[EKUAlum05]

There's no class in the east that's as weak as 3A. 3A in the east is an absolute joke. At least 5A has teams like Cooper,Harlan County,Pulaski County,Franklin County,and Conner to name a few. Belfry has a good team there's no doubt about that but they have the easiest path to the state finals. I'd love to be able to play Knott Central,Lawrence County,Breathitt County,and Bourbon County to advance to the state title game like Belfry did last year.

Of course you would...you support a 4A team who has Highlands in your region. Also.. the best teams you listed (Franklin, Conner, Cooper) are all in the same region. You only have to face one of them.

Would 2A Somerset rather face Pburg, Middlesboro, Danville, and NewCath than those teams? Probably so.

Would 1A Pikeville rather face their normal opponents or those 3A teams? Definitely the 1A teams. There is a reason there is a class difference. It is all relative.

Belfry plays the 3A teams in front of them. Of the Pirate teams who reached the Finals who would you have honestly taken in 3A over them?

Let's look at the years Belfry reached the Finals:

2007- Belfry was the #1 3A team basically the entire year. They were 14-0 and defeated a very good Johnson Central team. Crushed Somerset on the road and obliterated an undefeated Breathitt County team(who had defeated a solid Pburg team and 1A Runner-Up LCA). The only 3A team with an argument was Tilghman, but remember at the time the loss to Central was considered an upset.

2010- That was not a very strong Belfry team, but they certainly earned their way to Bowling Green by defeating a one loss Mason County team (who I believe was ranked #4) and defeating a Somerset team who was undefeated and ranked #1 (they were runner-ups from the previous season). Belfry imploded in that game.. but to be fair no team stayed within 2 TD's of them throughout the playoffs.

2011- Belfry played Central to the last play. Central cruised through the playoffs. Belfry defeated a very solid Garrard County team who I honestly thought was the 3rd best 3A team that year.. they also went to Jackson and knocked off an undefeated Breathitt team who many regarded as the #2 team entering that game.

2012- Central finally had a playoff run where they were pushed by other 3A teams.. but they also were contending with significant injuries to their QB and RB. Belfry played Central with everyone back and it literally came down to a missed XP. Was an undefeated Bourbon County and an undefeated Breathitt the #3 and #4 teams in 3A when the dust settled? Probably not... but they were not slouches either and entering those games they were both billed as legit contenders.