[Pulp Fiction]

Teams are paired by first round games.....

South Oldham: 5A
Hopkinsville: 5A

Trinity (Louisville): 6A
Owensboro: 4A

Scott County: 6A
Fleming County: 3A

Campbell County: 6A
Johnson Central: 4A

McCracken County: 6A
Wayne County: 3A

Knott County Central: 3A
Bowling Green: 5A

Bardstown: 2A
Pleasure Ridge Park: 6A

Clay County: 4A
Covington Catholic: 4A


1A - 0
2A - 1
3A - 3
4A - 4
5A - 3
6A - 5

[Pulp Fiction]

On a side note...

There are 14 Public and 2 Private schools in this years Sweet 16.

[swatshop]

This is interesting. As much as I love the format of the sweet 16, it is taking its toll on the small schools.

[region]

This is interesting. As much as I love the format of the sweet 16, it is taking its toll on the small schools.

A fact that is only magnified by the transfer situation we have in a lot of areas.

[D1Recruiter]

This is interesting. As much as I love the format of the sweet 16, it is taking its toll on the small schools.

That is what the All A is for!!! Takes the bottom 120-125 eligible schools, great tourney for them. The Sweet 16 is the best show of the year, don't mess with it! There are only 2 states that still do this, it's awesome. :Thumbs:

[cougarpride08]

If the KHSAA can make more money they would change it in a heart beat. It is prestigious of having one state champ, but a lot of people fell some good teams get left out. How many of the top 25 didn't make it to the dance?

[Dawgfan123]

Most unfair setup in H. S. sports. 1. 2. 3. Having to play, 4. 5. 6. Even to get there. First three don't have much of a chance if their lucky enough to make it. Only my opinion.

[Dawgfan123]

It's only awsome, only if your schools are in the top three clases.

[Pulp Fiction]

It's only awsome, only if your schools are in the top three clases.

Tell that to the 1996 Paintsville team (A) or the 2010 Shelby Valley team (AA)

[MidnightRider]

The Sweet 16 format is perfect and I really hope they never change it. Small schools have gone far before (Paintsville, Shelby Valley, UHA ect) I think it's fair it's fun and it's the absolute best time of the year.

[swatshop]

That is what the All A is for!!! Takes the bottom 120-125 eligible schools, great tourney for them. The Sweet 16 is the best show of the year, don't mess with it! There are only 2 states that still do this, it's awesome. :Thumbs:

I didn't say that I wanted to change it. I love it the way it is also. I have just realized that it is getting harder and harder for the little guys. The All A is a great tournament but it's like the NIT compared to the NCAA.

[Panther Thunder]

You have to remember we live in a society where everyone has to be even. Most schools go into the season without a prayer of winning a state title. That doesn't diminish what a team can accomplish. Winning a State Championship is not the same level of achievement at each school, same for Region and District. I guarantee a Regional Title in football would mean a lot more to Phelps than a State Title for Highlands. You don't have to win a state championship to achieve success.

[rojas]

You have to remember we live in a society where everyone has to be even. Most schools go into the season without a prayer of winning a state title. That doesn't diminish what a team can accomplish. Winning a State Championship is not the same level of achievement at each school, same for Region and District. I guarantee a Regional Title in football would mean a lot more to Phelps than a State Title for Highlands. You don't have to win a state championship to achieve success.

Well put. One of the most exciting games I have ever seen was when tiny Evarts upset state ranked Cawood and Cumberland on back to back nights to win the district tournament for the first time 20 years.

[Pulp Fiction]

You have to remember we live in a society where everyone has to be even. Most schools go into the season without a prayer of winning a state title. That doesn't diminish what a team can accomplish. Winning a State Championship is not the same level of achievement at each school, same for Region and District. I guarantee a Regional Title in football would mean a lot more to Phelps than a State Title for Highlands. You don't have to win a state championship to achieve success.

Well put. One of the most exciting games I have ever seen was when tiny Evarts upset state ranked Cawood and Cumberland on back to back nights to win the district tournament for the first time 20 years.

Or like when JBS won the 14th region.

[Mountain]

Public and Private really does not matter that much in B-ball anymore. Most every team in the state that is competitive, has a transfer or two.

[NEXT]

You have to remember we live in a society where everyone has to be even. Most schools go into the season without a prayer of winning a state title. That doesn't diminish what a team can accomplish. Winning a State Championship is not the same level of achievement at each school, same for Region and District. I guarantee a Regional Title in football would mean a lot more to Phelps than a State Title for Highlands. You don't have to win a state championship to achieve success.

