ASHLAND, Ky. – The 1977 and 1980 Ashland teams – both loaded with size and talent – met Sunday night in a giant-sized battle of the titans at Anderson gym.

Lanky Jim Harkins swooped to the basket with only three seconds remaining, where he met 6-9 Jeff Tipton and 6-3 Greg McCauley near the rim, but somehow managed to power in the game-winning basket in a 69-68 victory for the 1977 Tomcats that was tight from buzzer to buzzer.

Harkins’ last basket was part of a 22-point performance and was the last of a 17 lead changes. The game was also tied on 10 occasions as the teams, both big and physical, battled hard for 32 minutes.

The 1980 team, which featured a front line of 6-9, 6-7 and 6-4, built a 27-19 lead five minutes before halftime. But the 77 Tomcats fought back and actually led 34-32 at the half after going on a 15=5 run to n the first half. Playmaker Greg Swift, who had eight points and five assists, triggered the run that kept them in the game.

The 77 Cats kept the lead until McCauley sank a jumper from the corner to make it 49-48 and the teams exchange leads nine more times, the last one coming on Harkins’ basket. But before that one, Doug Smith drilled a shot from just inside the 3-point line to put the 80 Tomcats in front 68-67.

“I tell you what, both of these teams would look good going through the airport,” said 1980 Tomcat coach Ernie Simpson. “It was a great game and an incredible fourth quarter. Every point was contested all the way to the end. I don’t know how Harkins was able to get through Jeff and Greg. That was an incredible play.”

Neither team took advantage of the 3-point shot with only five total attempts being taken.

“Who needs the 3-point shot?” asked 77 coach Paul Patterson. “We drill our guys on taking the high-percentage shot. They know it and they did it well tonight. Greg Swift may have been our MVP. He found a way to get it into the hands of the right guys.”

Mark Swift had 11 points, five assists and four rebounds while Dale Dummit scored 10 points with four rebounds.

As for the last-second play, Harkins said it was reaction only. “I saw the opening for a split second and went to the basket,” he said. “Tip and Greg were waiting on me and I was able to somehow get between them. It wasn’t anything I really planned out, I just reacted to the situation as best I could. I’m lucky they didn’t knock it back down my throat.”

“Harkins and Kovach are two of the best players I’ve ever coached against,” Simpson said. “Those guys are skilled, strong and athletic. They obviously were a big difference in this game.”

Smith scored 19 and Tipton collected 13 points and five rebounds. Dirk Anders, the 6-7 forward, had six points and a game-high 10 rebounds. John Anderson collected 11 points and six assists.

Real life                                                                               –

1980 Ashland finished 22-11 and won the 16^th Region title – giving the Tomcats their fifth in a row – and then reached the quarterfinals where they lost an epic double-overtime game against Covington Holmes, 97-92, with Jeff Tipton scoring 41 points. Holmes, led by Dicky Beal, had beaten Ashland 100-78 in the regular season.

1977 Ashland had a 30-2 record and reached the final four of the Sweet 16 where the Tomcats fell to Louisville Valley. It is considered one of Ashland’s greatest teams and was one of four regional championships for coach Paul Patterson, who never lost a game against a regional opponent in four seasons.

1980 ASHLAND (68) – Anderson 5-9 1-2 11, McCauley 5-8 2-3 12, Anders 3-9 0-0 6, Tipton 4-12 5-7 13, Smith 9-16 1-2 19, McWhorter 1-2 1-2 4, Haller 1-3 0-0 2, Crank 0-0 2-2 2. FG: 28-62. FT: 12-18. 3FG: 0-4 (McCauley 0-3, Anderson 0-1). Rebounds: 26 (Anderson 2, McCauley 2, Anders 10, Tipton 5, Smith 4, McWhorter 2, Crank 1). Assists: 12 (Anderson 6, McCauley 2, Tipton 3, Crank 1). PF: 17. Turnovers: 15.

