March 16, 200917 yr Guru is certainly right... whether people like it or not, Kentucky is a basketball state at all levels of interest, including the high school level. However, I do think the post about numbers has something to do with it. BB and FB are very different sports, and 1 or 2 very good players on a BB team is very different than 1 or 2 very good players on a FB team. Also, I have to challenge the comment made in the original post that high school football is KY is "dominated" by privates. I think that it is better to say that there are two great Catholic programs in Louisville (T and X) who currently stand above the rest in KY football, and beyond that, there are several private AND public schools with very good football programs. The elite basketball players in Jefferson County have many successful programs to chose from. Success brings more success. Ballard, Manual, J-town, Eastern, PRP.....have all had success in recent years. Also, many of these elite players may not have the academic background and support group in place or the sheer will and support group to make the commitment needed to successfully attend a private school. The vast majority of elite CSAA athletes choose football over other sports. They realize early on that 6' basketball players are far and few between in the grand scheme of NCAA Division 1 teams unless they are blessed with outstanding foot-speed, the ability to jump 40" or more or be deadly shooting the basketball.
March 16, 200917 yr This is the pink elephant in the room. The public schools have been committed to boys basketball for decades. If the public schools had the same commitment to football for decades we wouldn't even have this individual forum. Just looking at Fayette Co. school system who have a ton of talent in both basketball and football it seems that they are committed just as much if not more to football. Neither area is as successful as it could be because of poor middle school feeder systems among other things. As far as the mountains go its a school by school scenerio. In Bell Co. football is king. At South Laurel they are a basketball school.
March 19, 200917 yr Just looking at Fayette Co. school system who have a ton of talent in both basketball and football it seems that they are committed just as much if not more to football. Neither area is as successful as it could be because of poor middle school feeder systems among other things. As far as the mountains go its a school by school scenerio. In Bell Co. football is king. At South Laurel they are a basketball school. Basketball in Lexington has better youth programs. Whether it be the Junior Pro leagues, Parochial School leagues, AAU ball programs, etc. With teams like Henry Clay, Lex Cath, Dunbar, Lafayette, and Bryan Station usually all being somewhere near the top I'd say its an obvious that this sport dominates above the level football does. I'd say the ability to put more emphasis on basketball year round with AAU probably helps most. Youth leagues for football aren't at a great level here in my opinion and the middle school programs are even worse. Add the limited times of year that this sport really gets played and I'd say this is where Lexington gets hurt.
March 19, 200917 yr Lex. Cath. is the only private school to make the Sweet 16 this season. In football, privates seem to dominate - but not really the case in basketball. Any thoughts? Interesting. Seems to defuse the privates have all kind of unfair advantages in athletics, doesn't it? Did the privates dominate in football this past year? Trinity won; Highlands won; Bell won; Central won; Ft. Campbell won; and Beechwood won. That's one out of 6. Certainly not domination at all this past year by the privates. The category of domination on the other hand is: those programs that have made a strong committment to their football program for a prolonged period of time. Such would include Trinity, Highlands, Bell and Beechwood. Heck, the runner ups to the other two state champs likewise have a long history of being committed to football, Breathitt County and NewCath, which explains how they made it to the title game. Maybe someday people will wake up and realize that it's not a public-private issue, it's a long term committment issue. Folks just don't realize how long it takes to develop strong feeder programs; strong booster support; and a strong football "culture" amongst the kids and coaches, all of which are essential to winning state. I tip my hat to those programs that are trying hard to develop those things and realize how folks working hard to do such get frustrated when it doesn't pan out as successfully and quickly as they'd like. But those frustrated folks need to realize that Rome wasn't built in a day (which is seemingly forgotten in this day of instant gratification) and also need to realize that for the most part, the long established football programs are not rolling over and dying. I know this: when Mueller was hired at Highlands, he was told by administration that administration would be pleased if Dale could beat CovCath just 50% of the time. Dale scoffed at such low success level and made the committment to be much more successful than that, and the program was substantially "turned up". I know that after Boyle beat Highlands in 03, Dale responded by "turning the program up" even more. My point is that while some programs that haven't historically made a committment to football are now doing so, some of those schools that have long made a committment to football are making an even greater committment to remaining successful. Which means it's going to take the newbies even longer to get caught up and people need to keep that in mind as they rant and rave about "unfair advantages". I don't follow boys basketball as closely as I do football, but my guess (and some one is free to confirm or refute my guess) is that a large percentage of the teams that made it to the Sweet 16 are from programs that have made a long committment to basketball, which explains why they made it to Rupp as opposed to them having an "unfair advantages". Off the top of my head, I know that schools like Eastern and Holmes have a history of long term committment to excellence in basketball.
March 20, 200917 yr Sure that outstanding football complex that NCC has, makes all the difference in the world.:isurrender: Too bad the Bishop of Covington didn't give NCC all that money like they gave to CovCath, to build them a football field.:sssh: And the lie that the private schools are rich lives on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on, too bad it isn't true.... Back to the thread how many Independents are in the Tourney? I am sure that Corbin, Holmes, and Shelby Valley, are Independents any others...... Shelby Valley is a public school.
