[hoot owl]

1) Transportation to Whitesburg from the other areas in the county is costly for parents/guardians. Once they are freshman at LCC they will already be on campus for practice.
2) Facilities. The Fleming-Neon grade school facility has a dressing room and the playing surface is in better shape because it isn't used as much (they do not share with boys and girls soccer).
3) Community. Just because the high schools consolidated doesn't mean the grades schools have to. There is still a lot of pride among families from both Fleming-Neon and Whitesburg in football.
4) Coaches. Jim Bob McAuley played at Neon, teaches at Neon, coached the h.s. team at Neon and is still there. Give him some $$$ and ask him to do it again. He coached the East Letcher Team.
5) Support staff. Trey Quillen helped manicure the new grass out there and helped McAuley. Give him some $$$ and ask him to help again.

The resources are already there. Dustin Brown, Greg Collins, Ryan Hall, and Drew Bentley to name a few, played for the East Team and went to either BBE or FNE. I don't think the teams at LCC are nearly as successful w/o those kids playing at the grade school level.