Who's the best HS athlete you've seen in person?

guy I ran into down here in Texas who told me about watching Ken Hall in
action ...

LOL .. seriously ... this is one dude whose records are still in play:


Ken Hall, Sugarland, 1953

 Though Bear Bryant admittedly misused Hall at Texas A&M and he suffered an injury which ended his pro career early, there is no denying that Hall was one of the greatest high school football players in history. Standing 6'1 and running the 100 yard dash in 9.3 seconds, he was simply bigger, stronger and faster than most anyone to step on the field during his time. He broke and set 17 national football records, many of which still stand today after 55 years. A triple threat, Hall also won state championships in track and field and led his team to a basketball state championship. Hall remains a legend today and his career football rushing record of 11,232 yards (1950-53) and 32.9 points per game (1953/12) are still national records. The Kenneth Hall Trophy (molded in Hall's likeness) is presented annually to the most outstanding high school football player in the nation.


At Sugar Land, Hall played in the single-wing formation at quarterback, standing 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) and weighing in at 190 lb (86 kg). According to the National High School Sports Record Book, Hall still holds multiple single-season records, including average points per game (32.9), touchdowns per game (4.8) and rushing yards per game (337.1)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Hall_(American_football)#cite_note-nfhs.org-0
In a contest against Houston Lutheran High School in 1953, Hall averaged 47.3 yards on 11 carries for 520 yards (the state record for nearly 25 years, currently 4th), returned a punt 82 yards, a kickoff run of 64 yards and snatched a 21 yard interception for a combined 687 total yardshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Hall_(American_football)#cite_note-nfhs.org-0
 
Old school here too - Ted Burgmeier from Dubuque Wahlert was a great athlete when I was a kid in Dubuque. He ended up at Notre Dame and had a few memorable plays there (one in the green uniforms as the holder on a fake FG).

Al Lorenzen - opening tip at Wahlert where he won the tip, ran directly to the rim and reversed dunk an allep oop less than 5 seconds into the game.

My older brother played baseball in a tourney against Norway. They had to bring in Mike Boddicker after he pitched in a game earlier to quell a rally and he did easily.
 
Living in Seattle, I watched Jake Locker (UW's starting QB and known mockingly as "Purple Jesus" and "the Mauve Messiah") play in 2 HS state title games, and knew he was a special athlete. His combo of size and speed was something I'd never seen in a HS player. Like seemingly all dominant HS skill players, he'd get a step on defenders and was gone. Defenders would be near him, but w/in 1-2 steps he was pulling away, making them look like they were in quicksand...and then he'd throw the football, and I was even more amazed.
 
Treye Jackson would go a whole game and not get tackled sometimes. But the best all around athlete I have ever seen is Bubba Starling from Gardner, KS. 6'5" combo QB ranked 3rd best in the country. Runs a 4.38 forty. Rushed for around 1800 yards and threw for 1800 last year as a junior. Will score 30 on you in basketball by driving around you, shooting over you or dunking on you. He throws it 95 mph as a pitcher and batted over 400 this past season. He made the USA under 18 world team where he batted around 360. Already comitted to Nebraska with a fullride for football and baseball. Word is he may not make it to Nebraska as he may be a top ten pick in the major league baseball draft. Kid is an athletic freak and fun to watch.
 
PimScutney said:
Although it wasn't in person, I watched the Bettendorf - Valley state championship game when Angerer was a senior and he looked like a college senior playing against a JV team. Brandon Meyer's performance for PCM his senior year in the 2A state basketball championship stands out, too.

I played basketball in HS against Tork Hook(had to guard him) who went on to play football for Iowa. His letter jacket had so many medals, it looked more like a suit of armor. Pretty good athlete for a small town in southern Iowa.
Click to expand...

