article 50 Greatest Programs in Kentucky History: #15-8

[PurplePride92]

gchs is my dude and I love and appreciate all of his hard work in this. I will say that Bowling Green was a top 10 program in the state before they began winning state titles. Now that they are winning state titles they are easily one of the top 5 programs in the state.

 

 

Teams like Boyle County, Male, St. X and CovCath are penalized for being in districts with quality teams/programs while programs in easy districts are rewarded.

[WhoYaWith]

Is UCLA ranked higher than UK?

[HIM]

Just Boyle and Male fans... HAHA

I think that's a broad brush you are painting with, because to me I simply value state titles significantly higher than anything else. I think extremely high of the Corbin program, I just think Male is easily one of the top 10 programs in the state history off titles alone even if they were bad in the 80's same with Boyle, or Highlands, or BG, Danville, Belfry, Trinity, X. While I am sure I am leaving someone out, those are the teams I think of when I think of a top 10, and to not have Male in there is crazy and I would say the same for Boyle as well.

[Hatz]

Male maybe I can see... but Boyle wasn't exactly a football powerhouse until Smith came along in the late 90's

 

I would say those decades of pretty average football play a large role in them being at #14.

 

I would also say there are some pretty outstanding programs that will be filling these final spots.

 

Many of which have had dominating runs in their history and have been at the minimum "good" for 25+ years

 

First let me say that my alma mater is ranked well at #14. That's 14th out of 200 + schools. I will take that for my Rebels.

 

But there is always this notion that Boyle didn't play very good football until the Smith era. That isn't true. Let me unpack it if I may.

 

As has been pointed out, prior to the playoff expansions in the late 80's when 2 teams got in from each District, winning a District involved talent and the chips to fall in the right places so a team could go to the playoffs. Still some great teams never made it. One slip or bad game cost many a one loss squad their chance. Boyle was like that.

 

1960's

Few know that Boyle was unbeaten in 1963 (first year of the school). Didn't have enough points to win the District. 1964-66 were not only winning seasons they made the playoffs one year with the District crown and lost by 6 to the eventual State Runner-up. (Boyle also started the Danville series 1-0-1 vs the Ads) Then back to back winless seasons followed until John Buchanan arrived and put together some very fine teams (one of which went 9-1-1)

 

1970's

Boyle had a couple of winners to start the decade but then a couple of losing seasons followed. Buchanan left to coach at Mercer and Ed Rall arrived in 1974. Rebels went: 8-3, 9-2, 10-2, 8-4, 6-5, 9-1 to close out the decade.

 

The 1975 team still holds the State Record for fewest passing yards given up on a season.

 

The 1976 team lost to an outstanding Frankfort squad on a KO return in the closing minutes (21-20) and a late Punt Return by Chris Jones and Danville (21-14). The loss of those Dickinson points kept them out of the playoffs because they had defeated a great Harrodsbug team (Yeast, 2 Parks, Meaux and company) earlier Later beat in Henry Clay in a Post Season Bowl game.

 

The 1977 team won the District by points and had a huge upset win over #1 AAA Danville and Chris Jones.

 

The 1979 team went 9-1 with wins over AA Semi-Finalist Washington Co, AAA District winner Lincoln Co, and traditional powers Somerset & Danville.

 

 

1980's

 

Ed Rall continued the solid years at the start of the decade going 7-3, 6-4 and 8-3. The '81 team lost a heartbreaker to eventual AA runnerup Somerset in OT or they would have been District Champs. The '82 squad won the District with a big 1 point win over 10-1 Somerset and then lost to a strong Corbin squad in the Regional that went on a roll to win the State.

 

In '83 things changed. Injuries and other circumstances led to a 5-5 squad followed by 3-8, 4-7, 7-3 and 4-7. The ''83 squad did give Bardstown it's only regular season loss on the year. Ed Rall left and went to his alma mater, Centre College, to coach baseball.

 

What followed was the nightmare. Sam Burke took the job for one year only and went 2-8. John Griggs followed and went 1-9, 3-7, and I think 0-10.

 

Afterwards Chuck Smith came and the rest is what most of you know.

 

Thanks for letting me give a little Rebel "history" that isn't as bad as some make it out to be. :thumb:

[WhoYaWith]

Pikeville, Corbin and PT should be ranked behind Boyle. I'm sure there are some in the Top 10 I'm gunna add to that as well.

 

[ATLCat]

Is UCLA ranked higher than UK?

