[Sportsdadof2]

Well sounds like the are done for the season. I guess they had three kids suffer injuries and no way to fill those spots. I hate to hear this for any school. Small schools are suffering in numbers for football it seems.

[Fan of many]

They need to expand the 1A and 6Aclass

[RAMDAD50]

This is horrible. In my day Bellevue was one of the better programs. This is happening all over the state. Idk the answer to stop this from happening or even if it can be stopped. I feel bad for those kids

[Sportsdadof2]

This is horrible. In my day Bellevue was one of the better programs. This is happening all over the state. Idk the answer to stop this from happening or even if it can be stopped. I feel bad for those kids

Yea I don’t know but definitely isn’t good. I would be shocked if they field a team next year at all. It’s crazy how much the numbers have dropped at NCC in the last 6 years. Seems like most the small schools up north are struggling with numbers. Minus Beechwood they have good numbers. I’m sure being in the hunt for titles every year helps along with being a good school.

[Sportsfan4646]

This is horrible. In my day Bellevue was one of the better programs. This is happening all over the state. Idk the answer to stop this from happening or even if it can be stopped. I feel bad for those kids

Yea I don’t know but definitely isn’t good. I would be shocked if they field a team next year at all. It’s crazy how much the numbers have dropped at NCC in the last 6 years. Seems like most the small schools up north are struggling with numbers. Minus Beechwood they have good numbers. I’m sure being in the hunt for titles every year helps along with being a good school.

I played at Beechwood in the 90’s. Bellevue was Always a hard hill nose team. It sucks this is happening to them. 

[plantmanky]

Time for KHSAA to start allowing combined teams in football.

[jamesclay]

Time for KHSAA to start allowing combined teams in football.

no it isn't

[Orange Blaze]

SportsDad do you think the struggles of the inner city NKY schools is due to the explosive growth of Boone County in recent years and the talent pool has just left those areas for the suburbs in Boone and Kenton County?

[plantmanky]

Time for KHSAA to start allowing combined teams in football.

no it isn't

Then continue to see programs dissolve and disappear, and athletes be unable to play.

[Sportsdadof2]

SportsDad do you think the struggles of the inner city NKY schools is due to the explosive growth of Boone County in recent years and the talent pool has just left those areas for the suburbs in Boone and Kenton County?

Could be some of it for sure. I maybe way off but I also think kids are not interested in playing the game as much anymore. Football is a huge commitment and if your school is struggling to put a decent team on the field I’m sure makes kids think hard about playing the game.

[Jarons]

Time for KHSAA to start allowing combined teams in football.

Eight man football? Kentucky had it a few years ago.

[Orange Blaze]

SportsDad do you think the struggles of the inner city NKY schools is due to the explosive growth of Boone County in recent years and the talent pool has just left those areas for the suburbs in Boone and Kenton County?

Could be some of it for sure. I maybe way off but I also think kids are not interested in playing the game as much anymore. Football is a huge commitment and if your school is struggling to put a decent team on the field I’m sure makes kids think hard about playing the game.

My family and I have been thinking about relocating to NKY and we have made several trips there in the past year.  I know this isn’t the case with Bellevue but I have noticed that soccer seems to be a major sport there and that doesn’t appear to have done NKY football any favors.

[Scotty_Bronson]

What is the meaning of a "combined" teams? Combining schools?

[RAMDAD50]

My freshman year at Raceland was one of the most underrated and un talked about team we’ve ever had. We was ranked # 1 in the state . We finished the season with a beat down of Pikeville at home and rolled into the playoffs. That week the team passed the flu around ….it was miserable! We got beat by Bellevue 10 -0 and we was 30 points better than them. Bellevue went on to the state championship game and got beat by Russellville 14-0. It’s a shame to see this one e proud program in the shape it’s in Jhst remember…..this can happen anywhere

[Orange Blaze]

My freshman year at Raceland was one of the most underrated and un talked about team we’ve ever had. We was ranked # 1 in the state . We finished the season with a beat down of Pikeville at home and rolled into the playoffs. That week the team passed the flu around ….it was miserable! We got beat by Bellevue 10 -0 and we was 30 points better than them. Bellevue went on to the state championship game and got beat by Russellville 14-0. It’s a shame to see this one e proud program in the shape it’s in Jhst remember…..this can happen anywhere

Bellevue was one of Raceland’s road blocks to never making it deep in the playoffs before the 6 class system went into effect.  I remember being a water boy when they rolled into town in 1998 as a 4 seed and knocked us off in a heartbreaking overtime loss after winning the district.  Bellevue, Ludlow, and Dayton all used to be tough outs that were capable of beating anyone in our district regardless of how they were seeded.

[Panther Thunder]

If anything, a signal that six classes remains too many.

[HCS]

I still think of the 1990 state semifinals at Evarts when I hear Bellevue. That was a special night for Harlan County football, even though Bellevue won.

