Bluegrassrivals

After the 2014 season Somerset will not play Pulaski or Southwestern in Football. Go to http://www.somerset-kentucky.com to read article.

What's everyone's take on this !!!!!!!

The Ray Correll Bowl was for the 3 schools.
Don Marshal Bowl is just a bowl for the 2 county schools.
I don't blame Somerset for not playing but for the other schools to refuse to play in Correll Bowl is silly, it's an older bowl and better for fans since it's the first of year and warm.

I agree since the 2 county schools were taking a payday of 12-15 thousand dollars away every year. OH well their loss. It does not hurt Somerset one bit. They will still be a power in 2A every year.

The Don Marshall Bowl was not just for the county schools, the point was to allow all 3 schools the opportunity to play the local teams at their home place.

Cellking Wrote:I agree since the 2 county schools were taking a payday of 12-15 thousand dollars away every year. OH well their loss. It does not hurt Somerset one bit. They will still be a power in 2A every year.

The county schools were the ones filling the stands. So I guess we shall see where the real loss lies.

After the stoppage of the enrollment contract between somerset and Pulaski county schools I'm glad to see this happen. Cut ties.

From a football standpoint playing PC and SWHS doesn't help a 2a team, and to often both county schools have used the Shs game as a measuring stick or early season validity, last year was the exception, and probably will be for 2 more years at Pulaski as they are very good right now. People are going to see this move as Somerset dodging opponents but this is not the case, they'll continue (as they always have in the Lucas era) play a challenging schedule. Somerset needs to play good competition 1-3a not PC and SWHS year in and year out for 1/3 of their Pre-district schedule. This is a good move.

JumperPride1 Wrote:After the stoppage of the enrollment contract between somerset and Pulaski county schools I'm glad to see this happen. Cut ties.

From a football standpoint playing PC and SWHS doesn't help a 2a team, and to often both county schools have used the Shs game as a measuring stick or early season validity, last year was the exception, and probably will be for 2 more years at Pulaski as they are very good right now. People are going to see this move as Somerset dodging opponents but this is not the case, they'll continue (as they always have in the Lucas era) play a challenging schedule. Somerset needs to play good competition 1-3a not PC and SWHS year in and year out for 1/3 of their Pre-district schedule. This is a good move.

How much has this hurt Somerset in getting talent from Pulaski and SW?
It seems over the past decade, every year, Pulaski seems to be improving, while Somerset seems to be falling on harder times.

RunItUpTheGut Wrote:How much has this hurt Somerset in getting talent from Pulaski and SW?
It seems over the past decade, every year, Pulaski seems to be improving, while Somerset seems to be falling on harder times.

It might over time, but I disagree on somerset falling on hard times the past decade. Somerset has undoubtedly had the better decade than either. A state finals appearance and 7 regional titles in a 10 year period.

If you're referring to the fiscal situation at SHS I cannot speak to that, I just don't know, but football wise they've been very good for a long time now. Comparing the current Pulaski teams to the current Somerse team is a little ridiculous. PC had the best team they've ever fielded last year, while somerset was a good 2a team. Both had a good year, that said just because Pulaski made it further than somerset by one game in the playoffs doesn't make their decade of football any better or even equal... Somerset has one of those to in recent memory (a state finals loss)

It's ok for both or even all three teams to be good independently of each other, and with the amount of talent in the area they usually are.

I think the question is.....how well will Somerset do with kids living in their own district?

Catfan09 Wrote:I think the question is.....how well will Somerset do with kids living in their own district?

I'm sure they'll be fine, Pulaski has some somerset transfers on their roster right now (Riley Hall being one) hard to begrudge a kid or family for going where they want to go. The kids that somerset has had success with the past few years haven't been "county" kids so I'm not sure what you're getting at, it definitely goes both ways in that regard. You're acting like Pulaski is the big bad wolf, and they may be, but I assure you that the SHS program will be just fine going forward. There are still plenty of good ball players in their system, albeit 2014 will be a bridge year.

Looking in from the outside: It looks like a case of let's punish SHS for being good. 1st force them to play in both bowl games, making them play both 5A schools each year. 2nd Stop the Student exchange program that has been in place for many years. I don't blame Somerset for pulling out, The Jumpers will be just fine without the County Schools.

