[EKUAlum05]

Despite Belfry winning the last two 3A rings......Overall...I doubt many Belfry fans would suggest the Pirates are the Kings of this Class. While Belfry did get the proverbial "Central Monkey" off it's back by finally knocking them off.......I think most peoople still view Lousiville Central as the standard bearer...with Belfry a close second.

Both programs are well coached. Scroggins is tremendous in game plan execution...and they simply overwhelm teams with speed and athleticism.

Belfry has been on an unprecedented run of talent there for the past several years....which to their credit...Haywood and staff have capitalized on.

However....I suspect that in the next 5 years....due to dwindling numbers...Belfry will begin to slide. Economically....the area is as depressed as it's been since the 1920's and 30's. With the continued shuttering of coal mines....deep and strip......there just isn't gonna be enough jobs to sustain a population. Guessing the Pirates will be 2A in the next few years.

Have to give you credit....you're definitely an eternal optimist when it comes to Paducah Tilghman. They should always been in the mix...especially at the 3A level.....but IMO, they've been plagued by mismanagement from upper administration, poor coaching and character issues.

Whether that changes remains to be seen......

Here's hoping that it does. Alot of natural athletic ability in that area.

Very good post... the only thing I take slight exception with is the bolded.

I completely agree that I think Belfry will begin to come back to the pack due to the factors you outlined, but with that said the next 3-4 years of Belfry football will be played at a very high level. Next year's Junior class is the bumper crop that the past two championships have been built around so you still have two more years with them and by the time they leave I think you still have two solid years of kids who will then be Seniors and Juniors.

The Belfry Middle School has became a powerhouse and the emergence of that run has been a watershed moment and could not have came at a better time for the program. With that said, despite the fact they continue to win Middle School titles there is absolutely no denying that there hasn't been a class come through comparable to the current group with Horton, Bentley, Hall, etc

Belfry will be at an elite level the next two seasons... then I think you see a gradual step down before a fairly significant drop somewhere around 5-6 years away if things don't turn around. The good news is the Belfry feeder system is so strong that even when the talent pool isn't the same the Pirates should still be a quality team year in and year out... but I definitely see things coming back to earth where Title Games are no longer expected.

Also as an aside to your point Belfry is not the "Kings of 3A" they are just the 2-Time defending Champions. The new 3A is going to be crazy and now you bring in more top notch programs, but you also see teams who are about to see their talent pool rise (Tilghman, Russell, Corbin most notably).

I have no doubt the new bloods in 3A and the programs rising will now have a say in the matter...but with what Belfry and Central both return.. it is also abundantly clear that if you want to win a title you are going to have to pack a lunch.