fanofall

I agree fully. I honestly expected the same poor sportsmanship that usually is displayed when the public schools and JBS collide there in Knott County, but it didn't happen this time and in my opinion that is the true victory for both of these teams. As for the game, JBS winning did not shock me. As I said in earlier threads, I think JBS is the best team in the District and possibly will win the region. Their schedule concerned me and losing Collins really concerned me. What did shock me was the score. I was at the game. KCC struggled from the start. Missed shots, turn overs and not rebounding was what beat this team. Not to take anything from JBS, I called them as the winner even if KCC showed up with their game on, but the score would have been a different story if KCC had not had an off night. Good luck to the Crusaders!

They may have changed their minds because it has been several weeks since I last talked to any of the KCC folks, but the last word I got from them on this issue was that they were leaning toward opting out of the tournament. Not an enrollment numbers issue, but a scheduling issue. They are planning some big things for their team next year and need this time for regular season games. Just what I was told!

You made my point for me! If this has gone on since Clark Stepp was a peewee player and the situation has only worsened every year, then why should the two teams play each other if they don't have to? In my opinion, they are both good teams and I think tomorrow nights game will be a toss up. Either team could win the game. It will be a great game that I would love to see. What I don't want to see is how the fans for both teams will act and the horrible things they will "all" say about each other tomorrow night and apparently, based on your own post, for years to come . No good comes from that regardless of where it happens, but especially not in a small county like Knott. That's all I tried to say!

I am going to assume that you are just a student at JBS, because all of the adults are very aware of what is going on between the two schools. First of all, the stuff you are saying about JBS winning the grade school tournament must be in reference to three years ago because that is the last time that they won. Last year Carr Creek won and this year Hindman did. Second, you are also way off on saying that the lady who was escorted out started all the problems between the schools. Three years ago, there was a lady escorted out of the championship game between JBS and Carr Creek, but the ref made a mistake and didn't even throw the one who made the comment out, and the two schools had huge problems way before that night. Everyone has a problem with JBS. I believe that during the JBS/Hindman game this year, the game had to be stopped and everyone was sent home without finishing it. That could not be blamed on the lady at Carr Creek now can it. The adult fans for both JBS and the public schools in Knott County contribute to the problem. Third, are you really saying that there is only one player at JBS who left the public school system to play ball at JBS? That isn't true even of even the high school program, and you definitely are not going to try to say that it is true of the grade school program now are you?

I don't think JBS and KCC have ever played during regular season. I would guess that this has developed from the fact that until recent years this would have been the equivelant of JBS playing Riverside. Since JBS's team has improved, they have continued to not play. They were not scheduled to play this year. Again I am just guessing, but I would say that it is due to all the conflict between the two schools. This isn't your routine inter-county rivalry. When you throw the same public/private issues that we are having across the state in the mix with accusations of recruitement extending all the way down to the grade school program, the fact that Knott County is so small, and the fact that the KCC folks have all the same complaints that everyone on this board has pointed out as far as the staff at JBS goes, it makes for a very bad situation there in Knott County. And, the conflicts between these two schools extend much further than the basketball court. The adults at both JBS and KCC have made personal attacks upon each other that are just unreal. There are people over there who will hate each other for life over issues that have come up between those two schools. The sad thing is that they both seem to be passing alot of that on to their children. I don't think they should play each other at all if they can keep from it. Absolutely nothing good can come from a meeting between the two teams because it will never be just a basketball game to any of them.

I predict a win for JBS, unless their schedule of late comes back to bite them. Sometimes when really good teams play other teams that are not on the same level as they are on a regular basis like JBS has done lately, they develope bad habits. If this has happened, JBS may let this slide through their fingers. But then again it is played at Pippa Passes, isn't it?!?!

I missed the game, but LCC by 10 was my guess to. A buddy of mine was there, and he said that it hurt to watch. They just let it get away from them and then just couldn't pull themselves together enough to make a showing. He said they must have felt like the people on the Titanic. They knew they were going down and were fighting desperately, but they just kept sinking.