I really wish I could have seen Tork play. I'm named for him, and my dad worked in the same office as his dad for years. They'd get season tickets and go to a bunch of road games every year, too. He's still got a lot of records at Wayne, and I don't think anyone will touch him in the long/high jump. Easily the best athlete to ever come through the school.
 
some good answers in here. i find it interesting that my high school teams beat settles, lafrentz, and koerselman/mcgraw head-to-head in their respective sports.

joe slattery was a heck of a high school player, as was jared devries.
 
Last edited:
Growing up in E'burg we got to see a few up in NW IA.

Parker Wilderman from Cherokee, a quote from the legend Duane Twait was "Parker was a man playing against boys".

Kyle VandenBosch, West Lyon. Played on a three headed monster of Darren Natjes (sp) Lavar Woods, but the Hawks still took it to them.

Basketball, was fun to see Kirk H, Dean Oliver and Jeff Horner.
 
One of the quirks of senile old fools is that we often have a remarkably accurate & detailed memory from six, seven decades ago, and cand remember that if we want to be waring matched socks we should be putting on the blue one, not the brown.

My nominees go back to my youth: the best Iowa HS male athlete was beyond doubt QB Randy (Hughie) Duncan of Des Moines Roosevelt (after leading the Hawkeyes to the BT title and a Rose Bowl romp he became the only player ever to be the first pick in the NFL draft who declined to sign--instead he became a huge star in Canadian football, never played in the NFL).

Can't choose between two women HS exceptional athletes: Denise Long, already mentioned, and Ann Cooper, a Cedar Rapids/Hawkeye outstanding (All American/Olympics) diver-- later wife of former Iowa senator John Culver, mother of the present governor).

As a hoosier, saw some outstanding HS hoopsters, by far & away the best was the Big O, Oscar Robertson. And over Christmas breaks visiting my parents in Philly, we saw Tom Gola, Hal Lear & Wilt Chamberlain...and then there was the night I didn't go see Lew Alcindor because lust led me to take a sweet young thing to a lousy musical comedy instead. I would have ended up hating her anyway, even if she hadn't blown me off a few days afterwards.
 
Last edited:
Tavian Banks and Tim Dwight. Saw Tavian play several times and Dwight only a couple. Tavian just seemed so effortless, he never looked like he was running hard.
 
I played against collison, stockdale and dean oliver. The best all around athlete that I played against was Brad Nelson who was good at b-ball and football, but unbelievable at baseball. I think he plays for the Brewers or their farm team. An unbelievable guard duo that I didn't play against, but watched as a kid was was out of johnston sunblat and danner. Their state championship was unreal.
 
HawkeyeDug said:
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.
Click to expand...


Are you talking about Kris Dougherty from Iowa Valley by any chance?


Oh and to answer the question... Ricky Davis for me.
 
Football: Mitch King @ Burlington - Iowa
Milt Jackson @ Fairfield - ND

Basketball: Jess Settles @ Winfield - Iowa

Baseball: Kevin Ritz @ Bloomfield - MLB he struck out most of the team and I about every game. LOL
 
JonDMiller said:
Jaron Rush. It was like a 21 year old among teens..when he was as senior in HS for Pembroke Hill in KC...just a freak of nature. Still can't believe of all the Rush brothers, he had the least success in the league.

I played HS FB against John Oostepdorp from West Liberty. He scared me. Literally. And who can forget Bill Lovetinsky.
Click to expand...

John was fun to watch, but I'd have to agree with the poster who said Marv Cook. I remember watching him kill us while I was in JH.

Billy Love. Heh.
 
I saw Shawn Kemp play in high school in Elkhart, IN several times. I remember him going through the layup drill before the game so "loosey-goosey" he would bang the ball off the bottom of the rim, but as soon as the game started he was throwing down some ridiculous dunks.
 
Tavian Banks for Bettendorf hands down! And to watch him outrun a man named Tim Dwight for Iowa City High to the goaline was unreal. What a moment in time that truly was.
 
Jason Kidd - My junior year of high school my school played his in the California State HS Basketball Tournament. It wasn't even close, he single handedly kick the snot out of us. It was embarrassing. He was incredible.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Share this page

Top