Log Mountain Boy

Something needs to be done one way or the other. Maybe this is a great move, maybe its not. But right now every kid that can play at a young age in basketball-rich areas has people trying to latch onto them whether they can play or not. And a lot (not all) of the AAU coaches I have seen around are shady or a little crazy. I think they should have NCAA-sanctioned events like Nike camps or what have you and have a variety of these events. Get a ton of kids at these to get college exposure and have coaches that have to go threw training or have some sort of experience (not let random people coach these teams). At these events coaches can come in and evaluate. Just a thought.

Congratulations. At the time I was very upset about the whole deal. Some Highlands fans (not the majority) gave Bell Co. no chance of even competing in 2004 and were very disrespectful IMO before the game. Then Bell Co. has 2 huge fumbles and otherwise dominated the game, but loses. After that you find out that 1 of their players shouldn't have been playing, it just ticks you off (especially considering he scored both TDs and played amazing).

But when it comes down to it I don't like seeing kids having to sit and be ineligible unless its proved they really did something wrong. Looking back on it, I hate that the boy didn't get to play in the state championship game.

Its dissapointing that the KHSAA didn't use common sense and make some more changes. I really believe that the KHSAA were unfair, geography-wise to Middlesboro and Bell County, which is where I'm from. The Dunbar move was a no-brainer.

GRC is starting practice on Monday.

Why is it that they would not start Friday? I don't understand it, but maybe they have a good reason.

I can't imagine anyone not starting really. If its legal to practice why wouldn't a team practice?

Did Bell County move up a class?

No, Bell and Harlan Co. play in the regular season finale.

It occurs to me that some of the folks that probably cried about Trinity and St. Xavier's stranglehold on the old Class 4A championship got what they wanted - more classes.

 

Result? Six classes, and as a consequence, longer travel distances - especially deep in the playoffs. I sure hope that the folks that are crying about increased travel time aren't the same folks that cried about T and X. That would be both sad and ironic.

 

As someone said - check the box and play the games. Don't send a message to your team that you aren't good enough to overcome a long bus ride in the state semifinal game. As someone else said - what coach wouldn't welcome a long bus ride to play in a state semi-final?

Has nothing to do with being good enough or not. It has to do with common sense. Like putting Bell Co. in a Western Ky region. That would be like putting Mason Co. in the 11th region in basketball. It makes no sense.

I don't know if it's been mentioned in this thread, but I do want to commend the KHSAA for their transparency in making these public. Lord knows a few of these don't cast them in a positive light.

Good point. I think before really passing judgment about the alignment it will be good to see the final product after the BOC meets.

You complaint about getting out of school is irrelevant asa well as the state semi finals are on Thanksgiving weekend. Again, you would only have to make the trip every other year and that is ONLY if you make it that far.

That is a good point about Thanksgiving Weekend. But here is the thing. If this is geographry-based then it makes absolutely no sense to have Bell Co. going west.

Beechwood and Mayfield have done that drive many times. It is closer for Beechwood to drive to Pittsburgh, PA than it is to Mayfield. You've never heard them complain.

If you mapquest it, it takes 4 hours and 50 minutes from Beechwood to Mayfield.

If you mapquest Bell County HS to Paducah Tilghman it is 5 hours and 45 minutes. Thats almost an hour farther to drive.

I don't know about that...Boyle maybe (I've never been to one of their games), but here in recent years, Danville (unless it's a rivalry game) hasen't exactly packed the house.

Yeah the thread should be Lexington only. From what I've seen Clark Co, Madison Central, Scott Co, the Jessamine schools, etc all have great support from their communities. In general a decent amount of people come for inner-city basketball games, but the fans don't really travel at all.

Western Ky 6a to NKy 6a?

NKY 6A is in the East side of the bracket while WKY 6A is on the West side of the bracket so the 2 won't meet until the finals (as it should be).

It still comes down to your complaint being based on travel deep in the playoffs. That is part of playing high school football.

Who else in the state will have to drive 6 hours + on a bus to play a game? That should not even be a possible scenerio. Imagine a group of boys playing the most important game of their lives to that point and having to travel 6 hours and then have very few fans because of the travel. Its just not a good situation IMO.

You act as if Bell would have to make these trips every year. The reality is they would only have to (at worse) make the trips every other year. But you don't hear Paducah Tilghman,Ft. Campbell, Etown, Central, etc. complaining about having to drive all the way to "the mountains". It's not all about Bell Co. and their little comfort zone of staying in the mountains.

Bell County is considered a "western" team based on the alighnment, which is crazy. Then they have to drive very long distances for regional and possibly semifinal games. Bell County or Paducah Tighlman or Fort Campbell would have to miss school to make a very expensive trip if Bell wins the region and those schools win their region, which is by no means definitly going to happen, but they will both probably be perennial contenders at the least.

This is not an issue like in Louisville where teams are arguing over driving 20 miles to a game rather than 10 miles. It is expensive for schools to travel these long distances.

Something interesting I have read since becoming involved in this thread.....Many have siad Mitchell was ultimately cleared including administrators of this site....KSHAA still records the playoff win to Bell county as a forfeit 1-0 yet the championship has never been stripped. If you don't believe me check for yourself.......Not trying to get suspended...I'm just saying.....It's on their site for the reading.....

Yeap, Bell Co. has a 1 game winning streak over Highlands.

Then maybe you guys should start proving you are on a different level instead of saying.

No one is saying that Bell is better than Highlands. All we are saying is that Bell is not "scared" of Highlands and if they played Bell could play with them (they always have in the past) and possibly beat them.

