Thor of Asgard

This is where the KHSAA dropped the basketball big time. They should have purchased a full-page ad in both newspapers (Enquirer, Northern Ky. Tribune) and bought a 30-second ad to run ob television earlier this week on two of the local stations. This is not BB&T or NKU or the Chamber of Commerce, this is on the KHSAA.

Trimble County had a great following with 1,000 fans at least. My old school and the closest team, Holmes, probably brought less than 300 even though the games were right across the river. With Campbell County now gone, the attendance is going to suffer Saturday.

The NKY Tribune does a nice job with it. It reminds me of The Kentucky Post and the great job they did with preps. The sooner the Enquirer folds, the better for the area. Maybe a real newspaper will take over.

Ask James Weber if he can post his stories here on bluegrass preps. At least we can read them since they aren't in the newspaper. Hard to understand why they send him over to cover the tournament and then run zilch.

Good information. Bring back The Kentucky Post and Terry Boehmker, Tom Gamble, Richard Skinner, etc. They did a fantastic job covering preps. The Enquirer is a joke. The Northern Ky. Tribune covers the preps better than the Enquirer.

That is pathetic. The reporter from the Enquirer is there and not covering the Sweet 16 for the local newspaper? Holmes and Campbell County both played today. From reading the Enquirer, you would have never known either were playing or the state tournament was at NKU. It sounds like the reporter's silence on the matter says he does not agree with the newspaper chiefs making the decision not to cover it.

It's the KHSAA's tournament, sponsored by St. Elizabeth. St. E wanted to give away free t-shirts to the 16 participating teams, and the KHSAA shot that down as well. The Chamber of Commerce received no requests from the KHSAA to purchase any type of advertising or promotions. That falls on the KHSAA.

The crowds have been so-so for a state tournament. The KHSAA should have done a better job of promoting the event to the area. They should have bought full-page ads in the newspaper and spots on local television. There has been almost nothing to publicize it locally.

Holmes missed too many easy shots, that's why the Bulldogs lost. The officials had nothing to do with this outcome. If Holmes had made half of the wide-open 10-footers they missed, they would have advanced. Give Mercer County the credit. The officials were very good for the most part.

You are assuming the BB&T people will want to continue hosting it. The attendance for the first day was less than people believed it would be. The local support will last as long as there are local teams involved. The Holmes crowd this evening was a big disappointment. They are right across the river but had an average following for a state tournament game.

It is not NKU's job to promote this event, that falls on the KHSAA. No television or newspaper advances locally on the state tournament is a reflection of the KHSAA and how they mishandled the promotions/PR ops. I saw nothing the past week on TV or the local newspaper about this event. Where was the KHSAA people?

The 1980 Bryan Station team was very young with the three sophomores starting. I did not know they lost to Franklin County. I think they went to state in 81 and 82 and never reached the state semifinals wither time. That was a great three-year run by the Defenders, really enjoyed watching Berry, Conner and Clay. You are right, Holmes slipped off after the 1980 season losing Beal, Walton and Simpson. It would be years until they were 9th Region contenders again.

If Carter was the guy, he could leap like no one else on that team. I wish I had the Holmes/Bryan Station box score, I could ID the player in question!

I can still see the player, he is completely the opposite of what you described! His jumping ability was unreal. He played the wing opposite of Conner and Berry. Conner I believe ended up at South Florida in college. Clay was a very good guard.

Was there a 6-3 or 6-4 guy who had an amazing vertical leap? He was a lefty, I thought it was Southworth?

Do you remember Dicky's reverse dunks in some of those games? It was astonishing to see a guy 5-10 soar like that and do reverse dunks in those days. I also remember Dicky dunking on Summit Country Day's Dexter Bailey in a summer league game. The newspaper even had a picture of it!

I knew they scored a lot of points, best transition team I ever saw. Beal directing the break with those no-look passes and his penetration into the lane was a thing of beauty. There has never been, or probably, will never be another player like him in the 9th Region. I'm glad I got to see him play for all those years.

I'm with you!! The Bulldog "diamond press" back then would have been churning out even more points off turnovers by the opponents.

That would have been one of the most dominant teams in Kentucky history for a 5-6 year run. Beal, Davis, Walton, Simpson, Briscoe, Flanagan, Elmer, Whatley. I mean, who starts? And that is right after they had Schloemer, Wimzie, Meyer, Moeves, Humphrey, Avery, Ross. Reynolds Flynn was loaded with talent, and I believe that was the most dominant era for the 9th Region with Holmes.

I did not remember that about Leroy Byrd. I know Bryan Station had another player by the last name of Southworth who had the highest vertical leap of anyone on their team. Berry and Conner were both 6-6 and muscular. Ricky Walton battled them inside, but Bryan Station pulled it out in OT.

In addition to Briscoe, remember Nate Flanagan at Covington Junior High with Dicky Beal? If Nate had gone on to Holmes and played, the Bulldogs would have had an inside game of Ricky Walton, Nate Flanagan and Elliott Simpson. If Briscoe had stayed in Covington, Holmes might have won they 1980 state title.

Turpin did not play in the 1979-80 season for Bryan Station, he was at Fork Union Military Academy. That Defenders team featured Keith Berry and William Conner at forward, with Kim Clay at guard.

Moore and Morris were part of the regional championship team with Bruce Tilley, Doug Schloemer, Roy Meyer, Eddie Ross. Dicky was not on the varsity that season in 1975-76.

Also had Ricky Walton at center, Elliott Simpson at a forward.

Dicky also played as a sophomore in the backcourt with Mark Moeves. Elmer and Whatley were with him in the backcourt his senior year in 1980.