Anyone up for some interesting reading? Pick up todays Troublesome Creek Times (the local paper in Knott County)!!!!! There is a nice little article which was reprinted from the Lexington paper about JBS's ONLY player. It gives an update on the young man's stats and also points out that JBS has the best win-loss record in the 14th Region. What it doesn't mention is the cupcake schedule that they played to get him his stats (if they're even accurate) and them their record. I believe that this article is a slap in the face of every player on every team in the 14th Region who actually had to work to get his points whether he averages 2 or 20 points a game. The sad thing is that they honest do have one of the best teams in the Region, but because of their schedule they took away their own right to brag. No reasonable person can compare JBS stats and record to any other top contender in the 14th Region because their numbers are inflated by the difference in the callibur of their competition. I just wonder if the Troublesome Creek Times will give the Patriots front page honors when they beat them Monday night.

Because both teams struggled on the boards, and both teams played good defense.

JBS has proven that their team is for real, but is their schedule for real? It's not their fault that they are beating these teams so badly, but it is their fault that they scheduled them in the first place. I have watched them play a couple of times this year. They are good, and there is no excuse for them to being playing the schedule they are. Hopefully, next year, their schedule will be more challenging. It just seems a waste to have that much talent and spend it beating these little teams by thirty or more every night.

It's been my observation that with the major of the teams, almost all of the freshman team players also play JV and some of them even play Varsity. I would think that even with freshman players who do not make the JV and V teams their freshman year, the goal is to work with them and prepare them to move up.

Nope, you didn't dream it. I was at the PCC/Leslie game (which by the way was one of the best games I've watched this season, a good win for Leslie), but I have talked to some friends who watched the KCC/Breathitt game. They said the Pike kid played a great game and Stamper got hot in OT. KCC did win the game, but neither team put forth a dominating performance, at least not until OT.

Oh, I know it's not an easy job. Nothing could make me ref. But no one is making them do it. If they are are going to choose to do the job, they should do it right. If the job is too hard, or not worth the money to them, they should step aside and let someone else have the whistle.

What's up with you? Are you one of the coaches that they have gotten rid of in the last six years?

I don't have a child on any team, and while my heart may be with one team, I travel around the mountains watching as many games as I can between all the teams just because I love basketball. I've done this for years. Noone can tell me that the officials do not affect the outcome of the games a lot of the time. I think instead of worry about butting more and more officials on the floor, the KHSAA needs to build an accountability factor for the existing officials. At every game I go to, there are numerous fans, televisions stations, etc. sitting around the gym with cameras. We may not be able to stop the game for an instant replay, but the KHSAA could review these tapes to determine if those "loud mouth fans" just might have a reason to be blowing off steam. Like I've said, I've watched a lot of basketball over the years, and I've seen the battle lines form. With quite a bit of accuracy, I could walk into most of the gyms in the mountains, look at the ref, and tell the KHSAA whether or not they should review the tapes before the first ball is thrown into the air. There are certain refs who will favor certain teams regardless of who they play, and there are other refs who will go against certain teams regardless of who they play. Not to say that all the refs fall into this category. In fact four of the last five games I have watched the officiating has been alright. But, even the one game out of five should not be tolerated. These kids work hard, and to have a game taken by the very officials who are supposed to be making sure they get a fair shot is just not acceptable.

