[EKUAlum05]

Have to pump the brakes on this a bit here. Yes, Pikeville has been in A class for a long time now. HOWEVER, the 2 runner up years in 72 and 79, they were AA. While they bounced back and forth a few years betweenA and AA, mostly have been A. Now, Belfry is a relative newcomer to AAA. they were AA up until I believe 2004? But we all know they were in the upper echelon student count wise of that, and really probably should have been AAA, but it is what is is. Having said that, the argument stands that Belfry really had an easy road several of those years as well to the semi-finals,some years' easier than Pikeville's road (not many though). Since moving to AAA Belfry has not won a title. It's been a fun debate to read and lightly participate in. I've enjoyed reading all the points. I think the main thing we can all agree on, Pikeville and Belfry really established modern day mountain team respectability, dominance, name recognition.

- Belfry was AAA for many, many years until the very late 90's.

- Belfry won their titles in 2A, but it was still during the 4 Class System. At that time Belfry's enrollment would have been upper-middle for a 2A team.. Belfry's playoff runs those years included defeating one of the Top 5 Pburg teams all-time, one of the top 5 Middlesboro teams of all-time, and one of the Top 5 Lloyd Memorial teams of all-time. Also, the Etown team Belfry defeated in 2002 had 3 future multi-year SEC starters (Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky).. no slouch.

- Part of the perceived "easy" path Belfry has had the past few years can be blamed on Belfry themselves, and how they "expose" teams.

Look up the records and ranking of the following teams before they played Belfry:
2012 Bourbon County
2012 Breathitt County
2011 Garrard County
2011 Breathitt County
2010 Somerset
2010 Mason County
2010 Pike Central
2007 Breathitt County
2007 Sheldon Clark
2006 Middlesboro
2004 Pburg
2004 Russell
2003 Middlesboro

There were a lot of teams who entered with a sterling record, big wins, and thinking they were on their way to a Championship only to be smacked by Belfry. None of these are teams form the Finals, FWIW to prove it was Belfry's path.

To save some time, of the 13 teams I listed above their combined record excluding their losses to Belfry (some had 2 to the Pirates) was 148-7!

A winning percentage of 95.5% and average record of 11 wins and .5 Losses entering their matchup with Belfry.

- Of those 7 losses they were to the following teams (Danville X 2, Russell, Bell County X 2, Knoxville Central TN, Pikeville)..not really any "bad" losses prior to losing to Belfry

- Maybe Belfry wasn't exposing teams as much as they simply were much better than good teams?