Forty years later: Edmonson County's stunning state title

[Mustang]

I was in 7th grade. Back then Channel 19 in Cincinnati carried the games and I remember watching it.

 

My memory says they had a character for a head coach.

 

Bo Davenport

[broadcaster240]

We were broadcasting that game back to the 2nd region and Western Kentucky. Thrilled to have two Western Kentucky teams in the final (2nd and 4th region.) Disappointed that "our" team didn't win. Thrilled that David was able to slay Goliath if it meant saving Kentucky from class basketball.

 

Christian County's athletic director told me years later that Edmonson would probably have won that game 8 out of 10 times...that the match-ups just favored Bo's boys by that much.

 

It was the first time the crowd favorite had won the final in a long, long time and to be in that kind of atmosphere at Freedom Hall was wonderful.

[NEERFAN]

..................."Aanndd would Mmiiiisssttteerr Rrrrr. Jay. Butccccchh Cchhhhaarrrrmolliiii, puleeze report to the scorrrrerrrss table."

 

Wow, I always find myself repeating that same phrase. Who was RJ?

[OldhamOldie]

It was the first time the crowd favorite had won the final in a long, long time and to be in that kind of atmosphere at Freedom Hall was wonderful.

 

This is correct. Six of the seven previous champions (Male in 70, 71, 75), Central (69, 74), Shawnee (73) were large city schools from Louisville. As I recall, people began wondering if anyone in the rest of the state stood any chance with the Louisville city schools. That made the Edmonson County feat so remarkable as it happened just as classification was being discussed.

[Mustang]

Wow, I always find myself repeating that same phrase. Who was RJ?

R.J. Butch Charmoli (sp) was one of the KHSAA minions back in the day, similar to present day Butch Cope who handled most of the sports info stuff on press row.

 

He was very shortish, somewhat bent over, and walked with a cane.

 

Pong simply called him to get his name over the PA and razz his buddy. However, to the public the ever-present call of "Will Mr. R.J. "Butch" Charmoli please report to the scorers table" became engrained in our memories forever.

[OldhamOldie]

I was in 7th grade. Back then Channel 19 in Cincinnati carried the games and I remember watching it.

 

Channel 19! I grew up in the area and remember the Kool Ghoul and Scream-In Theater on Channel 19! Had Larry Smith and his puppets on that channel, used to show Shock-It-To-Me science fiction movies, too! I loved Channel 19! Speed Racer and Prince Planet cartoons in the afternoon after school as well.

[gchs_uk9]

This is correct. Six of the seven previous champions (Male in 70, 71, 75), Central (69, 74), Shawnee (73) were large city schools from Louisville. As I recall, people began wondering if anyone in the rest of the state stood any chance with the Louisville city schools. That made the Edmonson County feat so remarkable as it happened just as classification was being discussed.

 

Not part of the Edmonson game, but those three schools (Male, Central, Shawnee) were absolutely stacked with talent during that time period. Tons of terrific players.

[OldhamOldie]

Not part of the Edmonson game, but those three schools (Male, Central, Shawnee) were absolutely stacked with talent during that time period. Tons of terrific players.

 

They had great players in that era before mandated busing killed the programs. Male with Griffith and Turner, Central with King, Miller, Johnson, and Shawnee had some of the best athletes ever, including Durand Macklin, who went on to play at LSU and led the Tigers to the Final Four. Louisville high school basketball in the late 60s and early 70s was just outstanding, and it was all the city schools.

[Hatz]

Here is video from the 1976 state title.

 

Loved Denny Trease.

[Tiger1]

This game probably saved us from the "class system" in KY. It was about to happen as I recall......

 

If this is accurate, then everybody should thank them for saving KY high school basketball from being ruined by classification.

 

Thank you Edmonson County!!!!

[broadcaster240]

John Tong was quite an institution. His voice, his diction, and his habit of drawing out words made him a huge part of the state tournament. He always acknowledged every substitution...so important to the bench of every team at the end of a game...when kids could say they got on the floor at the state tournament and their name was broadcast to the entire crowd.

 

"A-a-a-a-t the line, Curry will have one and the bonus."

"G-o-a-l by Belcher!"

"G-o-a-l by West, a three-point goal!"

 

And at least once every tournament he would walk around press row between games of a double-header speaking to each of us and shaking hands.

 

Our station had broadcast the entire tournament each year from the early 1950's through 1991, but I was so glad to be there in 1996...though as a spectator this time...when they presented him with a going away present after this last state tournament.

[OldhamOldie]

If this is accurate, then everybody should thank them for saving KY high school basketball from being ruined by classification.

 

Thank you Edmonson County!!!!

 

It is the truth. The ironic part is people around the state were concerned about the public schools in Louisville and their enrollments at that time. The dominant basketball programs were Male, Central, Shawnee, and Seneca. St. Xavier and Trinity were non-factors in basketball at that time. Ballard had a good program, but until busing was implemented, Male, Central and Shawnee were the state's most dominating basketball programs. Edmonson County's title halted the classification talk. If Shawnee had won the state in 1976, which many believed they would, I do think we would have a two-class system in Kentucky today. I recall the "big-school" proponents who wanted all the AAA and AAAA football programs in one basketball class, and the rest in the other basketball class. Glad it did not happen!

[OldhamOldie]

If I recall right, there were three state football classes, and one Louisville city class as well. The Louisville classification champ played the statewide champ for the big-school football championship in those days. It was a strange setup, to say the least. Kentucky has a great basketball state playoff system, the best in the country. The football playoff system, though, is another story. I know that's for another thread!

[Tiger1]

It is the truth. The ironic part is people around the state were concerned about the public schools in Louisville and their enrollments at that time. The dominant basketball programs were Male, Central, Shawnee, and Seneca. St. Xavier and Trinity were non-factors in basketball at that time. Ballard had a good program, but until busing was implemented, Male, Central and Shawnee were the state's most dominating basketball programs. Edmonson County's title halted the classification talk. If Shawnee had won the state in 1976, which many believed they would, I do think we would have a two-class system in Kentucky today. I recall the "big-school" proponents who wanted all the AAA and AAAA football programs in one basketball class, and the rest in the other basketball class. Glad it did not happen!

 

Wow!!! I didn't know all this. Thanks a lot for the information!!! :thumb:

[BigVMan23]

So, how good was Edmonson County that year? Were they truly Cinderella, a team that shouldn't have been there but pulled upset after upset, or where they really good and capable of beating anyone anytime and actually a top team in the state, just not from a traditional power area like Louisville? For comparison sake, lets say Lawrence Co won the sweet 16 this year. Some might would call that Cinderella, small school, small community...I don't know that I would because they are good, considered a top team in the state with some very good players and capable of beating anyone in the state any time. I'm just trying to get a feel of who Edmonson County was, because I truly do not know and am not familiar with this story.

 

On another note, after watching several minutes of the video...did anyone notice the way the defense was being played? A typical game between 2 good teams today looks like a rugby scrum...literally...compared to the defense being played in this game 40 years ago. It's almost unrecognizable compared to what you see today, and that's not hyperbole on my part.