CoachJ

Dale was extremely accomodating -- I know he has a rough time getting teams willing to play. He was understandably disappointed when I had to tell him we couldn't play. Still hoping that in the next scheduling cycle we can get up there to play. With that big wall staring at you, the home crowd right behind and right on TOP of you, and the aura of tradition you can actually feel, it's without a doubt the most unique (and in my opinion, fun) place to play in the state. I hope they never build a more 'traditional' stadium to play in. (sorry for my part in "Highlands-jacking" this thread...now, back to Trinity scheduling)

True...but it's not like they were purposely avoiding us. We wanted to schedule all the teams in the 'Super District' for regular season games. I called Coach Lampley about it but the weeks we could've played he thought they already had games (they thought) lined up with Cincy St. X and I think Cathedral and I think they were more inclined to play a 'regional schedule' (can't blame them). So we moved on and found another opponent for those weeks. I called Coach Mueller at Highlands then to try and play them instead of T and we had something verbally agreed to, but then one of the local Louisville teams needed a game the same week and due to travel costs, it was decided we should play the local team (already had one game on schedule where we'd be traveling over an hour and a half -- generally in Louisville they like to stay local as much as possible). Wanted our kids to get to play in that environment up there, but I guess with St. X, Manual, and Male already on schedule in addition to Eastern, Bryan Station, and Collins might end up being the better part of valor not to play up in Ft. Thomas after all.

Today you almost have to be 6'4 just to be a POINT GUARD! Most 6'4/6'5 guys I see put up big points as post players--that won't play at the next level at that height. 6'4/6'5 and physical relates to Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez, etc. on a football field though. Kids (and their parents) are getting it though...much moreso now than when I was growing up in this state. ** Sorry, feel like my comments have kinda hi-jacked this thread...should be about the great Ky kids who signed to play D1/1AA next year.

Nice of you to say that...not sure how much any one person has influenced this though (and I've actually had very few full-ride kids in the 14 years I've been a head coach). I'd attribute a lot of it, actually, to the opening up of offenses during the time of Mumme at UK and John L Smith/Petrino at UofL. It's gotten MANY more of those 'best athletes in the school' to choose to play BOTH football and basketball. One of those kids was at Ballard when I took the job. His dad told me he'd be playing football, but his 'scholarship sport' was basketball. I said, "thank you" and meant it (he was a heck of a football player and an even better kid). Long story short, he got multiple football offers, nothing for basketball, accepted a full ride for football and ended up starting for Indiana University as a true freshman at defensive back (Forisse Hardin). I personally had very little to do with it (other than the films I send out on our kids). What did it was that kid choosing and his father allowing him to be a MULTI-SPORT athlete (not to mention having a basketball coach at our place--Chris Renner--who doesn't discourage kids from playing football AND basketball). Again, thank you though -- one of our (not just me, but our whole staff) goals is to be the program in the state that does the most to promote our players to D1 schools.

Sorry bout that! Thought the list was BGP All-State only...didn't look at it thoroughly enough. Nice job keeping up with all this. I like knowing exactly how many from our state sign full-rides so I can tell college coaches who come into my school that Ky is not devoid of D1 football talent as is thought. Looks to me like 32 Kentucky kids will get full-rides to play football for the next 4-5 years. Not Florida or Texas, but seems a LOT better than years past.

Uh, depends on your perspective! But seriously, enjoyed watching a player of his unique ability--truly tough to stop. Wish him a lot of luck at G'town.

Cam Lewis, Ballard HS, WR 6'3/205. Signed with WKU.

Fox COLLEGE Sports had the game LIVE...Fox Sports SOUTH is carrying the replay.

Sorry...got my dates mixed up. It's TUESDAY the 15th...and it's on Fox Sports South (not all cable providers carry that channel).

The game will be replayed on Fox Sports South TUESDAY, JANUARY 14 at 6:30pm.

Got some time...usually final deadline is around the week of the state finals, but much of the team has been recommended/scouted out by the beginning of the playoffs.

By the way, if you were a PLAYER in this year's game, would you post something on this thread about your experience? Also, I failed to say THANK YOU and GREAT JOB to Andy Croley, Brad Ingle, Ronnie Moses and the rest of the Border Bowl committee as well as Freddie Maggard (one of my childhood heroes ) and the Kentucky National Guard for taking this thing to a level I'd never have thought it could go.

