ChiefSmoke

KY HS 🏈 HFC Hires! Tough Topic: Thursday, 2/1, 7:30 pm

Great day of instruction. Kids worked hard. My 3 coaches were over the top, excellent. We had guys from Hart Co., Anderson County Bearcats Football, LCA, Bullitt East Football, Bethlehem Eagles Football, Ali Elite, Mason Co., Meade Co. & Powell Co.. Thank you Boone Goldsmith, Trosper Buchanan, and Clay McKee! Will do this again, SAT, 2/17! #4thAnd40

Harrison County is considered north central Ky. But, back in the day, they were in a district with NewCath and it was a killer. Paris is also north central. We (early 90's) were paired up with the NKY district of Beechwood, NewCath, Bellevue, Dayton & Lloyd Memorial. Never played Lloyd Memorial. Got the others. Never did get the Beechwood Tigers in the playoffs... Hergott, Berger, Huth, Lubrecht, Wulfeck...awful good football teams. They were state champs both years they beat us (93 & 94). Mike Yeagle was ahead of his time. Only team we played who's formation didn't give a significant indication of his play call. He could attack a defense vertically and horizontally as well as anyone in his base formation. Stephen Lickert from Dayton was a stud. Charlie Coleman, Dan Ridder, Bob Schneider & Rudy Tassini were dang good football coaches. Northern Ky.... one year at Mason, we had played Bellevue early in the season and got our tails kicked. Went back to Newport later in the season. Officials say, "Coach, think you can give us a game tonight?" Lol That is a great area for football. Mike Engler and Bob Sphire talked about it on our podcast. https://www.spreaker.com/user/frankfortbroadcast/coaches-office-with-coach-engler_1 https://www.spreaker.com/user/frankfortbroadcast/the-coaches-office-episode-4

I love Coach, but if he does I may kick his tail. 😎 His wife Patsy is a Saint! Really hope he has a lot more family time. His daughter one time showed up at a meeting that Ray was having w/ a Superintendent and got after the Superintendent! This is a special/loyal family. They have paid their dues and shared him enough… but that is just my opinion. This dynamic goes for a lot of football coach families. The family will tease, pick on the Dad, constantly. But, if someone goes after the Dad, fiercely loyal. My bunch wears me out….constantly! When I complain, my oldest son, JCB, says, “Dad, you give us a lot of material.” Lol But, where I will accept negative stuff, forgive, move on, the family has a much harder time doing so.

My wonderful friend, and Brother in Christ, Ray Graham, has resigned at Harrison County HS. He finishes with 252 wins. 40 seasons as a head coach. In addition to Harrison County, Ray was the head coach at Rowan County & LCA. 8 seasons serving as an assistant at Franklin County (2 years), Highlands, Liberty U., & Georgetown College. Ray and I first crossed paths when I was 4 years old and he was a junior at Danville HS, playing football against my Dad's Boyle County team. Ray's Dad, Gippy, was the head basketball coach at Boyle and became one of my Dad's best friends. I've got the 16 mm film from that game and can still watch Ray getting mad because he was open in the endzone but the ball was thrown elsewhere, incomplete! 😎 Besides being an excellent, hard-nosed football coach who loves kids, Ray is a follower of Jesus Christ. Ray has been a wonderful example for me and so many coaches these past 4 decades. Ray is a living, breathing, walking example of Colossians 3:23. I sure do love Coach and his family. His wonderful wife, Patsy, has been incredibly supportive for all of these years. It is time for him be with his family more, they sure have earned it. KY HS Football will never be the same without you on the sideline, that is for sure! Love ya Ray and thank you!!

