Could Johnson County become another Mercer County, WHAT IF?

Battle Tested · 12-06-2006, 03:50 PM

Could it, should it happen and would they have the same success that Mercer County had this year. Letâs hear your thoughts on this.

easternkysportsguru · 12-06-2006, 04:15 PM

A lot of hate between Paintsville and Johnson Central but if they decided to merge then the new school would be more than likely playing in 6A the following year which would be a huge task for a mountain school.

**OffTheHook** · 12-06-2006, 04:29 PM

Not in our life time.

**Tomcat68** · 12-06-2006, 04:53 PM

easternkysportsguru Wrote:A lot of hate between Paintsville and Johnson Central but if they decided to merge then the new school would be more than likely playing in 6A the following year which would be a huge task for a mountain school.

Actually, even with a combination of Johnson Central and Paintsville, they would still only be 5A with a combined total of about 631 boys. The smallest school in 6A currently has 664 boys. That is a lot of room in terms of enrollment for one gender.

It would still be hard to make it past the likes of Covington Catholic or Highlands though, especially on a regular the basis. The sad part about that is that CovCath and Highlands are actually only 3A schools that elected to play up into 5A for better competition.

easternkysportsguru · 12-06-2006, 06:31 PM

Tomcat68 Wrote:Actually, even with a combination of Johnson Central and Paintsville, they would still only be 5A with a combined total of about 631 boys. The smallest school in 6A currently has 664 boys. That is a lot of room in terms of enrollment for one gender.

It would still be hard to make it past the likes of Covington Catholic or Highlands though, especially on a regular the basis. The sad part about that is that CovCath and Highlands are actually only 3A schools that elected to play up into 5A for better competition.

Thanks, I didnt know the numbers on specific classes but Cov Cath and Highlands wanting to play up is a hard task for anyone to get by, especially being in the same region.

Coach Cline · 12-06-2006, 06:40 PM

i dont think its possible untill more schools consolidate...theres just not enough competition in 6A that is closeby for their location....theyd have some long bus rides!

~~PantherPride68~~ · 12-06-2006, 07:02 PM

Mercer won theyre title on a technicality, meaning playing 2a ball with 4a numbers. Mark my words they will never be heard from again when they get to 5a next year. It would be the same case with JC and Paintsville plus theyre would be so much fighting between the 2 school systems it would be an absolute mess.

Mr. Sports · 12-06-2006, 07:05 PM

I'm going to go ahead and say Johnson Central makes it to the state championship next year. They will have the best running back in the state. Just my opinion.

**Midee1** · 12-06-2006, 07:15 PM

Mr. Sports Wrote:I'm going to go ahead and say Johnson Central makes it to the state championship next year. They will have the best running back in the state. Just my opinion.

Not trying to start an argument here but having the best running back in the world means nothing without the other 10 on the field player to the best of their abilities. You put Grimm in there with a terrible O line and he gets no where near the numbers that he would get with a great O line.

TRAIN85 · 12-06-2006, 07:19 PM

I think they should get rid of Paintsville. They get worse each year with smaller numbers. Consolidation would be the best thing for both schools.

**Poseidon** · 12-06-2006, 07:23 PM

easternkysportsguru Wrote:A lot of hate between Paintsville and Johnson Central but if they decided to merge then the new school would be more than likely playing in 6A the following year which would be a huge task for a mountain school.

I do not think that it really matters if the team is from the mountains or not, it would be harder for JC even if they stayed in the same class, like Mercer did this year. Paintsville does not have a football team like Harrodsburg, so many of the kids would not have "football experience" IMO. In a few years, Campbellsville and Taylor County are going to merge, that should be intresting IMO.

**OffTheHook** · 12-06-2006, 07:35 PM

TRAIN85 Wrote:I think they should get rid of Paintsville. They get worse each year with smaller numbers. Consolidation would be the best thing for both schools.

Funny that you say that. But, it seems every year they are making the playoffs and competing for their District. Rolleyes

And yes I know JC is doing that also. I was just replying to the get rid of and getting worse. Teams do have up and downs.

**Benchwarmer** · 12-06-2006, 08:21 PM

What if they consolidated after next year, after realignment. That means they don't have to move up a class, like mercer.

easternkysportsguru · 12-06-2006, 09:02 PM

Mr. Sports Wrote:I'm going to go ahead and say Johnson Central makes it to the state championship next year. They will have the best running back in the state. Just my opinion.

Are you serious??

**FOX SPORTS** · 12-06-2006, 09:03 PM

The answer to the thread is No, they could not be another Mercer Co.
Mercer Co fell into a once in a lifetime situation of playing in AA with a much larger enrollment.
Even if Johnson Central and Paintsville merged tomorrow, they would still be in 5A.

