[#55PirateFan]

Wow, after reading through this thread, and if what I'm hearing is true, then it's a sad day for Belfry sports, especially the football program that was (once) feared and second to none. SMH

[plantmanky]

Stanley leaving is a bit of a shock to me. I know rumors were swirling but I had to see it for myself before I believed it. He did practice with Pikeville yesterday so it’s official. I understand the Mingo kids going back to Mingo with David but I can’t understand this move. Family are die hard pirates and dad played at Belfry and coached several of the past seasons at BMS. Anyone care to elaborate what is going so wrong at Belfry that kids no longer want to be a part of it.

Doesn't shock me one bit.

[RTruth]

You’ll get your answer next June. Supposedly the principal is retiring and they are getting rid of boys and girls basketball coach and baseball coach the day a new principal is named. At that point it’s too late

Who will be the next principal is the main question. I've been told there are 4 in house with that certification and 2 of them are current assistants who apparently do not want it, another is near retirement as a teacher, and then one that is a younger guy. I would assume they will go after the younger guy who has years left and may stay there a while. Pike County has reputation of hiring those positions as in house hires. Likely the assistant principal Varney is the next football coach so I would say he wouldn't want that position. I have heard that there is a Belfry grad working as an assistant principal at another county high school, could he try and get it? Next June could be interested on Pond Creek depending on who is hired in the spot as principal.

Let’s hear names. I’m Ky familiar with all the staff over there, but I do know some of the current coaches in the sports that are being blamed for this, have relatives that want to be principal.

[Khalisimo]

it doesn't help that a local "media" source is trying to create a narrative to promote the first half of their duo...........

---

Stanley leaving is a bit of a shock to me. I know rumors were swirling but I had to see it for myself before I believed it. He did practice with Pikeville yesterday so it’s official. I understand the Mingo kids going back to Mingo with David but I can’t understand this move. Family are die hard pirates and dad played at Belfry and coached several of the past seasons at BMS. Anyone care to elaborate what is going so wrong at Belfry that kids no longer want to be a part of it.

Doesn't shock me one bit.

lol these types of discussions arent for you. have you ever even been to the mountains or do you just collect checks from teams down here keeping ur organization relevant?

[jchseaglefan1976]

You’ll get your answer next June. Supposedly the principal is retiring and they are getting rid of boys and girls basketball coach and baseball coach the day a new principal is named. At that point it’s too late

Who will be the next principal is the main question. I've been told there are 4 in house with that certification and 2 of them are current assistants who apparently do not want it, another is near retirement as a teacher, and then one that is a younger guy. I would assume they will go after the younger guy who has years left and may stay there a while. Pike County has reputation of hiring those positions as in house hires. Likely the assistant principal Varney is the next football coach so I would say he wouldn't want that position. I have heard that there is a Belfry grad working as an assistant principal at another county high school, could he try and get it? Next June could be interested on Pond Creek depending on who is hired in the spot as principal.

Let’s hear names. I’m Ky familiar with all the staff over there, but I do know some of the current coaches in the sports that are being blamed for this, have relatives that want to be principal.

Told Matt moon and sam maynard are the front runners for it. Names I was told are Josh Slone, Matt Varney, Keith May, and Boo hager and the other two. From what i am reading on here, it overdue for a change over that way.

[EKUAlum05]

Ponzi Creek Nation is one of the funniest and well played lines I have ever seen on here.... LOLOL

That is well done and funny.. I don't care who you are.

[EKUAlum05]

[Image: https://i.postimg.cc/RqrWRsp0/Redacted-Field.jpg]

If you can't laugh at yourself....

[RTruth]

I don’t get the joke?

[Panther Thunder]

I don’t get the joke?

Just for context:

https://www.news-expressky.com/news/indi...0b5a2.html

[Khalisimo]

all good fun until you realize haywood won that deal. now his turfs paid for and he can sell the naming rights a second time. daryl mccoy field at haywood stadium coming soon.

[OutlawJoseyWales]

all good fun until you realize haywood won that deal. now his turfs paid for and he can sell the naming rights a second time. daryl mccoy field at haywood stadium coming soon.

