Looking Back

I ran into David Miller at White’s Pro Billiard’s one day last week as he was in for a celebration gathering for his brother, Mayor Eddie “Amos” Miller as the mayor prepares to leave office. In my years, David was in my judgment the best baseball player to ever play in Corbin.
David was a shortstop and had a tryout when he was very young with the Cincinnati Reds. David also was a very good football player on the 1955 state championship team. Brother Mayor Amos also was a standout as well in both baseball as a catcher and football as a lineman.
So many young men of that era (the 50’s) would have been considered outstanding were it not that the Birds and Selveys were such great players that they captured so much of the media attention. But that worked for those teammates also became it brought coaches seeking the services of the Birds and Selveys, who saw the David Millers, the Don Turners, the Morris Garrisons, the Chandler brothers, David and Mel, Ralph Wilder and the Howard brothers, Bob and Bill, and that list goes on and on.
The mystery team from last week was Barbourville Resenwald and it was a couple years before integration and Rosenwald was an all black school. A tremendous athlete was on that team named Milo Adams. Milo left this part of the country shortly after being graduated from high school and did very well for himself. I ran into Milo many years later at a softball tournament.
The Redhounds did very well on their trip to Florida winning two of three games as they have now returned and are preparing for the Cumberland Falls Invitational Tournament.
First up for the Redhounds will be Shelby Valley, who the last time I checked was 8-0 on the season.
The Lady Redhounds under coach Jennifer Parsons are rolling right along at seven wins and only two losses. Coach Parsons does an outstanding job and like her counterpart with the boys, Tony Pietrowski give Redhound fans something to be proud of as both programs are in great hands.
I notice with the boys that Rob Madon and Clint Cashen are rounding into basketball shape and will add even more to an already talented group.
The Wildcats of Kentucky roundballers just played their best game to date in their win over UMass. One ugly part of this year’s team consists of Apple and Cherry, the turnover twins otherwise known as Ramel Bradley and slow Joe Crawford. This pair continues to lead the opposing teams in assists. Should Tubby choose to implement Jody Meeks and Perry Stevenson into the lineup, I believe the ‘Cats will be successful this year.
The ‘Cats of the gridiron are also preparing for a post season match up with Clemson in a very rare Music City Bowl appearance. Coach Rich Brooks received a contract extension although I never saw anything on the length of the extension, but Coach Brooks was compensated fairly well for his successful season. I am still not a believer and feel that A.D. Mitch Barnhart has prolonged a problem.
It is the holiday season and if you attended St. Camillus Academy in the ’50s, perhaps you can remember the Christmas carols as they rolled through the hallways, filtering down from the auditorium where the elderly nuns were preparing the youngsters for the annual Christmas play.
We as high school basketball players were very excited about our opportunity to play. The mystery roster this week will be no mystery, as I will tell you upfront it is the St. Camillus Saints. Paul Pietrowski was our leading scorer, and he shot so much they named the school after him.
Paul Vanlandingham, Leon Singleton, Joe Gieszl, Stewart Hardesty, Warren McNew, Frank Pietrowski, Bill Ramsey, Bill Crook, Winston Phipps and Bob Watkins (yes, that Bob Watkins). This was the roster listed in the 1957-58, 50th District Tournament program. We lost that year to Barbourville 66-53.
Someone once said ‘those were the days of splendor in the grass and glory in the flowers.”
Have a happy holiday season.