HaydensUncle
Well-Known Member
Colin Sandeman at Bettendorf. Teams would punt to the opposite side of the field, he'd run over, catch it, and cut around all 11 players.
Who's the best HS athlete you've seen in person?
- Thread starter big10fan
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DBorwig316
Well-Known Member
I played against Aaron Kampman and Matt Stockdale in high school. Both were unreal athletes. I also got to watch Timmy D do his thing in football, and track as well.
papathawki
Well-Known Member
I played in high school with Burt Britzman from Hawarden, IA. He started for the Hawks on defense as a sophomore in 1951 and was starting QB his Jr.and Senior years. Went on to graduate from medical school at Iowa. When I introduced him to my son at an all high school reunion several years ago, he mentioned that his biggest claim to fame was making the cover of Sports Illustrated. He said the picture showed him flat on his back in the end zone as Vic Janowitch of Ohio State was crossing the goal line.
HawkeyeDenis
Well-Known Member
Emmitt Smith.
Roy Jones, he wasn't in school at the time. We just banked at the same bank. So I saw him occasionally.
Roy Jones, he wasn't in school at the time. We just banked at the same bank. So I saw him occasionally.
BrickHouseHawk
Member
IMO, in Iowa at least, I would have to say Marv Cook as the best overall HS athlete I've seen, and played against at least in BkBall (also played along with him in AAU BB). Jon, I'm surprised you didn't mention him.
enisthemenace
Well-Known Member
Interesting topic. The best HS athletes I have ever seen in person may not qualify as pure athletes, like a Tim Dwight who excelled in multiple sports.
Close to all of the best 'athletes' I've ever seen play have been basketball players
Raef LeFrentz...I watched that guy dunk so hard, over and over and over, in the stste tournament, he knocked a bolt loose from the backboard. Plus, the guy could stroke it when he needed too.
Ricky Davis...quite possibly the most insane vertical leap I've ever seen...in person, and again at the state tournament. That kid could fly.
Nick Collison...nobody dominated like him. He absolutely embarrassed entire teams by himself...so much so, he was depants during the opening tip in a high school game. That was the only thing the other school could do to win...at something.
Adam Haluska...very good all around BB player, and FAST (track star as others have mentioned). He was a pretty good leaper, too.
Harrison Barnes...probably don't need very much explanation here.
On the "who the **** is that" list, I have a couple from the Des Moines Metro.
Glenn Phillips (DSM North)...best BB player who never went on to do anything with himself I have seen in my life. He was just as good, or better, than Ricky Davis. Too bad he went to North (OUCH).
Jermaine Reed (DSM East)...finally out of my BB fixation. The best RB this great state of Iowa has ever seen. Had offers from the likes of Bobby Bowden/Florida State, Lou Holtz/Notre Dame and Joe Paterno/Penn State in the early 90's. Could not qualify (sad).
Close to all of the best 'athletes' I've ever seen play have been basketball players
Raef LeFrentz...I watched that guy dunk so hard, over and over and over, in the stste tournament, he knocked a bolt loose from the backboard. Plus, the guy could stroke it when he needed too.
Ricky Davis...quite possibly the most insane vertical leap I've ever seen...in person, and again at the state tournament. That kid could fly.
Nick Collison...nobody dominated like him. He absolutely embarrassed entire teams by himself...so much so, he was depants during the opening tip in a high school game. That was the only thing the other school could do to win...at something.
Adam Haluska...very good all around BB player, and FAST (track star as others have mentioned). He was a pretty good leaper, too.
Harrison Barnes...probably don't need very much explanation here.
On the "who the **** is that" list, I have a couple from the Des Moines Metro.
Glenn Phillips (DSM North)...best BB player who never went on to do anything with himself I have seen in my life. He was just as good, or better, than Ricky Davis. Too bad he went to North (OUCH).
Jermaine Reed (DSM East)...finally out of my BB fixation. The best RB this great state of Iowa has ever seen. Had offers from the likes of Bobby Bowden/Florida State, Lou Holtz/Notre Dame and Joe Paterno/Penn State in the early 90's. Could not qualify (sad).
if its Iowa ... anyone gonna belly up and mention Denise Long?
Iowa: Denise Long
Long scored 111 points in one game and averaged an eye-popping 62.8 points while leading Union-Whitten High to the state title in 1968. She poured in 218 points during her team's three-game championship run, including a playoff record 93 against Bennett. One year later, the San Francisco Warriors made her the first female ever selected in the NBA draft.