What???

this was a lose lose all the way around.  A lot of good folks lost a lot of money….duped by people they knew and trusted.  Someone or some entity had to pay the balance owed to the turf company.  That debt just didn’t go away.  I’m guessing loans had to be secured to pay it off, because the turf committee was about $90,000 shy of the total amount due when  these two “con men” made financial promises to pay it.    This has been a fiasco.   Absolutely nothing positive from this entire situation.

[pirateforlife]

all good fun until you realize haywood won that deal. now his turfs paid for and he can sell the naming rights a second time. daryl mccoy field at haywood stadium coming soon.

What???

this was a lose lose all the way around.  A lot of good folks lost a lot of money….duped by people they knew and trusted.  Someone or some entity had to pay the balance owed to the turf company.  That debt just didn’t go away.  I’m guessing loans had to be secured to pay it off, because the turf committee was about $90,000 shy of the total amount due when  these two “con men” made financial promises to pay it.    This has been a fiasco.   Absolutely nothing positive from this entire situation.

What are you referring to? I’m confused.

[RTruth]

all good fun until you realize haywood won that deal. now his turfs paid for and he can sell the naming rights a second time. daryl mccoy field at haywood stadium coming soon.

What???

this was a lose lose all the way around.  A lot of good folks lost a lot of money….duped by people they knew and trusted.  Someone or some entity had to pay the balance owed to the turf company.  That debt just didn’t go away.  I’m guessing loans had to be secured to pay it off, because the turf committee was about $90,000 shy of the total amount due when  these two “con men” made financial promises to pay it.    This has been a fiasco.   Absolutely nothing positive from this entire situation.

You seem in touch and close to the program in some way?
I’m almost 70 years old and have never seen anything like this outside Prestonsburg a few years ago.

Why is this happening now? The timing of the Duh and Duh Sports release is very suspect about all the kids leaving.

Will more kids leave? Would have changing the boys basketball/baseball coach and girls basketball coach prevented this? I knew that basketball hire would cause issues but the ones I thought that would transfer are still there, I think.

[ArmChairHC]

What the heck is going on on Pond Creek? In all honesty, with Jones at Mingo now, I expected some departures, especially for the ones who came from there in the first place. But the Stanley and Warren transfers to Pikeville really surprised me. Belfry has lost a lot of kids in a short amount of time.

[OutlawJoseyWales]

all good fun until you realize haywood won that deal. now his turfs paid for and he can sell the naming rights a second time. daryl mccoy field at haywood stadium coming soon.

What???

this was a lose lose all the way around.  A lot of good folks lost a lot of money….duped by people they knew and trusted.  Someone or some entity had to pay the balance owed to the turf company.  That debt just didn’t go away.  I’m guessing loans had to be secured to pay it off, because the turf committee was about $90,000 shy of the total amount due when  these two “con men” made financial promises to pay it.    This has been a fiasco.   Absolutely nothing positive from this entire situation.

You seem in touch and close to the program in some way?
I’m almost 70 years old and have never seen anything like this outside Prestonsburg a few years ago.

Why is this happening now? The timing of the Duh and Duh Sports release is very suspect about all the kids leaving.

Will more kids leave? Would have changing the boys basketball/baseball coach and girls basketball coach prevented this? I knew that basketball hire would cause issues but the ones I thought that would transfer are still there, I think.

IMO, the transfer situation is the result of a perfect storm that has just settled in over BHS.    Folks in some administrative and coaching positions ( girls and boys)  (not related to football) have  completely lost the building so to speak.   Parents and students have been turned off by both due to a multitude of issues.  I’m sure some of the issues are valid….and I’m guessing some are petty.   Goes  without saying. Additionally…. With David Jones going to MC….several kids …especially those who play multiple sports have went back across the river to play.   

Those decisions are not tied in to the football staff IMO….but the issues with the other sports in the building are directly impacting and making these decisions easier to be made.  

The federal indictments that were levied on the two individuals who had direct ties to the Belfry area is a complicated and completely different issue, but is intertwined in the fact that monies were “promised” to pay off the turf ….but those funds never materialized.   Those two folks just stole money thru a maze of fake LLC companies to dupe and launder money for their Ponzi scheme.     

If I’ve missed something ….maybe some others posters can fill in the blanks.

