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11-17-2009, 08:26 AM
(This post was last modified: 11-17-2009, 07:06 PM by BlackcatAlum.)
I hear a lot on this site about "Mountain Football." Perhaps more than any region in the state, this area claims an interesting mantra about "King of the Mountains," or "Never beaten by a Mountain team since . . ."
This started me thinking about why this "Regional Pride" is so great. So I went back to look at the # of State Champions from the "Mountains" since 1975. Here's what I came up with.
Class A Champs
1998 Middlesboro
1989 Pikeville
1988 Pikeville
1987 Pikeville
Class AA Champs
2004 Belfry
2003 Belfry
2002 Breathitt
1996 Breathitt
1995 Breathitt
1982 Corbin
1980 Corbin
1976 Corbin
Class AAA Champs
1991 Bell
Class AAAA Champs
2008 Bell
Now Ashland won AAA in 1990 and Russell won AA in 2005 and AAA in 1978 but I've seen some people debate whether they are NEKY teams or Mountains teams so include them if you wish.
That's 14 state champs over 34 years and mostly 4 classes (except for the last 3 years where there were 6 possible state champs).
Just a cursory look shows NKY with 36 Titles, CKY with 20 and WKY with 20 and I won't even count the Louisville area.
Why such pride over a region that has probably produced the fewest State titles of any region in KY? Just asking.
This started me thinking about why this "Regional Pride" is so great. So I went back to look at the # of State Champions from the "Mountains" since 1975. Here's what I came up with.
Class A Champs
1998 Middlesboro
1989 Pikeville
1988 Pikeville
1987 Pikeville
Class AA Champs
2004 Belfry
2003 Belfry
2002 Breathitt
1996 Breathitt
1995 Breathitt
1982 Corbin
1980 Corbin
1976 Corbin
Class AAA Champs
1991 Bell
Class AAAA Champs
2008 Bell
Now Ashland won AAA in 1990 and Russell won AA in 2005 and AAA in 1978 but I've seen some people debate whether they are NEKY teams or Mountains teams so include them if you wish.
That's 14 state champs over 34 years and mostly 4 classes (except for the last 3 years where there were 6 possible state champs).
Just a cursory look shows NKY with 36 Titles, CKY with 20 and WKY with 20 and I won't even count the Louisville area.
Why such pride over a region that has probably produced the fewest State titles of any region in KY? Just asking.
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11-17-2009, 09:01 AM
because down here its all about heart and pride we dont get the luxury to get thousands of big time city kids to play and have a special team and a defense and an offense where im from you have to play both ways so i am saying that we accomplish a lot with what we have. You take 1 young man say QB he has to run the offense and instead of getting a breather while the defense go's out he has to stay and play safety or corner and he even plays on special teams so a lot of kids play the whole game every game except if we are beating somebody so bad we put in JV so thats why we are the best
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11-17-2009, 09:04 AM
I'd revise your list to 13 titles in 34 years. I wouldn't count Bardstown as a mountain school.
11-17-2009, 09:24 AM
Bardstown won it in 2001. Breathitt won it in 2002!
11-17-2009, 09:35 AM
Very rarely on a mountain football team do you have both and offense and a defense. Most guys play both ways and have around 40-60 players on a team 9-12 grade. Qb's and rb's play LB's and DB's on defense and never come off the field!
11-17-2009, 09:49 AM
BigBlueBobcatFan Wrote:because down here its all about heart and pride we dont get the luxury to get thousands of big time city kids to play and have a special team and a defense and an offense where im from you have to play both ways so i am saying that we accomplish a lot with what we have. You take 1 young man say QB he has to run the offense and instead of getting a breather while the defense go's out he has to stay and play safety or corner and he even plays on special teams so a lot of kids play the whole game every game except if we are beating somebody so bad we put in JV so thats why we are the best
despite what many of you think, we dont have thosands of kids to choose from.......You probably have a bigger area to choose from than we do, you combined schools from several areas and Boyle isnt an Independent school like Danville, we are just a county school.
11-17-2009, 10:01 AM
Hatz Wrote:I hear a lot on this site about "Mountain Football." Perhaps more than any region in the state, this area claims an interesting mantra about "King of the Mountains," or "Never beaten by a Mountain team since . . ."
This started me thinking about why this "Regional Pride" is so great. So I went back to look at the # of State Champions from the "Mountains" since 1975. Here's what I came up with.