And what an interesting opinion it is. Do you really think that KCC is the first or the only team to play an 8th grader on their varsity team? Why don't you start a thread asking state wide how many teams have or have had in the past, an 8th grader on their varsity team? I agree the Stamper kid is not KCC's hero or their all star, but from all I've seen and heard, he does earn his playing time. I'm willing to bet that there isn't a high school team in the moutains who wouldn't welcome him to their team next year. He should not be denied his due credit just because he is an 8th grader. That's what is happening at JBS. By far, the Cox boy is the best player on that team, but he is left in the shadows because he is an 8th grader. A good player should be recognized for what he does regardless of what grade he is in. I did make the KCC/PCC game last night. I agree with you that PCC deserves credit for winning the game, and that the officials played no part in the outcome. Last night the PCC team was just the better team. And for some reason the Patriots just can't put together a second half that equals their first. This has been true all season. I also agree with you that it's the coaches responsibility to find out what is breaking down with his team so that he can fix it. But I certainly do not agree that the 8th grader cost them the game or was any more of the problem than anyone else on the team. The 8th grader played the first half when the team maintained a comfortable lead. I also want to say that the Patriots looked better last night than I've seen them look in a while. They are playing better team ball, passing the ball and looking for the open man, than they have all year. Bartrum and Pike have made leaps and bounds the past few weeks in scoring and assisting and rebounding. And of course, the Mosley boy continues to be, in my opinion, one of the better players in the region. I think if this same team had played PCC a few weeks ago, PCC would have beat them much worse than they did last night. KCC is improving and I think they will continue to improve. I don't think they will be a contender for the region, and probably no even the district. Still they should hold their heads high. They have had a season riddled with injuries and conflict. There is no way that a team can grow and flourish in an environment like that.

Do you have any idea how absolutely ridulous you make yourself look when you try to blame one man for every athletic and academic problem that a school has? Does Knott County not have a Superintendent, a school board, principals, teachers, coaches, etc.? Do they not fall under the State Baord of Education and the KHSAA? Or, do you also allege that his polical influence is great that he has control of all of those people also. What possible reason would he, or anyone else have, for not doing everything they can to improve the academics at KCC? Why don't you use this board for what it was meant for, a place for people to get together and talk about basketball? If you have proof that someone, anyone, in your school is doing something wrong or something to hurt the kids, take it to your school board. This is not the place for it.

First, let me assure you Coach Feltner is playing who he wants, and he is getting far more heat for doing it from the parents whose kids are not playing than he would ever get from the parents whose kids are playing. Second, I am assuming that you are indicating that Coach Feltner does not support the decision to dismiss this player. That simply is not correct. Third, if you think any one man can make the hiring and firing decisions with regard to the basketball and football coaches in Knott County or any other county, you are wrong! Everyone who has ever been involved in high school sports knows that politics plays a major part in who gets these positions, and the politics runs so much higher than the AD. I feel sorry for the AD's in a lot of these counties because just like there in Knott County, they have very little control, but get all the blame. The AD at the high school my son attended was the victim of same kind of slanderous rumors by people just like you who just didn't know what they were talking about. That's why this is such an issue for me. You should just sit back and watch the next few years and see what direction KCC basketball goes in. They have some tremendous talent coming up. My grandson will be in high school in two more years and I'm sure not looking forward to his team meeting up with the Patriots. Anyone who underestimates this teams potential will regret it.

Oh, say so you first blame the administration in Knott County for his actions during the Phelps game and now you blame the administration in Letcher County for his actions in that game. I would present you with the long list of dates and incidents that have happened in the past, but you would only find someone else to blame each and everyone on. It's time for everyone to stop blaming others for their actions and accept responsibility for he does himself. Maybe you should share with everyone the history that you have had that has resulted in the sour grapes that you keep crying over. It's obvious that your comments have absolutely nothing to do with whether the Dials boy stays or goes. I went back and read many of your past posts and your comments in this area were out of line long before this issue ever came up. Could it be that you have child that just didn't make the team in the past!!!

Like I said, I do not know who made the decisions regarding the Dials boy, and I'm willing to bet that you don't either! What I do know is that applaud who ever did. I missed the KCC game after which the Dials boy was dismissed, but I was at the KCC-Letcher game. The Dials boy should have been dismissed for his conduct at that game. I have been to many games all across the mountain region and have followed high school basketball for years. It's a shame how some of the athletes are being allowed to act. Other schools should follow KCC's lead and start getting rid of some of these players who are unable to show respect for themselves, their schools, the other teams and coaches, the refrees and the game.

I do not know who made what decisions with regard to the Dials boys. I do personally know the AD in Knott County on both a personal and professional level. Anyone who would make the above comments about him obviously does not know him at all. He has devoted his entire adult life to working with the kids there in Knott County. Maybe you should take a vote from the boys who have played on his past teams and see how many of them think he doesn't care about kids. He has practically raised several of those boys. Get your facts straight!