Charlie Johnson at Ashland was the best fullback I've ever seen. Period.

 

I'll agree Charlie Johnson was a great fullback, but I would have to say that his brother Mike Johnson was the best, in my opinion. I played against both and Mike was a beast.

Matt Thompson was an awfully good guard and LB for the 2002 Russell Red Devils.

 

Mat Thompson was a great player at Russell and is very deserving. His brother Mike who played at Raceland was one of the most dominating nose tackles that I recall ever seeing, and probably the smallest as well. Great family and a very athletic family as well.

I'll agree Charlie Johnson was a great fullback, but I would have to say that his brother Mike Johnson was the best, in my opinion. I played against both and Mike was a beast.

 

Dont forget FB's Travis Hughes and Charlie Vinson. These 2 practically made the LC offense go during the late 90's.

Jason Michael was a very good QB at Lawrence. He led WKU to a national title.

I was wondering where the Michael talk at QB was. Being a West fan i like the Brad Holbrook, and Flannery (i would assume Patrick, TE/OT, started at Georgetown) as honerable mention. I would add Eric Berry and Bryson Mullis to the honerable mention from West though. Possibly Thomas Flannery as an honerable mention on the defensive side of the ball at Linebacker.

Ram: What a coaching staff you put together....very nice.

Ram: What a coaching staff you put together....very nice.

 

:thumb:Thanks, there have been, and still are, some great coaches in the area. Now, that I think about it, I also would add, Dane Dameron from East Carter, to help Steve Dowdy with the quarterbacks. What a coaching staff.

Juan played on the 1990 State Championship team. He should be on everyone's list. I don't think anyone would argue that.

 

:thumb: I 100% agree with you on this about Thomas as well LRCW.

 

Also, on the earlier listing of T. Tolliver from Raceland and statement of maybe (best Raceland athlete ever) may be a little bit of a stretch. While T.T. was very good I just don't know about best ever. When one gets to thinkng of some that have been around in the past at Raceland imo there are several that were better. T.T. had some great stats, no doubt but sometimes stats do not tell the entire story. Styles of play ran by the teams at the time imo would also have a lot to do with it as far as stats. I know of a lot (most) Raceland teams through the years that not only did not run the "spread" offense but they very seldom if ever threw the football and opposing teams didn't throw that much either. Raceland has had some very good athletes/football players through the years and that is obvious by their record/records and District titles and playoff appearances.

For one to name a single player out as "Best Ever" woud be very hard to and a lot of varibles would have to be taken into consideration. I was not putting T.T. down at all, he was a very good one. JMO that here have been others when one goes to claiming "best athlete ever" that would maybe be in the discussion as well and before him on that subject :thumb:.

You can make alot of arguments for many deserving players. I would be interested in what players in the area went on to to play college ball and at what schools.

:thumb: I 100% agree with you on this about Thomas as well LRCW.

 

Also, on the earlier listing of T. Tolliver from Raceland and statement of maybe (best Raceland athlete ever) may be a little bit of a stretch. While T.T. was very good I just don't know about best ever. When one gets to thinkng of some that have been around in the past at Raceland imo there are several that were better. T.T. had some great stats, no doubt but sometimes stats do not tell the entire story. Styles of play ran by the teams at the time imo would also have a lot to do with it as far as stats. I know of a lot (most) Raceland teams through the years that not only did not run the "spread" offense but they very seldom if ever threw the football and opposing teams didn't throw that much either. Raceland has had some very good athletes/football players through the years and that is obvious by their record/records and District titles and playoff appearances.

For one to name a single player out as "Best Ever" woud be very hard to and a lot of varibles would have to be taken into consideration. I was not putting T.T. down at all, he was a very good one. JMO that here have been others when one goes to claiming "best athlete ever" that would maybe be in the discussion as well and before him on that subject :thumb:.

