KHSAA's online scoreboard began in 1997-1998. That's exactly 25 years ago. With that said, who are your top 25 mountain teams from this era? Mountain teams can be select 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, and select 16th Region teams. For example, I would consider Rockcastle, South Laurel, Elliott Co., and Ashland, but wouldn't consider Danville or Fleming County to be mountain schools.
1- S. Laurel 2005
2- Shelby Valley 2010
3- Paintsville 1997
4- Paintsville 1998
(03-23-2022, 04:58 PM)runthepill Wrote: [ -> ]1- S. Laurel 2005
2- Shelby Valley 2010
3- Paintsville 1997
4- Paintsville 1998
Hard for me to put those above the 98 Paintsville team if they were to play one another. South Laurel was better 3-7, but VanHoose and Tackett would have been a lot for them to handle. Match-up probably depends on how badly Tackett hurt South offensively and how well Paintsville's role players could hold their own defending South and their bigs out on the floor.
Know that Shelby Valley won it all, but they had a great draw. In terms of talent, they definitely had noticeable limits. I'd have to think about where I'd rank them against a team like 2002 Ashland that just ran into a buzzsaw in the first round and had their best player playing with a broken hand. I don't think any team we could list beats 2002 Lexington Catholic.
If we're stretching the definition of a mountain team a bit, I'm extremely partial to the 2005 Pendleton County team with Belcher, Verax, Elrod, Mains, and Elliott.
Lost by 3 to PRP in the opener but beat South Laurel pretty soundly earlier in the year.
(03-24-2022, 04:05 PM)Head_Viper Wrote: [ -> ]If we're stretching the definition of a mountain team a bit, I'm extremely partial to the 2005 Pendleton County team with Belcher, Verax, Elrod, Mains, and Elliott.
Lost by 3 to PRP in the opener but beat South Laurel pretty soundly earlier in the year.
Pendleton Co? That's a long stretch there HP. Lexington is closer to mountain's than Falmouth.
(03-23-2022, 04:58 PM)runthepill Wrote: [ -> ]1- S. Laurel 2005
2- Shelby Valley 2010
3- Paintsville 1997
4- Paintsville 1998
Paintsville 97-98 were premier but hard to put them ahead of 96. I’m not sure there has been a team in the mountains that can be placed ahead of the 96 Paintsville team. Just too much size and length. Senior leader at the point and T. Tackett at the 2 BOTH could shoot from the perimeter. 6’ 9” C. Rattliff and 6’ 6” bruiser in J. Mckenzie at forward who could also stretch the floor and shoot from outside, to add to 6’ 10” KY Mr Basketball J.R. Vanhoose at Center. The 95 team may have been even better with the addition of B. Lyon who is the most athletic individual I have still ever seen step on a basketball court in eastern KY. There have been some special teams over the years. I’d love to see teams of that caliber in the 15th Region again. Teams that can possibly win more than 1 game at Rupp. It’s tough to do.
Any list should have the '96 Paintsville team along with the '97 team.
(03-27-2022, 04:26 PM)Captain_44 Wrote: [ -> ]Any list should have the '96 Paintsville team along with the '97 team.
Those are 26 & 27 years old.
You must have not watched much basketball in EKY to say he was the most athletic player you’ve ever seen
(03-25-2022, 02:24 PM)Blue_Bird96 Wrote: [ -> ] (03-23-2022, 04:58 PM)runthepill Wrote: [ -> ]1- S. Laurel 2005
2- Shelby Valley 2010
3- Paintsville 1997
4- Paintsville 1998
Paintsville 97-98 were premier but hard to put them ahead of 96. I’m not sure there has been a team in the mountains that can be placed ahead of the 96 Paintsville team. Just too much size and length. Senior leader at the point and T. Tackett at the 2 BOTH could shoot from the perimeter. 6’ 9” C. Rattliff and 6’ 6” bruiser in J. Mckenzie at forward who could also stretch the floor and shoot from outside, to add to 6’ 10” KY Mr Basketball J.R. Vanhoose at Center. The 95 team may have been even better with the addition of B. Lyon who is the most athletic individual I have still ever seen step on a basketball court in eastern KY. There have been some special teams over the years. I’d love to see teams of that caliber in the 15th Region again. Teams that can possibly win more than 1 game at Rupp. It’s tough to do.
2000 Corbin team was better than that South Laurel team.
(03-27-2022, 09:05 PM)Corbin Wrote: [ -> ]2000 Corbin team was better than that South Laurel team.
Interesting match-up for the 2001 South Laurel team. They beat them 75-58 at Corbin early in the 99-2000 season. Game early the next year at South Laurel was against basically the same South team and a much different Corbin team only lost 75-69. I'll give the edge to Corbin.
2000 Hounds are one of my top 5-6 to come out of the 13th in the past 25 years, but I they're a horrible match-up for the 2005 South Laurel team who had a lot of size. I can see the 2005 South Laurel team being given Corbin's 2000 draw and winning at least a game or two before I can see 2000 Corbin being given South's 2005 draw and beating PRP and Ballard.
(03-28-2022, 02:00 AM)Head_Viper Wrote: [ -> ] (03-27-2022, 09:05 PM)Corbin Wrote: [ -> ]2000 Corbin team was better than that South Laurel team.
Interesting match-up for the 2001 South Laurel team. They beat them 75-58 at Corbin early in the 99-2000 season. Game early the next year at South Laurel was against basically the same South team and a much different Corbin team only lost 75-69. I'll give the edge to Corbin.
2000 Hounds are one of my top 5-6 to come out of the 13th in the past 25 years, but I they're a horrible match-up for the 2005 South Laurel team who had a lot of size. I can see the 2005 South Laurel team being given Corbin's 2000 draw and winning at least a game or two before I can see 2000 Corbin being given South's 2005 draw and beating PRP and Ballard.
