By Stephen D. Bowling
This is the eighth installment of a series of articles that follow the development and success of the football team at Breathitt High School.
To many, the exit of Tevis Gray from the Breathitt High School football program came as a shock. He was a dedicated coach who worked his players hard to build a program. He was accepted by the people of Breathitt County, but he later said that he “never really felt a part of the community.” Family ties and the isolated nature of Breathtit County helped contribute to his decision to accept the head coach’s position at Bath County High School in 1975.
By the time the trucks carrying Gray’s belongings rolled out of Jackson, Superintendent Eugene Sebastian and Principal Bill Toler were interviewing candidates. With the first football game just a few weeks away on August 29, the team was at a disadvantage. They were attempting to recruit a new coach to a new program that had won only one game in its inaugural season, and that had a significant decrease in player interest. The search was slow.
A Temporary “Coach”
To keep the season on track, Sebastian assigned a temporary coach to guide the team’s late summer preparations. Bill Toler took over operations of the football team while the search for a new coach continued.
Superintendent Sebastian assigned the job of trainer and head coach to Toler on July 31, 1975. Toler and assistant coaches Johnny Gabbard and Jack Stanford scheduled and conducted the first conditioning and practice sessions. He was not exactly happy with the temporary job, but “It’s gotta be done,” Toler said. According to KHSAA rules in 1975, each player must “complete 10 structured practices” before the first game to become eligible to play. The new interim coach told Sebastian, “That’s not that far away, and the summer is hot and short.”
Toler put on his whistle, and practices continued. The search for a Coach rolled on, with several candidates considered in the process. “We are looking for the right mix of a person who knows his stuff when it comes to football and someone who can keep the public interested in supporting our players,” Toler said. “We have to find the right coach.”
The Right Coach
Toler and Sebastian agreed- the right coach had been located. By the second week of August, Sebastian and Toler had their eyes fixed on a former All-State football player who started at Washington County. They were impressed with how he carried himself, his confidence, and his football knowledge. The administrators liked his ability to express himself and his “student-centered” approach to life. Toler and Sebastian made him an offer, and he accepted.
Dudley R. Hilton arrived in Jackson on August 13, 1975, and took the reins of the Breathitt High School football program. Hilton was a star for the Washington County High School football team and also played on the Bulldogs team at Eastern Kentucky University. He was a fresh graduate of EKU, earning his teacher’s degree in the Spring of 1974. The new coach had been an assistant a Washington County High School before accepting the Breathitt job.
“I came to Jackson for an interview,” Hilton said. “I talked to them, and they hired me on the spot. I changed out of my suit and went to practice that afternoon at LBJ.”
What he found when he arrived in Jackson was shocking.
At his first practice, Hilton found “only twenty or so” boys practicing in some tall grass in the field behind LBJ school. Work on the new field and stadium on the campus of BHS forced the move. Without a coach, interest in the program had dropped over the summer.
“We’re expecting to build a good team, but it will take a year or two,” Hilton told The Jackson Times during his second practice. “Football is a sport that takes time… we’ve got to learn the game.” Hilton, who The Times made a point of saying was single, rolled up his sleeves and went to work as Coach Toler gladly returned to his administrative duties at the school. “We have what we have,” Hilton said. “We will play with what we’ve got.”
After a week of practice, Hilton told supporters that Breathitt was an “inexperienced team” that “hit the big time too soon.” With one week remaining before school started, the new coach started looking for additional students to recruit for the team. He warned supporters that they “shouldn’t expect too much” from his team as they gained experience and developed skills. He assigned new assistant coach Kerry Davis (who was also the new band director) the task of finding more players.
Hilton was impressed with the efforts made by the community to start the program. He said he was even more pleased with the new football field and stadium that was nearing completion. These efforts showed interest and investment by the school and the community to support the team. Hilton told supporters that now they “only need time to grow and develop.”
“Eventually, we’ll have a good team here at Breathitt High,” Hilton said. “We’re doing the best we can and might even surprise ourselves and come up with a few wins.”
1975 Season
The schedule looked rough, even for a veteran team. Cawood, M. C. Napier, Fleming-Neon, and other strong and experienced teams awaited the Bobcats in 1975. “It’s going to be rough,'” Hilton told a friend. “But we can do it.” The Bobcats traveled to Prestonsburg on August 29 to kick off the season and lost to a powerful offense by a score of 20-6. The Jackson Times boasted that Breathitt scored on the Blackcats when no one expected them to cross the goal line.
Breathitt County would drop the next seven games against experienced teams, but Hilton said that he saw improvement each game. The losses against Johnson Central, Leslie, Cawood, Whitesburg, West Carter, Estill, and Fleming-Neon were tough on the team, but Hilton kept them focused and worked through injuries and defeat. A broken wrist suffered by Perry Lovely forced the Bobcats to reset their offense, and slowly they grew. “We are playing better all-around football,” Hilton said. “Out time will come.”
The high school started running regular pep buses to each game, and fan support never wavered. Through the tough loss streak, Hilton continued to drive home his theme of “we won’t quit.” Hopes continued for the opening of the new BHS football stadium. The construction crews continued to move the date, and the 1975 team never had the opportunity to play a home game on the new field.
On October 30, 1975, Breathitt took on East Carter at a make-shift field at the Jackson National Guard Armory. Hilton had contacted the KHSAA and asked to play on a modified field. “we could only get an 80-yard field with the room we had over there,” Hilton said in 2023. “So they gave us permission to play our home games on a shorter field if the other team agreed until the stadium was ready.” Breathitt claimed an 18-12 victory. A smiling Hilton said he was “very pleased with our boy’s play.”
“I got my first win as a coach on an 80-yard field,” Hilton said.
The following week Breathitt traveled to M. C. Napier and lost in overtime by two points. “These are positive signs,” Hilton said. “We are growing at the right time.” The Bobcat closed the season on the Armory Field with a 42-0 blowout of the Millersburg Military Institute on November 10.
Hilton finished his first (although short) season at Breathitt with a 2-9 record. He went into the off-season with a plan to work and develop his players and expand the team. ‘We have a lot of work to do,” Hilton said, and “we will get it done. The potential is here for a great team. We just have to work hard to get there.”
Principal Bill Toler welcomed the team and their parents to the annual football banquet, and Hilton handed out eight football awards for the year. He presented the Best Defensive Lineman Award to Mike Combs, who he called “a small boy with a big heart.” Jesse Tackett received the Best Defensive Back Award, and John Bach was given the Best Offensive Lineman Award. Hilton presented the Best Offensive Back Award to Mark Wireman. The award for Most Tackles went to Donny Haddix, who averaged eight tackles and five assists per game. Wayne Bach took home the Rushing Leader with 89 yards a game. David Henry received the Most Improved Player Award, and Doug Johnson got the 110% Award. Hilton presented Perry Lovely with the team’s Most Valuable Player honor for his defensive leadership.
Coach Hilton told the team he was “tickled with the season” and that he knew there were great things to come despite the 2-9 record. He said he hated to lose the seven seniors but knew there “are some good men coming back. We have a lot to look forward to next year,” Hilton said. “And I am ready to get going, but we still need the community’s support.”
The hopes for 1976 were bright, but the people of Breathitt County still had one great challenge ahead of them to complete the football program. One more team effort would accomplish the last remaining goal set for the football program. It would take a great deal of community support and leadership from several local civic groups. Pulling together, it took Breathitt County less than a year to complete.
© 2023 Stephen D. Bowling
Bookie on the Trail 