By Stephen D. Bowling

We continue an extended look at the games and events of the seasons of Breathitt Football. This week, we explore 1977.

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“We weren’t happy with the way the 1976 season ended,” Hilton said in 2023. “We finished the year with a 5-6 record, but we were so close in many of those games we lost.”

His team felt like they were close too. As soon as the season ended with the disappointing 22-8 loss to Cawood, most of Hilton’s team went straight back to the weight room.

“None of us were satisfied,” a 1977 team member said. “We felt like we had worked so hard and still lost. We decided that that would not happen the next year. And it didn’t because we weren’t gonna let it.”

We got beat on a Friday,” Hilton said. “And they were right back in the weight room on Monday working hard.”

The summer of 1977 was a pretty good time for Coach Dudley Hilton. He had his football team working hard to prepare for the coming season, but there was someone else on his mind.

For some time, the “single coach,” as the local newspaper introduced him in 1975, had been dating a local girl. Janet “Jan” Davidson was the daughter of Jerry and Maureen (Combs) Davidson. She was a graduate of Breathitt High School and Lees Junior College. Their planned wedding was announced on the Social Page of The Jackson Times on June 30, 1977.

The wedding took place at the Methodist Church on College Avenue on July 16, 1977, with a large crowd of their family and friends in attendance. The young couple made their way down the front steps of the church and drove away for a brief honeymoon before fall football practice started.

On July 21, 1977, Louise Hatmaker devoted a paragraph in her Poupourri Article to the antics perpetrated by the Hilton’s “friends” who made their way into their apartment while they were on their honeymoon.

The Times did not record the Hilton’s reaction to their discovery when they returned, but Hilton soon turned his attention toward his 1977 team.

The Pre-Season

Coaches’ rivalry spurs first grid game

Young Breathitt Team opens season with Washington County

A really stiff rivalry is shaping up here for the opening game of the 1977-78 football season – Friday night at Breathitt Stadium.  Coach Dudley Hilton’s Breathitt High Bobcats will host Coach Don Hill’s Washington County Commanders.

But Washington County is no ordinary foe for Coach Hilton.  That’s his alma mater.  It’s his hometown school from Springfield.  Besides that it’s the season opener.

Neither is Breathitt County an “ordinary foe” for Coach Don Hill.  His wife is from here, being married to the former Maudie Miller, daughter of Ike and Ginny Miller.  So besides beating one of his old hometown friends.  Hill is also in the position of having to impress his in-laws and all his wife’s old friends.

That’s enough for a stiff contest on the gridiron, just this coaching rivalry.  But besides all that, two five teams will be battling on Breathitt field.

The Bobcats are starting their fourth season of football after four weeks of tough preparation in 90-degree weather.  Coach Hilton and his assistant Coach John Gabbard will have “26 guys” dressed and only three are seniors.  So the Bobcats are mostly young and inexperienced “but building for next year,” according to head coach Hilton!

Their opponent, on the other hand, is just the opposite.  The Commanders are well seasoned and experienced, with 14 seniors on the squad.  They have high hopes for an undefeated season.  Hilton pointed out.

‘‘I predict they’ll lose one game this year, but I’m not saying who,” he quipped.

Opening with Washington County is a tradition for the Bobcats with Hilton as head mentor.  Last year they traveled to Springfield and lost just 20-14 to the Commanders, who were predicted to win by three touchdowns or more.  So the Bobcats will be out to avenge that loss when they host Washington County Friday night.

Hilton thinks the outcome will depend on the support his young charges get from their fans.  “Our boys need to have their fans backing them – it’ll make all the difference in the way they play,” coach stressed. 

He’ll be depending heavily on his three seniors – David Napier, Barry Sams, and Dwayne Hay.  Napier, the quarterback plays defensive safely for the Cats.

Sams, who plays guard, was highly-publicized last year.  He made All-State.  Breathitt’s first footballer so honored.  He’s starting his third year in the sport.

Hay, who plays both offensive and defensive tackle for the Cats, came from Hazard two years ago and has two disappointing seasons due to injuries.  “He’s determined to make a good showing in his final year,” Coach added.

“We’re looking forward to a good season – we have 26 young men who want to play football – and we want our fans to come out and back us,” said the enthusiastic young coach.

“A lot of people don’t know football but the only way to learn is come on down and see the games,” Hilton urged.

The Bobcats’ next game will be at Leslie County next weekend.  This will be a district game and “very important to the season.

Washington Counts was 4-8 for the season last year.  The year before they were 0-11, but this is the year they’ve been building for… and the Bobcats will find out first how tough they are.

Hilton called attention especially to Washington County’s Jeff Smith, 14 years old, 6 ft. 4 in. tall and 212 lbs.  “He’s one of the best sophomores in the state and everybody’s watching him.  He’s so big you can’t miss him on the field.”

The rosters for both teams are printed elsewhere.

Don’t miss the action Friday night at 8 p.m., at Breathitt Field.  It’ll be Breathitt vs. Washington County.  The band will be playing under Kerry Davis’ expert direction,and the cheerleaders will be spiffed up in new uniforms with new routines and drills.  Football is all spectacle!  Don’t miss the fun!

The Jackson Times, August 18, 1977, page 9

The 1977 Season

Washington County – August 19, 1977 – Loss 14 – 0

Breathitt’s young team loses first season game

Coach Dudley Hilton said this week that he was “real pleased” with his Bobcats despite their 14-0 loss to Washington County here last Friday night.

“They came up here to beat us…and beat us bad and we held them until the last part of the game… think they thought they’d beat us 40 points… but our boys held ‘em.” the head coach added.

The Commanders, with 14 seniors on the squad, were rated a five or six TD favorite over Breathitt County.  The game attracted widespread interest because of the coaches’ rivalry.  Hilton is from Washington County and Coach Don Hill, their coach, is married to a Jackson girl, the former Maudie Miller.  Both teams were entertained up at Lees College after the game by Maudie’s father, I.K. Miller, and friends.

“We don’t feel a bit bad about losings because our boys tried hard and really hung in there until the last of the third period,” Hilton pointed out.  He was speaking for himself and his two assistants, Coaches John Gabbard and James Turner.

“But this week’s game (with Leslie) really means a lot because it’s a district game…last week’s game is over and done…and our boys have bounced back and are really up for Leslie County,” added Hilton.

He had high praise for the defense, especially that held the Commanders for nearly three-quarters of the game.

Of offense, he said, “We didn’t have much but what we did have was Danny Back, who carried the ball real good…for 13 carries and 61 yards.”

He said Larry Deaton was “hobbled with a sprained ankle,” but still had six carried for 17 yards.

In passes, the Bobcats completed three of five for 12 yards.  “We stayed on the ground because we can’t rely on our passing game to win,” noted the coach. 