Class A Champs
1998 Middlesboro
1989 Pikeville
1988 Pikeville
1987 Pikeville
Class AA Champs
2004 Belfry
2003 Belfry
2002 Bardstown
1996 Breathitt
1995 Breathitt
1982 Corbin
1980 Corbin
1976 Corbin
Class AAA Champs
1991 Bell
Class AAAA Champs
2008 Bell
Now Ashland won AAA in 1990 and Russell won AA in 2005 and AAA in 1978 but I've seen some people debate whether they are NEKY teams or Mountains teams so include them if you wish.
That's 14 state champs over 34 years and mostly 4 classes (except for the last 3 years where there were 6 possible state champs).
Just a cursory look shows NKY with 36 Titles, CKY with 20 and WKY with 20 and I won't even count the Louisville area.
Why such pride over a region that has probably produced the fewest State titles of any region in KY? Just asking.
Unless you have been born in or lived in the Mountians you could not understand our pride in football. It is not an aquired pride, you have to live it! Alot of us growing up remember playing on river bottom fields with stands about to fall down and having the Central or big city Ky teams thown at us. They had nice pretty fields and big name players, but we never gave up. Now the Mountain teams have state of the art facilities and the quality of football is on the rise. I think too the Moutain area is more close than other areas of the state. Mountain fans cheer for other Mountain teams.
We may not have as many titles as other areas yet, but we are proud of the ones we have. We will get there. MOUNTIAN PRIDE ALWAYS FLAUNT IT, BUT NEVER BE ASHAMED OF IT!
11-17-2009, 11:59 AM
Hatz Wrote:I hear a lot on this site about "Mountain Football." Perhaps more than any region in the state, this area claims an interesting mantra about "King of the Mountains," or "Never beaten by a Mountain team since . . ."
This started me thinking about why this "Regional Pride" is so great. So I went back to look at the # of State Champions from the "Mountains" since 1975. Here's what I came up with.
Class A Champs
1998 Middlesboro
1989 Pikeville
1988 Pikeville
1987 Pikeville
Class AA Champs
2004 Belfry
2003 Belfry
2002 Bardstown
1996 Breathitt
1995 Breathitt
1982 Corbin
1980 Corbin
1976 Corbin
Class AAA Champs
1991 Bell
Class AAAA Champs
2008 Bell
Now Ashland won AAA in 1990 and Russell won AA in 2005 and AAA in 1978 but I've seen some people debate whether they are NEKY teams or Mountains teams so include them if you wish.
That's 14 state champs over 34 years and mostly 4 classes (except for the last 3 years where there were 6 possible state champs).
Just a cursory look shows NKY with 36 Titles, CKY with 20 and WKY with 20 and I won't even count the Louisville area.
Why such pride over a region that has probably produced the fewest State titles of any region in KY? Just asking.
To answer your question about EKY football (I cannot stand the term mountain football because you are excluding schools such as Raceland, Ashland, Russell, Fairview, etc. also in the Eastern part of the state). High school sports is all we have in EKY. NKY you have Cincinnati Bearcats, Reds, Bengals and other forms of entertainment. CKY of course you have UK, and Louisville area you have UofL. I grew up in EKY, at Raceland all we talked about was football 365. I now live in the Louisville area the passion for HS sports is not here, everyone cares more about UofL or UK. Tell me a pro team or a major college to take away the attention in EKY that other regions have taking away from their HS sports.
11-17-2009, 12:07 PM
backinblack2003 Wrote:I'd revise your list to 13 titles in 34 years. I wouldn't count Bardstown as a mountain school.I agree if Bardstown is counted then throw Ashland and Russell in.
Mark 11:23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this MOUNTAIN, `Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says. NKJ
11-17-2009, 12:11 PM
Jarons Wrote:To answer your question about EKY football (I cannot stand the term mountain football because you are excluding schools such as Raceland, Ashland, Russell, Fairview, etc. also in the Eastern part of the state). High school sports is all we have in EKY. NKY you have Cincinnati Bearcats, Reds, Bengals and other forms of entertainment. CKY of course you have UK, and Louisville area you have UofL. I grew up in EKY, at Raceland all we talked about was football 365. I now live in the Louisville area the passion for HS sports is not here, everyone cares more about UofL or UK. Tell me a pro team or a major college to take away the attention in EKY that other regions have taking away from their HS sports.:Thumbs: Agreed but you do see a little decline once UK starts BB and play on a Friday night. I still don't understand why they would play on a Friday night prior to the end of HS football.
