Is the overall quality of Ky football improving; holding steady; or declining?

[leatherneck]

I'm not talking specifically at any school or even a particular region. I'm talking across the state. Anecdotal evidence would indicate it is improving, such as Trinity being number 1 team in the country according to some, as well as the success against the Ohio schools (which went beyond just Trinity). How did the Ky schools do against Tennessee, Indiana, and West Virginia competition? Additional evidence indicating improvement of play or was it to the contrary?

 

I'd like everyone's opinion, but I'm particularly interested in learning how existing coaches feel about my question.

 

Good luck to all playing this weekend. Not everyone can win, but hopefully every kid playing will enjoy the opportunity to don the equipment and play the game.

[Bullwinkle]

Here is the record of KY against out of state schools for the last 9 years.

year W/L winning %

2011 45-46 49%

2010 37-58 39%

2009 40-51 43%

2008 24-31 43%

2007 25-30 45%

2006 41-44 48%

2005 31-43 39%

2004 28-45 38%

2003 30-44 40%

[gchs_uk9]

Just judging your numbers Bullwinkle, it would appear that there is a very slight increase in winning over the last decade. But of course that's just one unit of measurement.

 

I believe the good players are better than they used to be. What seems to be missing are a large number of middle-of-the-road players. That is why a lot of teams (a) struggle to field teams or (b) aren't very good. So many of those "middle" kids have many more options available in athletics that weren't there a couple decades ago, and can perhaps succeed at that level, so they leave football behind. That's just a theory.

[Clyde]

Hard to tell. Six classes distorts the view.

[Harry Doyle]

With Trinity and the winning percentages vs. out of state teams that you all posted, but the number of Div. 1 and 1-AA talent that signs every year just seems to keep on increasing.

[Clyde]

With Trinity and the winning percentages vs. out of state teams that you all posted, but the number of Div. 1 and 1-AA talent that signs every year just seems to keep on increasing.

 

I've said it previously on here and I'll say it again. T is not representative of KY football.

[Harry Doyle]

I've said it previously on here and I'll say it again. T is not representative of KY football.

 

I agree. I wrote that wrong and you read it wrong. I meant

 

1)Trinity's success

 

and

 

2) Our other programs record vs. out of state competition as a whole.

[Clyde]

I agree. I wrote that wrong and you read it wrong. I meant

 

1)Trinity's success

 

and

 

2) Our other programs record vs. out of state competition as a whole.

 

I should have been more clear. I just used your mention of T to make a point that really had nothing to do with your post.

[Harry Doyle]

I should have been more clear. I just used your mention of T to make a point that really had nothing to do with your post.

 

All good! :ylsuper:

[truthbtold]

If you are going to break down win % please give the the names of schools who have had victories. I don't think this is an accurate if there is only 2 or 3 schools with these victories. ex: St. X, Trinity, and Highlands..

 

Here is the record of KY against out of state schools for the last 9 years.

year W/L winning %

2011 45-46 49%

2010 37-58 39%

2009 40-51 43%

2008 24-31 43%

2007 25-30 45%

2006 41-44 48%

2005 31-43 39%

2004 28-45 38%

2003 30-44 40%

[ft bronc]

I have no data whatsoever, so I'll just answer with my gut feeling - yes, KY football is getting better in relation to the rest of the nation, but it's a slow creep.

 

What strikes me most about KY football though, and NKY in particular, is how cyclical the success of so many schools is. In other areas of the country that I've lived, I don't remember schools going from playing for the state championship one year, to bottom of the barrel in their district three or four years later. Sure, there's some up and down, but top to bottom swings didn't seem to happen as quickly. Maybe this goes along with the declining quantity of middle-of-the-road players brought up in an earlier post?

[leatherneck]

I've said it previously on here and I'll say it again. T is not representative of KY football.

 

Does T ranking so high nationally serve as a stimulus to improve Ky high school football across the state; hurt Ky high school football across the state; or have no or only a de minimis effect?

 

Moving beyond T, what are your thoughts as to my original question? What are fair barometers to judge whether we are improving? Or are there no fair barometers other than judging improvement is like identifying pornography: you know it when you see it?

[mexitucky]

Does T ranking so high nationally serve as a stimulus to improve Ky high school football across the state; hurt Ky high school football across the state; or have no or only a de minimis effect?

 

Moving beyond T, what are your thoughts as to my original question? What are fair barometers to judge whether we are improving? Or are there no fair barometers other than judging improvement is like identifying pornography: you know it when you see it?

 

In my opinion, T's success does not do that much for the state of KY itself besides give us something to be proud of. Their enrollment, tradition, and system allow them to match horns w/ the GCL south and any school in Indianapolis conistently. They are the greatest exception, not the rule of where KY football currently is. It is really tough to equate out of state success as a barometer for how well KY is doing and use that as a better judge then how competitive districts are. I don't believe that anyone will look at our current system and believe that it has increased the quality of the football overall in the state. Those programs that were elite before the change are still elite, and getting better. If anything the gap this year b/n the top teams in districts and the rest grew in disparity. Some teams are having more success b/c they were moved out of difficult districts, but I don't believe that that shows they are better overall than they would have been in a 4 class system. They are just getting further in the playoffs because the system is watered down. I can not truly give a valid opinion, however, w/out seeing each team and being able to compare them to their former selves. Since that's impossible, I'm stuck comparing scores in district, out of state, and in the playoffs.

[Loose Rhythm]

Trinity is going to keep the pace up for at least another year. St. X, while late to the gate, seems to now get it and will continue to schedule 2-3 games against out of state each year. Manual too. Highlands has historically gone across the border to play perceived superior competition and always done quite well (Ohio). Some of the small schools in Eastern, Southern and Western KY always play cross border rivals.

 

I say that the stats speak for themselves for X, T and Highlands.

[bugatti]

I think the 6 class system has weakened the product. It is only natural since a team would theoretically have less competition. There are some teams advancing further than they ever would have advanced under the previous system.