[Waitaminute]

Pikeville is a well oiled Machine at this moment. I believe the 4th straight Running clock since starting the Season off with two very close loses. Once they figured out the Offense and started to tweak and add to it, oh boy things became evident that Pikeville is one of the top 10 teams in the State regardless of class maybe top 5 overall. My prediction is and it's no stretch to anyone's imagination is that they continue to put 3 more Running clocks on the teams remaining on the Regular Season schedule and then 4 more in the Playoffs. That would make for 11 Running clocks to finish the season after starting 0-2. Pikeville is about to start a Dynasty run. I'm saying a 5-8 stretch of Winning State Titles dating back to last Season. I just don't see them slowing down with the talent they have coming up from the middle school program and depth they already have on the roster. Hail Pikeville !!!!

Pikeville is not top and in no world are they top 5. Easy on the koolaid.

[TheStickyBandit]

Pikeville is a well oiled Machine at this moment. I believe the 4th straight Running clock since starting the Season off with two very close loses. Once they figured out the Offense and started to tweak and add to it, oh boy things became evident that Pikeville is one of the top 10 teams in the State regardless of class maybe top 5 overall. My prediction is and it's no stretch to anyone's imagination is that they continue to put 3 more Running clocks on the teams remaining on the Regular Season schedule and then 4 more in the Playoffs. That would make for 11 Running clocks to finish the season after starting 0-2. Pikeville is about to start a Dynasty run. I'm saying a 5-8 stretch of Winning State Titles dating back to last Season. I just don't see them slowing down with the talent they have coming up from the middle school program and depth they already have on the roster. Hail Pikeville !!!!

Trinity
St. X
Bowling Green
CAL
Boyle
Corbin
Simon Kenton (When Healthy)
Cov Cath 
Woodford 
Frederick Douglas


There ya go…. There’s 10 teams in no particular order that are better than Pikeville and I obviously left some off because I didn’t want to make a longer list. 

Pikeville is good and for a 1a team they are really good. But they aren’t top ten in the state. I hope you were just excited about a good win and you do not actually believe Pikeville is top 10 and definitely not top 5.

[Micro-Brew]

Yeah let’s tap the brakes a bit on this top 10 talk. I’m still not sure if it’s a little fools gold at this point. Maybe Belfry, LCA and Madison Central are all just very mediocre. It was a solid win Friday night and the offense is progressing nicely. There’s still tons of work to be done, but the trajectory is on the correct path. Day by day, we get better and better until…….

[Waitaminute]

1A is for sure Pikeville's to lose.

[Truewords]

Pikeville only has one team that has a chance to beat them and that is Pikeville. They play consistently like they have last 3 games and no one left they face will touch them. They get complacent and believe the hype as they say and overlook a Hazard or Raceland and you might see an upset. If not it’s back to back State Championships for them

[Warriorhawk17]

From what I have seen

---

From what I have seen from pikeville this season. When they decided who was going to be QB they took off. They have a bunch of good skilled players, good defense and well coached. They have put a running clock on 4 different opponents this season. I think they will run the table with another class A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. RACELAND & HAZARD BETTER WATCH WHAT YHEY ASK FOR. THEY ALSO VERY WELL COULD GET A RUNNING CLOCK. PIKEVILLE COULD BEAT ANY CLASS A, 2A & 3A TEAM. WOULD LOVE TO SEE A PIKEVILLE VS. BOYLE COUNTY MATCHUP. WHICH I THINK ARE THE 2 BEST H8GH SCHOOL TEAMS IN KENTUCKY AND THATS COUNTING ALL CLASSES. GO 0ANTHERS.

[Waitaminute]

From what I have seen

---

From what I have seen from pikeville this season. When they decided who was going to be QB they took off. They have a bunch of good skilled players, good defense and well coached. They have put a running clock on 4 different opponents  this season. I think they will run the table with another class A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. RACELAND & HAZARD BETTER WATCH WHAT YHEY ASK FOR. THEY ALSO VERY WELL COULD GET A RUNNING CLOCK. PIKEVILLE COULD BEAT ANY CLASS A, 2A & 3A TEAM. WOULD LOVE TO SEE A PIKEVILLE VS. BOYLE COUNTY MATCHUP. WHICH I THINK ARE THE 2 BEST H8GH SCHOOL TEAMS IN KENTUCKY AND THATS COUNTING ALL CLASSES. GO 0ANTHERS.

You should come up to Louisville and watch some football. Your opinion would change.

