Lexington Public Football - It just doesn't Make Sense

[kissinger]

I just don't get it. Since 1980, a total of 28 years, the city of Lexington has had a whopping total of 6 appearances in the State championship game by a public school.

 

1981 - Henry Clay (W)

1985 - Lafayette (L)

1995 - Henry Clay (L)

1996 - PLD (L)

1998 - Tates creek (L)

1999 - B. Station (L)

 

How is it, or why is it, that a city the size of Lexington, in 28 years, has only been able to produce ONE Public School State Champion? I know Trinity and X present an obvious roadblock, but to have SO FEW appearance by a city that is the second largest by a wide margin points to the fact that there is a real problem somewhere. What say you, why has this city failed so miserably at producing Public School football teams that can get over the hump?

 

Is it the X and T factor, or is it the city itself?

 

Personally, it could that their insistence on hiring coaches from within already unsuccessful current programs has to play a role in all of this. Rather than scouring and finding successful coaches who want to move to a larger class in a great city; paying them as they can and should (they have one of the biggest budgets in the state; equipping them with training facilities and demonstrating a school-wide commitment; rather than doing all that, they choose to think that somehow, someone who wasn't working on a successful staff can somehow initiate success. Success is an atmosphere and an attitude, not an action. Not that the coaches aren't good people, in many cases, you don't find better human beings and characters. But your post was about winning. And in this sport, as was proven again this year, you generally have to know how to win to create a winning atmosphere. Those five schools continually prove Einstein's definition of insanity, they just keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

[kissinger]

Thanks PepRock for clearing up my misunderstanding. For some reason I was under the impression that X and T had received in the past several talented kids that otherwise would have went to Central. Looks like the M schools will be the ones hurt by Central's rise.

 

There's a crossroads here as LN and PR talk about open enrollment and self-imposed restricted choice. Central has proven that if you can make your program attractive enough to make the kids within your natural district boundaries want to attend, you don't need open enrollment. When the Federal court order was dissolved, Central began seeing its own neighborhood kids come back to their own building instead of being bussed all over Jefferson County. They staffed the teams with outstanding coaches, and you can see the success.

 

Programs are like mythical baseball fields, if you build them, they will come. Building a sense of community, of pride, of dedication, of purpose, those are the building blocks. That's the natural advantage of a lot of the independent districts in that they have a history of community and a sense of purpose. That foundation is undeniable and very much underpins their programs. That's what some of the schools out in the state are realizing too.

 

The tough part is finding that magic person that can bind them together. Take Dudley Hilton. Whatever you want to say about him, the man is a master at keeping people focused on the long term goals. And I don't even mean the Bell County experience. Just look at what happened at Bourbon when someone who knows how to get kids to run through a wall for him, connects with a group of young men. Not before nor after has that school seen that. Haywood at Belfry, he's another one. It isn't just one thing. It isn't just enrollment boundaries, purpose, community, motivation, weight rooms, off season work, district alignment, it is all those and more rolled into one.

 

Sorry LN, didn't mean to threaten your record for post length.

[strongopenyon]

There are issues on all levels as to why Lexington football underachieves. It takes a total commitment top to bottom and everything in between and it is not there in Lexington.

[5wide]

Didn't Eric Shelton play at Station?

 

The Boyds - Shane and Aaron (Henry Clay)

 

Wasn't there a guy named J.T. Haskins? that played D-1? (Station)

 

Didn't Michigan get a player from Lexington a few years ago?

[The Golfer]

Would Lexington benefit from open enrollment? Not only by maximizing educational opportunities via Magnet programs but also giving students a choice in their education. If you make a school attractive academically it often becomes attractive athletically and as LN said success breeds success.

 

Oh I agree 100% that if you made an open enrollement a Lexington Football team would at least compete for a state championship most of the years. But this is not Stu's goal. He does not want one school to stick out in education and in sports while others fail.

 

I'll be honest if I had to point my finger and say what the main problem in Lexington is in sports. Their problem is the Board of Education doesn't try to be great in one thing, but they try to be ok in everything. Soccer gets the same treatment as football, the band is no smaller than the basketball team. A football coach has the same teaching job as someone who does no extra curriculur activities. Its the most politically correct place you will see.

 

Its very hard to be great at everything. Trinity for example puts their money and efforts into football. If you look at their basketball court vs. their football field you can see where the effort is put into. FCPS will not put one over the other and you get a watered down effort in all of your sports. So for the most part you wont see Lexington as a whole be terrible (for the most part) but dont expect them to win any championships either, or even be very close.