Coach Cline · 12-06-2006, 09:28 PM

i dont get how mercer pulled that off will someone enlighten me on how exactly a 4A school can play 2A football? Like what was the technicality?

**CatDawg** · 12-06-2006, 09:59 PM

The two schools merged after the alignment. So in other words they were 2a then merged numbers made them 4a but since the next realignment wouldn't take place until after this season they stayed in 2a. So thats how a 4a school in numbers is able to play 2a.

HazzBeen · 12-07-2006, 10:47 AM

I think if they merged this past year, Pugh would have been the only boy to contribute from Paintsville. JC was stacked everywhere else.

Battle Tested · 12-07-2006, 12:40 PM

mercer should not have gotten away with that.
i am a tiger fan but its fun to wonder about a consolidated team.
think about b-ball, man they would be unstopable. i think we could great in football to.
team colers could be blue and gold and what would we use an eagle or a tiger or somthing diferent.

IRISH4 · 12-07-2006, 01:06 PM

Maybe Navy Blue and Gold. Uniforms like the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Baseball would be a good sport for them as well. Seems like the past few years these two schools along with Pikeville are in the mix for their respective district championship and the region also.

bricklayer · 12-07-2006, 02:15 PM

CatDawg Wrote:The two schools merged after the alignment. So in other words they were 2a then merged numbers made them 4a but since the next realignment wouldn't take place until after this season they stayed in 2a. So thats how a 4a school in numbers is able to play 2a.

Mercer Co Had 3A numbers. Thay got less then 200 kids from Harrodsburg
2005 Harrodsburg Was 3-8 Mercer was 10-2

IRISH4 · 12-07-2006, 03:57 PM

Well they have 3A numbers playing in a 2A district and won the 2A title...well they should've. Unfair for Russell and the rest of the teams they beat in the playoffs if you ask me, but life's not always fair....you have to roll with the punches.

**FBALL** · 12-07-2006, 04:54 PM

bricklayer Wrote:Mercer Co Had 3A numbers. Thay got less then 200 kids from Harrodsburg
2005 Harrodsburg Was 3-8 Mercer was 10-2

Both half backs and half of the defense were from Harrodsburg. Please don't try to understate the benefit of adding an entire roster of players with varsity experience meant. Not to mention all of the speed that the Harrodsburg kids brought. I don't think you could find anyone to dispute that if not for the merger that Mercer Co would have been nowhere near a state champioship team.

**FOX SPORTS** · 12-07-2006, 05:06 PM

bricklayer Wrote:Mercer Co Had 3A numbers. Thay got less then 200 kids from Harrodsburg
2005 Harrodsburg Was 3-8 Mercer was 10-2

Excuse me for butting in, but according to the KHSAA, Mercer co got 239 kids from Harrodsburg.

**DEVILOLOGIST** · 12-07-2006, 07:25 PM

Funny that the book at the state game says their enrollment was 680 or something like that,, wa sactually up around 900 I think...

**Benchwarmer** · 12-07-2006, 07:42 PM

Devilologist, when you know that you have done something wrong, you have to hide the truth.

OK2NV · 12-07-2006, 10:49 PM

It wasn't fair, but you have to play who you have to play. After watching Mercer Co. play in the finals I have to wonder just how many district they could have won in any 3a district. Maybe a couple but not many.

money$ · 12-07-2006, 10:59 PM

TRAIN85 Wrote:I think they should get rid of Paintsville. They get worse each year with smaller numbers. Consolidation would be the best thing for both schools.

Take a look at the rivalry of Paintsville vs Central the past 20 years and get back to me! Paintsville should be in Rupp this year and next! The two schools don't like each other. Not gonna happen plus they would be playing up. Mercer would not have won 2A and Harrodsburg wouldn't have won 1A. A big 3A school has a Huge advantage over a 2A school much like a Trinity would over JC when they were 4A. It just isn't fair.

Mr. Sports · 12-07-2006, 11:01 PM

Midee1 Wrote:Not trying to start an argument here but having the best running back in the world means nothing without the other 10 on the field player to the best of their abilities. You put Grimm in there with a terrible O line and he gets no where near the numbers that he would get with a great O line.

I agree being a former O line member myself. Didn't mean no disrespect to the JC O line.

**Redneck** · 12-07-2006, 11:39 PM

money$ Wrote:A big 3A school has a Huge advantage over a 2A school much like a Trinity would over JC when they were 4A. It just isn't fair.

I wouldn't say that. Look at how good Boyle County was when they were in 2A and won how many titles in a row. They moved up to 3A and continued to win titles, finished with what, 5-6 in a row between 2A and 3A. But your point about Mercer County is very true, had they have played in 3A they wouldn't have had a chance. 2A is weaker now than it used to be IMO.