[Hoot Gibson]

From what I have seen

---

From what I have seen from pikeville this season. When they decided who was going to be QB they took off. They have a bunch of good skilled players, good defense and well coached. They have put a running clock on 4 different opponents  this season. I think they will run the table with another class A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. RACELAND & HAZARD BETTER WATCH WHAT YHEY ASK FOR. THEY ALSO VERY WELL COULD GET A RUNNING CLOCK. PIKEVILLE COULD BEAT ANY CLASS A, 2A & 3A TEAM. WOULD LOVE TO SEE A PIKEVILLE VS. BOYLE COUNTY MATCHUP. WHICH I THINK ARE THE 2 BEST H8GH SCHOOL TEAMS IN KENTUCKY AND THATS COUNTING ALL CLASSES. GO 0ANTHERS.

Boyle County would crush Pikeville and Boyle County is not close to being the best team in Kentucky. No disrespect to Pikeville or Boyle County, but when Trinity and Saint X are healthy, it is unlikely that any team, aside from Male, Manual, and Ballard could manage to upset them this season. The only cupcake on Trinity's schedule is Eastern, which is a district game. It just sounds silly when anybody claims that their favorite non-6A team is the top team in the state. Occasionally, a team from a lower classification could knock off one of the top programs, but it has been extremely rare when the best team in Kentucky has not been the 6A state champ and this year will be no different.

[Shogun]

From what I have seen

---

From what I have seen from pikeville this season. When they decided who was going to be QB they took off. They have a bunch of good skilled players, good defense and well coached. They have put a running clock on 4 different opponents  this season. I think they will run the table with another class A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. RACELAND & HAZARD BETTER WATCH WHAT YHEY ASK FOR. THEY ALSO VERY WELL COULD GET A RUNNING CLOCK. PIKEVILLE COULD BEAT ANY CLASS A, 2A & 3A TEAM. WOULD LOVE TO SEE A PIKEVILLE VS. BOYLE COUNTY MATCHUP. WHICH I THINK ARE THE 2 BEST H8GH SCHOOL TEAMS IN KENTUCKY AND THATS COUNTING ALL CLASSES. GO 0ANTHERS.

Surely this is a troll attempt. If not, that's going out on a pretty big limb to say that a team that's already lost two games to in-state opponents is one of the top 2 teams overall in the state. Hell, saying Boyle County is the best team in the state is a pretty big stretch right now.

[jetpilot]

Boyle County #4 overall in KY, Pikeville #14 overall

CALPREPS.COM
Your source for high school football scores, standings & rankings



PROJECT A MATCHUP


neutral field
[2022] Boyle County (Danville, KY) 31, [2022] Pikeville (KY) 28

[jetpilot]

For all the Pikeville haters, Pikeville is a totally different animal than the first two games before they decided where to put Duty and Boykins and started distributing the ball to all their weapons. Now Carson Wright who was all-world RB before he was injured the last 2 years got his first carry of the year vs Madison Central and took it 74 yards for a TD. So I'm sorry, not buying Pikeville getting crushed by anyone in any class.

[Hoot Gibson]

For all the Pikeville haters, Pikeville is a totally different animal than the first two games before they decided where to put Duty and Boykins and started distributing the ball to all their weapons. Now Carson Wright who was all-world RB before he was injured the last 2 years got his first carry of the year vs Madison Central and took it 74 yards for a TD. So I'm sorry, not buying Pikeville getting crushed by anyone in any class.

I'm not a Pikeville hater but you are delusional if you think that Pikeville is capable of competing against Trinity and Saint X. Pikeville does look much better playing weak teams than it did playing Covington Catholic and Corbin - but Covington Catholic and Corbin would get crushed playing Trinity or Saint X too. They are bigger, faster, and deeper than Pikeville and any other team in the state. 

Every good team fiddles with their lineup in scrimmages and early non-district games and every good team improves as the season progresses. Pikeville is a very good team but they are not the only gooid team in the state. Pikeville would get hammered playing a 6A schedule, they would get hammered playing Trinity or Saint X this season, and there would be no shame in a very good 1A team getting hammered by Trinity of Saint X. If Pikeville wants to compete on an equal footing with the best big school teams in the state, then the city needs to get busy annexing surrounding communities and figure out how to absorb a few nearby school districts.

Pikeville is not a top 10 team in all classes. Pikeville was not as good as Corbin or Covington Catholic when they played them, they are not as good as either of those teams now, and they will not be as good as either team when Pikeville wins the 1A state title - assuming that Pikeville avoids getting upset by Hazard or Raceland.

[jetpilot]

Pikeville didn't "fiddle with" their lineup. They literally didn't know where key players were going to play. Like I said, they are a completely different animal now that their offense is set and they are distributing the ball around. We will agree to disagree. I strongly disagree with all of your opinions on this Pikeville team. Good luck to JC the rest of the year.

