[RunItUpTheGut]

I figure i would bring up a little history every week, hopefully with the help of many of you, in remembering some great games of the past.
The first year, one of my favorites, was the 1999 season and 3A football that year.
Im partial to this season, mostly because I was actually playing all those years ago, and it was a fun year. It may be one of the most competetive times for mountain footballs 3A schools that year, but statewide, the teams were ridicolously good.

Ill start with 3A region 4.
In one district, you had Whitley, Bell, Knox, Knott, Cawood, and Rock.
What a battle that year was. Knox, Knott, and Cawood were all at the bottom of the pack, so i wont go in depth with them.
However, Bell, Rock, and Whitley all had a triangle of wins. Whitley beat Bell by 4, Bell beat Rock by 12, and Rock beat Whitley by 1.
At the end of the year, Bell won the tiebreaker and got the one seed.
It was
1. Bell
2. Rock
3. Whitley
4. Cawood

To give you a little regular season perspective, Bell went 8-2 in the regular season with wins over Corbin, Glasgow, and Mboro, with there only losses to Whitley and Tates Creek (who went to the state semis in 4A) They finished 9-3 that year.

Rock went 8-2 in the regular season with wins over South Laurel (4A 3rd round) Whitley, and Harrison County with there only regular season losses coming to Bell and Southwestern (2A team who had a spectacular year, with only a one point loss to Boyle County who was 2A state champions and went 9-1 but choked in the first round of the playoffs and lost to Bullitt East finishing there year at 9-2) They finished 10-3 that year.

Whitley went 8-2, like the others, with wins over Mboro, Scott, and Bell, with losses to Bellevue in the first game of the year without starting QB, (and Bellevue went 12-1 with there only loss coming to Beechwood who was 1A state champs) They finished 8-3 overall.

As for the opposing district in the region, Sheldon Clark, Lawrence County, Greenup County, and Ashland finished in that order.Other teams in that district included Rowan County, Magoffin County, and East Carter.
So it was...
1. Sheldon Clark
2. Lawrence County
3. Greenup County
4. Ashland
Sheldon Clark went 10-0 that season under Jim Matney. And what a year it was beating several teams, and pulling off a close win over Lawrence County in the regular season.

Lawrence County may have broke the mold as far as putting up points and putting up a lot of them. They went 9-1 in the regular season, and 12-2 overall. Im not positive, but i believe them, along with Highlands are close to the top of the record books for that year as Lawrence only scored under 40 points once that season in there 18-16 loss to Sheldon Clark, and even scored more than 40 in the playoffs every game except for there 36 point game against Highlands in the state semis.

Greenup had a so so year finishing 6-4 in the regular season and 6-5 overall.

Ashland also had a so so year finishing 4-6 in the regular season and 4-7 overall.


Now, on to the playoffs...
All the favorites won in the first roun as higher seed dominated.

In the first round, the one seed Bell County picked up a 41-7 win over the four seed Ashland.

The two seed Lawrence County picked up a 68-20 win over the three seed Whitley County

The one seed Sheldon Clark beat the four seed Cawood 51-22.

And the two seed Rockcastle County picked up a 29-15 win over the three seed Greenup County.

In the second round, everything fell apart for Sheldon Clark against Rockcastle. As heavy favorites, Sheldon Clark fell apart and lost at home 31-14 to Rock. I remember that like it was yesterday. I still cant believe it. However, except for there loss to Bell, Rock was very good. A lot of people underestimated them.

In the other second round matchup, Lawrence County laid it to Bell 40-8. A lot of people didnt know how this would go, but LC took the game early.

That set up the region championship between Rock and Lawrence County. Rock hosted as the two seed over Lawrence who was a one seed because it was there regions turn to host. Lawrence never looked back with that high powered offense and won 48-14.

It still makes me think of what could have happened had Sheldon Clark not lost in the second round. They had already beaten Lawrence and what a turn of events and Rock beats SC but gets killed by Lawrence.

Lawrence County went on to win the region and lose to Highlands in the state semis by a team you might have heard of....Highlands by a score of 76-36

Highlands also put up A LOT of points that year, and won the state title.

What a year it was. Football was really good that year.
Im interested in others thoughts from different regions and district, as well as players and coaches and a where are they now kind of thing...