JoeFan

Clyde, you are right about the 6 class system. It has spread out the talent too far for most districts to be competitive. Its not just a "last week of the season" thing. It has been that way all year. In very few districts have there been more than one game which mattered and which was really in doubt. I like the district system because a team knows what they have to do. It is right in front of them. But if you want the last couple of weeks of the season to really matter, you need to go to a format like Ohio or Michigan. Then every game counts and you don't know where you stand in the playoffs (or even if you are in, in some cases), until the last game is played. One possibility is to eliminate a week of the playoffs, take the only top two from each district and seed them based on strength of schedule. That would eliminate the blowout first round games and give each team an incentive to schedule tough non-district opponents.

I'm a Prestonsburg fan but I don't see how they can be ranked in the top ten based on performance. Leslie County deserves to be there based not only on a head-to-head win vs. P-burg but upon talent. As for no one beating NCC, I don't know about that. Somerset is an excellent team and will have them at home if everything stays true to from in the playoffs. As to Prestonsburg, they haven't been the same team since he loss of Anderson, their best athlete. He won't be back this year. However, I have a long memory and I recall a P-burg team in 2000 that struggled all year and got on a roll in the playoffs. That team won the region and it took the buzzsaw that was Boyle County to knock them out.

Prestonsburg hasn't stopped the run all year but have played pretty well against the pass at times. Pike Central likes to throw it all over the field. If they can establish a run game it could be a long night for the Cats. Prestonsburg is about as healthy as they are going to get and should benefit from it on both sides of the ball. The offense should be more diverse with Collins back and the ability to both run and pass should slow down the pass rush giving the QB more time to find open receivers. I don't think either defense will shut down the opposing offense. Going with my heart I'll say P-burg 38, PC 35.

I've been on both sides of a blowout. To me it stings just as much to have the winning team ostentatiously stop playing. Its a slap in the face when the better team pulls all its starters in the first half and start running two dive each play. It may keep the score down, but its not football. The kids on both teams showed up to play a football game. Neither gets any better if one stops playing. The only taboos for me are fake punts and onside kicks by the winning team. Other than that, each team should play its game, run its offense and play its starters until they have played enough. You can practice six hours a day and it still doesn't improve a team as much as one game against a real opponent. Now, with that said, under most circumstances, if the clock is running at the start of the second half, I think it is best practice for the winning coach to play his starters no more than one series on offense and defense. I would rather substitute a few at a time rather than as a mass. On offense, leave the starting line or the starters with a top sub or two in until the losing team subs its defensive line.

I agree with those that suggest five years under most circumstances. However, in the interim, a school should look for internal signs of progress. Is the off season program operating smoothly and have the kids bought into the system and the dedication that is being sought? Are there discipline problems? Are the coach and his staff providing good roll models for the athletes to emulate? On the field, are they competing each week? Is the coach getting the maximum out of the talent he has on the field? Success is relative but a school has a right to expect some wins, as long as they are providing the program with enough support to enable it to function. If, after five years, the best athletes in the school still shun football and the talent level on the field still is not enough to produce winning seasons and, at least, competitive playoff runs, the school needs to take a look at the cause. In 1A some schools are just too small to be competitive. I don't care if the ghost of Knute Rockne coaches a school with a male enrollment of 90, they are not going to beat Beechwood, year in, year out. If such a school intends to keep playing football, the administration must define success in terms of the benefit to the student athletes. There are still many life lessons to be taught and the experience of dedicating oneself to a team cause should not be overlooked in any program.

3 hours to game time and not much interest in this thread. This is one of the more interesting match-ups in the last week of the regular season. Two teams with excellent passing attacks. P-burgs secondary has been criticized during the regular season but, if you check the stats, the Blackcat defense is ranked No. 9 in 2A. The rush defense is No. 10 in 2A. Coverage has been pretty good though there have been lapses in tackling. Neither team has played as pass-oriented an offense as they will face tonight. Prestonsburg did play and were defeated by Breathit Co., but, again, the culprit was missed tackles. Boggs can find some holes and a broken tackle could lead to scores. If Prestonsburg shores up the tackling, those passes should be short gains and P-burg should come out on top. I make them a three touchdown favorite, at home. PB - 35, PCC - 14. If not, it could be a long night with a lot of points on the board. PCC - 49, PB 34. Good luck to both teams. May they both be injury free heading into the playoffs.

