[charlie22]

There is no need to list all the kids names. I think what some are trying to say is that it is virtually impossible for a county say with 20,000 pop. to compete with schools that have a city or cities with a pop. of 200,000 people within arms reach of them to have kids come to their school when they are known as a power house. However I do not blame any parent that has a talented athlete to enroll their kid in a powerhouse program. That isn't the issue. But as a coach for over 20yrs. I will say it is impossible year in and out to compete with schools that have the luxury of getting the best of the best from major metro areas. Schools such as Highlands, Cov. Cath., Trinity, St. X, all have great programs. I just wish there was some different system that would make it more competitive for those schools. I mean come on Highlands won the state last year 50-0. Now do you really think the team they beat were the second best in the state.....probably not. I saw Cov. Cath and Highlands play this year. ABSOLUTELY A GREAT GAME !! An awesome game to watch. Now that was a very competitive game. Just wish people would give it some thought is all....................Thanks.

Thanks Coach for the well written and thought out post. I understand your point. There are advantages held by the urban schools, one of which is the funnel effect that you mentioned (although I think the funnel effect is somewhat present for the strong football programs in the rural areas also. We've seen plenty of transfers among the rural schools and I doubt they were all for the "purest" of reasons.) But I think we need to keep in mind that when there are many strong football programs in an urban area, the mouth of the funnel isn't as wide. I know some folks think that every good football player (or even most good football players) all over N. Ky end up at Highlands. But that's really not accurate. Do we get some? Yes, but it's not as prevalent as people think. Often times its kids of parents that graduated from Highlands but chose to live outside of Ft. Thomas. Heck, we don't even get all the best football players that live in Ft. Thomas. NewCath gets a fair number of them. Beechwood keeps its best football players and also attracts some of the better football players looking to play elsewhere. Kenton County has open enrollment in the county so those kids have several options. I know Dixie and SK are down, really down, this year, but they have both had enough success to "keep" Kenton County kids that want to go to a good football program. Heck, I cheer for SK, Dixie, Boone, Ryle and Beechwood to have great success every year, because I fear if they don't, the kids in their communities will go to CovCath. CovCath is back once again and it acts as another funnel that attracts kids from N. Ky, thus keeping them from entering the Highlands funnel. I'm convinced Lickert will have great success at Campbell County if he stays there for more than a couple of years. There really is the potential to turn Campbell County into a really strong football program. If so, that further takes kids away from the mouth of the Highlands funnel. My point is that because of the number of strong or even just decent programs throughout N. Ky, the funnel effect for Highlands is not as prevalent as some think.

Personally, I think the biggest funnel effect is found in Louisville and Trinity is the primary beneficiary. Given their success and national recognition this year, I think the funnel will get bigger and wider for T. Busing, along with discipline and other issues at some of the Jeff Co. public schools help create the funnel. If Male, Manual, Ballard and the other schools don't start having greater success soon, Trinity will have even greater success in the future (as hard as that is to believe). I think X is fast approaching a crossroad. I like Glaser a lot, but Beatty's style of play is much more attractive to young kids making a decision on what high school to attend. When you have great coaching, great tradition, great support and you add the great athletes, you end up with the great football teams that T is producing. X has great coaches, great tradition and great support, but I'm told the great athletes are choosing T over X. That's not good for the future of X football, at least as it relates to competing against T. I think style of play is a big reason as to why kids are choosing T over X.

Thanks for your 20 years of coaching service to the kids of Ky. I don't think coaches are thanked often enough for their sacrifices and committent.