Not to be confused with the other thread, this isn't necessarily the worst loss or biggest loss, but rather the one that to this day still stings the most. Maybe it was an upset? Maybe it was a Finals game debacle? Maybe it was simply losing to your rivals while you played?

 

 

For Belfry I have to say it is one of these two games:

 

2007 State Finals vs. Louisville Central

 

This is still one of my most favorite Belfry teams of all-time to watch play.They entered 14-0 and had ran rough shod through most of the season. They were playing as well as anyone in the State late in the year and had demolished a very good 13-0 Breathitt team in the Semi-Finals 62-28. Belfry had also beat Johnson Central handly at the end of the regular season and that's where the problem came.

 

That same Johnson Central had actually played Louisville Central in the regular season. Ty Scroggins team had dropped to 3A and drove to Paintsville at the halfway point of the season and got smacked by 3 TD's.

 

Belfry came in over confident and the kids I felt overlooked Central. After a blown assignment led to a Central TD Belfry seemingly settled in and led 10-7 as the 2nd Quarter came to an end. Instead of taking a knee Belfry tried a Hail Mary and the pass was deflected. The wounded duck landed in the arms of the Central defender and he picked his way around 70 yards for a Pick 6 to completely change momentum. Central got the ball to open the 2nd Half and quickly put another score on the board and for the first time all year Belfry was having to come from behind. The Pirates drove into the redzone late in the 4th for what was seemingly about to be the game winning drive and on 3rd and 5 fumbled it inside the 15. Central tacked on a late score as Belfry went for the strip with no timeouts left.

 

 

 

 

1998 Regional Finals vs. Sheldon Clark

 

This was actually during the Jonathan Wright era when Belfry spent 4 years out of the Shotgun. This wasn't a particularly great Belfry team, but they were a team who peaked at the right time and was playing football at a high level. Belfry had homefield advantage throughout the playoffs and used it to upset Bell County. The Pirates had beat Sheldon Clark easily in the regular season, so when Sheldon Clark took down one of the better Pulaski Southwestern teams in School History things started looking up. This was the year that Lorenzan and Smith were setting records at Highlands, Belfry fans were hoping to host the Bluebirds. Funny enough, Coach Haywood was taking a little heat from the community. Belfry had been on a string of Regional Finals losses so a re-match with Sheldon Clark seemed like a minor step to breaking that streak.

 

Sheldon Clark had other plans. The Cardinals executed a beautiful game plan playing keep away. They literally were content with QB sneaks and 3 yard runs and milked every second off the playclock. The game went to Overtime tied 8-8. In OT Belfry got the ball first and promptly scored and kicked the XP making it 15-8. Sheldon Clark went back to their primitive Offense and grinded their way in. Matney chose to go for two and then one of the most controversial calls in Belfry History happened. SC Sophomore RB Mo Spradlin was hit in the backfield and dove forward. He then literally crawled across the goal line and the official signaled the conversion was successful for the win.

 

From time to time you will see the clip pop up... WYMT caught it perfectly on camera... each time it makes my blood boil HAHA Belfry probably had no chance of beating that Highlands machine but it would have been nice to at least try.

3-0 loss to St. X in the state championship game in 1997. That was cold, painful and miserable all at the same time.

That's a really tough call. There have been a few. I'm tempted to say 2003 when St. X beat Warren Central 13-9 in the state semifinals at WKU. It was the best chance Central had of going to the state title game since their last appearance in 1990. Lonnell Dewalt was masterful at WR and almost singlehandedly kept WC in that game. Late in the 4th Quarter, Central had driven to the St. X 1 yard line, down 13-9. On third down, Brock Whitney tried a QB keeper. His hand got hit and he fumbled the ball in the cold. The Tigers recovered, and that was that. Brutal.

 

Honorable mentions:

 

11/10/2000 - Bowling Green 7 Warren Central 6 (3A Second Round) - Central had at that time still not beaten Bowling Green since 1993. They'd won the district despite a loss to the Purples, and had them on their homefield. Neither team could move the ball much of the night. Terkell Boards broke a 50 yard TD run in the third quarter to put the Dragons up, but a botched snap and a poor decision on the ensuing rollout prevented the Dragons from tacking on a PAT. The Purples moved straight down the field behind the veer attack, and grabbed their only score of the game, gaining a 7-6 win. It was the best chance the Dragons ever got of advancing past the second round in 3A after 1993 - they never got past the second round until 2003 when they moved up to 4A.

