OldhamOldie

Hopefully the next class of inductees will include Leonard Slaughter and Mitch McIntosh. I am sure it is hard to select a class with so many great teams and athletes from the past at Newport. Many younger people today might not realize it, but Newport High School was a fairly large school 40 years ago. They played AAA football when there were only four classes, and the Wildcat basketball teams were always regional contenders. Living in Louisville prevents me from attending many games up north, but I still follow the results in the paper and now at BGP.

Just saw John Turner was inducted into the Hall of Fame two years ago, so he is already in. It is in the article.

I see Jim Cutter's name in this list. Jim hit a home run off me in Knothole B-League that is still in flight out of the field at hilltop. I was a very bad pitcher, and he was a great hitter! There was a swimming pool in a yard out in left field and his home run went beyond the pool!

Wow! District 22 Knothole! I remember those days. I was not sure if Red was a coach. They named a baseball field in his honor when I was a kid, up at hilltop in south Newport.

That is amazing! I knew he broke his leg, so I thought he missed the rest of that season. I stand corrected! Yes, that was a 1-2 punch in Coach Mike Murphy's backfield few could handle.

Thank you! Some very good players on that list!

Thanks for the information! Did Red Barlett also work at the Newport Boys Club? I umped games in those days and I thought of him when you mentioned it.

You sure about that? He broke his leg four weeks earlier against Highlands.

John was a little before my time, but he played at U of L, did he not?

What is the answer? I am curious!

Good point! He was a great player!

David Simpson was also a great running back for the Newport team that finished like 11-0, but lost to Conner - a team they defeated easily to start the season - in the AAA playoffs in 1980. Newport lost another star running back, William Slaughter, midway through that season or they might have won the state. Slaughter was actually their go-to back in many situations. Simpson was very strong and a physical basketball player who could shoot from the outside. I believe his son played football at UK.

Yes, SK had McKinley, Dixon, Meier, Ponzer and was very good. I think they eliminated Newport in the regional that season. Not sure if it was 1st or 2nd round. John Gross, who was the coach at Newport Catholic in the 1970s, was at Newport in 1981.

I was there and saw it, very questionable call because the ref underneath the basket three feet from the two players saw it. Would love to see a video of it one day. I thought Newport was going to win the state that year. Saw them hammer Lexington Lafayette with Dirk Minniefield and Tony Wilson earlier that season. They also beat Holmes twice before having to play them a third time in the regional finals. Another thing most will not remember is Newport went to Shelby County that year and took them to the last seconds. McIntosh totally dominated a young Charles Hurt from Shelby in that game. Shelby beat Ballard and Jeff Lamp that year, and I thought Newport was better than Ballard. But you have to win the region first, and Newport just fell short in the last seconds against Holmes.

None ever won a regional title. That it?

I do not know what the criteria is to getting into their Hall of Fame, but I would think Mitch McIntosh and Leonard Slaughter will be inducted at some point. I saw Bob Vanderpool and David Schlosser were inducted two years ago. Coach Vanderpool did a great job with the Wildcat program as head coach. His final game at Newport was the Doug Schloemer last-second shot in the regional finals at Holmes. Newport led by one point with less than 10 seconds remaining. Schloemer drove the baseline and Schlosser blocked the shot, and the ball hit off Doug and the ref whistled Newport ball. But the official at midcourt (his last name is Middleton, I coached years later and he officiated my game) called it Holmes ball, and they did a jump ball. Holmes won the tip, called timeout. They got the ball to Doug on the inbounds, and he hit a 10-footer to give Holmes the win. Great game. Best regional championship game I ever saw. The crowd was overflow in Holmes gym, people were everywhere.

I did not notice Tony Commodore on the list I saw. Thank you for the correction! Tony was a super player at Newport. I also see Rick Atkins name, did he play basketball or just baseball?

They were all great athletes and fine basketball players. I don't think Kenny played football, but Mitch and David did.

Tom Laskey was great at Newport too. I think he was paralyzed while in Vietnam in the army.

Other great Newport players after Steve Fields were Leonard Slaughter, Darrell "Bean" Bedford, and the most talented big man I played against when he was a sophomore at Campbell County, Mitch McIntosh. Mitch transferred to Newport and led the region in rebounding I think his senior year. The 1977 (I think) Newport team was one I thought could win the state. They had David "Beater" Scholsser on the team with those three.

Four really good basketball players were inducted into the Newport High School Hall of Fame last Friday. Steve Fields (1975), Mitch Mayes (1981), David Simpson (1981) and Kenny Bell (1982). I played against Fields and he was the best pure scorer I ever saw in high school. I watched Mayes, Simpson and Bell, and all three were great players. Wondered if any Newport fans were at the game to see these players honored, or had any memories of them.

So does Matt Jones, I guess.

Oldham is playing very good after a rough stretch when they lost to Scott Co., South Oldham and Ballard. This gives Oldham 17 wins. Simon Kenton plays hard, but not many shooters. Second half was a total blowout. Oldham has huge game at Owen Co. coming up in twelve days. Should be a good one.

Now if South Oldham could just somehow get past Owen County in the regional! Probably can't beat Owen County, but should be a good game.

Makes sense. I appreciate the information! I am sure the South Oldham parents and players also appreciate the information! Thank you.