WOW! Never thought there would be so many negative comments on a Kentucky team being ranked high in a national ranking? :confused: I do not care what school it is, anytime a Kentucky team is ranked in the nation it makes Kentucky football as a whole look a lot better, and the higher they are ranked the better!

Who is blasting their success? Regardless of where they finish in a mythical top 25 high school poll(s), it won't take away their 19th State Championship. Does it really matter where they finish in the National polls? Really? National polls are worse than the BCS when determining a true "National Champion" because those polls are all based on opinion. To Highlands fans, I say congratulations. It is good to see a KY school get nationwide exposure. Whether it's in the USA Today poll or Sunday Night Football. It gives all the other programs in the state something to shoot for. I think the other guys are being realistic in their belief that Highlands may not be the number 2 team in the nation. Just because a team that was above them lost, doesn't mean that they can't or wouldn't beat Highlands. Just because someone doesn't believe Highlands is the number 2 team in the nation doesn't make them a hater.

 

I agree, I think they are just hating on the fact that the Birds have scored over 150 points to their 10 or so in the last 3 meetings. That alone would make me :puke: if I were a fan.

 

Im not saying everyone should run around thumping chests and saying that Highlands are world beaters but this would be pretty cool.

 

The grapes are really sour around here lately. :walk:

In Maxpreps Freeman rankings, there are 7 teams in the top 25 that are within a bus drive of Highlands. I would love to see a couple of those games get scheduled. Play them on a Saturday and make them marquee games that would draw large crowds.

 

By the way, Lou. St. X is #14 and Highlands is #22 in these rankings. Here is the link:

 

http://www.maxpreps.com/polls/football/xcellent25.htm

Well, Louisville St. X should be getting national attention, in my opinion. They are an outstanding team who handily beat Trinity twice this year. That feat alone should turn some heads at the national level.

I think Coach Mueller is looking like a genius right now. At the start of the season he was talking about having the goal of competing for a national title this year. Most people blew his comments off, thinking that he was delusional. Well, it's now mid-December and Highlands is ranked 4th nationally in the country's most reputable national ranking (USA Today), and it's very likely that the team will go up to 2nd in the country tomorrow.

 

We can debate all we want about whether or not Highlands deserves such a ranking, but the fact remains that USA Today has Highlands ranked among the nation's very, very best teams in 2009. Highlands will probably not finish the year with a national number-one ranking (i.e. a "national title"), but they will probably finish with a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th-place ranking. It seems that Mueller was not so off-base when he talked about competing for a national title after all.

 

Also, he is wisely setting up goals that will push the program further in upcoming years. When a team wins three straight titles and loses only one game in three years, a coach always has to worry about the players becoming complacent. With his raising the bar from the statewide to the national level, he has tapped into a whole new level of competition and expectations. What a great motivating strategy! People have been critical of HHS not playing more high-profile games. Well, take a look at what has been set up in recent years. Highlands participated (and won) in the nation's most prestigious prep football event, the Herbstreit Classic. A book detailing Highlands football was recently published. For the first time ever, a HHS game (at home, no less) was televised nationally this season, with HHS winning. Perhaps HHS' high ranking this year has a lot to do with these issues. I can tell you that I am able to monitor the number of daily "hits" on my HHS football website, and there was a HUGE spike around the time of the 2007 Herbie and around the time of the St. X game on national TV. And by huge I mean about a ten-fold increase. There were a lot of people outside KY looking into Highlands football during these big events.

 

 

Finally...

I am not around the team, but I saw telling evidence that the players have "bought" into Coach Mueller's national title talk. When I watched the HHS-Cincy St. X game on TV, the camera zoomed in on LB Brandon Roller on the sidelines after his interception. And what did Roller say when on camera, in front of a national audience? He said that Highlands was the best team in the country. I'd say that Mueller had that kid believing!!!

Edited December 13, 200916 yr by jbwill2

I would be great, if just for one week. If Highlands does go to 2, that means Katy and Abilene will probably be 3 and 4. I wouldn't be surprised if the winner of the Abilene/Katy game, next week in the Texas 5A-II Championship, jumps Highlands and they finish at #3. Still fantastic.

 

+1, unfortunately. Not sure how close they are numerically, but would have to assume a big bump from beating a Top 5 team in the TX championship. We'll see.

 

With respect to the other commentary in this thread:

 

Those folks that think HHS is #2 in the country from a purely objective comparison of talent, quality & competition, I would disagree, but respect your opinion.

 

Those folks that take pleasure in pointing out these "objective" deficiencies, not the way I would spend my time, but I respect and understand where that opinion comes from.

 

Take it for what it is worth -- an objective, well-respected and established national publication with lots of exposure has ranked HHS highly in an imperfect ranking system. Just my $.02.

At the end of the day, who cares what anyone's opinion is of HHS ranking. The kids, and I have one, are eating it up and they deserve to live it. Remember, ain't none of ya'll out there playing the game, it's the kids, and it's THEIR national ranking, not any of the adults. Let them have it, wherever it comes from. I can tell you this, they are not sitting around chest thumping, they are in the weight room and running in the gym...already. Love it or hate it, the rankings are what they are. Go Birds ! 20n10 and keep working hard.

