[Pupaw]

To call JC "a POWERHOUSE 4A program" is not correct. From 1970 through 1999, JC football wasn't good. Plain and simple. Not bashing our history, but it's the truth. Not until Matney was hired in 2004 did the JC administration take football seriously. Look how far we've come since 2004. Now imagine how far the JC program would be if this would have happened in the 1980's.
In the 2000 season when we beat Tates Creek @ TC, went 10-0, won the district for the first time ever and finished the season 11-1..... this was the first time JC realized we could have a football program.

So JC FINALLY gets their program to the level it should have been over 20 years ago, we beat Paintsville 5 times straight then they decide to cancel the series.
What's that saying about Paintsville???
"We'll only play you when you're terrible....."
"Let's kick'em while their down......"
"We'll play you, but you can't beat us...."

To me it's a statement of where the programs were heading. Clearly JC was picking up momentum and if not for the Northern Kentucky teams they would have a state championship or two, whereas Paintsville was heading to being one of the worst programs in any class period. There were a few years there after the series was cancelled where Paintsville had under 20 players on the team. Does a team with little talent and a ridiculously small roster going to benefit from getting absolutely embarrassed? No. I would love to see the series back now that Paintsville finally has the numbers again. But there from 2010-2012 you had to seriously look out for the safety and well being of what few kids you had on the roster.

I don't think it had anything to do with "We'll only play you when you're terrible" or "We'll play you but you can't beat us". And I feel like a lot of people know that deep down, but they won't admit it because they would rather see Paintsville close it's doors than have success.