[Hoot Gibson]

It is enjoyable debating this with you rather than Bob Seger. At least I don't feel like you are just getting ready to post "cluck cluck" and something about some poster who used to post a decade ago named "Bad Cat" or the "Prideful One".

I agree that Matney has done a tremendous job at Johnson Central. I attended many of those Ashland-Johnson Central games over the years, though, and a layman fan could see who was going to win simply by looking at the teams in warmups. Johnson Central has consistently fielded lines that look like small college lines. Matney has done a great job with them, but it is much easier to do a great job when you are working with 6-6 300lb athletes as opposed to working with 6-2 220lb athletes.

It just seems to me that Johnson Central should start focusing on putting some state title trophies in their hallways rather than constantly dwelling on how they have lapped the competition here in Eastern Kentucky including Ashland. In the past decade, they have proven to consistently be far better than Ashland. Move on now and win some state titles. Be better than everyone. I hope they can manage to do so this season. I think it's good and rather amazing that any team from Eastern Kentucky can be better than the rest of the state in anything given the economy in our area.

You cannot put state title trophies into the trophy case unless you reach championship games and JC has been making it to title games on a regular basis. JC put together one of the most, if not the most, dominant playoff runs in history that culminated in a 48-0 win over Franklin Simpson. The next season, they lost 2016 4A Player of the Year in the first game of the season and lost in the state finals to Franklin Simpson in the state title game. Last season, JC lost to a very strong Franklin Simpson team by a narrow 14-12 margin.

If three straight state title games does not demonstrate a focus on winning state titles, then I am not sure what more Matney and JC could have done. What were the Tomcats do during those state title games to demonstrate their focus on winning state titles?