[samson81]

I'd like to start what I hope is a healthy and fun topic of discussion/debate during these long, hot summer months of anticipation for the upcoming season.

Is there one team/year that really stands out as the greatest in the history of your school, or are there too many to single out just one? Is it a team that hoisted the big trophy at the end of the season, or is it perhaps a more talented team that was upset in the playoffs? Is a champion that had 3 or 4 losses greater than a one loss runner-up that was more statistically dominant? What is your criteria for picking the best?

I'm sure picking the best team at a program like Highlands or Mayfield is like splitting hairs but I thought this would be fun.

I am by no means the foremost authority on Russell football, but I played there and have closely followed the program for many years. In my opinion, the margin between the top five or six teams is pretty slim. For me, personally, the debate came down to '05 (state champs) vs '02 (better team, IMO).

Truth be told, talent wise, I think '05 isn't even one of the top five most talented teams Russell's ever had. But, they brought home the hardware

'02 went 11-3 with the losses coming against Ashland by 9, Portsmouth West(OH) by 14, and Breathitt Co. by 1 in OT(missed xp :Sad04. Ashland had one of its best teams of the past 20+ years, Portsmouth West was the eventual D-IV runner-up in Ohio, and Breathitt Co. won the 2A title.

Russell has had teams that were just as accomplished ('77, '81-'84, '04, '14) and some teams more accomplished ('78, '05, '06), but '02 was the best Russell team I've seen with my own eyes. For the record, I'm not old enough to have seen the '78 champs. Other teams that deserve mention are '77(close loss to Highlands in semis) and '06(state runner-up, lost by 3pts).

Who's the best at your school?