[Hoot Gibson]

Pikeville didn't "fiddle with" their lineup. They literally didn't know where key players were going to play. Like I said, they are a completely different animal now that their offense is set and they are distributing the ball around. We will agree to disagree. I strongly disagree with all of your opinions on this Pikeville team. Good luck to JC the rest of the year.

Pikeville is still a 1A football team that relies too much on 2 players to compete against the top teams in the state, which have faster, bigger, and deeper teams. If Boykins or Birchfield are injured before or during the playoffs, Pikeville would be lucky to win the 1A title again. That is not a knock on Pikeville, it is what separates top 1A teams from top 4A, 5A, and 6A teams. Remember where you heard that first - the same place that you heard Madison Central was a vastly overrated 6A team that Pikeville would handle with ease. Pikeville may put a running clock on every team remaining on its schedule and every team that it meets in the playoffs, but that will not make them a top 10 team in all classes. I love seeing mountain teams bringing as much hardware as possible to eastern Kentucky but let's keep the expectations of our teams real.

[jetpilot]

"Keep expectations real" is a Washington DC term that I reject out of hand. High expectations is what makes programs great. Pikeville is ranked 14th overall and will probably be higher than that in Cantrall's ratings tomorrow. And getting better every week. They can play with anybody. And if you think they depend too much on 2 players you are way off base. They are loaded and deep, especially at the skill positions. Could they get upset? Sure, but so can everyone else. Not arguing with you, you don't have any facts on your side. Your argument that big schools should dominate small schools, while good in theory and usually works in practice, is continually and constantly being debunked by the great small school programs year in and year out.

[Hoot Gibson]

"Keep expectations real" is a Washington DC term that I reject out of hand. High expectations is what makes programs great. Pikeville is ranked 14th overall and will probably be higher than that in Cantrall's ratings tomorrow. And getting better every week. They can play with anybody. And if you think they depend too much on 2 players you are way off base. They are loaded and deep, especially at the skill positions. Could they get upset? Sure, but so can everyone else. Not arguing with you, you don't have any facts on your side. Your argument that big schools should dominate small schools, while good in theory and usually works in practice, is continually and constantly being debunked by the great small school programs year in and year out.

If Pikeville was loaded in every position, then they should be using those players in critical situations. Pikeville has lost to a 4A school and to a 5A school, neither of which is considered the favorite to with their own class. Your claim that Pikeville is now better than Corbin or Covington Catholic because Pikeville is a "different animal" because they made a lineup change and have beaten weaker teams since the change is absurd. If somebody else from another school were making the same claim in another year, then you would be among the first to ridicule them for such wild statements.

Football teams do not develop in a vacuum. Maybe the Pikeville team that enters the playoffs could beat some of the top teams from the bigger classes that opened the season but every good team improves during the season, barring an avalanche of injuries.

Look at Pikeville's stats for the season and try to be objective. Do those stats look like Pikeville has great depth at the skill positions to you, an objective observer? Now take a look at the stats for Boyle County, Trinity, and Saint X. Now, ask your objective self which of those teams appear to have the most depth in the skill positions and which, if any, of those teams are not deeper than Pikeville?

Maybe by the end of the season, you will return to reality, but I expect that you will be ranking the 1A state champ near the top of the list of all state champions without acknowledging the obvious differences in relative strengths of schedule.

BTW, there is a precedent for a team winning all of its playoff games with a running clock, capped by a 48-0 shutout in the title game. Johnson Central was one, if not the only team that pulled off that feat, but even our most enthusiastic fans would argue that the Golden Eagles were better than the 6A champions that season - and that would have been a jump of only two classes. Nor do I recall any Belfry fans making that claim the same year, after Belfry ran the table.

[Patriot1]

Here we have a perfect match arguing an point that is not factual at all but more of a regional outlook. 1 thinks his team is the best in the region and the other does also. Do I think Pikeville can compete with the top 6A schools which are 3 or 4 teams in the state no but if you Hoot can’t see the way bigger difference in Pikeville now as to then you are not responding with reality but be confrontational. Yes teams (or most of them) improve as the season goes on barring any injuries. Yes some posters in the years of Belfry’s 4 peat they compared them to a top 6A school and that’s a fact because it was on rivals then and the same argument came up. Pikeville has a good team are they a 2 person team like you said no but sometimes we think that because of the plays that are run and the development of who each team is as the season goes on we get that assumption and those 2 you mentioned are very good players and it would hurt if Pikeville lost 1 or both of them but not to the level to were they couldn’t win a 1A state championship now I am not saying they will win because I think and know that there are teams in 1A that can knock them out of they playoffs (2020). Alls good though it’s called a forum so people can voice their opinions so i do believe in freedom of speech and people have rights to think how they want and I remember win gas has reasonable and wish was again but as always GO PANTHERS!!!