Read more: Iowa: Denise Long - Best Woman Athlete by Birth State - Photos - SI.com
Iowa: Denise Long
Long scored 111 points in one game and averaged an eye-popping 62.8 points while leading Union-Whitten High to the state title in 1968. She poured in 218 points during her team's three-game championship run, including a playoff record 93 against Bennett. One year later, the San Francisco Warriors made her the first female ever selected in the NBA draft.
Read more: Iowa: Denise Long - Best Woman Athlete by Birth State - Photos - SI.com
Tavian Banks in football.
Ricky Davis in basketball.
A random one is my HS wrestling teammate Creighton Duncan from Pleasant Valley. His senior year he won state with 3 fractured vertebrae. He pinned Jessman Smith in the finals at state. I would have loved to see how could he could have been, fully healthy.
Ricky Davis in basketball.
A random one is my HS wrestling teammate Creighton Duncan from Pleasant Valley. His senior year he won state with 3 fractured vertebrae. He pinned Jessman Smith in the finals at state. I would have loved to see how could he could have been, fully healthy.
DexterMorgan
Well-Known Member
Harrison Barnes
Jeff Horner
Jeff Horner
tm3308
Well-Known Member
I'm only 20, so I don't have as much exposure as many of you. But Harrison Barnes would be very high on my list, as well as B.J. Hermsen (filthiest curveball I ever saw).
And he was down a couple classes, but Levi Ferguson from North Mahaska was a LOT of fun to watch carry a football.
And he was down a couple classes, but Levi Ferguson from North Mahaska was a LOT of fun to watch carry a football.
Ikeasaurus
Well-Known Member
Hmmmmmm.....
I would go with Eric Juergens for wrestling, I got to see him wrestle alot in high school, football I would lean towards Zeron, he played tailback on my Shrine Bowl team and it wasn't even really fair. Baseball is a toughy for me, but Nate Freese was damn good at Benton and there were a bunch of guys from Assumption that I played against in the early/mid nineties. I caught a couple of D1 pitchers at Maquoketa in Ray Cavanaugh and Andy Wold, also caught Sage Rosenfels for a couple years. I guess I'm being kinda biased as my list is alot of guys I went to school with, but I just went with what came to mind first. Basketball is pretty tough too but, I did play against Ricky in a summer league when he was a freshman, Matt Woodley was damn good.
I would go with Eric Juergens for wrestling, I got to see him wrestle alot in high school, football I would lean towards Zeron, he played tailback on my Shrine Bowl team and it wasn't even really fair. Baseball is a toughy for me, but Nate Freese was damn good at Benton and there were a bunch of guys from Assumption that I played against in the early/mid nineties. I caught a couple of D1 pitchers at Maquoketa in Ray Cavanaugh and Andy Wold, also caught Sage Rosenfels for a couple years. I guess I'm being kinda biased as my list is alot of guys I went to school with, but I just went with what came to mind first. Basketball is pretty tough too but, I did play against Ricky in a summer league when he was a freshman, Matt Woodley was damn good.
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ATLHawkeye
Well-Known Member
That would be me... and the older I get the better I was. 
Bubbrub
Well-Known Member
TNT: Tim Dwight and Tavian Banks. Watched both play football. Ran against TD in track. A previous poster was right about Banks making everyone else look slow- I always thought when he was in full stride it looked completely and utterly effortless. His running stride was so unbelievably smooth.
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HawkeyeDug
Well-Known Member
In '92 I watched Raef LaFrentz score 50+ in the first round of the state tournament against my school. My school was undefeated and #2 in the state at that time. Then Raef beat them by himself.
I was on the same field as Robert Gallery in High School, but I was a freshman so I doubt I played that game. Gallery wasn't the physical freak that he was at Iowa at that time though.
I also once saw a 5'8" junior high kid score 54 of his teams 58 points against my younger brother's team including 2 dunks. That was pretty amazing to see. The kid ended up being a pretty good Class A running back, but I don't think he even amounted to anything in basketball.
I was on the same field as Robert Gallery in High School, but I was a freshman so I doubt I played that game. Gallery wasn't the physical freak that he was at Iowa at that time though.
I also once saw a 5'8" junior high kid score 54 of his teams 58 points against my younger brother's team including 2 dunks. That was pretty amazing to see. The kid ended up being a pretty good Class A running back, but I don't think he even amounted to anything in basketball.
