[lcgrad2002]

I know BGR has done this in the past, but I thought it would be interesting to see who would be on your all-time mountain team. ( Mountain team- from SouthEast to Northeast Kentucky.

[Shogun]

QB should be an easy one. JJ Jude at RB and John Cole and Jake Johnson at WR should be no brainers as well. Beyond that I’ll have to think about it.

[LCfootball]

I think Gerad Parker at WR and Phil Ratliff at OL and/or DL are no-brainers. 

I'd strongly argue for Michael West at RB and Dontae Wright at Safety. 

I know there's a lot of great ones out there, though.

[Bull got out!]

I have to say the Twins that are at UK that played for Corbin are the best 2 defensive players I have got to witness take the field in High School locally. Just my opinion. They would be 2 I would have to put on the defense for sure.

[Old School 18]

I think Floyd Branham from the 97-98 middlesboro team deserves the mike linebacker spot. I’d also have to put Dustin Wyyn in at kicker from that same team. The guy was a true All-American kicker and one of the best to come through eastern Kentucky.

[OutlawJoseyWales]

QB should be an easy one. JJ Jude at RB and John Cole and Jake Johnson at WR should be no brainers as well. Beyond that I’ll have to think about it.

I'm assuming you’re referencing Tim Couch at QB….which would be correct.  

Haddix is also worthy of a mention.   Rick Kestner is another no brainer….   Issac Dixon is another lock.

[2000PHS]

Paintsville

Kash Daniel-LB
Joey Couch- DE

[Khalisimo]

start with mr footballs........... kash daniel, daniel thomas, isaac dixon, tim couch.

[Westside]

Jeremy Caudill from Prestonsburg would be on my list as top defensive lineman.  Nathan Leslie-lineman from Prestonsburg should be a consideration.  I would also consider Seth Hyden from Prestonsburg at defensive back.  A few people have mentioned Phil Ratliff from Lawrence Co.  I agree.  He is the best high school offensive lineman I have ever seen play.

[Westside]

I think David Jones from Belfry should be considered.  DeAnthony Honaker would have to be considered on the offensive line IMO.  His brother Tim Honaker should be considered as well.

[Westside]

Paintsville

Kash Daniel-LB
Joey Couch- DE

Two great choices.  I remember Couch.  He was really good.  Kash was a man among boys.

[Khalisimo]

from belfry....... rayquan cole and austin dotson bar none as good as any to ever play!!!!!!!

[Old School Hound]

I have a friend who calls me tht ORACLE of the SUBLIME & the MACABRE. I guess this will fall under the category of the macabre. My two entrants had similar outcomes in life. Both were All State and All Americans. Both received scholarships to UK but were kicked off the team for fighting. Both were two of the best to ever play their positions. R.C. Thomas, defensive lineman, Corbin. Just a fearsome beast of a lineman. And Raymond Bimbo Fuson , running back, Middlesboro High. I think Bimbo transferred to Northern Alabama when he left UK.

Oh, what was the other outcome that these two shared in common? After their football days were behind them , both of these guys, clearly two of the best to ever play in trhe mountains, went to prison for murdering family members. RC killed his mother and cousin. Bimbo, I think, killed his uncle, although it could have been another family member. Anyway, RC outmurdered Bimbo 2 to 1. Any list of best mountain players that doesn't exclude violent oiffenders has to include RC and Bimbo. Two of the best ever mountain players players but two very tortured beings.

[2000PHS]

Chase Gibson-TE Pikeville
Jeremiah Akers- WR Pikeville

[Red and Black]

I'd say start with a list of D1 players from the mountain schools then work from there.

Pburg- Jeremy Caudill (DT, UK) Nathan Leslie (DT, Marshall)

[pirateforlife]

Doug Howard from Belfry deserves a spot for sure

[HCS]

Easy to post random names
The challenge would be to pick an 11-man offense and 11-man defense and some of the locks and no-brainers wouldn't make it.
Not an easy job though.