We told you it would be big… THE Coach Vince Marrow kicks off Offseason # 2 on TH, 2/1, 7:30 pm! We had a blast and Coach shared a boatload of info that UK fans will love! The Coaches Office: Behind the Scenes of HS w/ Chuck Smith & David Buchanan

When we were fortunate to get a running clock, we always had a specific plan to continue improving our team/program on the offensive side of the ball without running up the score. It especially helped in the development of our back up QB…specifically in regards to looking at a defense and football IQ. And, we could still throw (very short passes), work ball placement (which is critical) , etc That experience really paid off for us at both Mason and Mercer. Like Coach Bear Bryant said, “When the game is won, start working on winning the next one. “

Going back to 1992, biggest comebacks..... 1995 Paris, down to Western Hills 19-0 in 4th, won, 20-19 2004 Mason, down to Montgomery 27-9 in 2nd, won, 37-33 2012 Mason, down to Russell (in Flatwoods) 28-10 in 4th, won 32-28 Those were great wins... but sort of disappointed in 31 seasons, biggest comeback was 19 points down. My brain has a way of protecting me from going insane... I have NO IDEA what the biggest lead was that we had and got beat. If my brain could get rid of the 2002 losses to the Red Devils, 12-7 at Flatwoods & the Region Finals at Putnam, Red Devils 11-8 that would be great... but no luck. That dang Ivan McGlone and Garry Morris, went from heavy 5-2 personnel to 3-4 guys that could run from the 2001 to 2002 season. Wish they had kept the big slow guys, one more season. That was an excellent defense. Ivan and Garry... two of the finest men and coaches you would ever meet. Our trips to Flatwoods.... favorite of all, even when we got our hearts broke. Great games. If I can hang in there long enough, will try to take the Bearcats to Flatwoods for at least one Friday night in late October. While I am at it, shout out to @theguru for 20 plus years of BGPreps. Quality and consistency... pretty dang good. I would be his favorite football coach if I could just suck up more. 😎

Nice article here on the topic by Zack Klemme, who was Sports Editor in both Maysville and Ashland. He dug up a quote from me that went back to 2013, and I was quoting Coach Bear Bryant. It was true when Bear said it, true in 2013, and still true today! https://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/zack-klemme-khsaa-makes-a-good-point-in-making-mercy-rule-margin-35/article_d295090c-b005-56b0-89c0-26e43056af62.html

#MLKDay2024

#32 Alan Hendren, Joey Webb in the middle was good, I am #52, sweating alot Most days, when I am at Anderson County HS, I get to walk through a time machine. And, most of the time, if I really think about where I am, I smile real big. ACHS has a pretty good size gym. But, in the winter of 1980, it looked humongous. That winter was the last time my class in HS had much success in basketball. Our coach was the "Chuck Smith" of basketball, Greg Schepman. Coach Schepman & my HS basketball coach/7th grade science teacher, Gene Middleton*. I was a freshman at old Mercer County HS. Our 6th period class everyday was freshman basketball practice with Coach Schepman. While I remember him making sure we knew our plays, most of our time was spent on two drills : 1) deny the ball; 2) box out/ blocking out to rebound. The best news about both of those drills... they required very little athleticism and talent. They did require a great effort and doing exactly what Coach Schepman told you to do. That was perfect for me. I could check both those boxes. We were only in there for less than an hour, but he worked our tails off. He demanded a great effort and that we do exactly what he told us to do. I loved it. When we did not meet his standard, he let us know about it real quick. But, if you were pouring your guts into being the best you could be, he had a way of making you feel like he had respect for you. If you had Coach Schepman's respect, that meant the world to me in those days and it still does today. I tried like crazy, everyday, to do a great job for him and meet that standard. Mercer County Freshman Basketball Team, Winter of 1979-1980 Even though I was the least talented player on the team, by the end of the season I was a starter... the only one who was not also on the JV team. I was not very good, but Coach Schepman and I got along great. I would like to think I was his personality on the floor. He knew he could get after me, push me and that I would respond well. He was right. I would run through a brick wall for Coach Schepman. Early in the year, Boyle, Danville and Harrodsburg all beat us pretty bad. When we played them the 2nd time, we beat Boyle and Danville. Harrodsburg** barely beat us... and they were the best of the three... very good. We played Anderson twice, late in the season, and won both games. One was at Anderson. When I walked in that gym last spring, the first time in 43 years, I could not help but smile and remember how much fun we had that night. The only thing, the gym was not near as big as I remembered it. I guess that is what getting old does to you. Had you asked me to rank gym sizes in 1980, the Bearcat gym would have been ranked only behind Rupp! After my freshman year, basketball was a struggle. Coach Schepman was no longer my coach. I stunk as a sophomore. My junior year, we were awful, and I was the worst player on the team. I fouled out in less than a quarter my first varsity game. I loved my HS basketball coach, Gene Middleton. He was super to me. During that tough junior year, we had two meetings. In one, he started with, "David, I think we both know your game is football." Another meeting started with, "David, I think we both know basketball is not your game." He was right! And, I appreciated the honesty and no BS. The day of my last football game in HS, I went by to see Coach Middleton and tell him I was not going to play basketball my senior year. He was super to me as always and told me because I was a good boy, he would save me a uniform and I could come out later in the season. That meant alot to me and I never forgot that conversation. Ironically, just in the past year, I have realized missing that basketball season was a mistake. We were bad. I was worse. But, I still missed out on being on a team and all the experiences that go with it. Most of the time, if your pride is making your decision, you are going to be wrong. I did not want to go from starting quarterback to the last guy on the bench of the basketball team. But, that would have been better than not being on the team. And, experiences that teach me humility are not always fun... but they can help me be a better person. Last weekend our coaches were riding together to the AFCA Convention in Nashville. We enjoyed hearing Casey Kasem countdown the top songs of 1970 (#80 thru #41), most of them were really good songs that I remember well. I explained to Coach Lucas Shouse, this website is a like a time machine: Top 40 Weekly For example, if I am at practice on our gamefield, and start thinking about being there with my Dad in September of 1971, I can go to this link and listen to the songs that were on the radio that week. Very cool and I sure do enjoy being able to remember that moment so well. Here's a good one from the winter of 1980, that starts running through my mind when I walk through that gym with the Bearcat on the wall: Don't Do Me Like That- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Even cooler.... when I walk from the back hallway, through the gym, and through the gym doors.... I enter another time machine. But, I'll save that story for another time. In the meantime, I am thankful for that big gym, deny the ball drills, Casey Kasem and Coach Schepman. *In 7th grade science class, Coach Middleton & Coach Schepman would get me to pick college and NFL football games. We had a blast. ** Keith Currens was a great basketball player at Harrodsburg High and is the same age as me. His son, Jesse, is my AD/Boss at Anderson County HS... super person and Boss....Chip off the old block, for sure. I don't think Keith played in that 2nd freshman game in 1980, he was probably Varsity only by that time if not sooner.

