Best Mayfield Team ????

[theguru]

Shut down in the second half or just nursing a big lead?

[PurpleHaze]

I'm with Toothpick on this one...that 1978 team was nothing short of awesome! One thing Toothpick neglected to mention: East St Louis was ranked in the Top Five nationally that year!! And the Cards simply handed their heads back to them!

 

That was two years after my senior year of eligibility at BGHS. Mayfield was playing 2A at the time and had some epic battles with Ft Campbell the following four years!

 

I also remember that BGHS Head Coach Kevin Wallace was a two-way starter for Warren East in 1977 (his senior year) and they played Mayfield for the 2A Region One title that year!

 

I also agree that, should the Cards run the table this year, the 2002 team is worthy of consideration of being one of Mayfield's all-time best!:thumb:

[blue68]

Maybe, everyone else is too young to have seen the 1970 Mayfield team, but I believe that was the best Cardinal team ever. That team was a PASSING team, believe it or not, coached by a young coach named Jack Morris, in his second year as a head coach. The 1970 team had the best quarterback in Mayfield history, All American David Fowler, as well as the best receiver in Mayfield history, Joe Tom Ford. Fowler went on to be a four year starter at Memphis State, and then played pro ball for several years in the NFL. Ford was a 4 year basketball pointguard starter at Vanderbilt as one of the "F Troop." Ford had been All-American in both football and basketball at Mayfield, and could have played major college in either sport.

 

That Mayfield team averaged over 50 ppg, and was by far the best offensive team Mayfield has had. Unfortunately, David Fowler suffered an injury early in the playoff game against Madisonville, and the Alfred Sonny Collins team came from behind to win. Otherwise, I think the 1970 team would have won the 2A state title. In those days, the Louisville teams were all in 3A, regardless of size. Mayfield was one of smallest 2A schools.

[snakesnot_2000]

about the 98 team. in my opinion mayfield didn't adjust to middlesbore defensive scheme which was to stunt and put 10 in the box. in the 2nd half we did. i give middlesboroall the credit they had a good game plan and it worked. i donot believe they were 3 td's better than us. all beside the point now. i did see the "70" team play and they were good, i just don't think quite as good as the 77 team. the 95 team was very good also and could have been better if cefus tyler had stayed on the team. he would have made the linebacking corp unbelieveable. he was awesome as a soph. he shut down ft knox and their big running back who played at uk. this 2002 team will have to be evaluated at the end of the season.

[Toothpick]

The 95 and 98 teams in my opinion have 1 thing in common. I think both overlooked their opponet in the title game. There was no doubt by anyone I know beore both those games that Mayfield had the best team in 1A both years but we did little to back that claim up in both those games. I guess the law of averages sometimes catches up because I still have no doubt that Mayfield beat a superior team in Prestonsburg in our last 2A title game before dropping to class A. The 95 team still pulled it out barely over a determined Beechwood team that Mayfield should have beat easily. The 98 team was not so fortunate. They got down early and everyone, including myself did not realize how good Middlesboro was that year. I still to this day believe that if we played Middlesboro again Mayfield would win but the best team does not always win thats why they play the games.

[theguru]

Wow TP. Maybe you guys overlooked the Tigers in 95 but I thought the two teams were almost even. If Beechwood doesn't blow their prevent coverage right before half I think they would have beat Mayfield.

 

In 98, from what I saw, Middlesboro was by far the better football team. I think the 98 Middlesboro team was one of the best Class A teams of the last 20 years along with a couple of Beechwood teams and a couple of Pikeville teams.

[PurpleHaze]

Hey blue 68!

 

I remember Joe Ford in his basketball playing days at Vandy! However, in 1970, I was in the sixth grade, so I didn't know much about football in other areas. I did note that they had a great football team in 1970 from research I had done in researching the history of BGHS Football. Absolutely right...Mayfield and Madisonville in 1970 was a clash of the Titans!!:thumb:

[Toothpick]

guru

 

I do understand why you feel that they were equal. I still to this day feel differently and I always will. I watched the 95 team all season and the team that showed up was not the same I saw all year. But maybe I am wrong, Beechwood may have just been that good. The players sure thought it was gonna be an easy win and it wasn't. The feeling was that we would have no trouble and it was a fight to the end and turned out to be one of the most exciting championship games of all time.

 

98 I cant help but feel the same but give all the credit to Middlesboro, they hammered us

[westsider]

Some observations about 95 and 98 ...

 

In my opinion, both of Paul Leahy's state titles at Mayfield came against teams that were better than the Cardinals. No doubt that Prestonsburg was the better team in 93, but they just fell apart after taking a 12-0 lead in the fourth quarter.

 

I feel the Beechwood team of 95 was better than Mayfield, but the Cardinals simply managed to find a way to win. A backup quarterback threw a big touchdown pass right before the end of the first half when it appeared Beechwood might be in control of the game and guys like Bright, Concentine and Starks made huge plays when needed.

 

The reason Mayfield didn't look like the same team that day ... they were playing Beechwood. Mayfield played two exceptional teams that season, going 1-1 -- the loss to Hopkinsville and the win over Beechwood. Personally, I can't believe any team would overlook another in the state championship game.