I haven't seen Ft. Campbell play. I know they have great team speed. I don't think that will intimidate Desales. They don't make mistakes and they take advantage of yours. They may not have great speed but its not bad. Their secondary is very solid. Their best cover men can play press and you won't find them out of position often. If Ft. Campbell wins by two touchdowns or more I'll have to acknowledge that they are an incredible football team.

I don't think the season is too long. I wish ours lasted one more week. I don't think eliminating the bye week was a problem, though that's already been done. Losing a second scrimmage game to get a bye week in the season makes it tough to get ready for the early games. My suggestion is to eliminate the three and four seeds. Yeah there is always a three seed which makes some noise in the playoffs (ie Sheldon Clark this year), but somebody has to lose. Rather than end a week earlier, start a week later. That way you limit some of the hard practices in the worst of the heat. Just some random thoughts.

How many people watch you give a final exam? [About fifty is the reply.] Well, I have 50,000 watch me give mine - every Saturday! Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, to English Professor Tommy Mayo (at Texas A&M) when questioned about his emphasis on winning and his salary. Not trying to pick a fight, I just thought of this when I read your post. I'm not a teacher and I'm a property owner so I pay school taxes, but I don't begrudge a coach a day or two to go to their sport's championship. Maybe your school districts a model of fiscal restraint but for mine, a sub for a couple of days is a drop in the bucket. PD days are handed out for all sorts of lame things, this seems pretty legit to me.

Weather may be a factor. I don't usually place much emphasis on this as both teams have to play under the same conditions. However, if there is a driving rain it will make it difficult for Prestonsburg to move the ball through the air. A little rain should make no difference on a turf field. If anything, DB's may find it a bit harder to make cuts, which aids P-burg. However, if there is a hard rain it will make it difficult to keep dry balls in the game and for the QB to spot his receivers. On the turf, the running game should be less effected as the o-lines should find the footing sufficient. Turnovers are a possibility for both teams. Absent weather concerns, I think it comes down to whether SC's defensive backs can keep the PB receivers covered and whether the PB offensive line can give Burchett enough time to find one open. If no, or light to moderate rain: PB 28 SC 21 If heavy rain: PB 12 SC 6 (still got to go with the Blackcats)

What are your thoughts on a much anticipated game in EKy?

First off, don't worry about it because no one is listening to you. Players are doing well to hear their teammates and, maybe, a coach hear or there. Second, if the coach doesn't want you to hear it he can pull the team over to the sideline. He doesn't really care. But its his responsibility to convey the play in a way no one can hear it, if he does care. Football is not baseball. Its "wrong" to steal signals in baseball because of the "unwritten rule". Its accepted tradition. Its wrong in the NFL to use electronic means to steal signals, because of a written rule. There is nothing written in football about a fan overhearing a call. Fans should stay off and back away from the field. They should not physically do anything to effect the game. They should not curse or berate a player (they are kids). Other than that, say anything you want and have a good time.

It's not bad if you deep fry it. Bon appetite. Belfry will be alright. Lot of potential for improvement. They will get the procedure penalties out of their system. Good luck the rest of the way.

