LOOKING BACK

 As basketballs are bouncing in high school gyms across the Commonwealth of Kentucky people are excited for the beginning of the regular season this week.

The Corbin Redhounds will open Friday evening against Knoxville Catholic at Gilliam Gym. The Redhounds of Coach Tony Pietrowski will be led by Travis Smith, a 6’3” guard, who can do it all, handle the ball, shoot, defend and rebound.

I recall this summer when a strong, physical team came to Corbin with the idea they would run over the Redhounds. Pulaski County, a team rated in the top 20 of the state, was beaten soundly by the Redhounds in a game dominated by Smith, Robbie Igo and Hunter Grubb. Smith scored 38 points. This game showed the capability of this year’s Redhounds.

I am aware that Dinky Phipps’ Barbourville Tigers made life tough for the Redhounds in the Arena last week, and I believe Barbourville is for real and the Tigers were certainly up for the challenge of that game, but March is a little while away.

The Lexington Herald-Leader came out with its high school basketball preview this past Sunday. Their ratings of the teams across the state are based on a coach’s survey.

They had Coach Billy Hicks’ team rated in the state’s top five. I would suspect coach Hicks is probably looking at the coming season with a bit more determination since the Lexington Catholic team has won the 11^th Region four of the past five years.

Coach Hicks will return with his Scott County team for the Cumberland Falls Invitational Tournament again this year.

A little of the luster has dimmed from the battle of college basketball titans Kentucky and North Carolina with the Tar Hells loss to UNLV over the weekend. Trust me, it will still be a war.

Coach Joker Phillips may not have led the Kentucky Wildcats to a winning season or a bowl game, but he did beat Tennessee, and Rich Brooks could not, and Hal Morris could not, and Hal Mummy could not, and Bill Curry could not, and while he was at Kentucky, Paul “Bear” Bryant could not.

When you get right down to it, I am not sure Joker beat Tennessee. I believe Derek Dooley beat Tennessee. Whatever, kids 26 years old or younger in Kentucky now know that it is possible for Kentucky to celebrate a win over the Volunteers.

It was this time of the year that songs of the season would fill the halls of a beautiful school on the hill overlooking the city of Corbin. It was at that school that I was nurtured as a child and educated as a young man by an elderly group of Sisters of the Divine Providence who dedicated their lives to trying to set my fellow students and me on a proper course that would take us through life.

The school on the hill is gone, the good sisters have passed on to their deserved rewards, and my fellow students and I are nearing completion of our course. I would like to take this time of Thanksgiving to express my gratitude to those nuns.