Great point! Phelps has 4 60th District titles in the history of the school, about 80 years, so it is a very big deal.

[inspiron]

I think that it is nice to always know who the undisputed champion and best is. The system gives everybody a chance to succeed and advance to another game. If the system went to a more even playing field with 5-6 classes then we would not get the chance to see the match ups that could possibly happen "David vs Goliath" or "Goliath vs Goliath". We would have a thread that would be filled with nothing but what if's, coulda, shoula, and woulda's. Just imagine if the great teams of the Paintsville dynasty's would have been classified in the "1A" beating up on weaker teams and still till this day wondering and having the conversation if they were really that great. Look at it this way, "March Madness" brings us all the most thrilling month of the year. No matter the size of the athletic budget or the enrollment of student bodies they allow the top teams a chance to play in the big dance. Without the smaller schools making a run and knocking off the big boys it wouldn't have the same feel. It's basketball and really the only sport that allows the smaller guy to compete with the big boys. Taking away the only "David vs Goliath" scenario we have in sports would be like all other 49 high school tournaments. Boring!! We are special and offer something that so many people wish and don't realize what they could experience. IMO embrace what is left of a great thing.

[HDE]

Well put. One of the most exciting games I have ever seen was when tiny Evarts upset state ranked Cawood and Cumberland on back to back nights to win the district tournament for the first time 20 years.

Part of the greatest run in Evarts basketball history. Evarts didn't win another regional tournament game after beating OBI that year.
Not that you said it was in any order, but Evarts beat Cumberland first and then Cawood in the finals. Cawood was one slow-fingered clock keeper from winning the region that year.
Evarts wasn't exactly tiny though with 500-plus students at the time, only a few less than Cumberland. Cawood had over 1,000 students.
Someone else said the All A is like the NIT compared to the Sweet 16 being like the NCAA. If they ever form classes in Kentucky basketball though, the state tournament could become more like the NIT. The All A is a big deal to Class A schools, who like having the chance of playing in both.

[rojas]

Part of the greatest run in Evarts basketball history. Evarts didn't win another regional tournament game after beating OBI that year.
Not that you said it was in any order, but Evarts beat Cumberland first and then Cawood in the finals. Cawood was one slow-fingered clock keeper from winning the region that year.
Evarts wasn't exactly tiny though with 500-plus students at the time, only a few less than Cumberland. Cawood had over 1,000 students.
Someone else said the All A is like the NIT compared to the Sweet 16 being like the NCAA. If they ever form classes in Kentucky basketball though, the state tournament could become more like the NIT. The All A is a big deal to Class A schools, who like having the chance of playing in both.

Evarts had about 400 students when I graduated in 1976. My class had 90 students. I can't believe it had grown by over 25% during the next 8 years.

[rojas]

Part of the greatest run in Evarts basketball history. Evarts didn't win another regional tournament game after beating OBI that year.
Not that you said it was in any order, but Evarts beat Cumberland first and then Cawood in the finals. Cawood was one slow-fingered clock keeper from winning the region that year.
Evarts wasn't exactly tiny though with 500-plus students at the time, only a few less than Cumberland. Cawood had over 1,000 students.
Someone else said the All A is like the NIT compared to the Sweet 16 being like the NCAA. If they ever form classes in Kentucky basketball though, the state tournament could become more like the NIT. The All A is a big deal to Class A schools, who like having the chance of playing in both.

Evarts only won 3 regional tournament games in my lifetime, and I'm old. The Wildcats beat Cumberland by a score of 50-44 in 1963 when the coach was Charlie Hunter and the star players were Ken Hicks and Gilbert Burton. They beat Middlesboro in 1970 by a score of 61-53 when they were coached by Doyle Troutman and the star player was Billy Hicks. Evarts beat OBI in 1983 by a score of 91-86 when the Cats were coached by Billy Hicks and the star player was Kerry Vanover. OBI had a very good team that year. OBI had beaten Cawood by some wild score like 120-105 earlier in the year. OBI had two really good guards, Brown and Burns. OBI also had a very tall center named Samuals. Vanover outscored Samuals 38-1 in the regional tournament game. One publication said the Evarts-OBI game was "was THE exciting game of the tournament (played to a full house). The game was filled with man-to-man defense and full-court pressure. Oneida's fast pace could not overcome Evarts consistency." Evarts was within 2 points of regional champion Middlesboro in the 4th quarter of the semifinal game before Middlesboro ended the game on a 21-12 run in the 4th quarter.

