...and the support they have from last year to this year from the student body to the community...

 

BU, you make a compelling case, & IMO the portion of your quote above is far & away the most important factor to long term success...:thumb:

I don't know that the way the 6A playoffs are done now have made any difference in football in Kentucy. But, I can say with 100% certaintiy that the points you have made in the first paragraph are what will make the difference in the long term for Ryle or any other schools that want to improve. You don't have to make it to the State Championship game to begin to build a culture of tradition. In fact, I argue that the most solid foundation begins when a school fosters a culture of excellence on and off the field, fosters community involvement and sets and focuses on long term goals. Some years that will translate to post season wins, and some years it will not. The most important key is to not let the passion die because of a "down" season.

 

We're talking sports here. You HAVE to win to build anything, even at the high school level. From within, people can see things are being done correctly to build that culture of excellence. However, to get the outsiders involved, meaning student body and the community, you have to win. I think Holmes will be a prime example of this. They have a coach that is doing everything right. However, after winning their district this year, I would guess that he's going to have a lot more players on that team next year, along with more involvement from the community.

We're talking sports here. You HAVE to win to build anything, even at the high school level. From within, people can see things are being done correctly to build that culture of excellence. However, to get the outsiders involved, meaning student body and the community, you have to win. I think Holmes will be a prime example of this. They have a coach that is doing everything right. However, after winning their district this year, I would guess that he's going to have a lot more players on that team next year, along with more involvement from the community.

 

This is a good post.

 

Maybe there is too much emphasis on the 'State Title' and not enough on the district and regional or larger championships. The districts have been watered down by taking 4 teams from each district into the playoffs. With so many districts with only 4 teams it makes the district structure all but worthless.

 

Is there a Regional Championships anymore? If so it does not show up on the KHSAA brackets. So you win your region and then there is State and nothing else is really recognized in between. Maybe we attempted to 'fix' that with the 6 classes. Since 5 schools are class champions two years running it appears the wealth did not get spread too far.

 

It would be good if there were a true Region structure or an geographic 'champion'. As noted above, the winner of the Bell/Boyle game will the be the odds on favorite in Bowling Green. Would it hurt to declare these semi-final games as East and West 'Champions' and then have a state Championship. A similiar concept used to the used in 4A with the Jefferson County Champion vs. the State Champion.

 

In general, my view is that there should at least one and may two measuring stick levels of accomplishment with a title somewhere in between the district level and state title level.

Let's take a step back and look at it from the basketball point of view. There have been many times when a team has made it to the Sweet 16, that's not as good as a team that got bounced from another region. Should we throw out the whole district/regional setup and seed the entire state so that we can have the "best" 16 teams play at Rupp?

 

Of course not...even if it was logistically possible.

 

If you are Trinity or St. X...at the beginning of the year...you know you're going to have to probably beat the other at some point in the playoffs. Does it matter if it's in the semifinals? Or does it have to be in the finals? Does it make it any more bearable to the loser if it's in the championship game? IMO, that answer is "no". Both probably adopt the attitude of "to be the best, you've got to beat the best"...and it doesn't matter when you do that.

 

Now, to the perspective of everybody else...I agree with nees1212, in high school sports, you HAVE to win in order to build. There are a handful of schools that take playing in the semifinals/finals on a regular basis for granted. For the rest...it's a rare chance that can help take a program to that next level...and it may only come along once every 10 years. I applaud the effort to get schools like Ryle and SK a chance to "sniff" the championship. After all, with schools like that getting better...it's only going to make for a better tournament, all the way around.

If a football program has not earned the right to be there it should suck it up an go home and except the fact that they don't deserve to be there.The people who make all these excuses are weak and need to look at what real champions do to win.Making things easier for the weak only makes them weaker! Sorry folks but someone needed to say it .

I am a public school guy, but I see the state finals as a game between the best two football teams.

 

That is Trinity versus St. Xavier and everyone else is a distant third. It would be a travesty if these teams meet before the finals and in the current state of Class 6A football in Kentucky. The finals would become a joke and we have seen that in recent years when a non-Louisville Catholic school stumbles into the finals.

 

Sir...you nailed it...KHSAA needs to wake up....the every other year thing is a joke. Last year was a typical example in the 6 A finals....quite frankly...it was embarrassing for SK. No disrespect to them...but they were out of their league and should not have been playing for the final. KHSAA got exactly what they deserve. If not for Trinity calling off the dogs...it would have been much worse. I wonder if the KHSAA would ever consider that in basketball? I doubt it. Isnt it funny....the KHSAA doesnt do anything to " make it fair" in basketball???????? :thumb:

If a football program has not earned the right to be there it should suck it up an go home and except the fact that they don't deserve to be there.The people who make all these excuses are weak and need to look at what real champions do to win.Making things easier for the weak only makes them weaker! Sorry folks but someone needed to say it .