Mark 11:23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this MOUNTAIN, `Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says. NKJ
11-17-2009, 12:17 PM
We will never be the "Golden Triangle", and I am so thankful for that.
11-17-2009, 12:17 PM
Nky would most of their titles not be from one school in particular? Let's say Ft. Thomas? Throw in a few for CovCath. How about Beechwood? How many does that leave for NKY?
Cky? I'm going to take a guess that most titles came from Lexington in the 70s and 80s. Throw in Boyle's five titles to go along with that. Wky? I have no clue? I thought that part of the area was from another state?
Cky? I'm going to take a guess that most titles came from Lexington in the 70s and 80s. Throw in Boyle's five titles to go along with that. Wky? I have no clue? I thought that part of the area was from another state?
11-17-2009, 12:27 PM
bucslover68 Wrote:We will never be the "Golden Triangle", and I am so thankful for that.More like the Black Diamond Triangle in EKY.
Mark 11:23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this MOUNTAIN, `Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says. NKJ
11-17-2009, 12:37 PM
Sheriik Wrote:despite what many of you think, we dont have thosands of kids to choose from.......You probably have a bigger area to choose from than we do, you combined schools from several areas and Boyle isnt an Independent school like Danville, we are just a county school.
Boyle is a 4A school, how many kids do you have?
Bell County is a county school too. Not to mention there are two independent schools within 10 minutes of Bell County high school, one on each side, Middlesboro and Pineville, both of which are in Bell County.
Notre Dame Football…GO IRISH
11-17-2009, 02:50 PM
Redneck Wrote:Boyle is a 4A school, how many kids do you have?
Bell County is a county school too. Not to mention there are two independent schools within 10 minutes of Bell County high school, one on each side, Middlesboro and Pineville, both of which are in Bell County.
From what I have heard is that Boyle is close to being in 3A. So the number of students has went down some. I like this thread, it give us in the Central part of the state a chance to hear from you guys in the Eastern part.:Thumbs: Believe me, I am a football fan thru and thru. I would rather watch football than any other sport. Now I do like Basketball but football is my favorite sport and wish we had it year round.
irateSho
11-17-2009, 03:49 PM
From what I researched about 800 kids, little less than half being boys....
The only reason I comment on this...my family from Nky, my husbands from Eky, anything South of Lexington according to alot is redneck, anything up I75 is Lexington, LoL....I crack up when I hear this! I actually think we are less than 800, and like discussed in another thread the numbers are declining...specially with the factories that are closing....
The only reason I comment on this...my family from Nky, my husbands from Eky, anything South of Lexington according to alot is redneck, anything up I75 is Lexington, LoL....I crack up when I hear this! I actually think we are less than 800, and like discussed in another thread the numbers are declining...specially with the factories that are closing....
11-17-2009, 04:16 PM
Sheriik Wrote:From what I researched about 800 kids, little less than half being boys....
The only reason I comment on this...my family from Nky, my husbands from Eky, anything South of Lexington according to alot is redneck, anything up I75 is Lexington, LoL....I crack up when I hear this! I actually think we are less than 800, and like discussed in another thread the numbers are declining...specially with the factories that are closing....
I have heard from several talking about the decline in enrollment of their schools. It seems like the majority is suffering through losing students. I know this goes along with lack of jobs, which leads to the inability to raise a family in these areas. It's a sad time and a hard time right now for so many families. Our enrollment is like many more with the decline becoming greater with each year it seems.
11-17-2009, 04:38 PM
Hatz... you may have opened a can of worms LOL Here comes a long winded explanation.
I think the pride is much more sociologically driven and not statistically, I think it comes froma far ranging scope. One of my co-workers here in Atlanta is from Rockcastle County and we actually had this very discussion about "EKY mannerisms" a little while back.
The "pride" of being from the Appalachian Region IMO transcends sports and can be dated back to the Scottish descendants who settled the area. These people had many genertaions of Clannish heritage that was instilled deep into their veins. As they began settling into the area (which most resembled their native land across the ocean), thye continued many customs. This is where bluegrass music got its start as they integrated many of the same instruments and music styles that were prevalent in Scottish culture. The relative isolation as a result seemed to fuel a strong desire of "defending their own" especially from outsiders who began moving into their area. A strong sense of protecting one's properties, and upholding the family name would seemingly spill over into many other facets of their life such as their community and politics, all of which was further fueled by an inherant lack of money and the need to "fend for themselves".
