[Gridiron_Raid]

BELFRY

1. 2015 -  (14-1) 3A State Champions. Won the State Title 43-0 over Lexington Catholic. Defeated two other State Champions (Pikeville and Knoxville Catholic) and two other eventual State Runner-Ups outside of LexCath (NewCath & Johnson Central) including a laded Knoxville Catholic and a 41-0 win over a very good Johnson Central team. Finishes as the #336 team in the country in Calpreps and ranked as the #4 overall team in KY.

2. 2016 - (14-1) 3A State Champions. Had several pieces from the 2015 team back. Lone loss was to Knoxville Catholic. Didn't have the high end wins over eventual finalists except for an impressive win over a loaded Johnson Central team that went on to win the title. Finished as the #453 ranked team in the country in Calpreps and the #6 overall team in KY.

3. 2004- (14-1) 2A State Champions. David Jones & Doug Howard's Senior year. Ended with an electric victory over Owensboro Catholic where both backs ran for over 200 yards. Lone loss was a very good Ironton, OH team. Had two hard fought wins over very good Prestonsburg teams and a great win in the Semi's over Josh Gross led Russell. Calpreps had them as #1098 in the country and #9 in KY.

4. 2013- (14-1) 3A State Champions. Very good team that knocked off previously undefeated Wayne County and Bourbon County in successive weeks. Got beat bad by Johnson Central though. Sani Warren was the QB and Austin Hatfield the Fullback. Calpreps had them as the #811 team in the Country,

5. 2003- (13-2) 2A State Champions. The first Belfry team to get over the hump. Did not start that well with surprising loss to Boyd County in the Pike County Bowl. Lost to Ironton as well. Round into form with a three huge playoff wins over a loaded Middlesboro on the road, Lloyd on the road in the snow, and an Elizabethtown littered with future SEC players. Calpreps had them at #1544 in the country

The Next 5

6. 2007- (14-1) 3A Runner-Up. The closest team to achieving 15-0 perfection. For 14 games Belfry was an absolute buzzsaw with the closest game being a 16 point win over Johnson Central. Andrew Elkins at QB with a backfield of Dustin May, Ivan Lee, and Thomas Varney, That ended when Belfry seemingly overlooked Central in their first meeting. Central had lost badly to that same Johnson Central team and Belfry rode in having demolished undefeated Breathitt County. Pirates nearly made the comeback but Central was able to hold on for the upset,

7. 1979- (12-1) 3A Runner-Up. Dick Roddy's signature team. Belfry road a perfect record and shocked powerhouse Highlands in the Semi's. They also had two quality wins over Leslie County along the way and tough wins over Pikeville and Russell in the regular season. Joker Phillips and Franklin-Simpson just proved to be too much in the Finals.

8. 2019- (11-3) 3A State Champions. Probably will be one of the most under-appreciated Belfry teams when all is said and done. The three losses doesn;t help, but a hard fought loss against Ohio powerhouse Archbishop Alter on the road, a one point shocker to Pikeville, and a lopsided loss to an absolutely LOADED Johnson Central (Both Pikeville and Johnson Central won State Titles). Lost is an impressive finals win over previously undefeated Bell County, a gritty road win over DeSales (expected to be the 3A Champion), and a season opening win over an extremely talented LCA.

9. 1986- (11-2) 3A Runner-Up. On the heels of the 3A Runner-Up season Belfry was loaded and armed for bear. Belfry shocked an absolute powerhouse Danville team in the Semi's but fell short, hampered by injuries, against Owensboro.

10. 2011- (13-2) 3A Runner-Up. After an overachieving team got blasted by Central in the 3A Finals, a gritty Belfry team earned their way back with a lone hard fought loss to Johnson Central as the only blemish. Belfry beat a very good Breathitt County and an excellent Garrard County in successive high intensity road games. Everyone expected an Ace Wales led Central team to roll with ease but Belfry took them to the final play before losing  by a point.

Worth Mentioning (No Order)
2014- 3A State Champs. Very good team that you can argue into the Top 10. Losses to Pikeville and Johnson Central and had a favorable playoff path.

2021- Won 3A Title but was not an elite team. 6 losses, one was a COVID forfeit against a brutal schedule. Isaac Dixon, Mr. Football, carried the load for a historic run and a historic State Finals.

1985- 3A Runner-Ups to Paducah Tilghman. Definitely a Top 10 argument. Solid team that spring boarded the Haywood era into proving they could compete on a state Level.

2010- 3A Runner-Ups. Got crushed by Central and lost numerous games... but had an unbelievable playoff push shocking #1 Somerset and a stacked Mason County team along the way.

2012- 3A Runner-Ups. Solid team who took Central to Overtime but came up just shy.

1989- Team who suffered maybe the most iconic loss. Noone expected them to challenge Highlands, let alone come up literally a yard shy of a massive upset of the eventual State Champs in a legendary playoff game.

2008- Belfry returned a ton from 2007 and was once again looking like a buzzsaw most of the season. Breathitt shocked them with a mammoth upset in the Semi's behind Channing Fugate.

2005- Searching for a 3-peat, Matt Maynard and Belfry had a huge "revenge" game at Russell in the Semi's. Russell jumped out to a lead behind Kasey Clark but Belfry came back. Pirates had it in the redzone looking for the win and Clark intercepted a pass in the endzone as Russell went on to win a title.

