[Lambert #1]

I know it's early and we are still in the gym but let's hear it people!

Who do you think will win the Big Sandy Conference and Why? I guess everyone is predicting Johnson Central because of their wealth of athletes on that 7th grade team this year. And that's probably a safe bet but let's see what everyone thinks could happen. Holdbacks can make a big difference, let's hear who's got some staying back.

I know that most of the teams lost a whole bunch of 8th graders such as Hazard, Perry, Belfry, Letcher, Breathitt, so this may be the year for a sleeper to rise to the top.

[Patriot]

Not really sure about this but the word on the field is that my New Harlan Patriots could be joining the Big Sandy.

[Lambert #1]

Yep, Coach Howard from LCC is trying to get them to join up. Coach Howard told me he had talked to Larkey and Chad about getting in the conference. They will not regret it buddy, we won it this year and played in the championship game last year as Whitesburg and it's a great conference. Shoot when you have a Belfry, Johnson Central, Breathitt Co., Hazard, Perry County, Pikeville, Letcher County, Paintsville that's pretty impressive in my opinion.

[canoeman06]

How far would a trip be from say P-burg or Paintsville to New Harlan ????
That would be the only problem I could see. Travel Expense. ????

[Lambert #1]

Yeah travel expense would be bad. I know I heard our coaches talking about it breaking them up this season. They traveled to Winchester, Harlan, Johnson Central twice, Belfry, Sebastian twice. Hopefully the price of gas dropping will help out. I for one hope that they ask to get in the conference, Letcher county is the farthest out for the most part in the Big Sandy and they are doing it somehow. Coach Howard did say that travel expense was one of the worries of Coach Larkey and Harlan County.

[Patriot]

How far would a trip be from say P-burg or Paintsville to New Harlan ????
That would be the only problem I could see. Travel Expense. ????

That is probably a two hour or more trip. To get there we would either have to cross pine mountain into Leslie county and go through Hazard or cross pine mountain coming into whitesburg. I have also heard about the possibility of joining the conference that Corbin is in and Corbin is a little it over an hour from Harlan so we will be traveling either way. I would look forward to the Big Sandy just to get to play Letcher Central we have sort of bonded with consolidation plus the high schools are in the same district.

[Lambert #1]

I agree with Patriot. The Letcher Central and New Harlan fans have bonded well and developed a good rivalry/friendship. It helps that the big boys play each other and there were some great freshmen and JV games this year. Hillard and Coach Larkey are good friends and I think that the Junior High coaches are developing a great friendship according to Coach Howard anyway. I hope they get in the Big Sandy Conference next year. If Letcher Central can make all those two and three hour bus trips anyone can. Playing in that conference for the past two seasons had helped our high school program more than anyone knows. That level of competition every time you take the field helps the young cougars grow and develop into great high school players. New Harlan is too good to be playing in that little conference that they have been playing in for sure. I'm a huge Cougar fan but have to say that if New Harlan had of been in the conference this year LCC would have finished runner up to them instead of winning it all.

[Patriot]

I agree with Patriot. The Letcher Central and New Harlan fans have bonded well and developed a good rivalry/friendship. It helps that the big boys play each other and there were some great freshmen and JV games this year. Hillard and Coach Larkey are good friends and I think that the Junior High coaches are developing a great friendship according to Coach Howard anyway. I hope they get in the Big Sandy Conference next year. If Letcher Central can make all those two and three hour bus trips anyone can. Playing in that conference for the past two seasons had helped our high school program more than anyone knows. That level of competition every time you take the field helps the young cougars grow and develop into great high school players. New Harlan is too good to be playing in that little conference that they have been playing in for sure. I'm a huge Cougar fan but have to say that if New Harlan had of been in the conference this year LCC would have finished runner up to them instead of winning it all.

Not sure how you all look for 09, pretty good I'm sure, But I hear New Harlan will be better in 09 than they were this year! Making those long trips sometimes are some of the fun of going to a game I think. Maybe I'm crazy but it gives you time to talk about the game on the way there and reflect on the way home.

[Lambert #1]

Patriot,
Talked to Coach Howard this weekend. He told me that his team will be better next year also. He said he has had over 20 kids in the weight-room over the past two weeks and things are looking really good for his team next year. To hear the kids talk about the trips you would think they would like to play all of their games on the road. Some of the stories I hear them tell about what they did and who said this or that seems to be a barrel of fun. So I think that long trips cost a lot of money but are well worth the time and fundraising.

[Mama Bear]

Patriot,
Talked to Coach Howard this weekend. He told me that his team will be better next year also. He said he has had over 20 kids in the weight-room over the past two weeks and things are looking really good for his team next year. To hear the kids talk about the trips you would think they would like to play all of their games on the road. Some of the stories I hear them tell about what they did and who said this or that seems to be a barrel of fun. So I think that long trips cost a lot of money but are well worth the time and fundraising.

If New Harlan were to join this conference, what teams would they be playing? Do any of these teams field a 5th and 6th grade team? Usually when New Harlan has a game, they play a 5/6 grade game and then the 7th and 8th grade plays. It seems like over the past couple of years it is becoming harder and harder to find teams that have a 5th and 6th grade team. I think that a lot of districts have them playing league games at this age.

