nky_harry

In the case of Highlands, it's a pool of about 17,000 people + 150-200 tuition students. Out of that they get 419 boys of high school age. Name a high school that pulls from a pool of 200,000. Tough to do because even in a big city district like Louisville or Cincinnati (one I'm more familiar with) the high schools have boundaries within that district. No one public high school has access to the entire metro area. Only private schools have that. I'm not sure why you think that schools in an urban setting have the pick of anybody they want. There are well-defined districts that dictate where a student attends. Do some pay tuition to go out of district? Yes. Do some cheat and give false addresses? Yes. Do these factors have a significant impact on athletics? I don't think so. There are many other factors that have a bigger impact on athletic success.

Why do you keep thinking that urban schools have the pick of the entire metro area? The only thing they can pick from is the boys walking their halls, as I and others have said here. The only exception to this is tuition students. To that you said, "Those kids come from a much larger pool of populace where the odds are better that those players are better athletes." Just because a kid comes from a densely populated area and pays tuition doesn't make him a better athlete. Look at it this way: Let's say that a small pizza = 3 slices of a large pizza. They both have the same calories, fat and nutrients. Now, whether you order and eat a small pizza (a rural county school that gets all the boys) or you get 3 slices of a large pizza (a city school that gets a certain portion of the population nearby) you're going to end up with the same amount of calories, fat and nutrients. The fact that the pieces from the large pizza has 5 other pieces next to it will have no impact on the three pieces you ate. Three pieces of a large = one small. 500 boys are 500 boys. I'm arguing from a purely numbers standpoint. As I stated before, I do believe that urban schools do have other advantages, mostly geographic and economic. Now I think I'll have to have pizza for lunch...

True. I guess I just don't see it as that big of an advantage given the numbers involved (167 tuition students in the entire district).

That I can understand. Rural kids have farther to travel after practice and they've missed the bus so that means mom or dad have to pick them up. City kids can just walk home after practice. Also I think there are economic advantages, generally speaking, for city kids vs. rural. Meaning rural kids are more apt to have to get a job at 16 instead of playing football. As far as private schools in major geographic areas - that still has nothing to do with Highlands. Their pool is the population of Ft. Thomas, whether those 17,000 people were located in NKY or some other place. Overall from a pure numbers standpoint I still don't see how the fact that Ft. Thomas being located next to Newport (17k), Highland Hts. (6500), Bellevue (5800), Dayton (7k), or any other city within 20 miles has anything to do with the pool of 17,000 people (419 boys in the high school) from which to choose players. The biggest advantage HHS has is the youth football league. Where other districts have one middle school team (maybe two) - which means they are developing one QB, 2 or 3 running backs, etc. - quadruple those numbers. In the FTJFL there are four QB's getting three quarter's-worth of snaps (and four others getting 1 quarter). Can all the advantages that Ft. Thomas has be duplicated everywhere? Probably not. It's a small, tight-knit community that is a perfect storm of circumstances for producing excellence. But I do think that there are other communities across the state that could do better in a lot of areas, including football, if they dedicated themselves and their resources.

Completely agree. When I said "over time" I was thinking decades, not a few years. Highlands has what they have -football-wise - due to the dedication of many people over many years, beginning mostly with Homer Rice in the 1950's.

Okay, are you reading my posts? I am accounting for tuition students - all 167 of them in the entire district - 3 elementary schools, a middle school and the high school. They live outside of Ft. Thomas. Yes, I am saying that every student that is not a tuition student lives within the city limits of Ft. Thomas. If not, they are breaking the rules (maybe the law - not sure). Does it happen? Of course it does. Mom lives out in the county, has a sister that lives in Ft. Thomas so they use the sister's address so the kid can go to Ft. thomas schools, consistently the highest rated public schools academically in the state . Is it right? No. Is it used to bring "ringers" in to play football? Not that I'm aware of, and if I was aware of it I would report it to KHSAA, and believe me so would a bunch of other people from other schools. Cut to the chase. It seems to me this is the same old tired accusation of "Highlands recruits outstanding players from across the Greater Cincinnati area and gives them a Ft. Thomas address" veiled in a "population density" argument.