[HDE]

Evarts only won 3 regional tournament games in my lifetime, and I'm old. The Wildcats beat Cumberland by a score of 50-44 in 1963 when the coach was Charlie Hunter and the star players were Ken Hicks and Gilbert Burton. They beat Middlesboro in 1970 by a score of 61-53 when they were coached by Doyle Troutman and the star player was Billy Hicks. Evarts beat OBI in 1983 by a score of 91-86 when the Cats were coached by Billy Hicks and the star player was Kerry Vanover. OBI had a very good team that year. OBI had beaten Cawood by some wild score like 120-105 earlier in the year. OBI had two really good guards, Brown and Burns. OBI also had a very tall center named Samuals. Vanover outscored Samuals 38-1 in the regional tournament game. One publication said the Evarts-OBI game was "was THE exciting game of the tournament (played to a full house). The game was filled with man-to-man defense and full-court pressure. Oneida's fast pace could not overcome Evarts consistency." Evarts was within 2 points of regional champion Middlesboro in the 4th quarter of the semifinal game before Middlesboro ended the game on a 21-12 run in the 4th quarter.

That's the only three in anyone's lifetime
That was a great game against OBI. I drove down from Eastern to watch (my cousin was the sixth man on that Evarts team)

[HDE]

Evarts had about 400 students when I graduated in 1976. My class had 90 students. I can't believe it had grown by over 25% during the next 8 years.

I don't know if I have the enrollment numbers anywhere, but in the early 1980s I think both Cumberland and Evarts were above 500. Perhaps it was the coal boom of that era. I know Cumberland, at one time, was the largest Class A school in the state, around 1984-85. As you know, Evarts was a 2A school in football for quite a while.
Still, to me, tiny is Red Bird or OBI or Riverside, or even Barbourville. Evarts is tiny compared to Scott County or Henry Clay though.

[Dawgfan123]

Wake up, hill people, your living in the 21frst, cent, now. Let the past be the past.

[rojas]

Wake up, hill people, your living in the 21frst, cent, now. Let the past be the past.

Pardon us Dawg. A couple of us really like Kentucky high school sports history.

[Dawgfan123]

I, like it to, but now it is called (consoliiditation)

[cougarpride08]

What makes the other states like the idea of having more classes? You would think they would want one state champ. How much money is different that say us and UT or VA?

[Pride Of The Hills]

Riverside with 24 students needs to practice harder to compete with
Scott county and 2403 students.

[J. R. VanHoose]

I think that it is nice to always know who the undisputed champion and best is. The system gives everybody a chance to succeed and advance to another game. If the system went to a more even playing field with 5-6 classes then we would not get the chance to see the match ups that could possibly happen "David vs Goliath" or "Goliath vs Goliath". We would have a thread that would be filled with nothing but what if's, coulda, shoula, and woulda's. Just imagine if the great teams of the Paintsville dynasty's would have been classified in the "1A" beating up on weaker teams and still till this day wondering and having the conversation if they were really that great. Look at it this way, "March Madness" brings us all the most thrilling month of the year. No matter the size of the athletic budget or the enrollment of student bodies they allow the top teams a chance to play in the big dance. Without the smaller schools making a run and knocking off the big boys it wouldn't have the same feel.

I agree. Accomplishing all of that, especially as a school with a very small enrollment, made it very special!

[Dawgfan123]

I, agree with a lot you all are saying, but the Ptsvles. Inez Warfields. Virgie. Elkhorn. and manny, manny more, no longer exist.
That is my only point. Thanks.

[Pulp Fiction]

Teams are paired by first round games.....

South Oldham: 5A
Hopkinsville: 5A

Trinity (Louisville): 6A
Owensboro: 4A

Scott County: 6A
Fleming County: 3A

Campbell County: 6A
Johnson Central: 4A

McCracken County: 6A
Wayne County: 3A

Knott County Central: 3A
Bowling Green: 5A

Bardstown: 2A
Pleasure Ridge Park: 6A

Clay County: 4A
Covington Catholic: 4A


1A - 0
2A - 1
3A - 3
4A - 4
5A - 3
6A - 5

There are two 6A, one 5A and one 4A remaining in the Sweet 16 Final Four.
There are two public schools and two catholic schools remaining.