[Hoot Gibson]

Here we have a perfect match arguing an point that is not factual at all but more of a regional outlook. 1 thinks his team is the best in the region and the other does also. Do I think Pikeville can compete with the top 6A schools which are 3 or 4 teams in the state no but if you Hoot can’t see the way bigger difference in Pikeville now as to then you are not responding with reality but be confrontational. Yes teams (or most of them) improve as the season goes on barring any injuries. Yes some posters in the years of Belfry’s 4 peat they compared them to a top 6A school and that’s a fact because it was on rivals then and the same argument came up. Pikeville has a good team are they a 2 person team like you said no but sometimes we think that because of the plays that are run and the development of who each team is as the season goes on we get that assumption and those 2 you mentioned are very good players and it would hurt if Pikeville lost 1 or both of them but not to the level to were they couldn’t win a 1A state championship now I am not saying they will win because I think and know that there are teams in 1A that can knock them out of they playoffs (2020). Alls good though it’s called a forum so people can voice their opinions so i do believe in freedom of speech and people have rights to think how they want and I remember win gas has reasonable and wish was again but as always GO PANTHERS!!!

I have never disputed that Pikeville has improved since the beginning of the season. Nor have I claimed that Johnson Central is better than North Laurel now because they have adjusted their lineup to offset the loss of a 140+ yards/game running back. Injuries are part of the game and any well coached team makes adjustments during the season. Unfortunately, adjustments that teams make after games do not magically turn past losses into wins. You just have to accept losses and stay focused on the next game on the schedule. A Pikeville fan(s) claiming that Pikeville is better than Corbin and Covington Catholic, despite Pikeville's losses to both teams is what former UK football coach, Jerry Claiborne, called "the old iffin' game." (If Pikeville had figured out their offense sooner, then they would have won those games.) 

I predicted that Johnson Central would lead 4A in rushing yardage and they are leading all classes in rushing yardage, and as I predicted several running backs have shown that they are capable of rushing for 150 yards a game or more. At least four different running backs have broken the 150 yard mark and freshman Logan Music is capable of doing so, if he were getting more carries. IMO, the only reason that JC might not average 500+ yards per game for the rest of the regular season will be early running clocks. Yet, Mr. Jet claims that Johnson Central would have to "improve a lot" to beat Pikeville.

Johnson Central has a pretty good record of rebuilding offensive lines and their current team has the best and deepest stable of running backs in school history. Anybody who believes that Pikeville would contain Johnson Central's offense is not thinking clearly. Can I prove that Johnson Central's running attack would shred Pikeville's defense? No, because the teams will not be playing this season and they will probably not be playing in the future either.

[Patriot1]

Mr Jet is hard core Pikeville fan and like I said before he has his opinion like you do and never did I say Pikeville would have won those games earlier if they had of made those changes before. My point was and still is they are a lot better with the changes and in your remarks you insinuated that Pikeville was only a 2 man team like as you stated again Johnson Central have 4 or 5 good backs and that makes them a more competent team and I agree they have some really good backs and really Pikeville has 3 more backs they would be very effective if used and 2 of those are sophomores and as Johnson Central as a team leads in rushing and as you put in a previous post Pikeville level of competition besides the first 2 games was pretty weak but I could say the same about Johnson Central but I understand some times a team has to schedule who they can get to play them other than district games. I am not saying Pikeville is better than anyone but I believe a more weapons you have in offense the better team you have now that is purely opinion but I am from Belfry and know that that offense works for them and they have hardware to prove it just as it has for Central but saying some team would beat a team bad is a opinion not fact unless it has happened but statistically it gives you a thought that’s what would happen. Now always like and agree with a lot you say but even that unless it’s a fact is still just our opinions matching no more

[Hoot Gibson]

