[ole_blue_sack_15]

Just for fun, I'll be your huckleberry.


As you can see above I have Belfry at #2 behind HC, but I am curious why Black Bear fans seem to think there is a world of difference between the two teams.

We have several justifiable reasons why Belfry could be ranked ahead of HC:

1) In the spirit of "Grandfathering" in your position, Belfry played later than Harlan County last year as one of only two mountain teams to reach the State Finals, thus finishing higher in the Final Mountain Top 10. Belfry is 3-0 and has defeated a fellow Mountain Top 10 team. By the theory of only dropping when you lose, Belfry certainly deserves the higher seed.

2) Belfry played "up" in class in their first two games defeating 4A Harrison County, 6A Henry Clay, their third game was on the road at a very good Pburg team. Though I personally think Henry Clay is considerably better than Dunbar, we will consider those opponents a "wash" since both Lexington schools are winless. Harrison County and Mo-East cancel each other out. In my personal opinion Pburg would take Gate City to the woodshed, but for the sake of argument we will consider both road wins a "wash" as well. So we have similar wins, in similar dominating fashion, against similar teams. The difference is the fact Belfry has done this above their class level for the most part, whereas Harlan has more or less "played down" as a 5A school.

3) As I make this point, keep in mind I am just playing Devil's Advocate, this isn't actually my personal feelings: Traditional Ranking. Belfry has been the premier Mountain Program over the past decade with a track record even the mighty Bell County fanbase has to bow down to. The Pirates have established a consistency that results with them finishing in the Top 3 spots in the Final poll essentially every year, Harlan County...and subsequently the schools that fed into HCHS..have not. Does this conclude Belfry is the better team and will have the better season? No. Does this stand to reason that a Belfry team, who seems to be the favorite to represent the Eastern Semi-State in 3A, will once again be playing late in November while other programs faulter along the way? Probably. Should a ranking of the top 10 pay homage to tradition and trends? Maybe. If so, Belfry certainly makes an argument that as long as they win they deserve to be ahead of programs who have not experienced such past success... YET (I am pulling for you HCHS)

understand what your saying! BUT the PAST dont matter in the 2011 season!