 

I said he was arguably the best athlete in Raceland history. Key word there being "arguably". I know there are many athletes that deserve to be mentioned among the best in school history. But I would like to know if there is any others that have excelled in 3 sports like Thomas did. He was all-area in all three sports his senior year and all-state in baseball and football. He holds the career record for reception yards and reception td's for football, career record for assists in basketball, and a state record for career stolen bases in baseball. I think sometimes just because a player is more recent, that alot of the elderly Ram fans think they arent as good as the players from the past. I understand that RHS has changed their offense and that passing/recieving stats are up from the 1990's and 1980's. But Tolliver would excell in any era of ram football. If he played back in the days with Coach Ross and the wishbone, he would still have been a feared kick returner and slot reciever. No doubt he deserves to be mentioned among the finest athletes in Raceland history IMO.

You can make alot of arguments for many deserving players. I would be interested in what players in the area went on to to play college ball and at what schools.

 

Some of the players that were mentioned from Raceland attended the following colleges:

 

Tolliver - Translyvania University (baseball)

Forrest - KCU

Grizzle - Georgetown College

Pettrey - Ohio State University

Colegrove - Thomas More College

Salmons - Thomas More College

 

Those are just a few off the top of my head. Im sure Old Rambler or Ram cann help me finish the list of RHS college signees.

I said he was arguably the best athlete in Raceland history. Key word there being "arguably". I know there are many athletes that deserve to be mentioned among the best in school history. But I would like to know if there is any others that have excelled in 3 sports like Thomas did. He was all-area in all three sports his senior year and all-state in baseball and football. He holds the career record for reception yards and reception td's for football, career record for assists in basketball, and a state record for career stolen bases in baseball. I think sometimes just because a player is more recent, that alot of the elderly Ram fans think they arent as good as the players from the past. I understand that RHS has changed their offense and that passing/recieving stats are up from the 1990's and 1980's. But Tolliver would excell in any era of ram football. If he played back in the days with Coach Ross and the wishbone, he would still have been a feared kick returner and slot reciever. No doubt he deserves to be mentioned among the finest athletes in Raceland history IMO.

 

Brian Fletcher (91) is the only other Raceland Grad to have been all area in baseball, football, and basketball all in the same year. Fletcher was one of the most athletic grads from Raceland. Was he better then Tolliver? I am not sure.

Some of the players that were mentioned from Raceland attended the following colleges:

 

Tolliver - Translyvania University (baseball)

Forrest - KCU

Grizzle - Georgetown College

Pettrey - Ohio State University

Colegrove - Thomas More College

Salmons - Thomas More College

 

Those are just a few off the top of my head. Im sure Old Rambler or Ram cann help me finish the list of RHS college signees.

 

Here's a start.

 

Brian McCloud (90) Thomas More College

Del Hammond (90) Thomas More College

J.B. Newman (93) Morehead

Matt Boyd (06?) Morehead

Snitzker (04?) Georgetown

Todd Bouroghs (90) Union

Randy Vanderhoof (75?) Morehead

Scott Speaks (89) Louisville

Chris Lacks (06?) Cambellsville

Tylor Grant (05?) Thomas More

James Boggs (89) Morehead

Don Rambo (82?) Morehead

Thanks Ram.

Here's mine again with the college they attended. I did not include the honorable mention.

 

QB: Holbrook- none

FB: C. Johnson - none

RB: Beach - UK

RB: Jennings - Arizona

RB: Gross -Georgetown

WR: Parker -UK

WR: Day -Georgetown ?

TE: Marsh - Morehead St.

OL: McPeek -Marshall

OL: Wills - Georgetown

OL: Miller -UK

OL: Griffith - Wofford

OL: Queen - Morehead St.

 

 

Defense:

DL: Lee - None

DL: Hostetller -Tennessee

DL: Sheffey -WVU

DL: J. Thomas -None

DL: Thompson -KCU

LB: Forrest -KCU

LB: Crisp -None

LB: Davis - Wittenburg

LB: Frasure -Morehead St.

DB: Swimm - None

DB: McDavid -Georgetown

DB: Michaels -Army? Western Ky.

DB: Wright -Miami of Ohio

 

 

Specialties:

K- Pettrey - The Ohio State

PR- Tolliver -None (baseball at Transy)

KR- Newman - Morehead St.