Defense was highlighted by Doug Back, who had 13 solo tackles and five assists.  Paul Collins and Barry Sams were second with seven tackles and two assists each.

Teddy Warren in his first starting game and played defensive safety making five tackles and one pass interception. 

For a team with just one senior on defense, we put out a great defense for the night, Hilton noted.  “For our first game, we are real real pleased… I think a lot of folks don’t realize how were hit by graduation last year.”

“Washington County came up here to beat us teal bad and even when they had the game won (14-0), they still kept on trying to boost it to 21 points, but we held ’em,” continued the coach, now in his third year as head mentor.

“I think next year is ‘my team’ because that’ll be my boys I brought up from their freshman year,” he continued.  But he’s still highly enthusiastic about this year, noting that it’s a tough schedule.  “These games we’re playing now is what counts… they’re district games.”

The Bobcats are in Region Four, District One of Class AAA high school football.

Hilton went on to single out a few Bobcats in last week’s contest.  Ricky Stacy, taking over George Fletcher’s place at center, “did an excellent job for us on punts and everything.”

Also, John Riggs and Ricky Holbrook in their new positions as defensive ends “did a good job.”

The Jackson Times, August 25, 1977, page 4

Leslie County – August 26, 1977 – Win 14 – 0

Leslie Eagles hoping to fly over Breathitt

You can bet the Leslie County football Eagles will be looking for a way to fly over Breathitt County when the Bobcat travel to Hyden tomorrow (Friday) night for their second game of the season. Both Eagles and Bobcat have one loss to date. Leslie County suffered a 18-12 loss to Bell County last weekend and Breathitt had a 14-0 loss to Washignton County, who was rated four or five TDS better than the Cats.

Leslie County Coach Floyd Hines and his staff wil lbe using every piece of strategy at the command to try to give the homefolks a hometown victory. His Eagles had a 3-win – 8 loss season last year and he thinks “if we get the right compination of experience and youth, we could have a good season.” Hines has 51 boys out for football this season, which is more than double the 28 that Hilton dressed for the Bobcat’s opening games last weekend. teh Bobcats were 6-5 for the season last year.

Hilton is a firm bbeliever that the Bobcat’s season will depend on “fan support” and he’s looking for a large nymbe rof fans to follow them to Hyden Friday night. It’s a very easy trip to Hyden from Jackson. Take Highway 15 south (toward Hazard) and turn right on the Daniel Boone Parkway at Bonnyman, then it’s just 16parkway miles to the Hyden exit. “we need our rooting section when we go away from home,” Hilton stressed.

In the first game, the Eagles fell to a good Bell County team 18-12 when the defense let a 84-yard run from scrimmage get through for a TD.

Leading the Eagle’s attack tomorrow night will be 5’8″, 135-lb. junior quarterback Danny Cox and 5’10”, 168-lb. seniot tailbak Roger Morgan. Morgan ,ay well be one of the premier runners in the area and if Cox’s receiver can hang on to his passes, the Eagles offense will be a steady one. The offensive line will be anchored by seniors Jeff Horton, Walter Napier, and ChuckRoberts. Defensively, the Eagles are led by linebackers Steve Asher and Paul Coots.

Coach Hones has 11 seniors on his Eagle squad, which is amlost three times the number Breathitt Coach Dudley hilton has with only four. Hilton is assisted by coaches John Gabbard and James Turner. Hines has three aides.

But regardless of numbers of coaches and class of players, the Bobcats will be out for their first win of the season this week. The Eagles will try to avenge the 6-0 defeat the Bobcats handed them last year at Breathitt.

“We’r really up for this game,” Hilton stressed. “It’s a district game… it’s one that really counts for us… and if we have out fans’ support, I believe we can come home with a victory.”

Kickoff time is 8 p.m.at Leslie County Friday night August 26.

The Jackson Times August 25, 1977, page 4

Johnson Central unknown quantity

Breathitt 1-1 after shut-out of Leslie Co.

Breathitt County’s offense really produced last Friday night at Leslie County to bring home an impressive 14-0 victory over the Eagles who bit the dust for the second year in a row at the hands of the hard-tackling Hilton men. It was Danny Bach who accounted for all the scoring for

Coach Dudley Hilton’s football Bobcats who handed the Eagles their second defeat in two years.

It made Breathitt 1-1 for the season.

Bach. a junior halfback, put Breathitt on top in the first period on a 58-year touchdown pass from David Napier. Bach then added another score in the final quarter on a three-yard run and upplied the winners their last points on a conversion run.

To say that Hilton is delighted is putting it mildly. Everything went right that night according to him including at least 100 cheering, rousing fans who made as much noise as Leslie’s hometown crowd, according to coach. “We really appreciate that crowd, “he added joyfully.

“When you shut out anybody, especially on their home field, it’s really something special,” he said jubilantly. “We were tickled with our defense who held them off.”

Danny Bach had 91 yards for 21 carries in the Leslie contest. Larry Deaton had 10 carries for 61 yards.

In passing David Napier completed three of four – one to Dean Feltner for 10 yards; one to Darrell King for 11 yards and the biggie of 58 yards to Danny Bach for the touchdown.

On defense coach felt that Paul Collins and William Shepherd, both juniors, were the two big men of the night “knocking the ball right back in the faces of the Leslie County boys.” Larry Deaton had 7 tackles and one assist; Paul Collins made six tackles and one assist.

Teddy Warren and Mark Trent intercepted one pass each, coach noted proudly.

About this Friday night’s contest with Johnson-Central, coach said, “We don’t know a thing about Johnson Central.” The Bobcats will be trying to overcome the 7-6 loss to J-CentraT at Paintsville last year who are coming here with a 40-0 victory over Harlan to their credit.

Hilton obviously expects Central to be tough with 60 men dressed for football. Besides that the Johnson County School will bring a 125-piece marching band. At press time he still had not received the Central roster needed for the program this Friday night. If it doesn’t come today, the program may be printed with just Breathitt’s roster including the white and blue jersey numerals, as suggested by a fan recently.

Coach Hilton again urged strong support from local fans Friday night at Breathitt Stadium. He said he and his assistants, John Gabbard and James Turner, and “all the Bobcats” are expecting a capacity crowd. – It will make the difference in a win or loss, Hilton stated. Also, Breathitt’s fine band directed by Kerry Davis will appear at halftime.

The Jackson Times, September 1, 1977, page 4

Johnson Central – September 2, 1977 – Loss 32 – 6

Bobcats host Cumberland Friday

J-Central romps over Breathitt

By Louise B. Hatmaker

“We played this time blindfolded… we didn’t know a thing about Johnson Central,” commented Coach Dudley Hilton this week on his Breathitt Bobcats’ 32-6 loss to the Golden Eagles last Friday.

