Coaches Office with guest Coach Dane Damron

The coaches welcome former UVA Wise head coach and current Paris High Coach Dane Damron

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Coach David Buchanan Coach Chuck Smith, two legendary high school
football coaches. This is the Coach's Office, behind the scenes

(00:34):
look at Kentucky high school football.

Speaker 2 (00:42):
All right, Welcome to the Coach's Office behind the Scenes
with Chuck Smith and David Buchanan. This is season four,
Episode four. I'm Chuck Smith. I'm joined by co host
David Buchanan, Podcast editor slash storyteller.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
Mike yoakum are are you?

Speaker 2 (01:00):
Version of this podcast is at t top dot C,
dot O, dot P. Just hit like and subscribe if
you would. It helps us out. You're going to love
our guest coach. Tonight, we're having the new Paris High
School football coach, Dane Damren. The name for Kentuckians is

(01:21):
pretty familiar. He's certainly not new to being a head coach,
you know, and and he's has a lot of experience
at the college level. He's been either a head coach
or an assistant coach for like seventeen years at the
college level, and then he was the head coach for
some other high schools that we'll mention later. David's going

(01:44):
to bring him one shortly next We're going to have
after we talked to coach Damren. We're going to have
our tough topic that we always have, and the tough
topic tonight is from Dave Burntworth, and the question is
why is attendance.

Speaker 3 (02:01):
Down at games? You know, I don't know.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
I mean every game I've been involved in this year
so far, there's been a pretty nice crowd. But I
think that is a valid point and a valid question,
and we'll discuss that a little bit later. Our games
of the week will be on par Catholic and Onsburro
and then also North Oldolman South Otum, so we got
some in town rivals for our games of the week.

(02:29):
I know of another big in town rival that we
didn't mention as far part of our games of the week,
but we can get that a little bit later. And
then a little bit about coach Cameron before we bring
you on. As I said, he's the head football coach
at Paris High School. He's in his first year there.
He's got them off to a great three and oh

(02:49):
start right now a little bit about his background. As
I said earlier, he's seventeen years at the college level
as a head coach and as an assistant. He was
at Virginia Wise as the head football coach from two
thy sixteen to twenty three. He was the Kentucky Christian

(03:10):
University head football coach from two thousand and seven in
two thousand and eight, and he was the oct An
assistant coach at Eastern Kentucky University from two thousand and
nine to two and fifteen, so we've got a lot
of college experiences. He was also the head football coach
at Lake Gibson High School in Florida. Well that's some

(03:33):
good football down in that area, for sure, and also
the head football coach at Boyd County High School in Kentucky.
He played also played football at Georgetown College. David, do
you want to bring coach of damren On?

Speaker 4 (03:49):
I sure do.

Speaker 5 (03:50):
Dane was he was an All American And I think
was that the first national title at Georgetown when you
were the quarterback?

Speaker 4 (03:57):
Is that correct?

Speaker 6 (03:58):
Yeah? Nineteen ninety one.

Speaker 5 (04:00):
I thought you were the first one. So that's that's
pretty impressive. Up Dane. One of the best things for
me about going to Mason County is crossing paths with
Dane and his brother Donald, and I really enjoyed that.
And Dane two uh, I think I think the happiest
I was ever with Dane. Back in that old playoff system,
we hadn't want our rear in the district with Dane.

(04:22):
Day was doing a super jib at Boyd County, and
so Dane draws a trip to Bell County first round
and we're playing Madison Southern and if it all plays out,
we're going to Bell County.

Speaker 4 (04:33):
Man Dane's Boyd County team goes.

Speaker 5 (04:35):
Down there and beats Bell County at Bell County and
so then we get Ashland in the home and we
end up we won the regent. But Dane, you were
the You could have been elected mayor of Maysville that
Friday evening.

Speaker 4 (04:47):
We were pretty excited about you. But Glad I can help.

Speaker 5 (04:53):
Well, Hey, it's great that you're in Paris Greyhound right now.
So glad you're running that program and we've been excited
ever since we found out. So I'm gonna turn it
over to Chuck and let him get going.

Speaker 2 (05:06):
Yeah, Hey, Dan, we appreciate you being on. Hey, my
first question for you is who were the biggest influences
in your life on and off the field that have
helped make you the coach that you are today.

Speaker 7 (05:20):
Well, I would have to say. The first is my dad.
My dad was the basketball coach at Kentucky Christian College,
I think for twenty years. You know, he had a
couple of different stants. He retired to hit well, they
stopped coaching a couple of times and they couldn't find
anybody else to do it. And he'd go back and
do it again and win a national championship, and then

(05:40):
stop again and come back win another national championship. But
he ended up winning four national championships in four hundred
games and his time at Kentucky Christians. So first and
foremost my dad. You know, he passed away in two
thousand and seven, but there's no doubt that he had
the biggest impact on me, if as a as a coach,

(06:01):
but more more important me as a person, as a
husband and the father. My brother was a really good coach.
He did a great job at East Carter, So I
would say him. My grandfather name was Leonard Marshall, uh
I called him Poppy. Poppy was the head coach of
Sayersville High School in basketball for a long time. Had

(06:23):
a chance to coach Lincoln collins Worth. It was Chris
collins first dad, and he was Lincoln Collinsworth was one
of RUPs Runts, and so was on RPS Runts, excuse me,
and so he Poppy was a big time influence. He
got back into coaching when I was in the second grade,
so he would have a chance to uh so he'd
have a chance to coach me in basketball. And then

(06:45):
Charles Baker was my head basketball coach at East Carter.
I think the world of Coach Baker, and I couldn't
think enough, you know, for what he did. I was
very fortunate in the fact that I didn't need a
coach to be my role model because I had my dad. Yeah,
and so I didn't. I didn't look for a role
model per se. I just looked for somebody who treated

(07:07):
me fairly and who pushed me to be the best
that I could be. And I thought that Coach Baker
always did that. And I love Coach Baker to death
to this day. And then Kevin Donnelly, my head coach
at at Georgetown College. Yeah, he's a good one. I
had a chance to spend spend some time with him.
Coach Crohnean, you know, Coach Crohner was our offensive line

(07:28):
coach when I was at Georgetown. Was not my head coach,
but he was the offensive line coach. I had a
chance to spend three years with him. At Coach Cronan
got inducted into the Hall of Fame at the end
of all just there at Georgetown, and coach Donnelly came back,
and so it was really good to have a chance
to see coach Donelly. And then you know, as far
as coaching schematically, Red Fought was my offensive coordinator at Georgetown.

(07:51):
He was one of the godfathers of the run and shoot,
and you know when when he came in, you know,
it turned Georgetown Colleges around, you know, and I'm a
believer that the reason Georgetown College has won three national
championships is because of the influence the coach Fought had
on coach Donnelly and then you know on coach Crone
because when coach Crohner took the job over in nineteen

(08:12):
ninety seven, uh, coach Fought came back and helped him
just a little bit, you know, to try to get
him going before he got you know, before he had passed,
and so he was he was there to do something.
Then my senior year at Georgetown was was kind of different.
But my offensive coordinator was a guy by the name
of Skip Stress, and he taught He taught me a
lot as far that I used when I became a coach.