[Westside]

Easy to post random names
The challenge would be to pick an 11-man offense and 11-man defense and some of the locks and no-brainers wouldn't make it.
Not an easy job though.

Well, where is your list?

[HCS]

Way too much work.
Doing it this way, we'll have a 300-man team.
I think you'd have to be an all-stater and Division I player to make it though.

---

start with mr footballs........... kash daniel, daniel thomas, isaac dixon, tim couch.

Scott Russell - 1991

[Big Five-0-]

PIKEVILLE- Greg Hackney, Bobby Deramus, Tim Honaker, Deanthony Honaker, Matt Blair.

[Khalisimo]

Way too much work.
Doing it this way, we'll have a 300-man team.
I think you'd have to be an all-stater and Division I player to make it though.

---

start with mr footballs........... kash daniel, daniel thomas, isaac dixon, tim couch.

Scott Russell - 1991

sorry didnt click to me that evarts was a mountain school because i am not 70lol just kdiding

[Blacksmith]

Jeremy Caudill from Prestonsburg would be on my list as top defensive lineman.  Nathan Leslie-lineman from Prestonsburg should be a consideration.  I would also consider Seth Hyden from Prestonsburg at defensive back.  A few people have mentioned Phil Ratliff from Lawrence Co.  I agree.  He is the best high school offensive lineman I have ever seen play.

Jeremy was also one of the strongest football players you will ever see. He held 3x state records in HS,, Watching him hit guys would make you wince sometimes. LOL

[ArJay]

From Bell County:
Daniel Thomas RB
London Stephney QB
Ben Madon QB/S
John Dudley Hilton LB/RB/K
Buckeye Hunter WR
Shawn Robbins RB
Trey Harbin QB/S
Shawna Zachary QB
Dallas Greer QB/S
Kevin Napier FB/LB
Tommy Crockett TE
Jason Crockett QB/S/LB
Scott Chaney RB
Jason Greene OL
Darrin Clark TE
Arthur Carter OL
Joe Smith DL/RB
Derek Jones QB/S
Lance Burnett RB/LB
Reggie Robbins RB
Harvey Miracle WR/S
Joel Woods OL
Russell Miracle ATH

I left out some greats.  But it's late. I've missed a bunch. But those guys all deserve consideration.

[HCS]

Way too much work.
Doing it this way, we'll have a 300-man team.
I think you'd have to be an all-stater and Division I player to make it though.

---

start with mr footballs........... kash daniel, daniel thomas, isaac dixon, tim couch.

Scott Russell - 1991

sorry didnt click to me that evarts was a mountain school because i am not 70lol just kdiding

Not one school on this list is more of a MOUNTAIN school than Evarts. We have the biggest ones here in Harlan County. I can go back a lot farther than 1991.

---

And I'm not 70 yet either

[FoosBall 2019]

Tim Couch would be the obvious choice at QB. But I’m surprised no one has mentioned Freddie Maggard out of Cumberland as a backup over all the other QB’s mentioned.

[King Kong]

At DL I'd go with the Horn brothers from JC. Never seen two guys that could get to the qb like those two did. 

There's several from JC one could make a case for being on this team. 

I'm going to go with Ryley Preece at DB and Safety. He's more known as being the JC QB that lead JC to four straight title games.  Six going back to middle school.  Ryley was just as good on defense as he was at qb running JCS offense.  He had alot of interceptions and pass deflections on defense.  He could play anywhere really.  Then if you wanted a guy standing beside Tim Couch that could read and break down a defense, then Ryleys your guy. He's one of the best all around athletes I've ever seen. 

Tim Couch would also be my first pick at qb. Another good qb and all around athlete I'd go with would be Braxton Ratliff from Ashland.  I've never seen a qb who could make half the defense or better miss and break tackles like he did. Then fire the ball down field for a td. He was one of the best I've seen at this.

ELAM from Corbin is another of the best all around athletes I've seen.  If not at qb, I'd definitely find a spot for him. Guarantee ya he could play anywhere.

