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I'm not 100% sure on this, but i beleive that Brandon Smith and the Boyle Co. beat Curtis Pulley and Paducah Tillman in the Semi-finals to go to state? Correct me if im wrong.

Boyle County beat Paducah Tilghman in the semifinals when Brandon Smith was a junior. The next year, the Rebels beat Hopkinsville in the semis.

As another poster said, Smith and Pulley went head to head in the state-semis. I was at that game and there wasn't any doubt who was the best player. It was Smith hands down. I agree with Larry, it should have been Turner or Smith. But with the way both of them have conducted themselves on and off the field in college, the three State Championship rings that they have, along with the season's they both are on the horizons of this year, I bet they couldn't care less about who they got "beat" by in the '04 Mr. Football Award.

One game doesn't decide which player was better. Both have an impressive body of work. In my opinion, Pulley's was a little more impressive.

Several observations and opinions:

 

1. Larry is a great sports writer and will remain so in my opinion even if I disagree with him on this matter and other matters like the public private split;

 

2. The article, at least to me, makes Larry seem just a little bitter that his opinion as to who should have been Mr. Football in 04 wasn't listened to enough by other voters and in Larry's opinion it should have been since he was one of the people that led the charge to create the Mr. Football award (admittedly he didn't say that, but I picked up that sentiment as I read the article);

 

3. As to the head to head observations between Pulley and Smith, those observations aren't always fair or indicative of who is the better player. Frankly, I was not impressed at all with Smith in the 04 championship game vs Highlands. He threw interceptions and looked rattled at the qb spot. I don't remember him making any big plays on D. If you are basing Mr. Football awards on head to head matchups, based on the state game, Jamie Hubbard of Highlands could arguably have been Mr. Football. The fact is that great players don't always look like great players when they are playing against much better teams. That was true when Turner and Smith played against Highlands in 04 and was true when Pulley's team played Boyle in 04 too.

 

4. Yet I know that Smith was a very, very good qb and high school football player. Fantastic senior year; fantastic high school career; fantastic leadership. He was definitely deserving of serious consideration as to Mr. Football. Likewise Turner was also a fantastic player at Danville, had a fantastic senior year and career and also very deserving.

 

5. No doubt that Smith and Turner were hurt in the voting by the fact that they both came from the same town and voters from that region probably split the vote.

 

6. All three young men had great high school careers and their accomplishments (or lack thereof) in college don't provide any indication of who should have been Mr. Football.

 

7. The fact that one young man (or in this case two young men) were on state championship teams and the third was not, in my opinion, has no bearing on who should be Mr. Football. I believe last year's Mr. Football was Mr. Robinson of Loan Oak. No state championship, but a fantastic and record breaking high school career. State championships are won by fantastic teams. Unfortunately not all fantastic players get the opportunity to play on fantastic teams, and that should not be held against them when it comes to Mr. Football voting. I'd be interested in knowing if Larry has ever voted for Mr. Football candidates from teams that didn't win state championships. If so, it would seemingly undermine the significance he wants to place on Pulley's failure to lead his team to a state championship in high school.

 

8. I hope that all three young men have great college careers and more importantly great lives, always remembering as they face challenges and difficulties in their lives how the qualities of hard work, perseverence and committment that they learned in high school can able them to face and overcome those challenges and difficulties. I hope for Pulley's sake he does some soul searching fast and gets his life straightened out.

Several observations and opinions:

 

1. Larry is a great sports writer and will remain so in my opinion even if I disagree with him on this matter and other matters like the public private split;

 

2. The article, at least to me, makes Larry seem just a little bitter that his opinion as to who should have been Mr. Football in 04 wasn't listened to enough by other voters and in Larry's opinion it should have been since he was one of the people that led the charge to create the Mr. Football award (admittedly he didn't say that, but I picked up that sentiment as I read the article);

 

3. As to the head to head observations between Pulley and Smith, those observations aren't always fair or indicative of who is the better player. Frankly, I was not impressed at all with Smith in the 04 championship game vs Highlands. He threw interceptions and looked rattled at the qb spot. I don't remember him making any big plays on D. If you are basing Mr. Football awards on head to head matchups, based on the state game, Jamie Hubbard of Highlands could arguably have been Mr. Football. The fact is that great players don't always look like great players when they are playing against much better teams. That was true when Turner and Smith played against Highlands in 04 and was true when Pulley's team played Boyle in 04 too.

 

4. Yet I know that Smith was a very, very good qb and high school football player. Fantastic senior year; fantastic high school career; fantastic leadership. He was definitely deserving of serious consideration as to Mr. Football. Likewise Turner was also a fantastic player at Danville, had a fantastic senior year and career and also very deserving.

 

5. No doubt that Smith and Turner were hurt in the voting by the fact that they both came from the same town and voters from that region probably split the vote.

 

6. All three young men had great high school careers and their accomplishments (or lack thereof) in college don't provide any indication of who should have been Mr. Football.

 

7. The fact that one young man (or in this case two young men) were on state championship teams and the third was not, in my opinion, has no bearing on who should be Mr. Football. I believe last year's Mr. Football was Mr. Robinson of Loan Oak. No state championship, but a fantastic and record breaking high school career. State championships are won by fantastic teams. Unfortunately not all fantastic players get the opportunity to play on fantastic teams, and that should not be held against them when it comes to Mr. Football voting. I'd be interested in knowing if Larry has ever voted for Mr. Football candidates from teams that didn't win state championships. If so, it would seemingly undermine the significance he wants to place on Pulley's failure to lead his team to a state championship in high school.