[pirateforlife]

What the heck is going on on Pond Creek? In all honesty, with Jones at Mingo now, I expected some departures, especially for the ones who came from there in the first place. But the Stanley and Warren transfers to Pikeville really surprised me. Belfry has lost a lot of kids in a short amount of time.

The kids who went to Mingo would have never left if not for David Jones taking the position. I think Stanley going to Pikeville had mostly to do with baseball. Belfry will struggle in baseball next season and think he didn’t want to be a part of it.

[Khalisimo]

all good fun until you realize haywood won that deal. now his turfs paid for and he can sell the naming rights a second time. daryl mccoy field at haywood stadium coming soon.

What???

this was a lose lose all the way around.  A lot of good folks lost a lot of money….duped by people they knew and trusted.  Someone or some entity had to pay the balance owed to the turf company.  That debt just didn’t go away.  I’m guessing loans had to be secured to pay it off, because the turf committee was about $90,000 shy of the total amount due when  these two “con men” made financial promises to pay it.    This has been a fiasco.   Absolutely nothing positive from this entire situation.

tell me you donated to the scammers without telling me you donated to the scammers. its okay bud im shocked that the guy who used to make a career selling bootleg fire sticks wasnt a real financial investor too...

tough crowd i thought sarcasm was obvious........................ i was wrong.

[Big Five-0-]

all good fun until you realize haywood won that deal. now his turfs paid for and he can sell the naming rights a second time. daryl mccoy field at haywood stadium coming soon.

What???

this was a lose lose all the way around.  A lot of good folks lost a lot of money….duped by people they knew and trusted.  Someone or some entity had to pay the balance owed to the turf company.  That debt just didn’t go away.  I’m guessing loans had to be secured to pay it off, because the turf committee was about $90,000 shy of the total amount due when  these two “con men” made financial promises to pay it.    This has been a fiasco.   Absolutely nothing positive from this entire situation.

You seem in touch and close to the program in some way?
I’m almost 70 years old and have never seen anything like this outside Prestonsburg a few years ago.

Why is this happening now? The timing of the Duh and Duh Sports release is very suspect about all the kids leaving.

Will more kids leave? Would have changing the boys basketball/baseball coach and girls basketball coach prevented this? I knew that basketball hire would cause issues but the ones I thought that would transfer are still there, I think.

IMO, the transfer situation is the result of a perfect storm that has just settled in over BHS.    Folks in some administrative and coaching positions ( girls and boys)  (not related to football) have  completely lost the building so to speak.   Parents and students have been turned off by both due to a multitude of issues.  I’m sure some of the issues are valid….and I’m guessing some are petty.   Goes  without saying. Additionally…. With David Jones going to MC….several kids …especially those who play multiple sports have went back across the river to play.   

Those decisions are not tied in to the football staff IMO….but the issues with the other sports in the building are directly impacting and making these decisions easier to be made.  

The federal indictments that were levied on the two individuals who had direct ties to the Belfry area is a complicated and completely different issue, but is intertwined in the fact that monies were “promised” to pay off the turf ….but those funds never materialized.   Those two folks just stole money thru a maze of fake LLC companies to dupe and launder money for their Ponzi scheme.     

If I’ve missed something ….maybe some others posters can fill in the blanks.

With all the issues going on with the administration, coaching, students transferring, the alumni, community, and fans didn't need this separate issue. Really do hate to see this happen to good people and these student athletes.

[EKUAlum05]

It’s a sad situation all the way around but it speaks volumes that these days you need to have your entire house in order athletically and administratively.

Football at Belfry is an elite program on every level but it is now suffering because the school has let the other programs fall by the wayside.

The con men who stole from the people in the community and elsewhere deserve whatever comes to them from the federal court. When they announced the field naming I think a lot of people felt unsettled and never said anything, and you would have to think those feelings probably were felt in the school, having to wear a black eye when everything feel apart has to come with the territory. Bad situation.

[Khalisimo]

hopefully the new athletic director over there likes other sports enough that when the sitting principal is gone he will make changes for baseball and both basketball programs that are overdue. there is one somewhat in house baseball candidate but other than that if you want to salvage this mess you have to do what pikeville has done so well and expand horizons to outside your zip code.