(08:35):
You know, Coach Fought was fantastic in the fact that
you know, it didn't really matter what defense somebody was
playing with us. He told to read this guy, read
this guy, and it was good there. But coach Coach
Dress taught me a lot of football, and I'm very
thankful that I had my time with him. I wish
Coach Donney would have been my head coach with Coach
Fott and then my senior year because I think we'd

(08:57):
had a better team. But the fact that I had
a chance is to work with work for work under
Coach Stress. Uh, that really meant a lot. And then
you know, I very fortunately say I coached for a
really kid too, and uh, having the chance to be
a graduate assistant for coach Kid was was great and
he taught me a lot. And then Dean Hood, who

(09:17):
I worked for as the offense've coordinated Eastern. You know,
Dean taught me that I could be a husband first.
And you know, I think a lot of times in football,
you know, coaches getting married to the office. Yeah, and coach.
Coach had taught me that I could be married to Delicia,
and you know, that was the most important thing. And
I had a chance to be a husband and be
a father, and those those seven years I spent working

(09:40):
under Dean were fantastic gears for myself. But I think
my wife and my kids would tell you the same thing.

Speaker 3 (09:46):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (09:47):
I thought it was.

Speaker 2 (09:48):
Really interesting that U your early background was influenced by
basketball coaches, your grandfather and your father, and then you
and your brother end up in football.

Speaker 7 (10:01):
Yeah. I mean, I don't know why. You know, I'm
a huge Cincinnati Bengals fan. And as a kid, I
thought Cooley Bacon was the greatest football player in the world.
Why I thought Cooley Bacon was the greatest player in
the world, I guess it's because he was from Irington,
you know, and that was right across the you know,
right across the river from Ashland, which is in northeast Kentucky.

(10:23):
And so but I grew up a huge Bengal fan,
and uh and and I just loved playing football, you know,
I played all three in high school. Yeah, I would
ultimately tell you that coming out of high school baseball
was probably my best sport. But I just loved playing
football and h and that's that's why we're here today.

Speaker 3 (10:44):
It worked out for you.

Speaker 7 (10:46):
It's pretty good. Pretty good decision, Pretty good decision.

Speaker 4 (10:49):
Yeah, it's been great.

Speaker 3 (10:50):
Age.

Speaker 4 (10:51):
So was your last year at Georgetown nineteen ninety three?

Speaker 6 (10:55):
Yeah, that was my senior season.

Speaker 4 (10:56):
Yeah, and so you played for coach Uh was it Brush?

Speaker 7 (11:00):
Bob Brush?

Speaker 6 (11:01):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (11:01):
Yeah, okay, I got you. I bumped into him when
I was coaching at Paris, So I was just curious
about that. But hey, speaking of your Georgetown time, Uh,
he talking about red fought and you know, the running shoot,
which you guys just I mean, I don't think anybody,
I don't think anybody does a better job with it
than you all did. And then what I used to
call that Georgetown set, the unbalanced set with the wing

(11:24):
and and the half back and stuff. And you know,
so my question, my first question for is this, Are
there any of the foundational concepts that you used at
Georgetown that are still part of what you're doing at
Paris High School?

Speaker 4 (11:39):
Oh?

Speaker 6 (11:39):
Yeah, They've gone with me everywhere I've been.

Speaker 7 (11:41):
You know, we did them at the East Go. You know,
there was some of that stuff we did at Eastern.
You know, we ran the we ran our Orange formation
at Eastern. One of the happiest if ben was when
we was playing Murray State in twenty fourteen. I think
it was we handed off, We handed off of Orange
thirty nine and you know that the wing back came
around and dipped and went on the outside and both

(12:03):
bikes got their cup blocks on the parimeter and we scored.
I don't I don't know if I could have been
any happier up in the.

Speaker 6 (12:08):
Press then we did that. You know, I think, you know,
Coach used to be honest with you.

Speaker 7 (12:13):
I owe that's coach fought. If if I'm coaching, they'll
be running shoot principles and whatever we do, because I
don't think that, you know, I don't think that I
would be coaching if I didn't have those you know,
that time with Coach fought, And that's a way to
pay homage to him. It's also, you know, a way
I pay homage to Craig Mullins. It was the.

Speaker 8 (12:31):
Offensive coordinator at Georgetown for the longest time, and I
had a chance to play with Craig was a senior
my freshman year, and you know, up until you know,
up until he got really sick with his lung cancer,
Craig and I we'd spend an hour or two hours
on the phone every week just talking, balling, you know,
and and crossing notes and everything. So that's very important

(12:52):
to me too.

Speaker 7 (12:53):
And but you know, well, I'll always run switch, I'll
always run delay, I'll always run choice and and some
variations of it. I don't get in the run and
shoot formation very much anymore, just simply because you know,
everything you do now run wise basically is you know,
is zone read type things, if you will. And then

(13:14):
the gun and and I think that gangster drop out
of teaching that gangster drop to kids today is a
little bit difficult, just simply because they're they're all come
from the gun and teaching them to get to get
the depth coming out from under center with you know,
with the half three step role. You know, I don't know,
I don't know if I would have time to get
that taught, especially I got to spend the other forty

(13:35):
five minutes for fifty minutes and practice doing defense, yeah,
which is which is really new to me. But yeah,
I'll always have a big foundation of you know, if
coach coach dony with me wherever I go.

Speaker 4 (13:48):
That's that's cool stuff.

Speaker 5 (13:50):
I got a little story about Craig Burgys I want
to share with you.

Speaker 4 (13:54):
He h.

Speaker 5 (13:55):
He recruited Neil Posset, and Neil had been my quarterback.
And so anyway, the year after Neil, we're struggling bad.

Speaker 4 (14:04):
I mean, it's awful.

Speaker 5 (14:05):
And so I'm actually our season's over and I'm cleaning
up all this, and so my phone starts buzzing and
I looked down and it says Craig Mullins and I'm like,
they've got a game today. I'm like, what is he doing?
So I answered, I'm like, Craig, is this you? And
he says, David, He said, I'm walking off the field

(14:26):
and I'm just calling to tell you thank you for
Neil Possit said he's great. And I just said, well, coach,
I'm going to tell you I'm living it right now.
Life after Neil Posset is tough. So I'm glad you've
got him and you're enjoined him. But I just made
an impression on me because I couldn't imagine a coach
walking off the field and calling another coach like that.

(14:47):
But it was really cool and it purked me up
because I was whooh, I tell you what. Like I said,
when Neil walked out the door, things got tough. We
it took us a long time to get over that one.

Speaker 2 (15:00):
I can I can remember when that running shoot stuff
was really popular.

Speaker 9 (15:05):
It was.

Speaker 2 (15:06):
It was back then the day when you know, Georgetown
was really you know, uh doing really well, and a
lot of high school coaches were running that stuff and
it was really difficult to defend.

Speaker 3 (15:16):
I remember how you used to have to spend a
lot of time trying to well.

Speaker 7 (15:21):
What made us a good then? Chuck was you know,
coach Donney was a wishbone guy. He was a wishbone guy.
And the year we won the national championship in ninety one,
we led the country in rushing. I threw for thirty
six hundred yards and we led the country in russing. Yeah,
because we were still running the triple.

