4th and long

I think it will be a good rivalry that you can throw out the stats for. Lincoln is vastly improved and coach French will keep the program going in a positive direction. I said mercer would be better than expected however, on the other side they will have some big holes to fill. I believe they will struggle early and improve along the way right into the playoffs. Same can be said of the Patriots. How will the Titans handle long scoring drives? they got pretty used to scoring from anywhere on the field last season. Can they limit their inexperienced players from making critical errors? I think Lincoln vs. Mercer will be an annual close ballgame.IMO

I don't think most of the Boyle faithful are complaining as much about the losses as with the atmosphere around the team. things seem very negative and the players do not seem to have the same chemistry nor heart as in years past. Most true fans take the losses when they feel like the team gave it their best shot however, last season this did not seem to be the case. The rebels seemed to lie down and quit which is unusual for them. Also there seemed to be a lot of malcontents with negative attitudes that affected a lot of other players. Maybe the problems were just a few bad apples, maybe the problems are still around. I don't think the "program" can stand another negative season or what was a very proud program may start to fall apart. My guess is that things will get turned around even if it means cutting loose some negative individuals and the rebels will be a force next year.

I think it is going ot be great for central Kentucky football to have Mercer and lincoln in the same district, couple that with an emerging rivalry with boyle co. and things get even more exciting. I think Mercer has a lot more returning than most people realize.

cold weather fan are you sure about mercer having spring ball?

I think Boyle will be vastly improved next season and Danville is always good. Mercer is a big "?" as they make the biggest change in competition however, they return more than people realize and should at the very least be competitive. At most make a little run in the playoffs.

Just an observation but... one thing I noticed last season was the sideline. the players did not look like boyle county players. What I mean is that the sideline was quiet, heads were hanging, even when they were winning. I did not see the fun that was associated with Boyle Co. football. No intensity! No Fire! No Black Death look that intimidated the opponents. All in all they did not look, act or play like Boyle county. Honestly, it was disappointing. In the past, win or lose, the opponents knew they were in a game when they played boyle. Last season, ... not!

Last time they had a B on their helmet I think they went 1 - 9 Keep the "Rebels"

great kid, loved watching him play!

I love high school football because it is still relatively pure. Most will not go beyond the high school level but they play from the heart for their school. Ask most college players the best time in their life and they will still tell you Friday night! This is why we have D1 players on our sideline, because high school football is something so special that it is like a drug, you just gotta have it

sportskid I tend to agree with you however there have been posts bashing Mercer and how horrible they will do in 5A. My point wasn't that they would win but rather that they would have and should be a competitive team at any level. Why people wont admit this is shear jealousy IMO. I for one would like to see some more competitive teams at all levels. For so long only a few have dominated that some new blood is refreshing, much like when Boyle stepped up and went from the bottom to the top. Boyle is still a strong competitive team that others must bring their A game to play. Mercer will be a fun and competitive something I think is needed in this state. Instead of putting teams down we need to build up football across this state. Again IMO

I think Mercer will add more of a passing attack next season. they too realize it will be difficult to be one dimensional at the 5A level. However, I disagree that they would have had difficulty defending the pass last seasonl. Ask OCath. They will however need to replace most if not all the secondary, if I am not mistaken. I would not judge Mercer by the state championship game. The weather hindered both teams. Ask those that played them down the stretch. OCath, Larue etc. if they thought Mercer could play at another level. Would they win 4A probably not. would they be a competitive team... I think so. IMO Questions remain though will coach Jaggers be at mercer next season?

I live in Boyle county and I can assure you Mercer would have done just fine in 3A last season. I enjoyed the boyle vs. mercer game last year and look forward to them playing annually. I congratulate the Titans and understand that they went through a lot in order to fuse the two teams and play as one. Jealousy will not change a thing. I think it is great that 5 A will have another quality program and for one do not anticipate nor desire to see them become a bottom feeder.

Just to stir the pot a little. I think some of the teams are having difficulty filling their schedule because they are trying to hand select teams they feel they can defeat another way of saying "avoiding some quality teams." I'm sure there are some quality match ups out there to be had but for one reason or another they will not play. I do think travel distances are going to be an issue this year and expect to hear some more complaining after the season.

yes, Mercer's wt program is very solid. I was told some of the power cleans they are putting up and I was very impressed. Mercer also models a lot of what they do after Boyle County's program. Emphasis on athletic power rather than brute strength.

I know Danville has had a tough time putting it all together and according to the advocate messenger (danville paper) so has Mercer. Mercer's problems could obviously be a result of winning the state championship last season however, I have also heard that Anderson county has had trouble finishing their schedule. It seems like the smaller size districts also make it difficult to get games.

the good is both lines are pretty much intact. LB's are in good shape and RB's will be effective. Bad: the secondary is gone and with it goes the biggest leaders on the team. I foresee the Titans struggling in nondistrict play but will get on track in the second half of the season and make a little noise in the playoffs.

It seems that a number of schools are having difficulty putting together a quality schedule for next season. I have heard of schools traveling to Tenn. and Indiana that have never done this in the past. The reason... they say they cannot put a local schedule together. This is really going to add to the travel expenses at a time when money is tight and gas prices high. Any suggestions that might help with scheduling in the future. Some teams must now find 7 nondistrict games to fill. thoughts?

The opinions of a few illustrious coaches seem to be very influential...then again maybe they have earned the right to be heard and be influential. The opinions of less prestigious schools seem like they tend to fall on deaf ears. Basketball is still king!

thanks guys this has been interesting reading and I appreciate the effort!

Thank you for the information. I had heard of Flaget high school and not being familiar with Louisville assumed this must be it. One person at the retreat said they thought is was once an Abbey.

I had the opportunity to go to a retreat at the Flaget Center this weekend. None of the organizers knew anything about the facility. Was the center ever a high school? It seems like a nice facility why did it close? We were curious about the place and would appreciate a Louisville native giving some information. There was some thought that possibly Paul Horning played at Flaget? But as previously stated nobody knew anything for sure. Thanks for the help.

What about Highlands state championship and the games they had to forfeit??? In addition to the games forfeited how many players started that did not even attend the school the year before? Since it is obvious that Mercer et.al. cheat to win the state championship lets just cancel them and play for fun. This topic is getting really old! what will we argue about next year?

the rings are just over 200.00. If the players want to add anything then they must pay the additional cost.

Look for the titans to peak toward the end. They will undoubtedly strugle early as the inexperience shows but the inexperience is VERY talented and should continue to improve thoughout the year. Looks like a solid program where talent graduates and new people step right in to keep things going.

haven't heard of anyone signing. Couple schools that made commitments have since backed out. Georgetown College invited some up recently but have not heard anything concrete.