[Pulp Fiction]

This is the short list for Johnson Central from about 1998 forward.

JJ Jude - Football & Wrestling
Geordon Blanton - Football, Wrestling & Baseball
Heath Castle - Football, Basketball & Baseball
Dalton Adkins - Football & Basketball
Ryley Preece - Football & Baseball

[Old School Hound]

David Hensley and Freddie Maggard are the best in Harlan County after Wah Wah Jones and the best I've actually seen play.

Freddie was a fine athlete. In recent years he's become a bit of a homer for Corbin.  I know he lived here for awhile and still has a lot of friends here but his comment about Corbin being the "Green Bay Packers of KY High School football" was just a tad over the top , I think. lol  Thanks anyway, Fred. We'll take all the superlatives we can get after 43 years of drought.  

[KyGymRat]

Tim Couch 
Hands down one of the top 3 ever

[King Kong]

This is the short list for Johnson Central from about 1998 forward.

JJ Jude - Football & Wrestling
Geordon Blanton - Football, Wrestling & Baseball
Heath Castle - Football, Basketball & Baseball
Dalton Adkins - Football & Basketball
Ryley Preece - Football & Baseball

I was thinking about Heath Castle when I saw this thread. He played college baseball for UK and was drafted into the pros. Spent some time in the Yankees organization, at least I think it was the Yankees.  He's definitely more than deserving to be on this list.  Glad you mentioned him Pulp.

[nedreader]

Sean Pennington-Clay Co- Football, basketball, track AND baseball. I’m pretty sure he played SS on the baseball team.
Deshae Henson- Clay County-football, baseball and basketball but in reality he’s about 6’0. I can’t imagine anyone being as good in 3-4 different sports as Sean was.

[rogerfededer]

Jeff Kyle at Middlesboro. All-State football and basketball and was a great baseball player on teams that made deep runs in state tourney.

There are several Middlesboro athletes that had big accomplishments across several sports.

[nedreader]

Lawrence Buell was a great athlete from Middlesboro in the early 80s but I’m not sure if he played anything other than basketball. Joe McGeorge from Bell Co in the late 80s was a tremendous athlete who I know played basketball and football. Honestly when you add a 3rd sport it really narrows the list. For two sport stars Russ Farmer(basketball and baseball) should definitely be mentioned.

[Cactus Jack]

If Mr. Football had been an award at the time, Sean Pennington probably wins it and Clay County joins Paintsville as one of two Mountain schools to have a Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball. Would have to imagine that he holds a ton of school records in track that still stand today as well.

If you include the schools that consolidated into Harlan County (Evarts & Cawood), then they're in there too.

Ashland has had a Mr. Football, but no Mr. Basketball.

North Laurel and South Laurel each had a Mr. Basketball in the 2000's.

For all their sports history, surprised that Hazard didn't have a player win either one.

[Jarons]

If Mr. Football had been an award at the time, Sean Pennington probably wins it and Clay County joins Paintsville as one of two Mountain schools to have a Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball. Would have to imagine that he holds a ton of school records in track that still stand today as well.

If you include the schools that consolidated into Harlan County (Evarts & Cawood), then they're in there too.

Ashland has had a Mr. Football, but no Mr. Basketball.

North Laurel and South Laurel each had a Mr. Basketball in the 2000's.

For all their sports history, surprised that Hazard didn't have a player win either one.

Who has won Mr. Football for Ashland?

[Cactus Jack]

If Mr. Football had been an award at the time, Sean Pennington probably wins it and Clay County joins Paintsville as one of two Mountain schools to have a Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball. Would have to imagine that he holds a ton of school records in track that still stand today as well.

If you include the schools that consolidated into Harlan County (Evarts & Cawood), then they're in there too.

Ashland has had a Mr. Football, but no Mr. Basketball.

North Laurel and South Laurel each had a Mr. Basketball in the 2000's.

For all their sports history, surprised that Hazard didn't have a player win either one.

Who has won Mr. Football for Ashland?

Correction: none from Ashland. I thought Charlie Johnson or Juan Thomas had won it, but apparently not.

[Gridiron_Raid]

Chase Estep probably should be on most lists, Before he was a first time QB and threw for over 3000 yds and 38 tds and run for a bunch more, he was the most dynamic athlete on the field for Corbin in back to back state title game appearances. Really he was a huge reason Haddix and them got the program to where it sits right now. Then he goes to UK and starts SS for however many years.

[BJN0502]

I'm obviously a homer, but Kade Grundy was a 3 sport star at Somerset High School.  Football may have been the sport he favored least, but was a home run threat every time he touched the ball. His Jr and Sr. Seasons plays both sides of the ball and becomes a lock down defender against every opponents WR1. Clutch catch after clutch catch kept the Jumpers alive when all hope seemed lost multiple times. Received multiple accolades including picking up D1 offers.

Played varsity basketball since the 7th grade, where he introduced himself to the state scoring 30+ on crosstown rival Pulaski helping to win the game. Went on to score over 2,000pts. and once again picking up multiple accolades. If memory serves me correctly he was told he could walk-on to a D1 program in the SEC because he was already offered a baseball scholarship by the same program. He did receive offers from multiple schools at many levels as well.

Then theres finally baseball, where he was the number 1 player in the state. He was an ACE pitcher where he received most of his notoriety, but had a cannon for an arm in the outfield keeping base runners honest. His bat was just as lethal and it was because he was a multi tool athlete that he was a multiple time ALL-State award winner. Every major ACC and SEC school sent offers his way, with him eventually picking baseball powerhouse Louisville. 

All his accomplishments and accolades are not posted because I am unable to remember them all, but his best attribute was and still is his humility. Kade Grundy has always been a team first guy, thus his willingness to play both ways in football even when he wasn't 100%. He commanded double teams freeing up his fellow receivers and on the biggest stage in the 2A state championship in 2019, that helped to free up a game winning touchdown. So for my money Kade Grundy is definitely one of the mountains and even states all time greats!

[KColley]

From 1990 to 2005 in NEKY land, I would put Lawrence County’s Gerad Parker at the top of the list. Standout wide receiver who is arguably the best athlete in that school’s history. Nightly double-double threat on hardwood. Started at wide receiver at UK.

Over last 10 years in NEKY, the two best have been/were West Carter’s Ben Jordan and Greenup County’s Gage Hughes. Gage played middle infield on what was the No. 1 ranked team in the county by USA Today from a high school baseball standpoint and scored well over 1,000 points in basketball, committed to Cincinnati before turning that down after being drafted by the Kansas City Royals baseball organization. Gage’s aunt, Amy, was offered a full ride to Connecticut to play women’s basketball before transferring to Xavier and now coaches at Portsmouth (Ohio) where she won 2025 Division V State Championship with Gage and Mike Hughes (Amy’s father and Gage’s grandfather) assisting on staff.

Ben was an absolute specimen, 6-9, 220 who had a fastball that could touch 96. Scored over 1,000 points in basketball. Ranked as the No. 1 player in the state in his class at one time, above Jo Adell (LAA) and Joe Boyle (TB) who are currently playing in the major leagues. Played in Perfect Game All-American Game and Under Armour Showcase at Wrigley Field and PETCO Park.

Could’ve gone full-ride D-I in both sports no doubt in my mind, ultimately signed to play baseball at Kentucky and later walked on to the men’s basketball team while playing baseball.

As great as an athlete as he was, Ben was a much better person and he would rather be known for his fishing or hunting exploits than anything else. We miss you Ben!