“We started slow and in the first two minutes, we lost one of our best players, probably for the rest of the season,” he continued, very sorry that Larry Deaton 5’7″, 146 lb. junior halfback suffered a separated shoulder and will be out for six weeks.  “We just hope he’ll be back before the close of the season.”

Larry’s injury was a psychological blow to the whole team in Friday’s game, according to Hilton.  “We were really down.”

“But for a young team, we came back to basically play good defense.  Our offense gave up two easy Touchdowns,” coach noted.

But there was lots of excitement in the game despite the lopsided victory which makes the Eagles 2-0 for the season and Breathitt 1-2.

Hilton says the Bobcats threw the ball in this one game “as much as we did all last season.”

David Napier completed 12 passes of 24 attempts for a total of 168 yards gain.

Darrell King, who was on the receiving end of most of the passes, caught four for 84 yards.

Danny Back caught five passes for 80 yards and one of these was a 40-yard touchdown pass which sent Breathitt fans wild in the stands which were filled to capacity.  It was the biggest crowd yet at any home game.  Hilton was delighted with the crowd support which he considered vital to the success of any football team.

In the Bobcats running game, Danny Back led the way again with 45 yards on 13 carries.  Breathitt had a total of 237 yards total offense for the biggest total in any game this year.

Coach Hilton said, “We had enough stats and good yardage, so that we possibly should have put more points on the board.  But we had too many turnovers – we lost the ball three times on fumbles and twice on intercepted passes.”

On defense, the Bobcats were led in tackling by sophomore John Lewis Bach who had 11 tackles and three assists.  He was very pleased with this sophomore.

Paul Collins had 7 tackles and 4 assists. Mark Trent had 5 tackles and 3 assists.

Instead of going down in the state ratings, the Bobcats went up because they were playing one of the best teams in the state.  Johnson Central is rated about 10th in Class AAA high school football.  Also, the football program gets tremendous support from its fans.

The Jackson Times, September 8, 1977, page 8

CUMBERLAND HERE FRIDAY

This Friday night, Breathitt will play the Cumberland Redskins for the first time in football. 

Hilton says the Redskins who are in Class AA were a really outstanding team last year, winning nine games and losing just two.  Cumberland is 0 for 2 this season and “hungry for a win” Hilton noted.  Last season, Coach Sherman’s Redskins lost the first two games of the season and went on to win nine straight.  Their losses this year have been to two of the state’s best ranked teams, Paris and Evarts.

Breathitt High’s marching band gave a very pleasing performance for the football tans last week although they didn’t get to perform as long as they would have liked because the Johnson Central band, with almost 200 members, took most of the halftime period.

Game time at Breathitt Stadium this Friday night. Sept. 9. at 8 p.m.   Support the football Bobcats.  Help cheer them to a big win over Cumberland.

The Jackson Times, September 8, 1977, page 8

Cumberland – September 9, 1977 – Win 16 – 12

Bobcats 2-2 after win over Cumberland

Defense holds Redskins down to final gun for 16-12 victory

The Breathitt County Bobcats are 2-2 for the season after their second win here last Friday night.  The Cats stubborn defense held on to the final second with the Redskins still trying to score before the final gun sounded, giving Breathitt County the 16-12 victory.  It was the first encounter in history for the two teams.

Coach Dudley Hilton, elated with the outcome of the game, noted that Cumberland was “basically a good, solid team and we’re really pleased with the win.” He said he thought Cumberland had a “good ball club.”

The game had another first for the Bobcats too, and Coach was pleased with that.  It was the first time the Cats had trailed at halftime (6-2) and then come back in the second half to win.  “We’ve been a first-half team all along, so maybe that means we’re beginning to play better ball.”

It was the offense that made the change in the “second half.  Glen Patrick, who’d only picked up five yards in the first half, came back in

the second to pick up 82 yards- Patrick carried the ball 17 times in the game for 87 yards.  Patrick scored one touchdown from four yards out and also the point after TD.  “We’re really tickled with the way this sophomore (Patrick) is filling in for Larry Deaton, who is out due to injuries, while we regret losing Deaton terribly, we’re still happy with Patrick’s performance,” Hilton said.

Halfback Danny Back, a junior, was the leading rusher for the night with 22 carries and 92 yards.  Also, he scored the Bobcats’ second touchdown from nine yards out. 

Coach had high praise for some blocking by Kicky Holbrook.  William Shepherd and the whole offensive line in the second half.  In the Cats passing game.  Hilton noted that David Napier started out slow “wasn’t hittin’ his guys” but after he started hitting them “we started dropping them ” Napier completed 4 of T passes with Danny Back catching two and Darrell Thompson one each for a total of 26 yards.

Breathitt’s defense was highlighted by junior tackle Paul Collins.  “If he keeps improving, he’s going to be one of the best.” Hilton said proudly- In the second quarter.  Collins broke through the Redskins’ line and blocked their punt to give Breathitt its first two points on a safely.  He ended the game with 9 tackles and one assist.

Teaming up with Collins were Teddy Warren who had five tackles and two assists, and Barry Sams with five tackles. 

Another outstanding defensive player.  Coach stated, was John Riggs, junior defensive end.  Also. Ricky Holbrook “played good defensive end for us.”

Hilton kept commenting on the fine crowd at the ballgames.  “They holler and get all excited and it really helps us.  I’m really amazed at the crowds.”

This Friday night, the Bobcats will take to the gridiron again at home, hosting the Morgan County Cougars who will be looking for their first win of the season and could be extra tough on that account M C. Napier beat the Cougars 2-4-12 last week.

“We think we can win, but we’re so young, you can’t take any team lightly, therefore, I can’t predict a win.’ noted Hilton.  However, he added that he did “think” the Bobcats can win although they have a few people ailing, he still thinks the fans help do it. 

The Bobcats are hoping for a good turnout because this is their last home game for almost a month.  They’ll be “away” the next four weeks after this Friday “Sellout crowds really help us,” was the Coach’s parting shot.

The Jackson Times, September 15, 1977, page 5

Morgan County – September 16, 1977 – Win 6 – 0

Breathitt wins third in a row to stand 3-2

Morgan Co. falls 6-0, P’burg next foe

Breathitt County picked up their third consecutive victory last Friday night to the delight of rain-drenched fans who filled the stands despite the weather.  Coach Dudley Hilton’s Bobcats shut out Morgan County 6-0 to bring their season record to 3 wins and 2 losses.

The game was played on very wet grounds.  This caused a problem for Breathitt Co. the first half, losing the ball three times on fumbles during this half.  With 2:53 left in the first half.  David Napier fumbled to give Morgan County the ball on their 10-yard line.  On the fourth down Morgan Co. had less than 1 yard to go for a touchdown.  Breathitt was able to hold them and be satisfied with a 0-0 score at halftime.