My top 5 for Belfry is
2016
2004
2015
2003
2007
It’s just hard for me to put a team that lost 49-7 as the best team in program
history. 2004 had the best backfield maybe this state has ever seen with Jones and Howard together. You could make a case 2007 for #1 if they pulled it off vs Central as they’d be the only 15-0 team in school history. I do think that 2007 Central team was the best Central team Belfry has played.

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Bell county

1. 2008 15-0 4A State Champions.
One of the best teams in Southeastern KY history and would compete with most of the teams listed maybe outside of 15-16 belfry. Few teams scored and if they did, scored once or twice max. Best kicker state had seen in a while who won games. The prime dudley years.

2. 2007  4A 12-1 Regional runner up
Lost to one of the most dominant teams in the history of this state outside of trinity teams in Lex Cath with Winston guy in a classic on log mountain. Other than that game, which was the state championship, bell county dominated every game and every team with unbelievable fashion.

3. 2021 14-1 State Runner Up 3A
Some say the most pure talent on one team this school ever had, just didn’t have the traditional 3 yards and a cloud of dust that dudley usually has. London Stephany will go down as one of the greatest players in this part of the state. Lost the battle in the trenches and was outcoached in the game against belfry in kroger that frustrates people to this day. Shoulda woulda coulda

4. 1990 13-1 loss to Ashland regional finals
The team that built this program, some will say the 91 team was better cause they got over the hump and won it all, but in the scheme of things, this was the best team of the 90s lower than 4A. This team from the time they were freshman’s walked in to a losing team and built it to the state power and lost in ridiculous fashion in ashland. All the starters were seniors and graduated this year which leads to how great this team and 91 was that backups could win the state championship.

5. 1991 14-1, state champions, has some wins taken away for ineligible player at the beginning of the year don’t know official record

The team of backups and scout team players of 90 come and dominate every game other than to a tough corbin at corbin. Win state and beat every team in 3A very easily. Everyone including themselves think 90 could beat up on 91, but once again woulda coulda shoulda

teams to remember that were state contenders but lost due to coaching,
2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2018, any team in the 90s

Corbin and bell fans have the same argument and look towards the staffs over the years, being honest we get the best talent from claiborne county TN, Lee county VA, bell county, harlan county, knox county, whitley county, leslie county over time and still can’t get over the hump of teams with historic coaches. Feel like we got the calipari version of high school football. Then wayne blew the program into shambles. but all i can say after 2019 is woulda coulda shoulda

Your 3rd team was the 2019 team.

You’re right i’m sorry messed up typing that one out, same thing happened, isaac dixon ran over them. Happened so many times my brain just wants to forget. 2019.

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Bell county

1. 2008 15-0 4A State Champions.
One of the best teams in Southeastern KY history and would compete with most of the teams listed maybe outside of 15-16 belfry. Few teams scored and if they did, scored once or twice max. Best kicker state had seen in a while who won games. The prime dudley years.

2. 2007  4A 12-1 Regional runner up
Lost to one of the most dominant teams in the history of this state outside of trinity teams in Lex Cath with Winston guy in a classic on log mountain. Other than that game, which was the state championship, bell county dominated every game and every team with unbelievable fashion.

3. 2021 14-1 State Runner Up 3A
Some say the most pure talent on one team this school ever had, just didn’t have the traditional 3 yards and a cloud of dust that dudley usually has. London Stephany will go down as one of the greatest players in this part of the state. Lost the battle in the trenches and was outcoached in the game against belfry in kroger that frustrates people to this day. Shoulda woulda coulda

4. 1990 13-1 loss to Ashland regional finals
The team that built this program, some will say the 91 team was better cause they got over the hump and won it all, but in the scheme of things, this was the best team of the 90s lower than 4A. This team from the time they were freshman’s walked in to a losing team and built it to the state power and lost in ridiculous fashion in ashland. All the starters were seniors and graduated this year which leads to how great this team and 91 was that backups could win the state championship.

5. 1991 14-1, state champions, has some wins taken away for ineligible player at the beginning of the year don’t know official record

The team of backups and scout team players of 90 come and dominate every game other than to a tough corbin at corbin. Win state and beat every team in 3A very easily. Everyone including themselves think 90 could beat up on 91, but once again woulda coulda shoulda

teams to remember that were state contenders but lost due to coaching,
2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2018, any team in the 90s

Corbin and bell fans have the same argument and look towards the staffs over the years, being honest we get the best talent from claiborne county TN, Lee county VA, bell county, harlan county, knox county, whitley county, leslie county over time and still can’t get over the hump of teams with historic coaches. Feel like we got the calipari version of high school football. Then wayne blew the program into shambles. but all i can say after 2019 is woulda coulda shoulda

If the 2008 team was Prime Dudley years, what kind of bad coaching took place in 09-12?

You ever had the opinion that the players for UK basketball that they won “in spite” of cal. That’s my opinion on 2008. He had so much talent he could’ve missed practice and won 13 games a year for 2007-2010. That’s when the county was booming and so we’re the neighboring counties. The best athletes from a 30 mile radius went to bell and they just lost all the big games on stupid things. Then 2011 and 2012 wayne mills came in with the talent that shouldn’t had lost a game in that stretch in state outside of the big schools in louisville. Blows two games to my opinion best coach this state has seen in a while, scroggins and central. Then the program fell thanks to the mills clan and took dudley and sam marple, now coach at taylor, to bring it back to above average. Moral of the story i could’ve won 3 titles from 2007 to 2012.