LOOKING BACK

 High school football season passes swiftly as the Corbin Redhounds have rolled past half of their regular season opponents with relative ease.

The Hazard Bulldogs were the latest victim 27-7. The Bulldogs put up resistance for a quarter and half of another quarter before the Redhound struck for three quick scores in the second quarter and it was all over.

I watch Sports Overtime as usual on Friday evening as Brian Milam and his co-hort gushed over Dudley Hilton and the Bell County Bobcats. Milam questioned whether any team in the mountains could stay within two touchdowns of the mighty Bobcats.

I do not share Brian’s exalted admiration of Coach Hilton and his team, although the Bobcats may be the best team in the mountains, I do not feel they are invincible.

The Redhounds are difficult to evaluate because of the weakness of their schedule, but I certainly do not feel Bell County is two touchdowns better, if they are better at all.

I always sit on the visitor’s side to pickup on comments from the visiting fans. One Hazard fan remarked that he felt they could compete because “Corbin hadn’t played anybody”.

It’s a shame the fans have been deprived of a marquee match up between the Bobcats and the Redhounds.

In 1959 the Redhounds and Bobcats played on September 9^th. The ‘Hounds won 25-0 behind the Bird brothers as halfback Billy Bird raced 73 yards and nine yards for touchdowns and then quarterback sophomore Rodger Bird ran for one touchdown and passed for one. Bobby Croley also had a brilliant 90-yard touchdown run called back on a clipping penalty.

The starters for that 1959 game for the Redhounds were Jim Andy Wilder and Taylor Hollin at ends, Fred Rader and D. L. Lynch at tackles, Bobby “Muncy” White and Jesse Grant at guards, Arthur Morrison at center with Bill Bird and Bobby Croley at halfbacks and Duane Hart at fullback. Rodger Bird played quarterback.

Brian Milam also recently pointed out that no one in the mountains has beaten Bell County in two years.

The Corbin Redhounds went from 1955 through 1965 without losing to a team in the mountains. Not only that, but Corbin has not lost to a team in the mountains in two years. So, big deal about Bell County.

Former Redhound great Steve Bird is on the coaching staff of the South Florida Bulls, who this past weekend recorded a 17-7 win over Florida State. Bird was All-State for the Redhounds in the mid-seventies and an All-American at Eastern Kentucky. Steve also played in the NFL for the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Kentucky Wildcats were totally intimidated by the Gators of Florida and I doubt they will be able to recover.

The first quarter was an absolute embarrassment. Coach Joker Phillips remarked that they had thought they were an upper tier team in the Southeastern Conference but this game has established the Cats are still a lower tier team in the SEC.

Kentucky has been trying to turn that corner and earn respect since the mid-fifties and with the exception of the Fran Curci era, they have never come close.

It is a vicious cycle, the ‘Cats cannot attract five-star recruits unless they win, and win big games on a consistent basis.

When your main recruiting grounds are in Georgia, you are always going to get whom Georgia, Georgia Tech and Florida have passed by.

If they only could have kept Paul “Bear” Bryant as head coach in the early fifties, who knows, Kentucky might have been a top tier team by now.

I spent Sunday afternoon watching Jackson Crook of the Scott County Wolverines show his strength and blocking prowess from his center position on offense and his tough play as a nose guard on defense. I was very impressed with Jackson as he is my six-year-old grandson.

Upon leaving Georgetown, I arrived in Lexington at 4 p.m. in time for the kickoff of the South Lexington Wildcats versus the South Lexington Titians game. Dylan Crook, age 8 of the Titians, caught three passes, one for an 80-yard touchdown and that really impressed Grandpa and Grandma Crook.