 

8. I hope that all three young men have great college careers and more importantly great lives, always remembering as they face challenges and difficulties in their lives how the qualities of hard work, perseverence and committment that they learned in high school can able them to face and overcome those challenges and difficulties. I hope for Pulley's sake he does some soul searching fast and gets his life straightened out.

 

:thumb::thumb:

I saw both Pulley and Turner play. I think Pulley was the better player, although I think Turner probably had a better case to win the award than Brandon Smith did, since Smith wasn't a two-way player and the other guys were.

 

Actually Westsider he was a 2 way player at OLB.

I think he started his last two years at LB.

 

BTW, for stats his Senior year here's what I found:

 

He was 216-357-10 and 43 TD's.

 

Smith also rushed 130 times for 905 yards and 16 TD's.

 

I couldn't find Tackles listed for him. :thumb:

Several observations and opinions:

 

1. Larry is a great sports writer and will remain so in my opinion even if I disagree with him on this matter and other matters like the public private split;

 

2. The article, at least to me, makes Larry seem just a little bitter that his opinion as to who should have been Mr. Football in 04 wasn't listened to enough by other voters and in Larry's opinion it should have been since he was one of the people that led the charge to create the Mr. Football award (admittedly he didn't say that, but I picked up that sentiment as I read the article);

 

3. As to the head to head observations between Pulley and Smith, those observations aren't always fair or indicative of who is the better player. Frankly, I was not impressed at all with Smith in the 04 championship game vs Highlands. He threw interceptions and looked rattled at the qb spot. I don't remember him making any big plays on D. If you are basing Mr. Football awards on head to head matchups, based on the state game, Jamie Hubbard of Highlands could arguably have been Mr. Football. The fact is that great players don't always look like great players when they are playing against much better teams. That was true when Turner and Smith played against Highlands in 04 and was true when Pulley's team played Boyle in 04 too.

 

4. Yet I know that Smith was a very, very good qb and high school football player. Fantastic senior year; fantastic high school career; fantastic leadership. He was definitely deserving of serious consideration as to Mr. Football. Likewise Turner was also a fantastic player at Danville, had a fantastic senior year and career and also very deserving.

 

5. No doubt that Smith and Turner were hurt in the voting by the fact that they both came from the same town and voters from that region probably split the vote.

 

6. All three young men had great high school careers and their accomplishments (or lack thereof) in college don't provide any indication of who should have been Mr. Football.

 

7. The fact that one young man (or in this case two young men) were on state championship teams and the third was not, in my opinion, has no bearing on who should be Mr. Football. I believe last year's Mr. Football was Mr. Robinson of Loan Oak. No state championship, but a fantastic and record breaking high school career. State championships are won by fantastic teams. Unfortunately not all fantastic players get the opportunity to play on fantastic teams, and that should not be held against them when it comes to Mr. Football voting. I'd be interested in knowing if Larry has ever voted for Mr. Football candidates from teams that didn't win state championships. If so, it would seemingly undermine the significance he wants to place on Pulley's failure to lead his team to a state championship in high school.

 

8. I hope that all three young men have great college careers and more importantly great lives, always remembering as they face challenges and difficulties in their lives how the qualities of hard work, perseverence and committment that they learned in high school can able them to face and overcome those challenges and difficulties. I hope for Pulley's sake he does some soul searching fast and gets his life straightened out.

 

Great post LN :thumb:

 

Like you I find it hard to base things on one game. That's often times a team result. Just like if you based Smith's performance on the title game vs. Highlands the year before when Smith threw for 201 yards and rushed for 160. In that one you would have to say he was the deserving award winner.

 

While I can disagree with Westsider I think it's not like Pulley didn't deserve the trophy. Even if I think Smith or Turner were better Pulley has to be in that conversation.

Actually Westsider he was a 2 way player at OLB.

I think he started his last two years at LB.

 

BTW, for stats his Senior year here's what I found:

 

He was 216-357-10 and 43 TD's.

 

Smith also rushed 130 times for 905 yards and 16 TD's.

 

I couldn't find Tackles listed for him. :thumb:

I stand corrected, although Smith was listed as a starter at linebacker in 2004, not in 2003. In 2003, when I saw Boyle beat Paducah Tilghman in the semifinals, Smith didn't play defense.

Frankly, I was not impressed at all with Smith in the 04 championship game vs Highlands. He threw interceptions and looked rattled at the qb spot. I don't remember him making any big plays on D.

Smith was 8 for 26 with four interceptions that day ... good observation.

Here are the Head to Head Stats that a Friend of my from the Advocate sent to me today...

 

 

Smith connected on 22 of 32 passes for 355 yards and four touchdowns, while Pulley hit on 10 of 29 tries for 261 yards and three scores. Pulley threw three interceptions, and two of the picks led directly to Boyle scores.

Pulley also ran for 17 yards on 11 carries

For the sake of typing alot about something back in '04.........they were all great players and only one guy can take home the award.......Vaught needs to get over it and write an article about something else.

You know he is a sports writer, with his own column and is paid to put his opinions out there. I think that at this time of year, which he stated made him think about it, it is okay to debate it. Face it we debate games and school rivalries that are just as retorihical. I agree that no matter what Pulley will always be Mr. Football, but look at the lively debate we have had.

 

 

BTW.....I agree with him and I also thought it was a mistake for UK to offer him but they were kind of painted into a cornor on that one.

Smith did dominate that game between the 2. I still like Turner.

I really don't want to get into the debate about who should have been Mr. Football 4 years ago. However, Larry Vaught is very predicatable and a homer. Not a good combination, but apparently one that sells papers in Danville.

I am not a Advocate Messenger fan, and it is my local newspaper. However, I have to agree that Turner or Smith either one would've been a better choice that year. If I am not mistaken, Pulley played at Boyle County that season and was very unimpressive and dominated by BC.