[Diogenes]

If Dixon doesn't get a football scholarship at a Division 1 school after today then idk what an individual would have to do to get one. Kid has all the tools. Heart, toughness, speed, iq, size.

I wish it were all about being a good football player. But it's the "intangibles" they want in D-1...

[pirateforlife]

If Dixon doesn't get a football scholarship at a Division 1 school after today then idk what an individual would have to do to get one. Kid has all the tools. Heart, toughness, speed, iq, size.

I wish it were all about being a good football player. But it's the "intangibles" they want in D-1...

What intangibles does he not have? I mean I understand Nick Saban or Ryan Day isn't going to be after him but why can't he play somewhere like Marshall or EKU or Western KY? He's 5'10 190 pounds and runs a 4.5 40. He's done it against good competition too.

[Truewords]

If Dixon doesn't get a football scholarship at a Division 1 school after today then idk what an individual would have to do to get one. Kid has all the tools. Heart, toughness, speed, iq, size.

I wish it were all about being a good football player. But it's the "intangibles" they want in D-1...

I don’t know what more than what this young man has you could want or get from anyone else. 
Please tell us what these “intangibles “ are you speak of?

[Diogenes]

If Dixon doesn't get a football scholarship at a Division 1 school after today then idk what an individual would have to do to get one. Kid has all the tools. Heart, toughness, speed, iq, size.

I wish it were all about being a good football player. But it's the "intangibles" they want in D-1...

What intangibles does he not have? I mean I understand Nick Saban or Ryan Day isn't going to be after him but why can't he play somewhere like Marshall or EKU or Western KY? He's 5'10 190 pounds and runs a 4.5 40. He's done it against good competition too.

I don't have a politically correct way to say it, so I won't. But I know it has happened before.

[cuppett777]

Great game. If there’s a better running back in ky than number 3 for belfry I’ve yet to see him! PT PLAYED LIGHTS OUT, and starting 6 freshman! I’m not sure that kick off return man wasn’t down before the fumble tho, anyway, proud of PT, they’ll be back.

he wasn't,but it was close

[Boomer_Sooner]

To everyone who said Belfry's best days are far behind them.....I hate to say it you were right!! I mean winning the state championship is all they could do this year!! Jesus, my friends on the back side of the county better be finding a coach & a church you'll need both old friends!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Boy I for one can not wait to hear the "football genius'" excuse for this one!! Either they forgot the comments they made weeks 1-6 or they'll have some kind of "down year" for 3A B.S.!! Either way I will personally see to it that they eat their fair share of crow!! Congrats to the Pirates & Pond Creek Nation!!

[smoke1015]

Haywood, best coach in the state of Kentucky, EVER. Haywood, currently, still the best leader of men in the state, in my opinion. He MADE a culture down there. He didn't walk into an already exceptional program that had some of the best talent they ever had, and win. He took a tough solid ball team and brought a system and he perfected it, he repped it. He taught values and made great people. I have saw some coaches come in, win with already good talent, and turn kids into blowhards and turn fan bases into rude obnoxious entities. Haywood did the opposite of that, by believing in God, teaching morals, actually trying to save kid's souls, WHILE also teaching things that get you by in this world, hard work, morals, determination, and ambition. Haywood may not have "adapted and adjusted", and may not run the spread, he will probably never line up with an empty backfield and be 5 wide...He just reps a style of hard nosed play and teaches a discipline where you simply execute play to perfection. He makes his kids believe, every single year. Even when they are 0-5.

[Hurricane Storm]

My last comments (probably):

Aside from a few seasons, Belfry football has been relevant since at least the mid-60's. I believe Belfry has had only 3 head coaches since Vipperman hung up his whistle (I think) very early in the 70's. Relevancy state-wide, well maybe not early in those early years. I'm not certain there were even state championships as we know them at that time. Bowl games were a thing in the 60's. Maybe champions were voted on then, I'm just not sure. The number of coaches and champion determination method I'll defer to someone with more concrete knowledge. But we know the number of classes and participants per class has changed a few times over the last 30 years or so. That's a true discussion topic that comes up often, and not a rabbit hole I chose to go down in this thread.

But just looking at the past 19 years, BHS has taken home 8 titles and 4 runner-up trophies, making 12 major pieces of hardware in 19 seasons. Yes other programs have done it as well, and over longer periods. Pulling but a few names, Trinity, Highlands, Mayfield. If I'm leaving out others it is not my intention. But essentially two-thirds of the last two decades had had a title game with BHS going for it all.