March 22, 200917 yr Shelby Valley is a public school. I'm sure TOG knows that. Independents are public schools.
April 3, 200917 yr Sure that outstanding football complex that NCC has, makes all the difference in the world.:isurrender: Too bad the Bishop of Covington didn't give NCC all that money like they gave to CovCath, to build them a football field.:sssh: QUOTE] NCC may be getting some of the wealth that the Bishop throws around :laugh: They have plans for a football field up on the hill. It is the 3rd phase of the $17Mil project they are currently working on. There will be some great improvements to the school on the hill. They will be getting a second gym too. So it looks like they are focusing on both football and basketball. It's time for another basketball 3 peat like they did in the 70's. :ylsuper:
April 4, 200917 yr Sure that outstanding football complex that NCC has, makes all the difference in the world.:isurrender: Too bad the Bishop of Covington didn't give NCC all that money like they gave to CovCath, to build them a football field.:sssh: QUOTE] NCC may be getting some of the wealth that the Bishop throws around :laugh: They have plans for a football field up on the hill. It is the 3rd phase of the $17Mil project they are currently working on. There will be some great improvements to the school on the hill. They will be getting a second gym too. So it looks like they are focusing on both football and basketball. It's time for another basketball 3 peat like they did in the 70's. :ylsuper: I might be wrong but I believe that all the construction going on on the Hill is all privately funded , Nothing from the Bishop .
April 6, 200917 yr 100% privately funded from what I hear. A couple of local folks have stepped up nicely to start phase 1.
April 13, 200917 yr 100% privately funded from what I hear. A couple of local folks have stepped up nicely to start phase 1. As was everything that CovCath has done, from the improvements to the baseball field, the new Schott Sports Center, the turf on the football field, to the new CovCath High School. All of it was down via private funding. Pretty amazing isn't it, what the community, alums, local businesses, parents, and friends can do for schools like NCC, CovCath and NDA. Thanks to one and all! Congrats NCC, looking forward to one day watching you all play in the new diggs! :thumb: I was just being a tad Sarcastic:rolleyes: about the money from the Bishop, as we all know.....
April 14, 200917 yr As was everything that CovCath has done, from the improvements to the baseball field, the new Schott Sports Center, the turf on the football field, to the new CovCath High School. All of it was down via private funding. Pretty amazing isn't it, what the community, alums, local businesses, parents, and friends can do for schools like NCC, CovCath and NDA. Thanks to one and all! Congrats NCC, looking forward to one day watching you all play in the new diggs! :thumb: I was just being a tad Sarcastic:rolleyes: about the money from the Bishop, as we all know..... The Bishop ran out of money after giving it all to St. Henry for their new school and athletic complex... :popcorn:
April 17, 200917 yr As was everything that CovCath has done, from the improvements to the baseball field, the new Schott Sports Center, the turf on the football field, to the new CovCath High School. All of it was down via private funding. Pretty amazing isn't it, what the community, alums, local businesses, parents, and friends can do for schools like NCC, CovCath and NDA. Thanks to one and all! Congrats NCC, looking forward to one day watching you all play in the new diggs! :thumb: I was just being a tad Sarcastic:rolleyes: about the money from the Bishop, as we all know..... So when the Bishop orders my Parish to "privately fund" CovCath's school for the next ten years at $10,000.00 per year, I should consider this a donation. Can I get a tax break?
April 17, 200917 yr CovCath, NewCath, St. Henry, Notre Dame received large contributions from their "feeder" schools during the capital campaign. Parishioners did not have a choice. The Diocese told the schools how much they were expected to give. In this economic time, when I give money, I want it to stay in the parish my kids attend. Now NDA is $2M short on their campaign, soccer field on a spring and outside sports get nothing. And they wonder why the envelope is light every month.
April 17, 200917 yr CovCath, NewCath, St. Henry, Notre Dame received large contributions from their "feeder" schools during the capital campaign. Parishioners did not have a choice. The Diocese told the schools how much they were expected to give. In this economic time, when I give money, I want it to stay in the parish my kids attend. Now NDA is $2M short on their campaign, soccer field on a spring and outside sports get nothing. And they wonder why the envelope is light every month. Wow! The Covington Diocese operates entirely different than the Archdiocese of Louisville. I don't believe the Lexington Diocese hits their parishes for improvements at LexCath. The Catholic high schools in Louisville are no longer owned and operated by the Archdiocese of Louisville. St. Xavier never was. Trinity bought their independence 20+ years ago. DeSales and Holy Cross were recently set free a few years ago to make it on their own. Girls schools: Mercy and Assumption are owned by one set of nuns, Sacred Heart, by another set of nuns, Presentation by yet another religious order. For simplicity, they all answer to one superintendent along with all of the grade schools which are owned by the Archdioces(except Sacred Heart Model School). Christian Academy is independent and receives some sponsorship from Southeast Christian.
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