[dodger]

No real way to do this without breaking it down by era. Corbin's Calvin Bird broke the Kentucky single-season record as a junior and set the national single-season as a senior in the late 50's. His brother, Rodger, was a big-time player a few years later and eventually played in Super Bowl II.

Hard to judge guys that played in those days against ones from 2025. Might be able to with a 1950-1974, 1975-1999, 2000 to present era teams, but still gonna leave some absolute studs off.

[King Kong]

No real way to do this without breaking it down by era.  Corbin's Calvin Bird broke the Kentucky single-season record as a junior and set the national single-season as a senior in the late 50's.  His brother, Rodger, was a big-time player a few years later and eventually played in Super Bowl II.

Hard to judge guys that played in those days against ones from 2025.  Might be able to with a 1950-1974, 1975-1999, 2000 to present era teams, but still gonna leave some absolute studs off.

Agreed it'd be best to do these lists by era

[Old School Hound]

At DL I'd go with the Horn brothers from JC. Never seen two guys that could get to the qb like those two did. 

There's several from JC one could make a case for being on this team. 

I'm going to go with Ryley Preece at DB and Safety. He's more known as being the JC QB that lead JC to four straight title games.  Six going back to middle school.  Ryley was just as good on defense as he was at qb running JCS offense.  He had alot of interceptions and pass deflections on defense.  He could play anywhere really.  Then if you wanted a guy standing beside Tim Couch that could read and break down a defense, then Ryleys your guy. He's one of the best all around athletes I've ever seen. 

Tim Couch would also be my first pick at qb. Another good qb and all around athlete I'd go with would be Braxton Ratliff from Ashland.  I've never seen a qb who could make half the defense or better miss and break tackles like he did. Then fire the ball down field for a td. He was one of the best I've seen at this.

ELAM from Corbin is another of the best all around athletes I've seen.  If not at qb, I'd definitely find a spot for him. Guarantee ya he could play anywhere.

Really good point, Kong. Kaden Elam definitely makes any All-Time Mountain  Best Athlete team.  We all saw what kind of football and baseball talent he is. One of the best QBs in the state and Mr Baseball, as well. Gonna play professional baseball someday. He was quite the basketball player, as well. Probably, would have been an all-state basketball player if he had chosen to make that his main focus. Clearly, one of the best athletes ever from the Mountains.

[Boomer_Sooner]

I assume the majority of players talked about in this thread will be guys that graduated this millennium. If my assumption turns out to be right it'll be easy to see why & that's not a knock on anyone at all. The majority of us probably can't go back much farther than that because we either weren't around yet or weren't keeping up with 606 football yet. There's also a grossly inaccurate belief by a lot of people that the "old timers" from back in the day might have been good, but not as good as more modern players. I'm sure on some level in certain situations that could be true. I'm also sure that I'd put a guy like Bob Shurtleff up against any lineman the history of 606 HS football!! Bob played for Pikeville in the late 70's through the very early 80's if I'm not mistaken. If I'm wrong then it would have been the mid to late 70's. Personally I'm a 1987 model myself so Bob graduated 5+ years before I was even created. Lol. So I can only go by the few old tapes I've seen & the with word of mouth from men like Hillard Howard, Bill Allara, Coach Mac & couple other authorities on Pikeville HS football. The tape didnt lie & no one can question the assessment abilities of the men I just mentioned, at least not about HS football!! Especially when you consider that Bob had the all-state recognition & scholarship opportunities to back them up. I'm not factoring in a Hell of a career at the University of Kentucky!! So with all that being said; If that big son of a gun isn't on the first team of the all time mountain/East Kentucky/606 team then we've screwed up in a bad way!! I challenge anyone to show me 5 guys you're gonna put on the offensive line ahead of Bob Shurtleff!! I may be wrong, but I'll have to see it to believe it!! Let's not forget about the old timers when making our lists!! Because some of those guys could flat out play!!