Speaker 3 (15:38):
Yeah didn't Paris School with.

Speaker 2 (15:42):
Randy Rings They ran that stuff and they ran they
won like three state championship.

Speaker 7 (15:47):
Well that would have been before yeah, because that was
an eighty two and eighty three rd Yeah, eighty eighty
two and eighty three, I think so.

Speaker 3 (15:54):
Yeah, but it was good stuff. It was really good stuff.

Speaker 7 (15:58):
Hey, Dame.

Speaker 2 (15:59):
The next and I have for you is when you know,
when people watch, you know, your team play, what's the
identity you want them to see on the field?

Speaker 3 (16:08):
You know, what do you want them to walk away
and say about your team?

Speaker 7 (16:13):
Well, I hope they see a team that loves what
they're doing and has fun.

Speaker 8 (16:16):
Uh.

Speaker 7 (16:16):
And I don't think that. I don't think that you
can have fun on the football field if you don't
love each other. And you know, that's what I'm That's
what I'm trying to get across to these kids every
single day is to you know, as to respect the game,
respect the work that's put in, the play that you
have to put in to play the game, respect your opponent.
You know, I tell them all the time, I want
to I want to hit them with those two screws

(16:38):
on the helmet that I want to pick them up
and pat them on the butt and tell them I'll
be right back. And you know, I think I think
that's the respect and the reverence this game deserves. You know,
I'm I'm I'm trying to give them to be a
disciplined bunch, which uh, I think I think we're well
on our way. Uh, But you know, I think that

(16:59):
anytime you go watch somebody play, you would I hope
that somebody when they come and watch Paris play, they'll
they'll say that that team plays the right way. And
I think that we do. We're definitely working on it.
We we still fall back a couple of times and
do some things that we shouldn't want that I would
hope that we wouldn't do. But you know, kids today,

(17:20):
kids today are a little bit more expressive than they
were when we played. And you know, I had a
kid score touchdown the other day, and it was down
because where Paris is, and David knows this, the sideline
is only about the home sidelines only about two three
yards deep, and so there's no room on our sideline
and so the the cheerleaders have to stand in the end.

Speaker 8 (17:40):
On some of our kids scored and grab the cheerleaders
pom pom and start a cheering.

Speaker 7 (17:45):
He got a fifteen yard or which was I didn't
know what he did. I was kind of mad at
him when he came off the field. When I saw
the film, I was like, that's kind of.

Speaker 6 (17:52):
Funny, that's kind of funny.

Speaker 4 (17:53):
That is pretty good.

Speaker 6 (17:55):
But I just want to I want to.

Speaker 7 (17:56):
Play the right way.

Speaker 8 (17:57):
Man.

Speaker 7 (17:57):
I just want to play the right way and play
the game the way deserves to be played.

Speaker 3 (18:02):
It's always got progress.

Speaker 2 (18:04):
I mean, it's going to take you, what are you
three games into it, so it'll take you a little
while to get it the way you want it. But UH,
that's a pretty good image of what you want people
to just think about and see about you with your
football team on the field.

Speaker 7 (18:18):
Yeah, I just want people to say, man, they have fun,
they're enjoying what they're doing. Because when it's when it's
all said and done, still a game, and there's and
I you know, I said this the other night in
the locker room, there's there's nothing. Saturdays are great and
I enjoyed my saturdays in college football and UH provided

(18:39):
me a great life. But there's still nothing better than
a Friday night in a small town that loves their school.
There's there's nothing. There's nothing better than that. And the
people of Paris love the Greyhounds and UH, of course
David knows that.

Speaker 6 (18:54):
Uh.

Speaker 7 (18:54):
And David, I'm still waiting for that check for that
pregame meal. You said that you were going to get forced.

Speaker 4 (19:00):
Yeah, I'm bad about that.

Speaker 5 (19:01):
I've always uh committed to things I need to follow through.

Speaker 4 (19:04):
So thanks for telling me out.

Speaker 6 (19:05):
I appreciate you. I'll tell you.

Speaker 7 (19:07):
I'll give you my VENMO when we're done here, and
you can send me that I got fifty dollars and pay.

Speaker 4 (19:11):
For that pread n.

Speaker 5 (19:13):
I got to do paypals, So since I don't know
what we're gonna do now, I guess we're out of look, but.

Speaker 7 (19:17):
Yeah, I'll I'll send you my PayPal and I'll send
you my PayPal too. You can give you that one
hundred and fifty dollars for our g Vonnie's pregame meal we're.

Speaker 4 (19:25):
Going to get and I got you and let you
take care of the book For those old Paris High
School you're not KIDDINGA aped them.

Speaker 1 (19:34):
Hey.

Speaker 5 (19:34):
Uh my last freshman team was really good. And that's
that's how I think I got to be a head coach.
Is because I had a great freshman class and our
freshman quarterback was Corey Dunfor turned out pretty good, didn't
he that he's coaching your middle school.

Speaker 7 (19:47):
Cory is coaching my middle school. In the middle school Hounds,
they're also three and oh and Corey has done a
fantastic job. Man's you would be so proud of him,
and he's really working hard at it and got a
lot of people excited. And so you did a good
job with that one.

Speaker 5 (20:07):
Well, mainly what I did with Corey Dunford is get
out of his little way and let him be Corey
and he.

Speaker 6 (20:12):
Well, that's the best part of.

Speaker 7 (20:14):
Yeah, that's what you did with Cliff Chris Lofton and
those guys too.

Speaker 6 (20:19):
You just got out of.

Speaker 7 (20:20):
Their way and you let those two middle linebackers run
and make tackles. That's why you were That's what the
people don't talk enough about that team is those two
middle linebackers you had with dudes.

Speaker 4 (20:31):
Well, I tell people this all the time.

Speaker 5 (20:33):
I'll never forget you and I talking outside your life
room after our game and you said to me, you said,
David Groots and Lockton are really good. But he said,
you said, the reason you beat us is we can't
like your two inside linebackers and we can't like your
two defensive ends.

Speaker 6 (20:50):
That's all.

Speaker 7 (20:52):
That's almost a conversation we had the next year when
you lost those kids and you were pulling what little
hair you had out.

Speaker 6 (20:58):
I said, David, you're not You're finding at your not
new Rockney. You had all some good players this year.

Speaker 7 (21:05):
You're calling the exact same plays, but you don't have
the same keeople running up.

Speaker 5 (21:09):
I know it, Hey, I tell hey, Chuck, you'll appreciate this.
We go up and playing and we're actually hanging in
the game. There an old four when we're terrible. And
he had a Caleb Minneck who ended up getting on
the All Star team. Caleb was a really good Mike limbbacker.

Speaker 6 (21:26):
Really good Mike linebacker.

Speaker 5 (21:27):
Yes, in fact, I said it. I thought he was
the best one in the state. And that's why we
put him on that All Star team. When Brandon was
the quarterback and he started there. I still say Caleb
Minnick was the best Mike climbacker in the state of Kentucky.

Speaker 4 (21:41):
He killed it. But this will tell you what the
shape we were in. We were in two.