P- Fugeman -None

 

Athletes:

ATH: Hutt -Marshall

ATH: Clark -Murray St.

ATH: Washington -Princeton

ATH: Thomas -undecided???

ATH: West -Marshall

ATH: Hughes -KCU

ATH: Ramey -None

ATH: Gable -None

ATH: Gurule -Morehead St.?

ATH: Jones -undecided???

ATH: M.Johnson -Centre

I said he was arguably the best athlete in Raceland history. Key word there being "arguably". I know there are many athletes that deserve to be mentioned among the best in school history. But I would like to know if there is any others that have excelled in 3 sports like Thomas did. He was all-area in all three sports his senior year and all-state in baseball and football. He holds the career record for reception yards and reception td's for football, career record for assists in basketball, and a state record for career stolen bases in baseball. I think sometimes just because a player is more recent, that alot of the elderly Ram fans think they arent as good as the players from the past. I understand that RHS has changed their offense and that passing/recieving stats are up from the 1990's and 1980's. But Tolliver would excell in any era of ram football. If he played back in the days with Coach Ross and the wishbone, he would still have been a feared kick returner and slot reciever. No doubt he deserves to be mentioned among the finest athletes in Raceland history IMO.

 

RC...I don't think that you read, or maybe not understood is a better term, my post. I stated that Tolliver was a very good athlete. My reasons for not putting him on the best ever category were pretty simple. I said that he played under a much more wide open system in football (spread offense) rather than in Bill Tom Ross's wishbone or Larry Heck's Power I and wishbone along with some wing t I believe. The spread offense is a very exciting offense and it gives players in the skill positions and opportunity to have such big numbers. As for being an all around athlete, I also agree that Tolliver was a very good obne. Your "arguably" comment was correct. IMO he does belong in the conversation but jmo there have been others just as and more deserving. That is not to cut Tolliver at all, again - I said that he was very good. I believe that Aaron Pettry (90's all around athlete, another multiple all area selection and current member of the Ohio State football Buckeyes), Frank Brown (a 70's athlete and standout in ALL sports (all area/all district and region in all sports), BGP's and Raceland's own Cvillecat-70's (a h.m. all state selection in football and "aguablty" along with B. Trimble and C. Vandergriff THE BEST baseball player/hitter to ever play at Raceland, Cville had a career B.A. of .575) .Tim Rose-70's (another great one), Michael Hunt - 80's (one of the best football and baseball players EVER at Raceland), current player B. Denton (could very well end up with some huge numbers by the time that he is done at RamLand), Donnie Rowe- 70's, 80's (can't remember the years and was another all sports standout), Ron Duncan, Hollie Heaberlin - 60's (two of the better basketball and baseball players ever at Raceland), Randy Heaberlin-70's (another multiple all area/all state selection and went on to play and star at EKU in football, was the Ashland "O" line coach for a while under Vick Marsh), Bob Trimble -80"s(another all area selection in basketball, baseball and one that also could be mentioned as "best ever" in baseball as well), Chris Vandergriff - 80's (same as Trimble and was a great one in basketball and baseball as well).

These are just a very few that I can think of off of the top of my head and I tried to list some in ALL time spans and not just the recent ones.

 

As for all of us "older" guys (I love it...:lol:)- that is the reason that I tried to list some in all era's of Raceland sports and imo some of the "younger" Ram fans need to check back and ask some questions about past players as well .

Again, in the kick returning category T.T. probably could have played on any Raceland team but as far as best ever I don't know how well that he could have ran in the "power" game or "blocked" as was required in some of the past offenses. In the spread/wide open style he was very good. As for "best ever" I will have to with all respect agree to disagree. I would really have to get down to it, check with some people and study on it to come up with a "best ever" pick at Raceland.

There have been so many good ones that I wouldn't want to single one out and "slight" many others and I really like it that way (for the reason's that I mentioned) as well.

I am sorry for "Rambling" on and was just trying to make my point and assure that I was not putting anyone mentioned down at all.:thumb:

Now I am finished I will turn it back to the original thread topic:D. :thumb: