[johnnyd]

On another site I saw where Harlan County might buy out the contracts of Belfry and Johnson Central. Any truth to this?

[Pulp Fiction]

I hope not... I want some more of Granny Bear's pumkin CAKE.


But for real, I hope this isn't true.

[Demarcus ware]

Granny posted in the other thread whats known as of right now. Nothing has happened yet. Just have to wait and see.

[Bear booster]

very shocked that teh administration would allow this so late in yr an the loss of a huge gate
can believe coach creech would run from competetiton, that sure sends a good message to kids

[Demarcus ware]

very shocked that teh administration would allow this so late in yr an the loss of a huge gate
can believe coach creech would run from competetiton, that sure sends a good message to kids

Running from competition?? You actually gonna say those games were competitive? Bahahahaha..clueless..

[Bear booster]

Running from competition?? You actually gonna say those games were competitive? Bahahahaha..clueless..

last year no

yr before last with belfy yes

yr before last if we didnt fumble so much vs JC it might have been

but yeah they are running from compet.

[plantmanky]

Running from competition?? You actually gonna say those games were competitive? Bahahahaha..clueless..

Its more like running from commitments.

[Demarcus ware]

last year no

yr before last with belfy yes

yr before last if we didnt fumble so much vs JC it might have been

but yeah they are running from compet.

Fumble is part of the game. I know you dont know much about football but what caused those fumbles? JC layin the wood is what caused them. Like I said not even close. .

[Demarcus ware]

Its more like running from commitments.

Now that I will agree with if true. But thats the thing, its all rumors and even Granny posted what the coach said yesterday. Just have to wait and see.

[Madness]

The way I see it Harlan County hired Creech to run a program. Coaches knows the team, and he knows HC. If he thinks that it is best for them to find another game, then so be it. It is late in game but there are teams that still need games. He was hired to do what he thinks is best for the program, not satisfy Belfry or JC..... or anyone on this message board. I do not believe any of this 4 year contract stuff. 2 year contracts are what is signed, I looked on the KHSAA website. Now if Larkey and Haywood verbally agreed ...Larkey is gone. If Creech wants to play someone else, play them. He is the one that will answer to the powers when they start to talk about wins and loses. And that is all that matters......Look what happened to Larkey for going 2-9.

[OutlawJoseyWales]

There are definitely 4 yr contracts out there. Some verbal....others are signed and sealed with a monetary buyout. If in fact, they're discussing a buyout...must be more than verbal. While I understand any coaching....especially a new hire, wanting to "soften" the schedule.....just not sure what impact backing out of committments with two of the very best the mountains have to offer as your program begins to move forward. Let's see how it plays out....

[HCS]

The only "impact" I see is they are going to lose those games in 2015 if they play them. The chances of winning against the teams they replace them with will be better.

Tough schedules are good, especially for veteran teams with state championship aspirations, but HCHS played the toughest schedule in county history each of the last two years. They could handle it in 2013 but not in 2014, especially after losing so many players for various reasons..
Odds are, they can't handle it in 2015.

In the end, the biggest mistake coach Larkey made was scheduling, and most of it was out of his control in that he couldn't find anyone to play.

[Cardfan1]

You play who will play you without driving all over the world. Harlan will be hard pressed to find games right now. You have teams that have dropped from district and teams that are struggling to find games because they are head shoulders above comp.

[EKUAlum05]

The way I see it Harlan County hired Creech to run a program. Coaches knows the team, and he knows HC. If he thinks that it is best for them to find another game, then so be it. It is late in game but there are teams that still need games. He was hired to do what he thinks is best for the program, not satisfy Belfry or JC..... or anyone on this message board. I do not believe any of this 4 year contract stuff. 2 year contracts are what is signed, I looked on the KHSAA website. Now if Larkey and Haywood verbally agreed ...Larkey is gone. If Creech wants to play someone else, play them. He is the one that will answer to the powers when they start to talk about wins and loses. And that is all that matters......Look what happened to Larkey for going 2-9.

4 year contracts do exist...

I am all for Creech putting his stamp and scheduling how he best sees fit for the program, but I am not sure burning bridges with the two premier football programs in EKY over the past 6 or 7 years is the smartest way to go about it. (IF TRUE)

It is clear that at Harlan County the expectations are to not only win games and District Titles..but they obviously want deep playoff runs and to be respected as one of the big boys in EKY, The taste of that good life was clearly evident in the firing of Larkey.