Speaker 5 (21:45):
By two all night and we were having a little
success offensively, and so Dan here says, oh, they're not
very good. He plays two man. The rest of the night.
We got a five man box. We got time plus
a running back, plus a quarterback, and Caleb Minnick whipped

(22:05):
all seven of us.

Speaker 4 (22:07):
And I'm like, I'm like, hey, if coaching.

Speaker 5 (22:10):
Minnick, Caleb Minnick can whip all seven of us, we're
in trouble tonight. And we were in trouble and may hey,
I remember, I think we picked a pass and you
tackled us on the one and we finally scored on
like fourth and half an inch and man, back in
those days, if we picked off a pass, I prayed
that he would score because I knew if they tackled

(22:32):
him on the one, I'm not sure we can punch
it in. But anyway, those were Hey, looking back, they
were fun days, but when I was in the middle
of them, it didn't seem like a whole.

Speaker 4 (22:42):
Lot of fun. It really didn't those.

Speaker 5 (22:46):
It's crazy, but hey, so here's my next one. And
I still I was at the game. This was awesome.
You were the special teams coordinator at Eastern Chuck may
have been coach it Kate it for this game. You
all ran a fake pield goal to perfection. And then
after the game I asked you about it and you

(23:08):
said you got it from your brother Donald, that Donald
saw that he sent it to you.

Speaker 4 (23:12):
Hey, walk us through how that all went down. That
was so cool.

Speaker 6 (23:16):
I can't remember if I think it was two thousand
and nine. I think.

Speaker 7 (23:21):
I think it was two thousand and nine, and it
was either nine or ten.

Speaker 6 (23:24):
I can't remember what year it was.

Speaker 7 (23:27):
But you know, coach ort Meyer always would just really
really try to get pressure up the middle on field
goals and be kind of soft on the edge. And
my brother is the biggest Kentucky football fan I know.

Speaker 5 (23:39):
Yeah, And his brother's a really good football coach, really
good football because I've coached against him, he's excellent.

Speaker 7 (23:46):
Donald said, And of course we call each other brove
b r vegles bro.

Speaker 6 (23:51):
I think you can fake and field go on, Kentucky.

Speaker 7 (23:53):
I think if you just put the ball down and
just run and trap that end, you can you can
you can you can fake.

Speaker 6 (23:58):
Field go on.

Speaker 7 (24:00):
And I looked at it. I looked at it long
field and I caught her back. I said, Brev, I
think you're right. Uh he said, well, he goes. I
hope it works for you, he goes, I hope you
I said, I hope on special teams you guys return
a kickoff for a touchdown and scoop and score a
kickoff and kick off for a touchdown. I hope you
block a punp for a touchdown. I hope you return
a pump punt for a touchdown. I hope you score

(24:22):
on your fake point lose forty eight forty six because
he said, like I said, he's the biggest UK football
fan in the world, but we fake. We faked that
extra point and I made sure I gave him. I mean,
it wasn't next point in field goal. Only touchdown was
scored that game. But uh, he hadn't.

Speaker 6 (24:37):
He thought that was all right, that's pretty good.

Speaker 4 (24:40):
It was.

Speaker 5 (24:40):
It was very cool, very cool. So but U but hey, dame,
it is. It's exciting to see you at Paris.

Speaker 6 (24:48):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (24:49):
I'll always love Paris.

Speaker 5 (24:50):
You go, That's where I found my wife, Stephanie was
when I was an assistant of Paris. In fact, Chuck
and I coached it against Paris when she was a cheerleader.
Now I didn't meet her that night, so that doesn't
sound like a very good sport.

Speaker 7 (25:03):
I don't believe I tell too many people out.

Speaker 5 (25:05):
I know it, I know it, but uh, but but
we're we love the Greyhounds, and uh, we're really excited
that you're there and we wish you the best. And
ay send me the PayPal and I will buy the
Gevanni's pizza one week.

Speaker 7 (25:20):
Absolutely, I'm gonna send you the Bill Alverson you know Bill,
I'm gonna send you to Bill Alverson Paris Football Foundation
way to pay the money and we'll get it taken
there and.

Speaker 4 (25:31):
Be good to Hey, good Bill.

Speaker 5 (25:33):
Hey, Hey, go Greyhounds, And tell Puck and the Doctor
of Sports that that I said.

Speaker 7 (25:40):
Hello, the Doctor Sports is getting ready to go under
the knife to get knee replacement.

Speaker 6 (25:44):
I think he's gonna be laid up. It's killing him.

Speaker 5 (25:47):
Uh hey, he'll have to call you to do the
interviews then for the newspaper.

Speaker 6 (25:51):
So that's right.

Speaker 5 (25:52):
Hey, make sure you keep winning. I remember one night
I thought Roger was gonna whip Puck because, uh, Puck.
I think put in the paper is like the first
homecoming we lost since nineteen seventy two. So just keep
an eye on as law as you're three and I
when you keep winning. But can't put anything like that
in the left.

Speaker 7 (26:09):
We're going to keep doing our best. We've got a
tough one this week with Summerset. They're a little bit
bigger than us, so we'll see what we can figure out.

Speaker 4 (26:17):
Got you. Well, you'll do a good job. A tel
Donald be low for me.

Speaker 7 (26:20):
Too, I will, Dave, it's good to see you.

Speaker 6 (26:23):
Thanks, It's good to see you, buddy.

Speaker 4 (26:26):
Yeah, take care taking bye bye bye, David.

Speaker 2 (26:29):
We're going to the next segment, which is our tough topic.
Seems to be a favorite, uh with our listeners. And yeah,
we have had a pretty good question. It's uh, why
is attendance down at games? Is from Dave Burnworth.

Speaker 3 (26:46):
Yes, you know why. Why do you think attendance is
down to games? Do you think attendance is down to games?

Speaker 5 (26:52):
Well, we've only had one home game, and I did
think our I thought our crowd looked back, but our
gate was actually a little better than normal. Uh.

Speaker 4 (27:03):
But I did this though.

Speaker 5 (27:04):
I got on Bluegrass Preps and I put up a pole,
and of the pole, I've had twelve people vote. Eleven
say crowds are down, and they say it's due to
ticket prices and streaming prices, and so far, I think
most people are sort of agreeing they think that it
is down. And I don't know, I don't know if

(27:26):
I really think that yet. And you know, we're struggling
at Anderson. I love being there and I love what
we're doing, but we're struggling. So you know, I'm I'm
not seeing the high profile stuff. I will say this,
our fans travel really well. And you know, I thought
we had a good crowd at Washington and at Grayson County.
I thought we had a good crowd for the Damvil game.

(27:47):
Like I said, the gate was better than normal. I
didn't think the.

Speaker 4 (27:50):
Crowd looked as big, but I did think that.

Speaker 6 (27:53):
You know.

Speaker 5 (27:53):
But now here's the other thing about the Damvil game.
We played at six thirty instead of seven thirty, so
we moved it up because of the storms. I don't
know if that had anything to do with it.

Speaker 4 (28:04):
So I don't know.

Speaker 5 (28:05):
I don't know, but I do know that there is
somewhat of a sentiment out there that it is happening.
They think that it's online tickets, it's streaming, or ticket
price is going up, And.