In the second half, Breathitt still could not make a big play, losing the ball once more on a rumble.  But, finally, with 5 minutes left in the game Breathitt had a 4^th and 4 situation at mid-field.  Breathitt gambled with this situation and it rid off with Danny Back picking up yards.  On the first down David Napier hit Darrell King a 39-yard pass down to the two-yard line, then Danny Back took it over for the game-winning touchdown.

On the kickoff, Breathitt Co. recovered the kick by Teddy Warren.  Then Breathitt just had to run out the 1:53 left on the clock.

This gave Breathitt County their second shutout of the season.  Offense: Danny Back with 18 carries for 90 yards.  Glen Patrick had 14 carries for 50 yards.

Passing: David Napier 4 for 6 for 58 yards.

On defense, the Bobcats were led in tackling by Mark Trent with 7 tackles and 7 assists.  Barry Sams was dose with 7 tackles and 6 assists.  William Shepherd garnered 5 tackles and 6 assists.  Paul Collins was in there for 6 tackles and 2 assists.

The Cats had two fumble recoveries, one by Dean Feltner and the other by Teddy Warren.  Feltner, unfortunately, was injured and may be out the rest of the season.  Coach called him one of “our key guys” and added he hoped Dean would soon be okay and back in action.

PRESTONSBURG GAME FRIDAY

The Bobcats will be traveling to Prestonsburg this Friday night to take on the Blackcats who are coming off a losing game 24-12 with Cawood and stand 2-3 for the season.  Hilton says “P’burg beat us pretty bad last year, so we’re looking for revenge.” He thanked all the fans for coming out in the rain last week to see Breathitt play football and said he hoped a goodly crowd would follow them to Floyd County tomorrow night.  “Fan support helps us more than anything,” he repeated.

CHANGE IN SCHEDULE

Breathitt County has a change in its schedule for the next weekend.  The game with Gay County, originally set for Friday night, Sept. 30, has been changed to Saturday afternoon, Oct. 1, at 2 p.m. at Manchester.  Mark your schedule fans.

The Jackson Times, September 22, 1977, page 4

Prestonsburg – September 23, 1977 – Loss 23 – 6

Breathitt 3-3, with loss to P’burg, facing Clay Co.

Breathitt County, playing without the services of four starters, fell prey to the Prestonsburg Black Cats there last Friday night.  The 23-6 loss left the Bobcats 3-3 for the season and facing Clay County this Saturday afternoon to try to get back in the winning columns.

Coach Dudley Hilton said his Cats started off good against Prestonsburg, considering that they were minus four starters.  But a couple of bad breaks in the opening minutes of play soon put them short of five starters.  Two penalties “really hurt,” he said, “but we went on and played good football after giving up 17 points to Prestonsburg early In the game.”

After that Breathitt County “settled down,” they played real good defense, he thought.  Prestonsburg’s last touchdown came in the last minute of play.

The Bobcats came out in the second half to play a lot better.  They took their kickoff and moved to score, with Danny Back going in for the touchdown from 17 yards out to make the score 17-6 after the point after TD failed.

“On our kickoff, Mark Trent tried an onside kick that worked with him recovering the fumble.” Coach related.  With this break, the Cats even thought they could come back and win but hope faded away with an intercepted pass by Prestonsburg.

Leading rusher for Breathitt was Danny Back, with 15 carries for 84 yards.  Glen Patrick had five carries for 9 yards.

David Back completed 11 of 19 passes for a total of 169 yards, with Danny Back on the receiving end of 80 yards and Darrell King for 70 yards.

Breathitt had a couple of standouts with the blocking of Ricky Holbrook and William Shepherd.  Barry Sams also aided in the blocking, Coach said.

Defense was led by Danny Back with 11 tackles and 2 assists; Ricky Holbrook had 9 tackles and 2 assists; John Riggs- 7 tackles and 4 assists; Barry  Sams- 6 tackles and 4 assists.  Mark Trent recovered two fumbles.  Others “looking good” on defense were John Riggs and David Back.

The Bobcats will play at Clay County this Saturday at 2 p.m. and are hoping that the time will give a lot of parents the opportunity to come out and        see the game.  It’s an easy trip to Manchester via the Daniel Boone Parkway from this side of Hazard, Coach noted.

Although this is Clay County’s first year of football, Coach Hilton is not taking the game lightly.   “They had a good grade school program, and they’ve got a good freshman program,” he noted.

The Bobcats are hoping for a win and will be trying hard to get back in the win columns.  Fan support could make the difference for the Cats in Saturday’s game.

“We’re young, that’s the only thing, but I think our toughest games are over.  Now, we hope we can win some games.” Hilton said.

“Tell everybody to bring their transistor radios to Clay County, and they can listen to the UK game and watch us play at the same time,” Coach laughed.

The Jackson Times, September 29, 1977, page 4

Clay County – October 1, 1977 – Win 20 – 14

Cats at Whitesburg Friday

Breathitt sinks Clay County Eagles

Breathitt County’s Bobcats went 2-0 for the district and 4-3 for the season last Saturday after a 20-14 win over the Clay County Eagles.  The Cats did literally sink the Eagles, for the day, was as wet as any day ever seen in Eastern Kentucky.  The field was muddy, with the water a foot deep or more in some spots, and Danny Back plunged over for a touchdown one time in water so deep he almost needed a rowboat, according to Coach Dudley Hilton.

Delighted with the win and “just glad it’s over,” Coach said it was the worst game the Cats have had all season when it was supposed to be “one of our easier games.” The win was important because it put Breathitt 2-0 in district play and first in the district.

We had some real standout ballplayers at Clay County, Coach went on to say.  On defense, Danny Bach intercepted two of their passes; David Napier intercepted one; and Ricky Holbrook and Barry Sams each recovered a fumble.  It rained so hard they couldn’t keep the stats on tackles but coach observed that Barry Sams played good defense and was credited with a lot of tackles and assists.  Mark Trent made the key tackle that possibly helped the Cats win, according to Coach.

Offensively, Breathitt had Danny Bach scoring four touchdowns, but two were called back, leaving him two for the day.  He carried the ball 16 times for 108 yards.  “Danny’s turning into a real good running back, and with his being just a junior, we’re really tickled with his performance.  He has eight TDs for the year.”

Glen Patrick carried the ball nine times for 56 yards and also scored a point after TD.  Ricky Holbrook carried the ball three times for 28 yards.  David Napier scored Breathitt’s last touchdown for the final victory.  The two teams were tied 14-14 at the end of regular play and went into overtime before the Cats could win.  Hilton was very pleased that a goodly number of fans followed them to Clay County even in all the bad weather so they’re hoping for a crowd of faithful followers to go with them to Whitesburg this Friday night.  Game time has been changed from 8 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Coach James Gose’s Whitesburg Yellowjackets are 6-1 for the season, but this is not a district game.  “We feel they’ve got a good team and a good record with recent victories over Fleming-Neon and M. C. Napier… but we’re going to Whitesburg to win,” Hilton stated.

