We dont hear much about Morgan Co. basketball on here. Back 7-8 years ago Morgan Co. had one of the finest programs in the 16th region and in all of eastern Kentucky. Since the '07 season they have only had one winning season and currently stand at 2-18. Matthew Perry is still the coach and he's a very good one. What in the world has happened up there?
When they came to Lewis County this year, it looked like all their juniors and seniors had quit or something. They literally looked like a freshmen team at best. Multiple freshmen, sophomores, and middle school kids getting PT. Heck, a 7th grader starts PG for them!
Sounds like pretty much what other schools are dealing with concerning upper class players.
Lewis County will be in the same boat next year. With 8 seniors graduating and only two guys returning that gets PT(they're freshmen). And only one junior.
Elliott in the same boat next season.
Teams have years where they are up and years when they are down. Just the way it happens. Lee Co was up for a few years from 05-06 to 08-09. Now they are back down.
This is the situation for most eastern ky basketball teams. They better enjoy there good years cause it usually means thereare a few lean years to follow
Players will not play. Their coach is the head coach at the high school and the middle school; he is the high school assistant principal. Coach Perry is a good coach, but what are his priorities right now. Not the high school, they have lost like 17 in a row. His son is a 7th grader and is starting on the middle school and the high school varsity. People I talk with in that region say that palyers at the high school say he consentrates too much on the middle school program and doesn't work like he did with the high school program. He used to have his players condition and lift weights in the off season. Not any more. Most people in the community say the fire is gone after he won the region a few years back. Sad.
Blackwater he also works with K-6th grade too..He can't get the High School players to come work in the summer, only middle school guys show up. You can't fix lazy. There is no coach in this state that works as hard as Coach Perry. Trust me the fire is still there!!!!!
If he's the Morgan County HIGH SCHOOL basketball coach, then why is he coaching anything else but HIGH SCHOOL? Hire a couple middle school coaches and if there are some middle school guys you think are good enough to play varsity, then play them up. But don't try to split time between the middle school and high school just because your son is in 7th grade.
He's trying to start @ the Middle School level so guys will be ready for High School level. He isn't splitting time, Instead of going home after High School practice he stays and does Middle School. Something like 6 hrs total on Sundays. His son is good enough to forget about Middle School. Like i said he works with grades K-6th his son isn't in that grade. He's working his *** off to get Morgan back on top, just can't get these High School guys to work during the off season. :dontthink
My memory of AAU games over the years tells me that they should have some pretty good juniors (or thereabout) in the system, if they are still playing.
First of all there is no reason a kid should not be ale to play both middle school and high school, if the player is good enough. Jordan is. Second, the problem Coach Perry is having is lack of interest in the County. Their own Board Members want them to be a football school. Matthew has one of the best summer camps in Eastern Kentucky, but for the past three years the majority of kids at the camp have been from Magoffin County and even some for Johnson County, I know this for fact because I have been there. I don't know why and it is ashame. As I stated earlier it is one of the best camps I have seen and the kids love it. So, don't blame the coach for lack of interest sometimes a coach simply has to work with what he has. Also, if you had played Morgan Middle School in the past 5 years you would know why Coach Perry felt the need to step in and take over.
How can a program go from an elite team/program in the region to a record of 2-18 with the same head coach? Your successful high school coahes, in any sport, will continue year in and year out building a program. They may be down for a year of two, but will get back to the top. When is the last time Morgan has been in the regional tournament? I agree that the coach is a good coach and works hard. However, why has the progam slipped to back to the level it was before he took over? I believe this is a legit question that needs to be answered. As far as the BOE supporting FB; I checked the KHSAA wedsite and that program isn't doing much better. I don't believe FB is hurting BB.
I agree football is not doing any better. However, that was just an observation based on one statement. However, I know fro first hand experience kids are not coming out to play from grade school level and up there. I don't know why. Hope the trend changes for them, however if you look at several Eastern Kentucky Teams their JV is made up of primarily the middle school players. I guess it is a trend, but a bad trend.
If you talk to most people in Morgan County they would tell you that the number of athletes in the high school compared to years past is limited. You could probably count all of them on one hand. However, I agree it is disappointing to have a record of 2-19, but it could be worse, 0-21. The team is extremely young and have experienced a number of setbacks. The team lost a significant Senior contributor to an ACL injury. However, the team has taken it in stride and continued to work. Hopefully, the team will use this season as a motivating factor to work harder & commit themselves to improving to prevent this from happening again.
Talked to Perry a couple of times...strange cat.
I saw Morgan play West Carter a few weeks back when in the Ashland area. There is a reason they are 2-19. How do I put this. The team that took the floor that night had very little talent and I would say there wasn't a true "athlete" in the group. Their best player was the 7th grade starting point guard, and I was actually fairly impressed by him considering his youth and the talent level they were playing against. Hey, sometimes a school just cannot field a team that can compete, thats just a point of fact. With what I saw, Morgan County would have trouble beating almost anybody. Thats not a slap in the face to the kids or the coach, it's just how it is ths year. And believe me, I know all about that as I have experienced the very same situation personally. It's rough, and I feel for the coach and the players. But what makes winners in the long run is perserverance and not whats on the scoreboard. If they continue to work hard and do the best that they can do, then they can hold their heads high knowing they didn't give up and gave it their all. Thats a winner in my book.
