VF111

Coach Benton is gonna be fine and go on to lots more success. I would not be surprised if Russellville finds itself in the same situation we saw play out in Frankfort this year (a very similar school in terms of student numbers and make-up). Logan Co. HS and RHS are about a mile and a half from one another. If you're a good football player in that area, the choice would seem obvious.

No way the KHSAA does this... and for one reason: Districting. They already bemoan how hard it is to make districts each realignment. Can you imagine how difficult this would become with biannually moving pieces (those going up, those going down)? I actually love the idea of bumping up and bumping down, mainly for programs that have no shot at success in their current class. I'm thinking of Warren Central, which has 5A enrollment but 2A roster numbers. Many of your 6A Louisville schools, PRP, Southern, Fern Creek, and Eastern, would do well to get out of the meat grinder that is 6A, where their player numbers just can't compete.

I feel like when you reach the level of Trinity, it would seem that any rising challenger would be welcome, if for nothing else, than to give your players the satisfaction of planting your flag on the field rather than in statistics and projections. Trinity is far from invincible in Louisville. Look no further than the last decade against Male. The Rocks are 7-7 against the Bulldogs over those 10 years. This seems like a rationalized way of saying, "We don't really welcome all-comers."

I respect the BG and Owensboro games on CAL's 2025 and 2026 schedules, but if we don't see X or T in 2027/28, it's gonna be pretty disappointing.

For context, Coach Benton is a member of the RHS administration, serving as Dean of Students.

In 8 years under Coach Benton, the Panthers: Won the Region and finished State-Runner-up in 2021 Won the District Championship in 2025, 2024, and 2021 Won 6 playoff games. Prior to being let go, Russellville won 5 of its last 6 games under Coach Benton.

East is an excellent job in the scheme of what coaches should be looking for: Location - A coach once said to me, it is a lot better to get beat in Bowling Green, where after the loss you can go to O'Charlies, and nobody cares, than to lose in some small town where after the game only the Sonic is open and because you lost, you ain't welcome to get a corn dog. Facilities - Seems like everyone has turf these days, but that's not the case. East has turf, a fully built fieldhouse, a state-of-the-art weight room, and all the resources that come with a large district. Pay - East, as part of a big district, is a fair-paying job with adequate stipends for assistants. The salary schedule for teaching far exceeds that of many of the smaller counties that surround the BG/WC area. Access to Assistants - With WKU in the backyard and a massive school system to draw from, not to mention a strong presence of the Northern Warren Co. community filled with former East players, finding quality assistant coaches is MUCH easier at East than at many other places. Players - East is prone to runs of kids who make it a formidable school, even in talent-rich 4A. The Raiders have been absolutely stockpiled with talent several times in the last couple of decades. It will happen again. Schedulability - You can build a reasonable schedule at East. Most schools will still play the Raiders, which is critical during those lean years.

Let me put on my helmet and flack jacket before typing this... I'll say this about the Trinity slight regarding Coach of the Year: What Betty did at T and the level he took that already proud program to are deserving of the accolades heaped upon him. The job Cobb has done, being the guy that follows THE guy, has been a masterclass in keeping the train on the tracks and rolling downhill. Both of these coaches have demonstrated an uncanny ability to navigate the intricacies of the flagship program of KY High School Football, including the school, its community, and its expectations, which requires a masterful skill set. BUT... I don't think most of us believe that Trinity's coaches, Betty or Cobb, would win as Smith has at South if they were at a public school. In fact, from their time at public schools in Missouri and Kentucky, we know they did not. In years when you have several deserving public school coaches, folks are simply not going to vote for Private school coaches for COY.

I'm with the previous poster... many of these numbers are just estimates submitted to the KHSAA, and in some cases, they're underestimates. I do think that most HS folks have a misconception of how many people are at games. 2,500 paying spectators is a LOT of people. But to be fair, I have been to many a college sporting event where they would announce the attendance, and when you look around, you just chuckle at the absurdity of the number they are claiming.

BGHS has won three or more in: Football (9) - '95, '11. '12, '13, '15, '16, '20, '23, '24 Cheerleading (5) - '17, '21, '22, '23, '24 Boy's Golf (5) - '73, '74, '89, '95, '96 Boy's Cross Country (3) - '95, '96, '97 Other Sports with fewer than three: Boy's Soccer (2) - '06, '14 E-Sports (2) - '21, '25 Basketball (1) - '17 Baseball (1) - '65 (there is also a '29 championship, but that is pre-KHSAA official Baseball State Titles) So, the Purples don't make the cut for "Three in the Big Three", but nonetheless, a good, full, trophy case! I do think this is a great thread for remembering how dominant some of these schools of the past have been.

