2008 Harlan

What does Harlan need to do to improve in 2008? What do they need to keep doing to be successful? Remember, please be constructive.

Add some speed. I don't know how young they were last year but they lacked good team speed. This may be corrected just getting a year older.

Got to agree. Saw them play twice. Have to have more speed, better D and some consistency. They were not as bad as they looked by scores last year, just young and not as good as usual Harlan teams.

Harlan wasn't that young last year. They lose two of their top linemen (A. Jones and Howard), their top running back (Luttrell), their quarterback (C. Jones), their tight end (Johnson) and a good linebacker (Heck).

They did play quite a few sophomores though, and with Cumberland and Evarts closing they could be ranked second in the district.

Will some of the Cawood and Evarts kids end up at Harlan? THAT could make a difference, also.

I doubt many of the County kids will attend Harlan due to the tuition, not implying anything about finances but it is a butt-load to pay. From people I've talked to, more than likely most Cumberland students will probably journey to LCC (Letcher Co.) and the Cawood and Evats players will be at HCHS.

Back to Harlan now. The team speed has improved A LOT since last year. The fastest forty times were Allen Hensley at a 4.71 and Eric Robinson in the high 4.7's. It should be an interesting year considering they have three likely prospects at the QB position (Hensly, Pennington, and Carr.) The line should be the strong-point for the Dragons as they return four starters on offense (Cole, Dugger, Hill, and Allen) and one on defense (Hill). Returning linebackers will be Pennington and Link (moving down from Safety). If they continue working as hard as they have in the offseason, Harlan make a huge turn around on a tragic past season.

Will some of the Cawood and Evarts kids end up at Harlan? THAT could make a difference, also.

Anything can happen but that is highly unlikely. !st why would someone travel across the mountain to arrive at basically the same thing they are leaving for? Next, I don't think those kids are going to do this and then sit out a year of ball. Finally, you have so many more opportunities right at your finger tips along with Larkey as the coach. From what I am seeing things are going as planned and are coming together. So as far as a difference for the Dragon's next year I doubt they need to count on the county. Where they are going to benefit if at all is going to be in the lower grades. This is the area that might get a few transfers. However, it would only be help in the long run and not next year. I am hearing both Evarts, Cumberland and Cawood is doing fine and I can't wait to see them on the field and on the court next year. Now having said that change is a funny thing for most people so it is all just a guess as of now. However, for those who jump ship in the lower grades I can't see all of them staying with what they will have at HCHS. It might just take a year for them to see that. JMHO

As far as Harlan goes it should be interesting to say the least. They have some good juniors to be so I am saying they will be rated behind Hazard for next year.

Just was curious, due to the proximity to Cawood and HHS.

When LC and KC rumors were going around about consolidation when our kids were younger, we had thought of sending them to Corbin to avoid the trip to Barbourville every day. It all worked out for the best for us when we got the new school, but I thought some of the Cawood kids may see this as the same type of route to avoid a long trip to school every day. Evarts would be a longer haul, so HCHS makes sense for them.

Actually, the Evarts kids would save about four miles at Harlan since it's on the way to Harlan County, but most of the Cawood students could get to HCHS about as quickly as they could Harlan and it's a shorter trip for some there than to either Harlan or Cawood.

I don't get the Letcher angle either. It's about 23 miles from Cumberland High School to Letcher Central and about 17 to HCHS, plus you don't have to go over a mountain. Thousands of students have made the trip for decades from Harlan-Cawood-Evarts to Southeast Community College.

Well that Letcher angle came from just talking to a few Cumberland players I know. I don't think it would make mutch since, however, LCC has developed a pretty darn good program recently. I believe the middle school changed the rules on transfer students where they wouldn't have to miss a year of eligibility, so that could help Harlan (like lungbuster said) in years to come, and could make for some interesting seasons for Coach Anderson and Seragus. I wish the High School would make the change as well.

The high schools are under KHSAA rules. There's not much they could do about that.

Well that Letcher angle came from just talking to a few Cumberland players I know. I don't think it would make mutch since, however, LCC has developed a pretty darn good program recently. I believe the middle school changed the rules on transfer students where they wouldn't have to miss a year of eligibility, so that could help Harlan (like lungbuster said) in years to come, and could make for some interesting seasons for Coach Anderson and Seragus. I wish the High School would make the change as well.

I don't fully understand the rule about missing a year of eligibility in the middle school? what rule and who changed it. Back to your thoughts on the high tuition? Wouldn't this affect the middle school students or are you saying the tuition doesn't affect the lower grades? Or could it be that the tuition is just a smoke screen to only accept and or weed out the kids they don't won't. From what you are saying the city uses this tuition bit to attract whom they want to educate. If schools get to choose the students it seems to me that would be an advantage? A huge advantage over those who must take all? You just got me thinking from your last post!

I don't fully understand the rule about missing a year of eligibility in the middle school? what rule and who changed it. Back to your thoughts on the high tuition? Wouldn't this affect the middle school students or are you saying the tuition doesn't affect the lower grades? Or could it be that the tuition is just a smoke screen to only accept and or weed out the kids they don't won't. From what you are saying the city uses this tuition bit to attract whom they want to educate. If schools get to choose the students it seems to me that would be an advantage? A huge advantage over those who must take all? You just got me thinking from your last post!

The students that attend the middle school at Harlan Ind. aren't allowed to holdback and play sports the hold back year. I think they are going to change this rule this coming year were the athletes can holdback and still play.

I think NG was referring to the change in the holdback policy for next year. As for high tuition, its really not "high", because the tuition only reflects a portion of the cost of educating a student in any school system. It affects all grades, however your paranoia of the city's motives, while typical is laughable. Its this simple. It cost money to educate a child. The County's ADA compromise was to limit the folks covered at a certain number. Beyond that the City wouldn't recieve any state money for educating them. Therefore tuition is charged. I can't see how that is "choosing" students. I've heard parent complaints of "choosing" in the county system among its own schools. Really LB, your witch hunt for "smoke screens" and "advantages" is amusing at best and pathetic at worst.

I don't fully understand the rule about missing a year of eligibility in the middle school? what rule and who changed it. Back to your thoughts on the high tuition? Wouldn't this affect the middle school students or are you saying the tuition doesn't affect the lower grades? Or could it be that the tuition is just a smoke screen to only accept and or weed out the kids they don't won't. From what you are saying the city uses this tuition bit to attract whom they want to educate. If schools get to choose the students it seems to me that would be an advantage? A huge advantage over those who must take all? You just got me thinking from your last post!

correct

The students that attend the middle school at Harlan Ind. aren't allowed to holdback and play sports the hold back year. I think they are going to change this rule this coming year were the athletes can holdback and still play.