Speaker 4 (28:19):
I don't know. I would say this.

Speaker 5 (28:20):
I think, like what Dane said, I think if you're
talking small town rule America, I don't know that that's
really going to change a lot. I think I think
those places they're going to show up because that's the
main event.

Speaker 4 (28:33):
Now I could.

Speaker 5 (28:34):
See maybe in the bigger cities or places where there's
more schools in one area, that that might be somewhat
the case. But you know, I still think it's small
town America. I think those Friday nights as are still
going to be pretty important. And I don't know, I
just even if there's a little bit of a dip,

(28:55):
I just think it's going to bounce back. And the
other reason I think it'll bounce back is we're the
last thing that you know that it's going to happen
every Friday. I mean, with Title nine, you really never
know when a basketball team is going to play anymore.
They may play Saturday at eleven a m. You don't
know when the boys or girls are playing. And uh,
I think Friday night high school football is one of

(29:17):
the last things that people can really sort of hang
their hat on and say, I know we got a
game Friday, I just don't know where it is, and
then they find out where it is you go from there.

Speaker 6 (29:25):
So what do you think?

Speaker 2 (29:27):
Yeah, I'm one hundred percent with you there on on
the on how special Friday nights are. You know, I
agree that you know there's the streaming, you know is
really you know, provided a at home and the comfort
of your own home opportunity watch your team play. But

(29:48):
you know, I think the true fans are going to
come out and watch the game.

Speaker 3 (29:52):
I really do.

Speaker 2 (29:53):
I think that the streaming is more for the older crowd,
uh and didn't want to get out in the crowd.
And more ticket prices have definitely gone up. I don't
think that helps, you know, but they've gone up to
cover the expenses of equipment and supplies. That has really
skyrocketed and gone up, and so they're trying to get

(30:17):
the money to pay for that kind of stuff.

Speaker 3 (30:18):
I get that part of it.

Speaker 2 (30:20):
Also, you know, teams and young adults they have there's
in today's world, there there's so many more options for entertainment,
you know, than than a football game. You know that
Back in the day, you know, the football game was it.
You know, that's where everybody went, That's where everybody was
going to go. But now there's so many more options

(30:41):
for those young adults and teams. And also I do
think that the success of your program has a whole
lot to do with the crowdsize. If your program is successful,
then it is kind of contagious, you know. You know, Uh,
the crowd comes the people come. They all want to
come and be a part of it. I do think

(31:02):
that has a big or plays a big part in
the crowd that's there at the game is the success
of your program. But I agree with what you said,
and I agree with what Dane said too. There's just
nothing like Friday nights. I coached in some of the
biggest stadiums in college football.

Speaker 3 (31:22):
But I tell you what, there's nothing like a Friday night.

Speaker 2 (31:26):
It's just your entire community comes, or that you want
them to come, and everybody comes out and supports the
football team. It's just a special moment. It's a special time.
It's great memories. I love Friday nights, I really do.
I enjoyed my Saturdays too. I'm not going to say
I didn't, especially in those big stadiums, but I love

(31:47):
Friday nights. There's nothing better than Friday nights. I would
hate to see it decline, and I would hope that
the administration and the schools would do what they need
to do to keep that attendance up. It's uh, you know, uh,
you know lower. Maybe you take a look at the

(32:09):
ticket prices. Maybe the the administration can figure out a
way to pay for some of the cost of equipment
and supplies and keep that ticket price down. You know,
if you're if you're going, if the ticket prices rise
and you're bringing a family of four or a family
of five to a high school football game or basketball,

(32:34):
it doesn't matter. You know, that gets to be quite expensive.
You know, maybe have a maybe maybe they can have
a you know, a family.

Speaker 3 (32:42):
Pass, that's right.

Speaker 5 (32:44):
Yeah, and we do stuff like that, and we'll have
season passes.

Speaker 8 (32:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (32:49):
Yeah, we're selling a lot of season passes this year.

Speaker 3 (32:52):
And that's reasonable when price you know. Yeah, And but
I think that at the end.

Speaker 2 (32:57):
Of the day, the administration is going to have to say, say, hey,
do we want the community to come and being come
together as you know, as a group and support our
young people here.

Speaker 3 (33:09):
And I think the answer would be yes.

Speaker 2 (33:11):
But if they do that, they're going to have to
eat some of the costs of the equipment and supplies
that that money has been earmarked for.

Speaker 7 (33:21):
You know.

Speaker 2 (33:21):
Yeah, that stuff keeps going up, just like everything else
in this world.

Speaker 5 (33:25):
Well, hey, I want to share this with our listeners.
You know, we got in a buying because our numbers
are up. We had to buy a couple of helmets
last week. They're five hundred bucks of peace right now,
and we've got we've got seventy seven kids. Now, we
don't buy seventy seven new helmets every year, but you know,
you take seventy seven times five hundred equals, we got

(33:52):
thirty eight thousand dollars in helmets sitting in there.

Speaker 4 (33:55):
And we're not even getting into shoulder pads.

Speaker 5 (33:57):
We're not even getting into thes and the pants, and
you know, we've got three jerseys and four sets of pants,
and you know, we're trying to get a handle on it.

Speaker 4 (34:07):
But it is. And I tell you something else.

Speaker 5 (34:10):
Along the lines with the same conversation, I'm trying to
be really careful about fundraiser fatigue. I just launch chourag
has been super to me, and they have been over
the type supportive.

Speaker 4 (34:23):
But I'm just trying to be careful because I.

Speaker 5 (34:26):
Just I don't I don't want to go to the
well too many times. And you know what amazes me
a little bit is, you know, we've struggled at Anderson.
I mean it was it was a struggle the three
years before I got there, and we've struggled the last
three years.

Speaker 4 (34:40):
But it amazes me that.

Speaker 5 (34:42):
We still have really good crowds, and I think if
we can start winning, I think we'll have great crowds.
But we've got to start winning, and that's such a
big piece of it. And you know, I used to
would argue with my bosses with this, and they didn't
really like it. But I would tell them, I say,
you know, if the chess team doesn't win, you're okay.
But I said, if the foot football team doesn't win,

(35:04):
I said, you got to make a change because you
can't pay the bills. I said, the football team has
got to win. And that doesn't sound very nice, but
it's a reality. You got to pay the bills, and
uh it's expensive. So hopefully, hopefully people will figure this out.
But I think in some form or fashion, Friday night

(35:26):
high school football is going to continue to be a
big part of our communities. At least I sure hope.
So I really do I need too.

Speaker 2 (35:33):
It's it's a special It's just it's special on Friday
nights for the community to come out and it's kind
of a nice safe, uh you know, uh environment, innocent
environment for the uh for the community to come together.
And I would think that the administration would want to
keep that going, and uh, the way to not keep

(35:54):
it going is to price them out of coming. And
so uh but somebody has got to pay the bill.
So how are you going to figure that out? I
hope that the administration figures that out and and and
gets and in each some of that costs for for
some of those equipment supplies. Is that football program, basketball
baseball program?

Speaker 3 (36:15):
Need Uh?