The Jackson Times, October 6, 1977, page 10

Whitesburg – October 7, 1977 – Win 22 – 14

Everything falls into place…

Cats whomp Whitesburg 22-14

By Louise B. Hatmaker

“Everything fell right in place…to work like a machine.” That’s the way Coach Dudley Hilton described his Breathitt County Bobcats important 22-14 victory over Whitesburg last Friday night.  It left the Yellowjackets with a little less sting and a 6-2 season record instead of the 6-1 they’d been enjoying.  And it boosted the Bobcats to 5-3 for the season, the best record they’ve ever had.

Coach said it was almost a theft to go to a team’s home territory and take the victory they’d been planning for hometown fans.  But he didn’t seem too terribly upset that Coach James Gose’s Whitesburg team had been scratched off by his Bobcats.  Hilton said it was an important win for his Cats because “we beat a really good team.”

He was jubilant that the Bobcats had finally attracted the attention of the metropolitan papers, and he’d been interviewed by a Lexington sports editor for a story to appear in the Thursday edition.

But back on the game topic, Coach said.  “Our defensive line did a superb job- Darrell Taulbee, Bruce Napier, Barry Sams, Dwayne Hay, and William Shepherd.” He had nothing but praise for them.

“They played an outstanding game in the first half and had Whitesburg down 16-0 at end of the half with Glen Patrick scoring one touchdown while David Napier passed to Darrell King for the other one.  Danny Bach earned the ball over the goal line for extra points after each touchdown.”

He was not happy that the halftime period had been extended for ten minutes past the usual time so that his Cats started out slow in the second  half and gave up a couple of touchdowns to Whitesburg to make the score 16-14 with the Bobcats still on top.

Finally, the Cats loosened up, came back, and took a drive of 80 yards in 17 plays on some fine running by Danny Back, Ricky Holbrook, and Glen  Patrick on this series.  Bach took the ball over from the 3-yard line to give the Cats their final 22-14 victory margin.

On stats, Danny Bach reached “for the second game in a row” a 100-yard gain.  With 25 carries, he gained 115 yards.  Glen Patrick has 12 carries for 60 yards and would have had his first over-100 mark except for a holding penalty that called back a 63-vard touchdown run.  Ricky Holbrook carried the ball 7 times for 25 yards.

David Napier had a good night running as well as passing.  He ran the ball three times for 14 yards and completed 4 of 9 passes for 82 yards with one touchdown pass.  Darrell King caught two of these passes for 41 yards.

Defense was led by Danny Back with 9 tackles and one assist.  John Riggs had 6 tackles.  Darrell King had 5 tackles and two assists.

Teddy Warren intercepted two Whitesburg passes with one return for a 30-yard gain.  David Napier also had an interception.  Paul Collins and Darrell King each recovered one fumble.

Defense was a whole team effort with a lot of them getting four tackles apiece, according to Coach.

NAPIER GAME SATURDAY

Looking at the forthcoming Saturday night contest with the M. C. Napier Navajos on Navajo field, Hilton says it’s going to be a real big test for his Bobcats for the Navajos are 6-2 for one of the best seasons Bill Dixon has ever had.

“We beat them real good last year,” Hilton continued.  “And they’re really going to be out to scalp us this year.  That game’ll be action packed for sure and anybody that wants to see some good football can sure find it Saturday night.”

Game time at the Napier field will be 7 p.m. Saturday, October 15.  The Bobcats are looking for their faithful following of fans to be a the Napier game.  Their support will be needed, Coach said.

The Jackson Times, October 13, 1977, page 6

M. C. Napier – October 14, 1977 – Win 40 – 28

Cats 6-3 for season

Breathitt spoils Napier’s Homecoming with upset

By Denver Sims, Hazard Herald-Voice Sports Writer

Danny Back piled up 137 yards in 22 carries and scored four touchdowns as the Breathitt County Bobcats destroyed M. C. Napier’s homecoming 40-28.

Back’s second touchdown, a 80-yard kickoff scamper straight up the middle, came with 9:42 remaining in the first half to lift the Bobcats’ record to 6-3 for the season.

That just proves that a proud Bobcat ain’t no little kitten.

M. C. Napier, falling to 6-3 started the homecoming event with a 15-yard penalty for not showing up on time and to add more insult to the injury, coach Bill Dixon was assessed with another to make it a total of 30 before the first play entered.

The Bobcats, directed by quarterback David Napier, drove 55 yards for a touchdown at 9:11 in the first quarter and added a two-point conversion to gain an 8-0 advantage over M. C. Napier.

The Navajos’ first score came with 3:11 left in the first quarter when a 66 yard drive was capped from the 1 yard line by a touchdown plunge from running back Wendell Prewitt.

Breathitt County had one claw left, however, in the first half. The Bobcat defense got the ball once again when Mark Trent drove on a fumble at the Navajo 29. Seven plays later it was 28-12 when Ricky Holbrook raced into the end zone for a 5-yard scoring play.

Following a Breathitt County kickoff early in the second quarter, halfback touchdown as a varsity player and ended up with 14 carries for 33 yards.

David Napier had a good night of running the team.  He carried the ball 5 times for 24 yards and one point after touchdown. David also completed 2 out of 4 passes, one to Darrell King for nine yards, and one to Ricky Holbrook for 15 yards.

The defense started out slow, giving up two quick touchdowns to Napier, but settled down to play good defense until a few of the younger boys were put in.

The defense was highlighted by a blocked punt by Paul Collins, and fumble recoveries by Teddy Warren, Darrell King, and Bill Doan.  The were led in tackles by senior Mark Trent who had ten tackles and

assists.  Danny Back, Paul Collins, Darrell King, and Ricky Holbrook had six tackles each. With five tackles- William Shepherd, Barry Sams, Teddy Warren, John Riggs, John Lewis Back, and David Back were a big asset to a defensive team defeating M. C. Napier 40-28 in it own Homecoming game.

CATS HOST ESTILL

Tomorrow (Friday) night, the Bobcats will host the Estill County Engineers who are smarting from 2-6 record and the victory the Bobcats won over them last year a Irvine.  Coach Hilton thinks the Engineers will be tough at the Homecoming game because they want revenge from last year’s loss.  “Despite their poor season record,” I think they (the Engineers) are a good ball club.”

“We’ve been gone from home for four weeks and we’re hoping our fans, who’ve been so wonderful to us all season long, will overflow the stadium to see the boys play our homecoming game,” stated Hilton, who is in his third year as head mentor at BHS.

