[FBALL]

If I am reading incorrectly into a couple of the comments on this thread as being negative about a fantastic achievement by this group of athletes from our area I apologize.

Let me explain as clearly as I can what an achievement this was.
ALL Kentucky teams are eligible to compete and most do if they have athletes that are strong enough. The numbers for each team or school vary from only 1 to around 50(like Louisville Trinity and Trigg County which bring their Powerlifting Teams.... (not football teams but powerlifting teams! Many of those kids couldn't even get in a football stance)! Russell first competed with only one lifter because that was all they had with a chance to score. This year they took 14 lifters and most if not all were very very competitive in their weight class; many did not score but that is exactly the point I am making, it is EXTREMELY difficult to score in this meet. As to the question of how many participated... around four to five hundred of the strongest kids in the entire state competed. No, this event is not santioned by the KHSAA but it IS the Kentucky State Powerlifting Championship and Russell IS the
2008 Kentucky State powerlifting Champion of Class AAA.
I'm going to explain and I'm not sure some BGR posters understand the significance of these statements. First of all, if you know Adam Foster and an Adam Foster doesn't place that should tell you something right there. Tyler Jones finishes with two guys ahead of him? Tyler Jones is a Beast!!! He's almost freaky strong!! A vast majority of schools do not have lifters they feel can even compete in this meet because it is so difficult to place. To prove this point, out of all the schools that felt they actually did have lifters that could compete, around half of these schools could not even score one single point. Russell scored 19!!! There were a lot of schools represented in the state meet but actually the number of teams in the meet and in each class is Absolutely and Totally insignificant!

If anyone insists on being critical or jealous or whatever it is, instead of positive towards an accomplishment from this group from our area, the ONLY arguement anyone could possibly have is dealing with the classes. Russell has always been in class AA with Trigg County who won the overall title over Louisville Trinity and other large schools like Lou. Fern Creek, Montgomery County, Lou. Manual, George Rodgers Clark, Scott County, Hopkinsville, and others. Yes, Russell did get some luck in not being in class AA this year and no they would not have won AA, but they DID WIN AAA (which by the way had more schools represented than any other class) and Russell would have also won the class A championship easily. They also would have faired very well in the the larger classes:
4th if they were AAAAAA
Runner-up champion if they were AAAAA
Runner-up champion if they were AAAA

Sorry, but I can't really see any angle whatsoever to diminish the magnatude of what these boys accomplished in winning this championship. I hope they get rings, T-shirts, and patches for their jackets!!!! THEY EARNED IT!!!

Another thing, Powerlifting is NOT a sport at Russell. This was just simply a bunch of football players that have become very strong while getting ready for Friday nights in the fall. Half or more of their training does not even involve weights at all. They spend just as much time working on speed, footwork, agility, and they also get involved in passing leagues. Russell does not have a Strength class during school time like many other schools and if you would see the weight room at Russell you would be amazed by what these kids have been able to do.
To me these things make this title all the more impressive.

I do not know what other state meet someone could be referring to but it doesn't really matter, this meet is and has been the State Powerlifting Meet for around 20-30 years.

BTW
If by some slight chance someone would be hinting that Russell kids "juice up", well, we can't be sure about any school can we? I will however tell you this fact. Russell includes Steroid testing as a part of their random drug testing and has done so for quite some time. I have never once heard so much as one little rumor of one single time where this has resulted in the slightest problem.

Sometimes school and team pride go so much farther than we think in motivating players to work hard to be the best they can be.

Very nice post. These kids have worked extremely hard and deserve alot of credit.