Was LN on this team:D

He was the coach.

The 1943 Highlands team claimed the mythical state championship by defeating Ashland in the Rotary bowl, and also claimed the greater Cincinnati championship by beating Cincinnati St X., who was undefeated and won the GCL sporting a quarterback named George Ratterman who later played for Notre Dame and the Cleveland Browns.

...sporting a quarterback named George Ratterman who later played for Notre Dame and the Cleveland Browns.

And then went on to defeat some even bigger foes here at home! :thumb:

Princeton High School went 6-0-0 and was named West Kentucky state champion in 1915.

 

The story goes that Princeton tried to schedule games with other undefeated teams from around the state but got no takers, so they declared themselves "state champions."

 

I think Owensboro, Madisonville and Mayfield all had some of those West Kentucky state championships in the 1910s and '20s. I believe there actually was a West Kentucky Athletic Association of sorts during those years.

 

The Owensboro newspaper ran a story several years ago on the undefeated Owensboro team of 1917 that went 7-0-0 and outscored opponents 509-2. Scores included 124-0 over Henderson, 116-0 over Madisonville and 104-0 over Princeton. That Owensboro team was listed as a "state champion" of some sort.

The 1943 Highlands team claimed the mythical state championship by defeating Ashland in the Rotary bowl, and also claimed the greater Cincinnati championship by beating Cincinnati St X., who was undefeated and won the GCL sporting a quarterback named George Ratterman who later played for Notre Dame and the Cleveland Browns.

 

I asked for someone to post Highlands' 1943 schedule and scores so I could see who they had played (and who their lone loss was). Male also considers 1943 a state championship season based on their topping the Litkenhous ratings with a 9-0 record. In fact, Male was #1 and Manual #2 going into their Thanksgiving Day game, which poses a problem for the theory that the Rotary Bowl (also played on Thanksgiving Day) matched the top two teams in the state.

 

For comparison:

 

Male's 1943 Season (9-0)

 

Tomkinsville 57-0 Win

Evansville, IN Central 21-0 Win

Danville 46-0 Win

West Frankfort, IL 40-6 Win

Mayfield 41-0 Win

Kentucky Military Institute 61-0 Win

Knoxville, TN Central 38-6 Win

St Xavier 19-0 Win

DuPont Manual 26-7 Win (Thanksgiving Day)

 

 

 

Highlands' 1943 Season (10-1)

 

Ludlow 13-0 Win

Dayton 14-13 Loss

Lloyd 25-0 Win

Bellevue 18-0 Win

Dixie 25-7 Win

Newport 25-0 Win

Ludlow 14-0 Win

St. X Ohio 14-13 Win

Holmes 18-13 Win

Norwood, Ohio 33-0 Win

Ashland, Ky 19-0 Win (Thanksgiving Day)

I guess the 10 wins trumped the 9 wins.

 

Or maybe it was the 8 in-state wins compared to 6.

I guess the 10 wins trumped the 9 wins.

 

Or maybe it was the 8 in-state wins compared to 6.

 

 

Well, we tried to schedule a couple of games against Ludlow that year but...

Well, we tried to schedule a couple of games against Ludlow that year but...

Dang they must have been as booked up as Kentucky Military Institute.

Based on Litkenhous final rankings:

 

1937, 43, 44, 45, 51, 54: Male (see http://home.insightbb.com/%7Emalebulldogfootball/index_files/Page269.htm)

 

1938, 1948: Manual

 

I'm pretty sure Paducah Tilghman was atop the final 1947 Litratings.

 

 

'47 Tilghman is pretty accurate, my grandfather played for the mid-late 40's Tornado teams that were on top or always near top the state. Was it Tilghman-Augusta or something along those lines back then?

H - why dont Male claim the mythical Kentucky championship in 43 and Highlands claim the greater Cincinnati championship in 43?

H - why dont Male claim the mythical Kentucky championship in 43 and Highlands claim the greater Cincinnati championship in 43?

Because we want both. We don't want to disappoint any of our 81-year-old alumni!

H - why dont Male claim the mythical Kentucky championship in 43 and Highlands claim the greater Cincinnati championship in 43?

 

Sounds good to me and the 81-year old alumni like the idea.

Because we want both. We don't want to disappoint any of our 81-year-old alumni!

 

Yea, I can just hear it now.:madman: :madman: :scared:

If Highland's only lost was to Dayton, what happen to Dayton throughout the season? Why were they not the mythical state champs???

If Highland's only lost was to Dayton, what happen to Dayton throughout the season? Why were they not the mythical state champs???

 

Or, why wasn't Dayton in the Rotary Bowl?