[RunItUpTheGut]

Like I've said before, consolidation doesn't mean automatic success. Mercer had one great year after consolidation. Who else in eastern Kentucky had the kind of success that HCHS did after merger?
The majority of teams aren't very strong after merger - Letcher, Shelby Valley, East Ridge, Pike Central, South Floyd...

HCHS didn't lose a district game in three years, so it wasn't very competitive after 2009. I agree that was a very competitive year. This year appears to be pretty competitive, but North looks like the best team by far.

Harlan County is below average in JV this year. They are starting seven or eight sophomores, so the sophomore class is good but the JV isn't that great without them playing. Harlan County has a real small senior class this year, so they should be better next year and potentially really good in 2017.
Their eighth grade class is stronger and 7th is stronger. New Harlan (one of 3 middle school teams) has won 7 straight since losing the opener to Whitley at Whitley.

Oh I agree consolidation doesn't guarantee success. In fact, it usually doesn't, as putting two crap teams together just gives you a bigger pile of crap in a bigger class.

However, I do think it was responsible for HC's success.
Harlan County had three high schools with a lot of tradition and seasoned football players that came together and made it work. Most schools that consolidate doesn't have that.

Now that you have been consolidated for an entire class to come threw and leave, you all have a lot of kids that aren't playing that other wise might be if they were still three separate teams. You may have a couple of kids in the hallway that are late bloomers that don't play football that may have been studs for those individual schools.

I don't think its North is that good as much as it is the other schools just being so down right now. I think HC almost beat Corbin in JV ball there a couple of weeks ago. If he is able to recruit those hallways and get good numbers, HC should be completely fine. Also, North should dominate everyone. They have 6A numbers but are able to stay in 5A because of other teams playing up that shouldn't be. There are almost 2000 kids in that school now which is much more than any of the other 4 in this district. Perry has 4A numbers but plays up, and I want to say Letcher is really close. Whitley and HC have pretty close to the same amount.


Whitley has had a ridiculous amount of success at the middle school level over the past 20 years but it had never made it to the high school field like Pulaski was able to finally do. I think HC will fall in line about like Whitley. A couple of decent years followed bad a few bad ones in a never ending cycle that's hard to break.

I think the WC/HC game will be another good one this year. HC now leads the all time series 5-3. Should be a fun one. I wish there was a live stream somewhere.