He said he was expecting a terrific spectacle with all the homecoming events and thinks the fans will get a real thrill at Breathitt Stadium this Friday night.

The Jackson Times, October 20, 1977, page 12

Hilton proves no Dud

By Rena Vicini Koier, Of The Hazard Herald Staff

After his hometown high school rejected him several years ago, Dudley Hilton thought his dream would never come true.

As a youngster in Springfield, Ky., Hilton fantasized about coaching the Springfield High football team someday.  But by the time Hilton was old enough and qualified to coach, there was no Springfield High: it had merged with three other schools to form Washington County High School.

Hilton applied for a coaching job there but was turned down.  There is still bitterness in his voice when he talks about it.  “I always wanted to coach at Washington County but they just did me wrong: I really can’t explain it,” he says.  “When they turned me down the only movement I could make was to get away from there and I was determined to make it somewhere else.”

Breathitt County, in its second year of varsity football, happened to be looking for a coach at the time.  Putting it very simply, the school and the man found each other and both have been happy ever since.

Breathitt, a Class 3A school with 630 students in its top three classes, had sputtered to a 1-10 record in its rookie season four years ago. Tevis Gray, the coach, promptly packed up and went to Texas.

Enter Dudley Hilton. His only previous coaching experience was when he started the junior high school football program “on my own time” at Washington County.  In his first season at the Jackson school, Hilton’s team slightly improved to 2-9, and last year it rolled to a surprising 5-6 mark.

But this season Breathitt is the talk of the mountains. After eight games the Bobcats are 5-3 and have a good shot at Region IV’s District One title.

“We’re enjoying a good season.” Hilton understated. ‘‘But most importantly, we’re gaining confidence.”

And last Friday, Breathitt stunned Whitesburg 22-14.  Whitesburg, a defending district champ in 2A, was coasting with a 6-1 record at the time.

Hilton credits Breathitt’s success to the ability of the coaching staff and individua players for working together.  “I believe in being able to communicate honestly with the kids,” Hilton says.  “And in giving them a fair shake.  You’ve got to be straight.!  Don’t lie to them. My main philosophy is making a kid feel like a football player. If you do that, he’ll do his best.”

Hilton says he would never tell one of his players that he had a shot at a college scholarship just to make him play harder.  So Hilton means it when he says he has a bonafide prospect in halfback Danny Back.  Back, a 165-pound junior, has been the leading scorer at Breathitt since Hilton’s arrival.  As a sophomore,

Back scored 12 touchdowns and was second in tackles as a linebacker.

This year, he has already scored 12 TDs and has gained over 100 yards rushing in three games. He averages 10 solo tackles per game.

“Danny is so valuable to us on both offense and defense that he has to play both ways,” Hilton said.  “And I feel that playing the entire game without a rest takes away from his performance, but he’s still outstanding.”

David Napier, a 5-foot-8. 160-pound junior quarterback is “not an athlete,” Hilton says.  “But he has come into his own because he works so hard. He’s a gutty player, and a good passer, too.”

Guard Barry Sams, one of four seniors on the team, was a first-team 3A All-Stater last year.  The 5’,9” 235-pounder has overcome some nagging injuries to regain his offensive and defensive positions.  Defensive tackles William Shepherd (220) and Paul Collins (216) add more size to the Breathitt line.

The team is looking with much anxiety to its season finale on Oct. 28 against Cawood.

The Jackson Times, October 20, 1977, page 12

Estill County – October 21, 1977 – Win 28 – 8

The 1977 Breathitt High School Homecoming, with the Theme “Happy Birthday, B.H.S.” was scheduled for October 21. The event was only a part of the larger celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the reopening of Breathitt High School. A large parade, complete with floats and bands, found its way through the city on the 21st, and thousands lined the streets to enjoy the festivities. Hundreds attended the large spaghetti dinner at the school to celebrate. The “main events” was the planned game with district rival Estill and the crowning of the 1977 Homecoming Queen at halftime.

Prefect Homecoming

Breathitt Co. 28 – Estill Co. 8

By Jeff W. Noble

“We couldn’t pick a better time to play Cawood than this Friday.  Our boys are healthy.  The team’s momentum is up.  We’re coming off the best record in Breathitt Football History, and everybody’s striving to win the District Championship for the first time ever.”

That’s how Breathitt Coach Dudley Hilton described his upcoming bout with the Cawood Trojans this Friday night at Breathitt Stadium.  He has reasons to be optimistic.

For one, his Bobcats made a near-capacity crowd at the stadium go home a winner after they derailed the Estill County Engineers, 28-8.  Not only did the win help to put the icing on the BHS Homecoming’s 50^th Anniversary Cake, it also extended the Cats winning streak to four and brought the current season mark to 7 and 3, the best record a Breathitt team has posted to date in their short history.

For another, it was a game that was sprinkled with “big plays” throughout the entire four quarters.

Junior Halfback Danny Back had his share of big plays for the Bobcats.  He racked up a total of 268 yards rushing in 25 carries, the game high.  More important, Back ran for a total of four touchdowns: runs of two, ten, forty, and sixty yards respectively: which helped to put the game out of reach.

The first one came on a third-down situation at the start of the second quarter.  At the Estill County two-yard line, a scoring drive that began eleven plays earlier in the first quarter ended as Back ran to the right side and hit paydirt, making it 6-0, Breathitt.  The two-point conversion by Quarterback David Napier, who completed two passes in seven attempts, failed to materialize and the Cats remained at 6-0 for the rest of the first half.

Touchdown number two came on a second down situation early in the third quarter, as Napier handed off to Back at the Estill ten-yard Line.  Again, Back ran to the right and cut up the middle to bring six more points to the home side of the scoreboard.  The point-after attempt by sophomore running back Glen Patrick was good, and Patrick, who rushed for 86 yards in 15 carries, turned the score into a 14-0 Bobcat lead.

By the time Back scored his third touchdown, many of the fans who had braved temperatures in the mid 40’s to see the game had moved towards the exits, with the idea that the Bobcats had the contest sewn up.

It came with 9:48 left in the game, when Napier again handed off to number 24 at the Engineers’ 40-yard line.  He broke through the Estill Co. defense and went all the way for the score, making it 20-0, Breathitt County.  Another point after attempt from Napier to King proved good, and by then, Coach Hilton went to his bench as his team had a comfortable 22-0 lead.

At this point.  Breathitt had it won for all practical purposes.

But six minutes later, those remaining few in the friendly confines of Breathitt Stadium would see one last run for the roses, as Back took the handoff from Napier on a fourth and one situation at the Bobcat 40-yard line.  The result was 59 yards more than was needed for the first down.