[jetpilot]

If I'm Belfry I'm working 24/7/365 to raise basketball, baseball and girls basketball to top notch. Great athletes want to compete at statewide levels year 'round. Being a football school only doesn't cut it today. Fix that and principals, grifters, Mingo etc is just noise that is quickly and easily forgotten...

[jetpilot]

hopefully the new athletic director over there likes other sports enough that when the sitting principal is gone he will make changes for baseball and both basketball programs that are overdue. there is one somewhat in house baseball candidate but other than that if you want to salvage this mess you have to do what pikeville has done so well and expand horizons to outside your zip code.

beat me to it lol

[Khalisimo]

none of it will matter if you repeat the process and make a wrong internal hire when haywood retires either but that's a conversation for another day.

[RTruth]

Let’s get back to football.

Belfry still returns their top 3 and 6 of their top 7 rushers.

Graduation and transfers really hurt the defense it looks like more than anything. Burke was a DB and Stanley a LB with Strothers a DL. Then graduation hit that side hard as well.

They have to replace LBs DL and 1 secondary guy in Burke.

Can they?

Do they open up the offense with the young QB? Woolum, Varney, and Deskins seem to be good size targets and athletes.

---

If I'm Belfry I'm working 24/7/365 to raise basketball, baseball and girls basketball to top notch. Great athletes want to compete at statewide levels year 'round. Being a football school only doesn't cut it today. Fix that and principals, grifters, Mingo etc is just noise that is quickly and easily forgotten...

I think that’s the issue. The principal will not allow anyone to have any input.

The players, community, and the it’s been told to me, the football staff wanted one coach. The girls basketball coach and the current coach that down and inserted the current guy.

I think most feel baseball would have been different if you didn’t have 1 guy doing 2 jobs.
Going by watching games that baseball team might have been the biggest underachieving team in the state.

[Realtalk101]

Let’s get back to football.

Belfry still returns their top 3 and 6 of their top 7 rushers.

Graduation and transfers really hurt the defense it looks like more than anything. Burke was a DB and Stanley a LB with Strothers a DL. Then graduation hit that side hard as well.

They have to replace LBs DL and 1 secondary guy in Burke.

Can they?

Do they open up the offense with the young QB? Woolum, Varney, and Deskins seem to be good size targets and athletes.

---

If I'm Belfry I'm working 24/7/365 to raise basketball, baseball and girls basketball to top notch. Great athletes want to compete at statewide levels year 'round. Being a football school only doesn't cut it today. Fix that and principals, grifters, Mingo etc is just noise that is quickly and easily forgotten...

I think that’s the issue. The principal will not allow anyone to have any input.

The players, community, and the it’s been told to me, the football staff wanted one coach. The girls basketball coach and the current coach that down and inserted the current guy.

I think most feel baseball would have been different if you didn’t have 1 guy doing 2 jobs.
Going by watching games that baseball team might have been the biggest underachieving team in the state.

You get rid of the girls basketball coach things will be good for belfry and you move the current basketball coach to one sport and I think a lot of issues will be fixed but that’s not happen. Football will be down but still has decent number out and should be fine in a year or so.

[Truewords]

Let’s get back to football.

Belfry still returns their top 3 and 6 of their top 7 rushers.

Graduation and transfers really hurt the defense it looks like more than anything. Burke was a DB and Stanley a LB with Strothers a DL. Then graduation hit that side hard as well.

They have to replace LBs DL and 1 secondary guy in Burke.

Can they?

Do they open up the offense with the young QB? Woolum, Varney, and Deskins seem to be good size targets and athletes.

---

If I'm Belfry I'm working 24/7/365 to raise basketball, baseball and girls basketball to top notch. Great athletes want to compete at statewide levels year 'round. Being a football school only doesn't cut it today. Fix that and principals, grifters, Mingo etc is just noise that is quickly and easily forgotten...

I think that’s the issue. The principal will not allow anyone to have any input.

The players, community, and the it’s been told to me, the football staff wanted one coach. The girls basketball coach and the current coach that down and inserted the current guy.