The geographic barriers that the Appalachian mountains presented typically left these areas cut off from the ver changing outside world. Businesses found it foolish to locate there, coal companies led by "outsiders" took advantage of families with deep planted roots, politicians focused on more "prevalent" areas, and the emergence of labor unions only further fueled the fires that the locals were viewed nothing more as "uneducated and only slightly better than worthless". Through this viewpoint many people began feeling as if it was a them against the world situation... which in turn only further solidified their bonds with their fellow kindred spirits.
During the 50's and 60's as cities grew in Kentucky and modern ammenities became more prevalent for those areas, the emergence of sports became an outlet for the hard working people in EKY and their primary means of entertainment. Thus legends were born of figures who capitvated everyone's attention.. folks like King Kelly Coleman, the Carr Creek Basketball team, and football players. Athletic events became social events and something to take pride in. As these teams went on to take on the out of area programs, with more ammenities, more media attention, and better reputations, it called on the old feelings of being the underdog.
I have lived all over the state of Kentucky... Richmond, Louisville, Lexington.... and done business from every single corner of the state, and no other area remotely compares to the overall support of EKY. Certain areas have certain teams that have huge crowds while they are winning, but mountain schools generally turn out regardless. I still remember going to a Louisville Male game when they were bringing in Brentwood Academy (TN) and being amazed at how small the crowd was.
So long story short... the pride EKY fans have has very little to do with success, and more about tradition.
I think the pride is much more sociologically driven and not statistically, I think it comes froma far ranging scope. One of my co-workers here in Atlanta is from Rockcastle County and we actually had this very discussion about "EKY mannerisms" a little while back.
The "pride" of being from the Appalachian Region IMO transcends sports and can be dated back to the Scottish descendants who settled the area. These people had many genertaions of Clannish heritage that was instilled deep into their veins. As they began settling into the area (which most resembled their native land across the ocean), thye continued many customs. This is where bluegrass music got its start as they integrated many of the same instruments and music styles that were prevalent in Scottish culture. The relative isolation as a result seemed to fuel a strong desire of "defending their own" especially from outsiders who began moving into their area. A strong sense of protecting one's properties, and upholding the family name would seemingly spill over into many other facets of their life such as their community and politics, all of which was further fueled by an inherant lack of money and the need to "fend for themselves".
The geographic barriers that the Appalachian mountains presented typically left these areas cut off from the ver changing outside world. Businesses found it foolish to locate there, coal companies led by "outsiders" took advantage of families with deep planted roots, politicians focused on more "prevalent" areas, and the emergence of labor unions only further fueled the fires that the locals were viewed nothing more as "uneducated and only slightly better than worthless". Through this viewpoint many people began feeling as if it was a them against the world situation... which in turn only further solidified their bonds with their fellow kindred spirits.
During the 50's and 60's as cities grew in Kentucky and modern ammenities became more prevalent for those areas, the emergence of sports became an outlet for the hard working people in EKY and their primary means of entertainment. Thus legends were born of figures who capitvated everyone's attention.. folks like King Kelly Coleman, the Carr Creek Basketball team, and football players. Athletic events became social events and something to take pride in. As these teams went on to take on the out of area programs, with more ammenities, more media attention, and better reputations, it called on the old feelings of being the underdog.
I have lived all over the state of Kentucky... Richmond, Louisville, Lexington.... and done business from every single corner of the state, and no other area remotely compares to the overall support of EKY. Certain areas have certain teams that have huge crowds while they are winning, but mountain schools generally turn out regardless. I still remember going to a Louisville Male game when they were bringing in Brentwood Academy (TN) and being amazed at how small the crowd was.
So long story short... the pride EKY fans have has very little to do with success, and more about tradition.
11-17-2009, 04:39 PM
We went home a couple of months ago, downtown Cumberland, its sad...everytime we leave my husband frequently comments on how good his childhood was there, but the only thing good is that 119 is the way out, he misses it but cant make a living there.....I dont know what people are gonna do?
11-17-2009, 05:18 PM
Jarons Wrote:To answer your question about EKY football (I cannot stand the term mountain football because you are excluding schools such as Raceland, Ashland, Russell, Fairview, etc. also in the Eastern part of the state). High school sports is all we have in EKY. NKY you have Cincinnati Bearcats, Reds, Bengals and other forms of entertainment. CKY of course you have UK, and Louisville area you have UofL. I grew up in EKY, at Raceland all we talked about was football 365. I now live in the Louisville area the passion for HS sports is not here, everyone cares more about UofL or UK. Tell me a pro team or a major college to take away the attention in EKY that other regions have taking away from their HS sports.
