Rest In Peace, John W. Allen (1934 - 2018)

So when the Cuba Cubs won the Kentucky High School Athletic Association boys' basketball championship in 1952, they advanced to the state tournament by beating the Wickliffe Blue Tigers, 54-42, in the final of the First Region tournament at Murray College. Per (indispensable) Bob Mays, here were the scores leading up to that championship:

-- Symsonia Rough Riders 42, Brewers Redmen 38 (quarterfinals)
-- Cuba 74, Clinton Central Red Devils 39
-- Wickliffe 62, Bandana 47
-- Bardwell Indians 71, Sharpe Green Devils 58
-- Cuba 61, Symsonia 34 (semifinals)
-- Wickliffe 74, Bardwell 62

Wickliffe's first-round win over Bandana followed a 63-55 win over the same team in the District 2 tournament championship at Paducah Tilghman High. This was the "(l)ast year for Bandana, Barlow-Kevil, Ballard County, Blandville and Wickliffe (highs, as) they became known as Ballard Memorial the next year," per (again) (really, super) Bob Mays.

One of the players on the Bandana team was John W. Allen, a boy originally from Guthrie, all the way over in Todd County. And he must've been pretty good, because then he went on to play three seasons for the Paducah Junior College Indians (including one for future trail-blazing Vanderbilt University coach Roy Skinner). He completed his degree at East Texas State Teachers College, and then he moved back home to western Kentucky and coached the Ballard Memorial Bombers (it appears he might've been an assistant coach). 

By 1957, things were coming together for the consolidated Bombers of Ballard County. The team failed to win even a single Second District tournament game in its first four seasons of existence. In 1957, however, it played Tilghman to triple overtime before losing, 67-65, in the district final, and advanced to the semifinals in the First Region. Things were looking up in La Center.

But life happens. Back when he was in Texas, John W. Allen had met a woman, Wanda Boyd. In 1957, they married, and, that fall, John W. Allen began a 35-year career of coaching and teaching in Texas high schools. He never moved back. Mr. and Mrs. Allen had children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren in Texas, and he embraced the new teams of his adopted home--the Dallas Cowboys, launched in 1960, and Texas Rangers, arriving in 1971--while staying true to his old-standby University of Kentucky Wildcats.

Mr. Allen died a week ago today. He was 83. Rest in peace.

Kentucky High-school Football, Week 4

Here are the Kentucky High School Athletic Association football games that I'll be checking in on over the weekend.

Henderson County (3-1, No. 7 in the Associated Press poll for Class 6A) at Madisonville-North Hopkins (2-1, AP 4A No. 10)

Barlow Ballard Memorial (4-0, AP 2A No. 9) at Mortons Gap Hopkins County Central (0-4, 4A)--This is my fan-bus trip of the week. The Bombers are probably going to move to 5-0 on the season tonight, and then next week they might be up to around No. 7 in the Class 2A poll (as 2-2 OweCath at No. 8 is idle tonight and 1-3 NewCath at No. 7 plays at a 6A team). Ballard needs to be making the most of tonight. I propose a big bus loop south through Barlow, Wickliffe, Blandville and Lovelaceville on the way out of the county this afternoon; a stop for supper at Pennyrile State Resort Park south of Dawson Springs (call ahead and they'd probably make pancakes for the football players), and a big victory run north back into the county late tonight through Kevil, Bandana and La Center. Live it up, Bomber Nation.

Graves County (3-0, AP 5A No. 9) at Mayfield (4-0, AP A No. 1)

Fort Campbell (2-2, AP 3A No. 8) at Caldwell County (4-0, AP 2A No. 1)--They're getting so excited at Caldwell County. At least a dozen Tweets a week swirl around about or for the Tigers that go about like this one ...

Tonight ---- Never Underestimate your opponent. Set your jaw. Know your role. Cover your teammate. Never quit. No regrets! #CaldwellWay
— CaldwellFootballFan (@CaldwellTigerFB) September 20, 2013

Pikeville (4-0, AP A No. 3) at Belfry (3-0, AP 3A No. 1)

Hazard (2-1, AP A No. 6) at Fairview (3-0, AP A No. 5)

Beechwood (2-1, AP A No. 4) at Franklin County (4-0, AP 5A No. 7)

Harlan County (3-1, AP 5A No. 6) at Johnson Central (3-0, AP 4A No. 5)

Bowling Green (3-0, AP 5A No. 1) at McCallie School (Tennessee)

Glasgow (4-0, AP 2A No. 3) at Somerset (1-3, 2A)

Newport Central Catholic (1-3, AP 2A No. 7) at Edgewood Dixie Heights (2-1, 6A)

Marshall County (0-3, 6A) at Murray (1-3, AP 2A No. 10)

Louisville Shawnee (2-2, 2A) at Louisville DeSales (4-0, AP 2A No. 2)

Bowling Green South Warren (4-0, AP 3A No. 2) at Hart County (2-2, 3A)

Wayne County (4-0, AP 3A No. 3) at Southwestern (0-4, 5A)

Louisville Central (2-2, AP 3A No. 4) at Louisville Western (0-3, 4A)

Boyle County (4-0, AP 4A No. 2) at Winchester George Rogers Clark (1-3, 6A)

Pulaski County (4-0, AP 5A No. 2) at Rockcastle County (1-3, 4A)

Fort Thomas Highlands (4-0, AP 4A No. 1) at Paducah Tilghman (1-3, AP 3A No. 9) on Saturday

Russellville (4-0, AP A No. 2) vs. Elkton Todd County Central (0-3, 2A), Calloway County (2-1, 4A) vs. Fulton City (1-2, A) and Bullitt Central (3-0, 5A) at McCracken County (1-2, 6A) on Saturday (McCracken County Bowl)--These games are scheduled to start at 3, 5 and 7:30. That's quite an evening of work if you've gotten yourself signed up to dispense hot dogs in the band-booster concession trailer. Incidentally, I learned from the KHSAA web site today that Coach Jack Haskins's first name is Orville!

Previous reports:

-- 2012 wrap

-- Week 0 roundup and GoHeath's western-Kentucky wrap and lookahead to Week 1

-- Week 1 roundup and GoHeath's western-Kentucky wrap and lookahead to Week 2

-- Week 2 roundup and GoHeath's western-Kentucky wrap and lookahead to Week 3

-- Week 3 roundup and GoHeath's western-Kentucky wrap and lookahead to Week 4

'Undoubtedly the Greatest High School Basketball Player' from Western Kentucky and More

As of 1952, per John C. Miller of the Evening Citizen of Cairo, Ill., "undoubtedly the greatest high school basketball player to come out of this four state area of Western Kentucky, Southern Illinois, Southeast Missouri and West Tennessee" was Phil Rollins of the Wickliffe High Tigers.

"Coaches, players and sportswriters have been singing his praises since he earned a regular position on his team as a freshman and every bit of the praise and more is deserved," Miller wrote in an article posted at the (fantastic) West Kentucky Genealogy Facebook page (5 stars, highly recommended). "One sports editor dubbed him 'Mr. High School Basketball' as a junior and in his final year he most definitely has lived up to this rating."

Wrote Miller, Rollins was "the best floor man ever seen in high school or college in this area," the holder of the state's four-year scoring record (2,478 points) and the only junior ever selected to Chuck Taylor's All-American high-school squad. The only off key in the entire article is that Rollins's Wickliffe teams never played in a Sweet Sixteen. The Tigers advanced to the First Region final each of Rollins's last three seasons--but lost to Paducah Tilghman in 1950, state-runnerup Cuba in 1951 and state-champ Cuba in 1952. According to the (fantastic) Bob Mays/Ideal Rocket Oil Company Kentucky prep-sports-history site (5 stars, highly recommended), Wickliffe consolidated with Bandana, Barlow-Kevil, Ballard County and Blandville highs to form Ballard Memorial High before the 1952-53 academic year. 

After his amazing career at Wickliffe, Rollins went on to an amazing career at the University of Louisville and three seasons of pro basketball. He captained the 1955-56 Cardinals squad that finished 26-3 and beat its three National Invitation Tournament opponents by 12, 10 and 13 points back when the NIT was still considered a rival to the NCAA tournament in terms of determining the true national champion. In 2000, U of L retired Rollins's jersey (but, I think I'm understanding this correctly, not his jersey number, 26).

I feel like an idiot for never having heard of Phil Rollins. He's 79 and, as of 2011, anyway, remained an ardent follower of the Cardinals. Here's hoping Mr. Rollins is getting ready to enjoy a very, very happy weekend.

This Week's Games feat. "Ah, footbah"

A lot of games this week, as the teams in western Kentucky range far and wide seeking district competition. Heath (2-4) and Madisonville-North Hopkins (5-1) have the week off; the Pirates will want to recover from two tough games against Murray and Tilghman, but the Maroons (who are on a massive roll) probably wish they were playing.

Of the teams that are playing, I am most interested in the Tilghman/Fort Campbell matchup. For years, Fort Campbell was a big power in the lower divisions, while Tilghman played the big boys. Now they are in the same district, and whoever wins this game will walk away with the district title. There will also be a huge game at Ohio County, where the Christian County Colonels (who have outscored 6 opponents by 212-78) will challenge the homestanding Bobcats (who have outscored their 6 opponents 236-66). The 5A title is shaping up to be a real battle (Bowling Green and Warren Central are both undefeated as well), and the Ohio County/Christian County game will let us see where that is going.

Finally, spare a poor thought for Fulton City, which spends most of the time trying to avoid playing schools in Kentucky at all, but which must play Mayfield this week. At least City haven't tried to merge themselves out of existence. And to me, that counts for a lot.

Ballard Mem. (3-2) v. Murray (4-1)
Calloway Co. (2-4) v. Hopkins Co. Cent. (1-4)
Crittenden Co. (2-3) v. Marshall Co. (3-2)
Graves Co. (1-4) v. Muhlenberg Co. (0-5)
Hopkinsville (0-6) v. Owensboro Apollo (1-4)
Lone Oak (4-2) v. Owensboro (2-4)
Mayfield (6-0) v. Fulton City (1-4)
Ohio Co. (6-0) v. Christian Co. (6-0)
Paducah Tilghman (4-2) v. Fort Campbell (3-3)
Reidland (1-5) v. Caldwell Co. (3-3)
Russellville (3-3) v. Fulton Co. (1-4)
Trigg Co. (4-1) v. Webster Co. (0-5)
Union Co. (2-3) v. Butler Co. (5-1)