HHS has a tremendous program, but no way are they number 2 in the US. I will not take the time to name 25 teams, but here are a few.

 

South Panola (MS)

Camden County(GA)

Hoover (AL)

Prattville (AL)

John T. Curtis ( LA)

South Lake Carroll (TX)

Byrnes (SC)

Dorman (SC)

Lowndes County (GA)

Northside Warner Robbins (GA)

St. Thomas Aquinas (FL)

Don Bosco Prep (NJ)

Jenks (OK)

Tulsa Union (OK)

 

These are just a few off the top of my head. HHS has a wonderful program. I have coached against those guys a few times and know them personally, and they are classy guys. Like I said no disrespect intended, but. I make this same arguement about Maryville, TN. They are always ranked high, but never play the other top 25 teams. I want to see them and Highlands come down south. Bosco flew to Prattville this year and Byrnes and St. Thomas played. So if you want to be the man, beat the man.

 

How many of these great teams are ranked above HHS THIS YEAR! That's what I thought! You, and nobody else has any idea WHATSOEVER who is better than who on a national level....The voters of USA TODAY say HHS is the 2nd best team in the nation at this point. It's fun for the school and especially the players and coaches....let em have their glory this year, it won't come very often , and your speculating at best about High School national rankings.

To HHS from all other teams in the US:

 

We are not worthy!:notworthy:

We are not worthy!:notworthy:

We are not worthy!:notworthy:

To HHS from all other teams in the US:

 

We are not worthy!:notworthy:

We are not worthy!:notworthy:

We are not worthy!:notworthy:

 

Now you got it!!! Finally!!!!! :thumb:

I think Coach Mueller is looking like a genius right now. At the start of the season he was talking about having the goal of competing for a national title this year. ......Well, it's now mid-December and Highlands is ranked 4th nationally in the country's most reputable national ranking (USA Today), and it's very likely that the team will go up to 2nd in the country tomorrow.

 

I have no doubt in my mind that Highlands has a very great program, and that program does get a lot of deserved attention and those involved in the program do a great job of getting the program publicity, on and off of the field.

 

The thing that I do not understand is why it seems that so many Highlands followers feel that they have to add to the already great accomplishments of the program by trying to add mythical championships. There is not a national championship for high school football (not to mention, I really do not know how USA Today became the country's most reputable national ranking) nor is their a GCL championship.

 

Be proud of hte program and what it has accomplished, but trying to add these mystical things to it does nothing other than tarnish the image of the program and makes others wonder about everything else you have to say.

I have no doubt in my mind that Highlands has a very great program, and that program does get a lot of deserved attention and those involved in the program do a great job of getting the program publicity, on and off of the field.

 

The thing that I do not understand is why it seems that so many Highlands followers feel that they have to add to the already great accomplishments of the program by trying to add mythical championships. There is not a national championship for high school football (not to mention, I really do not know how USA Today became the country's most reputable national ranking) nor is their a GCL championship.

 

Be proud of hte program and what it has accomplished, but trying to add these mystical things to it does nothing other than tarnish the image of the program and makes others wonder about everything else you have to say.

 

Any time that ANY Kentucky high school team gets mentioned in national media it is NEVER a bad thing! It only improves the reputation of Kentucky high school football.

 

The only people I noticed during the season, well it really stuck out like a sore thumb, were some Cincy St X fans who were upset that the Highlands win Vs them more than likely ended their national title run, and kept Highlands right on track. I viewed that is jealously, they lose to a good team on the other side of the river and they want to complain, does the Elder Vs Trinity game at Ryle a few years ago ring a bell?

Any time that ANY Kentucky high school team gets mentioned in national media it is NEVER a bad thing! It only improves the reputation of Kentucky high school football.

 

The only people I noticed during the season, well it really stuck out like a sore thumb, were some Cincy St X fans who were upset that the Highlands win Vs them more than likely ended their national title run, and kept Highlands right on track. I viewed that is jealously, they lose to a good team on the other side of the river and they want to complain, does the Elder Vs Trinity game at Ryle a few years ago ring a bell?

 

I agree that this media attention is a good thing for both the programs mentioned, in this case highlands, and Kentucky football. My comment wa directed to the highlands faithful that wanted to lay claim to the mythical GCL championship and now mention of a (mythical) national championship. The program is better than that and has done a lot of great things over the years and does not need to add fake championships to it just to have something to talk about.

Let me ask people here on BGP. What if you were a high school football player and your team won the state championship and ended up finishing 2nd in the country.. Would you not be estatic? This is a great accomplishment for these young men.. Let them and their fans have their day in the sun..This team has earned everything they have gotten.. Can't you just be happy for the Bluebirds????

Let me ask people here on BGP. What if you were a high school football player and your team won the state championship and ended up finishing 2nd in the country.. Would you not be estatic? This is a great accomplishment for these young men.. Let them and their fans have their day in the sun..This team has earned everything they have gotten.. Can't you just be happy for the Bluebirds????

 

It is quite obvious that they cant and will not support Highlands. Chk out all of the negative posters on here and you will figure it out. Highlands Haters

20n10

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It is quite obvious that they cant and will not support Highlands. Chk out all of the negative posters on here and you will figure it out. Highlands Haters

20n10

 

We are seeing the true colors of some posters. Unfortunately that color is GREEN