Spread O

So there was a poster last week saying the Etown issues were schedule related. Should they not be competitive with larue?

Not just in regards to this game but what is up with the Elizabethtown program?

Great win for the Bears to get the first win of the year. Need to clean up some things still too many turnovers but they played extremely hard.

7 - Highlands 5 - Spencer 3 - Danville 2 - Henry Clay 1 - Mercer Highlands

So has this story broken or what?

They have a lot of seniors returning. Several starters returning however Collins is Collins ans North Oldham has their whole team in tact. Be interesting to see how they build on last year!

Well if that is his thoughts he probably didn't do his homework on the Nelson County district. This district is poorly ran, this district is ran as a dictatorship and he will be working for a principal who is young and been very difficult to work with. Then you get to the super and that is even a more difficult situation. Back to the middle school versus high school. The last middle schooler I can remember playing was Samantha Drake on the girls side. The difference is the girls middle school season was over before the varsity season began. With the boys that won't be the case curious to see how this one is handled.

This may be a crazy question but does his son play for the middle school as most players in this area do or does he play at the high school? I can't remember too many 8th graders playing up. However with the talent being split up getting players to field teams is going to be tough!

The sad part is that there are a lot of districts around this state that veiw athletics as a nuisance. Athletics should be used as a tool to improve the overall experience that our kids enjoy. The school spirit the excitiement inside the school buildings has been lost. Academics and Athletics go hand in hand you don't have to compromise one to be successful at the other.

None of this really matters who they hire. Until the administration decides that they are going to support a coach it will not matter. When the parents know all they have to do is go complain to the administration and they will listen it will never end. You can have a strong coach but when he knows the administration does not have his back it is tough. I know the answer things are changing at Mercer well we have heard that forever and it hasn't happened yet. That lack of support plus the finacial crisis that the district appears to be in is a recipe for disaster. Pardue is one heck of a coach and is a great choice I just hope that for once the administration will support their man.

Great hire for FSHS. Anyone that knows the Bullitt East situation realizes that it was just a case of an outsider coming in wanting to do things his way and some of the old timers around not wanting to relenquish their role in the program. I think the FS people will be extremely happy with this choice.

There are a lot of things that need to be fixed to get the Mercer program going. Sadly the issues that hamper the program are not quick fixes. This program needs an intense strength program, please don't say they used to have a strength coach. They need a coach that will invest the time in the weight room year around and demand accountability. When kids don't conform you have to cut them loose. Then they need an administration that is 100% behind the coach. This may have changed some with the new principal, I think a lot of Ms. Hutchins. This is a long process that can be done but it has to be done through hard work and it is done between the end of season and the start of the season in the weight room. There is a small segment of fans that are oblivious to the shape of this program. They think they are living in 2006, I have said on numerous occasions I believed Mason was doing it in the off season to turn the program there was just a small segment (and vocal segment) that had no clue the depth of the program. Have all of these coaches made mistakes? Absolutely but it is time for the parents to back off and let the coaches coach. The right man will turn it but I can assure it is a monumental task.

I think there is a small and vocal segment of supporters that want immediate results. The fact of the matter is/was that in 2008 we graduated like 30+ seniors. There aren't too many schools that graduate that many and keep going forward without taking a step back. We had the issue with Coach Weaver and then went with Mason. I know some of the Mercer people werent that enamoured with the program in 2009 & 2010 but there were things being put in place at that time that would have built the program (which is what everyone wants). The administration knew where the program was and the coaches at that time knew they would struggle in 2009 and thought they would improve a little in 2010 and then hit the 5+ win plateau in 2011. The fact was Mason resigns and then they hire Rains who stays for 1 season which is really bad for the program. I said it at the time that I thought Mason was doing better at building our program than a segment of the fan base realized. The numbers were going up in the weight room and then he handed it off to Rains who I believe if he had stayed longer we would have continued on the incline. But now here we are and it is late in the game and where does Mercer turn?

It isn't a certainty that they will be successful on the Varsity level. There are too many variables that go into a successful Varsity team. First off will those kids stick together and continue to work. Secondly you need several quality classes in a row to have a lot of success.

Wow! That is a stunning development. I hate that for the kids of Mercer.

That is correct and there are quite a few of the Nelson County school system that send their kids to St. Joseph and then to Bethlehem!

The running joke in the community here is that our current county administration is the best business for Bardstown HS & Bardstown-Bethlehem. I have heard that the city school system is seeing some dramatic increases in their enrollments. I also believe that Bethlehem is growing steadily as well. After reading Hearsay's post I think the made a good hire but they have to support him and give him the tools to be successful. That is something that this administration has struggled with in recent years.

This has been a crazy situation from the beginning. First off employees of the district are allowed to send their child to whichever school they prefer. However the employees had to have their selection in place prior to February 1st. Which isnt a problem but at that point and time they had no idea as to which faculty would be at the NCHS and which ones would be at TNHS. The faculty assignments were not made until February 3rd. So they were asked to make the decsions with no information. That was where I got the information that there would be no difference. They were told that there would be no difference in the academics or athletics at either school. So if I am a resident in the TNHS district and my son wrestles, then I guess his wrestling career is over. I don't know how this will all play out!

I believe it has been stated that each school will offer the same programs. I believe if one school offers a particular club, sport or activity the other school will as well. Which in short means there will be a wrestling team.

This split was not done for purposes of overcrowding! This was pure and simple a split. Less students but now two schools to take care off. NC's numbers have dropped steadily, which has coincided with the rise of enrollment at Bardstown and Bethlehem. Think about this you open a new school but do not hire any additional teachers? I am sure there will be many future conversations concerning the finances of the Nelson County School District!

Excellent point Hearsay! I never looked at it that way! Now it is time for the adminstration to step up and support him! Give him the tools to do it right!

I don't know Commander? Big time hire because of name? I do know they had a very experienced OC of a high profile school interested but chose this route? If you put the resumes of both without the names most would have chosen the other guy everytime. Oh well at least they will get some mileage out of a name hire. I am sure he will have some connections to get some quality assistants but will they help him with that? He will have his work cut out for him.

Small school with influential parents I am sure. The President might want to be updating his resume!

I would venture a guess that if things go well at Bourbon he could one day end up leading the Boyle program.

Don't know Coach Columbia but sounds like he made a difference in the lives of the people he came in contact with. I am sure there is more to the story but you wonder other than politics what goes through Superintendents minds when they make these decisions?