[Fly Like a Duck]

People like to bash on Mercer County since their merger, but things are better there.

Harrodsburg was falling and falling fast. Their enrollment was dropping. Football their last 2-3 was nothing like what it used to be. Heck, their entire athletic program was getting absolutely drummed across the board.

The year before the merger, in 2005, Marty Jaggers first year, Mercer went 10-2 and won their first playoff game in almost 20 years and tied for the best record in school history.

Everybody knows about 2006. Good for them. Others have had the same gifts over the years (Collins, Harlan County, South Warren, etc) and weren't as lucky to get it done.

But, most also forget that in 2008 (Jaggers last year), that Mercer was a 5A District Champ and also won another playoff game.

Paul Rains won another playoff game 2-3 years later and then Mercer beat Boyle County in 2013 under Chris Pardue and went onto the region finals. Then this year, they won ANOTHER district championship (4A) and another playoff game (I think you will see 3 more district championships and quite possibly, a region championship or two..or three and maybe more the next few years under Buchanan).

On the Mercer/Boyle topic...I don't know that Mercer or Harrodsburg ever beat Boyle very much in the 10-20 years before the merger, but since, I think they are .500 w Boyle (I know Mercer has three wins over Boyle since 2006 and some of those years they didn't play).

People want to compare the new Mercer with the OLD Harrodsburg, and they are right...that comparison isn't close, but Harrodsburg hadnt been that Harrodsburg in 10 or so years (and, it wasn't getting any better).

But, back to my point...those were TWO FOOTBALL PLAYING schools that joined hands. Now, had Mercer or Harrodsburg merged with Burgin (non football playing Independent in Mercer County ) things would have probably gotten worse for both BECAUSE here they get bigger in class, but gain nothing in terms of a football playing school/community.