[Harry Rex Vonner]

No not at all. I have lived here only 15 years. I had no idea that this type of behavior existed. I guess if another team is doing something wrong and violates the rules of the game and Ashland has knowledge of it they should turn then in. What I don't understand is why a storied program like Ashland would not just stay out of it. I guess I would say that it is honorable that the other teams in the are take the high road.

Ashland did, in fact, turn in Fairview to KHSAA just as they repeatedly turned in Rose Hill and other area schools to KHSAA. You say you don't understand why Ashland (you also call them a "storied program" but fail to add that Ashlanders make up all the stories) wouldn't just stay out of the "politics".

The answer to that is easy. Ashland, for many years, was king of the area because it was so much larger than all the other area schools. Even in those days, there were "matriculations" of athletes from area schools (Holy Family is an excellent example of this) to play at Ashland. However, the other schools, even little old Rose Hill in the Mayo days and even thereafter, caught Ashland and even passed Ashland for a time. Now, Ashland is merely another area schools seeking to compete. It is hard for the king to realize that his crown is now made of maroon construction paper and duct tape. Ashland, when honest, knows that it scares no one anymore- not even its neighbors.

For example, after Clark County left the 16th Region and no longer ruled the region, Ashland became the annual favorite to go to the state tournament. Ashland hasn't been to the state tournament in 12 years and the outlook is bleak for the coming season.

Did and does Ashland turn in its rivals with each opportunity? Absolutely. Do I know it for a fact? Absolutely, as do most others who are students of history. I am now located "up north" and my loyalties are with schools in this area as well as all private schools. Nonetheless, I spent a number of my early years in the Ashland area and I am well educated in the past and present of the continuing drama that is Ashland vs. Everyone Else.

Again, I do not mean to offend Ashlanders. I just want to add a little realism to the fantasy.