Very well said, when i went to EKU my roommate was from Louisville and had went to Trinity. He took me to one of thier football games where i seen about 10 to 12 thousand people in attendence. It really blew me away because here i was from a area that only had about 14,000 total in population but still yet the game i attended did not have the feel near the same that you get when its in eastern Ky. East Ky, Mountain Footabll what ever you call it is a community, just here in Lawrence County we call ourselves "THE DAWG FAMILY" and i love it!!
11-17-2009, 06:07 PM
Many Many years that Bell Co had to play Highlands in State Semi. They kept us away ALOT from the State Game!!!
11-17-2009, 06:37 PM
I still think it comes down to the kids, and there work ethics. If they take it seriously, and when I say take it seriously, I mean off season work outs, and commit to there athletics like majority does, then a lot of teams could only be better. Example: Now that the season is over with for some teams, some is playing basketball, some is wrestling, but for some that is doing neither, and there grades are ok, what are they doing right now. I can almost guarantee if Highlands, Saint X, and Trinity season is over with, they would be in the weight room right now. No question about it. If you aren't in the weight room right now and working on conditioning right now, then you aren't committing to your athletics.
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[COLOR="Blue"]
My Priorities are:
1)God
2)Family
3)Cougar Athletics!
Everything else doesn't matter![/COLOR]
[COLOR="Blue"]
My Priorities are:
1)God
2)Family
3)Cougar Athletics!
Everything else doesn't matter![/COLOR]
11-17-2009, 06:59 PM
Boyle County still has at least 150 or more students then Russell does. Highlands they have at least 100 more than Russell
11-17-2009, 07:02 PM
GOREDDEVILS Wrote:Boyle County still has at least 150 or more students then Russell does. Highlands they have at least 100 more than RussellAnd they play in a class above Russell, so why do the numbers matter?
Twitter: @tc_analytics
11-17-2009, 07:08 PM
TheBrahmaBull Wrote:And they play in a class above Russell, so why do the numbers matter?Because some people are acting like the number of students in a school don't make for a better chance to get talent.
Also highlands is suppose to be in 3a but they still have more boys as well as boyle then Russell and alot of other 3a schools. Highlands is playing in 5a thankgod for that.
11-17-2009, 07:18 PM
Boys numbers
boyle-461
Highlands -414
Russell- 318
Belfry- 351
quite a bit of difference in the amount of boys to choose from in the top of 3a and Boyle,Highlands
boyle-461
Highlands -414
Russell- 318
Belfry- 351
quite a bit of difference in the amount of boys to choose from in the top of 3a and Boyle,Highlands
11-17-2009, 08:07 PM
Hows this for example highlands has 414 boys while lawrence County who is 4a has 421 and I don't even see how highlands could even be considered for 3a like they had them originally with 414 boys with just 7 less than Lawrence.
Also even though having more boys help the talent rich areas of central,ky, louisville,nky produce better athletes over all anyway.
Also even though having more boys help the talent rich areas of central,ky, louisville,nky produce better athletes over all anyway.
11-17-2009, 10:31 PM
BigBlueBobcatFan Wrote:because down here its all about heart and pride we dont get the luxury to get thousands of big time city kids to play and have a special team and a defense and an offense where im from you have to play both ways so i am saying that we accomplish a lot with what we have. You take 1 young man say QB he has to run the offense and instead of getting a breather while the defense go's out he has to stay and play safety or corner and he even plays on special teams so a lot of kids play the whole game every game except if we are beating somebody so bad we put in JV so thats why we are the best
You have roughly the same amount of kids as any other school in your class.Therefore that big city crap is just that . Crap. Build your program.Get a good youth program.Come compete with us as we welcome the challenge.Just stop making the same tired excuses why you cant compete.:dontthink
11-17-2009, 10:48 PM
birds3pete09 Wrote:You have roughly the same amount of kids as any other school in your class.Therefore that big city crap is just that . Crap. Build your program.Get a good youth program.Come compete with us as we welcome the challenge.Just stop making the same tired excuses why you cant compete.:dontthinkI'm not sure about that Bell county has 393 male students but they are much closer highlands size then many of the 3a schools.
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