Alright, here's my take on it. Everyone is correct that Belfry always starts out a little slow. Also, both teams have only one scrimmage due to playing on week zero. - Slight advantage to Prestonsburg, which usually starts out more prepared. Size is Belfry's advantage up front, but not necessarily in the backfield. Both teams are a little smaller than usual in the backfield. - Slight advantage to Belfry. Speed should be an advantage to Prestonsburg, both up front and at the skill positions. Depth - Advantage Belfry. Much greater numbers. Not sure how many are ready to play, but they fill up the sidelines, while P-burg has about 30 out. Offense - draw. Both teams have some new wrinkles, judging by the scrimmages. Belfry will either have Varney playing a little out of position at QB or they will start a sophomore at that spot. Varney is a very good runner at either QB or HB and gives Belfry an edge in the backfield. Belfry's line is much bigger but not as quick as the P-burg defenders. Will they get tired or wear the P-burg defense down as the game goes on. Advantage P-burg at the receiver spots. Craynon, Blackburn and Jamerson are all credible threats. Look for 1st year senior, Tyler Hall to contribute as well. Prestonsburg gets the upper hand passing, Belfry running. Defense - Advantage Prestonsburg. Strength punishes, speed kills, Prestonsburg has a ton of speed on defense. Mckinney is a tackling machine and there is experience in the secondary. Belfry's defense should be strong and won't be caught out of position much, but it will still be difficult for them to match up with a spread offense out of a 5-2 defense. Special teams - Wild card. Neither team has worked special teams in a live situation. Conclusion - another classic. Prestonsburg has home field advantage. They have only lost, a think, 3 home games since Josh Francis stadium opened in 2001. Belfry 27 Prestonsburg 31

Wow. I can't believe no one has started a thread on this. Its been a couple of years since these traditional rivals have met in varsity play. Any thoughts/predictions?

Setting records brings notoriety. Since either Bowliing and/or Lewis could break some significant marks, I don't think you can count either out. I haven't seen Bowling but, while I like Lewis, I doubt he's the best player in the state.

I saw him at a scrimmage last year. My impression was that he is a very good high school QB. It seems he has added some weight this year, which will help him with college recruiters. His footwork was decent. He seemed to lock on to one receiver and made some questionable passes if he wasn't open. I'm sure he got much better as the season went on and looks as if he can continue to improve. His arm was very good, just a touch shy of excellent. I would say he's boarderline D1, but should be very good at a lower level.

Not to duck the question, but 2A has to be the most competitive division again this year. At least half a dozen teams have a legitimate shot at it. Louisville DeSallis should be in the mix as well as the teams mentioned before. Setting my Blackcats aside, I would have to go with Danville, Ft. Campbell, DeSallis and Corbin, in no particular order. I'm not sure how badly N. Cath was hit by graduation, but I would have to say you can't count them out.

That's right. Thanks for the help. Does anyone know anything about their coach (i.e. where he was before), or about any players? I understand they are drawing from Boone County and Ryle.

Just saw Cooper on the P-burg schedule. I don't know anything about them. Can anyone fill me in?

It seems the consensus is that these numbers don't say much about which state produces the most major college football players. It says even less about which state produces the most quality high school football players. There are a lot of great high school players who don't go on to any D1 program, much less to the SEC or ACC. Participation in another sport, lack of D1 size/speed, proximity to a smaller school. I don't think you can quantify the question of where the best high school football is played by looking at D1 numbers. It is subjective. In my opinion, the states with the best high school football are, in order, Texas, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. That is based on the numbers participating, the infrastructure created to support football (read big stadiums and huge booster organizations), and the passion of their fans. Remember, I am generalizing for whole states. I am sure there is a town or an area of Maryland where the quality of football and the passion for same is just as great as it is in Midland Texas. But, overall I believe these are the four top states.

No, its not coming from the air. Its coming from the bodies buried underneath the stadium.

