There were a great deal of discussions that fall about how much the merger improved Mercer's team. I think the consensus was that the pre-merger Scotties would have had a decent shot at getting to the finals, but the influx of Harrodsburg talent put them way over the hump.

 

No doubt. Corey and Brandon carried that team. The year before the merger my best friend told me after the Harrodsburg/Mercer game that if Mercer got Corey and Brandon they would go undefeated and win state. Of course, he didn't want anyone else from Harrodsburg though.lol. We never thought it would happen let alone the following year. The merger was a shady thing but I can tell you that it was absolutely not about football(though it seemed that way). It was about money.

Does anyone know the all time W/L/T numbers for the following schools?

 

Beechwood

Boyle County

Covington Catholic

Lynch

Breathitt County

Paris

Corbin

Bell County

Fort Knox

Pikeville

Belfry

Franklin Simpson

Bellevue

Christian County

Russellville

I can help with Belfry's numbers a bit.

 

Belfry started playing football in 1925 or 1926 depending on who you ask. The records for the football teams for the early years are not available. Many believe they may have been lost in a fire when the Gymnasium burned down at some point. Suffice it to say that there has been a lot of effort to secure those early records, but with little success.

 

The first year that the results are available in whole is 1949. From that point on, covering the records for 1949 - 2010, the Pirates are 478-213-6 in football.

 

I think it would be safe in saying they conservatively would be in the 550 ish range for wins if the records from 1925-1948 were available (averaging 4-5 wins per season), which would put them in the ballpark of around 15th on the all time list for KY high schools. Of course, it could be a little higher or lower, as this is just guesswork.

This is an argument that will never have a winner. There appear to be two schools of thought, 1. Who generally year after year has the best team (Trinity) and 2. Who has a better program (Highlands).

 

Where enrollment helps Trinity in one argument, it hurts them in the other. Trinity has more boys to choose from, and does an incredible job bringing them in from all of the feeder schools and making them into good football players. Other 6A schools w/ similar enrollments have done nothing to slow down this dominance.

 

Highlands, in my opinion, is the best program. They would not have a winning record against Trinity year in and year out. I believe that Trinity wins 55%-60% of the time. However, the fact that a school w/ 400 boys can take 45% percent of the games played against Trinity shows you why Highlands is the best PROGRAM. Most schools in the state w/ Highlands enrollment have a golden class that comes and goes. Highlands has a system that produces sustained excellence. It takes limited numbers and molds them into a machine.

 

So, the answer to this question depends how you'll view the question of who is the best program.

I am perfectly fine with this assessment. The only caveat would be if Trinity were to pull away in the number of titles (which I don't see happening).

It's the first thing you hear from me because it's the biggest factor in Trinity's dominance.

 

Then use Westsider logic and explain how Highlands has had the success they have had.

Then use Westsider logic and explain how Highlands has had the success they have had.

Again ... I said it was one factor, not the only one. Keep up here.

After their initial year of consolidation they had some success in their first year after their title. They went through a coaching change(from Jaggers to Mason) and the new coach won less than 5 games in two years I believe and now they have another coach in place(Paul Rains). From the outside looking in it would appear that Mercer benefitted greatly from being in 2A that year but being fairly close to the football situation at Mercer County I do not believe that is the case. That team was a special team that I believe would have won or at the the very least made the finals in 3A that year. They had 2-2,000 yard rushers on that team and a lock down defense. They have yet to duplicate the talent level that the championship Titans had and the free fall the program underwent after Jaggers left are the reasons for their present day success...or lack of success. I am hearing the attitudes of the players hasn't changed a whole lot yet but that should change once practice starts. At least I hope it does. Mercer has the potential to be a good-great team once the players put in the necessary work to be great players. They are smaller physically than most schools they face and it shows on the field when they play. It is evident that some of them aren't hitting the weight room like they should be.

 

They are in 4A after the new alignment and share a district with Boyle County, LexCath, Marion County and Taylor County.

 

Sincerely doubt it.

Really? Wow. The only ones I remember being important factors were Ford, Jackson and Freeman Edwards. I really don't remember any Harrodsburg players other than those 3 who were big time contributors. Chris Lewis, Tyler Horn and Justin Morgan were probably the 3 Mercer County Scottie players who made the team also. I can't remember offhand so you could be right. Must have been a slow year for area football players if that is the case. If 7 players from Harrodsburg made the team they should have been better than 3-8 in their last year before extiinction.

This is what I posted late in the 2006 season:

 

"... of the seven Mercer players that made the Danville Advocate-Messenger's all-area team, five of them were former Harrodsburg players.

 

Talking with someone Friday that is familiar with the Mercer program, he thinks the Titans are three touchdowns better than what this year's Scotties would have been. After discussing the situation, I believe it.

 

From his count, seven offensive starters were at Harrodsburg, including the center and the entire left side of the offensive line (inclding a 330-pound tackle) and the two speedy running backs that have combined for something like 60 touchdowns. Mercer's top returning back would have been pretty good, too, but he has been slowed by a hamstring injury since the spring, when he was running track.

 

On the other hand, only three or four starters on the defense were from Harrodsburg. Yet two of them were among the four that made the A-M's all-area team."

Sincerely doubt it.

 

 

Lol....I also said or at least made the finals. Possibly semis depending on the opponent.lol

 

 

They were a great team that I enjoyed watching. Not as much as I enjoyed watching the 2009 Boyle County Rebels but the 2006 Titans are high on my list.

This is what I posted late in the 2006 season:

 

"... of the seven Mercer players that made the Danville Advocate-Messenger's all-area team, five of them were former Harrodsburg players.

 

Talking with someone Friday that is familiar with the Mercer program, he thinks the Titans are three touchdowns better than what this year's Scotties would have been. After discussing the situation, I believe it.

 

From his count, seven offensive starters were at Harrodsburg, including the center and the entire left side of the offensive line (inclding a 330-pound tackle) and the two speedy running backs that have combined for something like 60 touchdowns. Mercer's top returning back would have been pretty good, too, but he has been slowed by a hamstring injury since the spring, when he was running track.

 

On the other hand, only three or four starters on the defense were from Harrodsburg. Yet two of them were among the four that made the A-M's all-area team."

 

 

Thanks for the info. I underestimated Harrodsburg's contributions. We have a former Pioneer/Titan who was in the senior class that won the title. I am going to find him now and find out why Harrodsburg sucked so bad the year before the merger. Doesn't make sense.

Lets stop this insanity, my heads about to explode.

My rational was a weighted score total based on championships, championship appearances, and championship win percentage. Completely unscientific, but a slow day at the office.

 

Rank Team Score

1 Highlands 265

2 Trinity 262

3 St. X 199

4 Male 175

5 Beechwood 167

6 Danville 153

7 Mayfield 145

8 Paducah Tilghman 136

9 Boyle County 119

10 Covington Catholic 110

11 Fort Campbell 108

12 Manual 97

13 NCC 90

14 Lynch 85

15 Bardstown 84

16 Breathitt County 73

17 Flaget 73

18 Paris 73

19 Corbin 71

20 Bell County 70

21 Ashland 70

22 Fort Knox 70

23 Pikeville 70

24 Hopkinsville 70

25 Belfry 59

26 Franklin Simpson 57

27 Bellevue 57

28 Christian County 55

29 Owensboro 55

30 Bowling Green 40

 

Very nice list and until Someone comes up with a better one I AGREE!!! Glad to see Lynch East Main at #14