Who do you have?

I'll put in a vote for South Laurel when they won it all and Shelby Valley when they won their State Championship. I guess I'll have to also cast a vote for Rowan County when they lost in 2 overtimes in the finals.

To me, the best team on this list could well be one that lost in the First Round of the Sweet 16. Watching them play, I thought they were very, very, very underrated and won't be a team that immediately comes to mind for a lot of people who aren't from the area, but they had a lot of kids who could play.

I'll add some more teams I'd give a look:

 

 

2000:

 

Boyd County: Zornes, Young... lost to eventual State Champion Elizabethtown by 2 in State opener

 

Corbin: Brock, Barton, Davis, Hammonds as a freshman

 

Harlan: Injuries killed them but they had Boo Fields, Gary Greer, Matt Anderson & Von Fields who later went to Scott Co

 

Johnson Central: McKenzie, Coleman, Burchett... lost to eventual State Champ Elizabethtown by 13 in the State Quarters

 

Owsley County: McIntosh, Roberts... lots of people might not know, but really good (beat a really good Corbin team & All A semifinalist)

 

Perry County Central: Ben Bowling, Willis... lost to PRP in State opener

 

 

2001:

 

Bell County: Nelson, Winkler, Corum, Durrell White

 

Clay County: Asher, Walker, Griffin... lost to Russellville in State Quarters

 

South Laurel: Riley, Sizemore, Valentine (ironically all are coaching now)... lost to Male in State Quarters

 

 

2002:

 

Ashland Blazer: Surgalski, Arliss Beach.... lost to eventual State Champion Lexington Catholic in State opener

 

South Floyd: Tackett, M. Hall, T. Hall... maybe the best of all of the South Floyd teams

 

Shelby Valley: S. Akers, J. Akers, Wright... lost to Oldham County in State opener

 

 

2003:

 

Breathitt County: Haddix at PG, Courtney Johnson who was a WR & #2 rated player in the 14th at SG, & a bunch of thick football kids

 

North Laurel: Exchange Kids

 

Perry County Central: Willis, Neace

 

Rose Hill: Some guy named OJ Mayo, Marques Dawson, Walker (for awhile), Thoroughman... they're going to be tough to top... lost to Ballard in State Quarters

 

Shelby Valley: Friend, P. Tackett, Kiser... lost to eventual State Runner-up Ballard in State opener

 

 

2004:

 

Hazard: Sizemore, Olinger, Gabbard, Carter... won All A, lost to Perry Co Central in 1st Round of District (blind draw)

 

Rockcastle County: Cash, Anderkin... lost to PRP in State 1st Round

That's all I'm going to add tonight, but I'll pick back up and list some more teams later on this weekend. This is the first 1/3 or so of the list (2000-2004), so we'll pick up later and then I'll do my top 10 last. Feel free to chime in as it goes.