Looking Back

Over the years there has been a tremendous change in high school football. The scores used to be 14-7, 20-14, 7-6, games mostly determined by the play of the defense. No more, as scores of 62-42, 57-42, 48-42 and so on are becoming common place in high school football in Kentucky this year.
Along with teams across the state subscribing to the Tony Franklin frantic passing offensive system, but another reason for all the scoring is poor tackling and a lack of being able to adjust to a pass happy offense.
Coach Archie Powers used to say “only three things can happen when you pass the football and two of those are bad.” I wish football was as it once was, but the pendulum has swung back the other way and the defensive coaches must adjust in order to get back to a slower pace.
Cashen, Sanders and Nolan
The Redhounds are fortunate to have a Clint Cashen to fight fire with fire. Clint throws the ball all over the field, and yes occasionally he gets picked off, but Cashen for the most part can keep the ‘Hounds in any game. I do not understand why, however, that Cashen is rolling out to his left so many times. It is more difficult to throw from that position. It leaves Clint more vulnerable to injury.
Josh Sanders continues to get even better each game as he reminds me of an old Redhound runningback Jimmy Spicer. Josh and Jimmy are about the same size and Josh, like Jimmy has great balance, strength and toughness. Sanders is very consistent in his performance as he gives it his all each week.
Sean Nolan is the man on defense, as he is strong, quick and very tough. You do not slip Sean’s tackles. Zack Wood, Josh Martin and Anthony Miller are also very aggressive on defense.
In case some of you cannot remember the name Jimmy Spicer, he was a Kentucky Player of the Year in the 70s as he rolled up the yardage for the Redhounds.
Redhound alumni
Speaking of Redhounds, while my family and I were having Sunday dinner at Dave’s Restaurant Sunday, I ran into two Redhound alumni. The first one was Stephen Cook, who is currently a linebacker for the University of Cumberlands Patriots.
Stephen and the Patriots are fresh off a great come from behind overtime win over Austin Peay. Cook was an outstanding running back for the Redhounds a few years ago and really looked like he is in great shape.
I also ran into Bill “Big Eye” Hughes, a Redhound Hall of Famer off the Hall of Fame team of 1949. “Big Eye” was home for the 1952 Class Reunion. I always hung around the football field as a young boy and I remember “Big Eye” as a hard hitting fullback that gave his all.
When I think back to the days of the late forties and early fifties through the eyes of a young boy of nine or ten years old, I remember a young man I always thought had a tiger in his eye and that was Roy Kidd
As a Corbin Redhound Roy played baseball, football and basketball and was perhaps the best player under pressure of any to ever play at Corbin High School. Kidd was always willing to be at the plate in a clutch situation. Kidd was always willing to take the last shot in a basketball game. Kidd always wanted the ball in his hand in the last minute of a football game.
He was a born leader and that leadership quality bore itself out as he became an all-time great college football coach at Eastern Kentucky University.
Coach Kidd coached in Richmond only about 15 miles from Lexington, Kentucky where the University of Kentucky has searched for a football coach for 50 years.
Really something is bad wrong that the University of Kentucky cannot put together a search committee that could hire an athletic Director who could solve the problem.
What’s the problem?
I do not think money is the problem, as the university seems to be very solid financially, but this problem has existed for many decades and no one has come close to solving it.
Although attendance is beginning to dwindle, the fan base has remained strong over the years.
By the way, the remarks I made last week about George Bush hiring Rich Brooks to head up FEMA, was courtesy of Danny Reasor. I don’t know where he heard it.
In mentioning place kickers last week for the last few years, I neglected to mention Chance Hendrickson from last year who did a fine job with the kicking chores at Corbin High.