I don't like the current system at all. Another element of this that no one is mentioning is the increase in travel that as happened under this system. I know they moved this year, but last year Bryan Station was in a district with Johnson Central. Thats crazy! I think a 5 class system would be best. That way its not as watered down. The way I look at what they are doing with football is its like there is a child with a toy and the child keeps changing things around for no rhyme or reason just for fun.

 

I figured Bell would love it. Next to Central they probably benefited the most from the new set up, as they now get to avoid both Highlands and Cov. Cath.

I figured Bell would love it. Next to Central they probably benefited the most from the new set up, as they now get to avoid both Highlands and Cov. Cath.

 

Not having to go through Highlands is nice, but Bell has never been afraid to play Highlands. The games have always been dogfights and usually comes down to the wire. While Bell has been on the short end most of the time, its always a good game. I am thinking more in terms of football in Ky in general. Not just about Bell Co. I will say this though. 4A has 3 perennial power houses in Bell, Boyle, and LexCath. Its still a pretty tough class.

While a single class for football is not workable like basketball may be, 6 classes for 220+ schools is way too watered down IMO. Everyone keeps referencing states like Texas, California and Florida when making their arguments; but that's like comparing grapes to watermelons. All of those states have 1000+ schools, many of which make Trinity and X look like an "A" school in size.

 

Ohio has six classes as well, but has 718 high schools!! An average of only about 36-38 schools per class is simply too few to crown a champion?? And there is still a majority out there that would like to add a couple more "private school" classes to this mix. When do we get to the "Give Everyone a Trophy" mentality?? :confused:

 

I know the KHSAA braintrust have no idea what to do with two large all boys schools with about 1400+ boys each, when the average school in their class has around 500-600. Don't I remember seeing some state with a similar issue creating a "Super Class" where they placed the largest group of schools, along with any others that aspired to join them in quest of their championship?

 

Slightly off topic, but I do get a kick out of seeing some on here trumpeting the validity of the six class champions (1 of 36); that on other threads will passionately argue that an All "A" champion in whatever sport (One who has just bested 120+ teams in a district, regional & four games in four days format--hoops) is not worthy of a "State Championship" because "it's not KHSAA sanctioned"?? :irked:

 

Not to be difficult but the person who was trumpeting that topic was none other than PepRock and I am against the 6 class system. I would have preferred we keep it smaller, although I wouldn't object to making 1 huge class for football with 1 state champion. Trinity would be a favorite there, but with some of the powerhouses from other classes it certainly would not be easy.

Okay one class. 10 regular season games. 16 team playoffs? Or what if we turned that into 32 teams in the playoffs? Then we're looking at something similar to the Sweet 16 in basketball but with a twist like that of a regional tournament where the 2nd team from the region gets seeded against an outright champ. Thats your legit championship playoffs where the powerhouses will succeed. Now for my twist - the second, third, and fourth tier championships. Ranked by regional finish teams #3 and #4 would make the second tier playoffs, #5 and #6 to the 3rd tier playoffs, and #7 and #8 to the fourth tier playoffs. One class, four championships that even it out to the weaker big schools playing against the strongest small schools in the second and third tier with the strongest from current 3A, 2A, and 1A usually winning the fourth. But your never locked in to which playoff you'll make. Keeps it interesting and I don't think its out of the question for anybody to sneak into that 8 spot which would allow for alot of programs to see the playoffs.

I don't have a problem with 6 state champs. I have a bigger problem with the number of teams that get into the playoffs. As an example, should an 0-10 team get into the playoffs? If I did my counting correctly, there are 11 districs that only have 4 teams in them. Meaning after kickoff the opening night of playoffs, 44 teams are guaranteed play-offs.

I know first hand about someone going 9-1 and not making the playoffs. I've been on such a team. We didn't cry about it either. We knew what we had to do and didn't get it done. The problem now days everyone thinks they are owed something. If you want to go to post season win your district, or atleast be a runner-up. Teams that make the playoffs without winning a game, IMO makes Kentucky look much worse than 6 classes.

 

 

Great, just Great Rebel! :irked:

 

Now I have to go back into THERAPY all over again!! :taz:

 

:cry: I did cry over it. And still do. :cry:

 

:thumb:

I don't have a problem with 6 state champs. I have a bigger problem with the number of teams that get into the playoffs. As an example, should an 0-10 team get into the playoffs? If I did my counting correctly, there are 11 districs that only have 4 teams in them. Meaning after kickoff the opening night of playoffs, 44 teams are guaranteed play-offs.

