[Scotty_Bronson]

Yes and no.

I think it opens the door for some very quality teams like the ones we have mentioned... but by and large most 1A schools simply can't hang competitively with the truly elite programs on a year-in-year-out basis.

Williamsburg certainly has staked a claim that they are a nice matchup for a Somerset, a big school like a North Laurel, or a Middlesboro... but I don't see them usually matching up very well at all with a Bell County, Harlan County, or Pulaski County.

Pikeville, Raceland, and Hazard all three have proven they are worthy adversaries for Pburg, Lawrence County, or Letcher Central/Perry Central... but against Belfry, Johnson Central, and Ashland... for the most part, not so much. In Raceland's defense, they gave Ashland all they wanted last year.. but that was also a very down Tomcat team fro reasons discussed above.

It's not that these are bad teams by any stretch. But the difference between an elite level 3A team, or a Top 10 level 4A or 5A team is night and day difference to a Top 10 1A team. Everyone with the exception of Mayfield who has decades of program building and tradition that has brought them to that level.

In actuality the Raceland/Ashland rivalry hasbeen fairl competitive over the last few years.