born2reign

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_School_Football_National_Championship Ask and you shall receive!

Didn't a team from Jersey win USA Today's poll last year- Don Bosco, right?

Just one man's opinion here... Success is measured based on the number of different public school programs winning state titles. If we can't beat X and T, make more classes and at least other schools will have a chance to compete for other titles. Of course if this is the root for the change, then the system is too flawed to ever be successful. Again, JMO.

While Texas doesn't deviate from the 5 class system, there is plenty of movement within that system by schools based on enrollment. There are actually two divisions within each class- so every year there are 2 5A state champs, 2 4A state champs and so on. This is based on enrollment. Also, teams will move from class to class; Denton Guyer HS was a 4A power that went up to 5A this year and this happens regularly. There is even a private school that petitioned to play the public schools (Dallas Jesuit, I believe). There is a different class system for private schools and this tends to be more stable. While I do not like the amount of movement within the KHSAA's current system, this happens in other states as well. That being said- Kentucky should be a three class state, IMO. Four was a stretch, but 6 is just awful, IMO.

I think they have 3 losses coming in Elder, and both St. X games. JMO.

Estill County will argue this with you. Folks just limit their systems to Wing T or I based systems when they think run first. We may see the occasional Wishbone. If you lack the talent, the Doublewing is a much better system to implement than a spread passing game, IMO. Let's not kid ourselves- state champs have talent regardless of system. The spread is the in system right now just like the Wing T was ten years ago. These things go in cycles, IMO.

Am I the only one that would not be surprised by any outcome? I could really see just about anything happening in this one- a blowout either way or a close game either way. I would have picked Lex Cath to beat LaSalle before the season started, so I guess I should pick Cov Cath, but that first game is hard to ignore. I have NO idea what will happen, but I will root for good football and a Kentucky victory!

Air raid or option, it is about repetitions, talent and play calling. Coaches and players must understand strengths and weaknesses of their own team and the opponent. Play to your strengths and exploit weaknesses of the opponent. I don't know that it is a class thing or that a pass attack is a necessity beyond being comfortable in a passing situation that you can convert. Look at teams like Colerain, Lowndes (Ga), Euless Trinity (Tx) or Grant (Ca). They get it done in big classes in football crazy states running 75-80 percent of the time. The school that I coached at last season, Trinity Valley School (Tx), was able to win state with an offense that threw 80 percent of the time. We have 400 kids in our high school. Raceland and Lexington Christian can spread it out with the best of them as well. You can run any offense and be successful if you have the talent, coaching and buy in from your players.

I would bet that the biggest factor in repeating is the talent coming back. The biggest reason teams do not repeat is because they lose the seniors that led them to victories. Highlands always has some Jimmy's and Joe's to go with the exceptional coaching and community support. They have a great chance of extending that in state and overall win streak due to these factors, IMO.

I know we are talking Kentucky, but if you know nothing about the following rivaries go look them up. Jenks vs. Union- Oklahoma Mater Dei vs. Servite- California Mt. Carmel vs. St. Rita- Chicago Lowndes vs. Valdosta- Georgia Boston Latin vs. English- Boston Lee vs. Permian- Texas Of course, Kentucky is blessed with two of the biggest rivalry games in the country- Male vs. Manual and X vs. T.

I am a football coach here in the lonestar state and I agree that some folks have limited perspective on high school football around the country. That being said, I would put Highlands up against any school in their class in the country. They won't beat everyone, but there are very few schools in the 800 student enrollment range that will easily handle the birds. JMO.

3 classes would be the number, IMO.

I can't think that a coach would go to a zone against Trinity's spread with Brohm at the helm. He would have picked that apart as well. Plus, Male runs man coverage- who is to say they even had a zone scheme in for that game beyond a prevent. I'm willing to bet that they didn't practice zone beyond prevent very often. I remember LexCath playing Male that year and saying "The only way to beat these guys is to out score them because no one will stop Bush". Brohm and company did that. There was not a defense in the state that was going to slow down those teams on that day. St. X (16), Eastern (35) and Dixie Hights (31) were the only teams to hold Trinity under 40 all season in 15 games- including a demolishing of Cincinnati Colerain. Male was held to 22 by St.X that year in their first meeting- then got 51 dropped on them in the playoffs. Lex Cath (35), Highlands (35) and Manual (27) did the deed and held Male under 40. Again, Male played 15 games. My point is that the offenses on these two teams were stellar- even good teams like Highlands, St.X, Manual and Lex Cath couldn't slow them down. The offenses deserve major props and this is the greatest championship game in state history, IMO.

I loved playing in high school. I loved playing in college at the 1-AA level. I would still play if anyone would give me the chance. There was no downside for me personally. I loved my coaches, I loved the team and I loved the atmosphere. There is no right or wrong answer. If you want to play, it is worth it. If you don't think that it is, don't play- you will probably only be a detrement to the team anyway. I have had both the expereince of being a student athlete and just being a college student. Both have challenges. Both have advantages. This is simply up to the individual as to which experience is "worth it".

Coaching always matters...probably not as much as us coaches might like to think and probably not as little as some others would like to reason. Trinity and St.X have been built into what they are over time by a lot of very dedicated people that include the coaching staffs. While these juggernauts may be at the top for the forseeable future, put a bad coach in place and you will see how much it matters (I'm sure there are some programs that come to mind; no need to mention names).

I know nothing about this school. Is this their first year?

I think about this kind of thing all the time. I have been saying for years that folks would be surprised how the best Kentucky schools match up with others from around the country. Who wins your match-ups, IYO?

Not an official...just a coach, but I think I can answer the questions The neutral zone runs from sideline to sideline and it is the length of the football from tip to tip. It also consists of the vertical space above the ball running along the same previously mentioned planes. It exists prior to the offensive snap. Upon the snap of the ball, there is no longer a neutral zone. The goal behind having a neutral zone is two fold; the defense can not cross the neutral zone until after the snap of the ball. The offense also can not cross the neutral zone until after the snap. The only part of the body allowed to be in the neutral zone is the centers hand because he is snapping. Any other player lining up in the neutral zone is a penalty.

Nike is $80 with a discount to $70 for multiple coaches Glazier is $99 for a pass to all clinics for this year.

Does anyone know if they do this or have done this in the past?

St.X (4A), Highlands (3A), Ft. Campbell (2A), and LCA (1A) would be champs, IMHO

Didn't Lex Cath beat St. X in 2003- I think St. X made the title game that year and Lex Cath did not. Boyle played Highlands in 3A and X played T in 4A

4A IMHO...I think those are the two most evenly matched teams

If you can't kick a place kick because you don't have the talent, I can see going for it on 4th down or going for 2 every time. Punting is different. I would not want to put my defense in a position where they had to defend a short field because I wanted to go for it on 4th and long. If you teach kids, the technique for punting is actually something a lot of people can do. It is not that difficult to get a kid who is coached well to consistently get a punt 30 yards with decent hang time. You must also coach up the punt team on blocking and angles, but this is for another day. I say you need to punt and carry a punter, but that is just one coach's opinion.

Lex Cath- 35 LCA- 21