The Matney thread brought this one back up in memory as this was the game that basically stood as the cornerstone of Jim Matney's rise to prominence in KY HS Football.

 

 

Belfry entered as a heavy favorite after defeating Sheldon Clark 42-22 in the regular season in a game that Belfry pulled their starters. This was the height of the Jonathan Wright era at Belfry where the Pirates actually ran exclusively out of the shotgun. The week prior Belfry had defeated Bell County 14-13 in the Final Minute.

 

Sheldon Clark executed the perfect gameplan as they ran about 3 total plays the entire night and ran the QB keeper no less than 20 times. It was the epitome of 3 yards and a cloud of dust as SC converted no less than 6 or 7 4th and Shorts. After each run they would milk the play clock to the final second before doing it all over again keeping Belfry's offense off the field. From what I recall SC lead 8-0 basically the entire game before Belfry scored a late TD and converted the 2 point conversion to tie it up and force OT.

 

Belfry scored first and kicked the XP to take a 15-8 lead. SC responded with a TD then chose to go for the win. The Cards handed the ball to RB Moe Spradlin who was stuffed at the LOS then literally crawled a yard into the endzone. The refs ruled it was successful though WYMT had a clear replay which showed he should have been ruled down.

I was at that game and remember it very well.

That one hurt.

 

Don't think Belfry would have beat that unbelievable Highlands team the next week, but Belfry may have been the only team capable of making them sweat.

 

Belfry was in the midst of a bit of a drought of Regional Final games as well. The Pirates had not reached the Semi's that decade and had endured one of the lowest points in the Pirate's program earlier in the 90's. The next year Belfry dropped to AA and had their season end in one of the wildest playoff games I had ever witnessed losing a shootout to Breathitt County 47-42.