1977 ASHLAND (69) – G.Swift 3-8 2-3 8, M.Swift 5-9 1-2 11, Dummit 4-7 2-2 10, Kovach 7-16 2-2 16, Harkins 8-12 6-9 22, Allen 0-1 0-0 0, Welch 0-1 0-0 0, Henderson 0-0 0-0 0, Smith 1-3 0-0 2. FG: 28-57. FT: 13-18. 3FG: 0-1 (M.Swift 0-1). Rebounds: 33 (G.Swift 2, M.Swift 4, Dummit 4, Kovach 11, Harkins 6, Welch 3, Henderson 1). Assists: 15 (G.Swift 5, M.Swift 5, Kovach 1, Allen 3, Henderson 1). PF: 22. Turnovers: 21.

1980 ASHLAND        14        18        19        17            –           68

1977 ASHLAND        16        18        16        19            –           69

(This is a computer simulation matching  great Ashland Tomcat teams of the past against each other. All game results are computer-generated but the quotes and enhanced play-by-play are on me.)

ASHLAND, Ky. –  A scoring duel went the way of the 2020 Ashland Tomcats, who followed a 31-point scoring performance from Ethan Hudson to defeat the 1959 Tomcats, 90-79, in a Sunday afternoon special.

Some dead-eye shooting from Hudson, who made 6 of 8 from 3-point range, helped the 2020 Tomcats withstand Larry Castle’s big game of 30 points and nine rebounds.

Each team had only one player apiece make a 3-pointer – Hudson from 2020 and Castle, who hit 2 of 6, for 1959. But the scoring was fast and furious anyway. The 2020 Tomcats, known for their freewheeling offense, scored 49 in the first half against what was a strong defensive team from the 1959 Cats.

“We couldn’t do much with those boys,” said 1959 Tomcat coach Fred Anson. “It seemed like everything they put up went in, especially that one boy (Hudson). That’s a good ballclub. They sure like to get it and go.”

Ethan Sellars also scored 20, including making 10 of 10 free throws, for the 2020 Tomcats. Cole Villers also collected 14 points and five rebounds. They played much of the game with playmaker Colin Porter on the bench in foul trouble. Hunter Gillum and Justin Bradley took care of the ballhandling and playmaking, combining for 11 points and seven assists.

“This team has so much versatility, which makes them very easy to coach,” said 2020 Tomcats coach Jason Mays. “They didn’t panic when Colin picked up his third foul in the first four minutes. Two of those were charge calls and they were good calls. He was out of control.”

The 2020 Cats were cool and collected and led nearly from start to finish. Castle’s driving layup put the 59 Cats ahead briefly at 12-11. The lead only lasted about a minute before the 20 Cats stormed back in front. Their biggest lead was 79-64 in the fourth quarter when Sellars fired a 30-foot bounce pass that Tristin Davis laid in on the other end without having to take a dribble.

“Man, that pass was awesome,” said Porter, the author of many jaw-dropping assists. “I’ll have to get Ethan to show me how he did that.”

Assists were plentiful by both teams. All eight of the 59 Cats were credited with an assist, led by Dean Church with six dimes. The 20 Cats also had eight players with assists with Bradley’s four the most.

“We can pass the ball and score the ball,” Mays said. “You saw out there what we see every day in practice. Although, Selly’s halfcourt bounce pass was a first. I’ve not seen that before.”

Castle was the star for the 59 Tomcats along with Monte Campbell, who muscled his way inside for 20 points.

“We did what we could against those rabbits,” Castle said. “Those guys move the ball as well as any team we saw in 59. They have to be one of Ashland’s best passing teams. That 3-point shot was a bugaboo for us, too. I don’t think our guys ever did get the feel for that. This game was unlike any, except maybe two or three, we played.”

Huntington High defeated the 59 Cats 94-72 prior to the district tournament. Olive Hill downed the 59 Cats 92-85 in a shootout, too.

“I still love my guys though,” Castle said.

Villers was impressed with Castle’s scoring ability and agility. “That guy could really move,” he said. “We had a hard time keeping up with him and he could score from anywhere.”

Real life

Ashland 1959 finished 21-9 and fell to Clark County, 49-47, in the semifinals of the regional tournament. Castle averaged 23 per game and went on to play at Western Kentucky.