So it's ok to play those 5A schools on Somerset's field but it's punishment for them to drive across town and play at the county school? As far as Riley, I believe he has always lived in the county school district and has been enrolled there since 6th grade. Furthermore, my statement was just to clarify the question from an earlier post that someone made, it wasn't to imply that Somerset could not have success. Someone had asked how the contract situation would affect their athletic program and it appeared by the reply the question was misinterpreted.

Catfan09 Wrote:So it's ok to play those 5A schools on Somerset's field but it's punishment for them to drive across town and play at the county school? As far as Riley, I believe he has always lived in the county school district and has been enrolled there since 6th grade. Furthermore, my statement was just to clarify the question from an earlier post that someone made, it wasn't to imply that Somerset could not have success. Someone had asked how the contract situation would affect their athletic program and it appeared by the reply the question was misinterpreted.

No, it's not the case that its "ok" to only play them at somerset and not at the other schools. Somerset has the largest venue capacity so it made sense when the RCB was established years ago. Somerset has no business playing them whether it be at pc, swhs or shs.

Mayfield plays the big schools around them.
Newport catholic too and both make great runs in playoffs. I'm sure there are several other examples of lower class powerhouses that play bigger schools and have success. As a neighbor to pulaski, I always follow these matchups. I hate to see them end for whatever reason, but I can't buy the fact that it's for the best and somerset has no business playing these games.

These kids never get to compete against each other in football. They already won't play at the ms level and now high school.

Cardfan1 Wrote:Mayfield plays the big schools around them.
Newport catholic too and both make great runs in playoffs. I'm sure there are several other examples of lower class powerhouses that play bigger schools and have success. As a neighbor to pulaski, I always follow these matchups. I hate to see them end for whatever reason, but I can't buy the fact that it's for the best and somerset has no business playing these games.

These kids never get to compete against each other in football. They already won't play at the ms level and now high school.

I don't think Somerset has any interest in doing business with a faction that is attempting to slit the proverbial throat of their school system. The comment by a Pulaski board member when asked by the commonwealth journal regarding the enrollment situation: "Somerset needs to learn how to stand on their own two feet" is telling enough as to the respect or care PC school district has for somerset schools. Looks like it's bleeding over to athletics, and maybe that's to be expected.

Sad to see this end. Regardless of class, on any given year no matter whose playing you expect a close game if for no other reason due to the rivalry

I just don't understand the logic of just playing schools that are relative to your class. Rivalry games are special and excitement for the fans and the players.

Truly don't see the benefits outweighing the harm when it's all said and done.

This issue has very little to do with athletics in the grand scheme of things. From the outside looking in, it would seem that the County is trying to shut Somerset Independent Schools down. As far as the sports side of it goes, if you ask me, the county schools had it way too good with just being in the Correll Bowl as is. They took home a huge portion of the gate (bigger than any other school would offer to come to their bowl) and all they had to do was show up. Either way, what this comes down to is the politics between the schools bleeding over into athletics. If they can work it out, great. If not, I won't lose sleep over it.

Doesn't Somerset just have to "show up" & collect a big paycheck from the Don Marshall Bowl? Let's not all pretend Somerset was offering a handout to the county schools in the RCB. All 3 made $$. What's the big deal if PC & SW host a bowl game while SHS hosts its own bowl game? Could be a good thing for all involved.
When did it become the responsibility of the Pulaski County School System to make sure Somerset Schools stayed open? Maybe it is time for Somerset to learn to stand on its own 2 feet.

Forever Maroon Wrote:Doesn't Somerset just have to "show up" & collect a big paycheck from the Don Marshall Bowl? Let's not all pretend Somerset was offering a handout to the county schools in the RCB. All 3 made $$. What's the big deal if PC & SW host a bowl game while SHS hosts its own bowl game? Could be a good thing for all involved.
When did it become the responsibility of the Pulaski County School System to make sure Somerset Schools stayed open? Maybe it is time for Somerset to learn to stand on its own 2 feet.

Your attitude and the attitude of people like you is the reason they are not playing. I'm sure Somerset will be just fine without the County Schools.:igiveup::igiveup::igiveup:

What about my attitude? Been seeing on here for years about the county schools should be lucky to just show up & get a check. Shs has been offered the same and has decided to turn it down. With shs bowing out of the Don Marshall Bowl, what's wrong with county schools dropping the Correll Bowl? Think people are going to find out shs needs the county a lot more than the county needs shs. Not an attitude, just my observation

Hate to see these games go by the wayside.

