[dawgbyte02]

Prior to the last few years Tolsia was very good from around 2002-2007. That was the same period that LC was playing Wayne, WV and having tons of trouble while Tolsia was sticking right with and beating Wayne a couple of times. Tolsia even played Wayne in the state championship game during that period. If you take a 20 year period then yes for the most part LC dominates but Tolsia has had a few years in there. I've said it before you will very very very rarely see Tolsia and LC good at the same time. One reason for this is where kids decide to go. LC has lost many players to area schools during the time they were down in the early 2000s while it was the other way in the 1990s. Those players were coming to LC from Sheldon Clark, Johnson Central, Tolsia, Boyd County and a few others. However, notice how in the early 2000s LC stopped getting those and instead started losing players of their own. That is a big reason LC went down so fast, you stop getting those kids plus lose your best its hard to be very good. At that same time Tolsia, Johnson Central, Sheldon Clark and even Boyd County really improved. Some obvisously more than others. Tolsia makes it to their first state championship game, Johnson Central goes from a candlelight to a conflagration, Sheldon Clark stays just as good or better even after losing Matney, and Boyd County if I remember actually had a winning season or two. Its not that they did this because great LC players went their but instead because their players wanted to stay their and play for a winner and that lead to others wanting to go their and do the same. LC will continue to improve as long as they continue to keep their kids at home and on the football field. Additionally, you lay the wood to those around you the kids won't want to hear about how they always get beat by you when they can be with you. If you can't beat them JOIN THEM. That has certainly been the case in this area of the state and I figure in others as well. I forgot Paintsville they have also lost players to LC and LC then lost players to them in the early 2000s. Everyone wonders why Paintsville is having trouble well when your a school with a very limited amount of boys anyway and you have Johnson Central across town it makes it hard. If you have a choice to be a starter at Paintsville with no chance of really going anywhere and having the heck knocked out of you week in or out, would you stay there or go to JC? JC has a very good shot at going deep in the playoffs and who knows winning a title. Where would you want your kid to go? Everyone wants to be a part of a winning team, program or organization. Sometimes that want is just to much to keep these kids home when they can go somewhere else and do just that.

Good post. I believe there are 4 or 5 LC players that used to live over in WV that illustrates your point.