Speaker 2 (36:16):
You know, my my kids were raised going to high
school uh sporting, and I wouldn't pray that for nothing.
They they loved it. I loved it, I loved going,
They loved going. It was just a great atmosphere and
they were raised on it. And I just would hate
to see it.

Speaker 5 (36:35):
You know, stop, I agree with you, and uh, I'm
hoping that'll be one of the things that will hang around.

Speaker 4 (36:43):
So let's hope that happens, David.

Speaker 2 (36:46):
Next segment is, of course, are games of the week.
And we got two in town rivals Owensboro and Orainsboro
Catholic in Orainsboro and we got.

Speaker 3 (36:57):
And South old them. I believe you have Onesboro, I
have Onsborough. You want to go.

Speaker 4 (37:06):
First or you want to go first, it doesn't matter.
Whatever you prefer.

Speaker 6 (37:09):
Good with me.

Speaker 2 (37:10):
Well, I got Onsborough Cathleic and you know Jason Morris
as the head football coach, and what a job he
has done there, Oh my gosh. He's got him off
to a three and oh start, an impressive win over
Bowling Green in the opening game. He was fourteen and
one last year and was state runner up, losing to

(37:32):
a really good beach Wood football team. I mean, he's
just he's got him rocking and rolling there. Done a
super job. They're hard to beat. They do a great job.
I've seen him on tape a few times or fundamentally
sound or schematically sound. He does a great job. And
they got some really good football players too. Right now.

Speaker 3 (37:53):
They got as their quarterback. He's a junior.

Speaker 2 (37:58):
Dramel Crothery, and the first or the last game that
they played, he was twenty of thirty six for two
hundred and fifty one yards. I think against Bowling Green
he threw for over two hundred yards too. So he's
doing a good job of putting the ball on the ear.
The guy that's that he's throwing to is Xavier Maddox.

(38:20):
You know he's he had four receptions for seventy two yards.
He's he seems to be their favorite target. But listen
to this guy here, the running back, his name is
Miles Edge. He had fifteen carries for ninety seven yards.
He had seven receptions for seventy two yards, and then
on in two touchdowns. And then on defense he had

(38:41):
eight tackles. I mean, he's mister everything. He's doing it
all for him. Very impressive.

Speaker 3 (38:47):
You got Owensboro, David, I do either.

Speaker 5 (38:51):
A head coach first year I believe is de Marcus Ganaway.
He was an All American wide receiver at Kentucky Wesleyan
and also played for the New York Jets for a year.
And his son is a is their starting quarterback as
a sophomore. Now the record is wanted to but their
losses are to Cal and Saint ex who may very

(39:14):
well be the three A and the six A state champs.

Speaker 6 (39:17):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (39:17):
Those they're really really good.

Speaker 5 (39:20):
Ashley leads their defense and actually on offense, they're running back.
Evan Hampton is a mister football candidate. I think he's
had over thirty offers so far. I think he's a
Bandy commit. I'm not sure I've seen some different things.
Is that correct? He is a Vanderbilt commit.

Speaker 3 (39:38):
Yeah, he's the real deal.

Speaker 4 (39:41):
Yes, yeah, he's a really good player.

Speaker 5 (39:43):
So I mean, you know, I think it's going to
be a great ball game between these two. I think
right now, what's getting me is the whole Bowling Green thing.
I mean, if you can beat Bowling Green, I mean
I think I think you're really good. So as much
as I think orangebur is really good, and I do

(40:04):
think they're really good, I think I would probably pick
Catholic in.

Speaker 4 (40:08):
This game just because they beat Bowling Green and I
think they beat them at Bowling Green, didn't.

Speaker 3 (40:13):
They They did? They did, they did.

Speaker 5 (40:16):
Yeah, so hey, I think Orangebur's got a super football team,
but I.

Speaker 4 (40:21):
Think in this game, I probably would pick Catholic.

Speaker 3 (40:24):
I'm going with Catholic. I'm going with Osborough Catholic.

Speaker 2 (40:26):
I think I think they do a really good job,
and they've been on fire for two years now and
I think they're they haven't slowed down a bit, and
I think that that's who.

Speaker 3 (40:37):
I would pick. They how got north Oldham and south
old them?

Speaker 5 (40:42):
Well, I got south Oldham and they're in my district.
And if you look at my district, there's five teams.
Four are ranked in the top ten of five eight
I mean, it is a killer district.

Speaker 3 (40:54):
They are good, but.

Speaker 5 (40:57):
I tell you what one of them who is right there,
I mean super football team. Kane SAMs is their head coach.
South Oldham. Their quarterback is eight Oran Miles. He's averaging
over one hundred yards game passing. Anthony Dixon is both
a run and a receiving threat. I tell you what,
I may send this young man a graduation president. Sam Dawson.

(41:18):
On the defensive line, that cat has been a problem.
He is a great football player up front. He's very
difficult to block. He's a UFL commit and like I said,
I'm really glad this is the last time I'm gonna.

Speaker 4 (41:31):
Have to look at him because he is a super
football player.

Speaker 5 (41:35):
Defensively, Evan Hall, Blake Dickamore and Cole Greenwell League the
team in tackles. Charlie Temple has two d tds and
he's also one of their leading tackles. So Charlie Temple
is playing on both sides of the ball. South Oldham
again is very very good, very good.

Speaker 6 (41:55):
Well.

Speaker 2 (41:55):
I've got Norfoldhlman and Brock Roberts as the head football coach, and.

Speaker 3 (42:00):
What a job he has done.

Speaker 2 (42:02):
He's really rejuvenated that program. He's got them rocking and rolling.
They're currently two and one. They lost to the Odham
County rival, and they were last year they were nine
and three and they lost in the second round. But
he has got he has brought up them together as

(42:23):
a as a club. He's got the community excited. He's
done a super job. He really hasn't. He's got some
pretty good players to help him do that. Colin Daniels
is the quarterback. He was twenty six of forty three
for three hundred and seven yards and three touchdowns in
their last game. Listen to this receiver, I mean, lord,

(42:46):
he would be on my scouting report, Lucas Tompkins. He
had thirteen receptions for one hundred and forty one yards.

Speaker 4 (42:53):
Two bedowns.

Speaker 3 (42:54):
I mean, I would.

Speaker 2 (42:55):
Show him, put co around his jersey. I would put
a player on the field. I mean that guy that's
got to be a school record thirteen receptions in the game.

Speaker 3 (43:07):
That's pretty good.

Speaker 4 (43:08):
Yeah, that's impressive.

Speaker 7 (43:09):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (43:10):
And then running back, the guy that's been doing the
running carrying the running back low is Ronan Rettin. And
then on defense, the guys that have been taking care
of the business on defenses. Price Duke he had thirteen
tackles in the last game, and Preston Smith had twelfth tackles.

(43:30):
It's pretty active players to come away with thirteen and
twelve tackles, you know, in the game. And I know
one of his assistants is a friend of mine, Kevin Key.

Speaker 3 (43:41):
He played colleague ball with me.

Speaker 2 (43:44):
He's a Seneca grad, but we played together at the
University of Kentucky.

Speaker 3 (43:48):
Way back in the seventies.