 

Just a side note ... on the other hand, I felt the lesser team won the 94 title game. I still think Murray (an 18-16 loser to Beechwood with a controversial ending) was the better ballclub, but they came up empty on two drives inside the 25 in the fourth quarter. Credit to Beechwood ... great teams find ways to win big games.

 

As for 98 ... Middlesboro was the better team that day, no question about it. Mayfield didn't play well, and Middlesboro had a lot to do with that. I doubt the Yellow Jackets were 20 points better, but they were that day. Honestly, the game was never in doubt.

 

Guru, if I didn't know better I'd say you sound like you have a bit of a grudge against Mayfield ...

[Toothpick]

Well one thing about opinions, everone has their own. I watched those 2 teams from game #1 and I still feel they didnt come to play in 95 or 98 but the bottom line is what happened on the field and no question that in 98 the jackets were better that day.

[theguru]

westsider

 

No grudge at all, I went to and coached at Beechwood and I look at things through my red colored glasses. If I do you must have one too because we agree on both of the points I made. The only one we don't agree on is 94. The 94 Beechwood team may have been their best one ever (IMHO, the 97 team was their best) and nothing could be further from the truth about the Murray game. Just like the Mayfield fans have pointed out about some of their teams the 94 Beechwood team did not always comes to play. The people I am close to all felt if Beechwood would have been ready to play in 94 the game would have been a blowout. We (football people, not the team) felt Beechwood was 4 touchdowns or more better than Murray after watching the game. Remember, Beechwood also beat the 3A State Champs that year (CovCath) in addition to everyone else they played. The Tigers were an excellent football team in 94.

 

None of this is to say I think Beechwood was always the better team in the finals. Harrodsburg may have been better than us the first time we played them and both Bardstown teams we beat were very good, buy not the 94 Murray team.

 

One more thing about 95 Mayfield, I also think the 1st team QB leaving the game was a blessing in disguise for the Cards.

[snakesnot_2000]

no doubt in my mind mayfield was the better team in 95. 93, i think the 2 clubs were about even. i feel like the 93 title was a gift but i'll take it. in my mind the 93 team was one of mayfield's weakest teams but they won, what can you say. it's like you said westsider great teams find a way to win and mayfield beat harrodsburgh in 95 also. the hoptown game was a fluke for them, if you were there you would know what i mean. come on, 4th and 10 on your own 40 with 36 seconds to go and the ball goes though brights hands. only thing the 95 team lacked was a great qb

[westsider]

Guru,

 

Sorry ... was kidding about the grudge remark.

 

On the 94 title game ... of course, all I have to go on is what I saw that day. If I remember correctly, Murray outgained Beechwood but missed two scoring chances in the fourth quarter. You saw Beechwood all season and In respect your opinion ... but four TDs better? Come on. I still don't see how a team can overlook another in the state championship game.

 

That Murray team was actually pretty good ... the Tigers beat a good Russellville team and drilled Harrodsburg, both on the road, to get to the finals.

 

And in the 95 game, Mayfield's starting QB came back in the second half and led the Cardinals to the win. Blessing in disguise, huh? He wasn't the biggest and most athletic kid, but he got the job done.

 

Amazing how people think their teams don't come ready to play for the state finals. Shouldn't the other team, which earned its way to Louisville just the same, get some credit for that?

 

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Snakesnot,

 

I was at the classic Mayfield-Hoptown game that year, and I wouldn't call it a fluke. That Hoptown team had at least half a dozen D-1 players. If Bright had scored at the end, it would have been a bigger fluke than Hoptown's last score.

[southeast_bell]

Originally posted by Toothpick

The 95 and 98 teams in my opinion have 1 thing in common. I think both overlooked their opponet in the title game. There was no doubt by anyone I know beore both those games that Mayfield had the best team in 1A both years but we did little to back that claim up in both those games. I guess the law of averages sometimes catches up because I still have no doubt that Mayfield beat a superior team in Prestonsburg in our last 2A title game before dropping to class A. The 95 team still pulled it out barely over a determined Beechwood team that Mayfield should have beat easily. The 98 team was not so fortunate. They got down early and everyone, including myself did not realize how good Middlesboro was that year. I still to this day believe that if we played Middlesboro again Mayfield would win but the best team does not always win thats why they play the games.

Oh please you dont over look a team in the state championship!!!! come on ,middlesboro was the best team in class 1A in 1998.......middlesboro had a much better offence and defence than mayfield ,mayfield had no answer for floyd branham are josh trosper.....if i aint wronge (which i am pretty sure i'm right) floyd branham had 5 QB sacks in that game 3 in 1 drive ,2 very big runs by scott powell,both 40+...mayfield couldent stop the run and there offence line couldent stop middlesboro from getting to there QB.......... it was never a game ,and the best team ALL YEAR in 1998 won that game..........

[snakesnot_2000]

westsider, theres was a fluke and ours would have been. it took that kind of play to beat mayfield that year. also in my opinion bright was the best player on that field. it's a shame he didn't play college ball but thats another story.