However, it put six quick ones up on the Board, and the Cats led 28-0.  The extra point attempt by Glen Patrick proved futile, and Breathitt would do nary more scoring that night

Coach Hilton thought that his defense didn’t play as well as expected, but went on to say that when the danger of Estill Co. scoring appeared, the Bobcat Defensive Unit “tightened up and held inside the 30-yard line.”

Indeed they did, and on three occasions in the game, the Breathitt Defense stopped a possible Engineers’ scoring drive.

One of those drives ended when Sophomore Tackle Paul Collins picked off a Jeff Gould pass at the Estill 31-yard line.  Collins, who checks in at 6’31/2″, 216 lbs. was singled out by the Cats staff as playing extremely well on defense.  Collins and Sophomore Fullback Ricky Holbrook had six tackles each, while Back (the same Danny Back with those four touchdowns) and Junior End John Riggs led the Breathitt Defense with seven tackles apiece.

The Bobcat defense made life a hassle for Estill County Quarterbacks, too.  Both Jay Wiseman and Gould had a long night, especially the Freshman Quarterback Wiseman, who unofficially was 5 for 13 in passing, and who got racked up for a big loss (plus some time on the ground) by Breathitt High tackle Ricky Holbrook in the middle of the fourth quarter.

Alas, the Estill Countians did score with less than ten seconds left in the game.  Thanks to a Bobcat fumble and three costly penalties to Breathitt High within three minutes.  The Engineers’ Steve Roberts went into score at the Cats one-yard line.  Roberts, a Sophomore halfback who was one of Estill County’s few bright spots that evening, picked up the point after to end the game at 28-8.

When it was over, and everyone knew who this year’s Homecoming Queen was (it was Beatrice Howard, cause Addie Murphy told me so).  Estill Co. Coach Hoover Neice had one last  comment that pleased Dudley Hilton:

“The Bobcats’ offensive line was the quickest I’ve ever seen, and played against.”

That should give the Cats something to think about when the Singin’ Miners of Harlan County come to the friendly confines of Breathitt Stadium, tomorrow (Friday) night at 8 p.m.

The Jackson Times, October 27, 1977, page 4

District crown at stake in last season game

Cats close season with Cawood

By Louise B. Hatmaker

Right off their astounding 28-8 homecoming victory over Estill County last weekend.  Breathitt County’s football Bobcats will close out their regular season here tomorrow (Friday) night with the Cawood trojans of Coach Joe Campbell.  At stake this time is the District title and a chance to advance to the Class AAA playoffs of Region 4, District I.

Coach Dudley Hilton’s Cats are anticipating a tough night with the Trojans who are 0-7 in district play and 6-3 for the season.  The Bobcats are 2-0 in district competition and 7-3 for the year,  coming off a four-game winning streak with three of those victories away.  Friday night, it will be winner take all for the Cats and Trojans because the winner of that one game will wear the district crown this year.

Hilton’s men have played Cawood on the Trojans’ home field for the past two years and lost.  Last year it was Cawood on top 20-8 in a very tough game.  A victory for the Bobcats this Friday night would be a decided upset for the Trojans are favored to win.  Cawood is a “tough ball club” according to Hilton.

Trojan Frank McDaniels, a 6’2’, 230 lb. running back has been all-state for two years running.  This week it was revealed that UK Coach Fran Curci has made two excursions to see McDaniels as a possible Wildcat prospect for next year.  Besides McDaniels, Cawood has another all-state kid in Phillip Carr, a fine running back who is known for his vicious defense tactics.

The Trojans will be coming to Breathitt after a week’s layoff.  Two weeks ago they beat Cumberland 30-28 in a hard-fought game Breathitt also beat Cumberland earlier in the season 16-12.  Cawood had some players out in the Cumberland game, but with a week off, they’ve had two weeks to get everybody “healthy” again.  Hilton noted.           

Coach thinks the Bobcats are “really up” to win this game, especially the four seniors who may be playing their last game of high school football.  Hilton has been almost walking on air from the “great season” his young team has had and just hopes they can close it with a big victory that would put them in the Kentucky high school football playoffs.

The district winner, either Breathitt or Cawood will go into the district playoffs with Russell on Nov. 11, either here at Jackson or at Cawood, depending on who wins Friday night’s game.

“Hopefully we can talk more about Russell next week,” stated Hilton.

Hilton is highly enthused about the crowd support “that’s really picked us up.” He said it was the biggest crowd the team has ever had last Friday night when they beat Estill for homecoming.  The stadium was overflowing, and the crowd was estimated at about 1,300 wildly cheering fans.

“We’ve been over the Pine Mountain the last two years to play Cawood and I’m just glad that this year, they’ve got to drive over it to play us.” Hilton laughed.

“Our kids want a winner, we’ve been practicing every day after school and we even practiced Sunday afternoon… it was pretty hot out there in those old football jerseys,” Hilton added.

“We’re looking for another sellout crowd to help us win Friday night over Cawood.  We really appreciate all the support the fans have given us.  Also, the band has been great and our cheerleaders…we just couldn’t get along without them.”

Game time will be 7:30 p.m. Friday night at Breathitt Stadium, with Breathitt High and Cawood vying for the district crown.  Come early if you want a seat.  Bound to be a sellout crowd and another history-maker in the annals of Breathitt County football.

The Jackson Times, October 27, 1977, page 1

Cawood – October 28, 1977 – Loss 28 – 12

Delayed game hurts Bobcats

Breathitt loses district title to Cawood 28-12

By Louise B. Hatmaker

A two-hour delay in starting last Friday night’s last football game of the season possibly cost Coach Dudley Hilton’s Bobcats the district title.  The delay from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in starting the game with Cawood occurred because there were no referees, and it took two hours to get some from Hazard.  The Bobcats lost to Cawood 28-12 to end up the season 7-4.

Hilton said he didn’t understand what happened.  Referees are secured in the 14th Region by Ed Madden of Knott County.  At the beginning of the season, Coach sends Madden the schedule of games, and Madden, in turn, is supposed to schedule the referees for each game.  It was the first time all season that referees failed to show at the appointed hour.  As of yesterday, Hilton still hadn’t been able to get in touch with Madden, who reportedly had been down at Louisville for a meeting when the game was played here at Breathitt.  Hilton was pretty hot about it.

“Our boys just sat there for over an hour, not saying a word while we were trying to get referees,” Hilton said.  “It was bad…the fans left, got tired of waiting and who could blame them.  The game didn’t end until 11:30 p.m. and that was with the referees even trying to hurry it along.  The waiting and the rushing, I think, cost us the game,” Cawood’s coach Joe Campbell got nervous, and everybody else got nervous.  “Cawood was afraid we were going to get local referees,” Hilton explained, “But we didn’t; we got good referees and Campbell got a fair game, and he knows it.”

