Ashland’s football family lost one of its all-time receivers with the recent death of David Gifford, who fought his illness with the same ferocity he had on the field.
Gifford played three years for the Tomcats from 1983-85 with his last two years earning him All-State honorable mention honors. Few, if any, tight ends in Ashland history had the seasons he had his junior and senior seasons. He hauled in 36 passes for 541 yards and five touchdowns as a junior and topped that with 33 catches for 626 yards and six touchdowns as a senior.
He accomplished those numbers with two different quarterbacks – Chuck Broughton as a junior and Wes Morrison as a senior – and in a run-oriented offense of coach Vic Marsh.
Gifford had some huge individual games in both seasons, including seven catches for 122 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 27-6 win over Clark County his senior season. He had three other games with four catches, including four for 90 yards and a TD in a 35-6 playoff loss to Boone County that ended his fabulous high school career.
As a junior, he had a seven-reception game for 120 yards in a heartbreaking 29-22 loss to Ironton and was strong in the playoffs that season, too, catching four passes for 46 yards in a 10-9 loss to Dixie Heights.
Gifford’s receiving numbers of 69 catches for 1,167 yards stood for years. What made it more astonishing was that it happened in the run-first offense. The Tomcats found ways to get the ball to Gifford, who could break tackles after making catches and had the speed to take them a long way. As good as he was on offense, Gifford was equally valuable as a defensive end and certainly would be in consideration asone of the Tomcats best all-around players.
Ashland was 7-5 in 1984 and 8-4 in 1985.
His playing career was far from over after high school. Gifford earned a scholarship to Morehead State University where Gifford played defensive end where he contributed immediately on special teams and alternated at defensive end. David Gifford was one fine football player along with being one fine man.
Last weekend while visiting in Ashland, I walked over to Putnam Stadium to peek inside to check on progress and saw David’s father, John, and his wife Mary who were driving around. He stopped and we talked, sharing some good memories of his son who was so highly thought of in the community. David’s death was not only a loss for the Ashland football community but for the entire area. John, who was an incredible youth league baseball and football coach in Ashland, said more than 500 paid their respects to his son at the visitation and funeral services.
Death of ‘Nuns’ tough loss for East Carter football family
Longtime loyal Raider Michael “Nuns” Nunley also passed away recently. He enjoyed life and especially East Carter football, said Garry McPeek, who coached the Raiders from 1989-1994. That’s where Garry came to know and love Nunley, who overcame a lot in his life.
“If you ever feel sorry for yourself, stop and take a look at how ‘Nuns’ lived. He was dealt a big bag of sour lemon and he just kept making lemonade! He loved everyone he came in contact with except (West Carter) Comets … and he really liked them, he just wouldn’t admit it,” McPeek said.
Tim Champlin, the head coach at East Carter, had glowing remarks about Nunley, too.
“To know him was a blessing. Nunley taught us all hard work, dedication and loyalty. He didn’t ever want a hand out, he wanted to earn everything he had, no matter what it meant he had to do. He was dedicated to whatever he was involved with and would defend you to anyone. Mike was as loyal a person as I’ve ever met.”
Champlin called having Nunley on the sidelines “a joy and a comfort. I like to say he was East Carter’s luck charm.”
East Carter’s head coach said he met Nunley at Fairview and when he came to East, it worked out that Nunley was able to join the team on the sidelines.
Nunley had a passion for area sports, McPeek said, and loved it when the ADI’s football preview came out every August. He had an ongoing ranking of the worst team photo in the preview, including last year, and share the choices with McPeek.
Even after McPeek’s stint at East Carter ended, Nunley made the rest of McPeek’s coaching stops Hazard, Greenup County, Lawrence County, Boyd County and Fairview and “lived with me most of the time,” McPeek said.
McPeek called him his “Radio” from 1989 to 2014, a reference to James Kennedy, who was knwn for his association with the T.L. Hanna High School football team in Anderson, S.C., and became famous for the movie by the same name. He gained that nickname because of always having a small radio with him.
Speaking of East Carter Raiders…
Congratulations to East Carter for winning the 16th Region baseball championship for the first time since 2009 and only the third time ever. One of those three came in 1984 when East Carter won the state championship on Kevin Bair’s walk-off homer against Harrison County. It has been 40 years since that feat that will be remembered in Grayson forever.
Bair’s shot heard ‘round Kentucky is one of the biggest home runs in state tournament history. East Carter is one of three 16th Region teams with state titles – Ashland won three (1966-68) and Boyd County one (2001) under coach Jody Hamilton.
Speaking of Jody Hamilton …
Hamilton is still coaching and achieved the 1,000 victory mark this season along with winning the State All “A” Classic title for Owensboro Catholic. The Aces are also Third Region champions after defeating Muhlenberg County 3-2 on Wednesday.
Hamilton will be shooting for his third state championship. He also won a title at West Jessamine.
Owensboro Catholic, a 28-game winner, plays Thursday in the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop State Baseball Tournament at Legends Field in Lexington.
MARK MY WORDS 2 