Speaker 2 (43:50):
So I know he not only was a good player,
but he also knows football and he's going to have
that defense. Let me tell you this, David Northotal has
not beat south Oldham.

Speaker 3 (44:02):
In ten years.

Speaker 2 (44:04):
It's been ten years since north Oldham beat South ol
It's time, David, It's time. I'm going with north Odum.
I know they're gonna be the underdog in this game.
I know it's going to be a long shot, but
I'm telling you right now, north Oldham is going to
figure out a way to win this rival.

Speaker 5 (44:21):
I got you, Uh, I'm gonna disagree with you. I'm
a big Rock Roberts fan as well. He did a
super job on our podcast. I wanted brock on because
I wanted to hear from a young head coach building
a program when you're surrounded by other really good programs.

Speaker 4 (44:37):
And I think Brock's got going on.

Speaker 5 (44:39):
But I just think right now, south Oldham has got
the edge on them. I think they're ahead of them.
And I just think south right now is a different,
different animal.

Speaker 4 (44:48):
I really do.

Speaker 6 (44:49):
Well.

Speaker 2 (44:49):
Let me well, I know they're gonna be excited that
you picked him because you're you're pretty good.

Speaker 3 (44:55):
At picking games.

Speaker 2 (44:56):
Let's go fire, all right, And in week two and
week two you were seven out of ten for your picks.
That's pretty good. That's pretty good. I was three out
of ten for my picks. I don't know any football.

Speaker 4 (45:14):
But well, say hey, for the season.

Speaker 5 (45:17):
I'm proud of you, though, because if I were you,
I wouldn't know what those numbers were.

Speaker 7 (45:23):
I wouldn't even know it now.

Speaker 5 (45:25):
But hey, you're you're a great guy because you're saying, hey, hey,
so tell us what what they are for the season.

Speaker 2 (45:30):
So for this what you're seventeen for twenty out of
twenty three. So you've at that seventy five percent. You've
done a great job of picking these games. I'm twelve
out of twenty three, which is a little under fifty percent.

Speaker 4 (45:46):
Now, well, you know what do you know? Why don't
you do?

Speaker 3 (45:48):
You know why? No, I don't know why.

Speaker 5 (45:51):
I tell me, I get I can tell which. By
the way, I need to bring something up. Hey, I
caught you on one. We were at two thirty four. Well,
we beat Grace and I got I'm two thirty five.
Now now I'll recognize I'm eight state championships behind you. Okay,
so but I'm going to till I'm eighty. So in

(46:12):
twenty years we can win it eight times.

Speaker 4 (46:14):
That'd be good.

Speaker 5 (46:15):
But here is why I get you on these. You
have won a state championship multiple times. So when you
win one, at least for a little while, you turn
your brain off and you can relax.

Speaker 4 (46:27):
I haven't turned my brain off in thirty three years.

Speaker 5 (46:30):
If I'm not working and trying to figure it out.
I mean that just so you've had a little time
to relax and say, hey, we did it. I never
got to say that, so I'm always working. I don't
get any time off. But anyway, hey, so let's see
the rapid fire.

Speaker 6 (46:46):
What we got to go ahead.

Speaker 3 (46:47):
For the record, you've got more wins than I do
now by one.

Speaker 5 (46:51):
But you got I know, but hey, but you got
me on state titles. You're eight to ozho on state titles.
But if I can go twenty more years, that's only
gonna mean what is that? We gotta win one state title?

Speaker 4 (47:06):
What every two three years?

Speaker 5 (47:09):
So what we gotta do? That's gonna be a big heel.
But that's all right, that's all right. We'll we'll, we'll,
we'll climb it. We'll climb it. Hey, you know what's
gonna be great. What's gonna be great is you and
me and jack Jackie and Stephanie all go out to eat.
And if I can get to seven when I'm eighty,
I'm gonna ask Jackie and Stevene say I think I

(47:29):
can go to eighty five?

Speaker 4 (47:30):
What do you all think? Hey, they'll both punch, They'll
both punch punch me in the mouth.

Speaker 3 (47:35):
Yeah, yeah, I'm comfortable. When I ended up, I really
am good.

Speaker 6 (47:40):
I knew when i'd say so.

Speaker 3 (47:42):
Let me say, now, let's go to the rapid fire.

Speaker 4 (47:44):
Okay, al right, here we go.

Speaker 2 (47:46):
We go Bartstown and Nelson County, Barstown, Barstown, That's who
I would pick as well.

Speaker 7 (47:55):
How about.

Speaker 2 (47:57):
How about Boweling and South Warren I'm gonna take a
pass on this one, but I'll.

Speaker 3 (48:03):
Let you pick Southward what South Warren yep, okay? And
then Cal and Lyle. Boy, this is gonna be a
heck of a game. This is a tough one.

Speaker 4 (48:17):
I tell you what. I'm gonna go with.

Speaker 5 (48:19):
You know, I'm a big Hunter Campwell fan, but I'm
gonna go with Rale just because I think Rayle can
throw more bodies at him and from playing Cal, that's
how huntered it my. I think they're a little more
vulnerable in the early part of the season when it's
hotter and more humid, and I think their numbers gets
them a little because that's sort of how we got

(48:39):
them at Mercer twice. But so I think Cal is
still gonna win a three A state title. But this
week I'm going with Ralph.

Speaker 2 (48:46):
I'm gonna go with Cal. I just think they they're
just I think they're on fire. Manu and Atherton, whoa aft,
it's having a great year.

Speaker 4 (48:55):
I'm gonna go Manual, Manual.

Speaker 3 (48:58):
I am gonna go with man and you as well,
I got you. I think that's probably the easiest thing
to do is wait til you pick, and then.

Speaker 4 (49:05):
I picked that nobody's buying that. Nobody's buying that.

Speaker 2 (49:09):
How about Glasgow with Allen County Glasgow, That's who I
would pick as well.

Speaker 3 (49:15):
Ye, how about Holland's and Boyle? What a game this
is gonna be?

Speaker 5 (49:22):
You know, I love the Rebels, but I'm gonna go
with the Bluebirds on this one.

Speaker 3 (49:26):
All Right, I'm going with Boyle. They won't lose two
in a row. There's no way.

Speaker 4 (49:30):
I got you.

Speaker 2 (49:31):
I got you Kentucky Country Day and the Sales, the
battle of the private schools there in Louisville, I'm going
k c D.

Speaker 3 (49:42):
That's who I'm going with.

Speaker 8 (49:43):
Ye.

Speaker 2 (49:45):
And then how about here's a good one right here,
Lexington Christian Academy and Franklin County.

Speaker 5 (49:53):
Well, if I could look, if I could look at
the LCA depth chart, I could give you a better answer.
H I think I'm gonna go I'm gonna pick lc A.

Speaker 3 (50:04):
I'm going with Franklin on that one.

Speaker 5 (50:06):
I got you.

Speaker 4 (50:07):
That's a good that's a good choice. That's a good choice.

Speaker 2 (50:10):
How about this in town rival North Harden and Central
Harden North Harden, Yeah, I thinks who I'm going with.
Central Harden had a bad game last week? How about
what about this one right here? Pipeville and Johnson Central.

