5wide

Isn't that a key point? I've never owned a PC that was expensive as the cheapest MAC. I'm sure a $1000 PC would be much better than a $400 one. Better than a MAC? I don't know. That said, I'm buying one the next time I buy a computer and when I can afford it. I wanna be hip.

No. What reason is there to think it would have been? Somerset nearly lost to a decent (and young) Breathitt County team before losing to Belfry the next week.

I couldn't agree more. I think there's a very good chance that Central, if they had played a typical 3A schedule, would have had better records and still won state without playing the big boys in 6A. I think they've simply been better than the rest of the class in their title years. However, there's no way that I can believe playing those great teams doesn't help them and make them a better team. After playing teams like that, nothing they see will surprise them or catch them unprepared. It's clear that the title goes through Central right now. Generally, their speed has been the difference maker in the finals games and that's something you have (as a team) or you don't have. Playing a tougher schedule might have made Breathitt or Belfry a better team heading into the finals, but it wouldn't have made them faster, and that is where Central has beat them, IMO.

:thumb: Breathitt won its last 2A title 53-6. Blowouts happen. Sometimes the strength is in one half of the bracket and this happens. I don't care whether they choose to go with 4, 5 or 6 classes. Some blowouts in the finals doesn't affect my opinion. I guess they'd need to put X and T in opposite brackets again if they're gunning for competitive title games.

Highlands is a hard team to beat if you're on your A+ game. It doesn't sound like CC is.

I'm not disagreeing with anything. But, I feel it necessary to say that a significant numbers advantage would be provide the biggest boost in a sport like football where you have 11 starters on each side of the ball and special teams units. Depth and the luxury of not being forced to play guys on both sides of the ball is a huge advantage in high school football. In a sport like basketball where one guy can carry a team and you don't switch offense and defense, I think it can be negated much easier. JMO

Me too...who knew?

Highlands results in state finals since 1998... 35-7 35-15 28-7 22-6 10-44 48-27 48-10 56-7 Win or lose, it doesn't seem that they play close games in the finals. I'm going with a blowout.

Good luck to Belfry in Louisville. Congratulations to them...and to Somerset on a fine season.

Breathitt has been a hard team to predict this season. They had games where they looked really good, and games where they didn't. I figured they might have something for Somerset if they came to play. Congratulations to the Briar Jumpers...my theory has always been that if you can turn the ball over that much and still win, you were the better team. And, AJG is correct. Style points are irrelevent now.

Breathitt has been up and down this season. If they play well, I think they'll win. But, this could be a good one. I think Breathitt would stand a better chance in the region final because they'll get to host the game.

I don't know much about Casey County, so I'll go with my home team. Breathitt has some solid young talent that has had some highs and lows this season. But, they get the game at home, so I think they'll play well.

Bell County. Not only do they avoid Highlands now, but they drop to arguably the weakest of the six classes.

I really like the Geico commercial when he asks if the little pig cried wee wee wee all the way home.

That too...

I would note that I intended it to be tongue-in-cheek. No doubt it has implications outside of Louisville. However, I think the statement I read yesterday, something along the lines of an announcement that will send shockwaves across the state, was a bit much. I'm just poking a little fun at it. Certainly there are others with some interest in this, but there are a lot of people outside of Louisville who could care less. When I hear shockwaves across the state, I think it should affect all, not just Louisville and a few others in 6A who think they might get a runner-up trophy now.

I made my own map. As you can tell, I'm not an artist.

I find it interesting that this thread has started after one huge win for Trinity, and a year removed from St. X pulling off only the second regular season/post-season sweep in this series in the last 10 years (the other was Trinity in 2003). On top of that, the average score in the two X wins last season was 33 to 8.5. In this last 10 seasons, Trinity has won 8, X has won 7. Trinity's average win is 20-11. X's is 31-11. If you look at the numbers after 2003, after Trinity's incredible run early in the decade, X has fared even better. Since Trinity beat them twice in 2003, X is ahead 6-4 in head-to-head matchups. Only once in that time has an X win been a close game (24-15 in 2007). If you want to criticize X for losing in the finals after thoroughly handling Trinity earlier in the year on multiple occasions, if X fans' only goal is championships, then I suppose you can criticize. But, X doesn't seem to be having much trouble "keeping up" with Trinity. I give Trinity credit for making those turnarounds, but X has been within one score in all of those games. Considering all that, and if Beatty is that much better than Glaser and that's the sole reason for it, I can see why Trinity fans are so hopeful he stays. If that's the reason, and X gets the right coach in place, the Big Two in 6A might get cut in half. X has laid some beatdowns on Trinity in the last 5 years...48-16, 30-6, 32-7, 34-10. If they get a coach who can improve his team in the same way that Beatty apparently does, the question might become will Trinity be able to compete with X.

Not sure what they were thinking, nor do I care. I'm just commenting generally that the KHSAA can't be in the business of trying to align brackets to get what everyone thinks will be the two best teams in the finals. What they should do is try to set up a system where the best teams have a chance to compete for a championship. I think they've done that. It makes no difference to me when the best teams meet. Breathitt County has won 3 state championships, and in IMO, they played their toughest opponent in the state semi-finals every time. It is what it is. Trinity and Xavier still have the same opportunity to win championships. Ultimately, that's all I want to see.

It's not the state's obligation to get the two best teams in the finals. If they're that good, perhaps we should just eliminate the playoffs and let the KHSAA, in all their wisdom, pluck the top two teams from each class out for a championship game each year.

:thumb: I must say, that's a very good reason. The "travel" is a minor inconvenience if you can avoid Highlands en route to a possible title.

:thumb:Some things never change...:lol:

Unfortunately, X hasn't proven itself capable of making that big turnaround. They've always been the team on the wrong end of the regular season/post-season reversals.

My intention wasn't to take credit away from Hazard. Based on their last two games, it seems like they start slow and then get rolling. I doubt Breathitt County would have won the game even if they had capitalized on their early opportunities.

Breathitt County has a young team. They controlled the majority of the first half of this game and trailed because of some costly TO's. They drove the ball inside the 10 yard line 3 times and trailed 14-6 after scoring on the third trip. The first time, they fumbled at the 1 and Hazard returned it 99 yards for a score. And, they also had another TO that set up the Bulldogs second score with a short field. This game could have been closer.