 

:thumb:

 

In every other sport, every team that plays is guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. I don't like that either. Either let all of them in for football or adjust all sports so that only the top 1/2 or top 2/3 get in.

 

I think enhancing the chances of a state championship could encourage more kids to play the sport. Having no classes in Kentucky and one state champ is not the way to go. I would rather see 5 classes in Kentucky, but if they could get rid of the 4 team districts and keep 6, that would be okay as well.

Here in the Bardstown area they would disagree with you wholeheartedly.

 

Both Bardstown and Bethlehem had great seasons in 2006. When it came time to line up the schedules for 2007, Bethlehem had to find six non-district opponents (it's now seven since Beth Haven dropped FB) and Bardstown had to find seven. Naturally, few similar-sized schools wanted to have anything to do with them, so both ended up having to play most of their non-district games against schools much larger than they, in most cases. As a result, the past two seasons were pretty hard on both teams.

 

With both teams coming off losing records in the 2007-08 schedule cycle, it wasn't any surprise they were able to arrange much more manageable schedules for the 2009-10 cycle.

 

Bardstown coach David Clark told me a while back that while he's not necessarily opposed to six classes, per se, he would like to see more required games -- i.e., you have to play your district games, plus a set amount of games against the teams in the other district in your region.

 

Made a lot of sense to me. Plus, I think it could lend itself to some interesting wrinkles in how playoff positioning is decided.

 

I agree. Nice idea.

I wished they would go back to 4classes!!!!!!!!! It was so much better.

Still my biggest issue with it is that it contradicts itself by the way it treats most 6A schools.

Here are the gaps (these are from the original realignment nubmers, so a particular schools pop will change) between the classes

1A 0 to 235

2A 244 to 331

3A 332 to 409

4A 411 to 501

5A 502 to 650

6A 660 to 1420

 

If a gap of 200 boys is to much for a 2A school to deal with in playing a 3A school how is acceptable for a 6A school to have to compete with a school with 700 more boys. My point is't about how much size matter (I'm actually for no classes) but that classes 1 through 5 are treated in one way and 6A in a complete other.

 

 

I COMPLETELY agree, and think you're way of explaining it is one of the best I've seen.

If these numbers reflect boys-only, then I believe there would be 2 in 6A. Maybe a couple more from Lexington, and then Henderson County.

 

And there in lies the problem, not enough big schools to match the BIG schools, which creates a bit of a monopoly. We could never leave out the BIG 2, so that means the bottom school of 6A suffer the consequences. This problem won't be fixed anytime soon.

Amen. Looking at the 1990 district standings, which was the last year of two teams making the playoffs, I readily see several teams that missed the playoffs with great records:

 

Harrodsburg, 7-2

Caldwell County, 9-2

Hancock County, 7-3

Anderson County, 9-2

Fleming County, 8-3

Russell County, 7-3

Highlands, 8-3

Rockcastle County, 9-2

Breathitt County, 7-4

Clark County, 7-3

Holmes, 8-3

 

And that's just one season.

 

Not to mention that some of last years teams that made it to the Championship game wouldn't have even been in the playoffs last year under a 2 team system, SK barely made the playoffs as a 4th seed.

Not to mention that some of last years teams that made it to the Championship game wouldn't have even been in the playoffs last year under a 2 team system, SK barely made the playoffs as a 4th seed.

Maybe it is just me, but despite SK's success in the playoffs that does justify needing to have 4 teams in the playoffs in my book. Something is wrong with the playoff setup when you can forfeit every single game in some districts, and still make it.

Amen. Looking at the 1990 district standings, which was the last year of two teams making the playoffs, I readily see several teams that missed the playoffs with great records:

 

Harrodsburg, 7-2

Caldwell County, 9-2

Hancock County, 7-3

Anderson County, 9-2

Fleming County, 8-3

Russell County, 7-3

Highlands, 8-3

Rockcastle County, 9-2

Breathitt County, 7-4

Clark County, 7-3

Holmes, 8-3

 

And that's just one season.

 

So if somebody could clarify for me, were they taking there overall record into account when awarding playoff births, or was it based on your record against teams in your district and/or class?

 

I would think that whether or not you make the playoffs should be based largely, if not solely on your district record, or at least your record within your class. I don't think, for example, Beechwood's loss to Dixie should count against them, since they're playing 1A ball, and they took on a 5A team.

 

Could someone clear that up for me?

And Simon Kenton had the luxury of both Trinity and St. Xavier in the opposite bracket.