Mr Jet is hard core Pikeville fan and like I said before he has his opinion like you do and never did I say Pikeville would have won those games earlier if they had of made those changes before. My point was and still is they are a lot better with the changes and in your remarks you insinuated that Pikeville was only a 2 man team like as you stated again Johnson Central have 4 or 5 good backs and that makes them a more competent team and I agree they have some really good backs and really Pikeville has 3 more backs they would be very effective if used and 2 of those are sophomores and as Johnson Central as a team leads in rushing and as you put in a previous post Pikeville level of competition besides the first 2 games was pretty weak but I could say the same about Johnson Central but I understand some times a team has to schedule who they can get to play them other than district games. I am not saying Pikeville is better than anyone but I believe a more weapons you have in offense the better team you have now that is purely opinion but I am from Belfry and know that that offense works for them and they have hardware to prove it just as it has for Central  but saying some team would beat a team bad is a opinion not fact unless it has happened but statistically it gives you a thought that’s what would happen. Now always like and agree with a lot you say but even that unless it’s a fact is still just our opinions matching no more

Just an opinion, but I am not the one that is expressing the opinion that my favorite team could play on equal terms with any team in the state, in any class. Some people do express some crazy opinions and that does not make those opinions as valid as any other opinion. Claiming that Pikeville has three running backs on the bench that would be very effective if they were playing is an unsupported opinion because they are not playing much. Claiming that Pikeville is better than Corbin and Covington Catholic (Jet's claim, not yours) is also an opinion that conflicts with the available evidence. In other words, not all opinions are created equally. Some are supported by facts and others are purely speculation.

I understand that Johnson Central's JV team defeated Pikeville's JV team last week at Pikeville. Is it safe to assume that some or all of the Pikeville running backs who would be effective, given more playing time for the varsity team, participated in that game? I do not know this for a fact, but I am guessing that JC freshman running back Logan Music did not play in that JV game because he is a varsity starter on defense, but I could be wrong.

[Patriot1]

That’s not true about the 3 running backs because they have done it on the field and that’s facts,true they don’t get the playing time on offense that the other running backs do because those 2 mainly play offense the other 3 which 2 are starting linebackers and the other one plays on the defensive line because Pikeville lacks players there so I have seen them at running back so just maybe you need to watch some film on Pikeville so again you made a untrue statement and I didn’t say they were better but I did say effective. Actually one ran a 60 or70 yard touchdown this past game and the other one a 40 or 50 one against LCA now you come back with your competition statement so here go on and on. One more thing before I quit replying let’s both give some of the credit to the lines on both teams for these running backs to get those yards and yes I seen them break tackles and make moves or have great vision to see the holes but those bigs up front are the important part of this stats

[Gitback Coach]

Six-class football in a state the size of KY has created six versions of “toughest guy in the phone booth.”

[Hoot Gibson]

That’s not true about the 3 running backs because they have done it on the field and that’s facts,true they don’t get the playing time on offense that the other running backs do because those 2 mainly play offense the other 3 which 2 are starting linebackers and the other one  plays on the defensive line because Pikeville lacks players there so I have seen them at running back so just maybe you need to watch some film on Pikeville so again you made a untrue statement and I didn’t say they were better but I did say effective. Actually one ran a 60 or70 yard touchdown this past game and the other one a 40 or 50 one against LCA now you come back with your competition statement so here go on and on. One more thing before I quit replying let’s both give some of the credit to the lines on both teams for these running backs to get those yards and yes I seen them break tackles and make moves or have great vision to see the holes but those bigs up front are the important part of this stats

You must mean the player that Jet described as an "All World running back." I looked back a few seasons and did not see any All World stats. I didn't make any false statements, I asked you to confirm whether my assumption about the JV team running backs was correct. My point is, it is your opinion and Jet's opinion that Pikeville is loaded with players who would be "effective" running backs but there are no real stats establishing that as a fact. So, who is presenting unsupported opinions? 

All of Johnson Central's running backs also play defense. They rotate players in the backfield to keep them fresh, which means that they have an experienced running back in reserve all the time - not players who would be "effective" if they played the position. Six JC running backs have rushed for a total of at least 100 yards this season.

Pikeville is a very good 1A team, as I have said many times. For a 1A team, they have great size and more than enough skill players to repeat as state champs if their key players stay healthy. They are not going to be competitive with "any team, in any class," unless Pike County consolidates every school district in the county and names it "Pikeville." There is a reason football teams are broken into classes based on enrollment size across the country. It seems like every season that fans from some team or another start boasting about how their team is a top 10 team in all classes, etc. This year seems to be Pikeville's turn.   

As far as replying to my posts, nobody asked you to comment on my exchange with jet. You are free to reply or not reply to any post that you want but if do not expect me not to reply in kind. So, take your ball and go home, if that is what floats your boat.