Just wanted to put a plug in now about next year's Border Bowl. I am fortunate to have been chosen to coach in it twice -- first in the inaugural year of the game and in this past week's game. It was a great experience in 2008: great hosts, meals and lodging and 'swag,' EXCEPTIONAL character players who had not one sense of 'me-me-me' despite them being their team's best player, etc. Getting to be involved these years later it's AMAZING how much improved an already-great product has become. I'm SO glad I got to have a player (Cam Lewis) get this experience: * camaraderie with other elite players--and getting to see how they work in practice and are fans of teammates when THEY do something great, * a chance to win his last HS game AND get a ring (usually something only reserved for state champions) * swag, swag, swag (full spirit pack, that ring, and they keep their game jerseys) * play on NATIONAL TV (Fox College Sports) * play in front of 4,000 to 5,000 fans in a college stadium * get seen by what must've been upwards of 20 colleges who were at practices AND the game * a first-class banquet to hear CHAD PENNINGTON -- who has to be the most interesting and down-to-earth professional athlete alive (he had me taking notes during his banquet talk, stayed an hour afterwards to autograph/pose with the players -- so glad he's a Kentucky resident now!). We won the game, but even if we hadn't, it would've been up there with one of the greatest football-experiences of my life (and I think Cam's as well). AND WE SOMEHOW WON WITH VERY FEW OF WHAT MOST CONSIDER THE 'TOP PLAYERS' IN THE STATE (no Quick, no Hatcher, no Bloomfield, no Bivin, etc.; actually had only ONE 'BCS-SCHOOL COMMIT' -- Jacob Hyde going to UK...what a GREAT kid by the way!!!), while Tennessee's team had several big-time D1 guys (if he hadn't been in Denver, I'd have sworn Ray Lewis was their #52!). If you are a coach or fan of a 2014 graduate (or a player yourself) you would do well to do anything you can to get into this game. Though most Kentucky kids won't get to play at one of the state's big universities, this is a GREAT way to end your high school career and still represent your state by hopefully beating a bunch of guys in UGLY orange uni's!

Again, the HS head coaches had to NOMINATE players to be on the team. If they didn't get nominated, they likely weren't chosen. (And, I personally reached out to kids on two of those 3 state champ teams with no representation. One of them is now playing--after his coach sent in the nomination. The other chose not to play -- and that coach never returned any of my calls/emails about recommending his kids.)

Biggest individual difference-maker to a team since Tim Couch. Congrats to a good kid and an 'at-another-level' football player.

...and in several other games I saw T play this year. Due to him and the NG, was already in game-plan not to even bother running in A-gaps had we met them in finals this year.

Wow. Just...wow.

Tried hard to get coaches from Louisville to nominate their players. But this game is usually for kids in Eastern/Central Ky., so it'll take a year of a few L'ville kids playing in it and getting benefits from it for it to catch on with Louisville area coaches.

BALLARD HS Got two currently playing at Indiana University: Drew Hardin Forisse (Flo) Hardin Another currently playing at UofL: Chris Walker Got a couple that played at Indiana a while back (in the early 90's I think) Ron Bethel Chris Jahnke

Dalyn reminds me a lot of Mark Higgs. Hope he stays in state to play his college ball. I've already passed on my 2-cents to the new staff at UK that he's someone they should evaluate very seriously.

I may be wrong about this, but I do NOT think the POY's for each class are done by 'coaches vote' like the POY/COY for Districts.

I called Coach Lampley this past summer to try and get on the schedule, but he said their non-district sched was full. We do play all the othwr teams in that district though.

I wish the awards were not voted on by coaches but woukd be tough to do it any other way. I also wish the awards weren't voted on until after the 3rd Rd of the playoffs--the way its currently done basically makes it an award for regular season only. I know in my district the coach who 'won' it isn't as deserving as the coach in the district who's still playing.

Go Panthers! Coach McNamee and staff obviously did a great job considering the turnaround in score from regular season.

Hmmm...give me a chance to coach at a COMBINED Oldham County HS and I'd probably jump at that. In the early 2000's, at a 'diluted' Oldham County HS, we played an eventual state champ Trinity to within 9 points on their home field (had the ball on their 2 when time ran out) and lost to St. X by a similar spread (it was within 1 TD until we threw a pick 6 very late in the 4th). Disciplined kids, supportive parents, and more good athletes than you'd think in that county as a whole. Plus, if I had kids all in the same feeder system from youth league on up, I think we'd be even more ahead of the game than we were able to be while at the 'diluted' OCHS.