People need to stop thinking about this in terms of athletics. I can assure you if Somerset Independent Schools were to close its doors it would have a negative impact on the entire community, which is why I simply don't understand the "Somerset needs to learn to stand on its own two feet" argument. Seems more like sour grapes than sense to me. Other communities throughout the state do not seem to have these issues between their County and Independent school districts.

Cellking Wrote:Looking in from the outside: It looks like a case of let's punish SHS for being good. 1st force them to play in both bowl games, making them play both 5A schools each year. 2nd Stop the Student exchange program that has been in place for many years. I don't blame Somerset for pulling out, The Jumpers will be just fine without the County Schools.

Did I read the article wrong? Wasn't it Somerset's decision to pull out of the Don Marshall Bowl?

RoShamBo Wrote:People need to stop thinking about this in terms of athletics. I can assure you if Somerset Independent Schools were to close its doors it would have a negative impact on the entire community, which is why I simply don't understand the "Somerset needs to learn to stand on its own two feet" argument. Seems more like sour grapes than sense to me. Other communities throughout the state do not seem to have these issues between their County and Independent school districts.

This has become a huge issue throughout the state between county and independent school districts. It mostly is due to economics and SEEK money following students that live in one school district and go to school in another. Students can go to school where ever they want, but the SEEK money may not be following them any more.

^
That's why schools use to make students pay tuition if they lived outside the school district that they attended.

Thunder Lips Wrote:This has become a huge issue throughout the state between county and independent school districts. It mostly is due to economics and SEEK money following students that live in one school district and go to school in another. Students can go to school where ever they want, but the SEEK money may not be following them any more.

Exactly, ThunderLips. The entire issue stems from issues of money and contemporary demographics. In this era, America is aging, birth rates are declining and predictably, school systems (particularly rural ones) increasingly find themselves "competing" for the "market dollar" assigned to each child in a decreasing pool. Thus, for those who consider the government's education and development of our youth a "business," Pulaski's recent decisions regarding the reciprocal contract with Somerset make perfect sense.

In other words, if "Pulaski County Schools" indeed considers itself a business, they currently face only two (2) options: 1) They may simply adjust/reduce their "overhead" to align with their "market share" and keep on truckin'. Or 2) they may endeavor to improve/upgrade their services to attract more (or lose fewer) "customers" to the Somerset system. But of course, self-improvement is always the more challenging option of the two, so naturally, the Pulaski system has instead initiated base "aggression" toward "the competition" in lieu of the former. Alas, "self-awareness" and "self-improvement" tragically remain alien to the less-evolved.

So at least within the present context, Pulaski's "leaders" predictably are attempting to eliminate the market's "competition" for students; they're seeking to "monopolize" the market by disallowing school choice for all families in their district. Though of course, their new contract proposals still allow them to accept any/all students living within other district boundaries (i.e., one-way reciprocation--an oxymoron). Apparently, that's the Pulaski definition of "standing on one's own feet".

But okay, back to football. In the grand scheme, this is a non-issue. As someone else in the thread has already stated, all three teams in Pulaski County can (and should) succeed regularly. And guess what? None of them must do so at the expense of the others. Football is a uniquely challenging and beneficial game that (kept in the proper perspective) can enable all of its participants to develop/evolve into tough, resilient and dependable human beings. And guess what? The game indeed does that for kids, no matter whom they line up against.

Perspective, people. Perspective.

From an outsider looking in I would think that this is a good move for Somerset. Pulaski is a 5A power, but I do think playing SW wouldn't be as tough. Somerset is a solid team in their own right, but I don't like it when local teams that are good don't play each other, but if it makes sense for Somerset then it doesn't really matter.

It like buying a car. Somerset had the choice to keep the Ferrari or to trade it in and get a Civic. They decided to trade for a Civic. There's nothing wrong with Civics as they still get you from point A to point B, but it's no Ferrari. Will they lose money? Yes. Will it be enough to make that much of a difference? I don't think so, but we shall see.

Somerset is the kind of school that when they win, they beat their chest and they're the "team of the town." However, when they lose, they're "just a 2A school playing a 5A school and we're supposed to lose."