty much disappear when baseball and basketball dominate the headlines so as I said football rules there and swimming also, but you would think with that many males that additional sports would be more "headliners". However they can hang their hats on those football games.

 

You haven't seen some of their baseball teams, have you? St. X's baseball program is superb and Trinity's generally is one of the better programs. Basketball has been slower to progress, but both have been above average programs for some time.

 

The two schools' cross-country programs are outstanding, and I hear the tiddle-winks team will be ranked this year...

 

Seriously, the two schools just do a good job for a host of reasons, including all the ones mentioned above. It's not one reason, it's a combination of reasons that make them very good.

 

One I didn't see really mentioned is the devotion of the alumni community, which - IMO - is unsurpassed in the state. Not just in terms of how the fans / parents / alumni follow the teams, but the way they SUPPORT the teams with $$. Take one look at St. X's athletic complex and you'll know instantly why every able-bodied boy at X wants to play SOMETHING... Seems like these two schools are constantly getting large sums of money from well-heeled alums...

 

But as my father used to tell me, you can't claim to be the best if you don't play the best...those of us in the public school community simply have to build a better mousetrap. The public schools can't match up to the numbers game - and that's huge, granted - but very few of the advantages X and T currently enjoy cannot be matched by public schools...

 

As the original poster mentioned, X and T haven't always been the elite... I remember the 4A division in 1984 - neither was really one of the top 5! Christian County, Ballard, Oldham County, PRP, Shelby County, Lafayette - those were the powers that year...

Highlands and Beechwood...again, are public. There are two Catholic football schools of note in NKY are NewCath and CovCath. Last I checked, Highlands owned CovCath and it wasn't until 2001 that NewCath and Beechwood became a rivalry.

 

Pikeville is an independent city school, also but if you live outside city limits you can attend but you have to pay tuition. Is it the same way at Beechwood and Highlands, some may be different.