There was a Lone Jack. Became part of Bell County H.S. in the fall of 1984.

 

In 1983, Madisonville played three of the four football schools in Lexington...and beat them all (including a 41-6 thrashing of Henry Clay.) During the regular season, they held Owensboro's Mark Higgs to 40 yards on 20 carries and beat the Red Devils 6-3. The re-match...in the first round of the playoffs...the Maroons were minus their starting quarterback, 1,000 yard rushing tailback and the flanker...and still only lost to the Red Devils 6-3.

Edited May 18, 20188 yr by broadcaster
adding info

I haven't heard of Lone Jack either. I wonder if Lone Jack should be Lone Oak?

 

Lone Jack was a small school in Bell County that closed not long after this. Lone Oak is 22nd in the AAA rankings above.

Found this via the google machine:

Lone Jack High School was located in Fourmile, KY, about a dozen miles from the KY/TN/VA border. The school opened in 1910, then operated continuously until merging with Bell County High School in 1984.

Found this via the google machine:

Lone Jack High School was located in Fourmile, KY, about a dozen miles from the KY/TN/VA border. The school opened in 1910, then operated continuously until merging with Bell County High School in 1984.

 

Yep. They still have an elementary school there. It's on the right, just a few miles before you roll into Pineville.

 

I only have records of them playing football from 1978-83. They were 1A every season, competing in a district with Cumberland, Harlan, Lynch, Lynn Camp, Pineville, and Williamsburg in 1978 and then a sub-district with Lynn Camp, Pineville, and Williamsburg from 1979-83. Their record was 3-7 (1978), 3-8 (79), 1-9 (80), 2-8 (81), 2-8 (82), and 2-8 (83).

That was an odd year as Corbin was ranked #3 behind St X and Trinity, but didn't even make the playoffs.:eek:

That was an odd year as Corbin was ranked #3 behind St X and Trinity, but didn't even make the playoffs.:eek:

 

Is that one of the years that Corbin claims as a mythical state title that I hear people talk about?

Is that one of the years that Corbin claims as a mythical state title that I hear people talk about?

 

Nope. Mythical simply describes any title claimed before 1959 when the KHSAA began sponsoring state football championships, a conversation me and @HT721 had back at the end of last football season.

Why are the rating numbers so different now? Now the top team statewide has a ranking in the 130s or higher. Because of higher scoring games, perhaps?

For anyone curious, there were 199 teams ranked in this newspaper clipping. There are 221 schools currently playing football in Kentucky. Obviously some of these schools have closed/consolidated but that also shows the number of new programs that have emerged over the last few decades.

Why are the rating numbers so different now? Now the top team statewide has a ranking in the 130s or higher. Because of higher scoring games, perhaps?

 

Probably just a bunch of millennial participation trophies.

Why are the rating numbers so different now? Now the top team statewide has a ranking in the 130s or higher. Because of higher scoring games, perhaps?

 

It might have something to do with higher scoring games. It might also be that the formula has been modified over the years.

There were a couple things that got me into the general era then Conner was the tipoff for me the actual year.

Is that one of the years that Corbin claims as a mythical state title that I hear people talk about?

 

They lost a sub-district game to Somerset by a score of 7-6 and did not qualify for the playoffs. I believe Middlesboro was in that sub-district as well and also didn't make the playoffs, which meant that 2 of the 4 top ranked teams in Class 2A were not in the playoffs.

They lost a sub-district game to Somerset by a score of 7-6 and did not qualify for the playoffs. I believe Middlesboro was in that sub-district as well and also didn't make the playoffs, which meant that 2 of the 4 top ranked teams in Class 2A were not in the playoffs.

 

Similar to the year before when Somerset was 10-1 and lost a one point game and missed the playoffs. They were the best team in AA that year IMO.

Highlands had a 37 game winning streak going into the playoffs and lost in the first round to eventual champ Conner by a score of 13 - 6.

 

Danville played Conner tough in the Regional Final that year. I think that’s when that young team knew they could win a title and the next year went 13-0 and won AAA.