Covinton Catholic vs Ashland 1988 AAA Semi-Finals

 

The game ended in OT 6-0. If I'm not mistaken CCHS had one of the best QB's in the State that year and was playing a Tomcat team that had to pull to several upsets to even get to .500 for the year. A classic underdog everyone had given up all hope on Ashland and they played the eventual State Champ to the wire.

 

If I'm not mistaken the Playoff road was 1st round: Belfy (undefeated) Ashland won, Russell: (Beat Ashland in the regular season for the district championship) Ashland won and crowned Regional Champs, CCHS lost in OT.

 

I'll find the win-loss total for the Tomcats that year because I'm pretty sure Ashland was a lossing team entering the playoffs that year. Remember that only the top 2 teams got to the playoffs and the season was only 10 weeks long.

The best game that I have ever seen in person was the 1995 AA state championship game between Breathitt Co. and Franklin Simpson. Franklin Simpson and Breathitt Co. both had quite a few college players, with some from each team going to UK. Breathitt rallied late in the game to tie it at 28 all. Both teams scored in the first overtime.

In the second overtime Breathitt had the ball first and scored on their 4th down on a sliding catch in the back right corner of the endzone. Breathitt then forced a fumble on FS's possesion to claim their 1st state championship in any sport in school history.

What about the Pulaski v. Waggoner play off game 82 -63 i think... I don't remember the final I just remember that PC came from way down to win this in regulation. the Wag had Alfonzo Smith and PC had Cole draughn...Neither team would quit. Great game!

The second best was Breathitt Co. vs Lawrence Co. Quarterfinals the Bulldogs won 36-28.

Harlan v.s. Cumberland this past season. Harlan was down by a touchdown in the fourth quarter with around 2:00 left. The dragons line up in regular kickoff formation, and kicker Michael Bianchi bounces it off a Cumberland player's chest and recovers the kick. Harlan threw a touchdown pass with 2:00 left and won the game 21-14.

Lex cath vs. Franklin County was a good one last year, it resulted in my flyers blowing a 25 point lead but it was a battle none the less.

Paris vs Paintsville 1981

Paris vs Frankfort 1973

Paris vs Harrodsburg 1982 and 1984

St. X vs. Hopkinsville => State Semi-Finals @ Hopkinsville.... The year was 1999. Half Time score was 21 - 3 Hoptown. St. X got on the board with a 44 yard field goal as the first half ended.... X had 5 offensive plays in the 1st quarter and not many more in the 2nd... X scored early in the third to make it 21-9. After an interception, X got 7 more to make it 21- 16. Hoptown drove down to the X 12 yard line and had a 4 and 2.... Hoptown coach elected to go for the first instead of the field goal....??? The X defense held and the Offense took over. X had 89 yards to go and 1:53 on the clock.... On a thrid down and game, from the 25 yard line, with 14 seconds left, St. X completes a pass (post pattern) to a receiver who had not caught a pass all year.... Bob White of the CJ described the game in the opening paragraph of his column as " St. Xavier's football team needed a miracle and got on to pin an unbelieveable 22-21 defeat on Hopkinsville..."

It was a miracle and one of the greatest thrilling victories I have witnessed.

The Final score was 22 - 21 St. X. This same St. X team went on the next week to top Bryan Station (Eric Shelton) for the 4A State Championship

34-31 in OT....

Indeed, I have said before that a book could be written, or a movie made, of the 1999 St. X march to the state 4A title. The Tigers trailed a very good Male team on a rain soaked field at Manual Stadium going into the 4th quarter, then rallied to win in the quarterfinals. The semifinal game, as you eloquently described, had St. X trailing with two minutes to go in the game. The state championship was also dramatic, with X trailing on the final play of overtime. What a run!

That '99 X team was behind at one point in every game of that playoff run. Andre Woodson was the North Hardin QB that year. The Male team had an All-Star cast (both Jones and Bush were on the team at the time).

 

The first play in overtime of the finals, Bean told the entire D-line to do a down-up before the snap and drew the O. Without those five yards, Shelton would have scored and the game would have likely have gone to a second OT.

 

Riverside, Hoptown was up 21-0 and had scored right before half. It was a fantastic return by Payne (unsung hero that year) that set up the FG by Bickett as the clock expired.

^ Yes if I recall, the return of the kickoff by Payne and the kick by Bickett before the half were the ONLY TWO POSITIVE THINGS TO CHEER ABOUT FOR THE ENTIRE FIRST HALF.... I remember a lot of fans being very focal, and not very politically correct in their assesment of what they were describing as they watched..... It was problably the worst 23:40 of football St.X has played in the last 40 years. All of this was followed by the chain of events described above.... What a game.

The best high school game I watched in person in the stands was either the CCH game vs. HHS regular season with the game ending in a last second TD. Or the CCH BHS game in '04 that ended with a last second field goal.

The Ashland vs Bell Co. 1990 class AAA semi, T-cats won 19-14. Now that was a good old hard hitting game.

Prestonsburg / Danville 1993 semifinals Prestonsburg won 16-15 2OT.

 

That gets my vote for the worst game ever.

2003 AA State Semi-Finals

 

Lloyd Memorial VS. Belfry