If their ultimate goal is to return to that level then one day it will be necessary to play the best teams in the region and as it stands now you jeopardize ever getting a chance to have that privilege against Belfry and JC.

If what I am hearing is true... he was/is considering dropping Belfry and JC to pick up Middlesboro and Breathitt County. Two programs who used to be great that are about to fall on some really down years.

[EKUAlum05]

The only "impact" I see is they are going to lose those games in 2015 if they play them. The chances of winning against the teams they replace them with will be better.

Tough schedules are good, especially for veteran teams with state championship aspirations, but HCHS played the toughest schedule in county history each of the last two years. They could handle it in 2013 but not in 2014, especially after losing so many players for various reasons..
Odds are, they can't handle it in 2015.

In the end, the biggest mistake coach Larkey made was scheduling, and most of it was out of his control in that he couldn't find anyone to play.

See my post above.

There are three impacts. One is the short term impact you mention.

The long term impact is that you burn a bridge with two programs with leverage that may kick you in your butt as you try to build your program to the level you know it has to get back to.

The secondary impact is the perceived message you send. You admit you aren't competitive enough to be considered in the same class as the top teams in EKY. You earn a reputation as a Coach/Program who will not honor commitments and that may play a role when trying to negotiate with other schools who may just think "If Creech will leave Haywood high and dry...Lord knows he would do the same to me"

In my humble opinion he should have just stuck with what he had. It ain't like Haywood is going to try and run the score up next year anyway to demoralize the Bears.. just like this year when he could have won by 50 he made sure to keep it respectable.

[Cardfan1]

The lessons a young coach could learn from these two schools...

[HCS]

4 year contracts do exist...

I am all for Creech putting his stamp and scheduling how he best sees fit for the program, but I am not sure burning bridges with the two premier football programs in EKY over the past 6 or 7 years is the smartest way to go about it. (IF TRUE)

It is clear that at Harlan County the expectations are to not only win games and District Titles..but they obviously want deep playoff runs and to be respected as one of the big boys in EKY, The taste of that good life was clearly evident in the firing of Larkey.

If their ultimate goal is to return to that level then one day it will be necessary to play the best teams in the region and as it stands now you jeopardize ever getting a chance to have that privilege against Belfry and JC.

If what I am hearing is true... he was/is considering dropping Belfry and JC to pick up Middlesboro and Breathitt County. Two programs who used to be great that are about to fall on some really down years.

HCHS won two region titles without ever playing Johnson Central or Belfry. Playing those two teams did NOTHING to help the program. They can survive without ever playing either again.
And that's not meant as anything negative toward either program or coach. They are both first class. My point is whether they play either in 2015 or ever again will have no long term effect on the HCHS program.

[insideinfo]

You don't think playing Belfry and Johnson Central.helps you come playoff time? This might explained why you guys run off a HOF coach, and hired a coach with no head coaching experience.

[HCS]

No, it didn't help at all. The last two years show that pretty clearly.
Like I said, HCHS won two regional championships before they played either.
Their schedule (with Southwestern, Bell, Knox, North Laurel, Letcher, Whitley etc...) will be more than tough enough to prepare them for the playoffs.

[Madness]

No, it didn't help at all. The last two years show that pretty clearly.
Like I said, HCHS won two regional championships before they played either.
Their schedule (with Southwestern, Bell, Knox, North Laurel, Letcher, Whitley etc...) will be more than tough enough to prepare them for the playoffs.

I agree, you have to play tough competition, just not all of the toughest.

[Bear booster]

HCHS won two region titles without ever playing Johnson Central or Belfry. Playing those two teams did NOTHING to help the program. They can survive without ever playing either again.
And that's not meant as anything negative toward either program or coach. They are both first class. My point is whether they play either in 2015 or ever again will have no long term effect on the HCHS program.

So what is it.
New coach scared
Players scared
Afraid to play a real good team when other teams will play them
You want to play a bunch of terrible teams

Beating a very bad Breathitt and Middlesbrough team proves nothing but those teams suck, who do you sched next, Lynn camp and Pineville and maybe jellico

Is our program already backing down, we are a 5a school and JC is 4a and Belfry is 3a,

Who is paying for the 8-10 thousand dollars to buy them out, booster club or school. Doesn't the school have something better to spend money on for things for the kids who don't have squat, but yet we let a coach waste the money when in 2 yrs he don't have to renew the contract anyway, but yeah go blow thousands while that money would help so many familes in Harlan co who are jobless or hungry.