This is true for a private school like Trinity, but doesn't apply to Highlands. Ft. Thomas has a population of about 17,000. This population (plus the tuition students) produce 419 boys in the high school. The only way your argument makes sense for Highlands is if the tuition students have an inordinate impact on the football team. My guess is they don't, but like I said before, I'd be curious to see the facts.

I don't see how population density has anything to do with pool of students to pull from to play football. If school A has 1,000 boys walking the hall, that's their pool. If school B has 500 boys walking the halls, that's their pool. The fact that they are in a densely populated area doesn't change the numbers. I'm not trying to be contrary or a jerk - I just don't understand your logic. Unless you're talking about tuition students. Then yes, HHS has a larger pool to pull from (since it would be impractical for a student to pay tuition and attend a county school that's 25 miles away). But there's only 167 tuition students in the entire Ft. Thomas district, and I have no idea how many of them are in high school, play football or if they are impact players. I've always felt the impact of tuition students on sports success is overblown to win an argument, but I would be curious to know the facts, i.e. how many "impact" players on the team are tuition students.

According to KHSAA Highlands has 419 boys to choose from. They are, in fact, the smallest 4A school. So, how can the population they draw from be an advantage? Looking at the numbers, they are at a disadvantage, numbers-wise to all other 4A schools.

What advantages are there at Highlands that can't be developed, over time, that aren't at other public schools?

Funny stuff!!

It's not a foggy memory - it's no memory at all. I didn't follow KY high school football until the last few years. If you read what I said, I said "I think the scores are the result of the state of Ky football right now." This does not mean I thought that it was once competitive. i couldn't tell you whether it was or not. Don't ever assume I know what I'm talking about.

I think the scores are the result of the state of Ky football right now. There are the haves and the have-nots, and the gulf between them is wide. And then there's Trinity and Highlands.

I predicted an HHS win, 48-35. I was just about right on for Highlands score, but I guess I underestimated the Birds' defense.

Great win for HHS. Very well played balanced attack. So with the 49 points tonight, how close are the Birds to breaking the season point total?

Cris has been at every game I've seen this year: All home games and @ Elder.

I don't know. I don't think CL has lost a game yet this year.

Did a little more research. In the KHSAA Football Playoff Instructions the rule reads this way: E) Running Clock Provisions The Association shall utilize provisions of the National Federation playing rules which allow for the clock to continue running (with the exception of a charged time-out) when the score reaches a 45-point differential in any contest. 1) Any time the score differential reaches 45 points or more, the following changes will be made regarding rules determining when the clock will be stopped or started. The clock shall continue to run from the point that the differential occurs (without regard to a later return to less than the differential) with the following clarifications: Seems doubtful it would be different for the playoffs, so I guess they just haven't updated the regular season rules.

Could be. If so, they haven't updated their website - they still link to the 2002 memo I linked above.

Okay, looked it up. You can see it here: http://www.khsaa.org/football/runningclockmemo.pdf After the first half, any time the score differential reaches 45 points or more, the following changes will be made regarding rules determining when the clock will be stopped and/or started. The clock shall continue to run from the point that the differential occurs (without regard to a later return to less than the differential) with the following clarifications: ... ...The use of this rule does not preclude the use of NFHS Rule 3-1-3 that reads: "A period or periods may be shortened in any emergency by agreement of the opposing coaches and the referee. By mutual agreement of the opposing coaches and the referee, any remaining periods may be shortened at any time or the game terminated. So, no the clock does not start back up when the losing team draws within 44 points, and the running clock begins in the second half, unless agreed to start earlier by both coaches. I'm still pretty sure I saw it in the first half this year. Could it have been agreed to, or maybe just a mistake by the timekeeper? Or, quite possibly (but hard to believe!) I'm just mistaken...:confused:

I'm pretty sure I saw a first half running clock at Highlands this year. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

Wow, that'll be awkward. Will his now-retired coach be there? Just seems like it would be a very weird atmosphere to me, after all that has happened.

Tickets are going for $50 each on StubHub!!! Kidding

I'll be there.

according to this site http://www.angelfire.com/ky3/kyhslogos/stadiumgallery.html the capacity is 4500. Cool site.