1/14/22 Trosper talking to the incoming freshmen Wednesday (1/10/24), at 9:14 pm, my good friend and former DC, William Harris, sent me this tweet and the following message: "Reminds me of you, work as the HC until the moment he isn't! Just like you. That day is still etched in my brain." So, why is that the best way to leave? Why are you going a million miles an hour until the moment you are no longer the head coach? January 20, 2022 (Thursday) was my last day as the head football coach in my hometown. There are certainly obstacles when you coach where you grew up, but never equate easy with good. It was an absolutely great experience. A decision like this.... it can take weeks, or even months, to work through the details in regards to... is it best for the program that there be a change, and if so... when? This is how those last few days went.... By January 13th, I had become fairly certain my time had come to an end as the HFC at MCSHS. On January 14th, we had the absolute BEST Recruit Night we ever had at either Mason or Mercer. It was a packed house of incoming freshmen with both talent and excitement in regards to Titan Football. Both the kids and their families were fired up. Without a doubt, it was one of the very best nights I ever experienced as a football coach. I knew my clock was probably about to run out. And, that made me enjoy it even more. Maybe the term "bittersweet" is on target. 1/14/22 Packed House @ Recruit Night As a professional courtesy, I told both my Superintendent and AD on the 18th that I was going to resign, after brief meetings with them individually. And, I sure do appreciate both of them keeping that to themselves until the moment I told the coaches and team. That was best for the program and selfishly, I really was able to enjoy my last two days as the HFC at Mercer County HS. I was going to resign on the 19th(after a workout), but my AD asked me to wait until our team meal that we had scheduled for the 20th so I honored his request. On January 19th, our Perfection Workout was excellent. Our coaches and kids worked their tails off. It was a great day. By this time, I knew 100% this was my last day to coach our kids and be with our coaches. Once again, bittersweet is the best word to describe it. Man, I had a great day. WE (much more important) had a great day. The kids had a blast. The coaches were in their element and doing what they loved to do. Everyone was excited about what we were doing and the 2022 season. That was EXACTLY the way it should have been. The evening of January 20, we had schedule a team meal and leadership meeting at the Olde Bus Station. Ironically, our leadership talk that evening was to come from WILLIAM HARRIS. William was super. After William was done, I talked to the team. In summary, my message was that, "The Team Always Comes First. And, right now, what is best for the team, is a new head football coach." 1/20/2022, William Harris speaking to the team So, what are the advantages of working like a mad man up until the second you are no longer the head football coach? Why keep it quiet when you realize what is about to happen? 1) It is the right thing to do. If you are in a role, you give it your all... for the team, community, coaches, etc. There is never an acceptable length of time to coast. There is never an acceptable time to make it about yourself and not the team. 2) No one, including the head coach, is bigger than the team or the program. The Titans needed to have a great recruit night. We did. The program needed to have a great workout on 1/19. We did. The team comes first. Nobody needs to be walking around, thinking about if the head coach is going to leave, etc. That is a distraction that is never ok. 3) I was selfish! I wanted to ENJOY my last days coaching those kids and being with those coaches. That last recruit night and that last Perfection Workout were two of the best days, EVER, in a lifetime of HS football. I will never forget those days and I will always be thankful for them. If I had let my intentions leak out, it would have been miserable. But, I got to watch, up close and personal, a group of players and coaches, go about their business, at a pretty high level. They were excited and full of energy. What that meant to me in those moments....no words can do it justice. A bunch of us, for decades, have watched Nick Saban to learn from him. Coaches are the biggest group of thieves you will ever meet... we steal and copy everything! And, even when it comes to walking away from a program that you have poured your heart, soul & guts into, once again, Coach Saban is on target. Best wishes Coach, and THANK YOU! 1/23/22 Anna Weaber & Laci McGinnis made our facility PERFECT for the next coach