[Patriot1]

That’s not true about the 3 running backs because they have done it on the field and that’s facts,true they don’t get the playing time on offense that the other running backs do because those 2 mainly play offense the other 3 which 2 are starting linebackers and the other one  plays on the defensive line because Pikeville lacks players there so I have seen them at running back so just maybe you need to watch some film on Pikeville so again you made a untrue statement and I didn’t say they were better but I did say effective. Actually one ran a 60 or70 yard touchdown this past game and the other one a 40 or 50 one against LCA now you come back with your competition statement so here go on and on. One more thing before I quit replying let’s both give some of the credit to the lines on both teams for these running backs to get those yards and yes I seen them break tackles and make moves or have great vision to see the holes but those bigs up front are the important part of this stats

You must mean the player that Jet described as an "All World running back." I looked back a few seasons and did not see any All World stats. I didn't make any false statements, I asked you to confirm whether my assumption about the JV team running backs was correct. My point is, it is your opinion and Jet's opinion that Pikeville is loaded with players who would be "effective" running backs but there are no real stats establishing that as a fact. So, who is presenting unsupported opinions? 

All of Johnson Central's running backs also play defense. They rotate players in the backfield to keep them fresh, which means that they have an experienced running back in reserve all the time - not players who would be "effective" if they played the position. Six JC running backs have rushed for a total of at least 100 yards this season.

Pikeville is a very good 1A team, as I have said many times. For a 1A team, they have great size and more than enough skill players to repeat as state champs if their key players stay healthy. They are not going to be competitive with "any team, in any class," unless Pike County consolidates every school district in the county and names it "Pikeville." There is a reason football teams are broken into classes based on enrollment size across the country. It seems like every season that fans from some team or another start boasting about how their team is a top 10 team in all classes, etc. This year seems to be Pikeville's turn.   

As far as replying to my posts, nobody asked you to comment on my exchange with jet. You are free to reply or not reply to any post that you want but if do not expect me not to reply in kind. So, take your ball and go home, if that is what floats your boat.

I am replying back but it’s not that I am mad or anything like that I just don’t want you to think I am trying to be angry or something but the only reason I replied in the first place is because it seemed to me that you were down grading some kids on Pikevilles team which are good backs and I am not the coach of Pikeville and don’t tell who plays or don’t play but since you know everything I guess they aren’t good enough to play especially for Central but like I said before I agree with you on a lot of things but this isn’t one of them but just like on a lot of things I don’t like being confrontational just give an opinion and go on and I don’t think Pikeville is a top team in all classes in Kentucky and never said it

[Hoot Gibson]

That’s not true about the 3 running backs because they have done it on the field and that’s facts,true they don’t get the playing time on offense that the other running backs do because those 2 mainly play offense the other 3 which 2 are starting linebackers and the other one  plays on the defensive line because Pikeville lacks players there so I have seen them at running back so just maybe you need to watch some film on Pikeville so again you made a untrue statement and I didn’t say they were better but I did say effective. Actually one ran a 60 or70 yard touchdown this past game and the other one a 40 or 50 one against LCA now you come back with your competition statement so here go on and on. One more thing before I quit replying let’s both give some of the credit to the lines on both teams for these running backs to get those yards and yes I seen them break tackles and make moves or have great vision to see the holes but those bigs up front are the important part of this stats

You must mean the player that Jet described as an "All World running back." I looked back a few seasons and did not see any All World stats. I didn't make any false statements, I asked you to confirm whether my assumption about the JV team running backs was correct. My point is, it is your opinion and Jet's opinion that Pikeville is loaded with players who would be "effective" running backs but there are no real stats establishing that as a fact. So, who is presenting unsupported opinions? 

All of Johnson Central's running backs also play defense. They rotate players in the backfield to keep them fresh, which means that they have an experienced running back in reserve all the time - not players who would be "effective" if they played the position. Six JC running backs have rushed for a total of at least 100 yards this season.

Pikeville is a very good 1A team, as I have said many times. For a 1A team, they have great size and more than enough skill players to repeat as state champs if their key players stay healthy. They are not going to be competitive with "any team, in any class," unless Pike County consolidates every school district in the county and names it "Pikeville." There is a reason football teams are broken into classes based on enrollment size across the country. It seems like every season that fans from some team or another start boasting about how their team is a top 10 team in all classes, etc. This year seems to be Pikeville's turn.   

As far as replying to my posts, nobody asked you to comment on my exchange with jet. You are free to reply or not reply to any post that you want but if do not expect me not to reply in kind. So, take your ball and go home, if that is what floats your boat.