Ugh! :irked: I voted wrong. Mentally delete one vote from 2 team intra and add it to 2 team inter. The chances of a 4 beating a 1 are slim (though it does happen). However, with so many 4 team districts, it takes too much from the value of the regular season to have a 2 - 8, no. 4 team make the playoffs. Also, I like the idea of having to get ready to play someone new in the playoffs. I noticed this year that there was absolutely no excitement leading up to the first round. Here's the 2A first round games from 2007: Class 2A Prep Bowl Heath (4) (4-6, 1-3D) at Caldwell County (1) (7-3, 4-0D) 7:30C Murray (3) (5-5, 2-2D) at Trigg County (2) (7-3, 3-1D) 7:30C Monroe County (4) (2-8, 0-3D) at Green County (1) (10-0, 3-0D) 7:00C Metcalfe County (3) (8-2, 1-2D) at Glasgow (2) (8-2, 2-1D) 7:00C Todd County Central (4) (1-9, 0-3D) at Fort Campbell (1) (8-2, 3-0D) 7:30C Hancock County (3) (4-6, 1-2D) at Owensboro Catholic (2) (5-5, 2-1D) 7:30C Fort Knox (4) (0-10, 0-3D) at Danville (1) (8-2, 3-0D) 7:30E Washington County (3) (4-6, 1-2D) at Bardstown (2) (4-6, 2-1D) 7:30E Owen County (4) (1-9, 0-3D) at DeSales (1) (5-5, 3-0D) 7:30E@Southern Carroll County (3) (2-8, 1-2D) at Christian Academy-Louisville (2) (7-3, 2-1D) 7:30E Morgan County (4) (1-9, 0-3D) at Prestonsburg (1) (7-3, 3-0D) 7:30E Bath County (3) (7-3, 1-2D) at Shelby Valley (2) (5-5, 2-1D) 7:30E Newport (4) (1-9, 0-3D) at Newport Central Catholic (1) (9-1, 3-0D) 7:00E@Newport Lloyd Memorial (3) (3-7, 1-2D) at Holy Cross (Covington) (2) (5-5, 2-1D) 7:00E Knott County Central (4) (2-8, 0-3D) at Corbin (1) (9-1, 3-0D) 7:30E Leslie County (3) (2-8, 1-2D) at Middlesboro (2) (7-3, 2-1D) 7:00E I doubt there was much excitement around any of the 1-4 match-ups. I wouldn't mind knocking a week off the schedule.

I agree with Ram that different characteristics are needed for different positions. I would like to see if there aren't certain traits that we can agree on that apply to every position. For example, Leadership. To me this means more than vocal encouragement or chastisement of team-mates. A good leader is always one who leads by example. Players respect a team-mate that always gives 100% of what they have to give. Some very fine leaders aren't the best players. However, their example challenges the rest of their team to measure up. Courage. To me this means confidence + performance when it counts. Great athletes who don't come through in the clutch don't add much to their team. Some players disappear when the game is on the line. A player with courage wants the ball thrown/handed to him; wants the ball thrown to his receiver or run to his side of the defense; wants to kick the field goal; wants to have the key block; or any other key assignment on the last play of the game to win it. Consistency. This goes back to the Leadership quality. A great player has to put it on the line each play of each game and each drill in practice. Enthusiasm. Not the vocal kind. Some kids just act like they would rather be somewhere else. Maybe I'm just getting old (in fact I know I am), but it seems there is less and less enthusiasm. Our society is turning our kids into teenage cynics. They don't want to be seen to be overly invested in anything. They have to be cool. (Even though they would never use an outdated term like "cool" on penalty of death). But if one kid shows genuine enthusiasm for the game, gets excited at big plays, acts as if the football field is the place he most wants to be, it is contagious. Aggressiveness. Football is a hitting sport. Except, maybe a kicker, I don't think any football player can be great if they don't like contact. Just some random thought, in no particular order. I'd like to see what others think. P.S. Regarding the discussion of size and stats, its true that big schools often overlook good players because they are undersized or a step slow, but not always. Every so often a D1 school will find a gem that slipped through every other program's cracks because he didn't measure up. However, the maxim is true that a good big man will beat a good little man more times than not. The same is even more true for speed. And at each level the bar gets higher. Size and speed matter more the farther up the ladder you go. In high school it simply isn't as important. Some of the finest high school linemen I have seen have been undersized. That doesn't mean they could have competed consistently on the D1 level.

Amen, Leatherneck. I've seen this first hand. The KHSAA takes the position that its member schools must obey it rather than the Circuit Court. I think its fair to say that pretty much every Circuit Judge in Kentucky takes the position that his or her Orders must be obeyed by everyone. Of course the KHSAA could eliminate the problem by creating a transfer rule that can be applied to everyone equally.