Speaker 5 (50:29):
Hey, I love Chris McNamee. They're gonna be in the
ballpark in November. But I think this week Johnson Central's
just got too much bodies for him.

Speaker 4 (50:37):
I just do you.

Speaker 2 (50:38):
Know, Johnson Central really impressed me with their Belfry game
last week.

Speaker 3 (50:46):
But I'm gonna go with Pipeville.

Speaker 4 (50:48):
I got you.

Speaker 3 (50:49):
I'm gonna go with pipe Yeah, that's it. That's it
right there.

Speaker 4 (50:55):
I got you out turns out games of.

Speaker 2 (50:58):
The week and we'll see how we turn out.

Speaker 3 (51:01):
I listen to this show is tickle to death if
you picked them?

Speaker 5 (51:06):
No, I don't know about that. I don't know about that. Hey,
if they watch me coach, they say, I don't know it.
Sucker is lucky to get the games right.

Speaker 4 (51:15):
But uh but.

Speaker 5 (51:16):
Anyway, I do want to share this next week, our
tough topic is from Hunter Camp. Well, it's a great
question about how do you determine who's going to play
on the JV team, especially in programs with smaller numbers,
and that that is a stressor, it really is.

Speaker 4 (51:35):
But I.

Speaker 5 (51:37):
Think that I think your JV program is one of
those things that it's sort of tough to do, but
I think you gotta do it. You gotta do it
if you want to develop football players. And I think
some coaches get tired of fighting that battle, and I
think I think giving in on that battle is a
big mistake. So we're going to talk about that, and
then we're gonna do something a little different. I think

(51:59):
it's going to be awesome. East and West play a
week from Friday. East Carter West Carter and we're gonna
have Daniel Barker and Tim Champlin on together, two young,
very good coaches.

Speaker 4 (52:12):
We're gonna interview them together, and.

Speaker 5 (52:14):
Uh so it's gonna be a little different episode, but
I think it's gonna be great and and I'm looking
I'm looking forward to the JV question. I'm looking forward
to talking to to those guys. And you know, when
I was at Mason County. When I first got there,
I didn't know a lot about Easter West Carter. I
knew Burt Bradshaw from West Carter. We went to Phil

(52:35):
Simson's camp together, so I knew Burt Bradshaw from West
Carter High School, but I didn't know much about him.
But as time went on, I love to go to
East Carter and West Carter for a ballgame. They were
special atmospheres. Uh, they were cool places. And uh, I'm
really excited about it. I love those places, I really do.

Speaker 3 (52:57):
I love them.

Speaker 2 (52:58):
I think that can potentially be a really good show. David,
that's good choice right there. I think that'll be great.

Speaker 3 (53:04):
Hey, yeah, I look forward to it.

Speaker 2 (53:07):
Listeners, Thank y'all for listening, but please stay on and
listen to max historical segment.

Speaker 3 (53:12):
It's always great. It comes on just as soon as
we finished talking here.

Speaker 2 (53:17):
We appreciate you guys joining us, and we'll see you
next week.

Speaker 9 (53:21):
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, it was common
for towns to develop around railroad tracks, which of course
led to residential areas being divided by the tracks. As
the saying wrong side of the tracks indicates. The areas
with industry and smoke and lower property values were oftentimes

(53:43):
designated for those in the minority, and in one small
Kentucky town, the wrong side of the tracks was home
to a school, a coach, and a team that became legendary.
This is forgotten Heroes, and I'm your host, Mack Yoakum.

(54:06):
In the nineteen forties, Horse Cave, Kentucky, had a population
of about one thousand people. The all white Horse Cave
High School had a good basketball program, having made several
state tournament appearances, and they were state runners up in
nineteen thirty three. But it was the team from the
wrong side of the tracks in Horse Cave that many

(54:29):
said was the best in Kentucky, regardless of race. Horse
Cave Colored High had no gem and played with hand
me down uniforms from the white school, oftentimes taping numbers
on the uniforms. Horse Cave Colored was led by coach
Newton Thomas. Coach Thomas was from Georgetown and he had

(54:53):
attended Kentucky State College and he went to Horse Cave
to be principal, and he knew nothing about coaching basketball,
but his boys wanted to play, So Principal Newton Thomas
went to a clinic being conducted by Adolph Rupp to
learn how to be coach Newton Thomas. He took to

(55:16):
heart everything the baron said, and he made Horse Cave
Colored High one of the most dominant teams in Kentucky
state history. And it certainly didn't hurt that Coach Thomas
started his team with two stars named Cave and Kingfish

(55:37):
from nineteen forty one to nineteen forty five, coach Thomas Cave,
Kingfish and their teammates only lost two games while winning
one hundred and eleven. In nineteen forty three, forty four
and forty four forty five, Horse Cave won sixty five

(55:58):
games in a row and won back to back KHSA
L state titles. Their winning streak was snapped in the
national title game against Oklahoma City Douglas on a trick
play as time expired. Cave and Kingfish were named of
the All State team both years, and both went on

(56:21):
to star at Tennessee A and I now Tennessee State University,
playing for coach Henry Keene, who we've talked about in
another episode. The former star and coach at Louisville Central
Cave was Clarence Wilson. Clarence was so good at Tennessee
State that he has been inducted into their Hall of Fame.

(56:45):
Kingfish was Carl Hellam, and Carl was also enshrined in
the TSU Hall of Fame. After their playing days at
Tennessee A and I for coach Keene had ended, Cave
and Kingfisher became international celebrities. The two from the wrong

(57:06):
side of the tracks in Tiny Horse Cave, Kentucky, both
signed with the Harlem Globe Trotters. Kingfish played for the
Trotters from nineteen forty eight to nineteen fifty five. During
his time, they twice defeated the NBA champion Minneapolis Lakers
and played their first overseas tour. In nineteen ninety nine,

(57:29):
the Globe Trotters named Carl Kingfish Hellum a Globe Trotter Legend,
an award that has only been given to thirteen other Globetrotters.
Clarence Cave Wilson signed with the Trotters in nineteen forty nine,
and his teammates included his buddy, the Kingfish and future

(57:52):
Hall of famers Sweetwater Clifton and Goose Tatum, But it
was Clarence Wilson who was named Cap of the Trotters.
Known for his two handed set shot from half court,
he played for the Trotters from nineteen forty nine to
nineteen sixty four, the longest tenure with the team up

(58:14):
to that time. In nineteen fifty one, Cave Catfish and
their Trotter teammates starred in the movie Harlem Globe Trotters.
In nineteen fifty, Horse Cave and Park City Schools merged
to form Kaverna Independent. The merger was tied up in
court for a time because horse Cave was in Hart

(58:36):
County and Park City was in Barron County. In nineteen
fifty seven, integration occurred and the black students from Horse
Cave Colored went to Kaverna. Nineteen fifty seven also saw
coach Newton Thomas become the first African American to teach

(58:58):
and an integrated school in Kentucky. The team from the
Wrong side of the Tracks, with no gem and a
coach who didn't know basketball became the stuff of legends,
but for today they are our forgotten heroes. Join us

(59:24):
next time for another episode of Forgotten Heroes, when we
will look at another segregated school in Kentucky's Jim Crow era.