 

11/17/2006 - Henderson County 42 Warren Central 38 (4A Region Finals) - A back and forth game, the Dragons were seeking their third region title in four years, including back to back. It seemed whoever had the ball last would win. It was so much so, that when Central easily drove to the Henderson County 20 (or so) with around 3 minutes left, I remember worrying that they'd score too fast. No matter - they turned it over on downs after falling behind the chains in inexplicable fashion. This would be the first of what would turn out to be four straight losses in region finals for the Dragons, and they've yet to win a region title since 2005.

 

11/19/2010 - Christian County 27 Warren Central 26 (OT) (5A Region Finals) - We didn't know it at the time, but this was the last true shot for Central. The next two years were better teams, but Bowling Green had fully emerged by then. This was a game, on the Dragons' home turf, that they led by 7 with around 2 minutes left. The Colonels had to go 80 yards for the tie. Anthony Hickey went through them like paper. In overtime, the Dragons scored on fourth down and went for two and the win. It never had a chance. Central has never been within one score in a region title game since.

Garrard - probably the 1993 Regional Finals loss to Bardstown. Teams were both undefeated and came in ranked 1 & 2 in Class A.

 

The 2011 Semi-final loss to Belfry was tough, but there was also probably the sense among fans that GC gave Belfry its best shot. The Bardstown game was really dominated by the Golden Lions, by what was maybe the best team ever fielded by Garrard County... There was a freak TD at the end of the 1st half on a "trick" play, GC fumbled once in Bardstown's territory in the 2nd half, a mishandled snap on a PAT, and a missed last-second field goal. 14-13 Bardstown.

Last high school game of my senior year in AAA state title game vs Franklin Simpson in 1980.

97 game @ Franklin County. It had rained non stop since about Tuesday of that week, everything was soaked, field wasnt even mud just watery goo. It was so bad the officials told the centers to just hover the ball above the water on the field and not set the ball on the ground. Start of the game delayed due to lighting. Opening drive we score, its 6-0. 3 lighting delays later Franklin Co is driving with seconds left and fumbles the ball. It gets kicked around the goal line and a Franklin Co lineman falls on it in the endzone for a TD. 6-6 we head to overtime. Then, lightning again.

 

At around 230am Franklin Co scores in the 7th overtime to win the game on a play where 4 of our defenders slide in to make the tackle and slide past the kid, field was terrible.

 

Loss of this game cost us our first ever playoff appearance in school history.

CovCath-2001/Rockastle County in the state semi final has to be the most painful.

Mine are easy...

2010 State Semi Finals, lost 28-23 at Belfry, finishing the season 13-1 and a 2 year run at 27-2...it was the last time I'd ever see my son in Purple and Gold.

 

2009 State Finals Somerset loss to Paducah Thilghman 21-0. Somerset shot themselves in the foot on the field and in the coaches box all day. Team had rebounded from coach quitting 10 days before the season to run off an undefeated season including the first win over Sam Harp and Danville in many years. Somerset beat a Channing Fugate led Breathitt Co. in an unbelievable Region Final 51-33, that they trailed early in the second half. Going 14-1 was a fine accomplishment but once again Somerset loses in the State Finals (0-5).

 

1982 (I think it was 82) Somerset lost by one point to a decent but not great Boyle County team. Lost on a 2pt conversion where the QB may or may not have gotten in before being pushed back. This may have been the Best of All Somerset Teams in History and didn't make the playoffs due to only one team per district getting in back then. Somerset beat 4A Henry Clay and eventual 2A State Champ Corbin @ Corbin easily.

It's always been the last one for me. We expect to win ever game so its always the last one

The play below kept North Oldham from playing for State 4A Championship in 2014. North lost 27 to 24 to Owensboro.

 

1999 3A Regional Championship

Owensboro 17 Franklin-Simpson 16

Loss to one team in state of KY by one point. Loss by 6 to Portland TN earlier in year and beat Owensboro 26-25 in the regular season.

 

Still hurts

Scott's playoff run coming to an end last season against Johnson Central by a last second Hail Mary pass was painful..

ATL, I definitely think the '98 SC game ranks near the top, and for me the 2011 Louisville Central game was the worst, especially considering how the 2010 game turned out and basically no one gave Belfry a chance in '11. Breathitt in 2008, was bad for me too. To lose that one on your home turf made it tough after having pounded the 'Cats in 2007.

Great HS game. Belfry took some shots early, then came back to lead and eventually win, but until the final horn, GC was right there. As athletic of a team, besides Central's best, that Belfry has faced during this run IMO.

Cov Cath vs Highlands. Every year. LOL