I think most feel baseball would have been different if you didn’t have 1 guy doing 2 jobs.
Going by watching games that baseball team might have been the biggest underachieving team in the state.

You get rid of the girls basketball coach things will be good for belfry and you move the current basketball coach to one sport and I think a lot of issues will be fixed but that’s not happen. Football will be down but still has decent number out and should be fine in a year or so.

Girls basketball has nothing to do with football program. Boys basketball/baseball coach will not leave he has 2 sons playing time to assure. As far as firing someone there has to be justification. Girls basketball coach has winning record. Baseball Hagy is schools all time leader in wins and only had 1 year to try to bring program up which he doesn’t have coaching ability to do. So several more years of both. Nothing will change with footballs approach and you might see QB tap out after this year. Additionally Burke was also best returning receiver.

[EKUAlum05]

What the heck is going on on Pond Creek? In all honesty, with Jones at Mingo now, I expected some departures, especially for the ones who came from there in the first place. But the Stanley and Warren transfers to Pikeville really surprised me. Belfry has lost a lot of kids in a short amount of time.

It's like a dam busting.

You have to think outside of the Belfry football program. Belfry football was been the only thing holding the flood waters back that have been rising for a decade plus.  

Pressure has been building, two rival schools are applying pressure in their own ways.. Pikeville with success in almost all athletics, facilities, academics, and a football program that is marketing itself at a level to match their dominance on the field. Mingo Central is applying pressure with a former Belfry star, his gossip rag Facebook site that treats transfers like D-1 college commitments, and plenty of playing time and promises to hand out.

Throw in bad press in different forms, uncertainty about how much  longer Haywood will be the football coach, and a booster system that isn't exactly ripe with industry and coal mines struggling in the area and Belfry is seeing the water start busting through. For those that probably would not have left, it makes it easier to leave when everyone else jumps ship.

[RTruth]

Let’s get back to football.

Belfry still returns their top 3 and 6 of their top 7 rushers.

Graduation and transfers really hurt the defense it looks like more than anything. Burke was a DB and Stanley a LB with Strothers a DL. Then graduation hit that side hard as well.

They have to replace LBs DL and 1 secondary guy in Burke.

Can they?

Do they open up the offense with the young QB? Woolum, Varney, and Deskins seem to be good size targets and athletes.

---

If I'm Belfry I'm working 24/7/365 to raise basketball, baseball and girls basketball to top notch. Great athletes want to compete at statewide levels year 'round. Being a football school only doesn't cut it today. Fix that and principals, grifters, Mingo etc is just noise that is quickly and easily forgotten...

I think that’s the issue. The principal will not allow anyone to have any input.

The players, community, and the it’s been told to me, the football staff wanted one coach. The girls basketball coach and the current coach that down and inserted the current guy.

I think most feel baseball would have been different if you didn’t have 1 guy doing 2 jobs.
Going by watching games that baseball team might have been the biggest underachieving team in the state.

You get rid of the girls basketball coach things will be good for belfry and you move the current basketball coach to one sport and I think a lot of issues will be fixed but that’s not happen. Football will be down but still has decent number out and should be fine in a year or so.

Girls basketball has nothing to do with football program. Boys basketball/baseball coach will not leave he has 2 sons playing time to assure. As far as firing someone there has to be justification. Girls basketball coach has winning record. Baseball Hagy is schools all time leader in wins and only had 1 year to try to bring program up which he doesn’t have coaching ability to do. So several more years of both. Nothing will change with footballs approach and you might see QB tap out after this year. Additionally Burke was also best returning receiver.

I don’t know all the politics that way. I know some of the parents and kids through mutual friends.

I do know Kentucky is at will for coaching. They can be fired at any point. Job is guaranteed at any point. Coach Simpkins is a perfect example. Won big a Prestonsburg and was fired.

Speaking of Prestonsburg, it’s been brought up several times. Belfry is going to be Prestonsburg if they don’t make moves immediately.

[EKUAlum05]

Let’s get back to football.

Belfry still returns their top 3 and 6 of their top 7 rushers.

Graduation and transfers really hurt the defense it looks like more than anything. Burke was a DB and Stanley a LB with Strothers a DL. Then graduation hit that side hard as well.

They have to replace LBs DL and 1 secondary guy in Burke.