I am replying back but it’s not that I am mad or anything like that I just don’t want you to think I am trying to be angry or something but the only reason I replied in the first place is because it seemed to me that you were down grading some kids on Pikevilles team which are good backs and I am not the coach of Pikeville and don’t tell who plays or don’t play but since you know everything I guess they aren’t good enough to play especially for Central but like I said before I agree with you on a lot of things but this isn’t one of them but just like on a lot of things I don’t like being confrontational just give an opinion and go on and I don’t think Pikeville is a top team in all classes in Kentucky and never said it

Coaches make the decisions about who plays where and when. I am not criticizing the players or the staff either. Johnson Central used to rely too heavily on one or two running backs, just as I think Pikeville does. The JC program was producing some great running backs but not all of them were ready to play in crucial situations as freshmen and sophomores, so Coach Matney stuck with players who were ready to play at a high level. 

Now, I think that the middle school plays a much more challenging schedule and does a better job of getting kids ready to play when they reach high school. I am sure that Pikeville has enough athletes available to insert another player into the backfield if necessary but that is really not the same as having running backs getting reps in games when the outcome is still in doubt. When Joe Jackson was injured after JC won its first state title, I thought that his loss was a huge factor in keeping them from repeating the next season. IMO, Johnson County's football program has only recently reached the point where they have enough depth at skill positions to withstand the loss of a key player or two without a big drop-off in the skill level of their replacements. It is much easier to develop that kind of depth at a large school than a small school and I am sure that it is much easier for programs like Trinity and St. X to develop depth across the board than it has been for Johnson Central.

If more schools in Kentucky had coaching staffs like Pikeville and Johnson Central, then KHSAA would not have to resort to gimmicks like the RPI to ensure that two good teams reach the state finals and to prevent good teams in strong districts from making early exits. When I look at how bad football programs are at some schools, including some of the large Lexington and Louisville public schools, I really feel sorry for the players in those programs. They deserve much better coaching and support from school administrators. IMO, only a minority of high schools in Kentucky have adequate football coaching staffs and resources to field decent teams. For every Pikeville or Johnson Central in the state, there are at least three or four very weak , mismanaged football programs and what separates the quality of the programs has nothing to do with the natural born athleticism and potential talent of the students at those schools but everything to do with a lack of commitment by the officials making decisions in the district offices.

[Patriot1]

I agree with everything you said but let’s take a trip back to last year when LCA beat Boyle earlier in the year now would they have beat them in the end of the year that’s the question so personally I don’t think so but that’s what I was talking about with Pikeville this year and from the first of the year until now has been a big improvement and all teams should improve but with most that don’t make that much personal changes as Pikeville did now that don’t mean they would beat them teams they lost to but with Covington and that horrible call that game may have been a 2 or 3 point game and it was horrible. I just hope Pikeville keeps improving but with their schedule now I don’t know if it’s going to help them much except for that last game of the year with Hazard and now people at Pikeville say they don’t know if the Russellville game is going to happen so that hurts them in the rpi system to much going on plus I don’t understand that system anyway so I guess you play when and who you can and win hopefully

[Hoot Gibson]

I agree with everything you said but let’s take a trip back to last year when LCA beat Boyle earlier in the year now would they have beat them in the end of the year that’s the question so personally I don’t think so but that’s what I was talking about with Pikeville this year and from the first of the year until now has been a big improvement and all teams should improve but with most that don’t make that much personal changes as Pikeville did now that don’t mean they would beat them teams they lost to but with Covington and that horrible call that game may have been a 2 or 3 point game and it was horrible. I just hope Pikeville keeps improving but with their schedule now I don’t know if it’s going to help them much except for that last game of the year with Hazard and now people at Pikeville say they don’t know if the Russellville game is going to happen so that hurts them in the rpi system to much going on plus I don’t understand that system anyway so I guess you play when and who you can and win hopefully

What is gained by claiming that Pikeville is now better than two teams that beat them earlier in the year? I could give you a list of reasons why Johnson Central is a better team than North Laurel at this point in the season, but what do I know about how healthy NL was when they beat JC earlier in the season or how much NL has improved since that game? I know that JC is much better than when they played NL but that doesn't mean that NL is not also much better since that game. The same applies to Pikeville, Covington Catholic, and Corbin. All three teams are talented and well coached and I am sure that all three teams are much improved. There is absolutely no basis for anybody to claim that Pikeville is better than two teams that beat them because the Panthers have made huge improvements.

Inexperienced players tend to improve at a much quicker rate than experienced players because there is more room for improvement. Disregarding how much North Laurel has improved, because it really does not affect Johnson Central, Johnson Central's offensive line began the season very inexperienced compared to last year's team at the same time but aside from their freshman, Logan Music, they returned very experienced and talented running backs. Their quarterback is also in his first year starting at the position. So, people like jet (he has plenty of company) have concluded that JC is "down" this season because the running game was not as dominant as recent teams have been, based on a single early season game against North Laurel.