Ashland 2020 was 33-0 and won the regional title but were denied the chance to play in the Sweet 16 because of the coronavirus. Hudson signed to play with Transylvania after the season.

1959 ASHLAND (79) – Fillmore 3-7 0-0 6, Church 4-6 0-1 8, Sparks 3-6 0-0 6, Castle 12-26 4-5 30, Campbell 9-13 2-2 20, Caines 2-4 0-1 4, Conley 1-2 1-2 3, Moore 0-2 2-3 2. FG: 34-66. FT: 9-14. 3FG: 2-14 (Fillmore 0-4, Sparks 0-2, Castle 2-6, Conley 0-1, Moore 0-1). Rebounds: 25 (Church 4, Sparks 5, Castle 9, Campbell 3, Caines 1, Conley 2, Moore 1). Assists: 21 (Fillmore 3, Church 6, Sparks 2, Castle 4, Campbell 4, Caines 2, Conley 1, Moore 1). PF: 20. Turnovers: 20.

2020 ASH:AND (90) – Porter 1-5 2-2 4, Bradley 2-4 1-2 5, Villers 6-11 2-3 14, Sellars 5-12 10-10 20, Hudson 12-20 1-1 31, Gillum 1-2 4-4 6, Phillips 0-2 0-0 0, Adkins 1-3 0-0 2, Atkins 1-1 1-2 2, Conway 2-2 0-0 4, Davis 1-1 0-2 2. FG: 32-63. FT: 20-24. 3FG: 6-18 (Porter 0-4, Bradley 0-1, Villers 0-3, Hudson 6-8, Phillips 0-2). Rebounds: 34 (Porter 4, Bradley 3, Villers 5, Sellars 6, Hudson 7, Phillips 1, Adkins 2, Atkins 2, Conway 2, Davis 2). Assists: 20 (Porter 1, Bradley 4, Sellars 3, Hudson 1, Gillum 3, Phillips 3, Adkins 2, Conway 1). PF: 21. Turnovers: 19.

1959 ASHLAND           16       18       24            21       –           79

2020 ASHLAND          25       24       20            21       –           90

(This is a computer simulation matching  great Ashland Tomcat teams of the past against each other. All game results are computer-generated but the quotes and enhanced play-by-play are on me.)

ASHLAND, Ky. – It was father-son day at the ol’ Ashland High School gym on Lexington Avenue as the 1965 Tomcats tangled with the 1996 Tomcats.

And it turned out to be a barnburner with 65 Tomcat Benny Spears’ buzzer-beating 15-footer from the corner ending the high-scoring battle, 81-80, in front of a jam-packed crowd. They had to prop open the big windows near the top of the gym to let in some cool air.

There was nothing cold about the shooting of either team.

Before the game, the fathers and sons were honorary captains – Jerry (65) and Kyle Umberger (96) and Bill (65) and Chris Lynch (96). The four of them played well for their respective teams.

Chris Lynch led all scorers with 30 points and 11 rebounds while his father had six points, five rebounds and four assists. Kyle Umberger scored 14 with six rebounds and four assists and his father had 12 points and eight rebounds.

Four of the 65 team’s five starters were in double figures led by Tim Jackson with 18 points, Spears with 16, Randy Williams with 15 points and five assists and Umberger’s 12. Center Clint Wheeler, the tallest player in the game, claimed 10 rebounds but was only 1-for-6 shooting.

Tate Tolbert’s 12 points and 10 assists was a nice complement to Lynch and Umberger’s scoring outputs. Many of Tolbert’s passes found their hands and the fathers and sons were banging each other hard inside.

One collision between the Umbergers ended up with both players going down hard on the floor. They both laughed as they got up (Kyle a little faster than Jerry).

“That was fun,” said Jerry Umberger of his battle with Kyle while rubbing his hip. “I used to be able to push him around a lot more than I could tonight.”

Kyle Umberger, noted for his good footwork, spun around his father for a basket that put the 96 Tomcats in front 79-76 with 2:26 remaining. Williams made a driving layup and was fouled. He swished the free throw to make it 79-79. Chris Lynch made one of two free throws to put the 96 Tomcats ahead 80-79 with 53 seconds to play.

