This week in Kentucky high school sports history
Posted by Mike Fields on October 31, 2007
One of the treats of my job is reconnecting with the past, whether it’s hearing about or watching a former Kentucky high school star excelling in the college or pro ranks, or succeeding in an endeavor that has nothing to do with athletics. That’s why I’ve decided to start this weekly feature. I’ll pick three years at random and do a little research on what was happening in high school sports for a particular week.
Here’s the first installment, looking back at what went on the first week of November in 1968, ‘79 and ‘86. Some of the names might ring a bell. Murph Howard, for example, is currently the baseball coach at Pendleton County. Larry Kirksey, a former UK football player and long-time college and NFL assistant, is in his first season as wide receivers coach with the Houston Texans. Steve Parker, who played football at UK and later coached Bryan Station, is now Dr. Steve Parker, an associate professor in the UK College of Education. And Charles Atinay is athletic director at Henry Clay.
1968
Harlan rips Bell County 34-0 as QB Murph Howard throws 3 TD passes, including 2 to Larry Kirksey. Harlan goes undefeated (10-0-1) but doesn’t make the playoffs . . . Paris sophomore QB Steve Parker throws 2 TD passes in a win over Bath County . . . Henry Clay QB Robbie Ross passes for 2 TDs and runs for another in a victory over Harrison County . . .
1979
Montgomery County’s Roger Dale runs for 2 TDs, throws a 2-point conversion pass, recovers 2 fumbles and returns an interception for a TD in a win over Woodford County. The victory puts the Indians in the playoffs for the first time in school history . . . Richmond Madison receiver Eddie Simmons has 3 TD catches, and 280-pound tackle Keith Bosley returns a fumble 56 yards for a score in a rout of Harrodsburg . . . Gordon Lunceford runs for a pair of TDs to lead Franklin County over Bullitt Central for the region title.
1986
Goalkeeper Charles Atinay leads Henry Clay to the state soccer finals for the first time, but the Blue Devils lose in a shootout to Ballard at Lafayette’s Ishmael Stadium. . . Henry Clay’s Wendy Frazier wins the Class 3A state cross country title. Danville eighth-grader Katie Stamps wins the 2A title . . . Tates Creek football coach Roy Walton lights up a victory cigar after his Commodores earn a spot in the football playoffs with a 14-13 overtime win against Bryan Station. Tates Creek’s defense stops Defenders’ star William Dishman at the goal line on fourth down to preserve the victory . . . Paris’ Lanie Fomas runs for 156 yards and 3 TDs in a rout of Madison.
October 31, 2007 at 10:36 am
Mike, Great to read about Murph Howard and Larry Kirksey. You mentioned that they were 10-0-1 and didn’t make the playoffs. that was because the team I played for (Lynch Bulldogs) tied with Harlan that year 18-18. Our schedule had more quality wins so we made the playoffs and Harlan stayed home. At that time only the district champ went to the playoffs. We also won the state title that year beating Frankfort 14-6. It just so happened the two best teams in the state in class A that year resided in Harlan County. The Green Dragons had an awesome team and would have won the state title had they represented our district instead of us. Our first playoff game was against McKell who beat Lynch 24-0 the year before in the playoffs. McKell was sporting one of the best halfbacks I have ever seen in high school football by the name of Don Gullett who went on to pitch for the Reds and Yankees in the majors. The game before our playoff Mr. Gullett scored 72 points so coach Ed Miracle made us well aware of what we were up against. In all my years of football I have never seen a team so psyched up to play a team as our Lynch Bulldogs were in avenging the previous year’s 24-0 defeat. We won the 24-8, went on the next week to beat Dayton and then sealed the deal at Stoll Field in Lex with a win over Frankfort. Lynch High School is long gone but the golden bulldogs still rank amongst the top 10 in state championships won. That bulldog spirit forever lives in all of us bulldogs who were very fortunate to be part of such a great winning tradition. Thanks for taking me down memory lane this morning Mike, as I read your column every friday via the internet from Morristown, Tennessee.
Go Bulldogs!!!!!
Joe Gibson
October 31, 2007 at 12:22 pm
Well let me kick this in to go with Joe’s comments, first of all Mike, I really like this new column and boy does it ring a bell!
Old Murph and Larry beat my Pineville team in 68 and 69. Over the years I got to know Murph and Larry and tried to keep up with them, but it’s hard with Larry because he has bounced around the old coaching carousel so often, thanks for letting me know he’s with Houston. I knew Murph had been baseball coach at Harlan for a number of years but did not know his recent whereabouts. Also, I work with Harold Cudd who was their great fullback and DT.
Now back to Joe Gibson’s comments, I would state that the year before, 1967, that my Pineville Mountain Lions had the best Class A team in the state of Kentucky, we also were undefeated, going 11-0 including a 53-7 stomping of AA Regional Champ Evarts with all-stater
Rex Estridge playing HB for them. 1967 also represented the 2nd year of 7 straight wins over the Corbin Redhounds, how many schools can say that?. We had all-staters at every position, David Asher QB, Mike Downey E, John Lefevers DT, Poppy Harrison NG and Tim Stephens (best high school LB I have EVER watched play)
BUT after all of that AGAIN, Lynch went to the playoffs and we were left home after tying them under the old outdated Dickinson System which then sent us to the Alabama System and Lynch outpointed us. I will go to my grave always believing that had we played Lynch in 1967 that Pineville would have won and we certainly could have beaten a pretty good Mount Sterling team that eventually did win it. My Dad, Bill Adams was the coach then and I was just a soph sub, and being the tough old guy he was, he never let it show how much it bothered him, but the whole town was completely devestated over this and all kinds of hell was raised and they eventually did away with the tie system, but too late for the 1967 Mountain Lions. Good stuff Mike and hey to Joe Gibson.
October 31, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Benny, Great information and I totally agree that old system was totally unfair because you couldn’t settle on the field where it should be settled. My family (dad’s side) were all Pineville Mountain Lions. My pappaw (Ben Gibson) was constable for years. My mammaw was still alive in 1970 and a diehard mountain lion fan when Lynch and Pineville finally got to settle it on the field. That was the day’s of the Bishop boys. Benny, my heart roots for Pineville every year (even though we were dire enemies in out high shool days). As Pineville is one of the few small schools still left playing football. And Benny, you are probably right, you guys could have won the state in 77 with that team you had. when Lynch and Pineville finally got to settle it on the field in 1970 and 1971, we had to play on tuesday night…after a friday night game with a friday night playoff game facing the tuesday night winner. And when Lynch and Pineville played each other it was the sorest I have ever been after a ball game. Benny, I think we are the lucky ones with these memories we have. Playing for the town you lived in really meant something to a kid back in those days. And you truly left your heart and soul out on that field. Your dad was a great football coach and a true legend in the ranks of Kentucky High School coaches and I do wish he had got him at least one title before he retired…John Cougar musta been thru Lynch and Pineville when he wrote that song “Small Town”…
Thanks for the forum Mike! I truly appreciate this opportunity!
harleydman1995@yahoo.com
Joe Gibson
November 1, 2007 at 12:58 pm
Great article!
November 4, 2007 at 11:10 am
Thanks Joe, we think alike and you’re a good old mountain boy if I ever knew one. Take care.
p.s. I never saw Fred Bishop drop a pass…..ever, but even after catching a TD at LSU his freshman year Curci for some reason put the screws to him. BTW, Fred just won a national amateur seniors tennis title last winter.