[#55PirateFan]

Got to thinking today about our seniors graduating in a few weeks and thought back on what a pretty good career these Pirate seniors had. Thought about some of the other programs that were pretty dang good too. Who do you guys think are some of the other programs that had a great 2020 group and why?

***NOTE***
THIS IS NOT A THREAD ABOUT "THE BEST" 2020 CLASS, JUST A DISCUSSION ABOUT "SOME" OF THE BEST 2020 CLASSES.

I'll start with my Belfry Pirates. Our group of seniors finished their careers with a 46-9 overall record and 2 State Championships. I won't get into individual players but we have a couple that will be playing on Saturdays next fall and had quite a few make 1st team All District and a handful on the All State teams. Losing 9 games in a 4 year stretch isn't the best but it isn't to shabby either.

(The 9 loses: Knoxville Catholic, Huntington High twice, Lou. Central, Johnson Central twice, Boyle Co., Archbishop Alter, and Pikeville)

A few records against key opponents were: 2-2 against Johnson Central, 1-1 against Louisville Central, 3-1 against Pikeville, 0-1 against Boyle County, 1-0 against Lexington Catholic, 1-0 against Ashland, and they went undefeated,14-0, in regular season district play in their four years. The 2020 Pirates also went 14-2 in the playoffs in their careers, winning the title in 2016 and 2019.

Record by season for the 2020 Pirate class:
2016 - 14-1 - Beat Central for the championship
2017 - 11-2 - Lost to Central in playoffs
2018 - 10-3 - Lost to Boyle in the playoffs
2019 - 11-3 - Beat Bell Co. for the championship
(This group also went 15-0 their 8th grade year and won the Middle School State Championship as well)

The 2020 Belfry Pirate seniors were definitely a special group of young men and have definitely left their mark on the Pirate program. Who are some of the other programs who have had a special group of seniors that will be leaving this year? And in my opinion, they didn't have to win a championship to be special either. Maybe they just helped their programs get back on track or will be remembered in some other way or for something else. What do you think?

[#55PirateFan]

A couple other programs I think had a great group of seniors are: Johnson Central, Pikeville, Lexington Catholic, Covington Catholic, Boyle County, and Paintsville.

Johnson Central: I don't really need to say anything about this monster class. I'll let one of the Eagle faithful do that.

Pikeville: Same thing here. Hopefully someone from Panther Nation will post about those kids. Very special group of young men.

Paintsville: Even though they didn't win the big game there's no doubt those kids will be missed.

Lexington Catholic, Covington Catholic, and Boyle: All three had a group that will be remembered.

That's just a few that come to mind for me. I know there's plenty others out there that should be mentioned.

[#55PirateFan]

Bell County is another group that needs talked about. I know Dudley didnt do that all by himself!

What about Whitley County? Breathitt County, Somerset, Mayfield, etc?

[Bull got out!]

To add to that, I talk football everyday, I was talking about coaches with my boy and I was looking at the coaches list over 200 wins and how many years they had coached and I was telling him about Phillip Haywood and that he has coached as long as I have been alive. The list had him coaching for 44 years not including this current year. As a fan of the game. I really think those numbers you posted are just a small piece of the hard work of the kids and dedication the coaches have put into the Belfry program. Those seniors will look back someday and it will hit them how great they really was. Nice post. Some very nice stats in my opinion.

[#55PirateFan]

To add to that, I talk football everyday, I was talking about coaches with my boy and I was looking at the coaches list over 200 wins and how many years they had coached and I was telling him about Phillip Haywood and that he has coached as long as I have been alive. The list had him coaching for 44 years not including this current year. As a fan of the game. I really think those numbers you posted are just a small piece of the hard work of the kids and dedication the coaches have put into the Belfry program. Those seniors will look back someday and it will hit them how great they really was. Nice post. Some very nice stats in my opinion.

Thanks buddy. I don't have time to do this all over again, Lol, but if you want to see what a very impressive group of seniors looks like, look what the C/O 2016 Belfry Pirates did. My gosh, that 4 year run was insane!

Don't get me wrong, the players are the ones who play the games. But if it wasn't for Coach Heywood and his staff, and even Coach Danny Oliver and his staff at the Middle School level, these kids success wouldnt have been even close to what it was.

SIDE NOTE: Both classes, the 2016 and 2019, were beaten by 1A Pikeville. People can say what they want about those two loses, injuries was the cause, or so and so didn't play, etc. It doesnt matter. Pikeville won because they were prepared. That just goes to show just what kind of successful program Coach Mac has built over at Hambley. Especially this group of Panther seniors, they did it on Pond Creek.

[WestCarterComet]

Ashland had the top 2020 class in the 16th region. 40 total wins and 4 straight Regional Championship appearances. 2016, 2017, and 2018 they lost to Johnson Central. 2019 they lost to Belfry.

[Gridiron_Raid]

Bell County is another group that needs talked about. I know Dudley didnt do that all by himself!

What about Whitley County? Breathitt County, Somerset, Mayfield, etc?

The 2020 class on log mountain has really built the program back from the ground up. Not the most loaded class talent wise, but leadership and motivation to others made up for it and for better kids. This group started their freshman year with the worst season since Old bell high on 92 and Old lone jack consolidated, but then worked to the following...
2017- 7-5 with 2 losses to corbin ( state runner up) first year granted summer and winter workouts
2018- 11-2 both losses to corbin ( state runner up again)
2019- 14-1 state runner up and loss to the pirates in lexington, led state leaders in offensive and defensive production

this group of seniors may not have all the grand accomplishments as the belfrys or JC but certainly has worked their way for the program to survive and flourish once again.

[#55PirateFan]

The 2020 class on log mountain has really built the program back from the ground up. Not the most loaded class talent wise, but leadership and motivation to others made up for it and for better kids. This group started their freshman year with the worst season since Old bell high on 92 and Old lone jack consolidated, but then worked to the following...
2017- 7-5 with 2 losses to corbin ( state runner up) first year granted summer and winter workouts
2018- 11-2 both losses to corbin ( state runner up again)
2019- 14-1 state runner up and loss to the pirates in lexington, led state leaders in offensive and defensive production

this group of seniors may not have all the grand accomplishments as the belfrys or JC but certainly has worked their way for the program to survive and flourish once again.

I think this group of seniors will be remembered for bringing the Bell County Bobcats back to life, I really do. And they should be. Right here is what I meant when I said that you didn't have to win a state championship to be a great class. Hats off to the C/O 2020 Bobcats. What those kids did may have been better than winning a championship. They helped get a top program back on its feet. Well done!

[foozeball80]

Somerset seniors as middle schoolers 7th grade undefeated, 8th grade only loss in state semis to Pikeville in a thriller. Undefeated all the way through JV with many starting varsity, and/or getting varsity reps as freshman and sophomores. 2x state semis, 2x reginal champions, 2x district champions, first State 2A state champions, and had no transfers. Seniors, jrs, sopmores all original middle school players with a few that joined that never played before.