[plantmanky]

Time for KHSAA to start allowing combined teams in football.

Eight man football? Kentucky had it a few years ago.

Only works if about half of class A does it, that wont happen right away if ever again.  Combined teams is the way to go.

---

What is the meaning of a "combined" teams? Combining schools?

Yes for example, Bellevue and Dayton are completely separate schools, and have their own sports teams in every sport but football.  For Football they combine as 1 team to play.   To classify them, just add the enrollments together and they fall in what class they fall in.

---

If anything, a signal that six classes remains too many.

What does a team not having enough players to play, have to do with too many classes.

[kybred]

This is horrible. In my day Bellevue was one of the better programs. This is happening all over the state. Idk the answer to stop this from happening or even if it can be stopped. I feel bad for those kids

Yea I don’t know but definitely isn’t good. I would be shocked if they field a team next year at all. It’s crazy how much the numbers have dropped at NCC in the last 6 years. Seems like most the small schools up north are struggling with numbers. Minus Beechwood they have good numbers. I’m sure being in the hunt for titles every year helps along with being a good school.

I played at Beechwood in the 90’s. Bellevue was Always a hard hill nose team. It sucks this is happening to them. 

Bellevue(inc 1870) and Dayton's(inc 1867) populations have been declining since 1960 from ~9000 each down to ~5500 each. Boys enrolled at Bellevue grades 9-12 declined from 136 in 2002-2003 to 111 in 2019-2020 per KHSAA enrollment numbers.  https://khsaa.org/general/resources/scho...e_vignette
A declining population with smaller families and more sports options and more other options are contributing factors to the decline in football numbers.
A possibility in the future is the cities of Bellevue and Dayton combining school systems (and dare I say Newport for a third) - purely conjecture on my part.

[Scotty_Bronson]

^^^thats what more politicians are going for. They want bigger schools.

[bo67]

I remember my Jr Year at Highlands. We were defending state champs and Bellevue beat us with 30 second left in the game. The next year they had basically the same team and we beat them by 2 touchdowns. And Dayton was better than them. We beat Dayton but it was close. Dayton ended up winning Class A state championship that year. So these two schools were once very good

[Orange Blaze]

I remember my Jr Year at Highlands. We were defending state champs and Bellevue beat us with 30 second left in the game. The next year they had basically the same team and we beat  them by 2 touchdowns. And Dayton was better than them. We beat Dayton but it was close. Dayton ended up winning Class A state championship that year. So these two schools were once very good

If I’m not mistaken, legendary coach John Wooden started his career at Dayton.

[RAMDAD50]

I remember my Jr Year at Highlands. We were defending state champs and Bellevue beat us with 30 second left in the game. The next year they had basically the same team and we beat  them by 2 touchdowns. And Dayton was better than them. We beat Dayton but it was close. Dayton ended up winning Class A state championship that year. So these two schools were once very good

If I’m not mistaken, legendary coach John Wooden started his career at Dayton.

That’s a fun fact

[bo67]

That’s correct

[ROTC]

I have been calling for a return of 8 man football in other threads. Several small schools in EKY could benefit greatly by this move and possibly allow a few kids to play that otherwise may not get to for much longer.

[RAMDAD50]

I have been calling for a return of 8 man football in other threads.  Several small schools in EKY could benefit greatly by this move and possibly allow a few kids to play that otherwise may not get to for much longer.

I just don’t think there would be enough teams that would compete in 8 man football to make it worth doing it. I can’t think of 12 schools that would do it and that’s all over the state. No way a struggling school system is gonna travel from eastern Kentucky to western Kentucky to play a 8 man football game. This is where we are headed fellas. The numbers are dropping off everywhere…even in the Loserville area. Kids are just not playing football anymore.

[ROTC]

Phelps, Fairview, Morgan, Jenkins, Wolfe (might make a go at 8 man; I think they built a facility and tried for a while to offer football), others that might try at that level: Elliot, Owsley, Lee. Knott and Jackson should probably consider something like this as well, too- if offered. I don’t know about schools in Western part of the state enough to have an opinion.

[plantmanky]

I have been calling for a return of 8 man football in other threads.  Several small schools in EKY could benefit greatly by this move and possibly allow a few kids to play that otherwise may not get to for much longer.

I just don’t think there would be enough teams that would compete in 8 man football to make it worth doing it. I can’t think of 12 schools that would do it and that’s all over the state. No way a struggling school system is gonna travel from eastern Kentucky to western Kentucky to play a 8 man football game. This is where we are headed fellas. The numbers are dropping off everywhere…even in the Loserville area. Kids are just not playing football anymore.

I agree, thats why combined teams is the best option.

[kybred]

It looks like the Bellevue HS football team will have a season ending flag football game against the Bellevue PD on Friday, Oct. 21.  Kudos to the PD, HS staff, and community for putting this game together giving the seniors their high school swansong. See the full story at https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/lo...565433007/