The Rams were really good back in the 80s and they have had several nice teams in recent memory.  But this Raceland team is different, better in my opinion.

What do you think, are the 2022 Rams the best Raceland team in school history?

I think if they keep up the intensity a make a run deep into the playoffs maybe knock Pikeville along the way they’d definitely should be considered.  

2 minutes ago, tomcat1984 said:

I think if they keep up the intensity a make a run deep into the playoffs maybe knock Pikeville along the way they’d definitely should be considered.  

I think beating Pikeville/winning the state championship would seal the deal and it wouldn't even be close. 

5 minutes ago, theguru said:

I think beating Pikeville/winning the state championship would seal the deal and it wouldn't even be close. 

It wouldn't even be a conversation at that point, but for now, it's a worthy discussion. 

From a talent and depth standpoint, this is the best Raceland team I've seen. The '08, '13, and '14 teams were good, but can't compete with the depth of this squad.

Give me the 2008 team. The two headed monster of Denton and Carver was tough. They just plain out choked against Lexington Christian. I was so looking forward to that Hazard and Raceland matchup in the playoffs.

Raceland is a very Good and skilled team. Best ever? There have been some good Ram teams the past 20 years. But the 2022 team is pretty solid. 

@Ram @spindoc

Gather 'round kids, it's time for a Ram story with a lot of opinions and many facts.  

 

I'm not ready to give them the crown yet.  It's possible, but we are comparing apples and anvils here.  (that reference was for spindoc).  The only loss is to Highlands, by 10, and I have to admit, I gave that score a raised eyebrow when I saw it and thought, "this may be THE team".  Even with the loss, their worst performance to date is the Greenup County game.  They allowed more points then they should have and may have been somewhat of a let down game.  I want to see them against Pikeville, then we can talk.

86 was long considered the best team in school history.  The first team in school history to win 12 games.  But, in those days we played an 11 game regular season, and won one playoff game, which was not a small feat at the time.  There were something like 50 Class 1A teams and Raceland was paired up with the powerhouse district in Northern Kentucky that produced many State Champions.  Beechwood and NCC alone were pretty dang good and add in Bellevue and Dayton who were good at the time. 

2006 is in the discussion.  In my opinion, they surpassed the '86 team.  They added a lot of stuff to the game and history of the program.  The passing game took control and they were good at it, maybe to a fault.  Many teams put three in the box to stop the passing game, and this team passed anyway, and was still successful.  But, if the running game was there to provide depth, they may have done a lot more.  It was pass or be danged.  And, in the end, they were danged. 

2008, for a long time was the team.  Monstrous running game, a great passing game that complimented the running game.  Albeit a short passing game, the QB was smart, skilled and athletic, but lacked a deep threat.  Not knocking him, he just didn't throw the deep ball well.  But, he did everything else well.  The backfield was only rivaled by the 89 backfield of Boggs and Speaks.  And that is saying something.  Should have won it all, but the play calling got too conservative too early against LCA in the playoffs.  The coach will tell you that was his fault in that game.  So, no hate mail for saying it. 

2013, is in my opinion, the best team to take the field for Raceland ever.  I'll admit I have a bias, but that was one of the best all around teams in Class 1A I have ever seen.  The offensive line was one of the biggest, and best, in 1A I have ever seen.  All five ended up playing in college on scholarship.  Amazing OL.  The backfield was as talented as you could ask for.  Not the run the ball down your throat backfield like 2008, but very skilled and athletic.  The passing game was great, again, mostly the short game, but it worked well and the receivers were able to get a lot of yards after the catch to make it look like a longer passing game.  Athletic receivers getting the ball in space.  The defense was tenacious, I'm trying to recall from memory here, but I think they allowed 12-14 points a game and that was with a lot of games being out of reach and opponents scoring late.  I think, the starting defense allowed something like 7 points a game in the regular season.  *This was with 32 Class 1A teams.  And from here on, are the anvils. 

 

Since 2013 won the first Regional Championship in school history and advanced to the Semi-Finals for the first time in school history, the Rams have been in the mix every year and completing for the State Championship every year.  That is partly because of the new structure of the state's football classifications and partly because, when you win, it is contagious; when you win the Regional Championship it becomes easier to do that again, and once you win a State Championship, which is coming, it becomes easier because you showed it can be done.  This has been proven many times, but for the discussion here, Raceland has done it and proved it.  '91 was the first team to beat the much larger, and seen as superior, Ashland.  After that win, it became much more common and is now a considered a toss up yearly;  when it was always seen as a toon-up game for Ashland.  Raceland won many District Championships and it was considered an expectation.  Then, they won a Regional Championship, now it is expected.  They have been to the State Championship Game, now it is expected.  Once they win the big game, it will happen much  more frequently.  

Here a question? Why doesn’t the 2017 Rams get the nod for the best Raceland team ever? They are the ones who finally got Raceland over the hump. 
 

 

10 minutes ago, Bac2369 said:

Here a question? Why doesn’t the 2017 Rams get the nod for the best Raceland team ever? They are the ones who finally got Raceland over the hump. 

I just stopped after the best team in school history, in my opinion.  The anvils, if you will.  2017 was good and is in the discussion, but I don't think the best team is measured by how far they went in the playoffs, especially in the watered down class.  If that was the case 2017 would be the best, right?  But, you have to account for how good was the competition that year, what the team did, how did they win.  For example, '86 is still one the best teams in school history, but they didn't make it very far.  They were pretty darn good, but, if I remember correctly, they got beat in the second round by Beechwood, who ended up winning the Championship (purely by memory, so don't kill me if I got the year wrong).  

1 minute ago, Ram said:

I just stopped after the best team in school history, in my opinion.  The anvils, if you will.  2017 was good and is in the discussion, but I don't think the best team is measured by how far they went in the playoffs, especially in the watered down class.  If that was the case 2017 would be the best, right?  But, you have to account for how good was the competition that year, what the team did, how did they win.  For example, '86 is still one the best teams in school history, but they didn't make it very far.  They were pretty darn good, but, if I remember correctly, they got beat in the second round by Beechwood, who ended winning the Championship (purely by memory, so don't kill me if I got the year wrong).  

 

Beechwood did not win the title in 1986.  I think they had the best team but they had a lot of injuries. My memory is foggy too but I think Cumberland beat Beechwood in the semi-finals and then Cumberland got beat in the finals.  Anyone?

As a program goes:

86 will always be known as a team that raised the bar and moved the program forward.

91 will always be known as the first team to beat Ashland, that may not seem like a big deal, but that game moved the program forward, won a lot of 1A games, but this game changed a lot of perceptions. 

2006 will always be the team that made a dominate running team into a passing team and ultimately a balanced offense in years to come.

2008 will always be the team that, again, elevated the expectations of the program. 

2013 Will always be the team that won the first ever Regional Championship and advanced to the State Semi-Finals.  This was big, in that, it made it possible and caused future teams to repeat the feat. 

2017 will always be the first team to make it to the State-Championship and showing that it can be done.  

???? will be the first team to win a State Championship and show that it can be done and set the stage for future State Champions.  

6 minutes ago, Ram said:

???? will be the first team to win a State Championship and show that it can be done and set the stage for future State Champions.  

If 2022 beats Pikeville and wins the state championship this debate will be settled. ?

6 minutes ago, theguru said:

If 2022 beats Pikeville and wins the state championship this debate will be settled. ?

Agreed.  They will get the crown, and trophy.  But, until then.........

Here's a look at the 2008 team in action against Ashland. The backfield tandem of Denton and Carver were like swinging a wrecking ball at opposing defenses. When one needed a breather, there was no drop off with the other.