 

No

 

All their success essentially came in a specific window of time.

 

That success cant be ignored because it is unparalelled...but over the long haul Kentucky gets the edge for sustained success over a longer period of time

[ATLCat]

I think that's a broad brush you are painting with, because to me I simply value state titles significantly higher than anything else. I think extremely high of the Corbin program, I just think Male is easily one of the top 10 programs in the state history off titles alone even if they were bad in the 80's same with Boyle, or Highlands, or BG, Danville, Belfry, Trinity, X. While I am sure I am leaving someone out, those are the teams I think of when I think of a top 10, and to not have Male in there is crazy and I would say the same for Boyle as well.

 

Let me ask you this as an additional talking point... do you value State Titles in the 4 and 6 Class System the same as a Title in the older systems?

 

For example:

Should Boyle's Title in 2003 be valued equal to Pikeville's Title in 2015?

 

Should Boyle's Title in 2003 be valued equal to Russell's Title in 1978?

[WhoYaWith]

You didn't ask me but....

 

How the alignment goes has nothing to do with the schools...it is what it is. So although some of those earlier titles might have been harder to win than the ones now, it doesn't hold anymore prestige in my eyes.

 

In other words, I think Belfry deserves the recognition of the 2015 title...Boyle could have won it but didn't.

[75center]

I think that's a broad brush you are painting with, because to me I simply value state titles significantly higher than anything else. I think extremely high of the Corbin program, I just think Male is easily one of the top 10 programs in the state history off titles alone even if they were bad in the 80's same with Boyle, or Highlands, or BG, Danville, Belfry, Trinity, X. While I am sure I am leaving someone out, those are the teams I think of when I think of a top 10, and to not have Male in there is crazy and I would say the same for Boyle as well.

 

That would make it easy, just go down the list of most state championships and you would have your top programs. Highlands, Trinity, St X, Mayfield, Beechwood, Danville, Boyle Co, Male, CovCath, Ft Campbell. We're done.

 

Where's the fun in that?

[Hatz]

Let me ask you this as an additional talking point... do you value State Titles in the 4 and 6 Class System the same as a Title in the older systems?

 

For example:

Should Boyle's Title in 2003 be valued equal to Pikeville's Title in 2015?

 

Should Boyle's Title in 2003 be valued equal to Russell's Title in 1978?

 

Question: The 2003 title was in the same 4 Class system as Russell's in 1978. Now there was a Jefferson County vs the State element still in play then but I would go so far as to compare it to a title when there were only Class A, AA and AAA.

[gchs_uk9]

Man, you go teach two World Civ classes and your thread blows up!

[Hatz]

To follow up on ATLCat's caveat, which is a good one, What about the era of the infamous Tie playoff games? Do we weight that differently?

 

In another thread I mentioned that in 1965 Erlanger Lloyd won two consecutive playoff "Ties" by virtue of a point system based on stats, crossing the 50 and some other criteria. They then won the Class A State Title game handily. Is there an asterisk by that one with less points because the first two games weren't settled on the scoreboard like they are now?

 

This is all good fun and wanted to see how many ways one can skew a system. :lol2:

[ATLCat]

Question: The 2003 title was in the same 4 Class system as Russell's in 1978. Now there was a Jefferson County vs the State element still in play then but I would go so far as to compare it to a title when there were only Class A, AA and AAA.

 

That's why I am asking...

 

Even in the older system, with the shortened playoff I think it balances out to the "new" 4 Class System. It was a lot tougher to reach the playoffs and win a District..but you also didn't have as many games to play (and subsequent chances for injury or upset)

[WhoYaWith]

Man, you go teach two World Civ classes and your thread blows up!

 

I think it's a cool list and although I don't agree with some of the standards by which the rankings were made...thanks for the contribution and screwing up my early work day.

[Hatz]

That's why I am asking...

 

Even in the older system, with the shortened playoff I think it balances out to the "new" 4 Class System. It was a lot tougher to reach the playoffs and win a District..but you also didn't have as many games to play (and subsequent chances for injury or upset)

 

And some Districts were loaded, and some were not.

 

Back in the Day Corbin and Middlesboro were all that were in their District. The winner of the game went to the playoffs. Loser stayed home even if that was their only loss.

 

Lexington was all in the same District. I recall Henry Clay having a very good team in 1978 but went 10-1 and lost to Lafayette on a bad night and did not go to the post season.

 

Now those tough Districts would get more teams in and could prove themselves in a Second Opportunity.