Way to have faith in your players and coaching ability. If my memory serves me right a particular poster said all you got to do is make adjustments.

[HCS]

Faith is good, but reality is better...

They could probably get games with Trinity and Highlands too, but I wouldn't recommend it.

I called it last fall when you started with all the negativity. You're not a Bear Booster, just someone with a personal agenda.

[Bear booster]

Faith is good, but reality is better...

They could probably get games with Trinity and Highlands too, but I wouldn't recommend it.

I called it last fall when you started with all the negativity. You're not a Bear Booster, just someone with a personal agenda.

I'm a bear booster, I'm just sickened at how everything happened. I have donated thousands of dollars to the sports in HC. I'm entitled to gripe when I feel like it.
Buying out these contracts is wasting money that would help our community and kids at school who don't have materials or proper clothing. But certain state employees and school officials don't see it that way.
Let coach Creech look some poor family in the face and tell them he is giving belfry 4,000 so he wont have to play them.
If it's such a big deal to him let him pay it out of his pocket

[HCS]

No boosting at all. Just all negative.


Again with the poor families. That's such BS. They can drop the football program all together and that's not going to feed anyone. That's the same kind of logic as you should clean your plate because poor kids in India are starving..

[johnnyd]

The only way you will get an easy schedule is to lose. Harlan Co is too big to play most of the smaller schools in Eastern Ky. Harlan has won too recently to schedule bunnies. Harlan County is right on the border which means weeks don't always match up with other states. Best of luck overcoming all of those things to find better games. Cant call Johnson Central and find out how they do it because your about to make them mad.

[Granny Bear]

This is going to be my last visit and post to this thread.

Everyone or anyone can sit back on their laurels and be picky. You can criticize, advise micro manage and whatever else it takes to make your happy and comfortable with yourselves.

I try to look at facts and be objective about things; leave my emotions out of it. It's apparent, I am not successful with this. If I was, I wouldn't have to stop visiting this thread.

Bottom line, I love Harlan County High School and even though I won't be at many of the games next season, I will always support the kids and programs. I also know Eddie Creech, very very well. He's one of the best men I have ever known and I am totally convinced that he has the best interest of the kids at heart....NO QUESTION!!! I also know that this is his first attempt at being a head coach.

I don't know what kind of job he will do at head coach, but I know for a FACT that he will give it his best effort and he has no other agenda but helping the kids at HC.

I will support Coach Creech til the Lord comes back! And I wish him all the luck in the world.


Go Black Bears!!!!!

[Demarcus ware]

You don't think playing Belfry and Johnson Central.helps you come playoff time? This might explained why you guys run off a HOF coach, and hired a coach with no head coaching experience.

You think losing 48-7 helps? This might explain your nonsense post all the time

[DDP5]

Creech is earning a reputation that's for sure. He may be the most famous 1st year head coach the state has ever had, and I'm not sure that is a good thing. The way he was hired, being an assistant under Larkey, quitting week 9 on a Thursday, Larkey fired, Creech hired. That burns bridges with coaches throughout the state. Now there is talk of him burning bridges with two of the most winning coaches in the state. Teams have schedules finalized at this point and have been for some time. I understand needing to soften the schedule, I really do, but you don't put other teams in that predicament not this late. That's like leaving your prom date the week of prom because you know you have an easy chance with someone else...

[Bear booster]

You think losing 48-7 helps? This might explain your nonsense post all the time

with the new offense and adjustments we will make we have a shot a winning, plus we have a lot of starters back. Cant beleive you are backing us dropping a team because they are good, thought that went what you preached

[Demarcus ware]

with the new offense and adjustments we will make we have a shot a winning, plus we have a lot of starters back. Cant beleive you are backing us dropping a team because they are good, thought that went what you preached

You never seen me back anything. You assume and you know what they say about that. I would love to keep Belfry and JC games, chances are I'll be at more belfry games than HC anyway BUT what I will and did say is that this new coach has a plan and I'm willing to give him a chance to see what he can do. He owes nobody an explanation as of right now.