Talked to a coach today that will interview for the job. He is excellent. If he is the hire, they are going to be in great hands, and for a significant length of time.

I met Coach Burnett when I was at Paris. Excellent football coach and always enjoyed talking to him. One night, he left some papers, stapled together, on the sideline that had a bunch of blocking schemes and assignments. The predominant front he was blocking.... a 5-3... same defense the Tigers were running in those days. Everybody was running the ball like crazy back in those days!

Would Lanes Coverage on the goalline stopped two Michigan TDs in the Rose Bowl? https://www.spreaker.com/.../frankf.../the-coaches-office-16 David Arnsparger's Dad is Bill, the legendary DC of the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphinsl & former HFC Lsu football. He was one of our guests last fall and discussed this coverage when we went through the LSU 2 point play that defeated Alabama in the 2023 season. Listen to this episode & decide for yourself!

I would also vote correct. Over the years, we have taught anyone that is "off" the ball to not break the plane if you extended a line from the deepest cleat of someone on the OL. That has worked well, but we will still screw up at times. MOST of the time, you want your players watching football on TV to learn from the older/better players. In terms of lining up legally, we are better off if they don't watch the NFL.

No. I am asking because beginning to think there is alot of confusion across all 3 levels of football based on what I am reading on social media, etc. Happy New Year to you!

I am too dumb to know how to change it. Lol. So you are voting "Incorrect"?

Bear Bryant said something pretty similar... a long time ago. The Way I Heard It... Bear Bryant and Adolph Rupp

I would prefer a return to the old bowl system. But, we do agree..... what is happening now is not good.

Chris Mason is excited about this hire. Good things ahead for Marshall County football. Congratulations to Coach Bloodworth and best wishes going forward!

Coaches Office: Behind the Scenes of HS Football w/ Chuck Smith & David Buchanan (Taxslayer Gator Bowl Episode) We hosted the CEO & President of the Taxslayer Gator Bowl, Greg McGarity. The Gator Bowl has been around since 1946. Part of the discussion was that bowl games would become part of the playoffs.

10: Joe Morris- Mayfield v. Tilghman- Tony Franklin- Leadership & Relationships- Call Sheet Essentials Coach Morris did a super job on our podcast. He was at the Mayfield - PT JV game when we recorded this episode!

Travis Burns or Johnny Hines would both be strong hires. Merry Christmas BGPreps!