[footballhd]

Guys, the super does not dictate who they principal hires or what job he hires him for. I am sure that some coaches in Fayette County teach in-school suspension or something similar that does not take the work and planning as teaching in the regular classroom.

[footballhd]

The Boyds - Shane and Aaron (Henry Clay)

 

Wasn't there a guy named J.T. Haskins? that played D-1? (Station)

 

Didn't Michigan get a player from Lexington a few years ago?

 

 

The player that went to Michigan was from Lex Cath I do believe. They also had the QB who went to NC State and is at UL now.

[tcjkbt]

Didn't a DB go to UVA last year?

[footballhd]

Yes, I believe so. Maybe Minnifield? Anyway, besides Male winning 3 state titles, no other 6A team in Louisville competes with Trinity and St. X. Trinity and St. X have won all but 13 State titles at the highest class since 1975. Male won 3. Who else in Louisville competes with X and Trinity? Everybody wants to know when Lexington 6A can get on par with X and Trinity, but in essence, Louisville 6A doesnt compete with Trinity and St X.

[Covercorner]

The player that went to Michigan was from Lex Cath I do believe. They also had the QB who went to NC State and is at UL now.

Brandon Logan from Lex. Cath just finished his senior year at Michigan.

 

Zia Combs(Henry Clay) played at Michigan

 

J.T. and Robert Haskins (Bryan Station) played at UL.

[Bluegrasscard]

The player that went to Michigan was from Lex Cath I do believe. They also had the QB who went to NC State and is at UL now.

 

The QB is Justin Burke. He transferred from NC State to UL right before school started and had to sit out this season.

[Rocks8010]

Which brings to mind my long held and oft repeated point that the success of some programs is often the result of the failure of other schools. Had the Lexington publics put more emphasis on football and other sports, its possible that Lexington Catholic would have closed its doors by now and those great athletes at LexCath would be at the public schools. I don't know if its a myth, but I've heard the story repeated often that LexCath was close to closing years ago due to a lack of students. The man in charge, Father Beuter, realized that putting a top notch athletic program in place would attract tuition paying students because of the failure of the Fayette Public school system to adequately support and fund the athletic programs (the pulic school thinking may have been at the time: why worry about putting more resources into athletics, the kids have no other real options so they'll "eat what we are serving and like it too"). Which if true, opened the door for Lexington Catholic to use athletics as a drawing card, and is now biting the Lexington public schools athletic programs (particularly football) in the backside due to the loss of athletes. Again, I don't know if what I've heard is true or whether my "theory" is correct. It's sort of like the success of the private girls schools. For years the public schools looked at girls sports as a nuisance (even after Title IX) and did not put enough emphasis and resources into the girls sports. In the meanwhile, you have private all girl schools placing a heavy emphasis on their programs in part because its the right thing to do and in part because they know it will attract a lot of tuition paying girls that are serious about athletics. The privates saw the wave coming and paddled out to meet it. Now, they have became athletic machines and nothing succeeds success like success.

 

Perhaps if the Lexington public system had not floundered in its support and those athletes at LexCath had went to Henry Clay, that would have put them over the top and enabled Henry Clay to beat Trinity. I for one am glad to see Louisville Central do well in football, but think if it continues to stay successful it may have some negative impact on T and X. Much of an impact? I doubt it. But even if just one or two superb athletes decide to attend Central and not choose T or X, in an occasional year that may mean the difference in some games.

Maybe it would benefit Lexington Public Schools to move down in class like Central did. Put them in 4A or 5A and see if they start competing.

[Rocks8010]

Thanks PepRock for clearing up my misunderstanding. For some reason I was under the impression that X and T had received in the past several talented kids that otherwise would have went to Central. Looks like the M schools will be the ones hurt by Central's rise.

Centrals starting QB this season started high school at Trinity. He couldn't crack the two deep lineup for the Freshman team and transfered out for whatever reason. He's grown since leaving and done a great job for Central.

[westsider]

Maybe it would benefit Lexington Public Schools to move down in class like Central did. Put them in 4A or 5A and see if they start competing.

Central didn't "move down" in class ... they're playing in the class to which they were assigned.

[Skunk]

Centrals starting QB this season started high school at Trinity. He couldn't crack the two deep lineup for the Freshman team and transfered out for whatever reason. He's grown since leaving and done a great job for Central.

 

Nice to see that he got a chance