LOOKING BACK

 I received a very nice note from Maxine VonGruenigen this past week. Maxine brought to my attention two Redhounds from the decade of the forties.

R.D. Scalf and Bill Brown were not all-state players, but they were Redhounds to the bone and remained that way all their life.

Each Friday before a home game these two of the Redhounds most faithful would put on their red shirts and red caps and head down I-75 from their northern Kentucky homes to arrive in Corbin around an hour before the kickoff and give themselves time to visit Maxine at Maggie J’s dress shop in downtown Corbin.

About a year ago Mr. Scalf passed away but Bill Brown remained dedicated and continued to make the trip. Last week, Maxine received a call from Mr. Brown’s daughter advising her that he too had passed away. Certainly I wish to offer my condolences and that of all Redhound fans to the families of two faithful Corbin fans. I want to thank Maxine for her bringing this story to my attention.

Maybe it is because I am a child of the 50’s and I have filled many of my columns with stories of that era, but the number of outstanding athletes that walked the halls of Corbin High School during that period was phenomenal for a school of its size.

Even more remarkable is the allegiance of the fans of that era. From the good Dr. Keith Smith, who personally brought life to many future Redhounds and Redhound fans with a firm slap to the derriere to Joe Moore, who was known to all with Corbin ties, Redhound fans have a “Us against the World” feeling.

The Redhounds basketball team of this year had a rather rough holiday season. The Hounds faced some very strong competition over a relative short time frame. That coupled with travel time to Knoxville and back-to-back-to-back days had to be tiring plus it cuts down on practice time in the gym. All this is over now, and Coach P will get his young men back on track.

 Greenville to Corbin

I took notice to the fact that newly appointed City Manager Mike Phillips comes to Corbin from Greenville, South Carolina. That is a switch, as down through the years Corbin has sent several young student-athletes to Furman University in Greenville.

It all began in the early fifties with a quiet unassuming young man named Frank Selvy.

Selvy decided to tag along with three of his buddies who were going to try out for a spot on Furman’s football team, As the story goes, Frank was shooting a few baskets in their gym when an assistant coach took notice of young Selvy’s uncommon accuracy and brought it to the attention of head coach Llyes Alley.

The rest as they say is history. After being named first team All-American as a junior and senior and averaging over 41 points per game and scoring 100 points in one game in February of 1954, Selvy left for the NBA.

The path to Greenville had been forged, and was followed by brothers Edd, David and Charles (Curly), by another All-American Jerry Smith, by Boyce Frederick and most recently Seth Hauser, Well, Mr. Phillips that’s what Corbin has done for Greenville, what will Greenville do for us?

 Jerry Bird

I was talking with my friend, Eddie Teague recently down at White’s Pro Billiards when he mentioned to me that although Jerry Bird frequently comes by for hot dogs that he (Eddie) had never had an opportunity to meet the former Corbin High and University of Kentucky great.

Eddie said he used to listen to the radio when Bird played at UK and was a big fan of Jerry’s.

I too, was a close follower as Jerry gave all Corbin fans someone to be proud of and even more than being a great player, Jerry Bird is a good man.

 ‘CATS

The Cats of Coach John Calipari are doing quite well, thank you, as they show the versatility to play at any pace with any opponent.

This is not to say the Cats will lose again with the likes of playing in Starkville, Nashville and Gainesville, it is not likely they will tread through the minefield unscathed. It is not impossible, however, and the ‘Cats should obtain a number one seed in the NCAA.

 Estep

Rodger Rowe, a good friend of mine who lives in Barbourville said he first became a Redhound fan when he listened to Don Estep broadcast the 2A state championship game over WCTT in 1962.

According to Rowe, Estep was best he ever heard. I and a multitude of others agree.