I ask you, how would Pikeville be doing if Birchfield had been injured in the Corbin game and was unable to return to the lineup for most of the season? How would the Covington Catholic game have gone if Boykins had left the game with an injury on his first carry? My guess is that Pikeville's offense would have looked pretty anemic for awhile but would have bounced back after a few weeks working with their replacements.

I am sorry to hear about the Russellville game. It would have been good to have been given more time to find a replacement. I checked Rock Creek Christian Academy's schedule but they have games scheduled every weekend through Nov. 5. (They appeared to be short a few games at the end of last season. It would have been a great opportunity for Pikeville to prove that it ccompete with any team, regardless of class. RC beat JC in Paintsville last season.) Hopefully, Pikeville will be able to find a replacement game for Russellville.

I think I have worn out this tangential discussion. I will try to refrain from making any more posts that may be interpreted as disrespecting Pikeville.

[jetpilot]

"Keep expectations real" is a Washington DC term that I reject out of hand. High expectations is what makes programs great. Pikeville is ranked 14th overall and will probably be higher than that in Cantrall's ratings tomorrow. And getting better every week. They can play with anybody. And if you think they depend too much on 2 players you are way off base. They are loaded and deep, especially at the skill positions. Could they get upset? Sure, but so can everyone else. Not arguing with you, you don't have any facts on your side. Your argument that big schools should dominate small schools, while good in theory and usually works in practice, is continually and constantly being debunked by the great small school programs year in and year out.

If Pikeville was loaded in every position, then they should be using those players in critical situations. Pikeville has lost to a 4A school and to a 5A school, neither of which is considered the favorite to with their own class. Your claim that Pikeville is now better than Corbin or Covington Catholic because Pikeville is a "different animal" because they made a lineup change and have beaten weaker teams since the change is absurd. If somebody else from another school were making the same claim in another year, then you would be among the first to ridicule them for such wild statements.

Football teams do not develop in a vacuum. Maybe the Pikeville team that enters the playoffs could beat some of the top teams from the bigger classes that opened the season but every good team improves during the season, barring an avalanche of injuries.

Look at Pikeville's stats for the season and try to be objective. Do those stats look like Pikeville has great depth at the skill positions to you, an objective observer? Now take a look at the stats for Boyle County, Trinity, and Saint X. Now, ask your objective self which of those teams appear to have the most depth in the skill positions and which, if any, of those teams are not deeper than Pikeville?

Maybe by the end of the season, you will return to reality, but I expect that you will be ranking the 1A state champ near the top of the list of all state champions without acknowledging the obvious differences in relative strengths of schedule.

BTW, there is a precedent for a team winning all of its playoff games with a running clock, capped by a 48-0 shutout in the title game. Johnson Central was one, if not the only team that pulled off that feat, but even our most enthusiastic fans would argue that the Golden Eagles were better than the 6A champions that season - and that would have been a jump of only two classes. Nor do I recall any Belfry fans making that claim the same year, after Belfry ran the table.

Hoot your analysis is so full of holes I don’t know where to start. If you are trying to tell Pikeville fans how much depth their team has it makes you look foolish. Just because all of Pikeville’s backs don’t get a lot of carries doesn’t mean there isn’t depth. That’s 101 and you flunked it. Carson Wright got his first carry of the year vs MC and went 74 yards for a TD. Pure stud and if he was full time he could go for 200 at any time. So yes that’s depth. Elementary stuff. Look at yards per touch on Anthony and Caudill. They are studs who could step in full time and produce big time stats. More depth. Again, trying to tell Pikeville fans who are very savvy and knowledgeable how much depth their team has when you don’t have a clue 
just makes you look silly.

[jetpilot]

Hoot is on tilt. He wants proof Carson Wright is a stud RB. Who wants to take this one? Lol we’ve been watching him play for years but Hoot tells us to disregard everything we know about him. Too funny.
Hoot also says wins over #7 Class A, #5 3A, #2 2A and undefeated #5 6A by 36, 35, 39 and 36 respectively mean nothing because he deems those highly ranked teams weak. And finally Hoot doesn’t think Pikeville is any different than week 1 and 2 and even if Pikeville is a different team since they moved Duty to QB and Boykins all over the field and started distributing the ball to many different weapons there is still no way to reverse two close losses the went to the wire because other teams improve too. Hoot’s arguments are like that old comic strip where you see how many things you can find with a picture. I love Hoot but his knowledge and understanding of Pikeville football is nil.

[jetpilot]

*find wrong with a picture