Can they?

Do they open up the offense with the young QB? Woolum, Varney, and Deskins seem to be good size targets and athletes.

---

If I'm Belfry I'm working 24/7/365 to raise basketball, baseball and girls basketball to top notch. Great athletes want to compete at statewide levels year 'round. Being a football school only doesn't cut it today. Fix that and principals, grifters, Mingo etc is just noise that is quickly and easily forgotten...

I think that’s the issue. The principal will not allow anyone to have any input.

The players, community, and the it’s been told to me, the football staff wanted one coach. The girls basketball coach and the current coach that down and inserted the current guy.

I think most feel baseball would have been different if you didn’t have 1 guy doing 2 jobs.
Going by watching games that baseball team might have been the biggest underachieving team in the state.

You get rid of the girls basketball coach things will be good for belfry and you move the current basketball coach to one sport and I think a lot of issues will be fixed but that’s not happen. Football will be down but still has decent number out and should be fine in a year or so.

Girls basketball has nothing to do with football program. Boys basketball/baseball coach will not leave he has 2 sons playing time to assure. As far as firing someone there has to be justification. Girls basketball coach has winning record. Baseball Hagy is schools all time leader in wins and only had 1 year to try to bring program up which he doesn’t have coaching ability to do. So several more years of both. Nothing will change with footballs approach and you might see QB tap out after this year. Additionally Burke was also best returning receiver.

Direct and Indirect.


DIRECT= No


INDIRECT= Yes, When your star upperclassmen transfers to Pikeville and is immediately successful, and your star underclassmen leaves for Johnson Central... and D&D Sports treats both like breaking news.... it only fuels the fires when other athletes are also wavering whether to stay or if the grass is greener in Boys' Sports.

[Truewords]

Let’s get back to football.

Belfry still returns their top 3 and 6 of their top 7 rushers.

Graduation and transfers really hurt the defense it looks like more than anything. Burke was a DB and Stanley a LB with Strothers a DL. Then graduation hit that side hard as well.

They have to replace LBs DL and 1 secondary guy in Burke.

Can they?

Do they open up the offense with the young QB? Woolum, Varney, and Deskins seem to be good size targets and athletes.

---

If I'm Belfry I'm working 24/7/365 to raise basketball, baseball and girls basketball to top notch. Great athletes want to compete at statewide levels year 'round. Being a football school only doesn't cut it today. Fix that and principals, grifters, Mingo etc is just noise that is quickly and easily forgotten...

I think that’s the issue. The principal will not allow anyone to have any input.

The players, community, and the it’s been told to me, the football staff wanted one coach. The girls basketball coach and the current coach that down and inserted the current guy.

I think most feel baseball would have been different if you didn’t have 1 guy doing 2 jobs.
Going by watching games that baseball team might have been the biggest underachieving team in the state.

You get rid of the girls basketball coach things will be good for belfry and you move the current basketball coach to one sport and I think a lot of issues will be fixed but that’s not happen. Football will be down but still has decent number out and should be fine in a year or so.

Girls basketball has nothing to do with football program. Boys basketball/baseball coach will not leave he has 2 sons playing time to assure. As far as firing someone there has to be justification. Girls basketball coach has winning record. Baseball Hagy is schools all time leader in wins and only had 1 year to try to bring program up which he doesn’t have coaching ability to do. So several more years of both. Nothing will change with footballs approach and you might see QB tap out after this year. Additionally Burke was also best returning receiver.

Direct and Indirect.


DIRECT= No


INDIRECT= Yes, When your star upperclassmen transfers to Pikeville and is immediately successful, and your star underclassmen leaves for Johnson Central... and D&D Sports treats both like breaking news.... it only fuels the fires when other athletes are also wavering whether to stay or if the grass is greener in Boys' Sports.

Grass is greener in all sports at Pikeville and Johnson Central. Football has been going down at Belfry for several years now. With out Covid year Dixon you do not get last championship. They will have decent teams for next 2 years but will not be competing for state tile. I don’t want to hear about middle school titles because it doesn’t matter in high school. The number of enrolled and players have dropped in Belfry and without job opportunities it will continue. Belfry could hit 1A status in few years