I've been to them all, including 79, 85, and 86, save for one. I made it to Louisville the night before the 2013 3-0 win against Wayne County, but that ice storm paralyzed Louisville overnight, and getting to Bowling Green in time wasn't in the cards that morning. My point is, success can certainly bring on expectations, and even feelings of entitlement. I believe everyone there on the BHS side was extremely happy and excited for another win. But there were signs of complacency in the crowd. A vibe of "Alright!! Number 8!". Followed almost immediately by "Where do we want to eat?" or "I wonder how crowded the mall is now?" Not everyone. Students, players, cheerleaders, etc. and all their parents, those that haven't experienced this consistently for two decades, darn right, it's special.

And as much as I follow, root for, and attend as many games as I can, I'm kinda guilty of it too. I expect to be there year in and year out. Even with an 0-5 start, I knew only 4 regular season games meant anything in order to get to this point. Yes, per my earlier post, the RPI was determined by the other games, but not team experience and character, which can often be more important than home field advantage. But I'm not going over that again here.

But a large number of Belfry fans have high expectations, and as such they can show it. It may be home attendance during the season or those early playoff games (or even a degree of cockiness from some on message boards!). Fans expect to win those games, and the enthusiasm level can dip a bit. Not due to indifference, but by always expecting to win - almost no matter the opponent. I'm not downplaying this fact - it is a major point for a program to be so successful that it has fans that experience that. Too often fans attitudes are more affected by losing steaks and non-winning seasons than success. You just don't always appreciate what you have until it's gone. Here's to hoping BHS is always pushing us to the good side of complacency.

[Truewords]

I want to give a big shout our the o-line as well. They played great. I also wanted to say how proud I was of my son Logan Mccoy #53 in the o-line. Just three short weeks ago he completed tore his ACL and partial tear of meniscus and high grade sprain of lateral ligament. He worked his tail of in PT and got motion back in it and played the entire game. No one thought he would be able to but he told me the last two weeks he would play if they made it. It takes a man to go out there and play like he did with a Completely tore out knee. Congrats to him the o-line and to Dixion. I hope he gets the looks from college that he deserves.

Many people do not know how much these young men sacrifice to play this game. I watched the game and would have not known he had that much damage to his knee. They give it their all. I saw to other Pirates playing with casts on including the young man that decleated the PT player on kick off return to cause fumble that sealed the game. Nothing but respect for these young men.

[irishcard16]

I want to give a big shout our the o-line as well. They played great. I also wanted to say how proud I was of my son Logan Mccoy #53 in the o-line. Just three short weeks ago he completed tore his ACL and partial tear of meniscus and high grade sprain of lateral ligament. He worked his tail of in PT and got motion back in it and played the entire game. No one thought he would be able to but he told me the last two weeks he would play if they made it. It takes a man to go out there and play like he did with a Completely tore out knee. Congrats to him the o-line and to Dixion. I hope he gets the looks from college that he deserves.

Many people do not know how much these young men sacrifice to play this game. I watched the game and would have not known he had that much damage to his knee. They give it their all. I saw to other Pirates playing with casts on including the young man that decleated the PT player on kick off return to cause fumble that sealed the game. Nothing but respect for these young men.

The kid with the cast had a Hairline fracture in thumb week 5, followed by Grenade fracture in thumb and hand and torn ligament week 8, followed by back strain and back spasms, followed by dislocated shoulder, followed by bronchitis the last 2 playoff games. And he’s a freshman.

Kid with the knee injury had a TORN ACL!!!!!!!!! Was in a wheelchair, shouldn’t have been walking let alone playing. 

A kid with a torn meniscus, another kid with a bad ankle, another kid with a bad shoulder and concussion issues. And countless others with issues on this team. But this small group of 30ish brothers had a goal and a will to achieve that goal. So this one is real real special to us on pond creek especially with all the arm chair coaches when we were 0-5.

[Belfry fan 75]

Special group of players and coaches

[Footballfan1995]

Coach Haywood and Coach Thompson did an incredible job getting their teams to bounce back after tough starts.

Great first year for what should be a bright future for Coach Thompson at Paducah!

[Bull got out!]

Coach Haywood and Coach Thompson did an incredible job getting their teams to bounce back after tough starts.

Great first year for what should be a bright future for Coach Thompson at Paducah!

I was impressed with Paducah Tilghman. You talking about being able to score in a hurry. But even more impressed with Belfry. To me it was the perfect game plan. Legendary. Coach Thompson looks to be a good one.

[Red and Black]

Well, here we are again...

Congrats, Pirates!

Prestonsburg high school may not have any state titles, but you'll never convince me that it didn't produce the greatest HS coach in KY history!

Incredible program, incredible season, incredible captain on that ship. Enjoy it, Pirate Nation!