Bell County will get their grant. Hide and watch. Too many teams in the mountains for them not to be placed in the east. I dont care what arguments are made for why they should be in the west like they are currently aligned.

:thumb: I hope you are right. Bell County borders Virginia. Thats about as east as you can get.

When we talk about Brett Favre's antics, what has he done thats been bad other than the recent cell phone deal (I don't know enough about that to comment on it other than the rumors about it)? If I'm not mistaken he did have an issue with pain killers several years ago, so that was an issue.

But I don't have a problem with Favre holding out until the last minute and playing. Strahan did the same thing with the Giants and Revis held out a long time this year for more money. I don't look at them in a bad light.

Casual or no, this is a who to play issue. Take the Perry example. There are teams right there to play in the county. Plenty of teams within 45 minutes of PCC. Why Force Whitley to drive further to get to the other district? or the Laurels? It would actually ADD to Perry's travel time!!! Their other district opponents would not change. I wonder if South being winless and North only having 2 wins had anything to do with it...hmmmmmmmmm Why not just suck it up and play Hazard, Breathitt or some closer schools.....

 

Take the simon kenton example...total difference of less than a mile? I'm sure that what...a dollar...that will save them over the year is REALLY the issue there. Come on....just go with it.

 

I think its also crazy to look so far ahead to the semi-finals for away games....i mean, there are other scenarios where you would play a closer team...that late, there are always people travelling long distances. Yes, Bell-PT is extreme, but sometimes things work out weird.

 

SOME examples are probably true....Western Hills seems to be....I mean they said "put us in a harder higher class /district" but these other examples are CLEARLY because they don't want to play highlands/local tougher schools.

 

It shouldn't change, its probably not going to change, its good the way it is. People are just going to have to suck it up and play local tougher competition.

Its not for Bell Co. Bell is looking at having to drive 2 to 3 hours to play Casey Co. and Wayne in their district who, no disrespect, but neither are near as good as Bell perennially. But that part is okay. The problem is in the region Bell will have to go to E'town or Central, which are very long trips, probably pushing 4 hrs on a bus. Then if Bell gets past that they may have to drive basically 6 hrs to Paducah Tilghman or Fort Campbell. Those are LONG trips!

District 1 - Fort Campbell, Heath, Paducah Tilghman, Trigg County, Webster County,

District 2 - Adair County, Edmonson County, Hart County, Monroe County, South Warren

District 3 - Central, Elizabethtown, Henry County, Larue County, Western Hills

District 4 - Bath County, Bourbon County, Estill County, Garrard County, Powell County (Was district 5)

District 5 – Bell County, Casey County, Corbin, McCreary Central, Wayne County (Was district 4)

District 6 - Breathitt County, Jackson County, Knott County Central, Magoffin County, Morgan County (Was district 7)

District 7 - East Carter, Fleming County, Lewis County, Mason County, West Carter (Was district 6)

District 8 - Belfry, East Ridge, Lawrence County, Pike County Central, Sheldon Clark

Based on what was said in the Board of Control file this is the proposal Bell Co. sent in which isn't perfect, but IMO makes more sense.

You have to look at the big picture, and in the big picture, somebody has to travel to the region 1 champ in the odd years for the semifinals. Whether that be Bell or Estill or Garrard, somebody is going to have to do it. There is not enough teams in the west in 3A to guarantee a short drive for a semifinal game. There are so many 3A teams east of Bell that form natural districts, that it leaves Bell kind of out there on an island. It isn't their fault, but it is the hand they are dealt.

 

Personally, I like the idea of playing all the semifinal games at neutral locations, which would help ease that issue. Games could be combined regionally and played as part of a Fri/Sat event.

Garrard Co. HS to Paducah Tilghman -250 miles Estimated time: 3 hours 55 minutes

Estill Co. HS to Paducha Tilghman -300 miles Estimated time: 4 hours 40 minutes

Bell County HS to Paducha Tilghman -350 miles Estimated time: 5 hours 40 minutes

The team would have to leave no later than probably 10:00 to drive all the way to Paducah, stop and eat and then stop again a couple more times and then be there in plenty of time to get ready for the game. Then if the visiting team left at 10 your looking at getting home at 4 AM at the earliest. The estimated times given are not estimated on a bus, but a car so they are going to be much worse. Bell Co. would still have an hour more travel than Estill or Garrard Co.

I don't think Bell's response will help their case much because it didn't really address the issue. Not sure the KHSAA cares if the fans are upset or if they have to play unfamiliar district foes or if they lose their "mountain" brand. However, it was a good read.

The main point of Bell County's argument, though was having to go to Lou. Central or E'town (or vice versa) and then having to go to Paducah Tighlman or Fort Campbell (or vice versa). That has got to be changed if you ask me. You can't expect a school to drive 7 hours for a game.

I like this list with the exception of Ivey from Scott County and Setty from Mason. While they are no doubt very good players neither are in the top 15 in the state. I might put Setty in my next 10 and Ivey after that. Ivey still has plenty of time to be talked about in the next couple of years though!

I just think Setty is very talented and will have a big year. Also, I saw Ivey this summer and he looked very good! I hink hes going to have a big year. It will be fun to see how it shakes out!

I wish HHS and Bell Co. would play every year..Have you guys got a turf field yet? lol

No that takes money. Bell County can't afford that, its not a rich school district like Highlands!....lol

No you wouldn't...

Bell County would not be intimidated by Highlands and IMO would give them a game. They always have in the past.