Amoeba Wrote:He's trying to start @ the Middle School level so guys will be ready for High School level. He isn't splitting time, Instead of going home after High School practice he stays and does Middle School. Something like 6 hrs total on Sundays. His son is good enough to forget about Middle School. Like i said he works with grades K-6th his son isn't in that grade. He's working his butt off to get Morgan back on top, just can't get these High School guys to work during the off season. :dontthink
Agree with you. My sister's grandson is in the K group. She told me Matthew was working with them. You won't find anyone that will work harder with all age groups that Matthew Perry. He is building for the future of the Morgan Co program....give it a few years and you will see results.
Let's look at data. In today's society production is measured by results. Athletic teams and programs are also measured by results. I looked at the KHSAA web site. Beginning with the 2006-2007 season Morgan County has a record of 40-78 and no trips to the regional tournament. Looks like it already has been a few years. Is everyone in agreement that there has been no talent for almost five seasons?
kai Wrote:I agree football is not doing any better. However, that was just an observation based on one statement. However, I know fro first hand experience kids are not coming out to play from grade school level and up there. I don't know why. Hope the trend changes for them, however if you look at several Eastern Kentucky Teams their JV is made up of primarily the middle school players. I guess it is a trend, but a bad trend.
X-box, Playstation, Wii ?
The coach has to make the program attractive to the students. Develop positive relationships with the student athlete. Look around. There are programs that have plenty of kids playing. Then you have programs that don't. The one's that have the numbers are winning on a contistant basis. If you ask the parents and kids of those successful programs they will tell you that the coach makes it competitive and fun. The coach has a caring relationship with his athletes. Sets high expectattions and celebrate those accomplishments. SPEND all of their time trying to build one team one program. Ask around.
Blackwater Wrote:The coach has to make the program attractive to the students. Develop positive relationships with the student athlete. Look around. There are programs that have plenty of kids playing. Then you have programs that don't. The one's that have the numbers are winning on a contistant basis. If you ask the parents and kids of those successful programs they will tell you that the coach makes it competitive and fun. The coach has a caring relationship with his athletes. Sets high expectattions and celebrate those accomplishments. SPEND all of their time trying to build one team one program. Ask around.
Hmm, you just described the Mathew Perry that I remember.
Hey backwater, what you suggesting be done. You appear to have negative feelings toward Coach Perry. I can't wait to here your thoughts.
I'm not suggesting anything. That will be left up to the people in Morgan County. I know they have not accepted this type of performance in the past with their basketball program. I'm not being negative. Just stating facts. I believe that a coach should concentrate all his/her time on one team. Like I said in an earlier post. He is a good coach, but how can it be in the best interest of the kids and program if a coach is coaching K-5, middel school, high school, and an AAU team. Shouldn't the record the last few years tell everyone that he is spreading his priorities too thin? Is the focus on the high school......middle school......K-5........or the AAU team?
Blackwater Wrote:I'm not suggesting anything. That will be left up to the people in Morgan County. I know they have not accepted this type of performance in the past with their basketball program. I'm not being negative. Just stating facts. I believe that a coach should concentrate all his/her time on one team. Like I said in an earlier post. He is a good coach, but how can it be in the best interest of the kids and program if a coach is coaching K-5, middel school, high school, and an AAU team. Shouldn't the record the last few years tell everyone that he is spreading his priorities too thin? Is the focus on the high school......middle school......K-5........or the AAU team?
That's exactly what I was thinking.
Saw them last night...shew! That team could get beat by 60 every night if coaches wanted to. As far as the PG goes, he looked to be a nice 7th grader, but thats what he is...a 7th grader and in no way is ready for high school basketball. In his defense, unless your name is Mayo, very few are. Saw Perry call two TO's last night...spent the entire timeout coaching his son both times.
I personally played for coach perry. He's one of the best there is. He is very devoted, i've never seen anyone spend as much time as he does in the gym working with kids. He also scouts every team he plays and knows them inside and out. Theres only so much a coach can do. Only so much blame can be put on a coach, he does the best he can with the talent he has. If only he had some players as devoted as he. There are a few who are devoted but it takes more than just two or three kids to want it if there gonna be competitive. As far as the pg, he is an amazing ball handler and he knows how to play the game, but with that being said he is still just a 7th grader. Give him a few years and he'll be at the top of the region.
BLACKWATER, i played ball for the cougars starting with the 06 season. in my senior season of 09' we took elliot to the wire. Actually we had the lead deep into the fourth, and u say we haven't had talent for 5 years. We were 16 and 9 and shoulda been more like 21 and 4. we lost 5 games by a combined 16 points.My name is Jerred Smith and to again negate your comment about "no talent" i was recruited by 3 teams in the past year, one being Pikeville College. ive gotten better since ive graduated but for the most part the talent was still there.
Blackwater Wrote:I'm not suggesting anything. That will be left up to the people in Morgan County. I know they have not accepted this type of performance in the past with their basketball program. I'm not being negative. Just stating facts. I believe that a coach should concentrate all his/her time on one team. Like I said in an earlier post. He is a good coach, but how can it be in the best interest of the kids and program if a coach is coaching K-5, middel school, high school, and an AAU team. Shouldn't the record the last few years tell everyone that he is spreading his priorities too thin? Is the focus on the high school......middle school......K-5........or the AAU team?
I chatted with lots of folks from Morgan and they all understand that there guys are young and not much talent. High School i believe practices 6 days a week, around 2.5 to 3 hrs a day. How could you give anymore time.
I'm trying to figure out why you are so concerned Mr. Blackwater...on your previous post about Morgan County it has been nothing but negitive except, you stating that Chris Trusty would make a good Coach for Rowan. :wink: