Chasing the Ghost: A Pivotal Football Game Leaves a Pyschological Imprint

By David Blankenship

The true account of how the 1989 Allen County-Scottsville High School football team overcame a psychological barrier to defeat a neighboring nemesis.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 29, 2011
• ISBN: 9781257229406

Book preview

Chasing the Ghost

Allen County-Scottsville High School Football turns the

corner by chasing away a psychological ghost.

Chasing the Ghost

By David Blankenship

Lulu Publishing Company

Copyright 2010 by David Blankenship

All rights reserved. Written permission must be secured from the author to use or reproduce any part of this book, except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles.

Photo for front cover taken by Michelle Willoughby.

eISBN: 978-1-25722-940-6

Acknowledgements

Thanks to all those that graciously agreed to interviews.

Special thanks to the numerous coaches that contributed

and reviewed technical issues.

Foreword/ More Acknowledgements

The most difficult phase of this endeavor had nothing to do with the writing and everything to do with the stopping of the writing. Every time the notion hit to wrap things up, I was left with a feeling that somebody, some story, some anecdote, some crucial name or someone with a worthy contribution had been ignored; that all the bases were not covered, or that it didn’t sufficiently depict the impact of the event on the community.

The meticulous combing through personal memories, newspaper records, and game film was very entertaining and rewarding; ensuring historical and technical accuracy produced the most sweat and distress.

Though the spine of the book is the 1989 Allen County-Scottsville/Glasgow football game, I have tried to name drop from Patriot history as much as possible within the framework of accuracy. But there are so many names left out; names that, performance-wise, rank high in the school’s football past; names that still stand behind the fence on autumn Friday nights and live and die with Allen County-Scottsville football; names that have provided the off spring for the health of the program.

So for my conscience sake, I write my own foreword, and merge a few extra acknowledgements, partially as an apology to any one slighted, partially to thank those that contributed and finally to explain why these words were formed.

After speaking with many players, coaches and fans that played in or attended the game, it was apparent that most everyone had a special memory or two, or twelve, of that night. It was apparent that indeed it was one of the most important games in Allen County-Scottsville football history, if not THE most important. It was apparent that it was significant enough to deserve accurate documentation for future reference.

And it was apparent, as with any essay or writing, contacting only a handful of participants would not deliver proper accuracy. Therefore many were contacted and many contributed, some more than once or twice.

Thanks to Blake Meador for providing video of the game. Film not only supplied details of game play, it also confirmed or refuted some recollections and jarred free some long lost memories.

Thanks to William Howard, Richard Tooley, Shane Davis, and all the players that provided me with publishable, and some un-publishable, recollections.

Thanks especially to Darren Shipley, for providing me with newspaper clippings and other paraphernalia from that season. Many of the players commented that Darren’s memory banks would be the best place to start, and they were correct.

Thanks to the many coaches that took time to put their stamp of approval on some of the technical issues discussed: Coaches Tinius, Cooper, Wanta, Pardue, Hood and Dinwiddie.

Thanks to Richard Tylecki for providing the history of Glasgow football. His book Home of Champions depicting Glasgow football history through 1988 is a wonderfully researched and very thorough document that should be required reading for every latter day Scottie player.

There was an attempt at a balance of football technicality; elementary enough that the football novice could understand, yet specialized enough for the expert to not be bored.

But most of all, the goal of the writing was recognition of the game, the players, the coaches, and the historical and psychological imprint that it left upon Allen County-Scottsville football.

If nothing else, it has been unadulterated fun to relive the joy and ecstasy of that night. iDonnie Meador and the Citizen Times headline summed it up so well: Oh, What a Night. Relive it with me.

The Glasgow Specter

The October 17th, 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake had interrupted the Bay Bridge World Series prior to game three and baseball commissioner Fay Vincent had declared the series to restart ten days later. That would be the day that head coach Jim Tinius would take 45 football Patriots to Glasgow for a district showdown that would earn the victor a number two seed in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association AA playoffs.

With 15 losses in as many games versus Glasgow, and with Glasgow scoring 76 of the 88 touchdowns in the series, and coming off two difficult losses in the prior two weeks, the 7-2 Patriots had to have a strong mental constitution and a weak memory.

Moreover, the Scotties were accustomed to the big game as the independent school was already steeped in a rich football tradition, participating in their first football game one year after World War I.

The Patriots weren’t as experienced in such limelight and a mature composure would be required on the visitors sideline as a few boisterous Glasgow fans gathered to heckle the opposing squad, a practice that has remained even to this day. But these were not the only psychological obstacles to be hurdled.

The Patriots had had a focused week of practice in light of the rare opportunity to advance to the playoffs. In those days, only two teams made it from each district and a football team from Allen County had only made the playoffs once; a pre-consolidation 1972 squad that lost in the first round to Trigg County. With the possibility of history in the making, game three of the World Series seemed inconsequential to the hoard of Scottsville folk that splashed the aluminum bench seats of Hank Royse Field in red and blue.

October had brilliantly painted the 31E corridor and, while two feet of snow fell in the Rockies, an Indian summer had settled into the lower Ohio Valley and southward to South Central Kentucky. The winner of this game would compete at sub-freezing Fort Knox two weeks later, but only the adrenaline-charged atmosphere gave the aura of playoff time as the temperatures hovered around 65 at game time.

A pep rally at the high school had emotions at a zenith and downtown storefronts decorated in Patriotic-colored messages zealously encouraged the local football team. But even the most red, white and blue banner couldn't characterize the community investment.

As with the typical American family, a desire burned hot enough for generational prosperity in the Scottsville parents and grandparents that any financial investment was no object. But it was the emotional investment that penetrated deeper into the personality, and even those of no blood relation sunk a good deal of passion into local youth sports. Competition, as it still does today in hamlets everywhere, ran naturally into the fabric of Scottsville.

Some sports supporters lived vicariously through the athlete, others owned a true school spirit, while a rare few practiced what is practiced by a small fraction of every fan base and tied their self-worth to the outcome of the school competitions.

Then there were the graying veterans