[hulkamania]

Can't agree with this..

That Middlesboro team was great, but the 1987 Pikeville team was transcendent.

The closest a mountain team has ever came to being a Top 50 team Nationally was that Panther team.

Here is my Top 5 list, I only consider teams who won their State Championship:
1. 1987 Pikeville
2. 2004 Belfry
3. 2002 Breathitt
4. 1991 Bell County
5. 1996 Breathitt

I really hate to step on toes here but the 97 bobcats were did break the top 50 nationally. They were totally unstoppable on a neutral field even the great dudley said it was the best high school team he had ever seen even though he won the championship that year at bourbon co. I would venture to guess he'd seen a few more high school teams than the nfl hall of famer. I love this thread and the breathitt bobcats and never had the opportunity to see the great panther teams of the past and have the upmost respect for them but the game had changed quite dramatically by the time this 97 team played and to imagine them being beat by a team of that stature is lunecy. You must know that the offensive line that year AVERAGED a 4.9 40 yard dash and 300+bench press. Skill kids were 4.7 - 4.4 and 250+. I just wish we could watch them play. They were ranked #1 overall and finished second behind highlands after losing to lawrence in the third round in one of the most unbelievable fields ive ever seen played on. For that field to be deemed playable may have been the comparable to deeming the titanic eligible for the next carribean cruise.