 

You're right, someone had to say it. With that being said, these programs that should "suck it up and go home", what do you suggest they do? The arguement has been made that the 6A playoff system has been set up to please the Louisville fan base. Not only does the system benefit those two schools, the KHSAA encourages it. The state would lose money if Simon Kenton were playing Scott Co. in the Finals.

Let's take a step back and look at it from the basketball point of view. There have been many times when a team has made it to the Sweet 16, that's not as good as a team that got bounced from another region. Should we throw out the whole district/regional setup and seed the entire state so that we can have the "best" 16 teams play at Rupp?

 

Of course not...even if it was logistically possible.

 

If you are Trinity or St. X...at the beginning of the year...you know you're going to have to probably beat the other at some point in the playoffs. Does it matter if it's in the semifinals? Or does it have to be in the finals? Does it make it any more bearable to the loser if it's in the championship game? IMO, that answer is "no". Both probably adopt the attitude of "to be the best, you've got to beat the best"...and it doesn't matter when you do that.

 

Now, to the perspective of everybody else...I agree with nees1212, in high school sports, you HAVE to win in order to build. There are a handful of schools that take playing in the semifinals/finals on a regular basis for granted. For the rest...it's a rare chance that can help take a program to that next level...and it may only come along once every 10 years. I applaud the effort to get schools like Ryle and SK a chance to "sniff" the championship. After all, with schools like that getting better...it's only going to make for a better tournament, all the way around.

 

And what happens if they don't win state eventually? If your premise is that they have to win to build, wouldn't it stand to reason that if they keep getting to state only to come up short, that their programs are going to diminish again over time? Getting to state alone isn't a solid foundation. It can work in the short term, but you can't build a long term program on it. You have to build for the long term, and that requires committment. Not committment for 4 years, a permanent committment.

I don't know that the way the 6A playoffs are done now have made any difference in football in Kentucy. But, I can say with 100% certaintiy that the points you have made in the first paragraph are what will make the difference in the long term for Ryle or any other schools that want to improve. You don't have to make it to the State Championship game to begin to build a culture of tradition. In fact, I argue that the most solid foundation begins when a school fosters a culture of excellence on and off the field, fosters community involvement and sets and focuses on long term goals. Some years that will translate to post season wins, and some years it will not. The most important key is to not let the passion die because of a "down" season.

 

I agree as well.

 

Perhaps the KHSAA should go to a 5 class system with an "invitational" 6th class. Schools in the 6th classification can opt in and out on a two year basis. Schools like HHS, Boyle, SK, Bell County, Male, ST X and Trinity and others can opt to play 6A ball. If a school has a dramatic drop in athletic talent, that school can opt out into its respective classificaton based upon its current enrollment. My thinking is that everyone would want to play the best football possible at the highest level available. If that is too far outside the box... I do like the OHIO ranking system that determines who gets in for playoff play.

If a football program has not earned the right to be there it should suck it up an go home and except the fact that they don't deserve to be there.The people who make all these excuses are weak and need to look at what real champions do to win.Making things easier for the weak only makes them weaker! Sorry folks but someone needed to say it .

 

Who did not earn it?

Who did not earn it?

 

Every school that made the playoffs earned that distinction by the current KHSAA set-up.

You know why they didn't earn it! Should we all pitch in and throw a party for the losers so they don't get their little feelings hurt! Please give me a good reason why a team with a losing record has earned a spot in the playoffs. :idunno:

I agree as far as the recent past but I think that making it to the finals in the long term it will improve SK's and Ryle's program. Ryle saw what they needed to do to compete for titles and have been transitioning their program to do that year in and year out. SK the way they played this year and the support they have from last year to this year from the student body to the community is much improved. They also have been putting things together from middle school on up.

 

You asked a question, I guess to hear different opinions. I am all for trying to “invigorating” other schools and stimulating the interest in football, yet what is a “championship?” This discussion reminds me of the BCS in college football and the “mythical” national championship. Although KHSAA has a “playoff,” I am amazed that it is done different ways in different years with almost everybody knowing why.

I agree as well.

 

Perhaps the KHSAA should go to a 5 class system with an "invitational" 6th class. Schools in the 6th classification can opt in and out on a two year basis. Schools like HHS, Boyle, SK, Bell County, Male, ST X and Trinity and others can opt to play 6A ball. If a school has a dramatic drop in athletic talent, that school can opt out into its respective classificaton based upon its current enrollment. My thinking is that everyone would want to play the best football possible at the highest level available. If that is too far outside the box... I do like the OHIO ranking system that determines who gets in for playoff play.

I hadn't read this before I made a post. This could be a good idea.

You know why they didn't earn it! Should we all pitch in and throw a party for the losers so they don't get their little feelings hurt! Please give me a good reason why a team with a losing record has earned a spot in the playoffs. :idunno:

 

Without the typical not-thought-through reactive answer that "football is different", explain why the other sports should have teams with sub .500 records in their playoffs? This isn't the NBA, NFL or even college. This is a participation-based level of sport, not an achievement-based level. It is a supportive activity to be done as a partner with getting an education, not the sole reason for being. Do you are least feel the same way about the other sports?