I was thinking about Bracken County and Augusta and the two have been rivals ever since the 1920’s So I was just wondering which one was the oldest, not the best.

Dayton/ Bellevue probably been at it for a while.

 

Male/ Manual possibly.

Holmes/Newport, a long standing rival. Also agree with the Dayton/Bellevue.

Male/Manual would be my guess

Male beat Manual 14-13 on January 13, 1905. Manual actually led 10-1 at halftime but Male (then simply known as High School) outscored Manual 13-1 in the second half. There might have been earlier games between the two, but so far that is the earliest game I have seen reported. While the football tradition is better known, I suspect there is no longer running rivalry in Kentucky high school basketball.

Male/Manual is oldest football rivalry West of the Appalachian mountains. Started in 1892. I would think they would be oldest basketball as well.

Male beat Manual 14-13 on January 13, 1905. Manual actually led 10-1 at halftime but Male (then simply known as High School) outscored Manual 13-1 in the second half. There might have been earlier games between the two, but so far that is the earliest game I have seen reported. While the football tradition is better known, I suspect there is no longer running rivalry in Kentucky high school basketball.

 

I guess I'm more ignorant of the rules of football than I thought. How do you score 1 without a preceding touchdown?

I guess I'm more ignorant of the rules of football than I thought. How do you score 1 without a preceding touchdown?

 

When you do it in basketball.

I guess I'm more ignorant of the rules of football than I thought. How do you score 1 without a preceding touchdown?

 

I believe he was talking about basketball.

When you do it in basketball.

 

That's what I get for trying to look at BGP on my phone without my reading glasses. I thought I was in the football forum. :lol2:

Actual unretouched photo of Irish Cat:

 

Actual unretouched photo of Irish Cat:

 

 

I got better hair.

Male beat Manual 14-13 on January 13, 1905. Manual actually led 10-1 at halftime but Male (then simply known as High School) outscored Manual 13-1 in the second half. There might have been earlier games between the two, but so far that is the earliest game I have seen reported. While the football tradition is better known, I suspect there is no longer running rivalry in Kentucky high school basketball.

 

I believe this might be the first game of the rivalry. From a Courier-Journal article dated - Saturday, February 13, 1904.

 

“Fine Basket-Ball in Two Good Games” -

“High School and Manual Teams Win Their Contests At the Y.M.C.A.”

 

The largest crowd that ever attended a basket-ball game in this city saw two great contests last night at the Y.M.C.A. gymnasium.

 

The first game, between the Louisville Training School team and the Male High School team, resulted in a victory for the Purple by the score of 21-7. The game was fast, and the High School team carried the Training School boys along at a dizzy clip. They showed vast improvement over their previous game. Their team work was very good, considering their lack of practice.

 

The Training School team played a good game, but was not fast enough for the High School lads. Capt. Young and McCullough played the best game, while Sale, Parker and Whayne were the High School stars.

The line-up was:

Balfour (Capt.) - Center - Piggott

Parker - Forward - McCullough

Whayne - Forward - Young (Capt.)

Roe - Forward - Kirk

Wilson - Guard - Pickett

Wilson - Guard - Williams

Sale - Guard - Cunningham

 

(Ed. - The second game mentioned, described Manual playing a split squad against a YMCA team.)

 

 

This C-J article from Friday, February 5, 1904 mentions that it is the first year for an “official” Male team. (Edited for clarity and brevity.)

 

“Basketball Games for To-Night” -

“Kentucky Military Institute Team …, High School and the Majestic Teams to Line Up”

 

… A game will be played between the Majestics of the Y.M.C.A, composed of less experienced men and captained by Hopkins, and the Male High School Team, captained by Balfour. … The High School team will make its maiden bow before the public tonight. Never has the High School been officially represented before by its own team. The boys have been practicing faithfully during the past two weeks, and a tip has gone out that like their football team, they will spring a surprise upon their opponents tonight.

 

Coach Adyotte has selected the following lineup to represent the school:

Wilson, Taylor and Wheeler - backs [sic]; Roe, Parker and Whayne - forwards; Balfour - center; Arthur, Taylor and Stone - subs.

 

Rooting clubs have been organized at the High School to help cheer their team on to victory ...

 

(Ed. - The second game mentioned was a matchup between KMI and another "Y" team.)

Edited November 13, 20178 yr by Runcible Owl

Very good stuff, @Runcible Owl.

 

The earliest high school teams in Jefferson County participated in leagues organized by the YMCA and, as reflected in Runcible Owl's post, competed against a variety of other teams. A few years after these first games were played around 1903 and 1904, an "Interscholastic League" was formed and included High School (Male), Manual, University High (also known as Tharp's High), Patterson-Davenport School, Kentucky Military Institute, and St. X. I have been kind of working on an article about those early years prior to the KHSAA that I will try to finish up and post here in the next couple of weeks.

We have a new member, @03Sauger, who knows a good bit of 14th region history. Do you want to jump in 03S?