Also, what kind of strength training do they do for the middle school age kids over in Letcher? I was always afraid for my kids to start lifting too much as this age as they are till growing rapidly.

[Patriot]

I guess we will find out pretty soon if New Harlan is in the Big Sandy. Bell County needs a conference maybe someone should invite them.

[Lambert #1]

Here is what Howard tells the parents they do in the weight room. He has two assistants that run the off season weight room for him. It's a progression. His younger kids many rep's with very light weight so that they do not damage the growth plates. He has his 7th graders doing a little more weight with fewer reps and when they are beginning their 8th grade year he opens it up and up's the expectations and they lift hard. If you have ever watched many teams from the Big Sandy play you will realize that you have to be strong across the board to compete, one or two strong kids will not help much in that conference. I know that Hillard is thrilled when he get's his freshmen because they already have the weightroom mentality, he will tell you that is the reason their freshmen and JV teams are so successful. I think this is the 4th year that the middle school has been lifting on a regular basis together as a team. When basketball is over they will get as many as 30 to 40 in the weight room two or three times a week at the grade school level. Over the past three years the middle school has won a minimum of 11 games each year and I think it's because Howard has them in the weightroom. You are right for being concerned, many coaches do not know what they are doing int he weightroom but his assistants (Tom Sayers, Chad Bates) both have worked at the high school in their weight programs and know what they are doing and bring the kids along slowly but successfully.

[canoeman06]

The way the addition of New Harlan would take place is:
The CURRENT member schools would take a vote on allowing the new team into the conference. If a majority vote for this then they would be welcome into the conference.

[canoeman06]

If New Harlan were to join this conference, what teams would they be playing? Do any of these teams field a 5th and 6th grade team? Usually when New Harlan has a game, they play a 5/6 grade game and then the 7th and 8th grade plays. It seems like over the past couple of years it is becoming harder and harder to find teams that have a 5th and 6th grade team. I think that a lot of districts have them playing league games at this age.

Also, what kind of strength training do they do for the middle school age kids over in Letcher? I was always afraid for my kids to start lifting too much as this age as they are till growing rapidly.

Current schools include:
Adams (P-burg)
Hazard
Paintsville
Pikeville
Sebastian (Breathitt County)
Johnson Central
Letcher Central
Perry Central
Martin County
may be leaving one team out not sure.

[Mama Bear]

Current schools include:
Adams (P-burg)
Hazard
Paintsville
Pikeville
Sebastian (Breathitt County)
Johnson Central
Letcher Central
Perry Central
Martin County
may be leaving one team out not sure.

Aren't these teams broken down into a large and small school division? Do any of these teams field 5th and 6th grade teams?

That looks like such a good conference. They all seem to be good feeder programs to good high school programs.

[barrel]

How many games are the teams playing?

[canoeman06]

Aren't these teams broken down into a large and small school division? Do any of these teams field 5th and 6th grade teams?

That looks like such a good conference. They all seem to be good feeder programs to good high school programs.

yes they are broken into small school - large school
as of now, Adams, Pikeville, Paintsville and Hazard are in the small school and all others are in large school.
All floyd county schools field a c-team 3rd & 4th grade
B-team 5th and 6th grade
A-team 7th and 8th grade
Floyd county allows 10 game regular season and playoffs.

[barrel]

Is the confrence going to adjust so the teams can take part in the St playoff system?

[canoeman06]

Is the confrence going to adjust so the teams can take part in the St playoff system?

We are planning on discussing this at our next meeting in March.

[MR. Slate]

Is Belfry still in?

[canoeman06]

Is Belfry still in?

They infomed us they would not be in next season

[barrel]

Where is Belfry moving to? Why are they leaving?

[cougarpride08]

what about the school that forfeited the games and didn't play in the last game of the season?

[Lambert #1]

Canoeman,
Belfry leaving is a big loss. I thought that Haywood should have been happy with his feeder team playing big games like they were. Oh well, I guess they will be replaced with someone, I hope it 's New Harlan. Cougar08 was onto something, what about Martin County? Are they going to be in it next year?

[canoeman06]

Canoeman,
Belfry leaving is a big loss. I thought that Haywood should have been happy with his feeder team playing big games like they were. Oh well, I guess they will be replaced with someone, I hope it 's New Harlan. Cougar08 was onto something, what about Martin County? Are they going to be in it next year?

Martin has a new coach and informed me they want to stay in. Magoffin has also expressed interest in returning to the conference.

[excyter21]

Betsy Layne may be interested in getting back in to the conference.

[canoeman06]

Betsy Layne may be interested in getting back in to the conference.

We would love to have them back.

[Dungy]

I heard today that New Harlan will not be joining the Big Sandy due to travel time involved, but the Patriot insiders can confirm if that is true.

[Lambert #1]

I worried that traveling expense would keep them out. Howard told me that Larkey was going to talk to the principals and supt. this week and get back with him but he was concerned that they wouldn't let him put them in the Big Sandy. He had plans of putting Cumberland and Evarts in another conference if they would let him but I guess it fell through.

[MR. Slate]

Johnson County is looking for non conference games for 2009. We have two teams a 7th grade and an 8th grade. We will play straight 7th or 8th or both. If anyone is interested pm me.