The teams traded turnovers, including a steal from the quick-handed Williams. The 65 Tomcats patiently worked the ball around until calling a timeout with 10 seconds remaining so coach Bob Wright could set up the last-second strategy. It involved setting a double-screen for Spears, who took a pass from a driving Williams and confidently swished the game-winning shot.

Once everybody left the gym the fathers and sons met underneath one basket for a private game of 2-on-2. Results were not made known to the public.

“Well, you know how I hate to lose,” said 96 coach Wayne Breeden. “But how can you say this wasn’t a fun game? The competitor in me wants to play them again but, let me tell you, that’s one heck of a ballclub.”

Wright said the same about the 96 Tomcats, calling them a “well-coached bunch of ballplayers who play the game well.”

“Lynch’s son almost beat us single-handedly,” he said. “He’s got a nice variety of shots and he made his dad look bad a couple of times.”

The game featured 11 lead changes and 10 ties. The 65 Tomcats held an eight-point lead and the 96 Tomcats once held a nine-point advantage.

Real life

1965 Ashland Tomcats finished 28-3 and were ranked fourth in the state. Mt. Sterling stunned the Tomcats 56-53 in the region semifinals, ending Bob Wright’s reign as head coach.

1996 Ashland Tomcats were 27-9 and state runners-up after losing to Paintsville in the championship game. It was the first all-mountain championship in Sweet 16 history.

1965 ASHLAND (81) – Williams 7-13 1-2 15, Spears 7-18 2-2 16, Umberger 6-13 0-0 12, Jackson 6-14 6-10 18, Wheeler 1-6 2-2 4, Lynch 2-4 2-2 6, Greene 1-2 0-0 2, Hilton 3-5 0-0 6, Carr 1-1 0-0 2, Lett 0-0 0-0 0. FG: 34-76. FT: 12-17. 3-point FG: 0-6 (Spears 0-6). Rebounds: 37 (Williams 2, Spears 1, Umberger 8, Jackson 6, Wheeler 10, Lynch 5, Greene 1, Hilton 4). Assists: 21 (Williams 5, Spears 4, Umberger 1, Jackson 3, Wheeler 1, Lynch 4, Greene 2, Carr 1). PF: 18. Turnovers: 12.

1996 ASHLAND (80) – Tolbert 5-11 0-0 12, Umberger 6-10 2-6 14, Barrow 2-6 1-2 5, Curtis 4-8 0-2 9, Lynch 12-21 6-7 30, Strader 1-2 3-4 5, Estep 0-0 3-3 3, Daniels 1-2 0-0 2. FG: 31-60. FT: 15-24. 3-point FG: 3-8 (Tolbert 2-4, Curtis 1-4). Rebounds: 31 (Tolbert 1, Umberger 6, Barrow 6, Curtis 4, Lynch 11, Strader 2, Estep 1). Assists: 20 (Tolbert 10, Umberger 4, Barrow 1, Lynch 3, Estep 2). PF: 15. Turnovers: 20.

1965 ASHLAND           15     26     13          27     –        81    

1996 ASHLAND           20     17     22            21     –      80

(This is a computer simulation matching  great Ashland Tomcat teams of the past against each other. All game results are computer-generated but the quotes and enhanced play-by-play are on me.)

ASHLAND, Ky. – It turns out, size does matter.

Ashland’s 1996 state runners-up used their overwhelming size to defeat the 2020 Tomcats, 72-63, on Friday night.

The 96 Tomcats’ length also bothered the 2020 team’s 3-point shooting, limiting them to a dismal 5-for-25 performance. Meanwhile, 6-6 Chris Lynch, 6-7 Kyle Umberger and 6-4 Tony Barrow dominated the paint.

Lynch had a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds and Umberger had nine points and 10 rebounds.

Coach Wayne Breeden, a master strategist, knew every move the 2020 Tomcats were making.

“I watched video on every game they played since grade school,” said the bleary-eyed coach, who had to wear corrective sunglasses during the game because of watching so much film. “It paid off. Our guys read the scouting reports and followed the game plan to a T.”