The Breathitt head mentor was hurt that his team didn’t win the district title of Class AAA football in Region 4 and get a berth in the playoffs with Russell but he was still mighty proud of his Cats for ending the year in the win columns.  “Some (cams don’t accomplish this in 20 years, much less four.” he noted.

But mostly he was apologetic to the boys and the fans for what happened and to date he doesn’t know why referees weren’t sent to Breathitt by Madden.  He plans to find out some way, some how.

Cawood was 0-2 in district play and Breathitt was 2-0, still the title depended on the outcome of the one game between the two leading teams in the district.  “It’s sort of complicated that we could have more wins and still lose to them, but the outcome depended on that one game between Cawood and Breathitt.  It’s the rules,” said Hilton.

Friday night’s action started with Cawood Trojans kicking off to the Breathitt Bobcats.  On the first series of play the Bobcats picked up five first downs and moved the ball down to the 20-yard line.  Cawood finally held Breathitt on the 20-yard line and gained control of the ball.

Cawood’s second play of their first possession was a big break for the Bobcats.  The Trojans fumbled the ball giving the Bobcats very good field position.  With this possession, Breathitt had the first opportunity to score. After three straight pass incompletions, the Bobcats had a fourth down with a big play situation.  Breathitt needed a big play at this point, and it was here that Coach Hilton decided to use the special play that he and his team had been working on all week.  This play was perfected especially for the Cawood Trojans.  The play would have been a touchdown pass if the official had not been in the path of Darrell King, who was wide open for a touchdown.

After this play, the next five possessions the Bobcats had were either fumbles or interceptions.  Cawood finally took advantage of these mistakes and scored with 7:18 to go in the first half.  Breathitt County came back with less than two minutes to go in the first half with 3 pass completions from David Napier to Darrell King.

This set the ball on the eight-yard line, where Danny Back, in two plays, scored with less than 14 seconds to go in the first half.  This put the ballgame a 6-6.

The second half was mostly Cawood’s ballgame.  Once again the Trojans took advantage of the Bobcat’s mistakes.  The Bobcats made 2 fumbles and had 2 pass interceptions.  The final score was Cawood 28-Breathitt 12.

Coach Hilton praised his defense, considering the time they spent on the playing field due to the turnovers by the offensive team and also with the new defense the Bobcats played Friday night.  The defensive team was led by senior Mark Trent, who had 10 tackles and 10 assists with one fumble recovery.  Sophomore Teddy Warren, also had a good night defensively.  Teddy had 9 tackles, with two pass interceptions.  This gave Teddy 7 interceptions for the year.  Darrell King,  John Lewis Back,  Barry Sams, and Danny Back each had 7 tackles.  John Lewis Back and David Back had one fumble recovery each.

Coach Hilton also had praises for his other defensive men in John Riggs, Ricky Holbrook, Paul Collins, and William Shepherd.

The Offensive team was led once again by Danny Back.  Danny earned the ball 23 times for 97 yards.  He also scored the Bobcat’s two touchdowns of the game.  With these two touchdowns, Danny ended the season with 19 touchdowns, which will probably rate in the top eight in the state of Kentucky.

Glen Patrick, playing with an injury, carried the ball 12 times for 63 yards.  Glen could have had a very good night had he not had this nagging injury.

Other offensive standouts were Ricky Holbrook, with his fine blocking ability, and Dwayne Hay, who played very hard all night.

This game ended the best season that Breathitt County High has ever had.  The four seniors.  Barry Sams, David Napier, Dwayne Hay, and Mark Trent should be very proud to be a part of this great 7-4 season.  The other young men who make up the team should also be very proud.

It was the first year that Breathitt ended with a winning season 7-4 and 2-1 in the district.  Congratulations to Coach Hilton and his staff and all the Bobcats.

The Jackson Times, November 3, 1977, page 12

1977-1978 BHS Athletic Banquet

At the 1977-1978 BHS Athletic Banquet, Coach Dudley Hilton recognized 11 players for their efforts on the football team.

“Up beat” spirit marks BHS all-sports banquet

“We had a 7-4 record this year,” he said.  “It was our first winning season.” The team scored a total of 107 points and scored in every game except one.

He pointed out that four graduating seniors, Mark Trent, Barry Sams, David Napier, and Dwayne Hay, all had the honor of being on BHS’s first winning football team.

The following boys were recognized for accomplishments through the football program.  The award for most tackles went to Danny Back.  Best defensive lineman was Paul Collins.  Jr. Best defensive back award went to Teddy Warren.  He had 8 interceptions.  Best offensive lineman was Barry Sams.  Ricky Holbrook was recognized as the best offensive back.  The rushing leader award went to Danny Back, and Willard Shepherd won the most improved player award.

The 110 percent award went to the boy who “Works hard.  Keeps on going, keeps in shape.  Not draggy.  Maybe it should be called the Pete Rose Award,” suggested Hilton.  “That’s the way he made it.” Anyway, the award went to John Riggs.

Darrell King won the defensive leadership award.  “He kept up the team’s spirit,” said the coach.  The offensive leadership award went to David Napier.  “He completed 48 passes and has done an excellent job running offensive games.  He has given 110 percent every year,” said his coach.

The most valuable player award went to Danny Back.  He had 21 touchdowns this year, 134 points, and 1,184 yards.  “He played hard for the team and self,” Coach Hilton observed.

An excerpt from The Jackson Times, May 18, 1978, page 1

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Like the 1976 team, the 1977 Bobcat went straight back to the weight room with a plan to complete some unfinished business in 1978. The Jackson Times noticed their hard work and on November 17, 1977, noted that “Now that the football season is over, the Bobcats are preparing for next season. Breathitt is losing four seniors but still has 35 members on the ball club. These 35 are working hard with a championship season in mind for next year. The Bobcats are keeping in shape by doing a little running, some agility exercises, but according to Head Coach Dudley Hilton, the team is mainly concentrating on lifting weights.”

The team worked through the winter in the coliseum and were ready when practice started in 1978

Football had grown and interest in BHS football was so great that Louise Hatmaker decided to hire a full-time sports reporter to take photos and cover the games. For several years, Hatkamer had written articles about the games without having attended all of them in person. She gathered comments and stats from Coach Hilton and assembled a brief and rather formal review of the game. Local readers who could not attend the game were asking for more.

The ad was printed in the newspaper for several weeks, but few experienced writers were willing to work for the offered salary. 1977 turned into 1978, and the team worked in the weight room while The Jackson Times waited for someone to write about their efforts in the coming year.

The year 1977 was a year for the record books. The Bobcats enjoyed their first winning season, the first district championship, and the first trip to the playoffs. Hilton was pleased and told The Jackson Times that there were “much better things to come” in 1978.

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© 2023 Stephen D. Bowling