[TheOracle]

Cov Cath sees the writing on the wall. Highlands on their way back

That's inevitably what people are going to say about the fact that CCH having no intention to request to play up in 5A. It is what it is. But it's not the fact of the matter.

The fact of the matter is that prior to any knowledge of whether Highlands would or wouldn't be a 5A school, CCH knew from their enrollment numbers that they were going to be a 4A school and more than likely not a very big 4A school. They're right in the middle of 4A. They have not been hiding the fact that they aren't going to be playing up because they know enrollment in Catholic schools in the diocese is low and they are very possibly going to be getting even smaller than their current 470 enrollment. They're doing what's best for their program, and what's best for their program is not playing up in 5A.

It's not like Boyle County is going to be any easier to beat for a state championship than Highlands is. And if you don't think CCH is going to keep scheduling Highlands during the regular season you're kidding yourself.

People 'gonna talk. Let them talk.

Add in St. Henry starting football and Cov Cath will be a 3A team very soon.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that's impossible, but I don't think it's necessarily likely. Holy Cross started their football program back in the late 90s and had zero impact on CCH's enrollment and football roster size. Brossart added a football program back in 2007 and CCH's roster size was unchanged, and their school enrollment was at the beginning of a decade-long increase.

I think it would be foolish to say that there won't be any impact at all with St. Henry adding a football program, but I think in the end it won't have much impact overall. St. Henry is a smaller school in enrollment and in the size of their building. I don't see them drawing dozens of major impact players away from CCH until they start showing some real and consistent success on the football field. Let's be honest, Holy Cross is closer geographically to CCH and has never managed to consistently have success. And Brossart schedules small programs and recently has started doing well against east regular season schedules, but then they get boat-raced out of the playoffs in the first or second round.