Much like they did in upsetting No. 1 Paducah Tilghman in the 1996 Sweet 16, the Tomcats were ready for anything – even this freewheeling 2020 Tomcat team that won by an average of 18 points per game.

“We were ready for them,” Lynch said. “I got tired of hearing about them. It was time for somebody to knock them down a notch.”

The game was tight through three quarters, but each team had a chance to blow it open. The 96 Tomcats trailed 27-16 early in the second quarter but they fought back to draw even at 37 by halftime.

“We had our chances there, had them on the ropes,” said 2020 Tomcat coach Jason Mays. “But we didn’t finish the job and when you let a team like this back into it, look out. They were big and it started wearing us down in the fourth quarter. We played just as hard bur at the end of the day, their big guys had us by five or six inches at every position.”

And the great equalizer – the 3-point shot – was not friendly to the 2020 Tomcats this time.

Tate Tolbert played outstanding out front for the 96 Tomcats with 14 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals. He may have been the team’s MVP for the night.

Reserve Chris Estep had a hot hand too with 13 points.

Estep was matched against his nephew, Ethan Sellars, when he was in the game. And the two hustlers went at each other hard. Sellars had 10 points and nine rebounds.

“I thought I was watching the Bobbsey twins,” Breeden said. “Those guys played exactly alike. If I ever got in a street fight, I’d want those guys with me.”

The 96 Tomcats also held a 36-31 rebounding advantage.

The 2020 Tomcats battled hard but managed to get only within four points in the fourth quarter.

“It’s a game we can learn from,” Mays said. “Those guys came close to being state champions and we think that was our destiny too. It didn’t happen, not because of anything these kids did or didn’t do, but circumstances in life.

“I loved matching coaching wits with Coach Breeden. He got me this time but I’ll be ready for the rematch.”

Villers scored 15, Hunter Gillum 11 and Colin Porter collected 10 points, seven assists and five rebounds.

Real life

1996 Ashland Tomcats went 27-9 but caught fire late in the season and made it to the state championship game for the school’s first appearance in 34 years. Tomcats lost to Paintsville in the finals.

2020 Ashland Tomcats were 33-0 and didn’t get to play in the Sweet Sixteen because of the coronavirus. They will be remembered as one of the Tomcats’ greatest teams with the perfect record.

1996 ASHLAND (72) – Tolbert 6-9 203 14, Curtis 2-12 3-4 8, Barrow 2-3 0-0 4 5, Umberger 4-7 1-2 9, Lynch 6-11 7-10 19, Strader 1-3 0-0 2, Estep 4-5 5-7 13, Daniels 1-1 0-0 2. FG: 26-51. FT: 18-26. 3-point FG: 2-9 (Tolbert 0-1, Curtis 1-5, Barrow 1-2, Strader 0-1). Rebounds: 36 (Tolbert 7, Barrow 4, Umberger 10, Lynch 10, Strader 2, Daniels 3). Assists: 12 (Tolbert 6, Curtis 1, Lynch 4, Estep 1). PF: 21. Turnovers: 19.

2020 ASHLAND (63) – Porter 4-14 202 10, Bradley 2-4 0-0 6, Villers 5-13 3-3 15, Hudson 1-5 4-6 6, Sellars 5-11 0-0 0-1 10, Phillips 0-3 2-2 2, Gillum 3-8 5-6 11, Adkins 1-2 0-0 3, Conway 0-2 0-0 0. FG: 21-62. FT: 16-19. 3-point FG: 5-25 (Porter 0-7, Bradley 2-3, Villers 2-10, Hudson 0-1, Sellars 0-1, Phillips 0-1, Gillum 1-2). Rebounds: 31 (Porter 5, Villers 4, Hudson 1, Sellars 9, Phillips 5, Gillum 1, Adkins 3, Atkins 3). Assists: 13 (Porter 7, Villers 1, Hudson 1, Gillum 2, Atkins 2). PF: 22. Turnovers: 18.

1996 ASHLAND         14       23       19            16       –           72

2020 ASHLAND          25       12       10            16       –           63