5A - Anyone saying anything other than Owensboro and Scott Co. is not a serious study of 5A. Owensboro returns their QB, an LB with big-time offers, and the Dillard kid. Scott Co. basically returns its entire team. Others BG, Woodford, Atherton, Pulaski... and someone we're not aware of yet who will surprise us all.

Always fun to see how everyone thinks the Finals teams stack up. And to be clear, no matter where, all teams that make it to the Finals are exceptional. Here's my ranking: 1. Trinity 2. South Warren 3. Boyle 4. CAL 5. Owensboro 6. Franklin Co. 7. LCA 8. Pulaski 9. Owensboro Catholic 10. Murray 11. KCD 12. Raceland

Mark Spader's BGHS Purples have had quite the run from 2020 to 2024. 2020 - 5A State Champions 2021 - 2nd Round 2022 - 5A State Runner Up 2023 - 5A State Champions 2024 - 5A State Champions

@thsrocks said that Trinity was looking for an early-season opponent in the announcement thread for Coach Lopez and the new Christian Co. School. It would be strange for the Rocks to drop Douglas and/or Moeller and go looking for a game with a first-year program made up of two schools that have had very little success over the past several years.

You’re right, sorry… still… midnight… yay.

Once again, because it needs to be said, the 5A game time is criminal, and the fact that the KHSAA does not afford the schools in 5A the experience of Friday game times, or even one of the earlier Saturday game times, is a travesty. I would rather play Thursday night than play Saturday at 8 pm EST. At least then you would get to celebrate on Friday as a school and community. If the Saturday game is quick and ends at 10 pm EST, and it takes teams 45 minutes to get on the bus... Owensboro will get home around 11:30 PM CST. Pulaski will get home around 1:15 AM EST.

Pulaski has seen athleticism equal to that of Owensboro (Atherton). Owensboro has not seen an OL or run game equal to what Pulaski will bring to the table, and yes, that includes CAL and St. X (they're not even close up front to Pulaski). That said, it's hard to pick against the Devils right now. They seem to be a totally different team than they were at the start of the year. For Pulaski, I think it comes down to whether they can play another game like they did last night.

For all the talk of the crowd for this game... that's pretty light for the opening kickoff

Atherton by a lot. To beat Atherton you gotta have size AND speed. Pulaski has one of the two.

I think the Highlands folks do have a legit beef. This team was loaded. The last couple of years they have been pretty well stocked. Everyone wants to coach at a place like Highlands, till they treat you like you’re coaching at Highlands. Highlands invests in being Highlands. They do so in academics and athletics. And by doing so, they expect a return on their investments. This is not your normal school. There is nothing to congratulate in the world of Highlands when you just make it to the Region Final.

They’ll be as loaded as they may ever get in 2026… but man, they sure struggle with the big games.

For me, there is one practice that any of us who were lucky enough to be part of, as a player, coach, or parent, that really sticks out, and we talk about for years... Thanksgiving practice. Simply magical. My vote goes to the Semi's.

No, it isn't. Hoptown and Christian Co. have been basically devoid of talent for a while now. That district has nosedived in football. Since 2020, six seasons, between the two schools, there have been three winning seasons (all by Hoptown). Christian Co. has fallen to a place where Caverna was willing to schedule them and only lost 32-40. And it's not just Christian Co./Hopkinsville... several of the staples of WKY have fallen off talent-wise. Trigg, Christian Co., Hopkinsville, and Russellville have all fallen into a drought of the steady flows of talent that they once enjoyed.

Chuck Smith does a nice job working for and learning under Brandon Smith at South Warren. I'm not sure if Chuck has any head coaching aspirations, but as an assistant, he does a really nice job...

To say that an Owensboro team that got absolutely smashed and running clocked in the first half if I remember correctly by a smaller class school (CAL) that both a down BG and a decent Lex Christian school played within one score of is the "Greatest Owensboro Team of All Time" is an absolute insult to the history of a football tradition-rich school and may be the most outlandish claim I have seen on this board. Is this Owensboro team good? Sure. What quality wins do they have? Madisonville North Hopkins and O-Cath. Of their quality wins, in the 2nd round, mind you, only one of those teams is still playing.