Owsley County was the only Kentucky team to beat Corbin in 2000 until they lost at the state tournament. Owsley had a very good team that year but lost a close game to Knott Central in the regional semifinals after defeating Knott 2 weeks earlier by 12 in the regular season .
Ashland Blazer’s 2020 team was undefeated at 33-0 going into the Sweet 16 at Rupp, then the tournament was canceled due to Covid Pandemic. That record was with a schedule that included wins at George Rogers Clark, against Warren Central, Mason County, Madison Central, Trinity and their usual 16th region games against teams like Boyd Co, Russell, Rowan Co, etc.
2000 Owsley County made me think of some of the best not to make it out of their region. Here are a few of the older ones:
2003 North Laurel
2004 Hazard
2003 Breathitt Co.
2001 Bell Co.
1998 Bell Co.
1998 Corbin
Those Bell County and Breathitt County teams are probably umderappreciated, if not forgotten by most, but they were really good squads. Very physical teams with lots of football players, they could have held their own well in the not-so foul happy games in Rupp.
2003 North Laurel was the year where they had 3 exchange students. They'd have been a tougher match-up for Rose Hill than South Laurel ended up being due to their length.
2004 Hazard had a lot of talent and depth. Liked how Spurlock played Sizemore and Lamar off one another.
1998 Corbin was the Sears team that lost an overtime game to Clay County in the first round of the regional tournament.
One of the biggest upsets that I can remember in the 14th region was in 1981. Breathitt County was loaded. They had great guards and were big on the front line and had depth. They had defeated Knott Central twice during the regular season by around 30 points and had defeated them in the 55th district championship game by close to 30 points. But when the regional championship game was played the Patriots, behind the stellar play of BB King, defeated the Bobcats by 2 points. It was certainly a huge shocker!
(03-24-2022, 04:05 PM)Head_Viper Wrote: [ -> ]If we're stretching the definition of a mountain team a bit, I'm extremely partial to the 2005 Pendleton County team with Belcher, Verax, Elrod, Mains, and Elliott.
Lost by 3 to PRP in the opener but beat South Laurel pretty soundly earlier in the year.
You would be “stretching the definition” much more than a “bit” to name Pendleton County as an Appalachian/mountain school.
As for my best mountain team in the last 25 years, and I saw all of the best at the state tournament, I would have to go with the Paintsville team that won the state tournament. Huge front court and good guard play puts them at #1.
(03-27-2022, 05:54 PM)TigerBlues Wrote: [ -> ]You must have not watched much basketball in EKY to say he was the most athletic player you’ve ever seen
(03-25-2022, 02:24 PM)Blue_Bird96 Wrote: [ -> ] (03-23-2022, 04:58 PM)runthepill Wrote: [ -> ]1- S. Laurel 2005
2- Shelby Valley 2010
3- Paintsville 1997
4- Paintsville 1998
Paintsville 97-98 were premier but hard to put them ahead of 96. I’m not sure there has been a team in the mountains that can be placed ahead of the 96 Paintsville team. Just too much size and length. Senior leader at the point and T. Tackett at the 2 BOTH could shoot from the perimeter. 6’ 9” C. Rattliff and 6’ 6” bruiser in J. Mckenzie at forward who could also stretch the floor and shoot from outside, to add to 6’ 10” KY Mr Basketball J.R. Vanhoose at Center. The 95 team may have been even better with the addition of B. Lyon who is the most athletic individual I have still ever seen step on a basketball court in eastern KY. There have been some special teams over the years. I’d love to see teams of that caliber in the 15th Region again. Teams that can possibly win more than 1 game at Rupp. It’s tough to do.
You must not have ever watched Bryon Lyon. The closest thing I’ve seen to his athleticism on the court has been Brady Robinson. The only difference was Lyon was 6’ 5”. Imagine Robinson at 6’ 5” and you’ll have a good idea. Understand that I’m not saying their hasn’t been better basketball players. They’re have been many better but there has not been one with more athleticism on a basketball court in the mountains.
Without a doubt the 1997-98 PAINTSVILLE TEAM IS THE #1 TEAM IN THE MOUNTAINS.
VANHOOSE-MARSHALL
TACKETT- KENTUCKY
MCKENZIE- CUMBERLAND
Craig ratliff- pikeville-played professional baseball
Matt ratliff-pikeville college
Short
Best team ever in the mountains
The Shelby valley team that won the state was good but not as good as this bill Mike Runyon lead Paintsville team. They had it all. Ask Lexington Catholic & ashland
Does everyone consider Ashland in the Mountains? North of I-64 is the hills of KY.
(03-31-2022, 02:50 PM)Head_Viper Wrote: [ -> ]2000 Owsley County made me think of some of the best not to make it out of their region. Here are a few of the older ones:
2003 North Laurel
2004 Hazard
2003 Breathitt Co.
2001 Bell Co.
1998 Bell Co.
1998 Corbin
Those Bell County and Breathitt County teams are probably umderappreciated, if not forgotten by most, but they were really good squads. Very physical teams with lots of football players, they could have held their own well in the not-so foul happy games in Rupp.
2003 North Laurel was the year where they had 3 exchange students. They'd have been a tougher match-up for Rose Hill than South Laurel ended up being due to their length.
2004 Hazard had a lot of talent and depth. Liked how Spurlock played Sizemore and Lamar off one another.
1998 Corbin was the Sears team that lost an overtime game to Clay County in the first round of the regional tournament.
The infamous "phantom foul" game. More chicanery from Manchester. Clay , with the help of a dishonest ref, literally stole that game.